Author : Garald Pawle
Publisher : Seaforth Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1848320264
Total Pages : 306 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (483 download)
Book Synopsis The Wheezers & Dodgers by : Garald Pawle
Download or read book The Wheezers & Dodgers written by Garald Pawle and published by Seaforth Publishing. This book was released on 2009-01-15 with total page 306 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is the fascinating story of the Admiralty's Department of Miscellaneous Weapon Development, the so-called 'Wheezers and Dodgers', and the many ingenious weapons and devices it invented, improved or perfected. The author was one of a group of officers with engineering or scientific backgrounds who were charged with the task of winning the struggle for scientific mastery between the Allies and the Germans in what Churchill enthusiastically called 'the wizard war'. Their work ranged from early stop-gap weapons like the steam-powered Holman projector, via great success stories like the Hedgehog anti-submarine mortar, to futuristic experiments with rockets, a minefield that could be sown in the sky, and the spectacularly dangerous Great Panjandrum, a giant explosive Catherine-wheel intended to storm enemy beaches. The development of these and many other extraordinary inventions, their triumphs and disasters, is told with panache and humour, and a diverse group of highly imaginative and eccentric figures emerge from the pages.