| Accession Number | P04387.005 |
|---|---|
| Collection type | Photograph |
| Object type | Negative |
| Maker |
Unknown |
| Place made | United Kingdom: England, Lincolnshire, Bardney |
| Date made | c October - November 1944 |
| Conflict |
Second World War, 1939-1945 |
| Copyright |
Item copyright: Copyright expired - public domain
|
Five 12,000 pound Tallboy bombs in a bomb dump at 9 Squadron, RAF. A sixth bomb is waiting on a ...
Description
Five 12,000 pound Tallboy bombs in a bomb dump at 9 Squadron, RAF. A sixth bomb is waiting on a bomb trailer in the background. The Tallboy was designed by Dr Barnes Wallis as a heavy cased, deep penetration bomb that attained the speed of sound during descent. It was equipped with angled fins which spun the bomb and a delayed action fuse allowed the bomb to penetrate deeply into the ground before exploding, thus causing massive shock waves that would shake down nearby structures such as bridges and railway tunnels. It was also very effective at penetrating thick concrete and armoured steel plate. Tallboys were 6.35 metres (21 feet) in length, .95 metres (3 feet 2 inches) in diameter and carried 2,358 kilograms (5,200 pounds) of Torpex explosive. These types of bombs were carried by converted Lancaster bombers of 9 and 617 Squadrons, RAF, and were used to attack the German battleship Tirpitz. Three raids using Tallboy bombs were made against the Tirpitz in 1944 (September, October and November). In the last raid on 12 November 1944, Tirpitz was struck by three Tallboys, which caused massive damage and capsized the battleship, killing nearly 1,000 German sailors.