5,000 kg FAB-5000 bomb
Contents
Description
The FAB-5000 is a Soviet high explosive (HE) bomb. It was the largest bomb of the Soviet arsenal during WW2.
Vehicles equipped with this weapon
General info
| Bomb characteristics | |
|---|---|
| Mass | 5,080 kg |
| Explosive mass | 3,361 kg |
| Explosive type | TGA-16 |
| TNT equivalent | 5,041.5 kg |
| HE max penetration | 350 mm |
| Destruction radius | 105 m |
| Fragment dispersion radius | 370 m |
Effective damage
With a huge destruction radius of 105 m, nothing that stands near the FAB-5000 is likely to survive. Simply aiming the bomb near a capture zone will guarantee destruction of anything inside of it (this also applies to teammates so be careful!). The fragment dispersion is very effective even past 200 m thanks to almost 2 tons of steel surrounding the TGA-16 explosive filler, more than enough to kill lightly armoured vehicles such as SPGs and SPAA or at least damaging crew. It is important to set a fuse of at least a couple of seconds or to bomb from high altitudes as any planes near the bomb are likely to take critical damage.
Comparison with analogues
No other bomb in-game compares to the destructive power of the FAB-5000. The nearest counterpart is the Soviet FAB-3000M-46 used by the Tu-4, Tu-14 and IL-28.
Usage in battles
The FAB-5000 is commonly used for destroying airfields in Air battles, however this requires other bombers in the team to take out bases first. Since the Pe-8 can only carry a single bomb it would be a waste to just use it on a single base.
The FAB-5000 shows its strength best in Ground battles where it is commonly referred to as the "Nuke" due to its large explosive mass. The Pe-8 is easy to shoot down when at low altitude as it is a heavy strategic bomber, and it's safer to bomb from high altitudes where the Pe-8 is far enough away to not be damaged by the bomb's splash damage, even without a fuse. The easiest targets to aim for are capture points as these are the most important areas for tanks to be inside, unfortunately for the tanks by being near the capture point they are very visible from above. Once there are multiple tanks inside of the capture point, the FAB-5000 is the perfect weapon for taking them all out in a single strike as the explosive mass is enough to kill everything inside of it. Meanwhile, the Pe-8 can stay at high altitudes where it is safe from enemy fighters.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Massive explosive mass means precision is not needed
- 105 m lethal radius
- Fragment dispersion radius is large enough to kill un-armoured targets from way beyond the lethal range for armoured targets
- Even the fastest vehicles don't have time to get away from the explosion once the bomb lands
Cons:
- Due to the bomb being so heavy the Pe-8 carrying it is unable to accelerate to high speeds or climb very high
- The Pe-8 is vulnerable to SPAA
- Low altitude bombing is almost impossible due to the explosion being enough to kill the Pe-8 if it is too close.
- Due to being restricted to high altitude bombing enemies have to stay in the same place for a long time
- The FAB-5000 can be shot down by planes and tanks leading to the bomb to explode mid-air
- Without proper communication, teammates are at high risk of being killed by the bomb
History
Historically the FAB-5000 was developed to target infrastructure like bridges and factories.
The first combat use of the FAB-5000 took place on the night of 28 April 1943, when coastal fortifications at Königsberg were hit. The Pe-8 bomber that released the bomb from an altitude of 5,800 m was shaken by the shockwave of the explosion. On 19 July 1943, during the battle of Kursk, two Pe-8 dropped two bombs on a railroad yard near Orel, ripping apart a 100 m section of the railway and obliterating dozens of railcars and German military vehicles. Railroads and fuel depots had already been hit around Orel with one bomb on 4 June and with two bombs on 3 July. Two attacks were carried out on advancing German troops on 12 July, but further tactical use was suspended to avoid the risk of friendly fire. Soviet sources also claim that two buildings occupied by the Gestapo and the Belarusian Auxiliary Police were demolished by two FAB-5000 bombs at the city of Mogilev, Belarus, apparently on 26 May 1943. On 7 February 1944, another two FAB-5000 bombs were dropped on Helsinki, in the course of the 1944 Great Raids. Soviet sources claim that railway workshops and a cable factory were destroyed. A couple of days later, two more bombs fell on Finland's capital. The last FAB-5000 was dropped on the railway station of Brailiv , Ukraine, on 9 March 1944, during the Soviet offensive on Kamenets-Podolsky pocket, halting all railroad traffic for several days.
the warhead was filled with 3200 kg (7055 lb) of an explosive mixture of TNT, RDX, and aluminium powder. The number of fuses ensured that the force of the blast would disperse laterally, which increases the damage in areas such as industrial compounds and military facilities. In order to load the device, the bomber's bay doors had to remain half-open. The tests, however, were successful. Two bombs were dropped, one from an altitude of 4,000 m and the other from 3,300 m. The first bomb fell in open ground, leaving a crater 6 metres (20 ft) in diameter and 3 metres (9.8 ft) in depth. Grass in a radius of 150 m was charred. The second bomb landed in the woods, and left a crater of 8 metres (26 ft) in diameter and 3 metres (9.8 ft) in depth. Some 600 trees were torn out within a 70 m radius, while 30 percent of the trees within 135 m also fell down. Later tests produced craters up to 20 metres (66 ft) in diameter and 9 metres (30 ft) in depth. The project was brought to the assembly line and the bomb was hastily put in service on 15 February 1943. By the end of the war, 98 FAB-5000s had been delivered to the Soviet Air Forces, all of them produced in 1943.
Media
Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.
See also
External links
