Bomb: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|Explosive weapon that uses exothermic reaction}}

{{otheruses}}

{{About|the explosive}}

{{Redirect|Bombing|artillery and aerial bombing|bombardment|other uses|The Bombing (disambiguation)}}

{{pp-semi-indef}}

[[File:Saarlouis Bombe.jpg|thumb|An iron [[grenade]] with a wooden [[fuse (explosives)|fuse]] from 1580]]

A '''bomb''' is an [[explosive weapon]] that uses the [[Exothermic process|exothermic reaction]] of an [[explosive material]] to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of [[energy]]. [[Detonation]]s inflict damage principally through ground- and atmosphere-transmitted [[stress (mechanics)|mechanical stress]], the impact and penetration of pressure-driven projectiles, pressure damage, and explosion-generated effects.<ref name="Milstein 2008">{{cite book|last=Milstein|first=Randall L.|title=Forensic Science|url=https://archive.org/details/forensicscience00emba|url-access=limited|chapter=Bomb damage assessment|editor=Ayn Embar-seddon |editor2=Allan D. Pass |publisher=Salem Press|year=2008|page=[https://archive.org/details/forensicscience00emba/page/n185 166]|isbn=978-1-58765-423-7}}</ref> Bombs have been utilized since the 11th century starting in [[East Asia]].<ref name="Connolly"/>

The term ''bomb'' is not usually applied to explosive devices used for [[civilian]] purposes such as [[construction]] or [[mining]], although the people using the devices may sometimes refer to them as a "bomb". The military use of the term "bomb", or more specifically [[aerial bomb]] action, typically refers to airdropped, unpowered explosive weapons most commonly used by [[air force]]s and [[naval aviation]]. Other military explosive weapons not classified as "bombs" include [[shell (projectile)|shells]], [[depth charge]]s (used in water), or [[land mine]]s. In [[unconventional warfare]], other names can refer to a range of offensive weaponry. For instance, in recent [[asymmetric warfare|asymmetric]] conflicts, homemade bombs called "[[improvised explosive device]]s" (IEDs) have been employed by [[irregular forces]] to great effectiveness.

[[Image:MOAB bomb.jpg|250px|thumb|The [[Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb|Massive Ordnance Air Blast]] (MOAB) bomb, produced in the [[United States]].]]

A '''bomb''' is an [[explosion|explosive]] device that, although not containing more [[energy]] than ordinary [[fuel]], except in the case of a [[nuclear weapon]], generates and releases its energy very rapidly, as a violent, destructive [[shock wave]]. It is usually some kind of container filled with [[explosive material]], designed to cause random destruction when set off. The word comes from the [[Greek language|Greek word]] ''βόμβος'' (''bombos''), an [[Onomatopoeia|onomatopoetic]] term with approximately the same meaning as "boom" in [[English language|English]].

The word comes from the [[Latin]] {{lang|la|bombus}}, which in turn comes from the [[Greek language|Greek]] {{lang|grc|βόμβος}} [[romanized]] {{Transliteration|grc|bombos}},<ref>[https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0057%3Aentry%3Dbo%2Fmbos βόμβος] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131107082014/http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0057%3Aentry%3Dbo%2Fmbos |date=2013-11-07 }}, Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, ''A Greek-English Lexicon'', on Perseus</ref> an [[onomatopoeia|onomatopoetic]] term meaning 'booming', 'buzzing'.

These are first and foremost weapons; the term "bomb" is not usually applied to explosive devices used for [[civilian]] purposes, such as [[construction]] or [[mining]], although the people using the devices may or may not sometimes refer to them as bombs. Many military explosive devices are not called "bombs". The military mostly calls airdropped, unpowered explosive weapons "bombs," and such bombs are normally used by [[air force]]s and naval aviation. Other military explosive devices are called [[grenade]]s, such as [[hand grenade]]s), [[Shell (projectile)|shells]], [[depth charge]]s, [[warhead]]s when in [[missile]]s, or [[land mine]]s.

[[File:Wind and dust bomb.jpg|thumb|180px|A "wind-and-dust" bomb depicted in the [[Ming Dynasty]] book ''[[Huolongjing]]''. The pot contains a tube of gunpowder, and was thrown at invaders.<ref name="Needham1986">{{cite book|first=Joseph |last=Needham|title=Military Technology: The Gunpowder Epic|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hNcZJ35dIyUC&pg=PR190|year=1986|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-30358-3|pages=189–190|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160826100156/https://books.google.com/books?id=hNcZJ35dIyUC&pg=PR190|archive-date=2016-08-26}}</ref>]]

==History==

They have been used for centuries in [[warfare]] and are a central part of a [[terrorism|terrorist's]] arsenal. They fall into three distinct categories: ''conventional'' if filled with [[chemical reaction|chemical]] explosives, ''dispersive'' if filled with [[submunition]]s, chemicals or other disruptive agents which are spread on or shortly before impact, or ''nuclear'' if relying on [[nuclear fission]] or [[nuclear fusion]] for their effect.

{{see also|History of gunpowder}}

[[File:Bombs at Ningyuan.jpg|thumb|180px|right|An illustration depicting bombs thrown at Manchu assault ladders during the siege of Ningyuan, from the book ''Thai Tsu Shih Lu Thu'' (Veritable Records of the Great Ancestor) written in 1635. The bombs are known as "thunder crash bombs."<ref name="Needham1974">{{cite book|author=Joseph Needham|title=Science and Civilisation in China: Military technology : the gunpowder epic|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BZxSnd2Xyb0C&pg=PA191|year=1974|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-30358-3|page=191|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160826083747/https://books.google.com/books?id=BZxSnd2Xyb0C&pg=PA191|archive-date=2016-08-26}}</ref>]]

[[Image:TimeBombInAPipe.jpg|right|frame|Device originally thought to be a pipe bomb, found to be a time bomb. From a United States government publication.]]

Gunpowder bombs had been mentioned since the 11th century. In 1000 AD, a soldier by the name of Tang Fu (唐福) demonstrated a design of gunpowder pots (a proto-bomb which spews fire) and gunpowder caltrops, for which he was richly rewarded.{{sfn|Andrade|2016|p=32}} In the same year, Xu Dong wrote that trebuchets used bombs that were like "flying fire", suggesting that they were incendiaries.{{sfn|Needham|1986|p=148}} In the military text ''[[Wujing Zongyao]]'' of 1044, bombs such as the "ten-thousand fire flying sand magic bomb", "burning heaven fierce fire unstoppable bomb", and "thunderclap bomb" (''pilipao'') were mentioned. However these were soft-shell bombs and did not use metal casings.{{sfn|Andrade|2016|p=16}}{{sfn|Needham|1986|p=169}}

Experts commonly distinguish between civilian and military bombs. The latter are almost always mass-produced weapons, developed and constructed to a standard design out of standard components and intended to be deployed in a standard way each time. By contrast, terrorist bombs are usually custom-made, developed to any number of designs, use a wide range of explosives of varying levels of power and chemical stability, and are used in many different ways. For this reason, they are generally referred to as [[improvised explosive device]]s (IEDs).

Bombs made of cast iron shells packed with explosive gunpowder date to 13th century China.<ref name="needham"/> Explosive bombs were used in East Asia in 1221, by a [[Jin dynasty (1115–1234)|Jurchen Jin]] army against a [[Song dynasty|Chinese Song]] city.<ref name="Connolly">{{cite book|author=Peter Connolly|title=The Hutchinson Dictionary of Ancient and Medieval Warfare|date=1 November 1998|publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn=978-1-57958-116-9|page=356}}<!--|access-date=29 September 2012--></ref> The term for this explosive bomb seems to have been coined the "[[thunder crash bomb]]" during a [[Jin dynasty (1115–1234)|Jin dynasty]] (1115–1234) naval battle in 1231 against the [[Mongols]].<ref name="needham">Needham, Joseph. (1987). ''Science and Civilization in China: Volume 5, Chemistry and Chemical Technology, Part 7, Military Technology; the Gunpowder Epic''. Cambridge University Press. pp. 170–174.</ref>

The most powerful bomb in existence is the [[hydrogen bomb]], a [[nuclear weapon]]. The most powerful bombs ever used in combat were the two nuclear bombs dropped by the United States to attack Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The most powerful non-nuclear bomb is the [[United States Air Force]]'s [[MOAB]] (Massive Ordnance Air Blast).

[[File:てつはう（震天雷）.JPG|thumb|left|[[Thunder crash bomb]]s from the [[Mongol invasions of Japan]] (13th century) that were excavated from a shipwreck near the [[Liancourt Rocks]]]]

The most powerful bomb ever was [[Tsar Bomba]]: ca. 50 Mt; it had a mass of 27 tons; it was dropped from a bomber for a test, but was for various reasons not very suitable for combat.

The ''History of Jin'' (金史) (compiled by 1345) states that in 1232, as the Mongol general [[Subutai]] (1176–1248) descended on the Jin stronghold of [[Kaifeng]], the defenders had a "[[thunder crash bomb]]" which "consisted of gunpowder put into an iron container&nbsp;... then when the fuse was lit (and the projectile shot off) there was a great explosion the noise whereof was like thunder, audible for more than thirty miles, and the vegetation was scorched and blasted by the heat over an area of more than [[Chinese units of measurement#Area|half a ''mou'']]. When hit, even [[Chinese armour|iron armour]] was quite pierced through."<ref name="needham"/>

The first hydrogen bomb [[Ivy Mike]] (10.4 Mt) was even heavier in mass, 82 tons. It was too heavy to be deliverable by a plane or rocket, and therefore not very suitable for an attack.

The Song Dynasty (960–1279) official Li Zengbo wrote in 1257 that [[arsenal]]s should have several hundred thousand iron bomb shells available and that when he was in [[Jingzhou]], about one to two thousand were produced each month for dispatch of ten to twenty thousand at a time to [[Xiangyang District, Xiangfan|Xiangyang]] and Yingzhou.<ref name="needham"/> The Ming Dynasty text ''[[Huolongjing]]'' describes the use of poisonous gunpowder bombs, including the "wind-and-dust" bomb.<ref name="Needham1986"/>

Another type of bomb is called an EMP (Electro-Magnetic Pulse) and its primary function is to terminate all working electrical equpmint in the vicinity. Its power can range from one machine to an entire state.

During the [[Mongol invasions of Japan]], the Mongols used the explosive "thunder-crash bombs" against the Japanese. Archaeological evidence of the "thunder-crash bombs" has been discovered in an underwater shipwreck off the shore of Japan by the Kyushu Okinawa Society for Underwater Archaeology. X-rays by Japanese scientists of the excavated shells confirmed that they contained gunpowder.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Delgado|first=James|title=Relics of the Kamikaze|journal=Archaeology|date=February 2003|volume=56|issue=1|publisher=Archaeological Institute of America|url=http://archive.archaeology.org/0301/etc/kamikaze.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131229155139/http://archive.archaeology.org/0301/etc/kamikaze.html|archive-date=2013-12-29}}</ref>

==Shock==

Explosive [[shock wave]]s can cause situations such as body displacement (i.e., people being thrown through the air), [[dismemberment]], [[internal bleeding]] and ruptured [[eardrum]]s.<ref name="Mlstein 2008">{{cite book|last=Mlstein|first=Randall L.|title=Forensic Science|url=https://archive.org/details/forensicscience00emba|url-access=limited|chapter=Bomb damage assessment|editor=Ayn Embar-seddon |editor2=Allan D. Pass |publisher=Salem Press|year=2008|page=[https://archive.org/details/forensicscience00emba/page/n185 166]|isbn=978-1-58765-423-7}}</ref>

Shock waves produced by explosive events have two distinct components, the positive and negative wave. The positive wave shoves outward from the point of detonation, followed by the trailing vacuum space "sucking back" towards the point of origin as the shock bubble collapses. The greatest defense against shock injuries is distance from the source of shock.<ref>{{cite book |last= Marks |first= Michael E. |title= The Emergency Responder's Guide to Terrorism |publisher= Red Hat Publishing Co., Inc. |year= 2002 |page= 30 |isbn= 1-932235-00-0 }}</ref> As a point of reference, the overpressure at the [[Oklahoma City bombing]] was estimated in the range of {{nowrap|28 [[Pascal (unit)|MPa]].}}<ref>{{Cite news|last= Wong |first= Henry |title= Blast-Resistant Building Design Technology Analysis of its Application to Modern Hotel Design |publisher= WGA Wong Gregerson Architects, Inc. |year= 2002 |page= 5 }}</ref>

==Heat==

A thermal wave is created by the sudden release of heat caused by an explosion. Military bomb tests have documented temperatures of up to 2,480&nbsp;°C (4,500&nbsp;°F). While capable of inflicting severe to catastrophic burns and causing secondary fires, thermal wave effects are considered very limited in range compared to shock and fragmentation. This rule has been challenged, however, by military development of [[thermobaric weapon]]s, which employ a combination of negative shock wave effects and extreme temperature to incinerate objects within the blast radius.

==Fragmentation==

{{main|Fragmentation (weaponry)}}

[[File:Ming Dynasty fragmentation bomb.jpg|thumb|180px|right|An illustration of a fragmentation bomb from the 14th century Ming Dynasty text ''[[Huolongjing]]''. The black dots represent iron pellets.]]

[[Fragmentation (weaponry)|Fragmentation]] is produced by the acceleration of shattered pieces of bomb casing and adjacent physical objects. The use of fragmentation in bombs dates to the 14th century, and appears in the [[Ming Dynasty]] text ''[[Huolongjing]]''. The fragmentation bombs were filled with iron pellets and pieces of broken porcelain. Once the bomb explodes, the resulting fragments are capable of piercing the skin and blinding enemy soldiers.<ref name="nfrag">{{cite book|author=Joseph Needham|title=Military Technology: The Gunpowder Epic|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hNcZJ35dIyUC&pg=PR180|year=1986|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-30358-3|pages=180–181|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160826084851/https://books.google.com/books?id=hNcZJ35dIyUC&pg=PR180|archive-date=2016-08-26}}</ref>

While conventionally viewed as small metal shards moving at super-[[supersonic speed|supersonic]] and [[hypersonic speed|hypersonic]] speeds, fragmentation can occur in epic proportions and travel for extensive distances. When the SS ''Grandcamp'' exploded in the [[Texas City Disaster]] on April 16, 1947, one fragment of that blast was a two-ton anchor which was hurled nearly two miles inland to embed itself in the parking lot of the Pan American refinery.

==Effects on living things==

To people who are close to a blast incident, such as bomb disposal technicians, soldiers wearing body armor, deminers, or individuals wearing little to no protection, there are four types of blast effects on the human body: [[overpressure]] (shock), [[fragmentation (weaponry)|fragmentation]], [[impact (mechanics)|impact]], and [[heat]]. Overpressure refers to the sudden and drastic rise in ambient pressure that can damage the internal organs, possibly leading to permanent damage or death. Fragmentation can also include sand, debris and vegetation from the area surrounding the blast source. This is very common in anti-personnel mine blasts.<ref>Coupland, R.M. (1989). Amputation for antipersonnel mine injuries of the leg: preservation of the tibial stump using a medial gastrocnemius myoplasty. Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England. 71, pp. 405–408.</ref> The projection of materials poses a potentially lethal threat caused by cuts in soft tissues, as well as infections, and injuries to the internal organs. When the overpressure wave impacts the body it can induce violent levels of blast-induced acceleration. Resulting injuries may range from minor to unsurvivable. Immediately following this initial acceleration, deceleration injuries can occur when a person impacts directly against a rigid surface or obstacle after being set in motion by the force of the blast. Finally, injury and fatality can result from the explosive fireball as well as incendiary agents projected onto the body. [[Personal protective equipment]], such as a [[Bombsuit|bomb suit]] or demining ensemble, as well as helmets, visors and foot protection, can dramatically reduce the four effects, depending upon the charge, proximity and other variables.

==Types==

[[File:Pipe bomb 01.svg|thumb|right|Diagram of a simple time bomb in the form of a [[pipe bomb]]]]

[[File:B-61 bomb.jpg|thumb|right|An American [[B61 nuclear bomb|B61]] [[Nuclear weapon|nuclear bomb]] on its loading carriage]]

[[File:ASC Leiden - Coutinho Collection - C 37 - Candjambary, Guinea-Bissau - Unexploded bomb - 1974.tif|thumb|[[Unexploded ordnance|Unexploded]] unguided [[aerial bomb]] with contact fuse used by the [[Portuguese Air Force]], [[Guinea-Bissau War of Independence]], March 1974.]]

Experts commonly distinguish between civilian and military bombs. The latter are almost always mass-produced weapons, developed and constructed to a standard design out of standard components and intended to be deployed in a standard explosive device. [[Improvised explosive device|IEDs]] are divided into three basic categories by basic size and delivery. Type 76, IEDs are hand-carried parcel or suitcase bombs, type 80, are "suicide vests" worn by a bomber, and type 3 devices are vehicles laden with explosives to act as large-scale stationary or self-propelled bombs, also known as [[VBIED]] (vehicle-borne IEDs).{{citation needed|date=May 2013}}

Improvised explosive materials are typically unstable and subject to spontaneous, unintentional detonation triggered by a wide range of environmental effects, ranging from [[impact (mechanics)|impact]] and [[friction]] to [[electrostatic]] shock. Even subtle [[motion (physics)|motion]], change in [[temperature]], or the nearby use of cellphones or radios can trigger an unstable or remote-controlled device. Any interaction with explosive materials or devices by unqualified personnel should be considered a grave and immediate risk of death or dire injury. The safest response to finding an object believed to be an explosive device is to get as far away from it as possible.

Atomic bombs are based on the theory of [[nuclear fission]], that when a large atom splits, it releases a massive amount of energy. [[Thermonuclear weapons]], (colloquially known as "hydrogen bombs") use the energy from an initial [[Teller-Ulam design#Basic principle|fission]] explosion to create an even more powerful [[nuclear fusion|fusion]] explosion.

The term "[[dirty bomb]]" refers to a specialized device that relies on a comparatively low explosive yield to scatter harmful material over a wide area. Most commonly associated with [[radiological]] or chemical materials, dirty bombs seek to kill or injure and then to deny access to a contaminated area until a thorough clean-up can be accomplished. In the case of urban settings, this clean-up may take extensive time, rendering the contaminated zone virtually uninhabitable in the interim.

The power of large bombs is typically measured in [[TNT equivalent|kilotons (kt) or megatons of TNT (Mt)]]. The most powerful bombs ever used in combat were the two atomic bombs [[atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki|dropped by the United States]] to attack [[Hiroshima]] and [[Nagasaki, Nagasaki|Nagasaki]], and the most powerful ever tested was the [[Tsar Bomba]]. The most powerful non-nuclear bomb is [[Russia]]n "[[Father of All Bombs]]" (officially Aviation Thermobaric Bomb of Increased Power (ATBIP))<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSL1155952320070912?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews&rpc=22&sp=true |title=Russia tests superstrength bomb, military says |last=Solovyov |first=Dmitry |date=2007-09-12 |work=Reuters |access-date=2008-06-02 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080419044709/http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSL1155952320070912?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews&rpc=22&sp=true |archive-date=2008-04-19 }}</ref> followed by the [[United States Air Force]]'s [[MOAB]] (officially Massive Ordnance Air Blast, or more commonly known as the "Mother of All Bombs").

Below is a list of five different types of bombs based on the fundamental explosive mechanism they employ.

===Compressed gas===

Relatively small explosions can be produced by pressurizing a container until catastrophic failure such as with a [[dry ice bomb]]. Technically, devices that create explosions of this type can not be classified as "bombs" by the definition presented at the top of this article. However, the explosions created by these devices can cause property damage, injury, or death. Flammable liquids, gasses and gas mixtures dispersed in these explosions may also ignite if exposed to a spark or flame.

===Low explosive===

The simplest and oldest bombs store energy in the form of a [[low explosive]]. [[Black powder]] is an example of a low explosive. Low explosives typically consist of a mixture of an oxidizing salt, such as [[potassium nitrate]] (saltpeter), with solid fuel, such as charcoal or aluminium powder. These compositions deflagrate upon ignition, producing hot gas. Under normal circumstances, this [[deflagration]] occurs too slowly to produce a significant pressure wave; low explosives, therefore, must generally be used in large quantities or confined in a container with a high burst pressure to be useful as a bomb.

===High explosive===

A high explosive bomb is one that employs a process called "[[detonation]]" to rapidly go from an initially high energy molecule to a very low energy molecule.<ref>{{cite web|title=Ring Strain in Cycloalkanes|url=http://orgomadesimple.com/chapter-5-cycloalkanes/|website=Orgo Made Simple|access-date=22 June 2015|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150622201710/http://orgomadesimple.com/chapter-5-cycloalkanes/|archive-date=22 June 2015}}</ref> Detonation is distinct from deflagration in that the chemical reaction propagates faster than the speed of sound (often many times faster) in an intense shock wave. Therefore, the pressure wave produced by a high explosive is not significantly increased by confinement as detonation occurs so quickly that the resulting plasma does not expand much before all the explosive material has reacted. This has led to the development of [[plastic explosive]]. A casing is still employed in some high explosive bombs, but with the purpose of [[Fragmentation (weaponry)|fragmentation]]. Most high explosive bombs consist of an insensitive [[secondary explosive]] that must be detonated with a [[blasting cap]] containing a more sensitive [[primary explosive]].

===Thermobaric===

A [[thermobaric bomb]] is a type of [[explosive weapon|explosive]] that utilizes oxygen from the surrounding air to generate an intense, high-temperature explosion, and in practice the [[blast wave]] typically produced by such a weapon is of a significantly longer duration than that produced by a conventional condensed explosive. The fuel-air bomb is one of the best-known types of thermobaric weapons.

===Nuclear fission===

[[Nuclear fission]] type atomic bombs utilize the energy present in very heavy atomic nuclei, such as U-235 or Pu-239. In order to release this energy rapidly, a certain amount of the fissile material must be very rapidly consolidated while being exposed to a neutron source. If consolidation occurs slowly, repulsive forces drive the material apart before a significant explosion can occur. Under the right circumstances, rapid consolidation can provoke a chain reaction that can proliferate and intensify by many orders of magnitude within microseconds. The energy released by a nuclear fission bomb may be tens of thousands of times greater than a chemical bomb of the same mass.

===Nuclear fusion===

A [[thermonuclear weapon]] is a type of nuclear bomb that releases energy through the combination of fission and [[Nuclear fusion|fusion]] of the light atomic nuclei of deuterium and tritium. With this type of bomb, a thermonuclear detonation is triggered by the detonation of a fission type nuclear bomb contained within a material containing high concentrations of deuterium and tritium. Weapon yield is typically increased with a tamper that increases the duration and intensity of the reaction through inertial confinement and neutron reflection. Nuclear fusion bombs can have arbitrarily high yields making them hundreds or thousands of times more powerful than nuclear fission.

A [[pure fusion weapon]] is a hypothetical nuclear weapon that does not require a primary fission stage to start a fusion reaction.

===Antimatter===

[[Antimatter weapon|Antimatter bombs]] can theoretically be constructed, but antimatter is very costly to produce and hard to store safely.

===Other===

* [[Aerial bomb]] – designed to be dropped from a [[military aircraft]] (or even any aircraft) and carried on [[hardpoint]]s or in [[bomb bay]]s

* [[Delay-action bomb]] – explodes some time after impact, as opposed to before or on impact

* [[Dummy round|Dummy bomb]] – harmless bomb that has been fully disabled or has had its explosive contents removed, often used for training or display

* [[Glide bomb]] – features [[flight control surfaces]], allowing it to [[Gliding flight|glide]] fairly long distances to its target

* [[General-purpose bomb]] – aerial bomb dropped for multiple purposes, and thus designed to suit multiple purposes

* [[Incendiary device|Incendiary bomb]] – designed to set targets ablaze

* [[Cluster munition|Cluster bomb]] – releases additional submunitions, often smaller bombs, upon detonation

* [[Anti-runway penetration bomb]] – designed to destroy [[runway]]s and [[Airport apron|aprons]]

* [[Bunker buster]] – capable of penetrating hardened or fortified surfaces before detonating

* [[Concrete bomb]] – contains dense, inert material (typically concrete) instead of explosives, using the [[kinetic energy]] of the falling bomb to destroy target

* [[Improvised explosive device]] – classification of bombs produced in unconventional ways or using unconventional materials; includes explosives such as the [[barrel bomb]], [[nail bomb]], [[pipe bomb]], [[pressure cooker bomb]], [[ANFO|fertilizer bomb]], and [[Molotov cocktail]]

==Delivery==

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The usual method of delivering military bombs to their target is by '''bombing''', i.e. dropping them from a [[bomber]] [[Fixed-wing aircraft|airplane]]. Modern bombs, [[precision-guided munition]]s, may be guided after they leave an airplane by remote control, by autonomous guidance or (in the case of [[nuclear weapon]]s) mounted on a [[guided missile]].

[[File:B-2 Spirit bombing, 1994.jpg|thumb|right|A [[Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit|B-2 Spirit]] drops forty-seven {{convert|500|lb|kg|abbr=on}} class [[Mark 82 bomb|Mark 82]] bombs (little more than half a B-2's maximum total ordnance payload) in a 1994 [[live fire exercise]] in [[California]]]]

[[File:211113-Z-IB607-1016 - M320 grenade launcher range (Image 6 of 16).jpg|thumb|A [[National Guard (United States)|United States National Guard]] soldier firing a [[40 mm grenade]] from an [[M320 Grenade Launcher Module|M320]] [[grenade launcher]]]]

[[File:Pommitustuhoja Helsingissä JSdia270.jpg|thumb|Destruction caused by [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] bombing during the [[Continuation War]] in [[Helsinki]], [[Finland]], the night of February 6–7, 1944]]

The [[first air-dropped bomb]]s were used by the Austrians in the 1849 [[Republic of San Marco|siege of Venice]]. Two hundred unmanned balloons carried small bombs, although few bombs actually hit the city.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7pS1QpH8FRgC&q=Venice+bombing+1849&pg=PA10 |title=Military Aircraft, Origins to 1918: An Illustrated History of their Impact |last=Murphy |first=Justin |year=2005 |publisher=[[ABC-CLIO]] |isbn=1-85109-488-1 |page=10 |access-date=2008-05-26}}</ref>

Some bombs are equipped with a [[parachute]], such as the [[World War Two]] "parafrag", which was an 11kg fragmentation bomb, the [[Vietnam]]-era [[daisy cutter]]s, and the bomblets of some modern [[cluster bomb]]s. Parachutes slow the bomb's descent, giving the dropping aircraft time to get to a safe distance from the explosion. This is especially important with airburst nuclear weapons, and in the case that the aircraft releases the bomb at low altitude.

The first bombing from a fixed-wing aircraft took place in 1911 when the Italians dropped bombs by hand on the Turkish lines in what is now [[Libya]], during the [[Italo-Turkish War]].<ref>{{cite book |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=R-I3Zsdm14wC&q=Lindqvist+Bombing+Libya&pg=PA76 |title=Shock and Awe: War on Words |chapter=Guernica |last=Lindqvist |first=Sven |others=published by Van Eekelen, Bregje |year=2004 |publisher=[[North Atlantic Books]] |isbn=0-9712546-0-5 |page=76 |access-date=2008-05-26}}</ref> The first large scale dropping of bombs took place during [[World War I]] starting in 1915 with the German [[Zeppelin]] airship raids on [[London]], England, and the same war saw the invention of the first [[heavy bomber]]s. One Zeppelin raid on 8 September 1915 dropped {{convert|4000|lb|abbr=on}} of high explosives and incendiary bombs, including one bomb that weighed {{convert|600|lb|abbr=on}}.<ref>[[Wilbur Cross (author)|Wilbur Cross]], "Zeppelins of World War I" page 35, published 1991 Paragon House ISBN I-56619-390-7</ref>

A [[hand grenade]] is delivered by being thrown. Grenades can also be projected by other means using a [[grenade launcher]], such as being launched from the muzzle of a [[rifle]] using the [[M203]] or the [[GP30]] or by attaching a [[rocket]] to the explosive grenade as in a [[rocket propelled grenade]] (RPG).

During [[World War II]] bombing became a major military feature, and a number of novel delivery methods were introduced. These included [[Barnes Wallis]]'s [[bouncing bomb]], designed to bounce across water, avoiding [[torpedo net]]s and other underwater defenses, until it reached a [[dam]], [[ship]], or other destination, where it would sink and explode. By the end of the war, planes such as the allied forces' [[Avro Lancaster]] were delivering with {{convert|50|yd|abbr=on}} accuracy from {{convert|20000|ft|abbr=on}}, ten ton [[earthquake bomb]]s (also invented by Barnes Wallis) named "[[Grand Slam (bomb)|Grand Slam]]", which, unusually for the time, were delivered from high altitude in order to gain high speed, and would, upon impact, penetrate and explode deep underground ("[[camouflet]]"), causing massive caverns or craters, and affecting targets too large or difficult to be affected by other types of bomb.

A bomb may also be positioned in advance and concealed, for example in a garbage container, car or truck as a [[car bomb]], or by the [[road]]side in a [[roadside bomb]], in a building as a [[booby trap]], or in lugguage in and a vehicle.

Modern military [[bomber]] aircraft are designed around a large-capacity internal [[bomb bay]], while [[fighter-bomber]]s usually carry bombs externally on pylons or bomb racks or on multiple ejection racks, which enable mounting several bombs on a single pylon. Some bombs are equipped with a [[parachute]], such as the World War II "parafrag" (an {{convert|11|kg|abbr=on}} fragmentation bomb), the [[Vietnam War]]-era [[BLU-82|daisy cutters]], and the bomblets of some modern [[cluster bomb]]s. Parachutes slow the bomb's descent, giving the dropping aircraft time to get to a safe distance from the explosion. This is especially important with air-burst [[nuclear weapons]] (especially those dropped from slower aircraft or with very high yields), and in situations where the aircraft releases a bomb at low altitude.<ref name="Proceedings">{{cite report |author=Jackson, S.B. |title=The Retardation of Weapons for Low Altitude Bombing |publisher=United States Naval Institute Proceedings |date=June 1968}}</ref> A number of modern bombs are also [[precision-guided munition]]s, and may be guided after they leave an aircraft by remote control, or by autonomous guidance.

A bomb destroying a [[rail track]] just before a [[train]] arrives causes a train to [[derail]]. Apart from the damage to vehicles and people, a bomb exploding in a [[transport]] network often also damages, and is sometimes mainly intended to damage, that network. This applies for [[railway]]s, [[bridge]]s, [[runway]]s, and [[port]]s, and to a lesser extent, depending on circumstances, to roads.

Aircraft may also deliver bombs in the form of [[warhead]]s on guided [[missile]]s, such as long-range [[cruise missile]]s, which can also be launched from [[warship]]s.

In the case of [[suicide bombing]] the bomb is often carried by the attacker on his or her body, or a in a vehicle driven to the target.

A [[hand grenade]] is delivered by being thrown. Grenades can also be projected by other means, such as being launched from the muzzle of a [[rifle]] (as in the [[rifle grenade]]), using a [[grenade launcher]] (such as the [[M203 grenade launcher|M203]]), or by attaching a [[rocket]] to the explosive grenade (as in a [[rocket-propelled grenade]] (RPG)).

The [[Blue Peacock]] nuclear mines, which were also termed "bombs", were planned to be positioned during wartime and be constructed such that, if they were disturbed, they would explode within ten seconds.

A bomb may also be positioned in advance and concealed.

==Detonation==

The explosion of the bomb has to be [[trigger]]ed by a [[detonator]] or a [[fuse (explosives)|fuse]]. Detonators are triggered by [[clock]]s, [[remote control]]s like [[cell phone]]s or some kind of sensor, such as pressure (altitude), [[radar]], vibration or contact. Detonators vary in ways they work, they can be electrical, fire fuze or blast initiated detonators and others.

A bomb destroying a [[rail track]] just before a [[train]] arrives will usually cause the train to [[derailment|derail]]. In addition to the damage to vehicles and people, a bomb exploding in a [[transport]] network often damages, and is sometimes mainly intended to damage, the network itself. This applies to [[railway]]s, [[bridge]]s, [[runway]]s, and [[port]]s, and, to a lesser extent (depending on circumstances), to roads.

==Bombing==

Bombing may be directed at [[military]] targets; such as [[ship]]s, [[logistics|logistic]] and transportation centres, [[warehouse]]s or [[weapons industry|weapons industries]] such as armament factories. They may be detonated also at civilian targets, such as [[office]] buildings, commercial areas or whole [[city|cities]]. Bombing of particular targets such as ships, railroad trains or military vehicles such as [[tank]]s is called [[tactical bombing]]; bombing of areas such as military bases or [[infrastructure]], such as bridges, industrial centres, transport facilities) is called [[strategic bombing]]. Strategic bombing of civilian targets is controversial and considered a [[war crime]] by most and a defining characteristic of terrorism by others, and may be considered [[terror bombing]]. Area or [[carpet bombing]] of cities using [[incendiary bomb]]s may result in a [[firestorm]] and extensive casualties especially when the city is fire-prone, largely constructed of timber buildings or used to store flammable materials, and it is windy.

In the case of [[suicide bombing]], the bomb is often carried by the attacker on their body, or in a vehicle driven to the target.

===Bombing of civilian targets===

[[Image:Zeppelin_bombing_plaque_2005.jpg|thumb|250px|Plaque commemorating a Zeppelin raid on 61 [[Farringdon Road]], [[London]]. (October 2005)]]

The first recorded bombing of a civilian target took place on [[October 16]], [[1912]],when a force of [[Bulgaria|Bulgarian]] airplanes dropped two bombs over the city station in [[Edirne]] - [[Greece]].

The second recorded bombing of a civilian target took place on [[January 19]], [[1915]], when a force of German [[zeppelins]] dropped 1,200kg of [[high explosive]] on a number of towns and villages in [[East Anglia]]. This was not, however, a deliberate targeting of civilian populations, since the airships were very poor at finding their assigned military targets. However, following an accidental bombing &mdash; there had been previous such, see plaque, right &mdash; of [[London]] in May 1916, in July the [[Wilhelm II of Germany|Kaiser]] permitted urban centres to be deliberately targeted. The zeppelins proved rather ineffective at this task, but continued to raid the city sporadically to the end of the war. A chilling anticipation of things to come in later wars, however, was provided by the introduction of the German [[Gotha G|Gotha]] bomber, which was giant for its time. On [[13 June]], [[1917]], a raid by 18 of these killed 18 [[children]], and injured 30, at a [[school]] in [[Poplar]], [[East London]], exposing the inadequacy of the [[anti-air warfare|air defences]] over London and delivering a blow to British [[morale]] that the airship raids had never achieved. Gotha raids continued to the end of the war, but German war production could not sustain the sort of really destructive air offensive to be seen in later years.

The [[Blue Peacock]] nuclear mines, which were also termed "bombs", were planned to be positioned during wartime and be constructed such that, if disturbed, they would explode within ten seconds.

During the inter-war years, the imperial powers, including [[Italy]] in [[Abyssinia]] and Britain in [[Iraq]], bombed civilian targets in the process of maintaining their [[colonialism|colonial rule]]. The [[bombing of Guernica]] in the [[Basque Country]] on [[April 26]], [[1937]] was the first aerial bombing of a civilian target to achieve significant urban destruction.

The explosion of a bomb may be triggered by a [[detonator]] or a [[Fuse (explosives)|fuse]]. Detonators are triggered by [[clock]]s, [[remote control]]s like [[cell phone]]s or some kind of sensor, such as pressure (altitude), [[radar]], vibration or contact. Detonators vary in ways they work, they can be electrical, fire [[fuze]] or blast initiated detonators and others,

During [[World War II]] there were instances where civilian targets had been bombed&mdash;first, during the [[Polish September Campaign|German invasion of Poland in 1939]] and the [[Netherlands]] and [[Rotterdam]], then following [[The Blitz]] directed at [[London]] and other British cities and the [[RAF Bomber Command|RAF]] and [[United States Army Air Forces|USAAF]] [[Bombing of Dresden in World War II|bombing of Dresden]] and other German cities.

==Blast seat==

Towards the end of the [[Pacific War]], when air defense over Japanese cities had become weak, [[United States Strategic Air Forces in the Pacific]] engaged in extensive incendary-bombing of Japanese cities such as [[Bombing of Tokyo in World War II|the bombing of Tokyo]]. This campaign culminated in the [[bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki]] with [[atomic weapons]], which would play a major part in ending the war. Due to the huge size of a nuclear blast, such weapons can intentionally or unintentionally cause massive civilian casualties, from the initial blast and subsequent damage to infrastructure and from the [[nuclear fallout]] and radiation effects.

In [[forensic science]], the point of detonation of a bomb is referred to as its blast seat, seat of explosion, blast hole or [[epicenter]]. Depending on the type, quantity and placement of explosives, the blast seat may be either spread out or concentrated (i.e., an [[explosion crater]]).<ref name="Walsh 2008" />

Other types of [[explosion]]s, such as [[dust explosion|dust]] or [[BLEVE|vapor]] explosions, do not cause craters or even have definitive blast seats.<ref name="Walsh 2008">{{cite book|last=Walsh|first=C. J.|title=Forensic Science|url=https://archive.org/details/forensicscience00emba|url-access=limited|chapter=Blast seat|editor=Ayn Embar-seddon |editor2=Allan D. Pass |publisher=Salem Press|year=2008|page=[https://archive.org/details/forensicscience00emba/page/n168 149]|isbn=978-1-58765-423-7}}</ref>

===Bombing in peacetime===

One [[peace|peacetime]] use for aircraft bombing is to break [[ice dam]]s that form on some rivers.

==See also==

* [[TimeList of bombbombs]]

*[[Bomb disposal]]

==References==

*[[Bomb threat]]

{{Reflist|30em}}

*[[Car bomb]]

*[[Suicide bomber]]

==Bibliography==

*[[Cluster bomb]]

* {{Citation |last=Andrade |first=Tonio |year=2016 |title=The Gunpowder Age: China, Military Innovation, and the Rise of the West in World History |publisher=Princeton University Press |isbn=978-0-691-13597-7}}.

*[[Firebomb]]

*[[Napalm|Napalm bomb]]

*[[Dirty bomb]]

*[[Salted bomb]]

*[[Gravity bomb]]

*[[Hand grenade]]

*[[List of environment topics]]

*[[Neutron bomb]]

*[[Pipe bomb]]

*[[Bat bomb]]

*[[Plastic explosive]]

*[[Love bombing]]

==External links==

{{wiktionary|bomb}}

* [http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/dumb/bombs.htm Bombs for Beginners]

{{Commons category|Bombs}}

* [http://www.makeitlouder.com/document_bombshockwaveestimation.html How a bomb functions and rating their power]

* [https://web.archive.org/web/20091112010036/http://www.landmineaction.org/resources/Explosive%20violence.pdf Explosive Violence: The Problem of Explosive Weapons]—A report by Richard Moyes (Landmine Action, 2009) on the humanitarian problems caused by the use of bombs and other explosive weapons in populated areas

{{Technology-footer}}

* [https://web.archive.org/web/20160318061242/http://fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/dumb/bombs.htm Bombs for Beginners] at [[FAS.org]]

* [http://www.makeitlouder.com/document_bombshockwaveestimation.html Bomb Shock Wave Estimation]—MakeItLouder.com: How a bomb functions and rating their power

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