Anti-Tank Dogs

[Hunter368]

Very cool. I have heard of it also, but was always sceptical on how useful it really was.

[Smokey]

According to Soviet propaganda, the anti-tank dogs were successful at disabling a reported three hundred German tanks. They were enough of a problem to the Nazi advance that the Germans were compelled to take measures against them. An armoured vehicle's top-mounted machine gun proved ineffective due to the relatively small size of the attackers and the fact that they were low to the ground, fast, and hard to spot. Orders were dispatched that commanded every German soldier to shoot any dogs on sight. Eventually the Germans began using tank-mounted flame-throwers to ward off the dogs. They were much more successful at dissuading the attacks—but some dogs would not stop, neither for fear of the fire nor of being burned.

However, in 1942 one use of the anti-tank dogs went seriously awry when a large contingent of anti-tank dogs ran amok, endangering everyone in the battle and forcing the retreat of an entire Soviet division. Soon afterward the anti-tank dogs were withdrawn from service.

Training of anti-tank dogs continued until at least June 1996 (Zaloga et al 1997:72).

Anti-tank dog - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[timshatz]

Kind of a bummer that the dogs got the chop. Understand the need (especially when you lose 27 million citizens, a bunch of dogs are hardly worth talking about). Ranks up there with the exploding bats. Another idea that was quietly dropped.

[HealzDevo]

Still for an idea that didn't really seem to work, it seems crazy that they were still training dogs until 1996. Especially considering their overwhelming advantage in numbers of tanks...

[timshatz]

Originally Posted by HealzDevo

Still for an idea that didn't really seem to work, it seems crazy that they were still training dogs until 1996. Especially considering their overwhelming advantage in numbers of tanks...

Good point. Considering the number of tanks they had (compared to NATO) and the dogs not being able to tell one tank from another...

On a side note, I've notice my own dog can't tell the difference from one car to another. Dog has been getting in and out of the same truck for 3 years and can't figure it out from any other truck/car. Has to wait for me to hit the clicker and unlock it.

[CharlesBronson]

[xelanhua]

While I was studying the Vietnam War a lot of US soldiers said the Viet Cong did the same thing but with the children. They said the US soldiers would always make a huge fuss of the kids and give them candy so the Viet Cong would sometimes strap the kids with explosives.
Beaucoup Dinky Dao the book talks about it I think.

[HealzDevo]

Really sad though, the Viet Cong were a lot worse than the Americans in terms of tactics. Sadly the US didn't win and hang the Viet Cong commanders from posts...