Baseball bouncing bomb

[PMN1]

The wiki page for bouncing bombs mentions the Baseball.

As well as the two types listed above, a smaller weapon for use by MTB's was proposed by the Admiralty in December 1942. Known as Baseball, this would be a tube-launched weapon weighing 300 pounds (140 kg), of which half would be explosive, and with an anticipated range of 1,000 to 1,200 yards (910 to 1,100 m).


Anyone have any more information on it, I suspect the 'Murray' credited on the wiki page is a member of this board.

 

[shaba]

I have found a sketch of baseball at this web page but no further in formation is provided
http://www.underwater-archaeology.org.uk/HighballBouncingBomb.html

 

[Jemiba]

"Baseball" is mentioned in Ian Murrays "Bouncing-Bomb Man", a book I've just here with me, on loan from
boxkite (Thoams, I hope you don't mind me, posting this):

It was proposed as a possible replacement for a 18in torpedo tube, expected range is said to be between
1,000 to 2,000 yards. As the speed of the launching MTB would have been much lower, than from an aircraft,
a rocket catapult, consisting of a short track for a rocket-propelled carriage was built. Tests with half-scale
models were carried out at HMS Birkbeck (Weston-super-Mare). Another method tried was launching "Baseball"
from a tube with a cordite charge (results unknown). Main problems, that arose, centered around the need to
keep the thrust of the launcher within the limits for a wooden MTB and in the end operational value was regarded
as too low, although up to seven "Baseballs" would have had the same weight, as a torpedo.

 

[PMN1]

Thanks for that, i,m a bit puzzled as to how even with the 7 Baseballs to a torpedo it could have been considered useful - weren't most potential MTB targets moving and so moving away from the scene of detonation?

 

[DWG]

Thanks for that, i,m a bit puzzled as to how even with the 7 Baseballs to a torpedo it could have been considered useful - weren't most potential MTB targets moving and so moving away from the scene of detonation?

I've never been clear whether Highball was solely intended for use against anchored targets, or intended to be just as applicable against targets at sea. Baseball would presumably face the same limitations, but even if only intended to attack targets in harbour, the ability to fire across defensive nets and booms would open up a range of targets that couldn't be attacked through other methods. The investment in developing the Boom Patrol Boat, and then in air-delivering it, shows there was a focus on attacking targets in harbour going back to the earliest days of the war (as do the other technologies developed for Hasler's Boom Patrol Detachment).
Boom Patrol Boat drop footage http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/1060008091
It looks like the IWM has Baseball trials footage (mis-identified as Highball), but it doesn't seem to be on line http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/1060028926

 

[Grey Havoc]

With regards to actual Highball trials, some information can be found here. (Page 5/PDF pg 9)