PD 500

Last updated
PD 500
Pd500.jpg
Type Armor-piercing bomb
Place of originFlag of Germany (1935-1945).svg  Nazi Germany
Service history
Used by Luftwaffe
Wars World War II
Specifications
Mass500 kg (1,100 lb)
Length2.11 m (6 ft 11 in)
Diameter279 mm (11 in)
Warhead RDX
Warhead weight32 kg (71 lb) [1]

The PD 500 (Panzersprengbombe Dickwandig) or thick walled armor-piercing explosive bomb in English was a armor-piercing bomb 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 70 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

Design

The PD series of bombs differed for the SC series because they had thick cases for enhanced penetration of armored targets like warships. The charge-to-weight ratio of the bomb was low at only 6.3%, while most general-purpose bombs had a charge-to-weight ratio of between 30 and 50%. The body was of two-piece drawn-steel construction which was filled through the base with RDX and was fitted with a magnesium alloy 4 finned tail with a cylindrical strut. A single electric fuze was located in the base, and an electrical charging head was located in the rear 1/3 of the body. The PD 500 was horizontally suspended by an H-Type suspension lug in a bomb bay or fuselage hardpoint. It was dropped in horizontal flight from a height of at least 11,500 ft (3,500 m), and penetration was stated to be 5.5–6.25 in (140–159 mm). The bombs were painted sky blue with red stripes on the tail. [1]

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.

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.

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.

General-purpose bomb type of air-dropped bomb

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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.

BDC 10

The BDC 10 was a cluster 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.

PC 500

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.

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.

AB 500-1B

The AB 500-1B(Abwurfbehälter) was a cluster bomb used by the Luftwaffe during World War II.

AB 500-1

The AB 500-1(Abwurfbehälter) was a cluster bomb used by the Luftwaffe during World War II.

References

  1. 1 2 United States War Office (1953). German explosive ordnance : (bombs, fuzes, rockets, land mines, grenades and igniters). United States Government Printing Office. OCLC   713755660.
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