Ranken dart

 ( Aerial Bombs Of The United Kingdom ) 

The Ranken Dart was an anti-Zeppelin weapon developed during the First World War. It was an air-dropped explosive flechette-type of missile-shaped bomb which was long and wide while being of a steel and wood construction.

It was developed for use against German Zeppelin airships by Engineer Lieutenant Commander Francis Ranken, initially as a Royal Naval Air Service weapon but was also adopted by the Royal Flying Corps in 1916.

Usually carried in packs of 24; the darts could be dropped individually or all at once. Aircraft equipped with Ranken darts had to climb above their targets, before dropping them. It entered service in . Ranken Darts became obsolete with the advent of the combination of explosive and incendiary ammunition fired from .303 Vickers gun and mounted on fighter aircraft.

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Design The Ranken dart consisted of a tinplate tube 23cm long, with a cast iron pointed nose at one end, and a plug and three spring loaded arms at the other. The arms were kept closed in storage by means of a cap, either tin or rubber, which acted as a buffer when the dart was in its dropping tube. When released, the arms opened up and locked in place to act as a grapnel, thus ensuring that the body entered the fabric. The Dart contained high explosive, black powder and phosphorus which were ignited when the head penetrated the airship's outer skin.

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Further reading

• I. Castle (2025). 9781846032455, Osprey. ISBN 9781846032455

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External links

Sectioned Ranken Dart in the Imperial War Museum collection

Categories: Aerial Bombs Of The United Kingdom, Incendiary Weapons, World War I Weapons Of The United Kingdom, Anti-aircraft Weapons

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