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US 10 000 LB bomb
- Thread starter MINENAZ16
- Start date
DEADLINE222
Well-Known Member
I see you beat me to it.....
That TM I couldn't find is "TM-9-1980 Bombs For Aircraft"
The ANM-56 is 117.25" long with fin installed. The diameter is 34.25".
Here is a size comparison of all US World War 2 era bombs. ANM-56 being on the far left.
That TM I couldn't find is "TM-9-1980 Bombs For Aircraft"
The ANM-56 is 117.25" long with fin installed. The diameter is 34.25".
Here is a size comparison of all US World War 2 era bombs. ANM-56 being on the far left.
butterfly
HONOURED MEMBER RIP
I found this advertised on ABE books, item number 6 on the link below. it refers to '10,000lb special light case bombs dropped on Japan' date of document 1947 - I dont know if this refers to the bomb shown?? grasping at straws!!
http://www.abebooks.co.uk/book-search/title/thousand/n/200000237/
regards Kev
http://www.abebooks.co.uk/book-search/title/thousand/n/200000237/
regards Kev
DEADLINE222
Well-Known Member
The bomb pictured in this thread is a light cased ((((welded together)))) AN-M series ((((box fin assembly))) 4,000 pound general purpose bomb.
If it were a (for some reason) welded together, light case AN-M series 10,000 pound casing filled with TNT it would be this big.
Tweleve 55 gallon drums filled with TNT @ 7+/- pounds per gallon would leave *at least* 3,000 pounds available for the casing!
If it were a (for some reason) welded together, light case AN-M series 10,000 pound casing filled with TNT it would be this big.
Tweleve 55 gallon drums filled with TNT @ 7+/- pounds per gallon would leave *at least* 3,000 pounds available for the casing!
I have all the OP's and TM's (plus several books and bomb reference sets) for bombs WW I to almost present, over 32 different documents, I'll be damn if I can find a M 121. But to summarize what we know the bomb being pictured is larger then a 4000 lb GP, the few reference to size of the M 121 of course are larger then the M -56. There are several references to the M 121 being used as a large area land clearing bomb in VietNam but being replaced by the ever popular BLU 82. There are a few references to a T 10 with long fins. Replace these fins with large conical and you may have the bomb pictured.
I'll keep looking for a reference and hopefully I'll find my picture.
I'll keep looking for a reference and hopefully I'll find my picture.
DEADLINE222
Well-Known Member
Link no work. I only see baby supplies.
What type of aircraft is mentioned?
Note....
The biggest combat aircraft in the world until well after the end of World War 2 was the Boeing B-29 Superfortress.
The MK 2 "Fat Man" barley fit into the B-29'z bomb bay, and larger bombs warranted the struggling B-36 design program.
The B-29 did carry the ligher of the T series bombs. But these were HEAVY CASE bombs with delay fuzes to cause an earthquake effect. Hence the names......
What type of aircraft is mentioned?
Note....
The biggest combat aircraft in the world until well after the end of World War 2 was the Boeing B-29 Superfortress.
The MK 2 "Fat Man" barley fit into the B-29'z bomb bay, and larger bombs warranted the struggling B-36 design program.
The B-29 did carry the ligher of the T series bombs. But these were HEAVY CASE bombs with delay fuzes to cause an earthquake effect. Hence the names......
DEADLINE222
Well-Known Member
My mind is not being tortured. The evidence I have produced is well......self evident. :wink:
butterfly
HONOURED MEMBER RIP
Here is a screenshot of the listing on ABE books. I have no idea what bomb it refers to other than it lists it as a 10,000lb Special light case bomb. Dropped on Japan in what appears to be limited numbers it appears to be a report into the effect of such a weapon. I can only see what is written here, but it relates to a weapon dropped in WW2 and pre-dates the M-121.
perhaps this makes more sense to you than it does to me?
Kev
DEADLINE222
Well-Known Member
The bomb hung from the "Sky Crane" is what is picture in the size comparison from the TM.
Compare the size of the men under the helicopter verses the folks around the ANM-56, 4000 pounder.
Note. The big T bomb is not boat tailed, unlike the ANM-56. The bomb under the helicopter has a flat base like the 750 pound GP M117, for example.
Compare the size of the men under the helicopter verses the folks around the ANM-56, 4000 pounder.
Note. The big T bomb is not boat tailed, unlike the ANM-56. The bomb under the helicopter has a flat base like the 750 pound GP M117, for example.
DEADLINE222
Well-Known Member
"10,000lb Special light case bomb".
This bomb would be gargantuan, much like the stack of 55 gallon drums pictured above.
I am not doubting the existence, but whatever it was it did not look like the image of the 4,000 pound AN-M56 that started all of this
And for the record, the B-29's bomb bay was not that big. Like I said, the MK 2 "Fat Man" barley fit inside. Additionally, you can forget the B-17, 24.
If we want to play conspiracy theory, would could say that a Consolidated B-32 dropped these bombs?
B-29 bomb bay pictured with what I assume are 1,000 pounders.
This bomb would be gargantuan, much like the stack of 55 gallon drums pictured above.
I am not doubting the existence, but whatever it was it did not look like the image of the 4,000 pound AN-M56 that started all of this
And for the record, the B-29's bomb bay was not that big. Like I said, the MK 2 "Fat Man" barley fit inside. Additionally, you can forget the B-17, 24.
If we want to play conspiracy theory, would could say that a Consolidated B-32 dropped these bombs?
B-29 bomb bay pictured with what I assume are 1,000 pounders.
butterfly
HONOURED MEMBER RIP
Whatever aircraft dropped it or indeed whatever the size, it appears that a 10,000lb light case bomb did exist and was dropped by one means or another. I am not suggesting this is the bomb in the photo, for that evidence is needed - we can speculate what the size of this 10,000lb 'special' was or indeed what it 'looked like' and indeed what aircraft carried it.....................the only way to know for sure is to purchase the cd and look at the report. Even if not connected it looks interesting.
regards Kev
DEADLINE222
Well-Known Member
My picture of the B-29 bomb bay is not relevant.
A modified 29 could carry two, 22,000 bombs. I feel that the size of the 10,000 pound light case would be roughly the size of these 22,000 pounders.
The light case was 77% filler when the T series were 40-50%.
A modified 29 could carry two, 22,000 bombs. I feel that the size of the 10,000 pound light case would be roughly the size of these 22,000 pounders.
The light case was 77% filler when the T series were 40-50%.
DEADLINE222
Well-Known Member
I rmember reading about these 10,000 pumpkin bombs.
They were essentially "practice" conventional bombs that looked like the MK 2.
"The crews of the 393[SUP]rd[/SUP] Bombardment Squadron in the 509[SUP]th[/SUP] Composite Group began their bombing runs over Japan in July 1945. Each mission took 13 hours for the round trip with a huge bomb or "pumpkin." Because of their shape and orange painting, the bombs were dubbed "pumpkins." The heavy bombing done up to this time had been conducted with conventional 2,000-pound high explosive or general-purpose bombs. Those bombs were filled with the traditional explosive TNT, which made up 50% of the bomb's weight. However, the B-29s flying from Tinian carried much larger, conventional TNT-filled bombs weighing 10,000 pounds. These were the heaviest weapons dropped by the U.S. forces in combat during World War II.
Starting on July 20, 1945, the 393[SUP]rd[/SUP] Bombardment Squadron began a series of 12 precision attacks over Japan for the purpose of familiarizing the crews with the target area and tactics contemplated for the scheduled atomic bomb missions' though the crews did not know this was the over-riding purpose behind these very real missions. In fact, some time during July two atomic bombs were carefully shipped from the United States mainland to Tinian "in pieces" to join the 509[SUP]th[/SUP] Composite Group. However, in the combat missions that started on July 20, the "pumpkins" were dropped in lieu of atomic bombs."
They were essentially "practice" conventional bombs that looked like the MK 2.
"The crews of the 393[SUP]rd[/SUP] Bombardment Squadron in the 509[SUP]th[/SUP] Composite Group began their bombing runs over Japan in July 1945. Each mission took 13 hours for the round trip with a huge bomb or "pumpkin." Because of their shape and orange painting, the bombs were dubbed "pumpkins." The heavy bombing done up to this time had been conducted with conventional 2,000-pound high explosive or general-purpose bombs. Those bombs were filled with the traditional explosive TNT, which made up 50% of the bomb's weight. However, the B-29s flying from Tinian carried much larger, conventional TNT-filled bombs weighing 10,000 pounds. These were the heaviest weapons dropped by the U.S. forces in combat during World War II.
Starting on July 20, 1945, the 393[SUP]rd[/SUP] Bombardment Squadron began a series of 12 precision attacks over Japan for the purpose of familiarizing the crews with the target area and tactics contemplated for the scheduled atomic bomb missions' though the crews did not know this was the over-riding purpose behind these very real missions. In fact, some time during July two atomic bombs were carefully shipped from the United States mainland to Tinian "in pieces" to join the 509[SUP]th[/SUP] Composite Group. However, in the combat missions that started on July 20, the "pumpkins" were dropped in lieu of atomic bombs."
DEADLINE222
Well-Known Member
Here is a 10,000 pound pumpkin bomb.
Pic taken from one of my reference sets on US bombs, compare this to the previous pictures taken with the man/lady standing by the big bomb, they are not the same - but the 10,000 lb bombs I am find info on do not angle up at the aft end, they appear to be flat across - plenty of references that says the M 121 did exist and most all say pretty much the same thing. One reference says the T 10 of UK design, later became the T 12 (not sure on this) but the final 10,000 lb'er became the T56E4 (M-121). What the pictured bomb stenciled as 10,000 lbs is the question, but it isn't a 4,000 lb one.
butterfly
HONOURED MEMBER RIP
The T-10 and T-12 relate to the Tallboy and Grand Slam bombs which were also produced in America but were given the former reference numbers. see post 19 in this thread, photo 1 for a picture of the T-12 bomb.
regards Kev