unexplosed bombs in a P47 crash

[Flyingkag]

Hey all,

in the reconstitution of a P47 crash, I have received the statement of a german guy who had witnessed the crash and said that both bombs had been found on the ground on crash site;

One was just at the place where the plane hit the ground (flying downing very slowly, so nearly horizontaly), other one more than 200 meters from first impact point, with the ejected motor of the P47 near of it.

We know that those two bombs were 500lbs GP bombs.

Does it mean as sure that they were UN-ARMED if they didn't explose at impact (tanks explosed on first impact with a "more than 50 meters high flame"),

...or could they have been ARMED in flight, be still attached on plane wings as it crashed and bursted into flame, and have "jumped" so 200 meters long...without exploding ???

Thanks for any answer/explanation!

best feelings from France,

Mathias

[waroff]

Hello
There is an airscrew on the nose of the bomb which, lasting the fall turns and arms the detonator.1000 round are needed minimum before the bomb is armed. This screw was fixed during the flight with a thread of brass. When the bomb is released, the thread breaks, and the airscrew can rotate.

Scuse me for my english , I translate by "reverso"

[Laurent Rizzotti]

I remember reading that the percentage of dead bombs in WWII was between 5 and 20% depending of the period and air force.

So the bomb can be armed, but having failed to explode during the crash.

After all, regularly in Europe whole towns are evacuated because a bomb is found, sitting deep in the earth since WWII. And they sually were dropped by heavy bombers so fell from a higher height and probably faster than during a P-47 crash.

Best regards

[Flyingkag]

Thanks guys,

if I understand well, as long as the bombs were hanging on the wing pylones they were NOT ARMED, and in that case, even a very violent crash was not able to make them detonate, because the detonating system in teh fuse (s) wasn't "assembled", right?

Thanks for the help!

Mathias

[waroff]

Originally Posted by Flyingkag

if I understand well, as long as the bombs were hanging on the wing pylones they were NOT ARMED,

exactly,they were armed when they released, (the arming wire was fixed on A/C)

[Flyingkag]

Thanks! Great pict and explanations!

it's now totaly clear in my mind with your very precious help!

Couldn't have been a better answer!

Mathias

[RSwank]

You may be interested in these two film clips. The first shows the loading of the bombs, unfused and without tail fins. Those are installed after the bomb is under the wing.

In the 2nd clip you can see a fuse inserted and how the arming wire put into the fuse and the use of a fahnestock clip to hold the wire in place. When the bomb is dropped the wire (still attached to the plane) easily pulls off the clip and slides out of the fuse allowing the bomb propeller to spin as the bomb falls, arming the bomb.

http://www.criticalpast.com/video/65...nks-on-trolley


http://www.criticalpast.com/video/65...nia_Hell-Hawks

[Erick88]

Even today WWII ordinance scattered around battlefields could be very dangerous.
I've read somewhere that the last civilian casualty of WWI occurred in the 80's when a Frenchman stepped on a land mine that was armed and alive.

[Flyingkag]

thanks everyone for all your precious answers, picture, films and comments;

mathias