The P2 Thunderbolt first roared into service with the United States Air Cavalry in 1906. The first aircraft to successfully employ the newly-developed steamjet turbine, the Thunderbolt was capable of astonishing speed.
The P2 was nicknamed "The Monster" amongst Air Cavalry pilots, at first because of the number of test pilots who lost their lives during its development, but latterly because of its fearsome reputation in battle.
Initially the Thunderbolt was seen as a classic fighter, but its heavy armament and high speed also made it perfectly suited as a ground attack aircraft. "Bringing the thunder" was soon to become military slang for devastating strafing runs against ground targets.
The P2 became an American military icon during the twenty years it was in service, appearing regularly in Air Cavalry recruitment materials such as the poster displayed above. When President Roosevelt summed up his foreign policy agenda with the phrase "Speak softly and carry a big stick", many believed the stick he was referring to was the Thunderbolt.
Interested readers are invited to view more images of this famous aircraft here.
US Air Cavalry P2 Thunderbolt
Prussian Naval Howitzer: "Vulcan"
The development of the Vulcan-class Naval Howitzer was publicly-ridiculed by Imperial Admiralty commanders. Senior figures expressed their doubts to the Press that it could ever be safely fired without the recoil sinking the vessel, and some voiced opinion that perhaps the Kaiser, or "Little Willie" as they christened him, was attempting to compensate for a personal deficiency elsewhere.
In private however, Naval Chiefs were concerned. The Vulcan represented a massive leap forward in Prussian naval engineering for although the vessels were very slow and handled rough seas poorly, their formidable armament could deliver a devastating bombardment. The Vulcan's 48" howitzer could drop Nitroglycerine shells on targets over 18 miles away. This far outstripped the range of even the most powerful Imperial guns.
Despite Admiralty fears, the Vulcans never proved to be a serious threat. There were only ever eight Vulcan vessels commisioned. Their numbers were limited partly due to the enormous cost of forging the gun barrels, but mostly because even one firing of the gun deafened the entire crew of the craft, resulting in few sailors being willing to serve on board.
Interested readers are invited to view more images of this vessel here.