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The Whatzis, revealed...

By The Armorer on August 21, 2006 | | Comments (6)

Bgy57 comes in from nowhere (he's new to me, anyway) and nails it.

An incomplete Sprengbombe Dickwandig 2kg, better known as the Butterfly Bomb. Stop laughing like teenagers you immature weenies.

I was prepared to offer up this hint, and then this one, and finally this one, if needed. But it wasn't. We have a reader who knows his obscure WWII German bombs.

Sprengbombe Dickwandig 2kg

We were so impressed with it - we copied it ourselves.

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6 Comments

By Were-Kitten on August 21, 2006 8:12 AM
Judging by the German name of that bomb, I'd say the second word is right. Looks just like a swinging "dickwandig" to me.... yep.
 
By Trias on August 21, 2006 9:13 AM
the spring bomb thick wall? Amuse us on how it works or i'll assume stepping on it make the hammer fly out to bop your head. Sounds like my early brainfart of rabbit trap wasn't that far off.
 
By John of Argghhh! on August 21, 2006 9:34 AM
Actually, Trias, your first answer was correct, simply incomplete. That particular component was indeed a stabilizer. The linked articles explain the operation fairly well - but it was an early form of cluster bomb. The casing opened at a preset altitude, dispensing these submunitions, which deployed the vanes to slow down and disperse the bomblets to cover a greater area than a conventional bomb.
 
By MajMike on August 21, 2006 1:02 PM
wow. that is some goofy looking stuff they came up with. but if it works.... from looking at the diagrams, one would think that the end plates on the "sproingy-opened" (German technical term) ends of it would be rounded like the ends of a #10 can. but your pix have it looking more angular like...
 
By John of Argghhh! on August 21, 2006 1:59 PM
MajMike - no, mine is incomplete. It's missing the part you describe - see the link to the US version - which has a picture of a german bomb (though a later mark of same) than the one in my pictures.
 
By bgy57 on August 21, 2006 10:10 PM
Actually I'm ex USMC EOD. I was working a range clearance in Hoenfels back in 2000 (1st CivDiv) when I rolled one out in my shovel. It turned out o be one of three we found that were kickout from disposal ops when the range was active. All were fused but missing the "wings". We did find the straps that held the munitions together while they were loaded in the bomb casing.
 
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