GP 50 (50 kg)

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Side view of a GP 50 (50 kg) bomb.
Data for GP 50 (50 kg) bomb
Metric Imperial
Overall Length 102.8 cm 40.5 in
Body Diameter 25.1 cm 9.9 in
Filling Weight 25.0 kg 55.1 lb
Total Weight 58.0 kg 127.8 lb
Explosive Filling Amatol
Bomb Type High Explosive

The GP 50 (50 kg) is an Italian general purpose high explosive (HE) bomb. Italian bombs are similar to Japanese bombs in regards to construction as multiple components are either screwed, riveted or welded together as opposed to being a one-piece construction. While Italian bombs typically are filled with cast TNT, a large number were manufactured with Amatol and TNT mixtures along with aluminium powder for an extra kick.[1]

Smaller Italian bombs (100 kg and smaller) are typically only fused from the rear which is screwed into the base of the bomb and arm while free-falling as the arming vane begins to spin. A suspension lug is fitted to the nose of the bomb for vertical deployment like in the case of the Ba.65 (K.14) L or a suspension band with a lug fitted around the centre of gravity on the bomb for horizontal placement in bomb bays or external pylons such as on the Re.2000 G.A..

Vehicles equipped with this weapon

Vehicles equipped with this weapon
Fighters  G.50 Freccia AS serie 7 · ▀G.50 Freccia AS serie 7 · G.55 sottoserie 0 · G.55 Centauro serie 1 · G.55S · G.56
  Re.2000 G.A. · Re.2001 CB · Re.2002 Early
Attackers  Ba.65 (K.14) L · Breda 88 (P.XI) · SM.91 · SM.92
BR.20  BR.20 DR
Ju-87  ▄Ju 87 D-3 · ▄Ju 87 R-2
P.108  P.108B serie 1 · P.108B serie 2
S.81  S.81
S.M.79  S.M.79 serie 1 · ▀S.M.79 serie 1 · ▀S.M.79 serie 4 · S.M.79 serie 8 · ▀S.M.79 serie 8 · S.M.79 AS · ▀S.M.79 AS · ▀S.M.79 bis/N · S.M.79 bis/T.M · ▀S.M.79 bis/T.M · S.M.79 B · ▀S.M.79 B
Z.1007  Z.1007 bis serie 3 · Z.1007 bis serie 5

General info

A top view of an GP 50 (50 kg) bomb with identification of parts.

The GP 50 bomb body is typically filled through the base of the bomb, afterwards, a base plate is installed utilising screws or rivets. The tail section is next fitted over the base plate and is fixed in place either through using screws, rivets or welding. While tail units may vary in design, their diameter will not be larger than the diameter of the bomb body. The tail cone consists of four vanes, tail cone and a corrugated strengthening ring which are all manufactured from corrugated strengthening ring, all of which are manufactured from sheet metal.[2]

Amatol is the preferred explosive filler for the GP 50, a felt pad is installed in the nose of the bomb to break the shock of impact on the explosive filler leaving the booster and initiating charge of the fuse to start the explosion train resulting in the uniform detonation of the bomb.

The fuse for the GP 50 attaches through the tail cone of the bomb. The fuse is screwed into the base of the bomb and typically has a long arming spindle which extends from the base through the tail cone. The end of the tail cone is configured to allow for the arming vane of the fuse to be protected (to prevent damage and bending of the arming vane), preventing damage which could render the bomb inactive and fail to arm when dropped.

Italian bombs are typically painted or galvanized in an effort to prevent corrosion from deteriorating the bomb casing. As in the case of the GP 50, the body is painted a dull-blue with a red nose to distinguish it as a high-explosive bomb.[3]

Effective damage

A front view of an GP 50 (50 kg) bomb. Notice the nose lug utilised for vertical stowage in the bomb bay.

The GP 50 utilised both TNT and Amatol as explosive fillers in its bombs, however Amatol quickly became the preferred filler as it also had aluminium powder added to the explosive compound which in of itself is a composition of TNT (Trinitrotoluene C7H5N3O6) and Ammonium Nitrate (N2H4O3). Amatol is a British name which comes from the words of the ingredients of this compound, Ammmonium and toluene. TNT in its pure form when detonated leaves a black smoke residue after it explodes due to the oxygen deficiency in TNT (does not fully explode/burn all components efficiently). To supplement TNT's need for oxygen, ammonium nitrate is added to the mixture which has an oxygen surplus and overall increases the energy release of a TNT explosion when mixed. On top of this with aluminium powder introduced to the mix, positive side effects include raising reaction temperature, enhancing the heat of the detonation, improve air blast and create an incendiary effect, literally getting more bang for the buck. When compared to each other, Amatol has a lower explosive velocity and brisance than pure TNT; however, due to Amatol creating a more efficient explosion plus the addition of the aluminium powder, it became the go-to explosive for Italian general purpose bombs.

GP 50 (50 kg) damage table Metric Imperial
Max armour penetration high explosive action 80 mm 3.14 in
Radius of destruction of an armoured vehicle 2.1 m 6.9 ft
Radius of fragment dispersion 70.1 m 229.9 ft

Comparison with analogues

A rear view of an GP 50 (50 kg) bomb. Notice the tail fuse which arms the bomb after dropping from the aircraft.
Comparable bombs to GP 50 (50 kg)

Usage in battles

The GP 50 (50 kg) is a GP/HE bomb which was utilised by fighters, attackers and bombers. Due to its size, either one or two could be outfitted to a fighter or four to an attacker such as the Ba.65 (K.14) L allowing it to perform low-level precision bombing on AAA or light vehicles. Bombers can carry between 12 to 28 of these bombs and could drop them all in one location bombing a base or could spread them out across the map depending on where the targets of opportunity are. Light armour vehicles and anti-aircraft guns are prime targets, however, these bombs don't have enough power to bust through hardened bunkers or tanks and with enough dropped can take out a base, but this will usually require several bombing runs with help from others to completely take out the base.

Pros and cons


  • Can be loaded on aircraft either horizontally or vertically[4]
  • Can be outfitted on fighter aircraft
  • One GP 50 (50 kg) can take out a single light vehicle or anti-aircraft artillery gun (fragmentation may damage any nearby units)


  • Less effective against hardened bunkers and bases
  • Initial payload of most Italian attackers and bombers
  • Requires low altitude (below 300 m) bombing to be effective against vehicles




  • GP 50 (50 kg) bombs dropped from the bombbay of a BR.20 DR bomber
  • GP 50 (50 kg) bombs mounted to an external pylon of a Re.2000 G.A.
  • GP 50 (50 kg) bombs dropping from the bomb bay of a Ba.65 (K.14) L
  • Close-up image of the bombbay of the Ba.65 (K.14) L and the GP 50 (50 kg) bomb rigging

See also


  • reference to the article about the variant of the weapon;
  • references to approximate analogues by other nations and research trees.

External links

100 lb  AN-M30A1
250 lb  AN-M57 · LDGP Mk 81
500 lb  AN-M64A1 · LDGP Mk 82
750 lb  M117 cone 45 · M117 cone 90
2,000 lb  AN-M66A2 · LDGP Mk 84
10 kg  SD10C
50 kg  SC50JA
250 kg  SC250JA
500 kg  SC500K
1,000 kg  SC1000L2
1,400 kg  PC 1400 X (Fritz X)
1,800 kg  SC1800B
25 kg  AO-25M-1
50 kg  FAB-50
100 kg  FAB-100 · OFAB-100
250 kg  FAB-250M43 · OFAB-250-270
500 kg  FAB-500 · FAB-500M-54
1,000 kg  FAB-1000
1,500 kg  FAB-1500M-46
3,000 kg  FAB-3000M-46
5,000 kg  FAB-5000
250 lg  G.P. 250 lb Mk.IV
4,000 lb  H.C. 4,000 lb Mk.II
50 kg  Type 94 50 kg
100 kg  Type 94 100 kg
250 kg   Type 92 250 kg
500 kg  Type 92 500 kg
60 kg  Type 97 №.6
750 lb  JM117 cone 45
50 kg  GP 50
100 kg  GP 100 · SAP 100
250 kg  GP 250
500 kg  GP 500
800 kg  GP 800
100 kg  100 №.1
200 kg  200 №.1
500 kg  500 №.2