_GOTOBOTTOM
History Club
Military history and past events only. Rants or inflamitory comments will be removed.
Hosted by Frank Amato
Rocket-boosted 'Disney' bombs...help anyone?
TreadHead
Visit this Community
Colorado, United States
Member Since: January 12, 2002
entire network: 5,000 Posts
KitMaker Network: 1,210 Posts
Posted: Friday, April 07, 2006 - 05:06 AM UTC
Howdy to All,

I am working on a history-related project having to do with the Eighth Air Force in WWII, and came across a rather shrouded reference to a weapon that was theoretically deployed by them against a Nazi submarine base at Farge, Germany. What little I can put together about this device is based on just a few factors, namely; I think they are talking about what was called a ' Very Heavy Conventional Aerial Bomb' that was somewhere in the 42,000-lb bomb load category {yeah....I said it correctly, 42,000-lbs...}
I also know that (Walt) Disney worked with Von Braun in rockets and such, but I thought that was in the 1950's.....

So, are there any of you history buffs out there who could possibly shine some light of truth on this?

Many thx in advance.

Tread.
Halfyank
Visit this Community
Colorado, United States
Member Since: February 01, 2003
entire network: 5,221 Posts
KitMaker Network: 1,983 Posts
Posted: Friday, April 07, 2006 - 05:58 AM UTC
Hey Tread, long time no see. That's a new one on me. I always thought Grand Slam was the largest developed, at about 22000 pounds. I can't even think of a plane that could lift 42000 pounds.

TreadHead
Visit this Community
Colorado, United States
Member Since: January 12, 2002
entire network: 5,000 Posts
KitMaker Network: 1,210 Posts
Posted: Friday, April 07, 2006 - 08:32 AM UTC
Boy Howdy Rodger Dodger

My apologies for not hangin' around as much as I used to, but aside from needing to keep my nose to the grindstone, I think a goodly portion of you chaps were probably tired of hearing my rants....

To answer your question of size.......here's a pic of the wee beastie, including it's designator and it's official weight.....



Now how's THAT for an example of a bomb that should just simply have the words 'TESTOSTERONE' written on it's side?.....? :-)

Tread.
hellbent11
Visit this Community
Kansas, United States
Member Since: August 17, 2005
entire network: 725 Posts
KitMaker Network: 320 Posts
Posted: Friday, April 07, 2006 - 10:36 AM UTC
IMHO: I've never heard anything that could carry something that big in WWII. Also judging by the pic the gentleman standing next to the bomb is wearing late 70's Airforce uniform. Baseball hats and bloused boots weren't standard in the Army Air Corps

But what I wouldn't give to have one of those on the Fourth of July!
Halfyank
Visit this Community
Colorado, United States
Member Since: February 01, 2003
entire network: 5,221 Posts
KitMaker Network: 1,983 Posts
Posted: Friday, April 07, 2006 - 07:34 PM UTC
That looks like a case of the American President being able to say to the British Prime Minister, "mine's bigger than yours." :-)
HeavyArty
Visit this Community
Florida, United States
Member Since: May 16, 2002
entire network: 17,694 Posts
KitMaker Network: 1,968 Posts
Posted: Friday, April 07, 2006 - 07:50 PM UTC
Gordon, you added and extra 0 to your weight. They were 4,500 lb. rocket-assisted bombs used against hardened sub pens. The shot of the giant bomb you have posted is someone's overactive imagination with photoshop.

Here is more info on the Disney Bomb, which was named after it's inventor, a Brit Navy CPT, not Walt.


Quoted Text

The Disney Rocket-Assisted Bomb was another World War 2 device to be used against U-boat pens and other super-hardened targets. Designed by a Royal Navy Captain it was streamlined hardened case bomb weighing some 4,500 lb (2 tonnes). The bomb was dropped from 20,000 feet. At 5,000 ft a barometric fuse fired the rocket in the tail to give it a velocity at impact of up to 2,400 ft/second (730 m/s). It was first used by the 92nd Bomb Group on 10 February 1945 on U-boat pens at Ijmuden in Holland.- one bomb under each wing of 9 B-17 Flying Fortress. On that occasion a single direct hit was scored. A total of 158 "Disney Bombs" were used operationally by the end of hostilities in Europe.


Can't find any pics of the actual bomb though.


By the way, how is the ATC-H project going?
AJLaFleche
Visit this Community
Massachusetts, United States
Member Since: May 05, 2002
entire network: 8,074 Posts
KitMaker Network: 2,574 Posts
Posted: Friday, April 07, 2006 - 08:27 PM UTC
This might not be photo chopped:
T-12 at Aberdeen
TreadHead
Visit this Community
Colorado, United States
Member Since: January 12, 2002
entire network: 5,000 Posts
KitMaker Network: 1,210 Posts
Posted: Friday, April 07, 2006 - 08:43 PM UTC
Howdy fellas,

Many thx for the replies. And a big "Thank You" to our good Al for providing real, modern day photo-evidence of the existence of this aerial behemoth

I think the mistake {or actually, my confusion} about the whole thing was putting several spread out pieces of information I found into some kind of comprehensive 'whole'....dates, aircraft, ordnance, etc.....

To address both hellbent11 and HalfYank's query about an aircraft being large enough to carry this massive weapon into the skies, I will qoute from the site so kindly provided by AJLaFleche......

".... Twice the size of the 22,000-pound M110, this bomb was designed to create an earthquake effect by penetrating deep into the earth before exploding and thus causing the ground to heave up under the target. The bomb case is comprised of six separate sections welded together. The nose sections are extremely thick to permit deep penetration without deformation. The four tail fins are canted so as to impart a stabilizing spin to the bomb's trajectory. Only one plane in the US [auto-censored]nal, the huge B36 "Peacemaker", could after a special modification to its bomb bay carry just two of these huge weapons......"

So, even more amazing to me is; not only was there an aircraft that could carry one of these bloody things, but in fact carry TWO of them!!!!!!

Tread.

EDIT:......now that's just too funny.....the "auto censor" cut off the first four letters of the word A R S E nal.......too funny indeed :-) :-) :-)
18Bravo
Visit this Community
Colorado, United States
Member Since: January 20, 2005
entire network: 7,219 Posts
KitMaker Network: 981 Posts
Posted: Friday, April 07, 2006 - 09:00 PM UTC
The Brits DID have a bomb like that, the Grand Slam. It was nearly the same size as the one in the pic, weighing in at 22.000 pounds. . It was carried externally by a Lancaster, which had to be gutted of any excess weight. The bomb was designed much like the bunker busters of today, and was first employed to destroy a railway viaduct that several hundred other bombs could not destroy. It didn't need to hit the target, just near it. The resulting shock wave would literally shake the target apart. It was employed about 87 times IIRC, and worked nearly every time.
It was developed by Barnes Wallis, the same man who developed the spinning damn buster bomb.

(edit) Just checked, it was used 41 times. My bad.
Also, I guess I should read the other posts. Seems redundant now.
HeavyArty
Visit this Community
Florida, United States
Member Since: May 16, 2002
entire network: 17,694 Posts
KitMaker Network: 1,968 Posts
Posted: Friday, April 07, 2006 - 11:04 PM UTC
The bomb pictured above is not a Disney bomb though. That is a post WWII T-12, which was a 44,000 lb. bohemeth and 2 were carried under a B-36 Peacemaker, which wasn't operational till 1948. The Disney bomb was much smaller, but still only 2 could be carried under a B-17. My point with the pic is that it is not a WWII Disney Bomb, not that bombs didn't/don't come that big.

Here is one from WWII, as 18Bravo mentions above.

British Grand Slam, 22,000 lb. bunker buster, or earthquake, bomb. Looks amazingly similar to the T-12.
Hollowpoint
Visit this Community
Kansas, United States
Member Since: January 24, 2002
entire network: 2,748 Posts
KitMaker Network: 841 Posts
Posted: Friday, April 07, 2006 - 11:26 PM UTC

Quoted Text

This might not be photo chopped:
T-12 at Aberdeen


Thanks, Al. I knew I had seen Gordon's bomb somewhere!
Tigercat
Visit this Community
England - East Anglia, United Kingdom
Member Since: July 20, 2005
entire network: 216 Posts
KitMaker Network: 0 Posts
Posted: Saturday, April 08, 2006 - 12:07 AM UTC
The T-12 looks like an scaled up Grand slam, which in turn was a development of the Tallboy. The 12,000lb Tallboy was successfully used against U-boat pens and other high value targets such as V weapon sites, railway tunnels, Ships (Tirpitz) and a dam. The USAAF were developing a guided version of Tallboy called the VB-13 Tarzon in WWII.

info on the Tarzon bomb can be found here

David
18Bravo
Visit this Community
Colorado, United States
Member Since: January 20, 2005
entire network: 7,219 Posts
KitMaker Network: 981 Posts
Posted: Saturday, April 08, 2006 - 04:44 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Hey Tread, long time no see. That's a new one on me. I always thought Grand Slam was the largest developed, at about 22000 pounds. I can't even think of a plane that could lift 42000 pounds.


Well, this thread has piqued my curiosity, so I did a little checking when I got home. The Grand Slam was the largest conventional munition ever deployed in combat. so you were pretty doggone close.
blaster76
Visit this Community
Texas, United States
Member Since: September 15, 2002
entire network: 8,985 Posts
KitMaker Network: 2,270 Posts
Posted: Saturday, April 08, 2006 - 12:08 PM UTC
Lordy....Lordy....Lordy ! Where do you guys find these things? :-) :-)

Thanks to everyone for a very illiminating thread. Those are some REALLY REALLY Big bombs. I'll bet you could see these thing coming from a couple of miles away.
HeavyArty
Visit this Community
Florida, United States
Member Since: May 16, 2002
entire network: 17,694 Posts
KitMaker Network: 1,968 Posts
Posted: Saturday, April 08, 2006 - 07:01 PM UTC

Quoted Text

I'll bet you could see these thing coming from a couple of miles away.


"...velocity at impact of up to 2,400 ft/second (730 m/s). " From my above post.

Not at that speed you wouldn't. You would have no clue till it vaporize you.
 _GOTOTOP