Disney B-17 Flying Fortress Bombers of the 92nd Bomb Group Color Photographs

The 4500 lb Concrete Piercing/Rocket Assisted bomb (CP/RA) was better known to U.S. aircrews as the “Disney Swish” or “Disney Bomb”. It was designed to penetrate the reinforced concrete roofs of German Submarine pens.

The bombs weighed in at 4,500 pounds total, 500 pounds of which was explosives. Overall length was 16.5 feet (5 meters) which coincidentally was the thickness of concrete they were expected to penetrate. Their length meant that they had to be fitted externally to the B-17 Flying Fortress, which could carry a maximum of two.

These photographs show B-17G-65-BO 43-37627 of the 327th Bomb Squadron / 92nd Bomb Group taxiing with a Disney Bomb under the wing root. Note the squadron code UX on the fuselage side and the aircraft letter H on the fuselage and repeated on the tail. (IWM)

In all a total of 158 CP/RA bombs were dropped against three targets during the war. Here is a USAAF film showing an attack against the Schnellboote pens at Ijmuiden, Netherlands: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5FGu31ymJM&t=6s&ab_channel=WarHistoryOnline

43-37627 takes off. In addition to the 92nd BG, the 305th and 306th BG also used the Disney Bombs.

A useful view of 43-37627 showing all the codes. A B-17 with an external load of Disney Bombs would make for an interesting model.

Another Disney bomber of the 327th Bomb Squadron / 92nd Bomb Group, this is B-17G-65-BO 43-38069.

43-38069 airborne. Compare this photo with the photo of 43-37627 above. Note the order of the fuselage codes are reversed on the two aircraft.

More B-17 Color Photographs here: https://inchhighguy.wordpress.com/2024/03/27/boeing-b-17-flying-fortresses-of-the-301st-bomb-group-color-photographs/