GP 50 (50 kg)

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Description

Side view of a GP 50 (50 kg) bomb.
Data for GP 50 (50 kg) bomb
Metric Imperial
Overall Length 102.8 cm 40.5 in
Body Diameter 25.1 cm 9.9 in
Filling Weight 25.0 kg 55.1 lb
Total Weight 58.0 kg 127.8 lb
Explosive Filling Amatol
Bomb Type High Explosive


The GP 50 (50 kg) is an Italian general purpose high explosive (HE) bomb. Italian bombs are similar to Japanese bombs in regards to construction as multiple components are either screwed, riveted or welded together as opposed to being a one-piece construction. While Italian bombs typically are filled with cast TNT, a large number were manufactured with Amatol and TNT mixtures along with aluminium powder for an extra kick.[1]

Smaller Italian bombs (100 kg and smaller) are typically only fused from the rear which is screwed into the base of the bomb and arm while free-falling as the arming vane begins to spin. A suspension lug is fitted to the nose of the bomb for vertical deployment like in the case of the Ba.65 (K.14) L or a suspension band with a lug fitted around the centre of gravity on the bomb for horizontal placement in bomb bays or external pylons such as on the Re.2000 G.A..

Vehicles equipped with this weapon

Vehicles equipped with this weapon
Fighters  G.50 AS serie 7 · ▀G.50 AS serie 7 · G.55 sottoserie 0 · G.55 serie 1 · G.55S · G.56
  Re.2000 G.A. · Re.2001 CB · Re.2002 Early · Re.2005 serie 0
Twin-engine fighters  Ro.57 Quadriarma
Attackers  Ba.65 (K.14) L · Breda 88 (P.XI) · F.C.20 BisSM.91 · SM.92
Bombers 
B.R.20  B.R.20DR · B.R.20M M1
Ju 87  ▄Ju 87 D-3 · ▄Ju 87 R-2
P.108  P.108B serie 1 · P.108B serie 2
S.81  S.81
S.M.79  S.M.79 serie 1 · ▀S.M.79 serie 1 · ▀S.M.79 serie 4 · S.M.79 serie 8 · ▀S.M.79 serie 8 · S.M.79 AS · ▀S.M.79 AS · ▀S.M.79 bis/N · S.M.79 bis/T.M · ▀S.M.79 bis/T.M · S.M.79 B · ▀S.M.79 B
Z.1007  Z.1007 bis serie 3 · Z.1007 bis serie 5

General info

A top view of an GP 50 (50 kg) bomb with identification of parts.

The GP 50 bomb body is typically filled through the base of the bomb, afterwards, a base plate is installed utilising screws or rivets. The tail section is next fitted over the base plate and is fixed in place either through using screws, rivets or welding. While tail units may vary in design, their diameter will not be larger than the diameter of the bomb body. The tail cone consists of four vanes, tail cone and a corrugated strengthening ring which are all manufactured from corrugated strengthening ring, all of which are manufactured from sheet metal.[1]

Amatol is the preferred explosive filler for the GP 50, a felt pad is installed in the nose of the bomb to break the shock of impact on the explosive filler leaving the booster and initiating charge of the fuse to start the explosion train resulting in the uniform detonation of the bomb.

The fuse for the GP 50 attaches through the tail cone of the bomb. The fuse is screwed into the base of the bomb and typically has a long arming spindle which extends from the base through the tail cone. The end of the tail cone is configured to allow for the arming vane of the fuse to be protected (to prevent damage and bending of the arming vane), preventing damage which could render the bomb inactive and fail to arm when dropped.

Italian bombs are typically painted or galvanized in an effort to prevent corrosion from deteriorating the bomb casing. As in the case of the GP 50, the body is painted a dull-blue with a red nose to distinguish it as a high-explosive bomb.[1]

Effective damage

A front view of an GP 50 (50 kg) bomb. Notice the nose lug utilised for vertical stowage in the bomb bay.

The GP 50 utilised both TNT and Amatol as explosive fillers in its bombs, however Amatol quickly became the preferred filler as it also had aluminium powder added to the explosive compound which in of itself is a composition of TNT (Trinitrotoluene C7H5N3O6) and Ammonium Nitrate (N2H4O3). Amatol is a British name which comes from the words of the ingredients of this compound, Ammmonium and toluene. TNT in its pure form when detonated leaves a black smoke residue after it explodes due to the oxygen deficiency in TNT (does not fully explode/burn all components efficiently). To supplement TNT's need for oxygen, ammonium nitrate is added to the mixture which has an oxygen surplus and overall increases the energy release of a TNT explosion when mixed. On top of this with aluminium powder introduced to the mix, positive side effects include raising reaction temperature, enhancing the heat of the detonation, improve air blast and create an incendiary effect, literally getting more bang for the buck. When compared to each other, Amatol has a lower explosive velocity and brisance than pure TNT; however, due to Amatol creating a more efficient explosion plus the addition of the aluminium powder, it became the go-to explosive for Italian general purpose bombs.

GP 50 (50 kg) damage table Metric Imperial
Max armour penetration high explosive action 65 mm 2.56 in
Radius of destruction of an armoured vehicle 2 m 6.56 ft
Radius of fragment dispersion 70 m 230 ft

Comparison with analogues

Comparable bombs to GP 50 (50 kg)
Name Mass Explosive mass Explosive type Penetration Armour destruction radius Fragmentation radius
AN-M30A1 100 lb 24.5 kg Amatol 65 mm 2 m 67 m
FAB-50sv 49 kg 26.35 kg TNT 65 mm 2 m 73 m
SC50JA 50 kg 25 kg Fp.60/40 65 mm 2 m 70 m
Type 97 Number 6 60 kg 25.3 kg Shimose 65 mm 2 m 69 m
Type 94 GPHE 50 kg 25.09 kg Type 97 65 mm 2 m 70 m
G.A.M.Mn 50 53 kg 29 kg M.Mn 66 mm 2 m 75 m
D.T. No.2 55.7 kg 19 kg TNT 64 mm 2 m 62 m

Usage in battles

A rear view of an GP 50 (50 kg) bomb. Notice the tail fuse which arms the bomb after dropping from the aircraft.

The GP 50 (50 kg) is a GP/HE bomb which was utilised by fighters, attackers and bombers. Due to its size, either one or two could be outfitted to a fighter or four to an attacker such as the Ba.65 (K.14) L allowing it to perform low-level precision bombing on AAA or light vehicles. Bombers can carry between 12 to 28 of these bombs and could drop them all in one location bombing a base or could spread them out across the map depending on where the targets of opportunity are. Light armour vehicles and anti-aircraft guns are prime targets, however, these bombs don't have enough power to bust through hardened bunkers or tanks and with enough dropped can take out a base, but this will usually require several bombing runs with help from others to completely take out the base.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Can be loaded on aircraft either horizontally or vertically[1]
  • Can be outfitted on fighter aircraft
  • One GP 50 (50 kg) can take out a single light vehicle or anti-aircraft artillery gun (fragmentation may damage any nearby units)

Cons:

  • Less effective against hardened bunkers and bases
  • Initial payload of most Italian attackers and bombers
  • Requires low altitude (below 300 m) bombing to be effective against vehicles

History

Examine the history of the creation and combat usage of the weapon in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the weapon and adding a block "/History" (example: https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Weapon-name)/History) and add a link to it here using the main template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <ref></ref>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <references />.

Media

Images

See also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

  • reference to the article about the variant of the weapon;
  • references to approximate analogues by other nations and research trees.

External links

References


Bombs
USA 
100 lb  AN-M30A1
250 lb  AN-M57 · LDGP Mk 81
300 lb  H.E. M31
500 lb  AN-M64A1 · LDGP Mk 82
600 lb  H.E. M32
750 lb  M117 cone 45
1,000 lb  AN-M65A1 · AN-M65A1 Fin M129 · LDGP Mk 83
1,600 lb  AN-Mk 1
2,000 lb  AN-M66A2 · LDGP Mk 84
3,000 lb  M118
4,000 lb  AN-M56
Germany 
10 kg  SD10C
50 kg  SC50JA
200 kg  Sprengbombe
250 kg  SC250JA
400 kg  Sprengbombe
450 kg  Sprengbombe 68/70
500 kg  SC500K
1,000 kg  SC1000L2
1,800 kg  SC1800B
2,500 kg  SC2500
USSR 
25 kg  AO-25M-1
50 kg  FAB-50sv
100 kg  FAB-100sv · FAB-100M43 · OFAB-100
220 kg  BRAB-220 (1930)
250 kg  FAB-250sv · FAB-250M-43 · FAB-250M-44 · FAB-250M-46 · FAB-250M-54 · FAB-250M-62 · OFAB-250sv · OFAB-250-270
500 kg  BRAB-500 (1938) · BRAB-500 · FAB-500sv · FAB-500M-43 · FAB-500M-44 · FAB-500M-46 · FAB-500M-54 · FAB-500M-62
1,000 kg  FAB-1000 · FAB-1000M-43 · FAB-1000M-44
1,500 kg  FAB-1500M-46
3,000 kg  FAB-3000M-46
5,000 kg  FAB-5000
Britain 
250 lb  G.P. Mk.IV · M.C. Mk.I
500 lb  G.P. Mk.IV · H.E. M.C. Mk.II · M.C. Mk.I
540 lb  Mk.M2
1,000 lb  G.P. Mk.I · M.C. Mk.I · L.D H.E. M.C. Mk.1 · H.E. M.C. Mk.13
4,000 lb  H.C. Mk.II · H.C. Mk.IV
8,000 lb  H.C. Mk.II
12,000 lb  H.C Mk.I
Japan 
Army 
50 kg  Type 94 GPHE
100 kg  Type 94 GPHE
250 kg  Type 92 GPHE
500 kg  Type 92 GPHE
Navy 
60 kg  Type 97 Number 6
250 kg  Type 98 Number 25 · Type Number 25 Model 2
500 kg  Type Number 50 Model 2 · Number Type 2 50 Model 1 GP(SAP)
800 kg  Type 99 Number 80 AP · Number 80 Mod. 1
1500 kg  Type 3 Number 150 AP
China 
250 kg  Type 250-2 · 250-3
500 kg  500-3
Italy 
50 kg  GP 50
100 kg  GP 100T · SAP 100M
160 kg  A.P 160
250 kg  GP 250
500 kg  GP 500
800 kg  GP 800
France 
50 kg  D.T. No.2 · G.A. MMN. 50 · Type 61C
75 kg  G2 Navale
100 kg  No.1
250 lb  SAMP Mk 81
150 kg  I2 Navale
200 kg  No.1
500 lb  SAMP Mk 82
250 kg  Matra 25E · SAMP Type 25
400 kg  SAMP Type 21
1,000 lb  SAMP Mk 83
500 kg  No.2
2,000 lb  SAMP Mk 84
Sweden 
50 kg  mb m/37AT · sb m/42 · sb m/47 · Model 1938
100 kg  Model 1938
120 kg  sb m/61 · m/71
250 kg  mb m/40 · mb m/50
500 kg  mb m/41 · mb m/56
600 kg  mb m/50
Israel 
50 kg  SD50
70 kg  SD70
100 kg  100/50 kg G.P.
250 kg  250/50 kg G.P.
360 kg  360/50 kg G.P.
500 kg  500/50 kg G.P.
See also  List of guided bombs · List of retarded bombs