Load Toad
I worked in Germany in the 1980,s and on the project we found a large allied bomb (bit like an emersion heater). The Luftwaffe Lt who came to disarm it said it was a Block buster designed to blow the roofs off buildings to allow incendiary bombs to get into the inside of them. He was very matter of fact about, and did point out that there was a very high failure rate on allied bombs 20+%, which apparently was down to poor testing. Our testing was carried out up in Scotland with bombs falling onto rock where most German cities are built on softer ground so bombs tended to get buried rather than explode. At that time he said they were still getting many calls per year (this was in Munich) and his colleagues in the Ruhr were still busy.


Regards
Mr Mac

Dear Mr Mac,

Thanks for the reply.
Id read about the 4000, 8000, 12000Lb 'cookies' which were called block busters as they were meant to clear blocks - as you say by blowing off rooves so that incendiaries can call into the more flammable insides of buildings. I think the sizes were simply created by bolting 4000Lb-ers together. Also I recall reading that they started off with one 'pistol' but to increase the % that went off this was increased to three pistols. Which kind of ties in with what you are recalling too.

I'm wondering if the failure rate also was due to the various delayed action fuzes that were used that were set for various time delays to impact on repairs. Slave labour was apparently used by the German UXB crews.

One thing that I've always wondered....
I read from time to time that someone is quoted as saying that such and such a building was hit and destroyed by a landmine. What exactly is a landmine in the context of something that is dropped from an aeroplane and goes bang that makes it a landmine rather than a bomb?

RedhillPhil,

These were parachute mines:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...chute_mine.jpg

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parachute_mine

Episode 9 "Seventeen Seconds to Glory" in the TV series "Danger UXB" is devoted to these mines.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danger_UXB

Highly recommended, if you haven't seen it.

Thanks for that pic, I42.
What a marvellous image for a thought-bubble caption competition - starting with Corporal 'Radar' O'Reilly on the left.
Eight wicked opportunities in the one shot!


Thanks also to Dave Reid for that link to a previous thread on the subject.
Part of a post therein, by LJR, caught my attention ...
"Mines that are designed to specifically target personnel (often without discrimination) are often called anti-personnel mines." (my bold.)

So, does that mean that 'Discriminating' anti-personnel mines are also available?
We could have used a couple of those to deal with a particularly stupid and gung-ho one-pipper who was very likely going to get us all killed.
(Thankfully, before too long, those above 'twigged' and he was transferred to 'other duties' before something nasty happened.)
.

Stanwell, I hadn't noticed "Radar" on the left of the crowd!

I think they wouldn't be standing there so nonchalantly if the fuze pocket wasn't empty. :E

"By the time the Liverpool UXB team arrived on the scene, the local kids had nicked the only thing that could be unscrewed." :E

The Wiki explains sufficiently that the German aerial mines were sea mines used over land because of their blast effects (lots of filling, less casing). The RAF blockbusters being specifically designed to do such rather than improvising from the sea mine.

Does'nt look empty to me.