title: PD 500
text: # PD 500
  
  The PD 500 (Panzersprengbombe Dickwandig) or thick walled armor-piercing explosive bomb in English was an armor-piercing bomb used by the Luftwaffe during World War II.
  
  ## Design
  
  The PD series of bombs differed for the SC series because they had thick cases for enhanced penetration of armored targets like warships. The charge-to-weight ratio of the bomb was low at only 6.3%, while most general-purpose bombs had a charge-to-weight ratio of between 30 and 50%. The body was of two-piece drawn-steel construction which was filled through the base with RDX and was fitted with a magnesium alloy 4 finned tail with a cylindrical strut. A single electric fuze was located in the base, and an electrical charging head was located in the rear 1/3 of the body. The PD 500 was horizontally suspended by an H-Type suspension lug in a bomb bay or fuselage hardpoint. It was dropped in horizontal flight from a height of at least 11,500 ft (3,500 m), and penetration was stated to be 5.5–6.25 in (140–159 mm). The bombs were painted sky blue with red stripes on the tail.
  
  