The Great Panjandrum!

Brought to You by the Mighty Molossian Navy

The Republic of Molossia and the Molossian Navy are pleased to announce our latest wonder weapon, the Great Panjandrum. The recent thawing of relations between Cuba (location of the last extant piece of East Germany) and the US and the return of the old East German communist party to power in the reunified Germany has brought to the forefront the never-ending conflict between Molossia and that nation. Thus it pays to be prepared and to that end the Molossian Navy has created the Great Panjandrum. The Great Panjandrum is a rocket-powered assault wheel, designed to carry an explosive charge rather dramatically into the enemy lines. It is modeled after the original Great Panjandrum built by the British military during World War II. Similarly sensational, that version of the Panjandrum proved to be erratic and prone to frequent violent failure. The Molossian Navy was determined to recreate the Panjandrum and possibly rectify some of its flaws.

On 27 January 2015 XXXVIII, after days of fevered construction, the Molossian Great Panjandrum was delivered to our secret weapons testing facility deep in the desert. After setup the Panjandrum was launched in a spectacular blaze of rockets and sailed across the playa. The first and subsequent launches showed a weakness in the center axle, easily repaired. The final launch saw the Panjandrum get tangled in its own launching cords, dragging the launch dashboard with it across the desert. No matter, three successful forays by our mighty weapon proved that the Molossian Navy could indeed recreate a Panjandrum and thus a build powerful new weapon for the defense of our nation.

On 11 April 2020 XLIII, the Great Panjandrum was tested for a second time, again at the secret weapons testing facility deep in the desert. The original design flaw of a weak axle had been rectified since the first foray, over five years ago, and the Panjandrum bolted forth on this latest launch in a blaze of smokey glory. On the second launch of the day a slight miscalculation sent the Panjandrum barreling toward the watching crowd, sending them in turn leaping for safety. Fortunately all escaped unharmed. The final daytime launch saw the Panjandrum finally achieve its goal, successfully knocking down one of the East German silhouette targets. A profound success, the Panjandrum had one final test, a nighttime launch. This went spectacularly, as the mighty machine charged across the desert floor, rockets blazing in the twilight. Again, the Panjandrum has shown its excellence as a formidable weapon to be used in the defence of our great nation!

Three cheers for the Molossian Navy and the Great Panjandrum!

THE SECOND TEST OF THE GREAT PANJANDRUM, 11 April 2020 XLIII