M4 Sherman Human Centipede

World War 2 saw some of the most groundbreaking advances in military technology in history. The sheer scale and stakes involved in the epic conflict explain how so many nations prioritized developing the fastest aircraft and the most powerful bombs.

Still, many of the innovations resulting from the war didn’t come from a laboratory but from the battlefield, where soldiers would often resort to their wits to solve intricate problems. Training footage reveals a peculiar example of the creativity of the time in the form of a battle sled.

The video shows a group of 12 soldiers getting inside 12 individual battle sleds joined together by a rotating axle. The chained sleds were then pulled by an American M4 Sherman tank.

As outrageous as the idea may seem, it was a daring proposal at the time to solve the problem of how to move infantry troops along tanks without them becoming an easy target.

The ambitious scheme was created by then Brigadier General John W. O’Daniel, one of the most decorated and respected officers of World War 2.

If the plan worked, the infantry troopers would be able to ride along with a tank while keeping the lowest possible profile. And when the time came, they would spring into action and take the enemy by surprise…

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Видео M4 Sherman Human Centipede канала Dark Footage