Idea of using Bats
Lytle S. Adams, a dentist in United States and a inventor at his spare time proposed
an idea to send a squadron of B-24 bombers to destroy Osaka, Japan.
an idea to send a squadron of B-24 bombers to destroy Osaka, Japan.
1. Lytle Adams loading bats into containers.
2. The bat containers being airdropped in a test.
3. The fire that accidentally released bats started at an Air Force facility. Images: U.S. Air Force.
2. The bat containers being airdropped in a test.
3. The fire that accidentally released bats started at an Air Force facility. Images: U.S. Air Force.
He said that each plane would carry 100 incendiary shells. The twist was that the weapons would not contain bombs but bats.
Idealistically, the bats would settle in on the wood and paper used to build traditional
buildings in the Japanese city, Osaka. Each bat would carry a small incendiary charge, strapped securely imposition. When the bats settle in deep holes in the roofs of the Japanese buildings, the fuses would light the bombs and the city would be destroyed.
buildings in the Japanese city, Osaka. Each bat would carry a small incendiary charge, strapped securely imposition. When the bats settle in deep holes in the roofs of the Japanese buildings, the fuses would light the bombs and the city would be destroyed.
The National Defense Research Laboratories experimented using lightweight incendiary bombs and were able to come up with one less than 28g including the weight of a small time fuse that would ignite when the time comes.
While the National Defense Research Laboratories were experimenting with bombs, Adams and his mate were to visit thousands of caves to gather bats that are larger, so that more efficient to carry bombs.
Trial flights were tested in Muroc Lake in California, but the bats were disorientated and flew into the ground. A batch of bats that were experimentally fitted with bombs accidently escaped in New Mexico and set an aircraft hangar and the military vehicle inside into flames.
Eventually, Adams and his friends handed the project in the hands of the Marine Corps upon the government of United States’ request. The Marine Corps codenamed it Project X-ray and soon abandoned the idea.
The idea was creative in thought and very unordinary. Most people nowadays would have laughed the idea off as a joke. However, the idea itself was pretty logical and perhaps with robotic bats, it might even be possible. However, the fact that they used real bats is going against animal rights. The deed of belting a bomb on bats is like making the bats do suicide bombings. The bats would have to die although they did not do anything.