WW 2 Bombers Exploding

[BreakingBad]

I've read or heard eyewitness accounts of WW2 bombers exploding or rather nearly vaporizing under fire.

I imagine the main cause would have been flak, 88-mm sized, however it seems that an explosion from an 88 round might blow up a plane, set it alight, etc, but it doesn't seem that size round would 'vaporize' an airplane the size of a bomber.

I wonder if anti-aircraft fire either flak or plane to plane ever ignited the ordinance inside the plane, causing a the massive explosions.  For example a direct hit on a 500 or 1000 lb bomb exploding, and in turn setting off the other bombs nearly simultaneously.

[MiloMorai]

It hasn't been confirmed but the Halifax with 11,000lb of bombs my name sake was in is said to have blown up. The crew is still MIA.

[Ack-Ack]

Not all German flak was of the 88mm variety, they had larger caliber AA guns as well.

ack-ack

[Scherf]

There are pics "out there" of both day and night bombers disappearing in a gigantic flash - other crews speculated it was a direct hit on the bombload. Certainly the RAF's "cookie" was said to be delicate, IIRC it could not reliably be disposed of "safe" if the bomber had to RTB before attacking.

[BERN1]

an exploding round directly into a fuel tank sounds bad,not to mention all the bombs

[oakranger]

There are pics "out there" of both day and night bombers disappearing in a gigantic flash - other crews speculated it was a direct hit on the bombload. Certainly the RAF's "cookie" was said to be delicate, IIRC it could not reliably be disposed of "safe" if the bomber had to RTB before attacking.

I have seen films of that.  It would make sense for a direct hit on the bomb load would do it.

[titanic3]

Painless way to go.  

Found a pic of a Lancaster:

http://lancasterdiary.net/Sep%201944%20plus/september_12_1944.php

[Ack-Ack]

He-111 caught just as it was exploding into a ball of flames over London during a night time raid in 1940.


ack-ack

[GScholz]

Saw an interview with a German 110G night-fighter pilot. He said that when using the jazz guns there was a danger of hitting the bombs (they aimed at the inner wing section on the Lanc) and the bomber could explode. The standard procedure was therefore to only fire a three second burst and then immediately break away.

[GScholz]

Looks like that He 111 was carrying a load of incendiaries.

[Ack-Ack]

Looks like that He 111 was carrying a load of incendiaries.

Probably, it was taken in December of 1940 during the first Blitz.

ack-ack

[Butcher]

Germans had 12.8cm Flak guns, there's a photo somewhere of a B-24 taking a direct hit and exploding over a target, no crew members survived, this was a case they believe it must of hit armed 500lb bombs.

[guncrasher]

I read a book cant remember which one about a either a 163 or 262 pilot armed with rockets that hit a b17 and the explosion caused another 10 or 12 nearby bombers to explode too.  the bombs were armed and they were just about to be dropped.  lost about 800 guys to a single airplane.  the guy got shot down by mustangs if I recall as they chasing him all the way to the base.  he crashed trying to land and burned.


semp

[Guppy35]

I read a book cant remember which one about a either a 163 or 262 pilot armed with rockets that hit a b17 and the explosion caused another 10 or 12 nearby bombers to explode too.  the bombs were armed and they were just about to be dropped.  lost about 800 guys to a single airplane.  the guy got shot down by mustangs if I recall as they chasing him all the way to the base.  he crashed trying to land and burned.


semp

800 guys?  I've never heard that one.  Even if 12 planes went down you are talking 120 guys if it's ten man crews, and 108 if they were 9 man.  If you find that story, please fill in the details.

[Guppy35]

This was a flak hit in the bomb bay.  Merseberg, November 44.   The first day of DGS