Devil Soul
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Revealed: The birthplace of Barnes Wallis's other top secret weapon, the 22,000lb Grand Slam bomb - Britain's biggest EVER
PUBLISHED: 11:50 GMT, 23 January 2014 | UPDATED: 15:51 GMT, 23 January 2014
The devastating effects of a 22,000lb bomb used by the RAF to help end the Second World War are set to be laid bare as archaeologists investigate a remote test site in the New Forest.
The 'Grand Slam', which was designed to simulate the effects of an earthquake in order to cause wide-spread destruction to critical infrastructure, was Britain's biggest conventional weapon ever.
The bomb was the brainchild of Barnes Wallis, who is best known for creating the bouncing bombs used in the famous Dambusters raids in the Ruhr Valley.
It was dropped on nine different sites in Germany in 1945 in a bid to damage morale and encourage the Nazis to surrender to Allied forces.
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Destructive: The Grand Slam bomb was the largest conventional weapon ever deployed by the British military
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Inventor: The bomb was designed by Barnes Wallis, creator of the Dambusters' bouncing bombs
The target of the Grand Slam was key infrastructure, such as railway bridges and submarine bays, rather than built-up populated areas.
The bomb - which Wallis spent years developing before it was built - was tested just once, on March 13, 1945, when it was dropped close to a concrete bunker in the New Forest near the town of Fordingbridge.
It tunnelled deep into the ground at a speed of 700mph before detonating, setting off tremors which were the equivalent of an earthquake.
The crater left at the New Forest test site was 70ft deep and 130ft across, and eyewitness reports suggested that the test building could be seen shaking.
The concrete structure was originally thought to have been an imitation of a German submarine pen, but new evidence suggests that it was in fact an attempt to develop a more robust air-raid shelter, built over five and a half months at a cost of £250,000 (the equivalent of more than £10million today).
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Test: When the bomb was dropped on a site in the New Forest, it made a crater 70ft deep and 130ft across
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- The Grand Slam, designed by Barnes Wallis, created underground 'earthquakes' which could destroy targets without a direct hit
- It was tested in the New Forest on March 13, 1945, making a huge crater
- The bomb was then used to attack infrastructure at nine German sites
- Scientists are now researching the test site using modern technology
PUBLISHED: 11:50 GMT, 23 January 2014 | UPDATED: 15:51 GMT, 23 January 2014
The devastating effects of a 22,000lb bomb used by the RAF to help end the Second World War are set to be laid bare as archaeologists investigate a remote test site in the New Forest.
The 'Grand Slam', which was designed to simulate the effects of an earthquake in order to cause wide-spread destruction to critical infrastructure, was Britain's biggest conventional weapon ever.
The bomb was the brainchild of Barnes Wallis, who is best known for creating the bouncing bombs used in the famous Dambusters raids in the Ruhr Valley.
It was dropped on nine different sites in Germany in 1945 in a bid to damage morale and encourage the Nazis to surrender to Allied forces.
Destructive: The Grand Slam bomb was the largest conventional weapon ever deployed by the British military
Inventor: The bomb was designed by Barnes Wallis, creator of the Dambusters' bouncing bombs
The target of the Grand Slam was key infrastructure, such as railway bridges and submarine bays, rather than built-up populated areas.
The bomb - which Wallis spent years developing before it was built - was tested just once, on March 13, 1945, when it was dropped close to a concrete bunker in the New Forest near the town of Fordingbridge.
It tunnelled deep into the ground at a speed of 700mph before detonating, setting off tremors which were the equivalent of an earthquake.
The crater left at the New Forest test site was 70ft deep and 130ft across, and eyewitness reports suggested that the test building could be seen shaking.
The concrete structure was originally thought to have been an imitation of a German submarine pen, but new evidence suggests that it was in fact an attempt to develop a more robust air-raid shelter, built over five and a half months at a cost of £250,000 (the equivalent of more than £10million today).
Test: When the bomb was dropped on a site in the New Forest, it made a crater 70ft deep and 130ft across