Lazy Dog (bomb)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lazy Dog "bombs" (Sometimes Red Dot Bombs or Yellow Dog Bombs) were officially referred to as Mark 44 cluster adapters. They were technically not bombs because they used no explosive, but were in many ways equally destructive. Mark 44 cluster adapters were one of many possible means to deliver "Lazy Dog" projectiles.
"Lazy Dog" projectiles were technically small, unguided kinetic missiles, each 1.75 inches in length and weighing 207 grains, or about .03 pounds. They were descended from projectiles of almost identical design and appearance that were developed late in World War II. The Vietnam War-era "Lazy Dog," developed in the 1950s and 1960s, was the type that could be packed into cluster adapters. Pictures of the older type can be found at the first two citations, pictures of the Vietnam-era type can be found at the third citation. The rationale for using them in the Vietnam War was because they were highly effective against enemy troops hiding in the jungle below, even when those troops could not be seen. They were also cheap, and easy to scatter over large areas. Like many other weapons, however, their effects were often gruesome and indiscriminate. "Lazy Dog" projectiles were also referred to by other names such as "buzz bombs" or "lawn darts" because of their shape.
Lazy Dog projectiles were dropped in very large numbers, and usable with almost any kind of flying vehicle. They could be hurled from buckets, dropped by hand, thrown in their small shipping bags made of paper, or placed in a Mark 44 cluster adapter -- a simple hinged casing with bins built in to hold the projectiles, opened by a mechanical time delay fuse as shown. The adapters themselves were 69.9 inches long and 14.18 inches in diameter. They would be shipped empty, then filled by hand. Depending on how many projectiles could be packed in, loaded weight varied between 560 and 625 pounds, with the theoretical maximum number of projectiles listed as an astonishing 17,500.
Regardless of how they were released into the air, each "Lazy Dog" projectile would develop an incredible amount of kinetic energy as it fell, penetrating nearly any material upon hitting the ground. Some reports say that their speeds often exceeded 500 mph before impact.
One period military manual with information on this weapon system, dated 04/27/69, had the awkward name "Resume of Technical Data on Conventional Munitions used in Special Air Warfare Activities."
A variant version of the "Lazy Dog" projectile was developed for the recoilless rifle. However, development was suspended because another kind of flechette solution was used for the recoilless rifle instead.
According to some unconfirmed reports, "Lazy Dog" projectiles were eventually banned for a combination of political and humanitarian reasons. It is also said that those who wish to ban other indiscriminate weapons, such as cluster bombs and land mines, point to the banning of "Lazy Dog" projectiles as precedent and a step forward for their cause. The details to confirm this are scarce.
