During WWII The Germans, British, U.S & Italians used differing types of explosives as filler for their H.E shells. Weight for weight, which was the most efficient/effective?
I have, somewhere, a list of explosives and their relative brisance which I will try to find and post, but http://wetlands.simplyaquatics.com/manu ... hap_10.pdf has a chart on the final page (Page 24) that gives relative effectiveness compared to TNT and http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ ... itions.htm has some informaton. Off the top of my head I think Torpex was one of the most effective high-explosives (WWII), but I'm not sure it was used as shell filling, it was used in bombs. (Torpex = torpedo explosve IIRC).
Hello, On the French side in 1940, the explosive used in the HE and APHE shells used in tank guns is usually melenite : • M : Melenite • MMN : Melenite (70%) Mononitronaphtaline (30%) • MDN : Melenite (80%) Dinitronaphtaline (20%) But I don't know how it compares with the other explosives of that time. Concerning the bombs of the French air force of 1940, the explosive was generally : • M : Melinite • MMN : Melinite (70) Mononitronaphtaline (30) • MDN : Melinite (80) Dinitronaphtaline (20) • DD : Dinitronaphtaline (60) Dinitrophénol (40) • C : Cresylite (60) Melinite (40) • T : Tolite (trinitrotulene) • X : Xylite (trinitrométaxylene) or a mix of these ones like MDM-DD-T that could be found on 500kg bombs. Regards, David
I have found: TNT = 1 RDX = 1.94 (Cyclonite) Amatol(80/20) = 1.24 PETN = 2.21 MDN (Melinite =Picric Acid/ Dinitronaphthalene 80/20) = 0.88 DD (dinitronaphthalene/ Dinitrophenol 60/40) = 0.75 MMN (Meleinte = Picric Acid/ Mononitroronaphthalene 70/30) = 0.82 Tetryl 1.39 Pertite (Picric Acid) = 1.11
