He 111 bomb load permutations

[Nick Beale]

I've run up against a question that I can't resolve from my available references. An He 111 crashed on to houses in Bromley, Kent on 9 November 1940 and the A.I.1.(k) report says 16 x SC 50 were recovered from the wreckage while another account (possibly anecdotal) speaks of 30 bombs being dealt with.

I know that a typical internal load was 8 x 250 kg but does anyone know what other combinations were possible without using external racks?

[edNorth]

Conventional Bombs or Incentinary Bombs (Brandbomben).
I think there lies the difference ...

http://www.luftarchiv.de/index.htm?/...ate/abwurf.htm

[edNorth]

or this text here.
http://thedaysofglory2.blogspot.com/...ffe-bombs.html

[Denniss]

Each 250kg bomb could be replaced with a carrier for 4x 50kg bombs which makes 32x50kg bombs. Don't know if they could be mixed, If yes I assume 4x250 + 16x50.

[edNorth]

there lies the detail I was thinking about ...
fitments within the ESAC carrier

[Tim O.]

Hi Nick

I have a Flugbuch for a man with 5./KG53 who recorded the bomb loads for his Heinkel He 111 in the opening days of Barbarossa as follows:

23.6.41 Bomb load 1 x 1000, 16 x 50
24.6.41 Bomb load 1 x 500, 16 x 50
26.6.41 Bomb load 1 x 500, 16 x 50

[Denniss]

Sounds like H-4 or higher, 1x big bomb in external carrier on one side and 50kg bombs internally loaded on the other side. Suggest a similar split was possible for 250/50 mix.

[Bombphoon]

Also, don't forget to factor in fuel. Sometimes bomb loads were non-standard or in odd numbers due to the amount of fuel carried.

[edNorth]

On H-4 (or was it not H-5 or higher?), one internal fuel tank was the reason for external carrier (and two in the H-6), but also providing provision for 500 kg or larger bombs, on external carrier.

[John Beaman]

Ed, just out of curiosity was the adding or deleting of internal fuel tanks on various models something that was done only at the manuf. or could it be done at near-front repair facilities to match operational needs?

THKS