Molotov breadbasket

English

Alternative forms

• Molotov bread basket
• Molotov's bread basket

Etymology

Coined around 1940 to describe cluster munitions used in Finland by the Soviet Union during the 1939–1940 Winter War. From Molotov +‎ bread basket, after Soviet Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov. Compare Molotov cocktail.

Noun

Molotov breadbasket (plural Molotov breadbaskets)

1. A cluster bomb; a munition that disperses multiple smaller explosives.
   • 2001, Steven H. Newton, Kursk: The German View‎^[1], page 187:

     Our bombardment aircraft dropped this armament in bomb-shaped 250- and 500-kilogram canisters (models AB250 and AB500). These fragmentation bombs proved to be extremely effective against live targets when discharged by a scatter drop (an adaptation of the Molotov “bread basket”).

2. (specifically) The RRAB-3, a Soviet cluster bomb.
   • 1940, “Soviet army's new weapons”, in Life, volume 8, number 14, page 34:

     “Molotov breadbasket” is a large bomb container which, whirled by its fins, drops low, then sprays out a mass of 4 1/2 pound incendiary bombs.

   • 2010, Gro Nystuen, Stuart Casey-Maslen, The Convention on Cluster Munitions: A Commentary‎^[2], page 6:

     The Russian air force dropped RRAB-3 ‘Molotov bread basket’ incendiary cluster munitions on Finland during the ‘Winter War’ in January 1940, and perhaps even earlier.