SC 50
Sc 50bi
TypeGeneral-purpose bomb
Place of origin Nazi Germany
Service history
Used byLuftwaffe
WarsWorld War II
Production history
Variantsbi, Ja, JB, JC, J, J/2, L
Specifications
Mass55 kg (121 lb)
Length1.09 m (3 ft 7 in)
Diameter203 mm (8 in)[1]
WarheadAmatol
Trotyl
Trialen
Warhead weight16.4 kg (36 lb)
Detonation
mechanism
Transverse fuze[1]

The SC 50 (Sprengbombe Cylindrisch) or cylindrical explosive bomb in English was a family of general-purpose bombs used by the Luftwaffe during World War II.

Design

The SC50 bomb has eight variants and multiple ways they were manufactured from one-piece drawn steel bodies to separate steel pieces welded together and their total weight was 48 kilograms (106 lb) to 55 kilograms (121 lb).[1] The bomb was usually filled with a mixture of 40% amatol and 60% Trotyl, but when used as an anti-shipping bomb it was filled with Trialen, a mixture of 15% hexogen, 70% Trotyl and 15% aluminium powder. The SC 50 could be fitted with either an anti-ricochet adapter for anti-ship use or a Stabo Spike that kept the bomb upright and exploded the bomb before it buried itself for anti-personnel use. It could be vertically or horizontally suspended in a bomb bay or horizontally mounted on a wing or fuselage hardpoint.[1]

Variants

Standard

Data for SC 50 Bi bomb[2]
Metric
Overall Length 46.1 inches (1,171 mm)
Body Length 30.0 inches (762 mm)
Body Diameter 7.9 inches (201 mm)
Tail Width 16.1 inches (409 mm)
Filling Weight 24.4 kilograms (54 lb)
Total Weight 55 kilograms (121 lb)
Charge/Weight Ratio 45.75%
Explosive Filling Cast Trotyl, Amatol or Trialen
Bomb Type High Explosive
  • (SC 50 Bi) Single piece cast steel body which is machined down. All fittings are welded into place. A single transverse fuze pocket is located slightly forward of the horizontal lug. The fuze pocket is secured to the opposite wall with a single weld. The fuze pocket will accommodate two picric pellets along with a normal sized electric fuze. The nose has threading which will accommodate an eye-bolt utilized for vertical suspension. A shock plate (similar to a kopfring) may be welded to the bomb nose in an attempt to prevent ricochet when utilized against targets located in the water.[2]

Grade I

Data for SC 50 Ja, L, Stabo bomb[2]
Metric
Overall Length Ja and L 1090mm (43.3 in), Stabo 1570mm (61.8 in)
Body Length 760mm (30 in)
Body Diameter 200mm (8 in)
Tail Width 280mm (11 in)
Tail Length 409mm (16.1 in)
Filling Weight 21.0 kilograms (46 lb) to 25.0 kilograms (55 lb)
Total Weight 48 kilograms (106 lb) to 55 kilograms (121 lb)
Charge/Weight Ratio 46%
Explosive Filling Trotyl, powdered Amatol or cast Trialen
Bomb Type High Explosive
  • (SC 50 Ja) The Ja variant is made from a one-piece drawn steel body.
  • (SC 50 L) The L variant is the same as the Ja variant with the exception that its body is made from seamless tubular steel.[2]
  • (SC 50 Stabo) The Stabo variant is also like the Ja variant with the exception that it has a threaded lug forged to the nose of the bomb allowing for an 18.5 inches (470 mm) steel spike which is 1.8 inches (46 mm) in diameter to be secured to the lug which allows the bomb to detonate before burrowing into the ground, typically at a height of a person.[2]

Grade II

Data for SC 50 J, JB, JC, J/1 bomb[2]
Metric
Overall Length 1090mm (43.3 in)
Body Length 670mm (26.4 in)
Body Diameter 200mm (8 in)
Tail Width 280mm (11 in)
Tail Length 409mm (16.1 in)
Filling Weight 21.0 kilograms (46 lb) to 25.0 kilograms (55 lb)
Total Weight 48 kilograms (106 lb) to 55 kilograms (121 lb)
Charge/Weight Ratio 46%
Explosive Filling Trotyl, powdered Amatol or cast Trialen
Bomb Type High Explosive
  • (SC 50 J) The J was made as a one-piece nose and body with the base welded to the body.[2]
  • (SC 50 JB) The JB variant is the later model of the J variant, with identical construction.[2]
  • (SC 50 JC) The JC variant was composed of two pieces, nose and body. The nose was made of pressed steel and the body was made of drawn steel. The nose and base plate were welded to the body of the bomb body.[2]
  • (SC 50 J/2) The J/2 variant was similar to the JC variant with the exception of the quality of steel used for manufacturing. This variant was only produced in limited quantities.[2]

2015 Wembley bomb

In May 2015 an SC 50 was unearthed at a building site on Empire Way in Wembley, London. The bomb was dropped during The Blitz on London by the Luftwaffe in 1940. Bomb disposal experts from 11 Explosive Ordnance Disposal in the Royal Logistic Corps attempted to defuse it, however, the disarming was unsuccessful and the bomb was later removed and safely detonated at a secret location.[3]

In the Dad's Army episode "Something Nasty in the Vault", an unexploded SC50 traps Captain Mainwaring and Sergeant Wilson in the bank vault.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "LUFTWAFFE RESOURCE CENTER". Warbirds Resource Group. 2013. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Technical Manual 9-1985-2 German Explosive Ordnance (Bombs, Fuzes, Rockets, Land Mines, Grenades and Igniters)" (PDF). March 1953. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 January 2019. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
  3. ↑ Rawlinson, Kevin (22 May 2015). "Bomb found 200m from Wembley stadium safely detonated by army". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 March 2019.

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