Bat Bombs
Bat bombs were tiny bombs attached to bats. These combustible bombs were developed during World War II in the United States and their intent was to attack mainland Japan by releasing bomb-bearing bats on industrial targets and at dawn when the bats hid in buildings the built-in timers would ignite and cause havoc and chaos.
This idea was conjured up by a dental surgeon, Lytle S. Adams who presented it to the White House, and when it was approved by President Roosevelt in 1942 Adams was recruited to research and obtain an adequate supply of bats.
Four main factors played a roll in this plan. First, with such huge populations readily available there was no shortage of bats in sight. Second, bats are capable of carrying the equivalent of their own body weight in flight. Third, bats hibernate and while in that state they require no food or high maintenance. Fourth, bats fly in the darkness of night and then find secretive places for hiding during the day.
By 1943 the desired species of bats was selected, the tiny bombs were developed as well as the bat carriers. It was envisioned that ten B-24 bombers would release 1,040,000 bat bombs over the industrial cities of Osaka Bay. After a series of tests and mishaps, the Army released the project to the Navy who renamed it Project X-Ray and shortly thereafter, the Navy passed it on to the Marine Corps. The project underwent numerous additional experimental tests and it was concluded that Project X-Ray is an “effective weapon.”
The project was cancelled, however, in the summer of 1944 by Fleet Admiral Ernest J. King when he heard that it would most likely not be combat ready until 1945 and by that time it was estimated that two million dollars had already been invested. It was obvious that development of the bat bomb and Project X-Ray moved too slowly and was out raced by the Atomic Bomb project.
Dr. Adams continued to maintain that the bat bombs would have been effective without the devastation of the Atomic Bomb and was quoted as having said: “Think of thousands of fires breaking out simultaneously over a circle of forty miles in diameter for every bomb dropped. Japan could have been devastated, yet with small loss of life.”
This idea was conjured up by a dental surgeon, Lytle S. Adams who presented it to the White House, and when it was approved by President Roosevelt in 1942 Adams was recruited to research and obtain an adequate supply of bats.
Four main factors played a roll in this plan. First, with such huge populations readily available there was no shortage of bats in sight. Second, bats are capable of carrying the equivalent of their own body weight in flight. Third, bats hibernate and while in that state they require no food or high maintenance. Fourth, bats fly in the darkness of night and then find secretive places for hiding during the day.
By 1943 the desired species of bats was selected, the tiny bombs were developed as well as the bat carriers. It was envisioned that ten B-24 bombers would release 1,040,000 bat bombs over the industrial cities of Osaka Bay. After a series of tests and mishaps, the Army released the project to the Navy who renamed it Project X-Ray and shortly thereafter, the Navy passed it on to the Marine Corps. The project underwent numerous additional experimental tests and it was concluded that Project X-Ray is an “effective weapon.”
The project was cancelled, however, in the summer of 1944 by Fleet Admiral Ernest J. King when he heard that it would most likely not be combat ready until 1945 and by that time it was estimated that two million dollars had already been invested. It was obvious that development of the bat bomb and Project X-Ray moved too slowly and was out raced by the Atomic Bomb project.
Dr. Adams continued to maintain that the bat bombs would have been effective without the devastation of the Atomic Bomb and was quoted as having said: “Think of thousands of fires breaking out simultaneously over a circle of forty miles in diameter for every bomb dropped. Japan could have been devastated, yet with small loss of life.”
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