Fw 190 drops experimental "bouncing bombs" that were intended to skip until they struck a ship then detonate beneath it from r/nextfuckinglevel
Fw 190 drops experimental "bouncing bombs" that were intended to skip until they struck a ship then detonate beneath it from r/nextfuckinglevel
The Germans shot down a number of 617 Squadron Lancasters during the famous 1943 dam-busting raid, and of course they retrieved the Barnes Wallis-designed "bouncing bombs." What you're seeing in this film is either an actual British bomb being tested or a German reverse-engineered version.
ReplyDeleteProbably ships. The dams bomb (codename Upkeep) was sized so it could - just about - be carried by a four-engined bomber, and one with uprated engines at that. The RAF had a smaller anti-ship version (Highball) that was supposed to run down the side of the ship and then - due to the backspin - along under the bottom before detonating. That could be carried by a twin-engined Mosquito.
ReplyDeleteSomething small enough that two could be carried by a FW190 would hardly scratch a dam but might well be effective against a ship.
B-25's and others used this method fairly successfully in the South Pacific during WW-II
ReplyDeletehttps://warfarehistorynetwork.com/2015/07/30/modified-b-25-bombers-pioneered-the-skip-bombing-tactic/