It is recommended to use the voice broadcast function of the APP to listen to historical stories anytime and anywhere
In the spring of 1945, as the sun began to warm the British land, an unusual bombing mission unfolded quietly over the new forest in southwest Hampshire. On that day, a RAF Lancaster bomber hovered over the forest like a giant iron bird, with a mysterious and powerful mission, ready to drop an unprecedented giant bomb on a target on the ground.
Various bombs used by the RAF, the last of which was the "Grand Slam" bomb
The bomb, with its black-and-white shell glittering coldly in the sunlight, pierced the sky like a meteor at nearly the speed of sound, spinning and swooping towards the ground. Moments later, with a deafening loud bang and a violent tremor of the ground, the bomb fell deep into the soft earth and disappeared. The blast wave of the explosion instantly reduced the surrounding vegetation to nothing, leaving only the upturned dirt scattered in the air.
Barnes Wallis, who was standing on the sidelines, witnessed all this, and a satisfied smile appeared on his face. As Britain's most prominent inventor of unconventional bombs, he knew the power and precision of the bomb. Two years ago, his bouncing bomb successfully blew down two dams on the Ruhr River, and now he designed the "Grand Slam" bomb to push the brutality of war to new heights.
Barnes Wallis, British Aeronautical Engineer, Sir Brown.
Nine months ago, the scene of the first actual combat operation of the "tall cabinet" bomb is still vivid. It was a 6.4-meter-long, 5.5-ton superbomb that was a revolution that changed the face of war. The most glorious achievement was the sinking of the German battleship Tirpitz on November 12, 1944, which was undoubtedly a heavy blow to the enemy.
Wallis didn't stop there, however. On the basis of the "tall cabinet", he designed a larger and more fierce "Grand Slam" bomb. This bomb is 8 meters long, weighs 10 tons, and has a thicker shell than conventional bombs. It is unique in that it is able to penetrate ground obstacles with its absolute weight and the kinetic energy of falling from a high altitude before detonation, causing a huge explosion deep underground.
The British Army's Grand Slam bomb, 22,000 pounds, 8.08 meters high and 1.17 meters in diameter, is commonly called a seismic bomb.
"Tall cabinets" and "grand slams" can be described as the pioneers of modern earthquake weapons. Did you know that the destructive power caused by these two weapons is much less attenuated by the transmission of shock waves underground than in the air, so their "fists" are harder and more destructive. Their goal is not simply to kill the enemy, but to accurately destroy critical infrastructure and military targets, such as railways, bridges, tunnels, and even V-missile bases and U-boat bunkers.
Speaking of the "Grand Slam" bomb, it is really the most powerful conventional weapon in British history. The test in the new forest was its "debut" before it was put into actual combat. The test results made people's eyes light up, and in the afternoon of the same day, two specially made Lancaster bombers, hanging "Grand Slam" bombs, like two Rocs, went straight to a railway viaduct in Bielefeld, Germany, ready to give the enemy a "dismount."
The Lancaster bomber is a combat aircraft.
However, these two planes have undergone special modifications, the landing gear has been reinforced, the front turret and the middle and upper turrets have also been removed, the crew has been reduced from seven to five, and even the bomb bay door has been removed, so that a "Grand Slam" bomb can barely be stuffed. The pilots on the mission were Colonel John Faukeir, Captain of the 617th Squadron of the Royal Air Force, and Lieutenant Colonel Charles Calder, the deputy captain, who were the best of the best. They took off with high morale, but unfortunately, the clouds over the target were too thick, and the mission had to be canceled.
The next afternoon, the two set off again, and Fourkill's engine had gone wrong during a pre-takeoff inspection. He was so anxious that he wanted to jump off the plane and snatch Calder's plane. But Calder is so smart, he has already seen his little ninety-nine, and hurriedly took off the plane.
The P-51 fighter is an American propeller fighter.
The damage caused by the "Grand Slam" bomb to the Bielefeld railway viaduct can be said to be a major event in World War II. Did you know that Calder was the only pilot to carry the "Grand Slam" bomb during this operation, and he was accompanied by 14 bombers with "tall cabinet" bombs and escort P-51 "Mustang" fighters. They are like an invincible air force formation, ready to deliver a fatal blow to the enemy.
At 4:30 p.m., with clear skies and a wide field of vision, Calder dropped the 10-ton "Grand Slam" bomb from a height of 3,655 meters. Because of the instantaneous weight reduction of the fuselage, it actually jumped 150 meters upward, which was like an aerial giant suddenly unloading its heavy burden and taking off easily into the air. Other bombers also dropped bombs, but it was the "Grand Slam" bomb that really played a key role.
The damage caused by the "Grand Slam" bomb to the Bielefeld railway viaduct
With an 11-second delayed fuse, the giant bomb drilled into the ground like a precision missile, exactly under one of the pillars of the railway bridge. Immediately afterwards, a loud bang shook the earth, and the huge explosion force blew down five arches of the viaduct, with a length of more than 150 meters. It's amazing to imagine that once sturdy railway bridge being instantly reduced to a pile of ruins under the power of the "Grand Slam" bomb.
Did you know that before that, the Allies had bombed the Bielefeld railway viaduct 54 times, dropping more than 3,500 tons of bombs, but none of them caused substantial damage to the bridge. And this time, just one "Grand Slam" bomb paralyzed the bridge until after the war. The severance of the main artery of rail transport from northern Germany to the Ruhr region was undoubtedly worse for Nazi Germany, which greatly hastened their demise.
"Grand Slam" bomb
In the final weeks of World War II, the RAF dropped a total of 42 "Grand Slam" bombs on nine locations in Germany, with six each dropped by Fokiel and Calder. These huge bombs exploded underground one after another, not only destroying key facilities such as German batteries, submarine bunkers and railway bridges, but also destroying the morale of countless German troops.
After the war, Britain had 57 "Grand Slam" bombs left, but they were never used in real combat again. So far, only five of them remain, which are treasured in several museums in the United Kingdom, as exhibits for people to visit and reminisce about that period of history.
The lethality of the horror of the "Grand Slam" bomb
Technology is like a double-edged sword in war, you say it's powerful, indeed! Wallis this guy, with a turn of his brain, used the power of science in the war, and let the Allies win. But what about the other side of this sword? It is a bloody disaster, which makes people feel heartbroken.
This past incident has sounded the alarm bell: Although science and technology are good, they must also be used on the right path! Remember history, cherish peace, and never let this kind of tragedy happen again. In the face of the rapid development of science and technology, we must have a moral bottom line, a sense of responsibility, and ensure that science and technology serve the common interests of mankind.
The lethality of the horror of the "Grand Slam" bomb
In other words, it is not easy for these scientists, who pursue scientific truth, but also have to pay attention to the impact of science and technology on society. They have to be both explorers of knowledge and promoters of social development. So I have to give a thumbs up to these scientists and thank them for their contributions!
Readers, what do you think? The power of science and technology in warfare also shocks you? Come and leave a message to share your opinions!
History is a never-ending stage, with endless stories unfolded