bouncing bomb
| Rotating bomb used by the British in World War II to attack the Ruhr dams. Designed by Dr Barnes Wallis, the bomb derived its name from the way it ‘bounced’ along the surface of the water in front of the dam. |
| The cylindrical bomb was slung beneath a Lancaster bomber and rotated prior to dropping from a carefully calculated height. It then rolled or ‘bounced’ along the surface of the water as far as the dam and then sank when it came into contact with the dam wall. |
| A depth-sensitive fuse detonated the bomb at the point calculated to make the most effective breach, the water in the reservoir acting as a tamping device to direct the full force of the explosion at the dam. |
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