SD 15 | |
---|---|
Type | Fragmentation bomb |
Place of origin | |
Service history | |
Used by | Luftwaffe |
Wars | World War II |
Specifications | |
Mass | 15 kg (33 lb) |
Length | 61 cm (2 ft) |
Diameter | 105 mm (4.1 in) [1] |
Warhead | TNT |
Warhead weight | 4.07 kg (9 lb) [2] |
The SD 15 (Sprengbombe Dickwandig) or thick walled explosive bomb in English was a fragmentation bomb used by the Luftwaffe 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, 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.
The second most used category of bombs was the SD series which were high-explosive bombs but with thicker casings which meant their charge to weight ratio was only 30 to 40% of their total weight. Bombs in this series were the SD 1, SD 1 FRZ, SD 2, SD 10 A, SD 10 FRZ, SD 10 C, SD 15, SD 50, SD 70, SD 250, SD 500, SD 1400, and SD 1700. The number in the bombs designation corresponded to the approximate weight of the bomb. [3]
The body of the SD 15 was of one piece cast steel construction and was a conversion of high-explosive projectiles used by the 10.5 cm leFH 18 howitzers of the German Army. The bomb was filled through the nose with TNT and was internally threaded for a nose fuze. The tail cone was composed of four sheet steel sections that were welded together and crimped into an annular groove machined in the rear 1/3 of the projectile. The SD 15 was used as a sub-munition and 24 could be carried by the AB 500-1D cluster bomb. The body was painted dark green with a khaki colored tail. [1]
The 10.5 cm leFH 18 is a German light howitzer used in World War II and the standard artillery piece of the Wehrmacht, adopted for service in 1935 and used by all divisions and artillery battalions. At least 22,133 examples were produced.
The German Army was the land forces component of the Wehrmacht, the regular German Armed Forces, from 1935 until it was demobilized and later dissolved in August 1946. During World War II, a total of about 13 million soldiers served in the German Army. Germany's army personnel were made up of volunteers and conscripts.
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.
The Lance Grenades de 50 mm modèle 37 was a French light infantry mortar designed and produced shortly before the Second World War.
The AB 70-D1(Abwurfbehälter) was a cluster bomb dispenser used by the Luftwaffe during World War II.
The AB 250-2(Abwurfbehälter) was a cluster bomb used by the Luftwaffe during World War II.
The BDC 10 was a cluster bomb used by the Luftwaffe during World War II.
The SB 1000 (Spezialbombe) was a luftmine or aerial mine in English used by the Luftwaffe during World War II.
The SB 2500 (Spezialbombe) was a luftmine or aerial mine in English used by the Luftwaffe during World War II.
The SD 50 or thick walled explosive bomb in English was a fragmentation bomb used by the Luftwaffe during World War II.
The SD 70 or thick walled explosive bomb in English was a fragmentation bomb used by the Luftwaffe during World War II.
The SD 250 or thick walled explosive bomb in English was a fragmentation bomb used by the Luftwaffe during World War II.
The SD 1700 or thick walled explosive bomb in English was a fragmentation bomb used by the Luftwaffe during World War II.
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.
The PC 500 or cylindrical armor-piercing explosive bomb in English was a series of armor-piercing bombs used by the Luftwaffe during World War II.
The PC 1000 or cylindrical armor-piercing explosive bomb in English was a armor-piercing bomb used by the Luftwaffe during World War II.
The PC 1400 or cylindrical armor-piercing explosive bomb in English was a armor-piercing bomb used by the Luftwaffe during World War II.
The PC 1600 or cylindrical armor-piercing explosive bomb in English was a armor-piercing bomb used by the Luftwaffe during World War II.
The SBe 250 or concrete fragmentation in English was a fragmentation bomb used by the Luftwaffe during World War II.
The AB 500-3A(Abwurfbehälter) was a cluster bomb used by the Luftwaffe during World War II.
The AB 500-1B(Abwurfbehälter) was a cluster bomb used by the Luftwaffe during World War II.
The AB 500-1(Abwurfbehälter) was a cluster bomb used by the Luftwaffe during World War II.
The AB 250-3(Abwurfbehälter) was an anti-personnel cluster bomb used by the Luftwaffe during World War II.