healdav Posted 21 October , 2009 Share Posted 21 October , 2009 Looking though the archives here earlier i the week, I came across some photos of a bomb that was dropped here in 1916 by, presumably a French plane. It simply does not look like a bomb as such. I get the impression that it is a 75 mm or so shell with fins bolted or something on to it (one photo shows what seem to be fins that have come off and are very buckled lying beside it). When were bombs as such for air dropping first brought into use, and what was used before that (I know that very early 'bombs' were effectively hand grenades - at least that was what the French were dropping). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobL Posted 21 October , 2009 Share Posted 21 October , 2009 Fairy early on, IIRC the 20lb Hales bomb came in sometime in 1915. The adapted 75mm shell could have been a stop gap - there was a plan for 9.45 inch trench mortar shells, the flying pig, to be fitted with fins for dropping from the Handley Page O/400's once warfare became a lot less static in 1918 to use up the stocks, but aside from the official leaflet describing it with diagrams I haven't seen any evidence of it actually being used Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 21 October , 2009 Share Posted 21 October , 2009 In 1913 the German firm APK were contracted to produce a series of aircraft bombs. some of which had an elongated streamlined body with fins on the tail. In early 1914 these were replaced by a series of bombs produced by A G Carbonit- Shlebusch in general pear shaped with a circular tail. These were produced in various sizes and with variations on the tail design until the end of 1916 when they were replaced by a different series of bombs the P u W series very like those of today. However the Germans did utilise 21 cm artillery shells with fins welded on (with a slight skew so as to introduce spin). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank_East Posted 21 October , 2009 Share Posted 21 October , 2009 The Germans have it in 1913 as stated.The Carbonit bombs were the first to be equpped with fuzes to arm the bomb as it fell initiated by a rotating propeller in the tail. In 1917,the PuW bomb,a development for the German Air Service, was the first bomb to be streamlined, was constructed of steel rather than cast iron and had well designed aerodynamic qualities.The fin design was arranged to effect the bomb to spin on falling as an aid to stabilisation during the fall.Arming of the bomb fuze was achieved by centrifugal force set up by the fins.As said the PuW bomb was the forerunner of the modern bomb and was manufactured in weights up to 1000kg. In 1918, the RAF were suppiled with the largest capacity bomb,one of 1527 kg but only the HP V 1500 aircraft of the RAF Independent Air Force could lift it and then only as a single load.Intentions to use the bomb against Berlin came to naught as the Armistice intervened. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
healdav Posted 22 October , 2009 Author Share Posted 22 October , 2009 Thanks for that. The bomb that I have photos of is French. In 1918 a bomb was dropped here and a sketch shows that it was purpose designed with fins, etc an integral part of the thing and the shape is quite different to that of a shell - modern bomb sort of shape, in fact. One thing that is surprising about the photos I have is that the fuse seems to be missing. There is a hole in the nose where it should have been. It is possible that it had been removed, but could it have dropped off? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 22 October , 2009 Share Posted 22 October , 2009 As said the PuW bomb was the forerunner of the modern bomb and was manufactured in weights up to 1000kg. Over 700 1,000kg PuWs were dropped in WW1 mainly from Friedrichshafen G IIIa bombers. Other sizes included 12.5, 50, 100 & 300 Kg. A typical Gotha bomb load would be 2 100kg and 5 or 6 50 Kg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
healdav Posted 23 October , 2009 Author Share Posted 23 October , 2009 Thanks, but all these that have been quoted are German. What about the French? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 23 October , 2009 Share Posted 23 October , 2009 Thanks, but all these that have been quoted are German. What about the French? Well you did ask when was the first real bomb produced! The answer is well before WW1 see photo of bomb used in Mexico http://www.old-picture.com/american-histor...-First-Bomb.jpg. Britain France and Germany all had streamlined aircraft bombs at the beginning of the war however some 'heavies' were still made by fitting fins to artillery shells - some proved quite effective. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 24 October , 2009 Share Posted 24 October , 2009 Further to the above Glen H Curtiss carried out tests dropping streamlined bombs in 1910. I now think that the picture above may represent one of these bombs. The aircraft certainly appears to be a Curtiss Flyer. This is also the type used by both sides in the Mexican Civil War. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 24 October , 2009 Share Posted 24 October , 2009 Early French aircraft bombs http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3658/344221..._03155d7cbb.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
healdav Posted 24 October , 2009 Author Share Posted 24 October , 2009 Thanks for the reference. They look just like the sketch I have of a 1918 French bomb. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
per ardua per mare per terram Posted 25 October , 2009 Share Posted 25 October , 2009 I've seen an equipment list dated 1914 that included Hales bombs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aspern Posted 16 March , 2010 Share Posted 16 March , 2010 The RNAS used 20lb Hales bombs in September 1914 in their first attempt to bomb the Zeppelin sheds at Cologne and Dusseldorf. They used them again in the successful second attempt in October 1914. They were also used in the raids on Friedrichshafen in November 1914 and on the Cuxhaven/Nordholz raid of December 1914. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cnock Posted 17 March , 2010 Share Posted 17 March , 2010 Hi, The French started the war with bombs designed only to attack balloons. After that they tried Danish AASEN bombs and Claude bombs. Then came in service, 75 mm, 90 mm, 120 mm and 155 mm shells, with attached fins, and long Canton Fuze Cnock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 18 March , 2010 Share Posted 18 March , 2010 In a raid on Sablons Station near Metz In Dec 1915 French aircraft dropped 51 x 90 mm shells and 2 x 150 mm shells. According to German sources only 2 hit the station but there was significant collateral damage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cnock Posted 21 March , 2010 Share Posted 21 March , 2010 French shell converted into a bomb (1915) Cnock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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