Goliath tracked mine was originally modeled from a French prototype. The early models were developed to hold a capacity of 50 kilograms of explosives. The vehicle was steered remotely via a joystick control box. The control box was then attached to the Goliath by a triple-stranded cable connected to the rear of the vehicle.
This would then transmit power to the electrically driven engine. Two of these strands were used to move and steer the vehicle with the third used for detonating. The Goliath had approximately 650 metres of cable.
Early models of the Goliath used an electrical motor but these were incredibly expensive and difficult to repair in combat, later models used a simpler gasoline engine. This also allowed the Goliath to travel greater distances. From about 1942, Goliaths were sent to have been used on all fronts.
They were primarily used by the panzer combat engineer units. The vehicles saw action in Anzio in Italy in April 1944 as well as against the Polish resistance during the Warsaw Uprising of 1944.
More than 7,500 Goliaths were produced. The single-use weapon was not considered a success due to the high unit cost. The vehicle had an extremely low speed of 9 kilometers an hour as well as poor ground clearance. The command cables were vulnerable to attack as well as the thin armor which failed to protect the remote bomb from any form of anti-tank weapons.
The Goliaths were just another example of German ingenuity during World War II. However, despite them being not as successful as they could be. It could be said that they paved the way for modern remote-controlled vehicles and aircraft.