Bomb and flare manuals and other related documents

[MiTasol]

Every couple of months someone has a bomb question so I have scanned my photocopy of the British bomb bible from 1945 - AP 1661V Vol 1 with OCR carried out The pages were pretty thin (light) so I was not able to accurately determine the page size and margins so the the margins are just guessed based on what was normal at the time.

It is missing the cover and List of Amendments (there are at least 126 of those) but the nice thing is it includes all the US bombs that the RAF were using at that time. Apart from the items listed and Chapter 18 I think it is fairly complete.

I have linked some posts by https://ww2aircraft.net/forum/members/wurger.1418/ on the same subject. There are other posts so if you know of them please provide links for the benefit of all. As always feel free to post your own documents on the topic.

unknown bomb

Hello everyone, I found this bomb empty of any substance. I can't find any information on this. no markings or punch visible. the bottom is closed by a sheet metal circle which comes with this "clip" your help will be of great benefit to me. thank you so much. good end of weekend. alex

ww2aircraft.net

British 250 & 500 lb. Bomb schematics, as would have been used on early Typhoons?

I'm working on a 73" span Hawker Typhoon and want to work up a 3D print file for bombs, either the 250 or 500 lb. type used by the Brits. I've found a few schematics, and little dimensional information. I like the type with the perfect cylindrical mid-section (not continuous teardrop) and...

ww2aircraft.net

My next post will be the small section I have for AP 1661E - Pyrotechnics.

Then AP 1661C - Bomb components - if it is in the same box.

I am having trouble uploading - one of the joys of the nbn I am sure. I will try again later.

I apologise for the heavy watermark - the latest software upgrade has halved the size and doubled the darkness of the watermark. If I find a work around I will repost this. it may be because the original pages were very dirty and thin. The Title page is reconstructed because it was so dirty and covered with graffiti (names and stamps).

 

[MiTasol]

AP 1661F Pyrotechnics Section 10 Chapters 1& 2 only

This one posted easy because it is so small.

 

[WATU]

I am off to RAF Hendon next Thursday and AP1661E 1944 is on my shopping list. I will let you know what it covers.
Paul

 

[cvairwerks]

If you are on the British Ordnance Collectors Network forum, you should be able download one version here, at post #10 :

Signal double star Mk1

Hello, I'd like to know what these cartridges look like. (pictures, diagram, dimensions) Thanks

www.bocn.co.uk

 

[WATU]

Hi I'll sign up to that ordnance forum, thanks.
Paul

 

[cvairwerks]

Hopefully those links are still active. I'm not a member over there, but stumbled across them while searching with the document number.

 

[MiTasol]

I am off to RAF Hendon next Thursday and AP1661E 1944 is on my shopping list. I will let you know what it covers.
Paul

You need to be a member to download files at BOCN.

Here is what I have from that AP - 8 pages on flares only but OCR'd.

 

[WATU]

You need to be a member to download files at BOCN.

Here is what I have from that AP - 8 pages on flares only but OCR'd.

I plan to photograph the whole file.

 

[WATU]

Thanks. I have signed up with BOCN and will have a root around.
Paul

 

[WATU]

I did copy much of AP1661E but quite a bit was not of interest to me and time was limited. Strangely it had no mention of the small 1.7" flares used in ASW. I also looked at the Air Bomber training syllabus for Aug 1943 and while that listed many devices taught on the course, again, there was no 1.7". Was that a specialist Coastal Command ASW flare and thus only taught once air bombers had been allocated to Coastal and underwent further training designed for ASW operations? I am not sure when they went into service but they were being used in April 1941 for ASW attack tactics development.

 

[ThomasP]

From my notes.

I think you are looking for the "Aircraft Illuminator Flare No.1". It had a diameter of 1.7", weighed .75 lbs, and contained 3x star flares (1,000,000 cp each - I think) that it ejected. Burn time was 3 seconds. It was manually dropped from a tube. Originally intended to be dropped by aircraft in order to briefly illuminate unknown aircraft for identification and/or targeting at night. Adapted by Coastal Command for use when locating/identifying/attacking surface targets at night.

 

[WATU]

From my notes.

I think you are looking for the "Aircraft Illuminator Flare No.1". It had a diameter of 1.7", weighed .75 lbs, and contained 3x star flares (1,000,000 cp each - I think) that it ejected. Burn time was 3 seconds. It was manually dropped from a tube. Originally intended to be dropped by aircraft in order to briefly illuminate unknown aircraft for identification and/or targeting at night. Adapted by Coastal Command for use when locating/identifying/attacking surface targets at night.

Hi. Yes, that one. Just surprised it is not in AP1661E. It was widely used in non-Leigh Light ASW aircraft such as Sunderlands. Seems to have been roughly as effective as the LL but did fully occupy a crew member feeding the launcher.