The Bat Bomb: An American Weapon That Almost Was

Dentist Lytle S. Adams (a personal friend of Eleanor Roosevelt) proposed dropping bomb-laden Mexican free-tailed bats over Japan. The bats were chosen because a single bat could carry a small timed incendiary device, they hibernate in buildings, and they multiply rapidly. The project received $2 million in military funding and was tested at Carlsbad Army Airfield. During testing, the bats accidentally escaped and burned down a general's car and a military base barracks. The project was cancelled after the atomic bomb was dropped.