The E96 cluster bomb was an American anti-personnel biological

cluster bomb A cluster munition is a form of air-dropped or ground-launched explosive weapon that releases or ejects smaller submunitions. Commonly, this is a cluster bomb that ejects explosive bomblets that are designed to kill personnel and destroy vehi ...

developed in 1950.

History

A February 24, 1950 report prepared by William M. Creasy, a colonel in the Army Chemical Corps' Research and Engineering Division, characterized the E96 cluster bomb as in the final stages of development. According to Creasy's report, at the time the U.S. had no other

biological weapon Biological agents, also known as biological weapons or bioweapons, are pathogens used as weapons. In addition to these living or replicating pathogens, toxins and Toxin#Biotoxins, biotoxins are also included among the bio-agents. More than 1,2 ...

systems ready for use in battle.

Specifications

The E96 cluster bomb was a biological weapon designed to deliver an anti-personnel or anti-animal

biological agent Biological agents, also known as biological weapons or bioweapons, are pathogens used as weapons. In addition to these living or replicating pathogens, toxins and Toxin#Biotoxins, biotoxins are also included among the bio-agents. More than 1,2 ...

. It consisted of 104 E48 sub-munitions, each one weighing . The sub-munitions were clustered into an E38 cluster adapter and when used, would be dropped from generating an aerosol cloud in the shape of an

ellipse In mathematics, an ellipse is a plane curve surrounding two focus (geometry), focal points, such that for all points on the curve, the sum of the two distances to the focal points is a constant. It generalizes a circle, which is the special ty ...

.Whitby, Simon M. ''Biological Warfare Against Crops'',
Google Books
, Macmillan, 2002, pp. 104-08, ().

References

{{U.S. biological weapons Biological weapon delivery systems Cluster munitions