6 Similar to a flamethrower, Greek Fire was an incendiary weapon developed by the Byzantines in the seventh century. It was developed to be used on ships and even water couldn’t extinguish it. It was so effective that it was used for more than 700 years throughout Christendom. Its exact chemical composition is still unknown.

The superweapon of Byzantines was used for centuries in defense, and its secret recipe was only passed from emperor to emperor until their fall in 1453.

It was so significant that once Emperor Romanos II declared that the secret of Greek Fire must never reach their enemies.

The incendiary weapon, which was used on both land and water, was first designed during the reign of Constantine IV Pogantus in the seventh century.

Historical records have explained how the fire from the weapon could not be put out even with water. Instead, the target would burn even more vigorously when water was put on it.

The liquid was deployed by two methods. It was either thrown in pots or discharged via ship-mounted tubes.

After using it for more than 700 years, its recipe has been lost in history. However, some theories have been developed on the chemical composition, and one includes the mixture of petroleum, pitch, sulfur, pine or cedar resin, lime, and bitumen. (Source)

7 An umbrella weapon having a chamber from which a poisonous pellet containing ricin could be fired is called the “Bulgarian Umbrella.” It was reportedly used in the assassination of a Bulgarian dissident writer, Georgi Markow, in September 1978. The victim thought he was stung by a bee and only died four days later.

The mechanism of the Bulgarian needle-tipped umbrella is weird but genius. When its trigger on the handle is pressed, it activates a compressed air cylinder that in turn fires a small poisoned pellet at the targeted area. Once the poison, mostly ricin, is injected into the victim’s body, a slow and unstoppable death is underway.

Indeed, the building of this strange weapon was fascinating to the public eye, and it still finds its place in a number of publications. The entire breakdown of the poisonous umbrella could be found displayed in the German Spy Museum.

The weapon was used to assassinate Markov on 7 September 1978 in London. It was used again in many incidents including the failed assassination of another Bulgarian journalist, Vladimir Kostov. Both cases are believed to be organized by the Bulgarian Secret Service. (1, 2)

8 The British invented “bouncing bombs” that were designed to bounce to their target across the water so that they avoid obstacles such as torpedo nets. Thanks to its mechanism, the speed of the bomb on arrival at the target and also the timing of its detonation were pre-determined. In May 1943, the bouncing bomb’s primary target was German dams.

The engineer who designed the bouncing bombs was Sir Barnes Wallis. The German dams were protected from the front by torpedo nets, so Wallis had to come up with an out-of-the-box solution to attack the structures.

The first thing that Wallis realized when inventing the bomb was that they needed to be given a little bit of backspin during the release. This allowed the bombs to touch the water smoothly and not explode prematurely. Secondly, the number of explosives to be used was decided to be 40 tons.

German dams were attacked on 17 May 1943 and quite successfully. The first bomb bounced five to six times before it sank just short of the dam wall, and the pressure of the water triggered it to explode. Many German lives were lost amidst the dangerous raid of the bouncing bombs. (1, 2)

9 During World War I, the Russians built a gigantic tank that had two huge wheels and looked like a tricycle. Known as the “Tsar tank,” this 60-ton monster required 15 men to control it and had a height of a three-story building. It was capable of bringing an entire fortress down, but it never managed to move from the place of production.

Nikolay Lebedenko, the head of the War Ministry’s Experimental Laboratory first started working on the giant wheel AFV in 1914. When he was introduced to a mini-model in 1915, he agreed to begin work on the actual-sized prototype.

By the mid-1915, the first and only Tsar Tank was ready. It had a pair of wheels measuring nine meters in diameter with small, tailwheel steering.

Precise data on weaponry attached to the vehicle is unknown, but it had four firing areas loaded with mostly machine guns and 57 millimeter light cannon.

Its unarmed model was tested near Moscow and weighed 50% more than what was expected. The project was abandoned because it didn’t move well along soft patches. Its center of gravity was too far aft, and its engine was not powerful enough.

Moreover, the Tsar Tank was believed to be too vulnerable to artillery attacks, so it wasn’t given any further funding. The abandoned prototype simply bogged down and was left there until 1923. (1, 2)

10 Panjandrum was a massive rocket-propelled, explosive-laden cart that was designed by the British in World War II. The weapon’s structure was basically two wheels held together by a bomb that included rocket propulsion. During its final testing, the wheels disintegrated, the rockets broke free in all directions, and the generals were forced to dive into barbed wires. It was never used in the war.

Also known as the “Great Panjandrum,” the failed weapon was supposed to be used to break into the Nazi’s coastal defenses and fortifications such as the Atlantic Wall on D-Day. The plan was to break the wall using the cart and create a gap large enough for tanks to penetrate.

The device was thought to be able to help avoid massive military casualties. Its design was feasible, and it should have worked perfectly in theory. After a few modifications, the Panjandrum proved the theory wrong during its last-minute testing.

When activated, it spun erratically. Everyone including the generals on sight ran for cover, and the entire machine fell apart. One of the military dogs was chased by a rocket and was killed by it.

After that, the British lost all hope to use the chaotic weapon in the war. (1, 2)