German PuW bombs

GrzeM · 21 June 2005, 09:10 PM

Hi!
Some time ago I discussed with Dan-San the colours of the German PuW bombs. Polish books about aviation armament (PuW bombs were used in Poland till 1939) says, that these bombs were in three colours, each of three variants (normal, night, attack) had different colour - but Dan-San wasn't able to confirm it.
Now I found the photo clearly showing at least two shades of these bombs.

Opinions?
G.

Dan_San_Abbott · 22 June 2005, 06:05 PM

GrzeM:
I found a description of the German P.u.W. bombs were pale blue.
Blue skies,
Dan-San

GrzeM · 22 June 2005, 07:47 PM

Sure, but what about photo?
Dan-San! As far as I know, before your discovery of the 3-colour Albatros camouflage all the descriptions of that planes were "2-colours".
Polish book (which includes original drawings of the PuW bombs cutouts from the original instructions, I scanned some of them for you IIRC) gives three colours: light grey (maybe blue-grey?) for normal bombs, white for night, and yellow for attack bombs. Incendiary bombs were black.

Here are photos from wwi-models.org website and the top one is obviously yellow:
Duxford Museum:

Brussels Museum:

Grzegorz

Dan_San_Abbott · 23 June 2005, 12:12 PM

GrzeM:
The information I have states light blue. There is no reference to other colors. If I recall correctly, you told me the P.U.W.bombs made? in Poland were in the colors and purpose you listed. I wonder why the yellow bomb has the blue fin assembly?
Blue skies,
Dan-San

GrzeM · 25 June 2005, 04:40 AM

No, no, Poles had PuW bombs from German stocks, mostly captured on Poznan/Lawica airbase. We did not produce PuW bombs.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dan_San_Abbott

GrzeM:
The information I have states light blue.
Dan-San

What kind of informations? German documents, captured reports, other?

That bomb on the photo probably has the shell from ground attack bomb and the fins from normal one.

What about the B&W photo from my first post here? Isn't one bomb visibly darker than the others?
G.

GrzeM · 26 June 2005, 07:48 AM

Ground attack bombs had differnet fins than normal ones - more "warped" to cause faster spinning - in order to arm the fuse faster, as these ground attack bombs were dropped from lower level. So I expect that the colours of various fins should be various.
G.

Regulus · 26 June 2005, 08:18 AM

Hi G,

I tend to go along with Dan-San. I have quite a number of photo's for the moment I've been gathering for my new book on the Kagohl units and all the PuW bombs are of one color, there is clearly nothing that indicates two colors.

For the rest, concerning the color itself, I've been thinking it was this blue-greyish color from the Brussels Air Museum ones.
The photo of the bomb at Duxford museum, which I have not seen 'live', looks like a dud or a practice bomb, any idea where they did get it originally ?

Even more curious is that this bomb was to be an attack bomb in this case, something I have it rather difficult with to agree as 100 kg bombs were the kind used by the Kagohl units from high altitude, and even in 1917 most of the bombs they dropped were of 12.5 and 50 kg's.

The white bomb gives a possibility however not before late 1917 or early 1918, and I have only one photo on which can be seen a very clear white bomb, that is on first sight... It is, as you know, dangerous to to conclude colors from these b/w photo's.

Now I know I haven't made it easier

but I think we have a good start for a discussion that may lead us to a better view on their colors...

Best from Johan

Marco_Sommerau · 26 June 2005, 08:58 AM

Hello,
I have one 12,5 kg P. u W. bomb dated 1918 and the fin of another; the first is natural metal, the other was light blue.

GrzeM · 27 June 2005, 06:12 AM

I understand now, that the attack bombs were rather 12,5 kg, and that data about colours applies to the 12,5 kg bombs in particular.
I checked again, and my Polish book states "light grey" for the 100kg bombs.

However, the black and white photo I posted in my first post clearly shows bombs bigger than 12,5 (50 or 100kg I suppose) in two shades of grey.

Don't know about that bomb from Duxford.

Of course I don't state that I KNOW what the colours of the bombs were, I was only intrigued with that original b&w photo showing two shades of bombs, and connected it with the data from the Polish book.

I'd never dare to determine the exact colour from the b&w photo, but in my opinion it is possible to determine from the b&w photos that the two bombs had different colours - if they have on the photo visibly different shade of grey. And this can be clearly seen in that photo on the top.

I'm posting the drawings of the 12,5 kg bombs, lef is the normal bomb, and on the right the attack one. It has visibly different fin.

Thanks for all the informations, and please for opinions about the b&w photo in my first post.
G.