ALLIES’ SECRET WEAPON

Greymouth Evening Star, 20 November 1943, Page 4

ALLIES’ SECRET WEAPON

POWERFUL NEW EXPLOSIVE LONDON, September 27. London’s two new stories of secret weapons are that the Allies are using a new explosive known, as RDX.. more powerful than T.N.T., and that Germany’s new gliding bomb was rejected by British air chiefs four years ago. R.D.X., meaning Research Department Formula X, was actually known in the early part of the century, but until now there was difficulty in making it on a useful scale. Just before-the outbreak of war the first process of filling a 15in shell with the explosive was going forward at Woolwich Arsenal when something went wrong. A group of men watching the mixing through mirrors from behind the blast wall saw what was happening and ran into the danger zone to stop the process. They were too late, there was a tremendous explosion, and five were killed.

Among the victims was Commander Pam Long, of Sevenoaks, who had retired after- 30 years’ service with the Royal Navy and had been at the Arsenal for 12 years. Two other scientist victims were F. C. Lewis, B.Sc., and J. Brignail, a 28-year-old laboratory assistant, described as one of Woolwich’s most brilliant young chemists. The first time R.D.X. was used was in April, 1941, when a Wellington dropped a 4001 b block-buster on Emden with terrible results.

By colour and smell R.D.X. suggests a sweet more than an explosive. It looks like toffee and its manufacturers are uniformed like pastrycooks with white overalls and chefs” caps. They use wooden spoons to stir the ingredients. To prevent the secret falling into German hands the utmost care is taken to ensure that every R.D.X. bomb explodes and it is understood that until recently ic was known that 100 per cent, effectiveness had been achieved. R.D.X. is being made in the United States and Canada as well as England.

The reason for the reported rejection of the gliding bomb, was because it presupposed indiscriminate bombing. The bomb was devised by the colourful British inventor, Noel Pemberton Billing, who claims it was useable as either an aerial bomb or torpedo. Released from 20,000 feet, it would glide unaided about 20 miles. Rockets were provided to increase its effective area, while if used as a torpedo it was so constructed that its wings and control surfaces automatically detached themselves on striking the water. Billing .submitted the idea to the War Office in 1938, but the Air Council considered it unsuitable. Billing said he re-approached the Air Council in March, 1940, when he sent them full details of his novel form of aerial bombardment, but was told it was necessary to concentrate on more immediate problems.