Orfordness Photo Derelict Places
I found this on the internet while digging for Disney but have no idea of the origin of the document which presumably at one stage was quite sensitive.........
The Disney Rocket Assisted Bunker Busting Bomb - conceived and designed by Commander (later Captain) Edward Terrell RNVR in 1943 as a counter to Nazi U Boat and E Boat Operations from the European Atlantic Seaboard. An Admiralty Project which initially suffered obfuscation from The Air Ministry amongst others, the bomb was first used operationally by the 92nd Bomb Group of the USAAF in early 1945. At that time The Royal Air Force was not equipped with suitable aircraft capable of carrying Disneys externally so the Americans who had always shown an interest in the Project adopted the weapon for use by the Boeing B17 Flying Fortress. The Initial trials at Orfordness which were to test the stability of the bomb whilst in its supersonic trajectory were flown from Bovingdon in the spring and early summer of 1944. The Bomb had a Length of 16'6" - Diameter of 17" at tail - 15" at body. Weight 4500lbs. To be dropped from 20,00 feet with the 19 (3inch diameter) Rocket Motors activating at 5000 feet. It was calculated that using the Norden sight somewhere between five and seven hits on a shelter/bunker could be achieved out of every hundred bombs released.
Unfortunately no location is given for this photograph but it could well be Bovingdon. On the left is Lieutenant-Commander J.B. Murray a pilot of the Fleet Air Arm and assistant to Terrell who is centre with an RAF Armaments Officer (un-named ) to the right. I can only speculate that this individual might be Flight Lieutenant F.C.Cowdrey who was at Bovingdon and whose medals were sold a few years ago.
Bovingdon 1944. Cass Hough, Admiral Sir Charles Kennedy-Purvis (A strong Proponent for Disney), Edward Terrell, Col Al Key Trials Pilot, Col Ben Kelsey Test Pilot and Chief of the Operating Engineering Section of 8th AF HQ Bovingdon.
Algene Key was one of the Key Barnstorming brothers. A short film here of their 27 Day flight endurance record in 1935 at Meridian, Miss in a Curtiss Robin J-1 Deluxe:
Ben Kelsey learnt to fly when he was 14 at Roosevelt Field, Long Island.
I noticed that Woodbridge was mentioned somewhere as being involved in the initial bombing trials. However I can find no evidence that the airfield was used apart from a mention by Terrell that he was on board a laden B17 with Al Key taking off from an airfield near Woodbridge when due to a malfunction a violent swing occurred and the takeoff was abandoned. What does transpire is that Terrell based himself and his team in the town of Woodbridge for the duration of the tests at nearby Orfordness.
Woodbridge Emergency Strip
However the Bomb and Ballistics Unit of The Ministry of Aircraft Production arrived at Woodbridge Aerodrome in May 1944 with a couple of Lancasters and a Halifax for testing Bunker Busting Bombs at Orfordness. Initially all accommodation and admin was under canvas at the side of the vast landing strip. The strip first used in July 1943 achieved 4,120 landings by June 1945. Some interesting footage on link below.
https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/i...ect/1060021135
Ballistics Observation Tower Orfordness
The first Disney trial did not go well. The aiming point was in the sea just off King's Marsh on the Orfordness Range however the first Bomb detached itself from the B17 and rocketed to earth narrowly avoiding two farm workers and their Fordson Tractor whilst the second Disney went off course and plunged too far out to sea. Fortunately the weapons were being tested without warheads.
Trials were much delayed by weather, a minimum clear ceiling of 20,00 feet being required. The B17 was escorted by two armed fighters. Disney was declared stable in its supersonic state and produced a most horrible howl which would put the wind up anyone. This stage of the trials was concluded satisfactorily by June 1944. A very good static detonation was achieved on the range at Shoeburyness and development continued until the end of 1944. The only live demonstration was given to Officials and sceptical RAF Brass by Ben Kelsey who flew from Bovingdon to Ashley Walk Range in The New Forest where the crew achieved an almost pin-point targeted explosion which caused the earth to shake.
Video follows of 92nd Bomb Group Podington , Bedfordshire.
Schnellbootbunker 2 Ijmuiden Photo LandmarkScout
92nd BG attack Ijmuiden Schnellbootbunker 2 on March 14 1945. Nine Aircraft bomb in elements of three. Four rocket plumes seen indicate that two rockets have failed to fire. At the end of the inlet bottom left you can see Schnellbootbunker 1 which was abandoned after heavy bombing at the end of 1944 (617 squadron paid a visit on December 12th 1944) and both facilities suffered very heavy bombing. Schnellbootbunker 2 was first bombed with Disneys by nine B17s of 92 BG on February 10th 1945. 'Photo reconnaissance later showed that only one bomb had hit but the damage seemed encouraging' (Freeman 'The Mighty Eighth'). However Terrell's account of this raid reads: 'The first element consisting of three aircraft, recorded hits from 20,000 feet. An area of concrete of about 8550 feet and over twelve feet deep was completely destroyed and vanished. The bombardiers reported flames coming out of the entrance to the shelters, indicating that the bombs had penetrated and exploded inside.' Of the results of the bombing on March 14th Terrell writes in his book that of 18 bombs dropped, 'six struck the target' of which one partly penetrated 'Eighteen and a half feet of concrete but failed to explode , remaining embedded in the cement flooring.' After Liberation this Disney which was still 'live' was detonated in situ by Terrell's party with Scientists present to record the effects of Blast and Fragmentation within walls of concrete. One really cannot be sure how many Disneys hit the main bunker perhaps at best two and more likely only one.
Further Reading: Admiralty Brief by Edward Terrell O.B.E. Q.C. Published by Harrap 1958.
The Schnellbootbunker2 Ijmuiden date unknown but probably at the closing stages of the war.
Edward Terrell at the V2 Structure at Watten, Pas De Calais in 1945. This facility used for Disney target practice by the 92BG after the allied invasion and prior to the attacks at Ijmuiden Netherlands. Penetrated here to a depth of 21 Feet.