11 ton bomb

[edwest]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=150280113096


I have two questions:

What aircraft would have carried it?

What kinds of targets was it built for?



Thank you (and usual disclaimer),
Ed

[Nick Beale]

Judging by the captions, these are a Tallboy (used against the Tirpitz in 1944) and a Grand Slam (used against the Bielefeld viaduct in 1945). One or both were also used against U-Boat pens.

Both are missing their tail assemblies in the photos of course but looked much longer and sleeker when fully assembled. IIRC their fins were offset to spin the bomb as it fell and they were designed to destroy fortified structures by penetrating deep into the ground before exploding. The explosion formed a huge cavity which, as it fell back in collapsed neighbouring structures. You didn't need to hit whatever it was directed at, just get close.

I am not an expert at this but if I recall correctly "Tallboy" was a 10,000 lbs bomb or something, the "Grand Slam", as its name reveals, the biggest (at least British) bomb with 20,000 lbs. I saw some impressive photos (in a book) of German sub-pens destroyed by Grand Slams in France. Several meters - seven meters I think - of reinforced concrete (with a lot of steel bars in it!) had been pierced, leaving a great big hole - direct hit. Or was it "only" a Tallboy? No, I think it was a GS.

I think the GS was the biggest bomb used during WW II, perhaps with the exception of the atomic devices and possibly the rotating ones used against the dams? No I don't think the latter were quite that heavy. Only a Lancaster was able to carry the Grand Slam (and take off with it!) in a modified bomb-bay. The B-29 could have done it too but it wasn't used in Europe, as you know.

[robert_schulte]

I found an interesting video about the "Grand Slam" at youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-Mm-zFW_nA

AFAIK the Grand Slam was mostly used against viaducts and U-boat pens.

Best wishes

Robert

[Kutscha]

Pic of a Grand Slam without its tail assembly.
http://www.24hourmuseum.org.uk/conte.../2005_2018.JPG

Pic of the Grand Slam with tail assembly. Note the different color.
http://www.raf.mod.uk/history_old/images/lanc607.jpg

I forgot to mention that the Grand Slam bomb -according to what I read - reached a supersonic velocity thanks to its aerodynamic form and its enormous weight. The kinetic energy alone was terrific.

It would be interesting to know the final velocity of ordinary bombs like 500 and 1,000 lbs dropped high enough.

[edwest]

Thank you all.



Ed