Cable cutting round

[US-Subs]

I had never realized the extent of the use, or planned use, by the US for these devices. The field manual details the setup for standard truck attachments during convoy operations, and rail car attachments as well. I had normally thought they were limited to fixed installations - port facilities etc.

 

[Listy]

I had never realized the extent of the use, or planned use, by the US for these devices. The field manual details the setup for standard truck attachments during convoy operations, and rail car attachments as well. I had normally thought they were limited to fixed installations - port facilities etc.

Yeah Balloon and PAC were very very common. Most Merchant ships had at least a set of two PAC rockets on them. The Germans even copied the idea:


Here we see a German ship using a PAC style rocket agaisnt a strike by Beaufighters in Norway. Plane in front has just broken off his attack to avoid the rocket, while his leader is launching rockets on the centre left.

 

[Bonnex]

From documentation - A.P. 2051

TimG

View attachment 166221View attachment 166222View attachment 166223View attachment 166219View attachment 166224

Tim,
Many thanks for these pages. I have, for many years, wondered how the cartridge was 'registered' so that the chisel cut across the cable rather than along it. I imagined all manner of fancy solutions but it turns out to be a bent bit of wire and a retaining screw.

 

[US-Subs]

You would think that the devices would be much more commonly found - Mine is the only one I have ever seen on the US, and I've only seen two of the UK versions, both located in the NL. Most techs that I know do not recognize them, and they seem to not be present in many of the standard references. What happened to all of them?

 

[Listy]

You would think that the devices would be much more commonly found - Mine is the only one I have ever seen on the US, and I've only seen two of the UK versions, both located in the NL. Most techs that I know do not recognize them, and they seem to not be present in many of the standard references. What happened to all of them?

Well the RAF airfield weapons, I'm still looking into how many of them were produced, so its entirely likely that as PAC was phased out before the bomb versions showed up. I have no data points on how many were fitted by Balloon command. Equally, we have the UP Mk.V FAM, which seems to have been a bit more common, but still on my to get sources list.

I suspect there's a large amount went into Beaufort's Dyke though. Especially as Balloon command was disbanded at about the time it was getting dumped. Thus there's no need to maintain any specialist weapon stores against future need for a command that no longer exists.

 

[TimG]

US-Subs,

This may well explain the presence of the two you saw in the Netherlands - http://www.bbrclub.org/free_balloon_operations_in_world.htm

TimG

 

[US-Subs]

Good stuff! In development reminiscent and about as successful as US Project Xray with the Bat Bombs.

Interesting book if you get the chance. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bat_bomb