Research Paper, Essay on Medicine, Bombs

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Essay/Term paper: Bombs

Essay, term paper, research paper:  Medicine

A bomb is a container filled with an explosive, incendiary matter, or gas that can be dropped, hurled, or set in place to be detonated by an attached exploding device. It may range in design from a homemade device used by terrorists, assassins, or clandestine raiders to a sophisticated weapon of war. The original bomb, an ancestor of the hand-thrown GRENADE, was a simple container filled with black powder (see GUNPOWDER), which was set off by a fuse lit by the thrower. In the 16th century, the Dutch invented a more sophisticated version, the MORTAR bomb, a round iron container filled with black powder that was set off when a fuse was ignited by the detonation of a propelling charge in the base of the mortar tube. By varying the length of the fuse, the bomb's time of detonation could be adjusted; thus, a bomb could burst in air. These bombs were predecessors of the ARTILLERY shell fired from a field gun with rifled bore. In the 20th century the aerial bomb became the most important adaptation of the weapon. Its construction is similar to that of the artillery shell. The conventional aerial bomb consists of an explosive or chemical agent in a container, one or several fuse-and-igniter mechanisms, and external fins for directional stability. Bombs dropped from high-performance aircraft have an advanced aerodynamic shape. The ultimate category of bomb is that utilizing nuclear material as the explosive ingredients--the ATOMIC BOMB, HYDROGEN BOMB, and the NEUTRON BOMB. 20th-Century Military Use The advent of the airplane in warfare led to the development of new types of bombs. The first massive aerial bombing took place in 1915 when German zeppelins carrying more than two tons of bombs began dropping "terror from the skies" on the British Isles. In the early stages of World War I, airplane pilots had their hands full just flying, and bombing was relegated to observers who merely tossed small bombs over the side. Aircraft engineering advanced, however, so that by 1918 multiengine bombers had become a reality and 450-kg (1,000-lb) bombs were in production. The next major step in the development of aerial bombing took place on July 21, 1921. Gen. Billy MITCHELL, a champion of military airpower, was finally allowed to test his theory that aircraft carrying bombs could sink major naval units, a theory that naval officials had considered ridiculous. On that date, in the first of three such demonstrations, the captured German dreadnought Ostfriesland was sunk in minutes by U.S. Army Air Corps bombers dropping 900-kg (2,000-lb) bombs. Warfare had been revolutionized; seapower was in jeopardy. During World War II, aerial bombardment was perfected. Massive raids, first by Germany and then by the Allies, demonstrated the devastating power of the conventional aerial bomb. As aircraft size and performance increased, so did bomb size, ending in the 10-ton (9,900-kg) British "Earthquake" bomb. Incendiary bombs containing thermite, a mixture of iron oxide, powdered aluminum, and magnesium, were dropped nightly by the thousands to cause fires. Other bombs were manufactured for exacting tasks; one of the most unusual was the Wallis "skipping bomb," used against German reservoir dams. Others, such as the British "Tall Boy," were designed to destroy massive concrete slabs. During the closing stages of the war, Germany sent more than 8,500 V-1 guided bombs flying across the English Channel to fall on England. A quantum jump in bomb manufacture and use occurred in 1945 when U.S. planes dropped atomic bombs to destroy two cities, HIROSHIMA (Aug. 6.) and NAGASAKI (Aug. 9). The bombings led Japan to surrender and initiated a new era characterized by NUCLEAR STRATEGIES on which the survival of whole countries depended. Along with the development of the high-yield nuclear weapons, new types of tactical bombs have been developed. Small antipersonnel and antivehicle bombs, called bomblets, have been perfected. NAPALM, a petroleum-jelly incendiary mixture, is an ingredient used worldwide in tactical bombs. Experimentation continues with fuel-air explosive bombs made by dispensing an aerosol mixture of fuel and air in cloud form and igniting the mixture. Handmade Bombs The ability to produce simple bombs has been central to the conduct of guerrilla and terrorist warfare. Such a bomb can be as simple as a stick of DYNAMITE with a blasting cap. The development of plastic explosives during World War II, however, has enabled terrorists to produce bombs that are difficult to detect (they have been smuggled aboard airplanes, for example) but that have tremendous explosive power. Letter and car bombs--plastic charges triggered to explode by the opening of an envelope or the turning of an ignition key--are fairly simple bombs. More sophisticated handmade bombs may use electronic timing and triggering devices. Using knowledge gathered from many different public sources, it is conceivable that terrorists could build a small atom bomb, fueled by purchased or stolen weapons-grade uranium. In 1975 the United States set up the Nuclear Emergency Search Team (NEST) to counter potential A-bomb threats. Russell J. Parkinson Bibliography: Blow, Michael, The History of the Atomic Bomb (1968); Hubbard, David G., Winning Back the Sky (1986); Jane's Weapon Systems (annual); Kennett, Lee, A History of Strategic Bombing (1983); Lee, R. G., An Introduction to Battlefield Weapons Systems and Technology (1981); Ley, Willy, Bombs and Bombing (1941); (1941); Moss, N., Men Who Play God (1969); Stoffel, Joseph, Explosives and Homemade Bombs, 2d ed. (1977).