I have seen a bit of discussion on this forum about German Sd2 colours and markings etc. Does anyone have any original documentation giving colours etc. For example what colour case and wings/drougues would an Sd2 with a 70b fuze have been? In Danger UXB they were grey with yellow stripes I seem to remember but would like to see if anyone has any period reference.
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WW2 Luftwaffe Sd2 Butterfly colour variations
- Thread starter Rockteer
- Start date
butterfly
HONOURED MEMBER RIP
Dan, here is a translation of an original German document which gives details on the clearance of SD2 bombs, it gives details of the colours. This may help a little.
regards Kev
http://www.lonesentry.com/articles/ttt09/clearing.html
here is the original book from which the translation was taken.......
http://www.bocn.co.uk/vbforum/threads/85930-SD-2-book
regards Kev
http://www.lonesentry.com/articles/ttt09/clearing.html
here is the original book from which the translation was taken.......
http://www.bocn.co.uk/vbforum/threads/85930-SD-2-book
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Very interesting read and have not seen before so thanks for the info, it implies that Yellow versions are "new" maybe later in the war the Sd2 became used more as a offensive weapon so duds needed to be brightly coloured? when it refers to field grey, is this the dark green most bombs are painted in or what I call the Slate Grey? sorry to sound like a simpleton but the field grey reference is a little confusing. I have original WW2 period samples of the typical green used on tail fins of IB's and bomb cases etc and I also have an original sample on some 50kg fins that I call the slate grey or dark grey. There are also a lot of wings and drougues around at the moment with the dark green, so not sure where these versions would have been fuzed up with.
That's very nice and dismisses the idea of Yellow being late war. One thing that confuses me is why any SD2 would have a yellow band, the red a get as it is an Sd bomb, also why do some have both yellow and red bands. Just trying to get my head around the different colour options.
butterfly
HONOURED MEMBER RIP
OK I will try to explain the colour of SD2's as I understand it:
the first SD2's to be dropped were standard field grey all over (by this I mean the grey/green as incendiary bomb tails ). (type 41 fuze)
It was after the invasion of Russia that the Germans soon became aware that unexploded SD2's were a 'double-edged sword', as their own troops fell victim to the sensitivity of the fuzes. Being painted field grey they were hard to see and held up troop movement. [remember at this stage only the type 41 fuze was being used and the bombs were meant to explode shortly after dropping]. It is at this time the colour changed (as seen in the original manual - the amendment being made in September 1941). At this point the colour was as follows:-
existing bombs (field grey) had bright yellow stripes added and in some cases a red stripe as well. The yellow stripe was for recognition purposes, so they could be spotted more easily - (the red stripe may be for the same purpose or indeed to signify thick case bomb - I am not sure about this as yet??) *I have seen original examples with just the red stripe, so it could indeed signify thick case bomb, as they are not so easy to see as the yellow stripes ! - why they are like this I dont know*
the newly manufactured bombs were to be painted bright yellow with red stripes....... again for recognition purposes!! It is often said that the yellow painted bombs were for use on corn fields, not true - they were simply for the Germans to recognise unexploded bombs and avoid them. The SD2 was an attack weapon at the time - the Germans were advancing on all fronts and as such venturing into ground in which these things had been dropped.
With the development of the type 67 and type 70B fuzes in 1942 the colour of SD2's changed again (as far as I am aware only for the bombs using these two fuzes?). I have seen reference to field grey being used on the 70B fuzes and a beige grey to be used for the 67 fuzes, however examples of complete SD2's I have seen which have both fuzes have no difference in colour - field grey seems to be the norm. Of course the SD2's armed with the type 67 and 70B were to be used 'behind enemy lines' - that is to say where no advance was expected to occur - examples being in Malta late 1942 and UK 1943.
I am not sure if the yellow coloured SD2's ever stopped being used or wether they were only used with the type 41 and 41A fuzes, however by mid '43 the tide of war was changing and the Germans were for the most part on the defensive, as such if the SD2's exploded or not it would not affect them in the same way.
This is basically it as I understand it, however there are further colour variations, red was definately used on the Exercise or drill examples marked Ex on the end disc.
I have also seen 'official' manuals refer to slate grey and unpainted examples, so the research is never 'complete'. As I said its how 'I' understand it, but if anyone else can make better sense of it please let me know!!
regards Kev
the first SD2's to be dropped were standard field grey all over (by this I mean the grey/green as incendiary bomb tails ). (type 41 fuze)
It was after the invasion of Russia that the Germans soon became aware that unexploded SD2's were a 'double-edged sword', as their own troops fell victim to the sensitivity of the fuzes. Being painted field grey they were hard to see and held up troop movement. [remember at this stage only the type 41 fuze was being used and the bombs were meant to explode shortly after dropping]. It is at this time the colour changed (as seen in the original manual - the amendment being made in September 1941). At this point the colour was as follows:-
existing bombs (field grey) had bright yellow stripes added and in some cases a red stripe as well. The yellow stripe was for recognition purposes, so they could be spotted more easily - (the red stripe may be for the same purpose or indeed to signify thick case bomb - I am not sure about this as yet??) *I have seen original examples with just the red stripe, so it could indeed signify thick case bomb, as they are not so easy to see as the yellow stripes ! - why they are like this I dont know*
the newly manufactured bombs were to be painted bright yellow with red stripes....... again for recognition purposes!! It is often said that the yellow painted bombs were for use on corn fields, not true - they were simply for the Germans to recognise unexploded bombs and avoid them. The SD2 was an attack weapon at the time - the Germans were advancing on all fronts and as such venturing into ground in which these things had been dropped.
With the development of the type 67 and type 70B fuzes in 1942 the colour of SD2's changed again (as far as I am aware only for the bombs using these two fuzes?). I have seen reference to field grey being used on the 70B fuzes and a beige grey to be used for the 67 fuzes, however examples of complete SD2's I have seen which have both fuzes have no difference in colour - field grey seems to be the norm. Of course the SD2's armed with the type 67 and 70B were to be used 'behind enemy lines' - that is to say where no advance was expected to occur - examples being in Malta late 1942 and UK 1943.
I am not sure if the yellow coloured SD2's ever stopped being used or wether they were only used with the type 41 and 41A fuzes, however by mid '43 the tide of war was changing and the Germans were for the most part on the defensive, as such if the SD2's exploded or not it would not affect them in the same way.
This is basically it as I understand it, however there are further colour variations, red was definately used on the Exercise or drill examples marked Ex on the end disc.
I have also seen 'official' manuals refer to slate grey and unpainted examples, so the research is never 'complete'. As I said its how 'I' understand it, but if anyone else can make better sense of it please let me know!!
regards Kev
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That is a great summary Kev, to me it all makes sense, I guess exceptions occured in the field from time to time. Something I always thought was true and now I know differently was that they were painted bright yellow to attract people to investigate them when fitted with the 70 fuze. I doubt the target recognition was that detailed to know what crop was in a particular field! and I am sure the Sd2 in their offensive role would have been dropped over populated areas rather than crops etc.
SD 2's dropped on crops would be a nightmare. The idea of them being area denial. Imagine lots of starving people in a war torn country not being able to get to their crops to harvest them, it makes a lot of sense to drop them in crop fields I'd thing............
Dave.
butterfly
HONOURED MEMBER RIP
Dave you are definately right, food shortages are always an issue in wartime. I would have thought incendiaries dropped on fields of corn would have quite a devastating effect?
regards Kev
I agree with the concept of starving the nation, that is really what the battle of the Alantic was all about. My thoughts were the idea of loading different coloured bombs for different targets seems unlikely to me, not sure the luftwaffe were that accurate to hit individual fields and the IB would probably be more effective as a fire spreads but a Butterfly bomb wouldn't destroy as much but I can see your point, it would be nightmare clearing a corn field of Yellow Sd2's especially as corn in those days was much taller than the modern genetically modified stuff that is much shorter these days. I think if Kev's theory is correct that being the earlier colours were field grey with the yellow stripe being introduced later that would suggest the use for yellow was more for troops spotting duds etc rather than for camouflage otherwise they would have been all over yellow from the start, maybe the stripe was not effective enough so they were overall yellow, I am sure the types fitted with the 70b must have been field grey??.
butterfly
HONOURED MEMBER RIP
Dan, I think the yellow stripe was an interim modification of existing stocks. Much easier to paint on a stripe than paint the whole unit. This appears to be what the translation of the original documentation is saying. If you look at surviving examples the yellow stripe is often quite hap-hazard in application. The document pre-dates the introduction of the 67 and 70B fuzes but I can confidently say that the 70B fuze was used with wings painted field grey - I have original painted examples which came with arming rods fitted with remnants of the 70B arming bolt.
regards Kev
regards Kev
Kev, I agree, guess the yellow stripe proves the yellow was not introduced for the reasons of camoflauge other wise the whole bomb would be painted yellow all over from the start. Any chance of photo of your field/grey wings? be interested to see them.
Skull181 I rekon I would spot that dangling in my tree! god knows what your Christmas tree looks like!
Skull181 I rekon I would spot that dangling in my tree! god knows what your Christmas tree looks like!
butterfly
HONOURED MEMBER RIP
Dan, here is a link to an older thread showing my sectioned SD2. The wings are a good example of the 'field grey'. (these wings came with an arming rod, which had part of the arming bolt from the type 70B fuze)- but as they are such a nice example of wings they display well with the sectioned body.
link -
http://www.bocn.co.uk/vbforum/threads/64096-SD2-cut
regards Kev
link -
http://www.bocn.co.uk/vbforum/threads/64096-SD2-cut
regards Kev
Oh no I just heard the hacksaw trying to escape from the cabinet, I need to chop up another SD 2 ........... :tinysmile_hmm_t:
The trouble is they're far to expensive to chop up these days!
Nice job Kev.
Dave.
butterfly
HONOURED MEMBER RIP
Sorry Dave, make sure the hacksaw is well and truely locked away !!
agree, getting too expensive to start sectioning, but I must admit I never get tired of looking at this one myself.
regards Kev
Nice work! always tough to decide to section or not, ideal for fuzes that have one rotten side. I am yet to section anything myself, maybe one day, but needs to be the right item. Thanks for the link. Is there a modern RAL colour for the field grey that is pretty close to the orginal?