9 lb anti tank bomb (puffball)

[Rrickoshae]

hi guys, its me! (first time I've been back for over a year). Here's a brain teaser for you, the attached photo is of a 'thing' that is loaded piggy back fashion - the nose of one, fits into the tail of the other, and the fuze is similar to, but not identical to, a 247 all ways fuze. The photo came from an RAF bomb disposal collection. The 'thing' is stencilled 'A.T 9 lb'. Is this the 'puffball' bomb? cheers, Dave

 

[butterfly]

Hi Dave,

There is a reference to this in 'objects dropped from the air' 1944 edition.
It is a british 9lb Anti tank bomb and it is said to have been dropped in pairs, nesting into one another.

small pencil drawing looks identical!!

Cant confirm if this was known as puffball - but looks like it could well be!!!

regards Kev

 

[butterfly]

Heres a photo of the drawing for you - regards Kev

 

[Madbomber31]

Here some more on it and the fuze

 

[TimG]

Also known as the "Jefferis' Bomb" and "Sticky Bomb" Worked on the HESH/poultice charge principle. Dropped in salvos of 24. A direct hit would create a 9" diameter hole in 2" armour plate. Couldn't really be aimed and needed to be dropped from about 250 feet, which made the attacking aircraft very, very vulnerable to ground fire. 40mm cannon strapped onto a Hurricane was decided to be the better way forward.

It's odd, that although not accepted for service, it does turn up in several publications that would suggest otherwise.

Jack, is your publication war or post war?

Used an 847 fuze.

TimG

 

[Tony Williams]

This is an extract from Flying Guns World War 2: Development of Aircraft Guns, Ammunition and Installations 1933-45 which I co-authored with Emmanuel Gustin:

In June 1943 the RAF's order of preference in weapons for use against tanks was given as: 1st 40 mm S gun; 2nd 20 mm cannon with Mk III AP ammunition; 3rd RP with 25 lb AP head; 4th RP with 60 lb HE head; 5th .50" Browning HMG; 6th 9 lb AT bomb. Only the first three of these were considered to be serious anti-tank weapons. Some comment on these preferences is necessary. The 20 mm AP Mk III, as mentioned in Chapter 1, was a tungsten-cored round of considerable performance which was, in the end, not adopted. The RP with 25 lb AP head could penetrate 70-80 mm, which compensated to some extent for its lack of accuracy. The RP with 60 lb HE head was discounted against tanks as it could only penetrate 25 mm, but this assessment rather underestimated the cataclysmic effect of detonating such a large charge against a tank.
The 9 lb AT bomb, jovially known as "Puffball", used a squash-head rather than a HEAT design and a fighter-bomber was expected to carry twenty-four of them, to be released in one diving pass at low altitude. Despite the success of similar (but smaller) Soviet and German weapons, Puffball proved unsatisfactory due to sympathetic detonations in mid-air (the explosion of the first hits setting off the others) and significant damage from blast and debris being suffered by the carrying aircraft. The 40 mm S gun, 20 mm AP Mk III and 25 lb AP were all considered capable of dealing with the German Mk IV tank and it seemed that the S gun-equipped Hurricane Mk IV would have a part to play in the forthcoming invasion of Europe. Despite this, all Hurricanes were withdrawn from European service in March 1944, just three months before D-day.

 

[Rrickoshae]

well done one and all, that didn't take you long! many thanks for all the extra info, Dave

 

[blu97]

And some more.

 

[Madbomber31]

Its War Tim

 

[TimG]

How strange. Thanks Jack.

 

[Madbomber31]

Its from 15 Aug 1942 :tinysmile_shy_t: Belehrungsblatt 7 Beseitigung feindlicher Abwurfmunition

 

[TimG]

They evidentally had a very good espionage organisation.

 

[Madbomber31]

The Germans found them in the Desert, what i read in the document.

 

[Bonnex]

Puffball

Also known as the "Jefferis' Bomb" and "Sticky Bomb" Worked on the HESH/poultice charge principle. Dropped in salvos of 24. A direct hit would create a 9" diameter hole in 2" armour plate. Couldn't really be aimed and needed to be dropped from about 250 feet, which made the attacking aircraft very, very vulnerable to ground fire. 40mm cannon strapped onto a Hurricane was decided to be the better way forward.

It's odd, that although not accepted for service, it does turn up in several publications that would suggest otherwise.

Jack, is your publication war or post war?

Used an 847 fuze.

TimG

Tim,

I stand to be corrected but I think it was the 12lb version that was not accepted into service (being superseded by a-g rockets before development was complete). Herewith Millis Jefferis sketch design.

 

[TimG]

Norman,

I didn't realise that there was a 12lb version! I think I'm going to have to read the file again. I was under the impression it had been rejected namely because it was very inaccurate and the attacking aircraft had to be exceptionally low to offer some hope of hitting the target. Furthermore, it was hinted that there was to be an initial production run of 50,000, but from the very start it was known that ICI could only spare enough explosive for 10,000.
There was, however, a wildcard in the form of Winston Churchill, he had already interferred once in the project and maybe he was instrumental in forcing it the through in the same way as it's namesake the Sticky Bomb.

Regards

Tim

 

[Bonnex]

12 lb Puffball

Tim,

I'll see if I can find a reference to the 12 lb. It was originally an upscaled 9lb but then redesigned with a HEAT rather than HESH WH.

The history of these things is quite interesting and I'm sorry I don't have the time to research it properly. In 1940 ish Blacker (of Bombard fame) proposed an anti-armour bomb using a light case and PE but the OB recommended against it. CSD had already had his idea rejected to use modified No 68 grenades as top attack sub-munitions (the Air Board saying there was no requirement!) and Jefferis' "Scatter Bomb" idea had been rejected.

Despite these strong clues to the Air Board's view of anything novel MD1 worked on quite a few air-delivered sub-munitions (of which the Puffball, 'Southall', and the 'K' bomb made some progress). The ADD 68 Grenade idea also returned to the scene.

As you know at the large bomb end of the scale MD1 (Jefferis) worked on the JW Bomb (oscillating mine - searched out targets), the Capital Ship bomb (45-inch diam shaped charge) , and 'Journey's End (with homing device). If you see some of MD1s drawings you would see that they were also into Misznay-Schardin before the phrase (after Joe Misznay and Bert Schardin) was coined.

Norman

Norman,

I didn't realise that there was a 12lb version! I think I'm going to have to read the file again. I was under the impression it had been rejected namely because it was very inaccurate and the attacking aircraft had to be exceptionally low to offer some hope of hitting the target. Furthermore, it was hinted that there was to be an initial production run of 50,000, but from the very start it was known that ICI could only spare enough explosive for 10,000.
There was, however, a wildcard in the form of Winston Churchill, he had already interferred once in the project and maybe he was instrumental in forcing it the through in the same way as it's namesake the Sticky Bomb.

Regards

Tim

 

[TimG]

Norman,

You've just opened up some new avenues of research for me!

Thanks

Tim