Blockbuster bomb

A blockbuster bomb or cookie was any of several of

the largest conventional bombs used in World War II
by the Royal Air Force (RAF). The term blockbuster
was originally a name coined by the press and
referred to a bomb which had enough explosive
power to destroy an entire street or large building
through the effects of blast in conjunction with
incendiary bombs.
A Lancaster drops first "Window" to disrupt enemy
radar, then a 4,000 pound blockbuster bomb and
incendiary bombs during Operation Hurricane
Contents against Duisburg on 14/15 October 1944

Design
Operational use
Post-war unexploded ordnance
Bombs
2,000-lb HC
4,000-lb HC
8,000-lb HC
12,000-lb HC
Other uses
Air mines
See also
References
External links

Design
The bombs then called Blockbusters were the RAF's HC (high capacity) bombs. These bombs had
especially thin casings that allowed them to contain approximately three-quarters of their weight in
explosive, with a 4000 lb bomb (nominal weight) containing about 3,000 lb (1,400 kg) of explosive
(Amatol, RDX or Torpex). Most general-purpose bombs, termed "medium capacity'" (MC) by the RAF,
contained 50% explosive by weight, the rest being made up of the fragmentation casing. Larger
Blockbusters were made later in the war, from the original 4,000 lb (1,800 kg) version, up to 12,000 lb
(5,400 kg).

The 4000 lb High Capacity Mark I bomb – actual weight around 3,930 lb (1,780 kg) – was a welded,
cylindrical shell of 0.31 in (7.9 mm) thick steel. The body of the bomb was 30 in (76 cm) in diameter and
88 in (2.24 m) long. The nose of the bomb was conical and a 27 in (69 cm) long lightweight, empty
cylindrical tail with a closed end was fitted, for a total overall length of 115 in (2.92 m). A T-section steel
beam was welded to the inner surface of the bomb to strengthen it.[1] Subsequent Mark II and Mark III HC
bombs differed in detail; the conical nose was replaced with a domed nose and the number of fuzes was
increased from one to three to guarantee detonation. The Mark IV
bomb did not have the T-section beam and the Mark V and Mark
VI bombs were versions manufactured in the United States.[2]

The larger 8,000 lb (3.6 t) bomb was constructed from two

4,000 lb (1.8 t) sections, of a larger 38 in (0.97 m) diameter, that
fitted together with bolts.[3] A 12,000 lb (5,400 kg) version was
created by adding a third 4000 lb section.[4][5]

The 4000-lb high-capacity design was little more than a cylinder

full of explosives: it was unaerodynamic and did not have fins. By
comparison the similar American "4,000 pound LC Bomb AN-
M56" bomb was aerodynamically designed as other US bombs
were, with a sheet metal tailfin assembly and shaped nose and aft
sections. When fitted with a conical "nose piece" and a drum tail,
the 1,800 kg (2 short tons) British "Blockbuster" bomb fell straight
down. These bombs were designed for their blast effect, to cause Diagram of a 4,000-lb HC Mark I
damage to buildings, specifically to blow roof tiles off, so that the bomb
small 4 lb (1.8 kg) incendiary bombs could reach the building
interiors. In contrast to the American AN-M56 ordnance, the
cylindrical "HC"-class British-design high capacity bombs were
used only by the RAF, which was the only air force with bombers
with bomb bays large enough to hold them.

In 1947 Alfred Cecil Brooks of Stourbridge was appointed a

Member of the Order of the British Empire, for creating the Standard American AN-M56 4,000 lb
Blockbuster, although his citation was worded "outstanding (1.8 t) general-purpose bomb
services to the King of a nature that cannot be revealed".[6] The
local newspaper referred to him as "Blockbuster Brooks".

Operational use
The first type of aircraft to carry 4,000 lb (1.8 t) bombs
operationally was the Wellington during a strike on Emden in
April 1941,[7] but they later became part of the standard bomb load
of the RAF's heavy night bombers, as well as that of the
Mosquitoes of the Light Night Strike Force, whose aircraft would
sometimes bomb Berlin twice in one night, flown by two different
crews.

The 2,000-lb HC was used until the end of the war; use peaked in
1944 with over 16,000 dropped[8]
57 Squadron Avro Lancaster with the
The 8,000 lb (3.6 t) and the 12,000 lb (5.4 t) could be carried only "Usual" area bombing load of a
by the Avro Lancaster which needed to be slightly modified with 4,000 lb (1.8 t) bomb and 12 Small
bulged bomb-bay doors. Bomb Containers, each filled with
4 lb (1.8 kg) incendiary bombs
The first use of the 8,000 lb (3.6 t) HC was by 15 Squadron
Lancasters against Berlin on 2 December 1943. Bad weather and
other factors meant their effectiveness was not noted.[9]
The 4,000 lb (1.8 t) "cookie" was regarded as a particularly
dangerous load to carry. Due to the airflow over the detonating
pistols fitted in the nose, it would often explode even if dropped in
a supposedly "safe" unarmed state. The Safety height above
ground for dropping the "cookie" was 6,000 ft (1,800 m); any
lower and the dropping aircraft risked being damaged by the
explosion's atmospheric shock wave:

We were flying at 6,000 feet which was the minimum

height to drop the 4,000 pounder. We dropped it in the A 4,000-lb HC bomb, marked "Happy
middle of town [Koblenz], which gave the aircraft a Xmas Adolf" being loaded onto a de
Havilland Mosquito of No. 128
hell of a belt, lifted it up and blew an escape hatch
Squadron RAF
from out of the top.

— Jack Murray, pilot of "G for George",

reporting on G for George's mission on 17th April
1943.[10]

Post-war unexploded ordnance

An unusual dry period led to low river levels in the Rhine in
December 2011, exposing a 4,000-lb HC bomb in the riverbed
near Koblenz. A radius of 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) around the bomb
site (containing about 45,000 people) was evacuated while the
bomb was defused.[11] Another unexploded blockbuster was
found in Dortmund in November 2013, requiring the evacuation of
more than 20,000 people from the area.[12] Other bombs were
found and defused in Vicenza on 29 April 2001 and 25 April
2014. In 2001, defusing operations required the evacuation of Disposal of a 4,000 lb (1.8 t)
70,000 within a radius of 3 km (1.9 mi),[13] while in 2014 blockbuster bomb dropped by the
defusing operations required the evacuation of 30,000 within a RAF during World War II. Found in
the Rhine near Koblenz, 4 December
radius of 2.5 km (1.6 mi).[14]
2011.
On 19 December 2016, a British bomb identified as a 4,000-lb HC
"blockbuster"[15] was discovered in Augsburg, Germany. It was
defused on Christmas Day, requiring evacuation of more than 54,000 people within a radius of 1.5 km.[16]

On 29 August 2017, another British HC 4000 bomb was discovered during construction work near the
Goethe University in Frankfurt, requiring the evacuation of approximately 65,000 people within a radius of
1.5 km (0.93 mi). This was the largest evacuation in Germany since the Second World War.[17][18][19]

On 8 April 2018, an HC 4000 bomb was discovered during gardening jobs in Paderborn, near the local
university, leading to the evacuation of 26,400 people while the bomb was defused.[20][21][22]

Bombs

2,000-lb HC
Design of a 2,000 lb to meet requirements of similar size to
existing 1900-lb GP bomb was by Vickers with parachute
arrangements by the RAF; this was at the same time Woolwich
was designing the 4000lb bomb. Actual case construction was by
Great Western Railway Company. Live tests began at start of
1941; a few were used operationally in late 1941 with parachute
dropping and delay timer. The parachute requirement was dropped
and from early 1942 they were used with conventional tail.
Improved Mark II and Mark III (with different fuse positions)
followed in 1943. Actual weight was 1,723 lb (782 kg) for Mark II British HC bombs shown together for
and III with 71% charge to weight filling of 60/40 or 50/50 Amatol comparison with 1000lb and 500lb
medium capacity bombs
, RDX/TNT 60/40, or Torpex 2.[8]

4,000-lb HC
Mark I: first production design
Mark II: three nose pistols
Mark III: no side pistol pockets
Mark IV: no stiffening beam
Mark V: U.S. production
Mark VI: U.S. production

Filling was Amatol, RDX/TNT, Minol, or Torpex. In 1943, 25,000 of these were used; this rose to 38,000
in 1944. In 1945 up to the end of the war a further 25,000 were used.

8,000-lb HC
Mk I
Mk II

Actual weight 7,860 lb (3,570 kg) with charge to weight ration of 68%. Filling was 'Amatex 9' or 'Torpex
2'. Bombs were produced from 1942 to 1945.[3]

12,000-lb HC
Mk I
Mk II

Charge weight ratio of 80%. Filling was Amatex or Torpex. 170 were produced in the last two years of the
war.[4]

Other uses

Air mines

During The Blitz the Germans used naval mines dropped with parachutes as improvised blockbusters.
Their fuse was triggered by the shock of landing, with the bomb exploding after a 17-second delay. As the
bomb was not in a crater, the force of the blast would disperse laterally, causing extensive damage.[23][24]
The large raid on Coventry on 14–15 November 1940 included
the use of 50 parachute naval mines, which caused extensive blast
damage. The British called these devices air-mines,[25] a calque of
the German term Luftmine. These types were used also during air
raids on Malta, especially on its harbour areas.

See also
12,000 lb (5.4 t) Tallboy bomb
22,000 lb (10.0 t) Grand Slam bomb
Firebombing
Firestorm A defused German parachute mine in
Pumpkin bomb, test Fat Man atom bomb casings filled Glasgow, 18 March 1941
with nearly six short tons (5.4 t) of Composition B
explosive
SC 1800 Satan, the rough German equivalent of the American AN-M56 general purpose
"blockbuster".
BLU-82
MOAB

References
Citations

1. Ordnance Pamphlet 1665 (1946) pp.36–37

2. Ordnance Pamphlet 1665 (1946) pp.39
3. Boyd, David. "8,000lb High Capacity Bomb" (http://www.wwiiequipment.com/index.php?vie
w=article&id=108:8000lb-high-capacity-bomb). WWII Equipment. Archived (https://web.archi
ve.org/web/20120421101213/http://www.wwiiequipment.com/index.php?view=article&id=10
8:8000lb-high-capacity-bomb) from the original on 21 April 2012. Retrieved 4 December
2011.
4. Boyd, David. "12,000lb High Capacity Bomb" (http://www.wwiiequipment.com/index.php?vie
w=article&id=109:12000lb-high-capacity-bomb). WWII Equipment. Archived (https://web.arc
hive.org/web/20120421101159/http://www.wwiiequipment.com/index.php?view=article&id=
109:12000lb-high-capacity-bomb) from the original on 21 April 2012. Retrieved 4 December
2011.
5. Air Publication AP1661B Vol I
6. "Another Invention By Block-Buster Designer" (http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/487
80576). The Advertiser. 8 January 1944. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/2016111311
4311/http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/48780576) from the original on 13 November
2016. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
7. Polmar, N.; Allen, T.B. (2012). World War II: the Encyclopedia of the War Years, 1941-1945
(https://books.google.com/books?id=30gRAGjXrIIC&pg=PA166). Dover Books on Military
History. Dover Publications. p. 166. ISBN 978-0-486-47962-0. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
8. Boyd, David (1 January 2009). "2,000lb High Capacity Bomb" (http://www.wwiiequipment.co
m/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=106:2000lb-high-capacity-bomb&catid=
43:bombs&Itemid=60). WWII Equipment. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
9. Maynard, John Bennett and the Pathfinders 1956 Arms and Armour Press. p148
10. "G-for-George" by Michael Nelmes and Ian Jenkins. Banner Books, Maryborough QLD,
2002. ISBN 1-875593-21-7
11. "Work to defuse WWII bomb in Rhine near Koblenz begins" (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/wo
rld-europe-16018659). BBC News. 4 December 2011. Archived (https://web.archive.org/we
b/20111203225957/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-16018659) from the original on
3 December 2011. Retrieved 4 December 2011.
12. "4,000-pound, World War II bomb forces mass evacuation in Germany" (https://www.cbsnew
s.com/news/4000-pound-world-war-ii-bomb-forces-mass-evacuation-in-germany/). CBS
news. Associated Press. 3 November 2013. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/2017090
4012827/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/4000-pound-world-war-ii-bomb-forces-mass-evac
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13. "Vicenza, settantamila evacuati per disinnescare la maxi bomba" (https://ricerca.repubblica.i
t/repubblica/archivio/repubblica/2001/04/05/vicenza-settantamila-evacuati-per-disinnescare-
la-maxi.html). La Repubblica (in Italian). Vicenza. 5 April 2001. Archived (https://web.archiv
e.org/web/20190515102034/https://ricerca.repubblica.it/repubblica/archivio/repubblica/2001/
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May 2019. Retrieved 15 May 2019.
14. "Vicenza si prepara al Bomba Day. Evacuazione per 30 mila" (http://www.oggitreviso.it/vicen
za-si-prepara-al-bomba-day-evacuazione-30-mila-84663). OggiTreviso (in Italian). Vicenza.
22 April 2014. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20140426233505/http://www.oggitrevis
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April 2014. Retrieved 22 April 2014.
15. "German city evacuated after discovery of unexploded RAF bomb" (https://www.theguardian.
com/world/2016/dec/25/augsburg-germany-evacuated-unexploded-second-world-war-bom
b). The Guardian. Associated Press. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/2016122605350
8/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/dec/25/augsburg-germany-evacuated-unexplode
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16. "Liveticker zur Fliegerbombe in Augsburg" (http://live.augsburger-allgemeine.de/Event/Liveti
cker_zur_Fliegerbombe_in_Augsburg). Augsburger Allgemeine (in German). 21 December
2016. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20161223011730/http://live.augsburger-allgem
eine.de/Event/Liveticker_zur_Fliegerbombe_in_Augsburg) from the original on 23
December 2016. Retrieved 3 September 2017.
17. "WW2 'blockbuster' bomb to force evacuation of 70,000 in Frankfurt" (https://www.theguardia
n.com/world/2017/aug/31/ww2-blockbuster-bomb-to-force-evacuation-of-70000-in-frankfurt).
The Guardian. Agence France-Presse. 31 August 2017. Archived (https://web.archive.org/w
eb/20170831042532/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/aug/31/ww2-blockbuster-bo
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31 August 2017.
18. Hannelore Crolly (2 September 2017) [1 September 2017]. "Evakuierung in Frankfurt: Das
macht die 'Blockbuster'-Bombe so gefährlich" (https://www.welt.de/vermischtes/article16820
9250/Das-macht-die-Blockbuster-Bombe-so-gefaehrlich.html). Die Welt (in German).
Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20190206213545/https://www.welt.de/vermischtes/arti
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19. "Bombenalarm in Frankfurt: Ganz Frankfurt dankt den Helden des Tages" (https://www.faz.n
et/aktuell/rhein-main/bombenfund-in-frankfurt/bombenalarm-in-frankfurt-ganz-frankfurt-dankt-
den-helden-des-tages-15182153.html). Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (in German). 3
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20. "Wohnen auf dem Pulverfass" (http://www.westfalen-blatt.de/OWL/Bombenfund-Paderborn/3
242134-Im-Garten-von-Familie-Werth-in-Paderborn-liegt-die-1800-Kilo-Bombe-Wohnen-auf
-dem-Pulverfass). Westfalen-Blatt (in German). 3 April 2018. Archived (https://web.archive.or
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-Pulverfass) from the original on 12 April 2018. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
21. "Bombenentschärfung am 8. April 2018 in Paderborn" (https://www.paderborn.de/rathaus-se
rvice/news/bombenentschaerfung.php) (in German). Retrieved 12 April 2018.
22. "So verlief die Bombenentschärfung in Paderborn" (http://www.nw.de/lokal/kreis_paderborn/
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Bibliography

"English Bombs of WWII" (https://web.archive.org/web/20120917143217/http://www.constab

le.ca/caah/bombs.htm). Canadian Aces. Constable.ca. Archived from the original (http://ww
w.constable.ca/caah/bombs.htm) on 17 September 2012.
British Explosive Ordnance (https://web.archive.org/web/20160304185457/http://www.lexpe
v.nl/downloads/britishexplosiveordnance1946.pdf) (PDF) (Report). Ordnance Pamphlet.
Department of the Navy, Ordnance Systems Command. 10 June 1946. Archived from the
original (http://www.lexpev.nl/downloads/britishexplosiveordnance1946.pdf) (PDF) on 4
March 2016. Retrieved 2 February 2013.

External links
A 12,000lb HC blockbuster pictured in the factory minus-tail unit (http://www.ww2aircraft.net/f
orum/album/showphoto.php?photo=10969)
A 12,000lb HC blockbuster being dropped (http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/album/showph
oto.php?photo=5954)
An 8,000lb HC blockbuster about to be loaded aboard a Lancaster (http://www.ww2aircraft.n
et/forum/album/showphoto.php?photo=6052&size=big&cat=)

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