I wonder how to stear one of those critters while the mg is engaged. This has got to be a propaganda photo. To bad Mike hadn't seen it two April Fool's ago. I know archers and javalineers have fired from atop the howda, and I imagine rifle armed troops were tried out that way in the Subcontinent during the Rag.
It's actually a photo from 1914. It may have been an experiment which didn't go anywhere, it may have been a show photo. Is it really so much more absurd than tying incendiaries on to bats? There have been a lot of weird ideas.
Yes, the April Fool from 2 years ago was the inspiration.
... More and more, people around the world are coming to realize that the world is flat!