PC 500

Last updated
PC 500
Pc500.jpg
Type Armor-piercing bomb
Place of originFlag of Germany (1935-1945).svg  Nazi Germany
Service history
Used by Luftwaffe
Wars World War II
Production history
VariantsD500E
D500L
Specifications
MassD500E: 539 kg (1,188 lb)
D500L: 416 kg (917 lb)
LengthD550E: 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
D500L: 2.01 m (6 ft 7 in)
DiameterD500E: 406 mm (16 in)
D500L: 381 mm (15 in) [1]
Warhead Amatol
TNT
Warhead weightD500E: 75 kg (165 lb)
D500L: 78 kg (172 lb) [1]

The PC 500 (Panzersprengbombe Cylindrisch) or cylindrical armor-piercing explosive bomb in English was a series of armor-piercing bombs used by the Luftwaffe during World War II.

<i>Luftwaffe</i> Aerial warfare branch of the German military forces during World War II

The Luftwaffe was the aerial warfare branch of the combined German Wehrmacht military forces during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the Luftstreitkräfte of the Army and the Marine-Fliegerabteilung of the Navy, had been disbanded in May 1920 as a result of the terms of the Treaty of Versailles which stated that Germany was forbidden to have any air force.

World War II 1939–1945 global war

World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. The vast majority of the world's countries—including all the great powers—eventually formed two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis. A state of total war emerged, directly involving more than 100 million people from over 30 countries. The major participants threw their entire economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities behind the war effort, blurring the distinction between civilian and military resources. World War II was the deadliest conflict in human history, marked by 50 to 85 million fatalities, most of whom were civilians in the Soviet Union and China. It included massacres, the genocide of the Holocaust, strategic bombing, premeditated death from starvation and disease, and the only use of nuclear weapons in war.

Contents

History

The PC series of bombs differed from the SC series because they had thick cases for enhanced penetration of armored targets like warships or reinforced concrete fortifications. While the SD series bombs could be used in a semi-armor piercing role the PC series of bombs were specifically designed as armor-piercing bombs. Since they had thicker hardened steel cases their charge to weight ratio was only 20% of their total weight. Bombs in the PC series included the PC 500, PC 1000, PC 1400, and PC 1600. The number in the bombs designation corresponded to the approximate weight of the bomb. The smaller bombs had either Amatol or TNT while the larger bombs were filled more powerful explosives like RDX and Trialen to compensate for their reduced charges. The PC series of bombs were fitted with a time delay fuze which detonated the bomb after it had pierced a target destroying it with a combination of its blast and fragments. The PC series served as a base for the later PC RS series rocket propelled bombs which were designed to enhance penetration by increasing their terminal velocity. [2]

Amatol Explosive

Amatol is a highly explosive material made from a mixture of TNT and ammonium nitrate. The British name originates from the words ammonium and toluene. Similar mixtures were known as Schneiderite in France. Amatol was used extensively during World War I and World War II, typically as an explosive in military weapons such as aircraft bombs, shells, depth charges, and naval mines. It was eventually replaced with alternative explosives such as composition B, torpex, and tritonal.

TNT chemical compound

Trinitrotoluene (; TNT), or more specifically 2-methyl-1,3,5-trinitrobenzene, is a chemical compound with the formula C6H2(NO2)3CH3. This yellow solid is sometimes used as a reagent in chemical synthesis, but it is best known as an explosive material with convenient handling properties. The explosive yield of TNT is considered to be the standard measure of bombs and the power of explosives. In chemistry, TNT is used to generate charge transfer salts.

RDX chemical compound

RDX is an organic compound with the formula (O2NNCH2)3. It is a white solid without smell or taste, widely used as an explosive. Chemically, it is classified as a nitramide, chemically similar to HMX. A more energetic explosive than TNT, it was used widely in World War II and remains common in military applications.

Design

The body was of one-piece forged steel construction which was filled through the base with either Amatol or TNT and was fitted with either a sheet steel or magnesium alloy 4 finned tail with a cylindrical strut. There was a single transverse fuze pocket near the base of the bomb. The PC 500 was horizontally suspended by a T-Type suspension lug in a bomb bay or fuselage hardpoint. The bombs were painted dark grey with a dark blue stripe on the tail. [1]

Bomb bay

The bomb bay or weapons bay on some military aircraft is a compartment to carry bombs, usually in the aircraft's fuselage, with "bomb bay doors" which open at the bottom. The bomb bay doors are opened and the bombs are dropped when over the target or at a specified launching point.

Hardpoint location on an airframe designed to carry an external or internal load

A hardpoint is a location on an airframe designed to carry an external or internal load. This includes a station on the wing or fuselage of a civilian aircraft or military aircraft where external jet engine, ordnance, countermeasures, gun pods, targeting pods or drop tanks can be mounted.

There were two variants of the PC 500 series:

See also

Related Research Articles

Armor-piercing shell type of ammunition designed to penetrate armor

An armor-piercing shell, AP for short, is a type of ammunition designed to penetrate armor. From the 1860s to 1950s, a major application of armor-piercing projectiles was to defeat the thick armor carried on many warships. From the 1920s onwards, armor-piercing weapons were required for anti-tank missions. AP rounds smaller than 20 mm are typically known as "armor-piercing ammunition", and are intended for lightly-armored targets such as body armor, bulletproof glass and light armored vehicles. The classic AP shell is now seldom used in naval warfare, as modern warships have little or no armor protection, and newer technologies have displaced the classic AP design in the anti-tank role.

SC1000 bomb aerial bomb

The SC 1000 was a large air-dropped general-purpose thin cased high explosive demolition bomb used by Germany during World War II. Weighing more than 1,000 kg (2,200 lb), it was nicknamed the Hermann by the Germans in reference to the portly Luftwaffe commander, Hermann Göring.

During the Second World War, the Luftwaffe developed a series of unguided rocket-propelled armor-piercing bombs. The three main types were the PC 500 RS, PC 1000 RS, and PC 1800 RS. The PC in the name stands for Panzersprengbombe Cylindrisch, the number equals the approximate weight of the bomb in kilograms, and RS indicates it is rocket propelled. These bombs were intended to be used against armored ships or similar targets. The purpose of the rocket was to increase the terminal velocity of the bomb and aid penetration.

SC500 bomb

The SC 500 or cylindrical explosive bomb in English was a family of general purpose bombs used by the Luftwaffe during World War II.

SC1800 bomb

The SC 1800 or cylindrical explosive bomb was a general purpose bomb used by the Luftwaffe during World War II.

SC2000 bomb

The SC 2000 or cylindrical explosive bomb in English was a general purpose bomb used by the Luftwaffe during World War II.

SB 1000

The SB 1000 (Spezialbombe) was a luftmine or aerial mine in English used by the Luftwaffe during World War II.

SB 2500

The SB 2500 (Spezialbombe) was a luftmine or aerial mine in English used by the Luftwaffe during World War II.

SD 50 (bomb)

The SD 50 or thick walled explosive bomb in English was a fragmentation bomb used by the Luftwaffe during World War II.

SD 70 (bomb)

The SD 70 or thick walled explosive bomb in English was a fragmentation bomb used by the Luftwaffe during World War II.

SD 250

The SD 250 or thick walled explosive bomb in English was a fragmentation bomb used by the Luftwaffe during World War II.

SD 1700

The SD 1700 or thick walled explosive bomb in English was a fragmentation bomb used by the Luftwaffe during World War II.

PD 500

The PD 500 or thick walled armor-piercing explosive bomb in English was a armor-piercing bomb used by the Luftwaffe during World War II.

PC 1000

The PC 1000 or cylindrical armor-piercing explosive bomb in English was a armor-piercing bomb used by the Luftwaffe during World War II.

PC 1400

The PC 1400 or cylindrical armor-piercing explosive bomb in English was a armor-piercing bomb used by the Luftwaffe during World War II.

PC 1600

The PC 1600 or cylindrical armor-piercing explosive bomb in English was a armor-piercing bomb used by the Luftwaffe during World War II.

SD 15 (bomb)

The SD 15 or thick walled explosive bomb in English was a fragmentation bomb used by the Luftwaffe during World War II.

SBe 250

The SBe 250 or concrete fragmentation in English was a fragmentation bomb used by the Luftwaffe during World War II.

SBe 50

The SBe 50 or concrete fragmentation in English was a family of fragmentation bombs used by the Luftwaffe during World War II.

AB 500-3A

The AB 500-3A(Abwurfbehälter) was a cluster bomb used by the Luftwaffe during World War II.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 United States War Office (1953). German explosive ordnance : (bombs, fuzes, rockets, land mines, grenades and igniters). United States Government Printing Office. OCLC   713755660.
  2. ↑ Visingr, Lukáš. "Německé letecké bomby: Smrticí arzenál Luftwaffe". Vojsko.net (in Czech). Retrieved 2019-03-07.
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