Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 25, 2026

Cooper bombs

The Cooper bomb was a British 20-pound (9 kg) bomb used extensively in World War I. It was the first high explosive bomb to be adapted by the Royal Flying Corps.

Last revised
Jun 25, 2026
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≈ 1 min
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173 w
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Source
20 lb (9 kg) Cooper bomb. source ↗

The Cooper bomb was a British 20-pound (9 kg) bomb used extensively in World War I. It was the first high explosive bomb to be adapted by the Royal Flying Corps.1

Design

Bristol F.2 Fighter with 8 Cooper bombs under the wings. source ↗

The bomb was 24 lb (11 kg) in weight, of which 20 lb (9 kg) was the bomb casing and 4 lb (1.8 kg) was an explosive charge of Amatol.2 The main body was 516 inch (8 mm) thick, and was made of cast iron, steel, or semisteel.3 The aft body was made of wood and the fins from sheet steel.4

List of aircraft that used the Cooper bomb

References

References

  1. "cooper bomb". world military collectables.
  2. "How much weighed (really) a Cooper bomb?". www.theaerodrome.com. Retrieved 2017-03-11.
  3. Department, United States Army Ordnance (1919). Handbook of Ordnance Data. U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 274.
  4. "British Bombs". www.wwi-models.org. Retrieved 2017-03-11.