7 Nazi War Inventions That Were Way Ahead of Their Time

1.

The Horton Ho 229: This was the world’s first stealth aircraft. This incredible marvel of engineering was way ahead of its time and could fly up to 600 mph or climb to altitudes of 49,000 feet. It didn’t make much of an impact on the war however, because it was launched in 1944, after the war was effectively over.

2.

The Goliath Tracked Mine: This cute little tank was basically a remote-controlled car with one notable difference, it blew the crap out of anything it touched. The tiny war machine could move at 6 mph and deliver a payload containing 100 kg of explosives. The major weakness of this tank was that it was connected to a joystick via a 2,000-foot cable which meant all the enemy had to do in order to disable it was to cut the wire.

3.

The Fritz X: The Fritz X was a radio-guided bomb that was extra scary because it could be deployed at 20,000 feet which put it out of reach of most anti-aircraft guns. The 3,450 pound bomb could also penetrate up to 28 inches of armor. One of these bad boys managed to sink an Italian battleship in 1943 and put two American vessels out of service for over a year.

4.

The Panzer VIII Maus: This gargantuan piece of machinery was the mother of all tanks. Weighing in at a whopping 188 tons, this behemoth might have swung the war in Germany’s favor had it been developed a few years earlier. The tank was incredibly expensive, only two were ever made – both of which were captured by the Soviets. It was also slow, only reaching a top speed of 13km per hour.

5.

The Schwerer Gustav: This looks like something a Bond villain would construct in attempting to take over the world. It is the largest canon ever built – weighing 1,350 tons. The machine was fed seven-ton shells that could reach distances of up to 29 freaking miles. The draw back, obviously, was its size. It took an enormous amount of men to move, set up and operate the monstrosity and because of this only two were built.

6.

The StG 44: This was probably the first assault rifle ever created. It is the grandaddy of assault rifles having directly inspired the creation of the AK-47. The gun included an attachment that would allow it to shoot around corners and another which provided infrared vision.

7.

The Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet: The Messerschmitt was a funny looking, rocket-powered fighter plane that could travel up to 700 mph. Although they were fast, they lacked the dog-fighting skills to make great fighter plane proven by the fact that although 300 were made, the Messerschmitt only managed to shoot down nine enemy aircraft.