LUFTWAFFE and REGIA AERONAUTICA Bombs and Bomb Fins

[jterny]

During the 80’s, the 90’s and the 2000’s, one of the most common ww2 relic in the fields of the island of Rhodes (at the villages around the ex axis air bases ), was the any kind and size Luftwaffe and Regia Aeronautica bomb fins. Each one which was made of steel or iron alloy was simply discarded as scrap at the fields. But the survived yet made by aluminum , were in some kind of …use by the local people.
Also one of the very interesting finding of summer 1988, was a number of Luftwaffe 250 and 500kgs cement bombs, lying in an area of Gadurras air base.
Hope that this is an interest thread to post for all of you !
John

[don_kihotis7]

Wow John. Those are huge stuff. Did you recover anything for your collection?

[Gunny Hartmann]

Great stuff!...

[big ned]

Those cement bombs remind me of a clever yet very cheap method used by the RAF in 2003 during 'Operation Iraqi Freedom' to take out AA guns, mobile radar units and tanks that were often deliberately positioned by the camel frighteners in suburban streets or hospitals and schools so as to incur innocent Iraqi casualties and the ensuing bad press for the coalition.

To reduce 'collateral damage' a clever bod somewhere came up with the idea of fitting the electronic guidance system that was fitted to 'Dumb' bombs that turned them 'Smart' onto 500lb concrete practice bombs. These were dropped by Tornado's onto the offending targets, thus taking them out without breaking Mrs. Ali's milk bottles on the doorstep next house along. The effect of nearly half a ton of concrete travelling at mach 1 is apparently quite devastating....

The bombs were painted blue to show incoming troops who may find them that they were inert, and consequently they became known as 'Blue Circle' bombs after the British cement company of that name and a parody of the 'Blue Steel' guided nuclear stand off missile of the 1950's.

They were apparently very effective, and compared to the cost of around $40,000 for a single standard JDAM, very cost effective too.

Regards, Ned.

[lebus12]

The cement bombs are for training, we have many in France. Somewhere, there is a place to put a smoke system, so the pilot can see where the bomb go.

[jterny]

don_kihotis7
" Wow John. Those are huge stuff. Did you recover anything for your collection?"


Actually yes, i recovered several good examples of this stuff in good condition (Italian and German made bomb fins from size 25kg to 250kgs ) , like the ones in the previous posted last photo ( retaining still their original painting !).
Of course, there were others which i could not recover, due to were still in use by the local people in the island ......to plant flowers inside...! (see what i mean in the photos)
John

[lebus12]

in France I know some farms with cement bombs at the door of the farm, the cement protect walls against cars chocs

[jterny]

To "big ned" and "lebus 12"

Yes the correct term is rather "concrete" and not "cement" bombs.
As far i know these type of German ones were used in the Aegean during the ww2, not only for practice but and against "shoft" targets , such as suspicious wooden vessels sailing around in Eastern Mediterranean. By the way "big ned", it was a very interesting your info about the use of same type kind of bombs by the RAF, during the Iraq war 2003.!
Actually just for the story, i was not able to recover no one of the Luftwaffe concrete examples then ( i should use a ...crane if i wanted to do so.. ). But next year when i revisited the area, each one were vanished. I believe that were discarded by the land owners some were, in order not to block their way for them !
Regards,
John

[lebus12]

Of course Concrete....Sorry

[jterny]

For "lebus12"
Very usefull material !! Look like it is some data for mil use..
I made a comparison with the photos from my findings and noticed the central steel tubes on the nose area as and the body pads for the wooden cover too.

John