# Is it possible to build a kinetic energy bomb?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-build-a-kinetic-energy-bomb/265112>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 20, 2004, 10:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-build-a-kinetic-energy-bomb/265112 "2004-09-20T10:11:14Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Chimpy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@Chimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimpy)\
**Post date:** [September 20, 2004, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-build-a-kinetic-energy-bomb/265112/21 "2004-09-20T18:50:23Z")

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> [@Squink](#):
>
> Weren’t some of the dam busters used in WWII designed to spin, so that when they sank to the bottom of the reservior behind a targeted dam, they’d go zipping along the bottom until they struck the dam?

I always thought the spinning nature of the dambuster bombs was first to cause them to skip the nets that prevented a submarine attack in the front of the dam and secondly to cause them to roll to the bottom of the dam so the most damage was inflicted on the dam.

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**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\
**Post date:** [September 20, 2004, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-build-a-kinetic-energy-bomb/265112/22 "2004-09-20T19:07:07Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> I always thought the spinning nature of the dambuster bombs was first to cause them to skip the nets…

It looks like you’re right, they skipped on the surface:  
[Big&Bouncy:TheSpecialWeaponsofBarnesWallis](http://www.computing.dundee.ac.uk/staff/irmurray/bigbounc.asp#bounce)  
[The Dambusters](http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/dambusters.htm)

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**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\
**Post date:** [September 20, 2004, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-build-a-kinetic-energy-bomb/265112/23 "2004-09-20T19:48:47Z")

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> [@ouryL](#):
>
> Unless they were \*evil \*gerbils!!  
> :eek: 😃

Commie Gerbils!  
Ghodless Red East German Commie Gerbils! Wearing fluorescent Pink Weskets!

Or…something.

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