This is the fascinating story of the Admiralty's Department of Miscellaneous Weapon Development, the so-called Wheezers and Dodgers', and the many ingenious weapons and devices it invented, improved or perfected. The author was one of a group of officers with engineering or scientific backgrounds who were charged with the task of winning the struggle for scientific mastery between the Allies and the Germans in what Churchill enthusiastically called the wizard war'. Their work ranged from early stop-gap weapons like the steam-powered Holman projector, via great success stories like the Hedgehog antisubmarine mortar, to futuristic experiments with rockets, a minefield that could be sown in the sky, and the spectacularly dangerous Great Panjandrum, a giant explosive atherine-wheel intended to storm enemy beaches. The development of these and many other extraordinary inventions, their triumphs and disasters, is told with panache and humour, and a diverse group of highly imaginative and eccentric figures emerge from the pages. AUTHOR: Derek Pawle was one of the RNVR officers in the DMWD at the Admiralty and wrote this memoir in 1956. In spite of being associated with these remarkable achievements his true love was cricket and he covered the sport for The Daily Telegraph for 15 years. He died in 1991. SELLING POINTS: Extraordinary tale of clandestine inventiveness. Behind-the-scenes history of many famous naval weapons. Well-written, entertaining narrative. 16 b/w photos
