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ID ww1 bomb (2)
- Thread starter MINENAZ16
- Start date
Aah ! The Saloniki fire basket (it's not its official designation but my own nickname for it) - Here's the French text from the excellent site by Albin Denis:
"Pour le 14 juillet 1915, les français expérimentent des bombes incendiaires construites par 4 bidons d’essence autour d’un obus de 10 kg. Ils attaquent avec plusieurs objectifs : Cannakale, Maidos (qui reçoit 2,8 tonnes de bombes en 3 voyages de l’escadrille), le QG turc de Soghan Deré…
La bombe incendiaire de 70 kilos conçue par le caporal Vaubourgeix est constituée d’un obus de 155 entouré de trois bidons de cinq litres d’essence, l’ensemble est recouvert d’une enveloppe en bois et toile "
and from a contemporary report:
"Cette bombe consistant en un assemblage comprenant un obus de 155 sur lequel était fixé trois bidons d’essence contenant 5 litres chacun. Cet assemblage étant logé dans un petit fuselage de bois et de toile en forme de fuseau. Cette bombe ainsi constituée accusait le poids total de 70 kilos. "
"Pour le 14 juillet 1915, les français expérimentent des bombes incendiaires construites par 4 bidons d’essence autour d’un obus de 10 kg. Ils attaquent avec plusieurs objectifs : Cannakale, Maidos (qui reçoit 2,8 tonnes de bombes en 3 voyages de l’escadrille), le QG turc de Soghan Deré…
La bombe incendiaire de 70 kilos conçue par le caporal Vaubourgeix est constituée d’un obus de 155 entouré de trois bidons de cinq litres d’essence, l’ensemble est recouvert d’une enveloppe en bois et toile "
and from a contemporary report:
"Cette bombe consistant en un assemblage comprenant un obus de 155 sur lequel était fixé trois bidons d’essence contenant 5 litres chacun. Cet assemblage étant logé dans un petit fuselage de bois et de toile en forme de fuseau. Cette bombe ainsi constituée accusait le poids total de 70 kilos. "
A very nice document here (see pages 18-19 for the bomb) : https://consultation.archives-loire...9_163281?modele=33&restit=14&from=775&size=25
The bomb is little bit different, better made.
A big thank to those who share these nice and rare pictures on the internet.
The bomb is little bit different, better made.
A big thank to those who share these nice and rare pictures on the internet.
As it said in french, made of wood and canvas, filled (diagram) with a french 155mm shell (HE, picric acid) with time fuze and three 5 liters gasoline cans.
So explosive and incendiary effects.
Apparently these bombs worked well if we believe reports.
This comment is for the second bomb I showed (diagram and pictures of the author). I don't know for the first to ID. Dreamk thinks it's a similar (variant) bomb.
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After some further checking, it appears that the first photograph of this thread shows a British device similar to the French incendiary bomb.
What is highly interesting is that both device happen to have been developed at the same place (Tenedos/Salonika front) and at the same time (July 1915)
The British device was developed by Wing Cmdr Samson (BTW the French text adjacent to the drawings of the French bomb cites him and spells his name Sampson) on the base of 26 imperial gallon (118.2 liter) petrol tank with welded fins and attached artillery primers.
We can reasonably assess that both devices tried to implement the same idea that emerged from discussions between the teams of the 3rd RNAS Squadron with their French colleagues of Escadrille MF98.
What is highly interesting is that both device happen to have been developed at the same place (Tenedos/Salonika front) and at the same time (July 1915)
The British device was developed by Wing Cmdr Samson (BTW the French text adjacent to the drawings of the French bomb cites him and spells his name Sampson) on the base of 26 imperial gallon (118.2 liter) petrol tank with welded fins and attached artillery primers.
We can reasonably assess that both devices tried to implement the same idea that emerged from discussions between the teams of the 3rd RNAS Squadron with their French colleagues of Escadrille MF98.