Collections: Kelham Island Museum
The Grand Slam Bomb
The Grand Slam Bomb was designed by Sir Barnes Wallis during the Second World War. Only 30 to
40 of the bombs were actually made, and they were only used during the last year of the war, 1945.
The bombs were made by Vickers & Co, Sheffield, at their River Don Works.
The Grand Slam Bomb is in the Guinness Book of World Records as the heaviest bomb in the world.
It weighs 10 tonnes (22,000lbs). The complete bomb with its tail fin was 7.75 metres long. The bombs
were carried by Lancaster Bomber planes, which were specially adapted to carry the weight.
The Grand Slam Bomb was also known as the earthquake bomb because of the effect it had on the
ground. It was designed to go up to 24 metres into the earth before exploding.
|
