Bombs - MARK Series
Copyright © 2024 Andreas Parsch
For air-delivered bombs, the Navy initially used separate Mark numbering sequences for each weight class of bombs. At some point in the late 1930s, a common Mark series for all bombs was started, beginning at MK 15 (presumably a higher number than any allocated in the various weight-specific series). In WW 2, some bomb marks were prefixed with "AN-", designating a common Army/Navy use.
3 lb Series
| Mark Number | Description |
|---|---|
| MARK 3 | 3 lb Practice Bomb |
| MARK 4 | 3 lb Practice Bomb |
| MARK 5 | 3 lb Practice Bomb; AN-MK 5 |
30 lb Series
| Mark Number | Description |
|---|---|
| MARK 5 | 30 lb Fragmentation Bomb; variants: MK 5 MOD 0/1/2/3 |
100 lb Series
| Mark Number | Description |
|---|---|
| MARK 1 | 120 lb General Purpose Bomb; variants: MK 1 MOD 2/3/4 |
| MARK 3 | 100 lb Demolition Bomb |
| MARK 4 | 120 lb Demolition Bomb; variants: MK 4 MOD 1/2/3/4 |
| MARK 7 | 100 lb Practice Bomb |
500 lb Series
| Mark Number | Description |
|---|---|
| MARK 3 | 500 lb General Purpose Bomb; variants: MK 3 MOD 1 |
| MARK 5 | 500 lb Practice Bomb |
| MARK 7 | 500 lb General Purpose Bomb |
| MARK 9 | 490 lb General Purpose Bomb |
| MARK 12 | 515 lb General Purpose Bomb; variants: MK 12 MOD 0/1/2 |
1000 lb Series
| Mark Number | Description |
|---|---|
| MARK 3 | 1000 lb General Purpose Bomb |
| MARK 5 | 1000 lb General Purpose Bomb |
| MARK 7 | 1000 lb Practice Bomb |
| MARK 9 | 1020 lb General Purpose Bomb |
| MARK 13 | 1020 lb General Purpose Bomb; variants: MK 13 MOD 0/1/2 |
2000 lb Series
| Mark Number | Description |
|---|---|
| MARK 1 | 2000 lb General Purpose Bomb; variants: MK 1 MOD 3/4/5 |
| MARK 9 | 2040 lb General Purpose Bomb |
| MARK 11 | 1990 lb Demolition Bomb |
Common Series
| Mark Number | Description |
|---|---|
| (1...14) | (Not assigned) |
| MARK 15 | 100 lb Practice Bomb; variants: MK 15 MOD 2/3/4 |
| MARK 16 | 2 lb Radio Acoustic Ranging Bomb |
| MARK 17 | 325 lb Depth Bomb; TNT; variants: MK 17 MOD 1, AN-MK 17 MOD 2 |
| MARK 18 | Sound bomb |
| MARK 19 | 13 lb Practice Bomb; variants: MK 19 MOD 0/1 |
| MARK 20 | 1130 lb Demolition Bomb; TNT |
| MARK 21 | 490 lb Practice Bomb |
| MARK 22 | 1010 lb Practice Bomb |
| MARK 23 | 3 lb Miniature Practice Bomb; variants: AN-MK 23 MOD 1 |
| MARK 24 | 500 lb Demolition Bomb |
| MARK 25 | 1000 lb General Purpose Bomb; not used |
| MARK 26 | 500 lb General Purpose Bomb; not used |
| MARK 27 | 2000 lb General Purpose Bomb; not used |
| MARK 28 | 70 lb Incendiary Bomb; black powder |
| MARK 29 | 650 lb Depth Bomb |
| MARK 30 | 3 lb Miniature Practice Bomb |
| MARK 31 | 500 lb SAP Bomb; as Army M58 |
| MARK 32 | 3 lb AA Bomb; not produced |
| MARK 33 | 1010 lb AP Bomb; Explosive D; variants: AN-MK 33 MOD 1/2/3 |
| MARK 34 | 5 lb AA Bomb; TNT |
| MARK 35 | 650 lb Depth Bomb |
| MARK 36 | 1030 lb Demolition Bomb; modified Army M44 |
| MARK 37 | 660 lb Depth Bomb; TNT |
| MARK 38 | 630 lb Depth Bomb; TNT |
| MARK 39 | 10 lb Miniature Practice Bomb |
| MARK 40 | Sound Bomb |
| MARK 41 | 350 lb Depth Bomb; TNT |
| MARK 42 | 100 lb Chemical Bomb |
| MARK 43 | 5 lb Miniature Practice Bomb |
| MARK 44 | 350 lb Depth Bomb; Torpex |
| MARK 45 | 130 lb Reinforced Concrete Practice Bomb |
| MARK 46 | 100 lb Demolition Bomb |
| MARK 47 | 350 lb Depth Bomb; Torpex |
| MARK 48 | 850 lb Depth Bomb |
| MARK 49 | 670 lb Depth Bomb; Torpex |
| MARK 50 | 1270 lb AP Rocket Bomb |
| MARK 51 | 100 lb Depth Bomb; for blimps |
| MARK 52 | 100 lb Depth Bomb; for blimps |
| MARK 53 | 330 lb Depth Bomb; TNT; variants: AN-MK 53 MOD 1 |
| MARK 54 | 350 lb Depth Bomb; Torpex or HBX; variants: AN-MK 54 MOD 0/1 |
| MARK 55 | Guided Bomb Pelican; redesignated as SWOD MK 7 |
| MARK 56 | Guided Bomb; redesignated as SWOD MK 8(?) |
| MARK 57 | Guided Bomb Bat; redesignated as SWOD MK 9 |
| MARK 58 | 100 lb Practice Bomb; water sand-filled, with spotting charge |
| MARK 59 | Miniature Practice Bomb |
| MARK 60 | 110 lb Bomb; filled with 1/8" steel balls and black poweder at one end |
| MARK 61 | 550 lb Reinforced Concrete Practice Bomb |
| MARK 62 | 1040 lb Practice Bomb |
| MARK 63 | 3880 lb AP Bomb; Explosive D; for dive and level bombing |
| MARK 64 | 1100 lb Guided Bomb Dove; redesignated as Guided Missile ASM-4 |
| MARK 65 | 500 lb Incendiary Bomb; 25 gallons napalm |
| MARK 66 | 1000 lb Practice Bomb; white smoke, 45 gallons gas-gel; also used as incendiary bomb |
| MARK 67 | 1470 lb Incendiary Bomb; 97 gallons napalm |
| MARK 68 | Torpedo-Sized Napalm Bomb; 200 gallons napalm |
| MARK 69 | Guided Bomb; redesignated as SWOD MK 10 |
| MARK 70 | Electric horn type bomb, used in scatter bomb cluster for blimps |
| MARK 71 | 530 lb General Purpose bomb; modified M64A1 for low-level anti-ship attacks |
| MARK 72 | 8 lb Target Identification Bomb; variants: 50 lb MK 72 MOD 2 |
| MARK 73 | 45 lb Target Identification Flare |
| MARK 74 | 500 lb Caltrop Bomb; 1300 caltrops |
| MARK 75 | 375 lb Depth Bomb; redesigned MK 53 |
| MARK 76 | 25 lb Practice Bomb; for dive-bombing; variants: MK 76 MOD 0/1/2 |
| MARK 77 | 750 lb Fire Bomb; 114 gallons napalm; variants: 500 lb MK 77 MOD 1 (75 gallons) |
| MARK 78 | 760 lb Fire Bomb; 110 gallons napalm; variants: MK 78 MOD 0/1/2 |
| MARK 79 | 910 lb Low-Drag Fire Bomb; 112 gallons napalm; variants: MK 79 MOD 0/1/2 |
| (80) | (No information) |
| MARK 81 | 260 lb Low-Drag General Purpose Bomb |
| MARK 82 | 510 lb Low-Drag General Purpose Bomb |
| MARK 83 | 990 lb Low-Drag General Purpose Bomb |
| MARK 84 | 1970 lb Low-Drag General Purpose Bomb |
| MARK 85 | 260 lb Low-Drag Fragmentation Bomb; MK 81 shape |
| MARK 86 | 220 lb Practice Bomb |
| MARK 87 | 330 lb Practice Bomb |
| MARK 88 | 780 lb Practice Bomb |
| MARK 89 | 60 lb Practice Bomb |
| MARK 90 | Nuclear Depth Bomb Betty |
| MARK 91 | 3500 lb Nuclear Bomb, designated MK-11 in Nuclear Weapon designation series |
| MARK 92 | 3250 lb Practice Bomb; training device for MK 91 |
| (93) | (No information) |
| MARK 94 | 470 lb Low-Drag Chemical Bomb |
| MARK 95 | Not used (reserved for MK 94 replacement) |
| (96...97) | (No information) |
| MARK 98 | 1980 lb Practice Bomb; training device for MK-28 Nuclear Weapon in A-5 Vigilante |
| MARK 99 | Practice Bomb; training device for MK 90 |
| MARK 100 | 2500 lb Practice Bomb; training device for MK 90 |
| MARK 101 | 1200 lb Nuclear Depth Bomb Lulu |
| MARK 102 | 1200 lb Practice Bomb; training device for MK 101 |
| MARK 103 | Practice Bomb; training device for assembly and handling of MK 101 |
| MARK 104 | 2020 lb Nuclear Bomb Simulator; training device for MK-28 Nuclear Weapon in A-5 Vigilante |
| MARK 105 | 1500 lb Nuclear Bomb Hotpoint |
| MARK 106 | Subcaliber Training Round; training device for MK 105 |
| MARK 107 | Training Round for MK 105 service personnel |
| MARK 108 | Simulated Depth Bomb; training device for MK 101 |
| MARK 109 | 350 lb Cluster Chaff Bomb |
| MARK 110 | Anti-Tank Cluster Bomb; consists of multiple 2.75in HEAT rocket heads |
| MARK 111 | 3660 lb Nuclear Bomb for internal carriage in A-5 Vigilante; designated MK-27 in Nuclear Weapon designation series |
| MARK 112 | 2700 lb Nuclear Bomb for internal carriage in A-5 Vigilante; designated MK-43 in Nuclear Weapon designation series |
| MARK 113 | 2510 lb Nuclear Bomb for internal carriage in A-5 Vigilante; designated MK-28 in Nuclear Weapon designation series |
| MARK 114 | 2510 lb Training Weapon; for use with A-5 Vigilante |
| MARK 115 | 55 lb Helo Trap Weapon; for cutting obstructions in landing zones |
| MARK 116 | 500 lb Chemical Bomb Weteye |
| MARK 117 | Bomblet; submunition for Rockeye cluster bomb |
| MARK 118 | Anti-Tank Bomblet; submunition for MK 20 Cluster Bomb Rockeye II |
| MARK 119 | Target Identification Bomblet |
| MARK 120 | Practice Bomb; cancelled |
| MARK 121 | Target Identification Bomb |
| MARK 122 | 230 lb Incendiary Bomb Fireye |
| (123) | (No information) |
| MARK 124 | Practice Bomb; for Snakeye I bomb |
| (125 and higher) | (No information; probably not assigned) |
From the 1960s onwards, the Navy began to use BLU designations (covered by the Aeronautical and Support Equipment Type Designation System) for new bombs and guided bomb bodies, so that the Bomb Mark series ended at that time.
Navy Nomenclature System
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Last Updated: 7 May 2024