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what type of bomber dropped a 2200 pd bomb?

WWII bomb detonated in London STORY HIGHLIGHTS British Army engineers detonate a large World War II bomb in London Ministry of Defense: Bomb was the largest found in the capital since

1975 Disposal experts used strong magnets to stop timer after bomb started ticking Next Article in World =BB

LONDON, England (CNN) -- A neighborhood in east London was getting back to normal Saturday after British Army engineers detonated a large World War II bomb unearthed this week on a building site, officials said.

Army engineers covered the bomb with sand to minimise the risk of an explosion.

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An Army bomb disposal team carried out a controlled explosion on the

2,200-pound German warhead at 5:55 p.m. (12:55 p.m. ET) Friday, London's Metropolitan Police said. Video of the blast showed brown dirt, debris and black smoke shooting into the air when the bomb went off.

There were no reports of any injuries or damage to surrounding property after the blast, the police and Ministry of Defense said. The public was allowed back into the industrial neighborhood by Friday night, authorities said.

Two subway lines and a rail line in the area, which were shut down after construction crews discovered the bomb Monday, were running normal service Saturday, transportation officials said.

London's transit authority, Transport for London (TfL), said the police and army gave permission for its engineers to check the tracks less than an hour after the controlled explosion. The tracks were clear of debris and damage and services resumed at 7:13 p.m. (2:13 p.m. ET), TfL said.

Contractors preparing a waterway near the site of the future Olympic Park discovered the bomb Monday. The Ministry of Defense said the bomb, which measured four feet by two feet, was the largest one found in the capital since 1975.

The bomb was "enormous," said Simon Saunders, a spokesman for the British Army's London district.

At one point during the week the bomb started ticking, which suggested a timing device, Saunders said. Disposal experts put strong magnets next to the bomb to shut down the clockwork and the ticking stopped, he said.

It's not uncommon for World War II-era bombs to be unearthed in Europe. In London, which suffered the aerial bombardment of the Blitz, bombs are uncovered two or three times a year, Saunders said.

The London Blitz lasted from September 1940 until May 1941. German bombers attacked the city every day or night for the first two months, but the worst night was the last -- May 10, 1941, when 3,000 people were killed in London, according to the Museum of London.

Reply to
crw59
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2200lb is 1000kg. Both the He111 and Ju88 could carry two of these externally.
Reply to
Enzo Matrix

and the old revelle kit had two that look quite spiffy underneath the fuselage.

Reply to
someone

...hmmmmnn...lemme see...

2200 lbs translates into roughly 1000 kilos, so any WWII Luftwaffe bomber that participated in the Blitz and could carry an SC1000 (which is likely what this is) could have dropped this thing - a quick Google on "german 1000 kilo bombs" found this, for some examples:

"A few facts about German bombers & bombs :

Junkers 88 .Twin engined bomber. 2 bomb carriers under each inner wing, suitable for bombs up to 1,000 kg. These can be used for fuel tanks. Ten normal bomb carriers each capable of taking a 50 kg. Maximum bomb load ?

Dornier 217 K2 Twin engined bomber. Maximum bomb load 3,000 kg. Min bomb load stowed amidships internally. Provision for 2 FX radio-corrected arm our piercing bombs mounted externally on bomb racks under centre section between nacelles & fuselage. 9/10 machine guns various positions.

Donier 217 M1 Maximum bomb load 2,000 kg.

Dornier 217 also quoted by Janes as having max. b.l. 5,500 Ibs. plus.

Heinkel 111 Internal stowage 8 x 250 kg. suspended vertically plus racks for incendiaries. Later models have external 1,800 kg.

Messerschmitt 210 fighter/dive bomber max. 1,000 kg."

My vote as to what dropped it would be an He 111 or Ju 88, either of which I believe could carry two of them externally mounted.

A Stuka might also have been able to carry one, but it's bomb payload capacity was 1200 kg total, so that would have been about all it could carry...even if it gripped it by the husk...

...though the Hasagawa 1/32 Ju87D kit that comes with an SC1000 also depicts it carrying four SC50s in addition, which gets you 1200 kg total payload...and it would have had to cross the channel with it, and I don't know if that aircraft/payload combination could make that range and have much combat time left overhead.

Reply to
Rufus

That's what I came up with. But was it an African or European swallow?..

Reply to
Rufus

Sheesh, talk about German workmanship! Almost 70 years underground and the clockwork still operates. I'll bet the EOD guys needed a stiff drink after that one. :-)

Ralph

Reply to
Ralph Currell

Huh? I don't know that... waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa..................

Reply to
Enzo Matrix

NANG!

Reply to
Enzo Matrix

Heh. So I'm not the only one who immediately thinks of 'Quatermass and the Pit' whenever one of these things is unearthed. :-)

Ralph

Reply to
Ralph Currell

and what variety of coconut? everybody screws that up!

Reply to
someone

stop this skit, it's getting too silly!

Reply to
someone

On the other hand, if it had worked as it was supposed to in the first place, it would have gone off over 60 years ago...

Mike

Reply to
Mike Williamson

wasn't there a public tv show back in the 80's called UXB? about the men who disarmed bombs in England?

Craig

Reply to
crw59

True enough. On a related note it's amazing the amount of unexploded ordnance they're still pulling out of World War I battlefields.

Ralph

Reply to
Ralph Currell

on 6/7/2008 8:21 PM snipped-for-privacy@earthlink.net said the following:

I believe it was a British series that was also shown on PBS's Thames TV here in the US. I saw a few episodes.

Reply to
willshak

not really. remeber that the german shot off over a million shells in 6 hours just to warm up for one attack. add in the crappy workmanship and high failure rate. that leaves you with a lot of leftovers. during 4 years, there were always guns firing somewhere.

Reply to
someone

Yes, 'twas called "Danger - UXB," and probably also aired in most of the (Ex-)Commonwealth, at least Oz, NZ, and SA, to my knowledge.

Cheers, Gary B-)

Reply to
Gary R. Schmidt

how are they dealing with the Geman minefields? Are they still a problem?

Craig

Reply to
crw59

...still no sign of land...how long is it?..

Reply to
Rufus

formatting link

Reply to
Enzo Matrix

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