26Lazy Dog Bomb
The “Lazy Dog” bomb which was developed during World War 2 was a 2-inch steel kinetic projectile that was dropped by the thousands from 3,000 feet. It was capable of penetrating up to 9 inches of solid concrete with no explosives.
27. After World War 2, the Allies discovered meticulous plans for a Sun Gun by the Nazis. Planned by renowned Nazi Scientist Hermann Oberth, it was a 1km in diameter mirror attached to a space station to burn cities and evaporate oceans, estimated to take 15 years to build. He later joined NASA.
28. UK’s highest-paid entertainer during World War 2, George Formby, went to Normandy after the landings and gave 9 shows to frontline troops who had held out for 56 days without relief. His audiences were in foxholes. He also crawled through trenches to tell jokes when the enemy was too close for a show.
29. Methamphetamine was sold during World War 2 under the brand name Pervitin. It was used by all branches of the Wehrmacht forces of the Third Reich for its “stimulant effects and to induce extended wakefulness.”
30. The Amber Room was a priceless work of art with over 6 tons of amber. It was once considered the 8th Wonder of the World. The entire room went 'missing' during World War 2.
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31Japanese Canadian Interment
In 1942, the Canadian government sold the homes of Japanese-Canadians to pay for their own detention in camps during World War 2. The majority were Canadian citizens by birth. Compensation in 1988 amounted to $21,000 to each surviving internee.
32. Nazis offered Iron Cross to 4 Finnish Jews during World War 2. None accepted. For example, Leo Skurnik was awarded Iron Cross for evacuating a German soldier under enemy fire. Major Skurnik told the Germans that he would “wipe his arse with the medal.”
33. One of the most effective weapons in World War 2 was the proximity fuzed shell. The Allies were so terrified of the enemy getting hold of samples that they were initially only used over water by the Navy. There was an embargo on their use over land until 1944.
34. During World War 2, it was common for desensitized US troops to murder German POWs if they were wearing American boots, as it was a reminder that one of their buddies had been killed.
35. The term ‘Blitzkrieg’ was a term created by the Western Media to describe German tactics during World War 2, and Hitler himself actually ridiculed it as ‘a completely idiotic word’ (ein ganz blödsinniges Wort).
36Allied Submarines
During World War 2, Allied submarines would often lie on beds of pistol shrimp to avoid detection. The snapping sound made by the shrimp was so loud that it stopped the submarines from being picked up on Japanese sonar.
37. Winston Churchill drew up plans for a surprise attack against the then-allied Soviet Union. Dubbed “Operation Unthinkable,” the plan would have rearmed up to 100,000 former Nazi soldiers and kicked off World War 3 almost before World War 2 had ended.
38. The Japanese officer who proposed the use of Kamikaze pilots during World War 2 shot himself post-war out of guilt for sending so many young men to their deaths.
39. Australia had ‘internment camps’ during World War 2 (and World War 1) in which almost 7000 people of Italian, German, and Japanese origin were detained in some of the remotest parts of Australia. They also included 1500 British National of German descent or part of radical nationalist organizations.
40. Northern Ireland’s Parliament building was painted with cow dung and bitumen to hide itself during World War 2. There are still traces of cow dung on the building to this day as it is so difficult to get off.
