On April 6th 1941, the Royal Yugoslavian Air Force made a symbolic retaliation raid on Graz in Austria, in answer to the massive bombing of Belgrade. One of the Blenheim that took part top this raid was shot down and released its bombs just before the crash. The unexploded bombs were recovered. The markings on the bombs indicated that their exact weight was being 90kg (and the official Yugoslav documents of the period indeed mention a 90kg bomb as being in service). Furthermore, at least another bomb by in this raid did not exploded but was crushed at impact. The following pictures come from the Archives of the city of Graz:
I have enlarged here one these better show some details
Now this bomb is identical with the following ones captured by the Italians in 1941 at a depot in Castenuovo Cattaro in Dalmatia
These bombs had the peculiarity to exit with 3 variations of the fins - without reinforcement as in the above photographs , with an annular reinforcement, and with a square reinforcement - A development process similar to the one of the French 100kg bombs - but the 3 variations of this Yugoslav bomb seem to have been in use simultaneously.
This bomb seems to be the same as the one discovered by Al'Saad in the basement of a museum in Bosnia
http://www.bocn.co.uk/vbforum/threads/100405-ID-needed?highlight=french+bomb
Overall length approximatively 138cm
Body length approximatively 58cm,
Diameter approximatively 25cm
I have the feeling that the shape of the body may point at this bomb being developed on the basis of a large caliber naval shell - but I may be wrong.
1) can someone identify the fuzes
2) "Modern" publications keep mentioning the 106kg Stankovic bomb as being in standard use in 1941 (the Yugoslavs used the exact bomb weight as denomination to differentiate between the various models of bombs in the 100kg class that were in simultaneous use in the late thirties-early forties) - but except for a well known photograph from the Dornier company showing its installation on an external rack of a Do17, I have never seen any other photo or drawing of this last bomb.
Can someone upload pics of this 106kg bomb and details on dimensions and explosive charge
I have enlarged here one these better show some details
Now this bomb is identical with the following ones captured by the Italians in 1941 at a depot in Castenuovo Cattaro in Dalmatia
These bombs had the peculiarity to exit with 3 variations of the fins - without reinforcement as in the above photographs , with an annular reinforcement, and with a square reinforcement - A development process similar to the one of the French 100kg bombs - but the 3 variations of this Yugoslav bomb seem to have been in use simultaneously.
This bomb seems to be the same as the one discovered by Al'Saad in the basement of a museum in Bosnia
http://www.bocn.co.uk/vbforum/threads/100405-ID-needed?highlight=french+bomb
Overall length approximatively 138cm
Body length approximatively 58cm,
Diameter approximatively 25cm
I have the feeling that the shape of the body may point at this bomb being developed on the basis of a large caliber naval shell - but I may be wrong.
1) can someone identify the fuzes
2) "Modern" publications keep mentioning the 106kg Stankovic bomb as being in standard use in 1941 (the Yugoslavs used the exact bomb weight as denomination to differentiate between the various models of bombs in the 100kg class that were in simultaneous use in the late thirties-early forties) - but except for a well known photograph from the Dornier company showing its installation on an external rack of a Do17, I have never seen any other photo or drawing of this last bomb.
Can someone upload pics of this 106kg bomb and details on dimensions and explosive charge
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