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[Knochenlutscher]

Hi Gentlemen,

While deep in Research for a revamp of Bomber Command I came across a few oddities.
One is a still mysterious Bomb to me, the so called

350lb Munro or Munroe or Munro Canister with leaflets

The latter is fairly obvious, while the other 2 namings are not aiding at any reference I have here.

These namings are from Wartime logbooks, Squadron diaries.
The internet search is rarely dealing with it, they point to more theories than shed light into it.
A good hint was only that they came to pop my eyes in the Bomber Commands
'empty stores Days', 1944/1945, when they ran out of Ordonance and used up
more US type Bombs as usual before. Thus these Munros are fancied out in these typical mixed GB/US Loadouts.

Can anybody shed light to it?

Edit:

The Term Leaflet Canister led to a deeper research. In RAF Museum records I found a Ordononance Manual, pointing
to Clusters at Size being 350lb and in Service.
So the Munro is nothing more than the Aircrew term for Cluster Projectile 350-lb. No. 23 Mk I.

Thanks DreamK for explanation


Do we have a wooden Box, Loadout, like for Cargo.
I want to recreate a Loadout called "Rubble", a placeholder for historical equivalent of trash (inventory, kitchensink or toilet) dropped.
Maybe a similar object from Static, a desk or sth that I can turn into Bomb.
I read a canadian Bomber Crewman's Biography, which gave the idea to this.


Do we have an equivalent to the so called Smoke Puff Bombs (1000lbs Powder/daylight Ground Marker) availlable or should I create one?
My only conceirn is to get a Clone Bomb the right colour. Never dealt with specific Effects on Bombs before.


Dunno, created this as a open Pool, where you can discuss, post pictures, findings, Links, whatever you think may help.
I'm open for ideas requests myself, so don't dare to join.

Thanks in advance
Best wishes

Tobias

[Dreamk]

Tobias Hi!

The Monroe bomb (Officially designed as T-1 Leaflet bomb, renamed T-2 Leaflet bomb when the British fuze was adopted instead of the original US one) was a device developed in 1943 by USAF Capt James Monroe consisting of a laminated-paper container 60 inches long (1524mm) and 18 inches in-diameter (457mm) (= about the same diameter and size of a 500kg US bomb), filled with 80,000 leaflets.
It used a Mk863 British Barometric Fuze to open at 2000ft height








The T-1 and T-2 pre-production models were virtually identical were the series produced.

You can use as a basis the Cardboard container (the "Open" mesh) contained in the "Historical Chutes, Aerial Containers & Paratroopers Pack Part 1" but you'll need to remove the bumper front end, making it flat. You'll need also to add the fuze (included in the UK ordnance pack Part 1)

This same container was designed  as Cluster Projectile to carry and drop M-17 incendiary bombs

The RAF  "Cluster Projectile 350-lb. No. 23 Mk I" was a different, much complex Frag cluster.



The Munroe Bombs were superseded (Including in the RAF) by the T-3 model using the case of a M-26 flare




Previously the RAF has used Small Bomb Containers filled with leaflets but this was far from being efficient, thence the adoption of the Munroe bombs.



BTW if interested, the whole history of the development of the Monroe bomb following the initial experience of RAF leaflet bombing in the early phases of WW2 can be found here:
https://www.jstor.org/stable/44512713
J.M. Erdmann. The Monroe Leaflet Bomb Its Evolution And Significance. The Air Power Historian Vol. 9, No. 2 (APRIL, 1962), pp. 101-111, 128 (12 pages)
and here:
https://www.jstor.org/stable/26287829
Brian S. Gunderson. Leaflet Dropping Operations in World War II. Air Power History Vol. 45, No. 1 (SPRING 1998), pp. 28-39 (12 pages)

BTW,  in 1957, James Monroe left the army, having attained the rank of Colonel and the position of chief of the research branch of the Air Force’s Psychological Warfare Division, to devote his energies to a new CIA-funded enterprise, the Society for the Investigation of Human Ecology , later known as the Human Ecology Fund, a key provider of funding to varied behavioral science and medical projects associated with mind control research for the MKULTRA program. The Society provided a cover for CIA interactions with dozens, if not hundreds, of witting and unwitting scientists and social scientists in institutions around the country, operating as a cutout for covert intelligence funding. Monroe became a leading figure in the CIA’s MKULTRA program.

[Knochenlutscher]

Wow,

alright. Thanks for guidance, will scratch the Cluster than.
Really, cool finding Sir.
Thanks a bunch