WORST WEAPONS: British Nuclear Mine Was Chicken Powered:

The British Royal Armament Research & Development Establishment (RARDE) based at Fort Halstead, Sevenoaks Kent developed and made a ten kiloton nuclear mine in 1954 called 'Blue Peacock'.

Blue Peacock Nuclear Land Mine

A number (ten were ordered) of these massive 7.2 ton mines were to be deployed on the North German Plain - pretending that they were power stations but they were actually designed to be detonated by a three mile long cable when retreating from the Russians.

- Or failing that - they would, being unattended - detonate automatically eight days after being armed or within 10 seconds of being interfered with.

Their purpose was to contaminate the region by radiation & fallout and deny occupation to any invading force.

Doubts were raised that the electronics might fail in the low temperatures encountered in Northern Germany winters so it was proposed that captive chickens be sealed within the casing with a food supply - where their body heat would suffice to maintain a safe working temperature.

The project was cancelled in February 1958 but the 'Fort Halstead' explosives 'research facility' has continued to be the largest employer in Sevenoaks (Kent - The Garden of England) with as many as 1,300 personnel on site in the year 2,000.

Marty K.

SADM Backpack Portable Nuke
- in Backpack Transporter.

Further research: Google/ Wikipedia SADM (Special Atomic Demolition Munitions) - MADM (Medium Atomic Demolition Munitions), and TADM (Tactical Atomic Demolition Munitions) for more current deployments in Europe and South Korea eg.
M.K.