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From: vexpert!mst@relay.EU.net (Markus Stumptner)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: Fuel-Air Explosives
Message-ID: <1991Jan27.104908.26873@cbnews.att.com>
Date: 27 Jan 91 10:49:08 GMT
References: <1991Jan23.035405.3978@cbnews.att.com>
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From: vexpert!mst@relay.EU.net (Markus Stumptner)
Status: R

>From article <1991Jan23.035405.3978@cbnews.att.com>, by disc3c1@jetson.uh.edu:
> Bombs such as the CBU-72 FAE work on the principle of a "Overpressure" bomb 
> [...] 
>       Bomb's such as this, are mainly dropped onto Builings, and have
> an effect (not as great as buildings) on Sub Pens, Hangars, Bunkers,
> and oil Platforms.. While they do have a small (small when comparing
> to the Exocet) effect on ships.. 
>  
>       I hope that cleared it up a bit for you, I have seen a film
> a a building being blown to bits by a CBU-72 FAE bomb. In Slow motion
> you can see the "shock wave" of expanding gases, as it slowly rips
> through the building..nothing was left afterwards..
 
I seem to remember they also work well against tanks, since even if
the tank withstands the pressure, the crew inside is killed.
 
I do not know whether this has been mentioned before, but my father told me
that this is not a new idea.  The Germans used warheads of that kind in
their "Nebelwerfer" rocket projectiles on the Eastern Front in WWII.  
Allegedly they stopped this after a short time, since the Soviets threatened to
retaliate with gas attacks.

Markus Stumptner                                mst@vexpert.dbai.tuwien.ac.at
Technical University of Vienna                  vexpert!mst@uunet.uu.net
Paniglg. 16, A-1040 Vienna, Austria             ...mcsun!vexpert!mst