As the Cold War sparked a nuclear arms race between East and West, Britain launched a top-secret operation to deter a potential Soviet invasion of Western Europe. The project: bury nuclear landmines across West Germany, powered by live chickens that would explode during a Soviet attack. Yes, live chickens but why?

During the early 1950s, NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) members such as Britain were wary of a potential Soviet-aligned Warsaw Pact offensive into West Germany. In the event of having to retreat, the British army devised a plan of a “Scorched Earth” deterrent to slow down the communist advance and cause maximum damage to their armed forces using tactical nuclear mines. This is the concept of Operation Blue Peacock. The idea of having 10 kilotons of land mines, about half as powerful as the Nagasaki atomic bomb in 1945, planted along the North German Plain, where it was proposed as the likely Soviet route of advance. Upon detonation, these mines would turn large swaths of Europe into a radioactive quagmire, making occupation impossible for Soviet forces. It was hoped that this would force them to abandon the invasion.

However, there were problems with just how to detonate the mine. Some officials consider adding an 8-day timer or a remote control to activate the bomb. Moreover, the weather was also another issue. Temperatures in Northern Germany often fell below freezing during the Winter, and this might keep the land mines from exploding. Hence, the proposal of placing live chickens in it was suggested. These live chickens would be sealed in the mine and provided with just enough food for eight days. Their body heat would help to keep the device warm until it was ready to detonate, causing an explosion and killing the bird in the process.

Although two prototypes were built, the operation was scrapped in 1958 due to political and environmental reasons. Maybe sending chickens to their deaths in a radioactive inferno is too cruel to begin with.

https://allthatsinteresting.com/blue-peacock

https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/weapons/a25645798/blue-peacock-land-mine/

https://allthatsinteresting.com/blue-peacock