British WW2 aerial mines

Discussion in 'The War In The Air' started by Fatboy Coxy, Oct 2, 2019.

  1. Fatboy Coxy

    Fatboy Coxy Junior Member

    Hi All

    I'm trying to find out about early war (1939-1942) availability of RAF aerial mines for gardening operations, what types there were, and whether Blenheim's or Battle's could have laid them

    Can anyone give me a steer please

    Regards
    Fatboy Coxy
     
  2. Orwell1984

    Orwell1984 Senior Member

    Juha likes this.
  3. Juha

    Juha Junior Member

    There is some info in MacBean & Hogben, Bombs Gone. The development and use of British air-dropped weapons from 1912 to the present day (1990). Chapter Ten: Airborne sea mines, pp. 207-220.
     
    Orwell1984 likes this.
  4. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

  5. Robert-w

    Robert-w Banned

    The title of your thread confused me. In 1940 aerial mines were explosive devices suspended on long wires on parachutes to be dropped in front of a wave of enemy night bombers. Operational trials were carried out using HP Harrows as the dropping aircraft. It proved ineffective and as airborne radar was coming in so was abandoned in early 1941- I'm not sure how air dropped sea mines were referred to (other than air dropped sea mines) but if you are doing any archive searches might be worth finding out.
     
  6. Juha

    Juha Junior Member

    If someone has not better info IMHO probably the term used by Wing Commander MacBean and Major Hogben namely airborne sea mines, is the right term. Even if Hogben is only a major, he is/was a bomb disposal expert in the RE.
     

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