Conical surfaces of fracture generated in thick‐walled cylinders that were asymmetrically and impulsively loaded through the use of internal explosive charges are presented. It is deduced from qualitative considerations that the conical fractures result from the interaction between transient tensile stress waves. The two tensile stress waves that are responsible for the fracture arise from a single compressional stress wave that is reflected from two inclined free surfaces. The angle of fracture associated with these conical surfaces has been used to measure the velocity of propagation of the stress waves in low‐carbon steel, brass, copper, lead, and 24ST aluminum alloy.