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ww1 German Bomb.

waffenamt

waffenamt

Well-Known Member
Hi Lads,
This was brought in to my pal yesterday at Malvern. Totally inert and fully strippable.
Im guessing a ww1 german bomb judging by the fuze and the design of the tailfins.
Does anyone please have any info on it?

best

waff
 

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The lovely fuze. :)

best
waff
 

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Hi paul
Yes its a German WW1 bomb about 10kg ? will ask my friend who has one
 
Fuzeman said:
Hi paul
Yes its a German WW1 bomb about 10kg ? will ask my friend who has one
Click to expand...

Known as (something like) Pfiefer 12Kg, other sizes available (to XXL)
 

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An extra thanks to you Bonnex.
Just looking at that super drawing you posted and noticed that the tailfin ends were bent purposely to induce spin when dropped.
I first thought they were damaged.

cheers

waff
 
waffenamt said:
[...]
Just looking at that super drawing you posted and noticed that the tailfin ends were bent purposely to induce spin when dropped.
[...]
waff
Click to expand...

Presumably to arm the fuze which looks very 'artillery' to me. Does it have any centrifugal arming arrangements in it?
 
This appears to be the smallest of the P.u.W. bombs. These came about as the result of a collaboration between the Prfanstalt und Werft evaluatuion centre and Goerz of Berlin. The bombs were trialed in 1915 and started to see service in 1916. As stated by Bonnex they were avaialable in a variety of sizes 12.5, 50, 100, 300 & 1000kg. The smallest differed from the rest in being thick walled and was thus a fragmentation bomb. Certainly for the Germans maybe the Allies as well, these bombs were quite a technological leap. Prior to this the Germans had been using Karbonit bombs, they have the appearance of Disney cartoon bombs and normally the pilot or observer picked one up, lent over the side of fuselage and let go of it. From an aiming point of view it was very hit and miss (pun x 2, not intended). The adoption of the PuW bombs allowed them to be mounted horizontally on the fuselage. The bombs were fitted with a fuze that had a delay option and incorporated centrifugal arming. The latter was a bit of a mixed blessing, as if the aeroplane crash landed the crew were afforded a bit of protection. However, to ensure the bomb spun on release the Germans were reluctant to put mounting lugs etc., on the body, thus the bomb was suspended in a cradle by two steel cables (one front and rear).

Regards

TimG.
 
I have got a similar German WW1 aerial bomb in my collection but that one has no fuze, is 445mm in length and painted in
its original color with blue tailfins and red body (including nose plug) suggesting it was used for practise/instruction.

Intriged by the fuze you have on your German aerial bomb.

http://www.westernfront.nl
 
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