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Incendiary bombs

P

Panzerfaust

Well-Known Member
Hello, everyone.
I work at the German eod

This week we found these Incendiary Bombs and their container.

Unfortunately so far without that it could be determined exactly.

The diameter of the incendiary bombs is 40 mm

Thanks for help
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The fins almost look like the Warsaw Pact HE submunitions, but you say the bodies are magnesium - I don't know of any big variations of the German fins, but keep in mind that there were also similar French designs as well, I believe that some were also adopted into German service. The two designs that I am aware of have smaller fins though and are not a match with what you show. Sorry.

IMG_0927.jpgIMG_0929.jpgIMG_0928.jpg
 
The French incendiaries were in fact copies and evolution of the ww1 German elktron bomb - Overall Length was either 379mm or 368mm but their diameter was 50mm so this does not fit here. In any case their tail was characteristic as can be seen on the left photo uploaded by US-Subs (the Red-green bombs)

With a diameter of 40mm, in German territory....Panzerfaust, does the the overall length happen to be around 350 mm or 370mm?
 
Dreamk said:
The French incendiaries were in fact copies and evolution of the ww1 German elktron bomb - Overall Length was either 379mm or 368mm but their diameter was 50mm so this does not fit here. In any case their tail was characteristic as can be seen on the left photo uploaded by US-Subs (the Red-green bombs)

With a diameter of 40mm, in German territory....Panzerfaust, does the the overall length happen to be around 350 mm or 370mm?
Click to expand...
Lenght, I have nothing.
Someone mean to me it could be French or Czech incendiary but???

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Hi Panzerfaust
The container shows (6 played inserts in the container) and the longitudinal construction of the box that it could be a Czech container bomb ....
Submunitions have been produced since 1924 fragmentation, incendiary, smoke ... If you have photo details of the ammunition part, put them on the web and we'll see. Otherwise, it's about ball divination.
Akon
 
AKON_ said:
Hi Panzerfaust
The container shows (6 played inserts in the container) and the longitudinal construction of the box that it could be a Czech container bomb ....
Submunitions have been produced since 1924 fragmentation, incendiary, smoke ... If you have photo details of the ammunition part, put them on the web and we'll see. Otherwise, it's about ball divination.
Akon
Click to expand...
Sorry no other pics.
Serch for Czech ammo Like this in Web but find nothing

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Interesting post.
I'm sure the other post is related : http://www.bocn.co.uk/vbforum/threads/104656-Czech-Explosive-Darts-1930s
For sure same bomb family.
The german doc (pdf) posted by Chris could confirm a czech origin :

"Das äußere Erscheinungsbild des Fundstückes weist eine große Ähnlichkeit zu einer kürzeren tschechoslowakischen Brandbombe mit einem Durchmesser von 38 mm auf."
(The external appearance of the find shows a great resemblance to a shorter one Czechoslovak incendiary bomb with a Diameter of 38 mm. )
 
Indeed, the Czech incendiary dart in use after 1934 was:
1 kg overall weight including 0.59 kg Incendiary composition
Length 370 mm
Diameter 38 mm
It's the reason I asked whether the length was 350 or 370mm
(350mm was the length of the Czech Incendiary candle - weight 1.4 kg incl. 0.89 kg Incendiary composition Length 350 mm Diameter 39 mm - but I am not sure this last one had tail fins)
 
MINENAZ16 said:
Interesting post.
I'm sure the other post is related : http://www.bocn.co.uk/vbforum/threads/104656-Czech-Explosive-Darts-1930s
For sure same bomb family.
The german doc (pdf) posted by Chris could confirm a czech origin :

"Das äußere Erscheinungsbild des Fundstückes weist eine große Ähnlichkeit zu einer kürzeren tschechoslowakischen Brandbombe mit einem Durchmesser von 38 mm auf."
(The external appearance of the find shows a great resemblance to a shorter one Czechoslovak incendiary bomb with a Diameter of 38 mm. )
Click to expand...
Ähnlichkeit ja, aber diese Tschechische ist viel länger vom Bild.
Unsere funde hatten ja zudem kürzere leitwerk was ebenfalls aus selben Material war wie der Körper.

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The shorter tails is not a problem - while using the "elektron" chemical composition for it. the general external design of these bombs seems to have been inspired by the British ww1 BIB ("Baby" Incendiary Bomb) which was historically the bomb to be delivered by a cluster - even including a central retarding/ stabilizing plate/inverted conus at the rear of the fins. They were also quite larger so as to have an adequate incendiary power.
This photo from 1933 is supposed to show samples of Czech Incendiary bomb - the bomblet seems to be of the pre-1934 small variety (220 mm length 30mm diameter 0.270 kg weight):
Zapalne pumy 1933 Screenshot 2021-11-01 145038.jpgzapalne pum,y 1933 Screenshot 2021-11-01 145108.jpg

and this is the British BiB - the construction is different but the similitude in shape is clearly seen:
IMGP3316.JPG.c2c634a2308878e37fa68c9fb050dc6c.jpgIMGP3315.JPG.479ee147ae2f6736ba22023aba535737.jpg

The overall length is the main data that is lacking to go further in the identification.
 
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