Rolling 20 – The Lanc bomb load varied a lot depending on the target and effect required.
For Industrial/Area targets – Codename ‘Cookie’ or ‘Plumduff’ - 1 x 4000lb HC ‘Cookie’; 3 x 1000lb HEs; and six Small Bomb Containers (SBCs) each containing either 236 x 4lb or 24 x 30lb incendiaries. Total – c12 500lb max.
For ‘Area Bombing - Heavy Industrial Areas’ – Codename ‘Plumduff-Plus’ – 1 x 8000lb HC bomb (‘Blockbuster’); 6 x 500 lb MC or GP bombs. Total – 11 000lbs
For Factories/Rail Yards/Dockyards – Codename ‘Abnormal’ – 14 x 1000lb MC bombs. Total – 14000lbs
For ‘Area Bombing’ - Codename ‘Usual’ – 1 x 4000lb HC ‘Cookie’; and 12 SBCs each containing either 236 x 4lb or 24 x 30lb incendiaries. Total – c15 500lbs
For ‘Tactical Targets’ (V-Weapon Sites/Radar Sites/Gun Emplacements/Armour Concentrations) – Codename ‘No Ball’ (V1 sites) - 1 x 4000lb HC ‘Cookie’; and up to 18 x 500lb MC or GP bombs. Total – c13 000lbs
Source: ‘
The Lancaster and Manchester Bomber Archive’
I doubt if you could even get the venerable Jag to taxi with half of that load! And I certainly wouldn’t want to ‘bend down’ to give it a push…
I'll get me coat...