secret B Bomb trial

[robinbird]

Who invented the B Bomb? Not the bouncing bomb but the buoyancy bomb. This ingenious weapon was invented by a boffin at RAE Farnborough. Dropped from an aircraft it went under the warship's hull then exploded under the ship's soft underbelly. Dad photographed this top secret trial for the Marine Aircraft Experimental Establishment. He worked for the Government as a civilian photographer assigned to both the MAEE and AFEE. Researching trials he covered can be difficult as he had signed the official secret act. There is no official record of his service. Fortunately, I have flying log records he kept and spoken with people who served with him. Alas all deceased

 

[PMN1]

Not sure where these are from sorry

 

[CJGibson]

Is this any relation to Johnnie Walker?

Chris

 

[PMN1]

Different weapon, the image is from

"Bombs Gone. The development and use of British air-dropped weapons from 1912 to the present day

https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/johhny-walker-anyone.38414/

 

[robinbird]

100 per cent

 

[robinbird]

 

[EwenS]

Details of the 250lb B bomb can be found in this 1946 Ordnance Manual to be found on the Bulletpicker site. Diagram is as above.
https://bulletpicker.com/pdf/OP-1665.pdf#page=66

 

[Dilandu]

Essentially, the idea was elegant, but it required far too accurate aiming and precise time calculations - including such elements as enemy ship speed, that could not be controlled - that it was just too unreliable to actually use.

P.S. Several types of oscillating floating mines (which could rise and sunk several times), AFAIK, were developed during World War II to use against enemy harbors. The idea was, that the mine that rise and sunk would be far less obvious that floating on surface one, and could hit enemy ship in belly during rising, instead of hitting protected side. As far as I know, the results of limited use was not reassuring.