Panzer explosive bomb

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A tank explosive bomb (also armor penetration bomb ) is filled with an explosive bomb , the armored targets to combat used.

Mode of action

The effect of the tank explosive bomb takes place in two steps: First, the armor penetrates solely due to the kinetic energy of the bomb, then behind the armor the detonation with the pressure wave (gas strike) of the respective explosive takes place, as well as the effect of the bomb shell, which breaks into numerous fragments.

In order to achieve a sufficient penetration effect, the tank explosive bomb must have a sufficiently high kinetic energy, i. H. a corresponding mass in connection with a corresponding speed (i.e. the dropping of the bomb from a sufficient height). In addition, it must be designed and manufactured in such a way that the bomb shell survives the impact and penetration of the armor without breaking. For this purpose, tank explosive bombs are made of high quality steel that is tempered and hardened at the bomb tip. To increase the strength, the cargo space for accommodating the explosive charge is kept small. Tank explosive bombs therefore only have a relatively small proportion of explosives in their total weight (10–20%).

At the same time, the contained explosives must survive the impact shock on the target unharmed, i. that is, it must not detonate prematurely (before penetration through the armor) by the shock waves in the bomb. On the other hand, if possible, no cracks should form, which might impede the detonation by the detonator . The end face of the cargo space is therefore often lined with a plastic material (e.g. wax) that dampens the shock waves.

Since the detonation should only take place after the armor has penetrated, delay fuses are used. These are activated as soon as the bomb hits the target, but delay the triggering of the detonation by a few milliseconds. So that the detonator survives hitting and penetrating the target undamaged, it is not installed at the top of the bomb, but usually at the rear of the bomb (bomb bottom). The detonator can therefore only be triggered by braking the bomb on impact. In the case of mechanical bomb detonators, the detonator housing, which is firmly screwed into the bomb shell, is delayed together with the bomb; due to its inertia , a piece of mass in the detonator continues in the original direction of fall of the bomb and strikes the primer. This ignites a pyrotechnic delay set which, after it burns through, ignites the detonator and thus detonates the explosive charge. Modern ignition systems use z. B. the shock waves generated when the bomb hits, to trigger the ignition process via piezoelectric voltage and electronic delay.

The relatively small explosive charge has only a limited effect, and the bomb shell is only broken up into relatively large fragments. But since the anti-tank bomb behind the armor, i.e. that is, if it takes effect in a closed room, the effect of this small explosive charge is also devastating.

Areas of application

During the Second World War , numerous anti-tank bombs were used from all sides in order to fight corresponding targets (bunkers, battleships, etc.). The high point of the development of the anti-tank bombs in the Second World War were undoubtedly the Tallboy and Grand Slam of the British , which was originally developed as an earthquake bomb (for the destruction of structures by the extreme shaking of the ground), but was then successfully used to combat extremely armored targets such as the German U - Boat bunkers, bunkered positions of the V-1 , V-2 and V-3 and the battleship Tirpitz were used.

After the Second World War, tank explosive bombs for particularly hardened targets were further developed in accordance with the increasing performance of the bombers and, of course, the new possibilities for controlling guided bombs .

The development of the Guided Bomb Unit-28 ( GBU-28 ) (see also Paveway ) is remarkable . This 4,500 lb heavy bunker buster was developed in a very short time towards the end of the first Gulf War in 1991 and made ready for use in order to destroy bunkers hidden deep in the ground. Discarded cannon barrels of caliber 8 inches (203 mm) were used for this, provided with a hardened tip and filled with explosives. The bomb - fitted with a laser aiming device and dropped from a suitable height - could penetrate over 30 meters of earth or 6 meters of concrete before the explosive charge of 290 kg detonated.

Shaped charge bomb

Shaped charge bombs are also used to combat tanks . In contrast to the anti-tank bombs, however, the armor is perforated here exclusively through the directional effect of the shaped charge . This has the advantage that the penetration effect depends solely on the design and size of the explosive charge, and no longer on the mass and speed of the bomb. Combat tanks can therefore also be effectively carried out using relatively small shaped charge bombs. This led to the development of submunitions, in which numerous small shaped charge bombs are dropped from above onto the - there weaker armored - battle tanks. (The small bomb KB-44, of which around 4,500 pieces are distributed over an area of ​​around 700 × 2,500 meters with a Tornado fighter aircraft with the multi-purpose weapon MW-1 , has a diameter of only 44 mm, a length of 270 mm and a Mass of 580 grams)

literature

  • Bill Gunston, Horst W. Laumanns: The illustrated encyclopedia of aircraft armament . Everything about guns, missiles, missiles, bombs, torpedoes and mines . Verlag Motorbuch et al., Stuttgart et al. 1988, ISBN 3-7276-7078-9 .
  • Walter Merz: The bombs and their removal . Verlag Bernard & Graefe, Frankfurt am Main 1963. (Reproduced excerpt from: Erich Hampe et al.: The civil air defense in World War II. Bernard & Graefe, Frankfurt am Main 1963, DNB 453107664 )