27. Instead of Bullets, the Krummlauf Sent Out Bullet Fragments
Various versions of the Krummlauf were produced, with 30, 45, 60, and 90 degree bends. The 30-degree version was intended for general infantry use. The severe 90-degree one was intended to be mounted in tanks and other armored vehicles and stick out of a port in the armor from which it could be swiveled around. The idea was to cover the dead area not already covered by the vehicles’ machine guns and sweep infantry who got close enough to try and attach explosives to their hulls or set them ablaze with incendiaries.
In use, it was discovered that the curved barrel wore out quickly and grew distorted from the pressure of the rounds fired. In a best-case scenario, the 30 degrees curved version had a lifespan of only 300 rounds, while there was no way to predict whether the 90-degree one would last a few dozen rounds, or blow up with the first shot fired. After the war, the US military tested the Krummlauf at the Aberdeen Proving Ground and discovered that the bullets usually failed to even exit the barrel. Instead, they broke in half or fragmented into smaller pieces when they hit the curve, and the result would be an unintended shotgun effect that made the device useless for any but very close distances.
