This has me really curious about a bigger topic: “what are some massive wartime expenditures (money, resources, attention) that ended up being completely ineffective?”
> the Soviets used their own diesel engine tanks to train the dogs rather than German tanks which had gasoline engines.[5] As the dogs relied on their acute sense of smell, the dogs sought out familiar Soviet tanks instead of strange-smelling German tanks
Cost billions; more than the Manhattan project. Obsolete soon after deployment due to ICBMs.
(Taking your "war time" to include cold war time)