WWII BUTTERFLY BOMB, Sprengbombe Dickwandig 2kg or SD2A

Stored in containers within an aircraft carrying up to 108 bombs folded, when released from the container the wings opened and rotated the shaft out of the bomb thus arming it, also as the bomb fell the wings stabilized its fall and gave the appearance of a butterfly, hence the name.

Fitted with the 41 fuse, which could be delayed or detonated on impact.

Other types of Fuzes are:-

The 67 fuze was time delayed between 5 and 30 minutes.

The 70 fuze which detonated if the bomb was moved.

If a bomb was found intact it was not disarmed but destroyed on the spot as (if fitted with a 70 fuze) any movement would trigger the device.
The U.S. copied the bomb and it was used in Korea and Vietnam, designated the M83.

Your comments:

• I remember being taken as a very small child, to hear a talk about the dangers of butterfly bombs. I remember them being painted red, yellow, blue and green. I was told that if I ever touched anything with wings that I would be blown up. Even though I was very young I could see that it wasn't a real butterfly or even a bird but the fear of anything with wings has gone with me all my life, especially butterflies. If a butterfly comes anywhere near me I go immediately into a foetal position - with birds also but only if the wings are outstretched. I can now say the word butterfly but for years couldn't even say it.
  .......... Beryl Campbell Bass, Montreal, Canada - in the war, Feltham, Middlesex, England, 16th of January 2011
  
  
• Commented on this the other day, a few other notes for you, the bomb in the photograph is a SD2A, this was only ever fitted with the 41 fuze, the SD2B has a different fitting for the fuze, this has a bayonet type fitting for the fuze, and can accept the 41b 67 or the 70 fuze.
  The arming rod screwed into the fuze has to rotate 10 times anti clockwise to arm the fuze. the 41 fuze is delay or impact, the delay setting is only a few seconds, hence "zeit" on the fuze body.
  The SD2's Were dropped on Ipswich,area around Braintree, Various areas in Norfolk and Sussex, West Thurrock and Grimpsby/Cleethorpes, As well as some RAF and USAF bases, Usually done by a lone German bomber following back planes from raids over occupied Europe, this was done in an attempt to delay more raids asthe fuzes fitted to these were mixed 41 67 and 70.
  A latter development of the SD2 was one with smaller wings, this was made to drop onto bomber formations from above so as to fall on the planes and destroy them in flight, it was found that they didnt work as the smaller vanes didnt arm the fuzes either in time or very well and the bombs bounced off the planes.
  .......... Scott Humphries (German Ordnance collector and researcher), Milton keynes, 14th of November 2009
  
  

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