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  • Mk XIII Aerial Torpedo

    Developed by the U.S. Navy weapons station at Newport, Rhode Island, the Mk XIII served as the United States' standard aerial torpedo in World War II. Thirteen feet long and 22.4 inches in diameter, a combat-ready Mk XIII weighed about 2,200 lbs, including 600 lbs of Torpex high explosive. In the

  • Welrod Mark IIA Silenced Pistol

    "Snap of a Finger"The noise of the Welrod Mark IIA .32-cal. silenced pistol being fired has been characterized as being no louder than the snapping of a finger. Developed by the British Special Operations Executive (SOE), the Welrod was manufactured in two calibers -- .32 (as displayed) and also in

  • M65 1,000-lb. Bomb

    The M65 1,000-pound general purpose (GP) bomb was typically used against reinforced targets like dams and concrete or steel railroad bridges. The P-47 Thunderbolt could carry two M65s, while the B-26 medium bomber could carry four. The AN-M65 is on display in the World War II Gallery.Click here to

  • M29 Cluster Bomb

    The 415-pound M29 cluster bomb was used during World War II against enemy troops, unarmored vehicles and artillery. Typically carried by fighters and medium bombers, the M29 was dropped from between 2,000 and 3,000 feet. After release, the outer seal separated to dispense 90 4-pound fragmentation

  • M10 Airplane Smoke Tank

    Several types of fighters and light bombers carried the M10 smoke tank. The Douglas A-20 could carry up to four of these tanks to lay a smoke screen or dispense chemicals such as tear gas. When filled to a maximum of 30 gallons, each tank weighed up to 588 pounds and could lay a smoke screen about

  • "Little Boy" Atomic Bomb

    The Mk I bomb, nicknamed "Little Boy," was the first nuclear weapon used in warfare. It was delivered by the B-29 Enola Gay (on display at the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum), it detonated at an altitude of 1,800 feet over Hiroshima, Japan, on Aug. 6, 1945. The result of the Manhattan

  • German "Fritz X" Guided Bomb

    The "Fritz X" (or PC 1400 X) was a 3,450-pound armor-piercing bomb fitted with a radio receiver and control surfaces in the tail. It was intended for use against heavily armored ship or ground targets. When dropped from 20,000 feet, an altitude above the most effective anti-aircraft defense, it

  • Flakvierling 38 20mm Antiaircraft Gun

    During World War II, Airmen and Soldiers performed ground-based air defense by using large-caliber field guns that fired projectiles at flying enemy aircraft. Anti-Aircraft Artillery (AAA) or Flak if German, posed a particular threat to aircraft because their bullets exploded in the air. This meant

  • Flak 36 88mm Multipurpose Gun

    The versatile 88mm cannon was Germany’s main heavy antiaircraft—or “flak”—gun during World War II.  When an 88mm projectile exploded at altitude, it sent out jagged metal fragments that tore through nearby aircraft.  It also left a characteristic black cloud hanging in the sky.  The 88mm cannon’s

  • "Fat Man" Atomic Bomb

    A "Fat Man" bomb was dropped over Nagasaki, Japan, on Aug. 9, 1945, near the end of World War II. Released by the B-29 Bockscar, the 10,000-pound weapon was detonated at an altitude of approximately 1,800 feet over the city. The bomb had an explosive force (yield) of about 20,000 tons of TNT, about