Bomb Bay Dimensions

 

5'-0" wide x 33'-0" lg.(1.52 m x 10.0 m)

 

Bomb Loads

 

Bomb load information was taken from: "The Avro Lancaster" by Francis K. Mason, 1990

 

Bomb loads for non-Pathfinder aircraft varied between aircraft and/or the target being attacked. The most common loads are listed bellow. Bomb loads for Pathfinders generally consisted of Red, Yellow, or Green Target Indicator (TI's) and/or coloured sky marking flares marker flares . However, backers -up also carried small bomb loads were also added.

Area Bombing Raids (Max. Incendiary)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bomber Command Executive Codeword: "ARSON"

Target Type: General

14 Small Bomb Containers (SBC), each loaded with 236 x 4 lb No. 15 Incendiary and No. 15X Explosive Incendiary (1 in 10 mix) bombs. Total bomb load: 14,000 lbs.

Area Bombing Raids (Industrial Demolition)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bomber Command Executive Codeword: "ABNORMAL"

Target Type: Factories, Rail yards, Dockyards

14 x 1,000 lb Medium Case (MC), General Purpose (GP) RDX or US short-finned High Explosive (HE) bombs. With mix of instantaneous (nose-armed) and long-delay (up to 144 hours, tail-armed) fusing.

Area Bombing Raids (Blast, Demolition and Fire)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bomber Command Executive Codeword: "COOKIE/PLUMDUFF"

Target Type: Heavily Industrialised Cities

1 x 4,000 lb Amatol, Minol or Tritonal filled, impact-fused High Capacity (HC) bomb. 3 x 1,000 lb short-finned, short-delay, tail-armed HE bombs, and up to 6 SBC's with 4 lb or 30 lb incendiary bombs.

Area Bombing Raids (Blast and Max. Incendiary)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bomber Command Executive Codeword: "USUAL"

Target Type: General (most common Lanc bomb load)

1 x 4,000 impact-fused HC bomb, and 12 SBC's each loaded with either 24 x 30 lb or 236 x 4 lb No. 15 or 15x incendiary bombs.

Maritime Anti-Submarine Patrol

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bomber Command Executive Codeword: not known

Target Type: Submarines

Emphasis on fuel for long endurance.

6 x 500 lbs and 3 x 250 lbs (Mk. I, II and III) anti-submarine bombs fused for sub-surface detonation, and 5 x 250 lbs SAP bombs, tail-armed with 0-2 sec. delay for surface attack (not used after 1942)

Medium-Range Low-Level Attacks

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bomber Command Executive Codeword: not known

Target Type: General

6 x 1,000 lb MC or GP bombs, tail-armed with mix of 11 sec to 60 min delay fusing. Capacity limited (in 1942) by dependence on long-finned bombs, up to 3 x 250 lb, GP bombs sometimes added.

Carpet Bombing of Tactical Targets

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bomber Command Executive Codeword: "No-BALL" (for V1 sites)

Target Type: V1 and radar sites, armour concentrations

1 x 4,000 lb HC, impact fused bomb (Cookie) and up to 18 x 500 lb MC or GP bombs, short-finned with mixed instantaneous and delay fusing.

Raids On Docks, Fortifications, Ships, Etc.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bomber Command Executive Codeword: "PIECE"

Target Type: Docks, Fortifications, Ships, etc.

Up to 6 x 2,000 lb armour piecing bombs with 0.05 sec delay, tail fusing, 3 x 500 lb MC, SAP or GP, or 250 lb GP bombs frequently added.

Air-Sea Mine Laying Sorties

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bomber Command Executive Codeword: "GARDENING"

Target Type: Docks, Ports, Seaways

Up to 6 x 1,850 lb parachute mines with magnetic and/or acoustic actuation.

Area Bombing Raids (Blast and Demolition)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bomber Command Executive Codeword: "TALLBOY"

Target Type: Submarine Pens, Battleship Tirpitz.

1 x 12,000 lb deep penetration, spin-stabilised bomb containing approx. 5,760 lb of Torpex D. Usually with trip-fused 0.01 sec delay. Carried by Lancaster's with bulged bomb doors.

Raids On Exceptionally Strong Structures.

Area Bombing Raids (Blast and Demolition)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bomber Command Executive Codeword: PLUMDUFF-PLUS

Target Type: Heavily industrial areas.

1 x Mk.I or Mk.II 8,000 lbs HC containing 6,361 lbs of Amatex, with barometric or impact fuse and up to 6 x 500 lbs MC or GP bombs with instantaneous or long-delay fusing.

Bomber Command Executive Codeword: "GRAND SLAM"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bomber Command Executive Codeword: "GRAND SLAM"

Target Type: Submarine Pens, Underground Factories

1 x 22,000 lb deep penetration, spin-stabilised bomb containing approx. 11,000 lbs of Torpex D. Carried only by Lancaster 1 (special) with bomb doors, mid-upper turret and much equipment discarded to limits aircraft weight.

Lancaster: Bomb Loads

Updated: February 2008