Button Bombs

**US-Subs** · 3rd August 2009, 05:33 AM

Does anyone have any info on the US submunitions known as "button bombs"? These were an off-shoot of the gravel mine submunition program during the Vietnam War. Varying in size they were typically the size of a US quarter, and about 5mm thick, made of thin, stiff plastic. They could come in several drab colors, OD, tan, etc. They were reportedly manufactured out of Cornhusker Ammunition Plant in Nebraska, like the gravel mines. Years ago I saw a Picatinny-type photo of an ID board, it was part of a display put on by C.S. frrom Rockville, MD. I approached him looking to purchase (if necessary) a copy of the photo, but he said that he had not time for this.

I have several variations of the munition, but after years of searching still no data. The museum at Picatinny had nothing (now closed). The museum at Aberdeen has nothing. Records from this timeframe in the National Archive remain classified. Anyone?

**HAZORD** · 3rd August 2009, 06:20 AM

I'm sure you have checked this and would have listed it, but I will ask anyway. Was there a BLU or M numbr associated with them that you know of? There was a guy on Evilbay a year or so ago that was making up sets of dummy gravel mines. He might know, but I will have to look up his address if I can find it.

**US-Subs** · 3rd August 2009, 08:34 AM

Nope, I've found designations for about 18 models of gravel mines, but no designations for the button bombs. Here is a picture of my button bombs, with the gravel mines for size comparison. Button bombs are upper left and center, gravel mines are the cloth packets on right and across the lower third. Bottom row is BLU-43 - BLU-44s, then the dog-turd transmitter (not my designation) and variations of the Soviet PFM-1s.

**Dragontooth** · 7th June 2011, 08:44 AM

Originally Posted by US-Subs

Nope, I've found designations for about 18 models of gravel mines, but no designations for the button bombs. Here is a picture of my button bombs, with the gravel mines for size comparison. Button bombs are upper left and center, gravel mines are the cloth packets on right and across the lower third. Bottom row is BLU-43 - BLU-44s, then the dog-turd transmitter (not my designation) and variations of the Soviet PFM-1s.

Sorry to bring this up again but I am really wondering what the 18 models of gravel mines were.
I know the standard XMs , but what other ones exist?
Does anyone know?

JO? you must be really busy. take care.
dave

**US-Subs** · 7th June 2011, 10:08 AM

Got my hands full at the moment with issues and exercises at some of my airports. Get your hands on a copy of the 1970 Picatinny book on dispensers. It will give the most info on the largest number of items, the rest you will have to dig for. I know that Schmidt sells electronic copies of it, it may be available elsewhere as well.

**Dragontooth** · 7th June 2011, 09:22 PM

Originally Posted by US-Subs

Got my hands full at the moment with issues and exercises at some of my airports. Get your hands on a copy of the 1970 Picatinny book on dispensers. It will give the most info on the largest number of items, the rest you will have to dig for. I know that Schmidt sells electronic copies of it, it may be available elsewhere as well.

JO, I understand that. Could you possiby tell me the full name of the Picatinny book with serial no. or whatever is used. I will be moving around with my girlfriend in Germany so I am really pressed for money. Maybe a kind BOCN member knows how to upload it...?

Failing that how do I contact this Mr. Schmidt?

**Dragontooth** · 17th October 2011, 08:30 PM

heres a start
apparently they were made at RMA (Rocky Mt. Arsenal) if we are talking about the XM40E5.
http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a274640.pdf

now for me the question is if the XM40E5 was the same as the display board that EODTEk (with the leaf shaped bomblets) shared with us? or did those have another designation?

**REDHAT6** · 3rd August 2012, 05:00 PM

Dragontooth,
give me a PM push at REDHAT6

**dano1917** · 3rd August 2009, 12:16 PM

Hi Jo, Stumbled onto a wiki about the gravel mines that touches on button as well (that's the only way I can navigate this "modern monstrosity"). Interesting bit on the history of these jewels from Vietnam era...Dano

[ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravel_mines"]Gravel mines - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]

**US-Subs** · 3rd August 2009, 12:44 PM

Dano,
thanks for the info, but as you can see from my photo, the Wikipedia article is mistaking the two. The true "button bombs" are a separate cat altogether. The article is pretty accurate, about 80% correct, which is better than most. But the gravel mines were never labeled as button bombs, its just confusion between the two.

I used to know an old Air Force ammo loader (461?) who later went EOD (462?), he had experience with the gravel mines in Laos and some experiments with a trial with the button bombs, he was the only person I've spoken with that had actual "hands on" experience with the live items. He was able to clear some of the confusion for me.

A further informal source was the person that I got my pieces from, a relative of a former Cornhusker employee. He put them on E-Bay, I snapped them up and he said he was surprised I recognized them, most ordnance people mixed them up with gravel mines -

Still searching, thanks for the help. JO