Davidka.

This is coolbert:

From the wiki entry on the Israeli spigot mortar Davidka, here are some interesting extracts:

[my comments in BOLD!! Please note that a grand total of only six Davidka were ever manufactured. The number actually used in military operations is even less than that?]

"Its shells were reported to be extremely loud, but otherwise of little value, besides that of using fear tactics against the Arab forces. Due to their extreme noise and horrific explosions, they proved particularly useful in scaring away Arab forces, despite the fact that they were very inaccurate."

"the blast effects of the weapon were completely random, and of dubious efficacy as an anti-personnel weapon and of no practical value for siege combat or other light artillery purposes. It did make a loud bang, though."

"completely random - - dubious efficacy - - no practical value - -"! But DID MAKE A LOUD BANG!! THAT IS ALL THAT WAS NEEDED.

"Small pieces of metal and tubes were welded onto the outside of casing, reducing the weapon's accuracy even further . . . but contributing greatly to the whistles and shrieks which it made when in flight. The noise was its most important effect, so that anyone near a Davidka mortar would hear the shell seeming to fall very near to them before bursting very loudly, increasing the fear factor."

A deliberate effort was made to increase the noise made by the mortar "bomb" as it flew through the air. As a consequence, accuracy was reduced even further. But of no significance to the Israeli. The INTENT was to scare and intimidate!

"According to Walid Khalidi:

The unsuspecting reader might think that here was some harmless and rather quaint engine. But the fact is that the Davidka tossed a shell containing 60 lbs. of TNT usually into crowded built-up civilian quarters where the noise and blast maddened women and children into a frenzy of fear and panic"

"There is no actual evidence that the Davidka was ever used deliberately against concentrations of civilians."

It DID NOT have to be used in a deliberate manner against concentrations of civilians. The noise and blast, even if totally ineffective militarily, had a profound psychological effect. NOT totally even appreciated or anticipated at the time the "bombs" were fired?

Hamas NOW has their own "Davidka". Called, however, the Qassam?

coolbert.