The Panjandrum was a large explosive-laden vehicle propelled by multiple rockets, designed by the British during World War II. However, testing results indicated that this weapon was a complete failure.
In 1941, the British government established a temporary agency known as the Combined Operations Weapon Development (DMWD), tasked with developing new weapons to defeat the enemy. The efforts of the DMWD led to the creation of many famous inventions, but there were also several disastrous projects, with the most notable being the Panjandrum project, according to Interesting Engineering.
Inspired by a character from the 18th-century playwright Samuel Foote, the Panjandrum failed right from the outset. Designed as a pair of large wheels, each approximately 3 meters in diameter, the vehicle featured a steel cylindrical container in the center capable of carrying over a ton of explosives. Surrounding the rims of the wheels were hollow tubes fitted with rockets using cordite (smokeless powder) to propel the vehicle towards concrete defensive barriers along the French coast, aiming to create a significant breach. The design team estimated that at full capacity, the Panjandrum, weighing 1,800 tons, could reach speeds of up to 100 km/h, generating enough momentum to crash through any obstacle between its starting point and the target.
All tests with the Panjandrum ended in disaster. (Photo: Amusing Planet).
By late 1943, a prototype of the Panjandrum was built in London and secretly transported overnight to a small village named Westward Ho! on the southern coast. However, the choice of this testing site was rather poor. Westward Ho! is a popular seaside resort. On the morning of September 7, 1943, as the device rolled onto the beach, it attracted a large crowd of beachgoers. Local residents and vacationers gathered around the device in fascination.
The trial began with just a few cordite rocket tubes attached to the wheels and weighted sandbags to simulate the explosive load. The rockets ignited, and the Panjandrum shot forward, leaping off the launch pad and covering a considerable distance along the beach. However, several rockets on one wheel malfunctioned, causing the vehicle to veer off course. Despite attempts to ignite more rockets, the Panjandrum continuously lost control before reaching the end of the beach.
To address the stability issue, project head Nevil Shute Norway added a third wheel to the Panjandrum. Upon launch, the vehicle sped towards the shoreline, briefly gliding over the beach before veering off. The rockets fell off and exploded haphazardly above the audience gathered to watch, or detonated in the water. The development team arranged for several more tests. This time, they removed the third wheel and attached heavy cables to both ends of the cylindrical container, connecting them to two winches in an attempt to steer the vehicle safely off the beach. However, the Panjandrum was too powerful, snapping the cables and dragging them across the sand.
At that point, it was clear that the Panjandrum was impractical, yet the DMWD continued with the project. After several weeks of modifications, the engineers were ready with an improved version. In January 1944, several government officials and high-ranking military personnel were invited to a new test.
Brian Johnson described the events of the trial in the 1977 BBC documentary The Secret War. Initially, everything progressed well. The Panjandrum rolled out to sea, with military officials observing through binoculars from the top of a mound. Then, disaster struck. Initially, one rocket fell off, followed by two others. The Panjandrum began to sway dangerously. The vehicle veered into a series of small craters on the sandy beach and started to turn right, speeding towards Klemantaski, who was filming the event through a telescope and unable to gauge the distance accurately. Hearing the rumbling sound approaching, he looked up to see the Panjandrum with rockets falling off in every direction, barreling straight towards him. As he ran for safety, he caught a glimpse of generals hastily seeking shelter behind the mound. The Panjandrum rolled back towards the shore and exploded into pieces on the sand, sending rockets flying across the beach at high speeds.
Following this disastrous trial, the project was ultimately shelved. The only time the Panjandrum operated successfully was in 2009, when a 1.8-meter mock-up was built and deployed on Westward Ho! beach. After running approximately 50 meters at a walking speed, the rockets launched only 450 meters, which was not as far as hoped.
