4000lb Cookie

[andy wis]

Hello Forumites
In the 12 Sqn ORB, reference is made to “4000lb HCN Inst” to the bomb loading of
a MkII Wellington. What did that HCN Inst mean?
tia
AndyWis

[JDCAVE]

HC “High Capacity”
I had always thought the “N” referred to “Nose” but now don’t believe that is correct.
“Inst” refers to Instantaneous Fusing.

My take.

Jim

[andy wis]

Hello, Jim
my deduction exactly.
Thanks for that
Andy

[robin bird]

We are on adjacent postings...MAEE RAF Helensburgh tested 4000 lb high capacity bombs but there is no reference to N in reports I have. Various casings and fuses were tested.

[andy wis]

My reference to the HCN Inst bomb came fro 12 Sqn ORB Record of Events Aug 1942
Andy

[COL BRUGGY]

Hello Forumites
In the 12 Sqn ORB, reference is made to “4000lb HCN Inst” to the bomb loading of
a MkII Wellington. What did that HCN Inst mean?
tia
AndyWis

Andy,

Would you mind giving us the precise reference you quoted in the 12 Sqn ORB - Year/Month/F540/1,Image No XX of XXX?

Col.

[ianh]

High Capacity, nose-fused, instantaneous detonation sounds reasonable?

[andy wis]

Hello, Col
The references are:
F541. 1942. August. 6/7th. A/C Z8656/E. Sgt Hart. Tgt Duisberg

or: August. 9/10. A/C. W5399/G. F/S Francis. Tgt. Osnabruck

Any good?
Andy

[JDCAVE]

High Capacity, nose-fused, instantaneous detonation sounds reasonable?

Agreed. So I’ve come back to “Nose”. Still not certain.

Jim

[JDCAVE]

Dad carried 4000 lb cookies on 75% of his despatched operations, some aborted, some recalled. On most of these, the ORB records “4000 lb H.C.N.I.” Sometimes, the filling is recorded, “Amatol”, “Trinatol”, “TNT” or “Minol”. For Goch, it’s spelled out “HC Minol Nose Fused”.

http://heritage.canadiana.ca/view/oo...2/1075?r=0&s=3

I seem to recall dad related the cookie exploded in the air, to maximize the effect of removing the roofs to permit incendiaries to burn inside buildings. Edit:This would suggest some sort of barometric fusing, however, subsequent research indicates to me barometric fuses were highly unlikely and were primarily for Target Indicators and Flares.

Jim