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Unknown Dropped Ordnance

E

EODGUY

Well-Known Member
Unk bomblet.jpg

The item you see here was given to me along with many other items (hundreds of pounds of items!). Most I can easily identify and mark, but this one I cannot place. It is all metal and about 13 inches long and 3 inches in diameter. There are no markings or stampings that I can see. I doubt the red, white and black paint job is original. The black portion unscrews from the body and there is a large screw-plug in the nose. If anyone could give me a lead on this thing while I did out data on the ones I know I can find I would appreciate it. Bob
 
Could it be some sort of sonar/ depth /paravane/ measuring device?
The fins look more like maritime use?

cheers
Bob
 
Bob,

In his guide to submunitions, US-Subs identifies it as a MK34 5lb (3-inch) Anti-Aircraft bomb. I have seen a few others over the years, I think the last one at the 27th EOD at Ft. Lewis.

Rick
 
Sorry, long day yesterday. Ordnance has it correct, it is the MK34, though a little more colored up than normal. A Navy piece, it was originally intended as air to air against bomber formations (in the Pacific). Its poor performance plus the fact that the Japanese did not normally fly in formations that made it easy to "bomb" led to a lack of popularity. As I recall only a couple hundred thousand were made, the remainder were used against ground targets, mostly parked aircraft. It is described in OP1664 with no diagram but shows up as a drawing in one of the WWII EOD documents. I have seen only one that had original stencilled markings on it giving the full nomenclature. I've never seen an example of the fuze, which extends a good inch or more from the nose.
 
The MK 32 (3lb) is identified in a couple of references, but I've never been able to find a specific diagram and have never seen a photo or a physical example.
 
ordnance said:
Bob,

In his guide to submunitions, US-Subs identifies it as a MK34 5lb (3-inch) Anti-Aircraft bomb. I have seen a few others over the years, I think the last one at the 27th EOD at Ft. Lewis.

Rick
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What is this "guide to subminitions" of which you speak?
 
A couple draft documents that I've been playing with for many years now. They contain color photos and minimal id info of every sub I've found/documented over the years in two volumes, US and foreign. US is divided into air, ground and chem/bio. Foreign is divided by country. I began it like all of my other handbooks, as an aid-memoire for myself, but others have taken an interest in it. Currently the two volumes are at around 500 pages total. A couple of draft copies were allowed out for review and comment, Ordnance has one of them. Additional handbooks completed or in the works include Pre-1946 CW, Post 1946 CW, Japanese Explosive Ordnance, Flechettes and some work starting on bombs now.
 
US-Subs said:
Interesting thread - I don't remember all of the details, but apparently someone requested that all of their posts be pulled? It reads like I am talking to myself....
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Its very possible US-subs ,in the early days there were some very selfish acts by certain members ,such as demanding the deletion of all their posts and self deleting of images because they spat out their dummies thus spoiling topics for other members. Nowadays things seem a lot better

Back on topic ref the Mk34 is there a reason the tail fins blades are at an angle ?
 
I do not know for sure - there is very little documentation available on them, and I've found no reports on their testing or development yet, so best guess may be looking for a bit of spin stabilization rather than a longer body? I've only heard of one person that said they had seen a fuze so I do not know if it was a factor or not. Based on the time-line I doubt it.
 
Thanks for the information everyone. I was pretty sure the red, white and blue was a little much!
 
Built in cooperation with the French and the Russians.
 
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