| Tallboy | |
|---|---|
&sq=&lang=&file=File:Royal_Air_Force_Bomber_Command,_1942-1945._CH15363.jpg) RAF ground crew handling the Tallboy that was later dropped on the La Coupole V-weapon site at Wizernes, France, 1944 | |
| Type | Earthquake bomb |
| Place of origin | United Kingdom |
| Service history | |
| In service | 8 June 1944 – 25 April 1945 |
| Used by | No. 9 Squadron RAF, No. 617 Squadron RAF |
| Wars | World War II |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Barnes Wallis |
| Manufacturer | Vickers |
| No. built | 854[1] |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | Approx 12,000 lb (5,400 kg) |
| Length | 21 ft (6.4 m) |
| Diameter | 38 in (97 cm) |
| Filling | Torpex D1 |
| Filling weight | 5,200 lb (2,400 kg) |
Detonation mechanism | No. 58 fuze, built from No. 30 Pistol (impact detonation) or No. 47 time delay fuze inserted into tetryl boosters in the rear of the casing. |
Tallboy or Bomb, Medium Capacity, 12,000 lb was an earthquake bomb developed by the British aeronautical engineer Barnes Wallis and used by the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the Second World War.[a]
At 5 long tons (5.1 t), it could be carried only by a modified model of the Avro Lancaster heavy bomber. It proved to be effective against large, fortified structures where conventional bombing had proved ineffective.
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