Warbird Information Exchange

Hi All -

I have been scouring the Internet trying to identify a deactivated aerial bomb that I've had collecting dust in the shed for a few years. All I know about it, is that it was probably dropped in London, England during the Blitz, it failed to go off and was deactivated and kept as a souvenir. It has a 6 fin tail which unscrews from the body and no nose cone, which I assume was removed so it would not be confused with a live device.

Photos

Entire Device


Top View


Tail Fin



Size / Weight

Total length: 12 1/4" (31cm) approx.
Body length: 9 1/4" (23.5cm) approx.
Tail length: 3" (7.5cm) approx.
Top diameter: 1 3/4" (4.4cm) approx.
Body width: 3" (7.5cm) approx.
Body circumference: 10 1/4" (26cm) approx (widest point).

Total weight: 6lb 8oz (2.9kg)

Additional Info

Between each fin there is double windows. I.E. [ ] [ ].

It would appear that one set contains faint markings which looks like [N1] [ XXX ]. The X represents an illegible character and I'm not 100% sure that the first window does contain N1, but it certainly looks like it. It could perhaps be M?


If anybody can help me to identify exactly what it is I would be most appreciative of your help.

Thanks again,
Mark

Looks like a mortar round to me

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looks like an aerial practice bomb made of cast iron to me w/ a cavity to accomodate a colored explosive shotgun shell sized powder charge to determine accuracy to me. do you have size & weight of the item??

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tom d. friedman - hey!!! those fokkers were messerschmitts!! * without ammunition, the usaf would be just another flying club!!! * better to have piece of mind than piece of tail!!

I agree with Taigh, looks like a mortar round. Checking the books, there was a 1 kilogram anti-personnel bomb dropped in a cluster but the fin and nose shapes are completely different. It also looks smaller than your bomb. It could be from the WW1 Zeppelin and Gotha raids on London but i don't have any references to ordnance from that era.

I'll back up Taigh on this also. But if it is an aerial bomb it would have a threaded hole in the side for a suspension lug so that it can be hung onto a rack. I know all of the Mk76s we dropped had a spot to thread the lug in and unlike larger ordinance they only had one lug attachment point.

Tim

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www.tailhookstudio.com

Take a look at the Practice (loading) 3-inch Mortar Bomb on this page http://visualcollector.com/VisualCollectorLinks/MortarsMines.htm and see if that is what you have.

Randy

Taigh, I sent Uncle Ben to help with the Poon. Keep the pictures coming. I looked for you at Chino during the NWOC...

Fly Safe,

Lynn

Hi guys -

Thank you for all your pointers and replies. They're greatly appreciated.

@Taigh / Dave / TimAPNY
It does look more like some kind of mortar (I'm no expert).

@tom
I have updated my original post with the size and weight and also a little more info as I think I have discovered faint markings.

@TimAPNY
There is certainly no threaded holes on the side for any suspension lugs so perhaps this rules out that it would have been dropped from the air?

@Randy
I have taken a look at that page. It most closely resembles the H.E. 3-Inch mortar bomb (also smoke and practice). The only difference to mine and the one in the pictures is that the tail fins have two sets of holes on each fin, whereas mine only has one and is most definitely shorter.

Thank you for all your help guys. I would like to positively identify it. My 11 year old Son has expressed a wish to clean it up and paint it in its original colours and also possible locate at auction whatever screwed on to the end. Certainly a better life than collecting dust in the shed, lol.