Ranken dart
| Ranken Dart | |
|---|---|
| Type | Anti-Zeppelin weapon |
| Place of origin | UK |
| Service history | |
| In service | February 1916 |
| Used by | Royal Naval Air Service, Royal Flying Corps |
| Wars | World War I |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Engineer Lieutenant Commander Francis Ranken |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 1 lb (450 g) |
| Length | 13 inches (330 mm) |
| Width | 5.9 inches (150 mm) |
| Rate of fire | Could be dropped individually or all at once (in packs of 24) |
| Warhead | High explosive, black powder, phosphorus |
Detonation mechanism | Ignited upon penetration of airship skin |
| Armour | Steel and wood construction |
Launch platform | Aircraft |
The Ranken Dart was an anti-Zeppelin weapon developed during the First World War. It was an air-dropped 1 lb (450 g) explosive flechette-type of missile-shaped bomb which was 13 inches (330 mm) long and 5.9 inches (150 mm) wide while being of a steel and wood construction.[1]
It was developed for use against German Zeppelin airships by Engineer Lieutenant Commander Francis Ranken, initially as a Royal Naval Air Service weapon but was also adopted by the Royal Flying Corps in 1916.[1]
Usually carried in packs of 24; the darts could be dropped individually or all at once. Aircraft equipped with Ranken darts had to climb above their targets, before dropping them. It entered service in February 1916.[2] Ranken Darts became obsolete with the advent of the combination of explosive Pomeroy bullets and incendiary ammunition fired from .303 Vickers and Lewis guns mounted on fighter aircraft.
Design
[edit]The Ranken dart consisted of a tinplate tube 23cm long, with a cast iron pointed nose at one end, and a plug and three spring loaded arms at the other. The arms were kept closed in storage by means of a cap, either tin or rubber, which acted as a buffer when the dart was in its dropping tube. When released, the arms opened up and locked in place to act as a grapnel, thus ensuring that the body entered the fabric. The Dart contained high explosive, black powder and phosphorus which were ignited when the head penetrated the airship's outer skin.[1]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "Ranken Dart IWM". iwm.org. Retrieved 2023-01-06.
- ^ Castle 2008, pp. 48–49.
Further reading
[edit]- Castle, I. (2008). London 1914–1917: The Zeppelin Menace. Oxford: Osprey. ISBN 978-1-84603-245-5.
External links
[edit]Sectioned Ranken Dart in the Imperial War Museum collection
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