Also known as the “Doodlebug” or “Beetle” by Allied troops, the Sd. Kfz 302 and 303 Leichter Ladungstrager “Goliath” was a miniature, remotely controlled tracked mine that carried a 60kg explosive charge used for detonating various strongpoints or disrupt enemy units.

Measuring approximately four feet long, two feet wide, one foot tall and weighing 650 pounds, the operator would control the Goliath with a joystick-controlled box connected to the vehicle by a 700-meter cable, allowing it to move, steer and detonate its target.

Since the Goliath was for one-time use, it was more of a disposable explosive device than something the Germans would use to carry throughout the battle. The vehicle saw action in both Eastern and Western Fronts.

During the 1944 Warsaw uprising, the Goliath was used to demolish houses or buildings to clear enemy strongholds.

Another example is the D-Day Normandy landings, where Goliaths would sometimes crawl outside small, camouflaged bunkers to decimate Allied troops movements on the beaches.

However, the vehicle can prove an easy target for enemy troops, as it can be immobilized through concentrated fire or by simply cutting the cable that controls it. Still, the concept of automated robotic devices loaded with explosives like the Goliath can be seen as a precursor to modern-day drones.

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