Colour coding for butterfly bombs

[SG500]

I found this on a web site today regarding butterfly bombs:

"COLOUR AND MARKINGS: Body of bomb may be painted either black, lead-grey, red, yellow, or field grey. If the bomb is painted field grey it may have a 3/4-inch yellow band on the body, the wing assembly will be painted field be painted field grey with a yellow stripe on the inside and outside of the wings and may have a 3/4-inch red stripe at right angles to the to the yellow stripe on the wings. If the body is painted yellow, the wings will be painted yellow with a 3/4 inch strip of red on the wings. In addition to the specific color combination given, the wings may be field grey or unpainted."

My query is - what do the different colours mean? I understand that the ones with holes in the base are the smoke variety. Were they painted a different colour? Why red? Why field grey? Why black? etc. etc. These things don't seem to make quite as much sense as artillery shell colour coding. Or is it purely down to where they were to be dropped - yellow in deserts etc in which case would there be a white one for areas of snow??

Dave.

 

[Panzerknacker]

c

I have been told the yellow was for corn fields, and grey was for built up area`s town`s/cities etc i`m not sure if thats correct and im not sure on how many colours there were, as the one on my fire place is yellow with red stripes !

 

[Madbomber31]

The colors they used had to do with the fuze that whas in the bomb.

Yellow whas used with the AZ 41 or 41 A.
Lead grey or better Field grey whas used with the AZ 67 or 70 B.
Red whas a Training bomb with or with out smoke unit.

Found in L.Dv.4200 from 1943.

 

[Fuzeman]

Hi Jack even then there were variations the SD2 i have in yellow with the red stripe has a (67) fuze in it .
The lluftwaffe green has the (41)
SC bombs often had yellow stripes on the tail fin , which gave the disposal officer an idea what he was dealing with , but the SD2 is thick walled and was painted yellow, so there is a contrast straight away to catch the unwary!
Steve
I do know that those dropped on Grimsby in 1943 from one of the officers sent to help clear them were all painted green and had (41) fuzes , (and (67) and a small portion with (70) b fuzed

 

[Madbomber31]

This is from a document from the german airforce from the war.

 

[SG500]

Thanks guys, that has added to the confusion - I suppose if all the bodies were painted different colours to go with the different fuzes it would be a bit of a give away.

Dave.

 

[Fuzeman]

Hi Jack
Its certinly is confusing for newcomers , as you show the official manual shows one colour and the actual bombs picked up after the raid are different .
Steve

 

[Madbomber31]

I don't know i never picked up one of them after a raid.
The only ones i have seen are al rust brown with sand on them.
And blown them up where they lie.
And i think after a raid with these bombs there is a lot of confusion and they whant to clear the site as fast if they can.

 

[Fuzeman]

Hi Jack
We still have an expert alive today who helped clear Grimsby in 1943 and after the war carried on in bomb disposal until 1967 . it was some of his ideas that were used to clear them from the houses rather than blow them up in situ .you have his book The Lonely War .
Steve

 

[Madbomber31]

Yes and i just whas reading the part on the SD 2 but no talk about the colours only that they knew about the AZ 41 until that time.
But there they found a 67 and 70 B fuze for the first time and also blown them up in situ.

 

[SG500]

The colors they used had to do with the fuze that whas in the bomb.

Yellow whas used with the AZ 41 or 41 A.
Lead grey or better Field grey whas used with the AZ 67 or 70 B.
Red whas a Training bomb with or with out smoke unit.

Found in L.Dv.4200 from 1943.

Does anyone know the various RAL colours please?
Dave.

 

[spotter]

Does anyone know the various RAL colours please?
Dave.

hello dave,
I found the green RAL6006 in one of kevs old posts,, post no 2 here..

Correct colour codes please?

Hi Gents, I have ongoing restorations and i need a written list of colour codes please for me to print off and take to the mixers. I have an almost finished practice Incendiary which was originally red with the standard green tailfins.Once sorted with the correct red then its off to be...

www.bocn.co.uk

 

[LEI-13-HG]

hello dave,
I found the green RAL6006 in one of kevs old posts,, post no 2 here..

Correct colour codes please?

Hi Gents, I have ongoing restorations and i need a written list of colour codes please for me to print off and take to the mixers. I have an almost finished practice Incendiary which was originally red with the standard green tailfins.Once sorted with the correct red then its off to be...

www.bocn.co.uk

PS: RIP Kev... far from forgotten!