One of the very few surviving images (and the only one of decent quality) of the “Romanian Goliath”, a Romanian version of the German Goliath tracked mine.
This version had no armor, but was much larger, six time heavier, and better equipped to handle trenches and difficult terrain. It was tested in 1944, but never got past the prototype stage. The square box on the top of the machine remains a mystery, with some speculating it could have been a primitive TV camera.
The official name of the weapon is unknown, thus being simply called “Romanian Goliath”.
The “original” Goliath light charge carrier was a remote controlled mine (allies called it ‘beetle tank’) developed by Germany during WW2.
It carried between 60 and 100 kilograms of explosives, and was used for multiple purposes, such as destroying tanks, disrupting infantry formations, or the demolition of buildings and bridges. Of course, the Goliath was a single use kamikaze vehicle.
The Goliath was in use starting with early 1942, but it saw most of its service between 1943 and 1945.
Rate of success for the Goliath was rather low due to its high cost, low speed, low ground clearance and vulnerable cable and armor. It was also big and heavy, making it difficult to transport by individuals. Many times it failed to reach its target, but when it did, it produced considerable damage.
Despite its shortcomings, the Goliath did lay the foundation for future remote controlled ground vehicles.
Book suggestion ⤵️
📖 German Secret Weapons of the Second World War: The Missiles, Rockets, Weapons and New Technology of the Third Reich (Ian V. Hogg, 1970)