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German bomb ID

G

Grzesio

Well-Known Member
Could anybody recognise the bomb visible in these two photos?
The 2nd picture of the bomb (D 1000 and 102 markings are also visible) comes from Fleischer's book on German drop ordnance, where the bomb is identified as the SD 500 E, what, I think, is wrong - the distance from the fuse pocket to the tail cone is too big for the SD 500 E, while the tail is too short for the SD 500 (without the variant suffix).

German bombs in Mediterranean front AKG5570583---.jpgSD_Fleischer.jpg

The bomb is clearly marked with D 1000 and 102 in both pictures, so, according to these markings, it seems to be the SD 1000 filled with Fp 102 (particularly that the bomb seems to perfectly fit SD 1000 proportions and shape, as opposed to the SD 500), just the D 1000 is strangely located on the nose, rather than between the suspension point and the fuse.
But was the SD 1000 ever fielded?

SD500_800.jpg
 
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Thank you!
And I think, the question of this mysterious SD 1000 is resolved. I was wondering, why is the bomb practically absent in documents and books on German drop ordnance, including the L.Dv. 4200. But as they were attacking battleships with SD 1000, it seems, it was just an early designation of the PC 1000 bomb. Both are of the same dimensions and shape (2100 mm long, 500 mm diameter, 765 mm distance from the nose to the suspension lug and the PC 1000 looks exactly like the SD 1000 from the photos above, in every detail), so I'm nearly sure, SD 1000 was renamed into PC 1000 somewhere around 1940 (L.Dv. 8/g4 presents PC 1000 already in a 1940 marking scheme, with blue tail cone, so the change had to take place not later than very early 1941).
 
So, my theory was wrong, it seems. :cry:
Both SD 1000 and PC 1000 are listed at the same time with different features, so it was not exactly the same bomb...
A document about HE content in LW ammunition of April 1941 lists SD 1000 as filled with phlegmatised FP 60/40 (also Fp 102, as the code in the photo above confirms) and PC 1000 as filled with phlegmatised Fp 02 (TNT) or RDX (also, one can suspect, Fp 101 and Fp 104).
A document from April 1940 about use of bombs (against ground targets) lists SD 1000 as equipped with elAZ (35) or (55) fuse, while PC 1000 as equipped with elAZ (35) or (28)A. Proposed use of SD 1000 is attacking concrete roofs over 1 m thick and iron bridges, PC 1000 - stone and concrete bridges.
What is interesting, the elAZ (35) was a special fuse for AP bombs, so SD 1000 was clearly considered as an AP bomb to some degree...

According to Pawlas, SD 1000 was 1000 kg heavy, filled with 160 kg of HE. L.Dv. 4200 lists PC 1000 as 988 +-50 kg heavy, filled with 152 kg of Fp 60/40.

So, at the moment, I think that SD 1000 and PC 1000 could differ with HE type and possibly grade of steel used for their bodies. But why on earth is the SD 1000 so completely absent in books and documents (e.g. L.Dv. 4200 or OP 1666), even if they list other completely obsolete bombs as SBe 50 or SD 1700?
 
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A small extension of information on the production of bombs ...
In one document concerning the "Y-Program", there is an overview of bombs produced in the Protectorate. Specifically in 1940, 1941 it is stated: ,, Paul ,, PC 1000 - 243 pcs ; ,, Esau ,, SD 1000 -2482 pcs .
Complete taken over bodies of air bombs further intended for laboratory work. In addition to the above, the list also includes
"Irma", SC 250 J Ausf. And produced in 1940 -3444 pcs, 1941 -8477 pcs ; SD 50 L in 1940- 171102 pcs, in 1941 - 109797 pcs.
Akon
 
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