ID Aerial Bomb ?

[Mike P.]

Hi ya Gents !!! I know , I've been MIA for a while and I missed the Forum but …sometimes work has a way of side tracking you. I have a little bit of a break now so , a little more more time for the Hobby.
I’m not into Aerial Bombs but for some reason I couldn’t pass up bidding on this one …It came in today but , I can’t seem to ID it and I thought I’d run it by you to see if anyone recognizes it. There are absolutely no markings I can find on it anywhere …and , it crossed my mind but there’s no way this is a home made “decorator “ item. The Body is made of 3 pieces --the Tail section, The main Body and the upper nose Half that’s welded to the Body. On the Tail there is a Spring mechanism.
The Fuze seems to be a solid dummy BUT , it does have one hole drilled in one side only for a safety pin.
It reminds me of German construction but …I just can’t match it up.
Any ideas ?

 

[Mike P.]

Here are a few more shots ...

 

[spotter]

I just may have found this ,do you have any measurements length and width

 

[Mike P.]

Hi Spotter , nice seeing you again and thanks for the help on this one. Length - 27-3/4" from end of Tailfin to nose (not counting the Fuze)
---at widest part , the Circumference is 15"
-----Looking straight down at it , 4-1/2" across

 

[blu97]

I think this is A US made bomb from the first world war. The Mk II demolition bomb has the size you gave. The spring on the side of the tail is actuly part of the fuze. On the drawing is some text on the Mk II and a drawing of the Mk III which is the same but slightly bigger. The weight of the Mk II i 22 Lb and of the Mk III 55.5 Lb.

 

[spotter]

thats the same document i was looking at as well Blu From USA Ordnance Department publication .."The Handbook Of Ordnance Data" ..dated November 15 1918

 

[BMG50]

I would have said it was Japanese, does it have any stampings on the casing and fins etc.

 

[jayteepee_1999]

Barlow Bomb.

Lester P. Barlow applied for a patent on a Contact Bomb on 09 October 1917 and was granted US patent #1,318,956 on 14 October 1919. "My invention relates to bombs or the like explosive bodies, and particularly to that type of bomb which is dropped or launched from an aeroplane and explodes on contact. It is well-known in such structures to maintain the detonator to the rear of the explosive chamber by means of an air-wheel threaded on a rod extending from the rear of the casing. This wheel is rotated by the air when the bomb is dropped to unscrew the same from the rod to permit the detonator to drop into its firing position. Such constructions are open to criticism in that the air-wheel and rod are exposed to the weather and may bind because of rust or other causes. The present application is in large part a continuation of my application Serial No. 195,609, entitled Contact Bombs, filed October 9, 1917. My present invention aims to overcome this difficulty by providing a weatherproof construction in which the detonator is released, after the bomb is launched or dropped, in a certain and efficient manner, which does not depend upon the action of the air. In my improved device, the detonator is normally held or suspended at a safe distance to the rear of the explosive chamber, and means are provided to release the detonator upon the launching of the bomb, which means have a constant tendency, to release the detonator but may be restrained until the launching of the bomb, or which means may be rendered effective upon the launching of the bomb.

 

[Mike P.]

Spotter, Blu , Jay ...Thank you so much for helping lock this one in. Would it be safe to say that this MKII example was part of the first line of Aerial Bombs mass produced by the US ? Or , was there a Mark I line produced ?
I don't remember seeing these on the market (not common) so , I'm thinking this one might be worthwhile to keep.