Lasers weren't developed with any particular purpose in mind, let
alone a military one, but the people who developed them mainly saw a
use for them in experimental physics for use in spectroscopy and
interferometry.

Cheers,
Ralph- Hide quoted text -

Yes they were. Siemens and I.G.Farben worked on medical lasers and
beam weaponry during World War II, for those specific purposes.

The Germans also investigated X-ray and Gamma ray weapons under Dr.
Scheibold for use against bomber aircraft but could only attain a
height of 15,000 ft with one test gun. It featured a large surface
anode. A dose of 7 rads per second at a distance of 5 km with a time
on target of 30 seconds, which was achievable with this weapon, was
considered adequate to inflict irreversible biological harm to the
crew of the aircraft. Due to time on target problems and a "scattering
effect" on the aircraft metal skin, the weapon was not adopted for
production.

~ Henry Stevens, "Hitler's Suppressed and Still-Secret Weapons,
Science, and Technololgy.

Restricted Report dated July 19,1944:

"Concerning the possibility of biological effects of short wave x-
rays, respectively, gamma rays from x-ray tubes of special
construction at great distance" (translated from German to English
postwar). It was addressed to the research effort of the Reich
Ministry of Aeronautics, directed to Dr. Georgil at Research
Installation Gross Ostheim.

Three prototype guns were built but only one worked properly.

Yet talk of Star Wars SDI X-Ray weapons during the Reagan
Administration and other beam developments today are not "new" at all.
The miracle modern weapons from the 1980s to the 2010 timeframe are
only classified German types that have come to maturity with advances
in materials and military design over 60 years

ZXY.