Rita Hayworth & the German bombs...

[JDK]

From my blog here: http://vintageaeroplanewriter.blogspot. ... shell.html

It's not unusual to find a Hollywood star in a bizarre looking promotional still photograph. But sometimes there remains a question behind it. A while ago, I came across this image of Rita Hayworth, with another woman, embracing a very large bomb. What is particularly odd about it, beyond the oddness of the image itself, is that these bombs seem to be a set of Nazi era German bombs, in fact the main blast bombs of the period used by the Luftwaffe. There are some more conventional photos of most of these bombs linked here ( http://thedaysofglory2.blogspot.com.au/ ... bombs.html ) confirming that the examples in the Hayworth still are the real size - presumably the real thing.



Yes, Max is that big, and we'll just go straight past all the obvious jokes. But why would Rita be set up to have her picture taken with these (is it as obvious as that she was a 'bombshell' of the time?). And who is the other woman? Another actress? There's no film of Rita's that seems to relate to the need to happily embrace large German bombs, so there's no obvious connection there.

And of particular interest - and the reason for the post - how or why would the image be with a set of German bombs, rather than the more obvious and likely American munitions? It could be that a set of clearly labelled German bombs were on show for another purpose, at a location such as Freeman Field where the great post-war display of Axis aircraft was put on. This enquiring mind would like to know - so over to you dear reader.

(There is a 'PS'. Rita's likeness was allegedly attached to the Bikini Atoll atomic bomb, but that appears to be a myth, as explored here: http://knol.google.com/k/atomic-goddess-part-1# .)

[The Inspector]

I can't think of any airframe the Germans had that could lift that 5056 lb bomb (2500 kg X 2.024= 5056 lbs) the He-177 may have had the ability but did it have a big enough bomb bay? That thing has to be about 15 ft long and 4 ft in diameter.

Dimesional issues are what kept the B-17/B-24 from hauling really big British bombs, even the Lanc carried about 1/2 of the 22000 lb earthquake hanging out in the breeze with modified bay doors. So was this a case of someone in the RLM daydreaming about 'when we...'

Isn't the other actress Anne Sheridan?

[RAMC181]

Luftwaffe bomb sizes are given at http://www.warbirdsresourcegroup.org/LRG/bombs.html

All the best,
PB

[Invader26]

German aircraft like some B-17's often carried bombs externally. The picture of the bomb on the "Luftwaffe" site show a He-111 in the background..

Much of the German history has not been widely published..

[pjpahs]

Going thru the WIX Luftwaffe resources there are at least 8 bombers with the capability to have a bomb load of 3000KG or more. Why build a bomb you can't deliver?

[CDF]

And who is the other woman? Another actress?

Might be Bette Davis ?

You can pick up the reference number on this image

[JDK]

Good find, CDF, where did you get that version of the image? All I found was versions of the crop / size I posted.

So - anyone au fait with the Hollywood publicity photo catalogue system?

I've no strong opinions on who the other woman is. I don't think Bette Davis, or Sheridan is particularly likely (though good calls on the resemblance) only because I'd expect the info to refer to both film stars if the other woman was of similar stature to Rita. But that's speculation also.

More WIX-friendly is to ask if anyone could speculate where in the US there might be such an array of German bombs in the later 1940s? The picture has to be post 1944, I'm guessing as I can't see a set of bombs being obtained before then. I'm assuming US, as I don't think Hayworth went to Europe in the postwar / wartime period - comment welcome.

[SaxMan]

Don't the smaller bombs seem oversized? A 250 kg bomb that is as tall as Rita Heyworth? Maybe they were set pieces?

[shrike]

SC250 given as 64.5" LOA*, Rita Hayworth given as 66"LOA**
So, close enough.



*WRG Luft. Resource
** IMDB

[JDK]

Thanks Shrike, I was working on the same figs, and trying to avoid posting the max diameter...

One of the things that struck me at first about the photo is that the bombs *did* seem 'oversize', but they seem about the right proportions (just like Rita), which also shows that the Luftwaffe dropped bigger bombs (including the 'Max') than we realise.

As to the Inspector's earlier query about the viability of dropping them, the Do 217 and He 111-H were able to carry the SC 2500, the former internally, I understand, the latter externally. Given they were both twin-engine mediums, there's a thought of greater capability than normally considered, there.

Regards,