# What is the weapon Tom Hanks' character uses in "Saving Private Ryan"?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-weapon-tom-hanks-character-uses-in-saving-private-ryan/350612>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 30, 2006, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-weapon-tom-hanks-character-uses-in-saving-private-ryan/350612 "2006-03-30T22:32:31Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Drum\_God](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drum_god/32/44_2.png) [@Drum\_God](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drum_God)\
**Post date:** [March 30, 2006, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-weapon-tom-hanks-character-uses-in-saving-private-ryan/350612/1 "2006-03-30T22:32:31Z")

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During the landing on Omaha Beach, Hanks and his fellow soldiers throw themselves against a berm to shield themselves from enemy fire. As they’re lying there, Hanks calls for a long pipe device. He and the others appear to assemble several of these pipes together and push them through the berm into the enemy territory. They then detonate this device and advance into the newly created trench.

What is this device called and how was it used? Do armies have a similar device today?

And an even more general question: Would a landing against a fortified beach be a necessity in any modern war or battle?

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**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\
**Post date:** [March 30, 2006, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-weapon-tom-hanks-character-uses-in-saving-private-ryan/350612/2 "2006-03-30T22:39:58Z")

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[M1A1 Bangalore torpedo](http://www.sproe.com/b/bangalore.html).

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**Author:** ![Drum\_God](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drum_god/32/44_2.png) [@Drum\_God](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drum_God)\
**Post date:** [March 30, 2006, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-weapon-tom-hanks-character-uses-in-saving-private-ryan/350612/3 "2006-03-30T22:50:29Z")

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> [@pravnik](#):
>
> [M1A1 Bangalore torpedo](http://www.sproe.com/b/bangalore.html).

Cool website. Thanks.

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**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\
**Post date:** [March 30, 2006, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-weapon-tom-hanks-character-uses-in-saving-private-ryan/350612/4 "2006-03-30T22:52:30Z")

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Yeah, it was the first thing I got when I googled “Bangalore torpedo.” I’d never heard of them before the movie either, to be honest. 🙂

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**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\
**Post date:** [March 30, 2006, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-weapon-tom-hanks-character-uses-in-saving-private-ryan/350612/5 "2006-03-30T23:20:56Z")

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Obviously the OP has never seen _The Big Red One._ Part of the action involves the squad using a Bangalore to blast open an exit off the beaches at Normandy. There was considerable discussion among the squad as to what the best number for the relay was.