Avalanches as weapons

Avalanches were used as highly effective
weapons during World War 1.  This disastrous weapon started when lots of
snow fell in the Alps during the December of 1916.  People could tell that
the avalanche risk was high.  A big avalanche killed 250 soldiers while
tumbling down on the barracks.  Some unknown person got the idea that
avalanches could make a highly effective weapon.  The avalanche war had
begun.  Avalanches could be started and even directed by just bombing a
mountain.  History has not yet calculated the exact number of deaths. 
Deaths have been estimated as high as 40,000 on each fighting side.  Humans
are responsible for these death causing, disastrous avalanche killer.

Other web sites bear out similar versions of this story, although often the number of deaths is cited at 60,000.

I was put on to this anecdote from Bill Streever's very good new book Cold: Adventures in the World's Frozen Places.  Single-topic popular science books may feel like an exhausted genre, but we're still seeing good ones come along.

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