Shr 500

[Bellifortis]

These last few weeks I have been studying an authoritative treatise on german bomb develoment between 1925 and 1945. There I found a bomb that I have never read about before and like to share with you. In 1943 german fighter planes started using bombs against allied bomber formations using SC 500 and SD 500, because it was not known if blast or shrapnel would be more effective. Experience at the time was, that a 8,8cm AA round detonated at a wing or belly of a "Flying Fortress" without hitting gas tank,pilot or motor, did not bring down the plane with certainty. Tests done on the ground proofed, that the blast of an SC 500 would break off a wing at 20m distance, while the SD 500 did not effect sufficient damage to bring down the plane. The leader of the fighter formations continued frontline tests for 1 year with both bombs fuzed with (69) and (79) fuzes with fixed delays of 7 or 10 sec. Result of the tests was, that shrapnell has more effect than blast. This led to the development of the "Schrapnellbombe 500". It was used nearly only in the east, because in the west fighter protection was too strong. Quite a few planes were brought down by this bomb, towards the end of 1944 some in south-eastern Europe.

 

[Yodamaster]

These last few weeks I have been studying an authoritative treatise on german bomb develoment between 1925 and 1945. There I found a bomb that I have never read about before and like to share with you. In 1943 german fighter planes started using bombs against allied bomber formations using SC 500 and SD 500, because it was not known if blast or shrapnel would be more effective. Experience at the time was, that a 8,8cm AA round detonated at a wing or belly of a "Flying Fortress" without hitting gas tank,pilot or motor, did not bring down the plane with certainty. Tests done on the ground proofed, that the blast of an SC 500 would break off a wing at 20m distance, while the SD 500 did not effect sufficient damage to bring down the plane. The leader of the fighter formations continued frontline tests for 1 year with both bombs fuzed with (69) and (79) fuzes with fixed delays of 7 or 10 sec. Result of the tests was, that shrapnell has more effect than blast. This led to the development of the "Schrapnellbombe 500". It was used nearly only in the east, because in the west fighter protection was too strong. Quite a few planes were brought down by this bomb, towards the end of 1944 some in south-eastern Europe.

Hum, you speak about a SC500 but your drawing let see a SC250 ! What's good ?


Yoda

 

[butterfly]

I cant comment on the bomb that you talk about, however I know that the Germans also experimented with the SD2 butterfly bomb for a similar purpose. The wings were reduced in size in order that the bomb dropped faster between the release plane and target, but from what I gather the fuzing was an issue. The bombs would have been used in a large container released above allied bomber formations to maximise effect.
If anyone has any further information on these experiments I would love to hear from them.

regards Kev

 

[Bellifortis]

Hum, you speak about a SC500 but your drawing let see a SC250 ! What's good ?


Yoda

That's the drawing attached with the report. The caption of the drawing is Shr 500 also so named in the accompanying report. Why they named it like that, while using an SC 250 bombcasing, I can't tell. I'm not that well versed in measurements and weights of the different models. Normally, as far as I know, the number is the weight in kg, that would mean in this case around 1000 pounds (Shr 500). With an explosive weight of around 160 pounds (80 kg), 70 pounds (35 kg) for the 3500 irregurlaly shaped steel shrapnel of 10gr plus the added pitch to fill out the interstices between the shrapnel ( at the max.I would figure at 30 pounds (15 kg) that adds up to 260 pounds (130 kg) for the filling, that leaves 240 pounds (120kg) for an SC 250 casing. Why it was named Shr 500 I can't figure.

 

[Bellifortis]

I just checked L.Dv.4200/1944 (Airforce TM 4200). There it is written, that normally the model No., like SC 500, denotes the weight in kg, which is correct to a few % +-. But, with special utility bombs this system does not apply and with those special bombs the No. does not necessarily denotes the weight in kg. It's also mentioned in this 1944 edition that the SC 250 with the above pictured stabilization had already been replaced by a ring stabilizer and that the old style was not produced anymore.

 

[butterfly]

Apparantly this consisted of a SC250 (250kg) bomb casing with an aditional outer casing.......so this probably explains the drawing. The weight of this bomb is 500kg and the reference in the drawing is simply the inner case.
(see German Air-Dropped Weapons to 1945 Wolfgang Fleischer)

regards Kev

 

[Bellifortis]

Apparantly this consisted of a SC250 (250kg) bomb casing with an aditional outer casing.......so this probably explains the drawing. The weight of this bomb is 500kg and the reference in the drawing is simply the inner case.
(see German Air-Dropped Weapons to 1945 Wolfgang Fleischer)

regards Kev

Hallo Kev,
no, the outer casing is of the SC 250, the measurements are nearly identical. An inner tube was welded in to contain the 80 kg of burster-explosive and the free space between outer wall and tube filled up with 3500 10gr steel pieces (much higher density than expl.comp.) and pitch. The accompanying report even mentions 100gr steel pieces, but this for shure is a printing mistake. 10gr like in the drawing would be right. Why they named this bomb Shr 500 and not Shr 250 I do not know. One explanation would be, because only a very small % in weight variation (the No.in kg) was allowed in the normal series bombs and this construction has a much larger weight variation compared with the SC 250 (more heavy) it was named Shr 500, especially considering that these special bombs did not need to fit in the normal designation system and their actual weight could vary very much from the No. given. I have never seen this bomb mentioned anywhere else.
Regards,
Bellifortis.

 

[butterfly]

Hallo Kev,
no, the outer casing is of the SC 250, the measurements are nearly identical. An inner tube was welded in to contain the 80 kg of burster-explosive and the free space between outer wall and tube filled up with 3500 10gr steel pieces (much higher density than expl.comp.) and pitch. The accompanying report even mentions 100gr steel pieces, but this for shure is a printing mistake. 10gr like in the drawing would be right. Why they named this bomb Shr 500 and not Shr 250 I do not know. One explanation would be, because only a very small % in weight variation (the No.in kg) was allowed in the normal series bombs and this construction has a much larger weight variation compared with the SC 250 (more heavy) it was named Shr 500, especially considering that these special bombs did not need to fit in the normal designation system and their actual weight could vary very much from the No. given. I have never seen this bomb mentioned anywhere else.
Regards,
Bellifortis.

Hi, I had a little more time to flick through the book 'Air-dropped weapons...' and on page 121 there is a description of this bomb, and yes you are right its a 250kg casing with an inner tube. However I think the additional splinters, described as 'a few thousand sharp-pointed, heavy 100gm (3.6 oz)-weight splinters' , would increase the weight of the bomb to 500Kg - hence the designation.
The drawing is somewhat misleading as although the dimensions are identical to that of a 250kg bomb it looks to be a total different shape!!
perhaps the description of this bomb was taken from the same document that you have seen. From what I have read this bomb appears to have had little use operationally.

regards Kev

 

[Bellifortis]

Hi Kev,
already yesterday, after you mentioning the book, I flicked through my 1.edition 2003 Wolfgang Fleischer "Deutsche Abwurfmunition bis 1945". I expect that the english version differs from the german. I could not find a description of the Shr 500. The german book has 2 parts art 1 "Die deutsche Abwurfmunition bis 1945" up to page 170 , Part 2 "Katalog der Abwurfmunition und Znder" from page 171 to page 273 plus some pictures and bibliography to the end page 286. Part 1 is divided in 10 chapters. Would you please tell me the chapter No. of your page 121 english edition and the title of that chapter ?
Regards,
Bellifortis.

 

[butterfly]

Hi Kev,
already yesterday, after you mentioning the book, I flicked through my 1.edition 2003 Wolfgang Fleischer "Deutsche Abwurfmunition bis 1945". I expect that the english version differs from the german. I could not find a description of the Shr 500. The german book has 2 parts art 1 "Die deutsche Abwurfmunition bis 1945" up to page 170 , Part 2 "Katalog der Abwurfmunition und Znder" from page 171 to page 273 plus some pictures and bibliography to the end page 286. Part 1 is divided in 10 chapters. Would you please tell me the chapter No. of your page 121 english edition and the title of that chapter ?
Regards,
Bellifortis.

Hi Bellifortis,
the two editions do appear to differ. In the English version the chapter is Chapter 9 ; The Focal Point in the East: Air-dropped weapons in the war years 1941-1945.
For reference it comes a few pages after the Mistel and Fritz X and Henschel Hs 293 etc, there is approx 1/3 of a page on this.

I dont have the ability to upload pics right now, but maybe another member could help out?

regards Kev

 

[Bellifortis]

Hi Kev,
don't bother, I found the description. It's on page 155 in the german edition. And yes, you are right, the author used the same source as I, but quoted it without comparing (I mentioned before that I believe that 100gr is a printing mistake). Experience till 1943 showed, that it was the amount of many small shrapnel (german : "Splitter" literally "Shards") was, what brought down a plane. 10gr seems to have been an at that time as optimal tested size. Other,smaller SD series bombs produced shrapnel with 5-8gr. The SC 250 bomb had 125 kg Ex.filling. The Shr 500 had 80kg in the inner tube, that leaves about one third of the volume. It's impossible to put 350kg of steel shrapnel plus pitch in the volume that is taken up by 40 kg of Ex.
Regards,
Bellifortis

 

[butterfly]

Hi Kev,
don't bother, I found the description. It's on page 155 in the german edition. And yes, you are right, the author used the same source as I, but quoted it without comparing (I mentioned before that I believe that 100gr is a printing mistake). Experience till 1943 showed, that it was the amount of many small shrapnel (german : "Splitter" literally "Shards") was, what brought down a plane. 10gr seems to have been an at that time as optimal tested size. Other,smaller SD series bombs produced shrapnel with 5-8gr. The SC 250 bomb had 125 kg Ex.filling. The Shr 500 had 80kg in the inner tube, that leaves about one third of the volume. It's impossible to put 350kg of steel shrapnel plus pitch in the volume that is taken up by 40 kg of Ex.
Regards,
Bellifortis

Maybe the designation was given not for the bomb weight exact......I dont think many of the bombs were exactly the designated weight but varyied. The sizes, 50kg, 250kg etc were given more for the bomb carrier. It could be that this bomb could not be used on the 250kg carrier and had to be used on the larger 500kg carrier, hence the designation given as 500kg ......and also to differenciate from the standard 250kg bomb, given that the external dimentions are exactly the same, according to the drawing.

Yes I thought the description given in the book was from the same source, there was so much similarity in your initial post.

Just out of interest what do you imagine this bomb would weigh? - the back of the Airdropped book says 500kg, though I imagine that is based on the bombs allocation rather than exact weight?

Interestingly in the same book there is a reference to the SD2's being used air to air. quote; "At the beginning of May 1943, The Armed Forces C-in-C Adolf Hitler expressed his extreme satisfaction concerning the delivery of small bombs. His particular interest concerned the first large-scale use undertaken in July and August 1943 when Allied bomber streams were attacked with air-dropped SD-2 bombs"

I know the SD2 was tested experimentally for use on bomber formations, but this is the only reference to actual use I have seen. The dates are quite specific.

I wish you luck in finding more information about the Shr 500
all the best Kev

 

[Bellifortis]

Hi Kev,
from the data given in the drawing and report, I figure an approximate weight of 265 kg for the Shr 500. 80 kg Ex.,35 kg shrapnel, 125 kg empty casing, guessing 10 kg for the inner tube and 15 kg pitch. This bomb anyway is a freak and all information up till now comes from the same source. Even one would consider the source very authoritative, the General in command of bomb development at the time, reading through his work (written after the war) I often get the feeling that he does not really fully understand the underlieing scientific principles. That's not different to generals and politicians today, who rely on outside sources for their information, without being themselves able to judge the issue. The issue becomes even more confusing because the source writes : "...the bomb got a central 25 cm thick Ex. core, which weighed about 80 kg and is about equal to a 16 % filling fraction." This makes no sense. The filling of a SC 250 case weighed in at 125 kg Ex. There is nobody alive anymore whom one could ask.
Regards,
Bellifortis.

 

[Nabob]

Hallo, please see the attached part of L.Dv.4200.
Special bombs when they fall in a stabilized manner are given a caliber number of the regular SC bomb that has similar balistic properties. The number doesnť corespond with weight.


Regards, Bob.