The disposable 'beetle tanks' that were designed to explode upon impact

Wars & Conflicts · Published 9 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: During World War II, the German Army deployed the Goliath, a remote-controlled, unmanned ground vehicle. These 'beetle tanks' were intended to destroy buildings, bridges, and enemy tanks. However, their design flaws meant they often failed to reach their targets, making them a costly and controversial experiment in robotic warfare.

The Goliath, or Leichter Ladungsträger (light charge carrier), was developed by the Carl F.W. Borgward automotive company of Bremen. The project was prompted in late 1940 after German forces recovered a French-designed prototype near the Seine. While the early Sd.Kfz. 302 model relied on two electric motors, it was expensive to maintain and recharge in combat, costing 3,000 Reichsmarks per unit. This led to the development of the Sd.Kfz. 303, which utilized a cheaper two-stroke petrol engine to increase efficiency.

Operating these vehicles was a delicate task. A soldier steered the Goliath via a joystick control box connected to the unit by a 650-metre, triple-strand cable. This cable served multiple functions: it provided steering commands, allowed for movement, and acted as the trigger to ignite the explosive charge. The vehicle carried between 60 kg and 100 kg of high explosives, depending on the specific model used.

Despite the production of 7,564 units, the Goliath was not considered a military success. The vehicles were hindered by a low speed of just above 6 kilometres per hour and poor ground clearance of only 11.4 cm. Most critically, the command cables were highly vulnerable to artillery blasts, a flaw seen during the D-Day landings in Normandy. While they were capable of significant destruction when they succeeded, their high cost and lack of protection against small-arms fire made them a risky investment for the Wehrmacht.

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