daisy cutters

[tyrodtom]

When I was at NKP AFB, Thailand, we used the daisy cutter adaptation on 250-500-750 lb bombs, used over the Ho Chi Minh trail . Pretty useful against truck convoys and AA sites.

I've also seen them used in conjunction with snake eye fins, the pop out tail fins that retarted a bombs fall.

Since we only had prop jobs at NKP at the time, I don't know if daisy cutters were put on bombs dropped from jets.

I've seen one of the bombs on a pallet before loading on a C-130, it wasn't a old British tallboy. Every Tallboy i've seen pictured was a long streamlined bomb, the bomb I saw on the pallet was a very fat, not very streamlined at all, it had no tailfin, but you could see where a box type tailfin would be attached.

Because it was set up for a box tail fin, it probably was a WW2 bomb, I saw a lot of old WW2 munitions used at that time.

 

[razor1uk]

A very infortmative thread, I always assumed that a dausy cutter is when an Anti-Aicraft MG/MK/HMG/HMK system etc, being used across the ground 'along the sights' vs. softer targets.

 

[tomo pauk]

Seems Gen. Kenney was employing daisy cutters in Pacific:

Aggressive Vision

 

[mikewint]

From vietnam, the first instant LZ, an old WWII 10,000lb bomb loaded on an old sky-crane. The crane could not fly - aim - drop with any accuracy so the programs was scrapped
The result on the jungle

 

[michaelmaltby]

One amazing photo of the 'crane'.

MM

 

[tyrodtom]

The air force eventually got it to work by dropping from C-130s. It was called operation Combat Trap. Had about a 3in 4 success rate.

Since you want firebases in the mountains to be on hilltops, it had to be fairly accurate.
I flew into one of these temporary firebases, or probably lager would be a better description, just a clearing with refueling bladders, and security. It was in early 71, in the central highlands. Probably didn't even have a name, just a number.

 

[mikewint]

Tyro, we were tasked with evaluating the LZ produced and never did get an acceptable "on target" drop. I left just before Tet so I never did see the C-130 drops.
I ran several missions out of FB Birmingham

 

[Glider]

I always believed that the use of bomb extensins in the desert had more to with ensring that the bombs didn't bury themselves in the sand before exploading. The ffect would be similar to the daisy cutter but that was an unintended benefit.

 

[tyrodtom]

Actually sand offers more resistance to a bomb or bullet than most dirt, unless that dirt is full of big rocks.

Most military air bases have areas where hung bombs can be dropped by aircraft returning from missions with bombs that didn't release when planned. They'd first attempt abrupt manuvers to dislodge them, if that didn't work they'd drop rack and bomb.
I helped EOD recover the bombs, we did the digging and crane work, they did the defuzing or blowing in place. We use to tell them we may have had the small hats and big shirts, they just had the small hats.

I performed the same job in Thailand where the drop area was dirt, and Seymour Johnson, NC, where it was sand. The bombs went quite a bit deeper in dirt. I was surprised at how deep a unarmed 750 lb bomb could bury itself.

 

[syscom3]

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