Lithuanian bombs 1919-1940

[Dreamk]

I found recently quite a lot of pictorial documentation on the use of aviation bombs by the Lithuanian Air force in the interwar period.
At teh end of the first world war, the situation in what is now Lithuania was quite complex - the Lthuanian were fighting for their independence, the White forces of Bermondt-Avalov were fighting against the Bolsheviks and teh Lithuanians, supported by the German Baltic Landwher forces of von der Goltz. The Bolsehviks were fighting against the Poles who were fighting against the Lithuanians, and the German Freikorps in the near by East Prussia, Latvia and Estonia were fighting against everyone.
The defeat of Bermondt Avalof forces under the attaks of the Bolsheviks and of the Lithuanians enable these last to capture in Kaunas (Kovno) large amount of fighting aircraft and equipment including thousands of bombs (the official number of 10,000 is however suspect), which were soon re-used by the newly born Lithuanian air force in the fighting against the Poles.
The source of the bombs being the Bermondt Avalov corps, they were of mixed origin: German, Russian and Austro Hungarina bombs.
These photographs from 1919 during the fighting with the Poles are remarkable for their quality, but also by their content: they show Oranovsky bombs, 12.5kg PuW bombs and what appear to be Austrian 10kg Treisen-BrandstreuBomben - the presence of these last bombs makes these photographs exceptional as they are probably the only existent photograph of such bombs. This enable to appreciate the real size of these bombs often underestimated on the drawings - their height was 450mm for a max diameter of 250mm , while the 12.5kg Puw hd a height of 750mm for a max diameter of 90mm . The 10 Funt Oranovsky (about 4 kg) had an overall height being 425mm for a diameter of 105mm , the The 25 Funt Oranovsky (about 10kg) having an overall height of 490mm for a max diameter of 140mm.
The fact that these bombs are unpainted is also worth noting.

The following pictures come from the Lithuanian National Archive




In the mid thirties the Lithuanian began to by large numbers of modern bombs from the Finnish company Tolfvan (the trademark specified in the Lithuanian sources, not the Bofors trademark used by Tolfvan for its exports sales, till the separation of the two companies in 1935).
However these bombs seems to be of the early model, also bought by the Swedes under the denomination Bofors M/26. (Later models had a partly cylindrical body and reinforcing tail fin struts). The parentage of the PuW bombs is still very much felt in the general shape of these bombs.
Beyond a few photographs of the period it appears that a number of these bombs have survived till present days and can be seen in Kaunas in the "Military Technical Exposition" there (though sadly they seem to have been "overhauled" and "reconstructed" for the sake of the display ).






(the cement bomb are of course German WW2 training bombs)


Last but not least, a number pof Italian Frag Spezzone ("Tipo F") of 1kg foudn their way in Lithuania with the acquisition of Fiat Cr20 fighters (they had 2 dropping tubes for 5-6 each such spezzone behind the seat of the Pilot)

 

[Dreamk]

The development of the shape of Tolfvan bombs is interesting as it demonstrates the imperatives that stood behind aerial bombs development in the interwar period. It is in fact paralle to the devleopment line of US bombs in the same period.
The issues were weight vs size, drag increase and production efficiency.
For the heavy PuW bombs being intended to be strung under the belly of giant Gotha and and Friedrischaffen biombers or the cabin of Zeppelin diriegables, size was not a matter, while drag was a main one, Therefore the 300kg and above all the rare 1000kg Puw kept the slender shape characteristic of the PuW, at the price of a largely increasd lenth.
Tolfvan, aiming at more modern planes, of smaller dimensions, or equipped with a bomb bay, began to "inflate the belly" of the original PuW, maintaining the overall length in acceptable dimensions, and modifying in accordance the tail fins.
A similar development took part in the States when the starting point was the shape of the French Gros-Andreau bombs.
Then came the cylindrical body shape, in at least 3 successive stages for Tolfvan, beginning in the early 1930s - but apparently a single one for the US Navy, which was the leading force behind the development of modern bombs in the States, and began to tackle with modern looking cylindrical bodied from the beginning of the 1920s.

 

[Dreamk]

A number of remarks snd additional information:
1) The bombs on display at teh "Military Technical Exposition" in Kaunas are indeed replicas and not original - woden bodies with metal tails, reconstructed on the basis of the historical photographs of the real bombs.
2) These historical bombs, the so calle Swedish M/26 series, are indeed a post ww1 German development of the PuW bombs. The restrictions on German rearming after the armistice of Novemebr 1918, had a "hole" that enabled German weapons industry to continue development of weapons, the testing being done in Sweden and Soviet Union. The Goetz company in Berlin proceeded with the development of the PuW bombs design, testing being done in Sweden - I am still loking for precision conerning the site of production of these bombs. The design was dropped down at the end of the 1920s when Rheinmetal began to successfully develop its cylindrical bombs.
3) A survey of the historical Finnish press shoiws that Tolfvan was a comapny dealing with nautical constructions and repairs till the end of the 1920s. It is only from 1930s onwards that it began developping and producing bombs - the Model 1930 series was apparently the first production of these bombs.
4) The mid/late 1930s Lithuanian documents specifically refer to Tolvan bombs.
5) Other Baltic countries (Latvia and Denmark) acquired Toldfan bombs during the same period - either directly from Tolfvan or through Bofors that served as an export trademark for Tolfvan till 1934-35. These bombs were Model 1930. The "standard package" as for South American countries was "6kg incendiary, 12,5 kg frag, 25kg and 50kg HE". I'll try and upload in the coming days some documentation on the bombs used by these cpountries during the interwar period.

It is therefore most probable that the reference to Lithuianian Tolfvan bombs is in fact to Model 1930 series, but there is yet no photographic evidence for it.
What is known on these bombs is that:
In 1938, 50 kg Finnish bombs "Tolfan" were stored at the warehouse No. 3 were stored. On 1939-02-01 there were 198 of them.
Also stored in the same facility were 6 kg incendiary bombs "Electron" from the same manufacturer. On 1939-02-01 there were 500 of them.
The only PuW type in service at the end of the 1930s were the 12.5kg but tehy were intended to be withdrawn from service, to be replaced by more modern bombs (probably the 12kg Tolfvan) . In 1936-37 Lithuania published that 2,400 of such 12.5kg PuW bombs were on the sale list, but it is unclear whether they were indeed sold (The Spanish Republic may have been an obvious buyer).
I am still looking for photographic evience of Tolfvan bombs in Lithuanian service.

 

[AKON_]

Hi Dreamk
In connection with the P.u.W. ammunition and Lithuania, there is a fact coming from the documents of the manufacturer Škoda, namely that in the 30s, when Lithuania ordered the production of P.u.W. type head fuzes for 12.5kg bombs - we are talking about a complete new production of fuzes at the Škoda plant in Plzeň. The numbers are known (less than 3000 pcs) and the year of production is also known.
Unfortunately, I do not have any information from the recipient (record of the acceptance committee, correspondence about production, etc.) or how these fuzes were marked or other details. Perhaps further research will shed fuse on this.
Akon