You are on page 1of 652

AI R PUBL ICATI ON 166 1B

Vo lum e I

BOMBS

Prep ared by directio n of t he Minister of Airc raft Prod uctio n

Pro mul gate d by orde r of the Air Council


2
>3 S<
Si S?s-•
£ «^■
>—
.C
5S o’'*
>
THE “ 1661” SERIES § § s.

LAYOUT TREE FOR THE “ 1661” SERIES


Vols. I A.P.1661, Vol. H Vol. H I
(Descriptive handbo oks and (Leaflets) (None)
instru ction s for use)

OF A IR PUBLIC ATIONS
A.P.1661A, Vol. I —Explosives A—Explosives
A.P.1661B, Vol. I—Bombs B—Bombs
A.P.1661C, Vol. I— Bomb components C—Bomb components
A.P^1661D, Vol. I—Ammuni tion for guns, D—Ammunition
machine guns, a nd
small arms E—Py rotechnics
A.P.1661E, Vol. I —Pyrotec hnics F—Miscellaneous cartridg es
A.P.1661F, Vol. I—Miscellaneous cartridges G—Demolition explosives, destruc tors,
A.P.1661G, Vol. I—Demolition explosives, and associated stores
destruc tors, and
associated stores
M—Miscellaneous
Each of the above Vols. I, with
exception of A.P. 1661A, Vol. I, is
divided into Sections, and each Section
is divided into Chapters. The List of
Sections at the beginning of each
Volume, and the List of Chapt ers at
the beginning of each Section, give
details.

Notes.— (i) From this tree it will be noted th at A.P.1661, Vol. II, is the combined Vol. II for the whole of this series.
(ii) The layo ut tree for the Vol. I contain ing this page is given overleaf.
(iii) The issue of A.P.1661D, Vol. I—Ammuni tion for guns, machine guns, and small arms—and its corresponding
division D in A.P.1661, Vol. II, is suspende d until furt her notice. For the present , inform ation on amm u­
nition is containe d in A.P.2058A—Provisional ammun ition memorand a. <5
o

3
A.P.1 661B
BOMBS

LAYOUT TREE FOR A.P . 1661B


Vol. I Vol. n Vol. in
(Descriptive handb ook and Vol. II ma tte r on bombs will (None)
instr uction s for use) appe ar in leaflets in division
B of A.P.1661, Vol. I I. The stores described in this
publicat ion are listed in
(See the lay ou t tree for the "1 66 1” A.P.1086
series , overleaf}

Sect. 1
G.P. Bom bs
Chap. 1—General notes on G.P. bombs
Chap. 2—Bombs, H.E. , aircra ft, G.P., 40 lb.,
Mk. I, II, and II I
Chap. 3—Bombs, para chute , H .E., aircra ft, G.P.,
40 lb., Mk. I, II, and III
Chap. 4—
Etc.

Sect. 2 *and following Sections are


divided into Chapte rs similarly to
Sect. 1. The List of Sections at the
beginning of Vol. I and the List of
Chapters at the beginning of each
Section, give details.

4
5

Releva nt amen dmen ts up to A .L . 72 A.P.1 661B, Vol. I


incorporated in this repr int
Jan ua ry, 1944

BOMBS

SEC TIO N i —G .P. bomb s


SEC TIO N 2—A.P. bomb s
SEC TIO N 3—S.A.P. bomb s
SEC TIO N 4—R.L . bom bs
SEC TIO N 5 —A.S . bombs
SEC TIO N 6—F. bomb s
SEC TIO N 7—Incen diary bomb s
SEC TIO N 8—Practic e bomb s
SECT ION 9—H.C. bomb s
SE CT ION io — M.C. bomb s
SEC TIO N i i —A .T. bomb s
SEC TIO N la —
SEC TIO N 13—
SEC TIO N 14—
SEC TIO N 15—
SEC TIO N 16—Misce llaneous bombs
SEC TIO N 17—Am erican bomb s
SEC TIO N 18—
SEC TIO N 19—Implem ents, amm unit ion
SE CT ION 20— Exam inatio n of bomb s by Unit Person nel
6

NOTE TO OFFIC IAL USERS


Air Minis try Orders and Volume II leaflets as issued from time to time will affect the subje ct
m at te r of thi s pub licat ion. It should be unde rstoo d th at ame ndm ent lists are not always issued
to bri ng th e p ubli cati on into line w ith t he orde rs or leaflets an d it is for holders of th is b ook to arra nge
the necessa ry linking- up.
Where an orde r or leaflet con trad icts any por tion of this publi catio n, an ame ndm ent list will
gener ally be issued, bu t when thi s is not done the orde r or leaflet mus t be tak en as the overrid ing
au tho rit y.
7

AIR PUBLICATION 1661B


Volu me I

Section 1

G.P. BOMBS

(8662) Tl6 £73 /27 45 2500 4/44 M48142 C A P 75 2


8
9

Rele vant amendm ents up to A .L . 72 A.P.16 61B, Vol. I


incorporated in this reprint
Ja nu ar y, 1944

SECTI ON 1

G.P. BOMBS

GE NE RA L CO NT EN TS LIS T

Note .— A det ail ed con t'en ts list ap pe ars at th e beg inn ing of eac h ch ap ter .

CH AP TE R 1—G ene ral not es on G.P . bo mb s


CH AP TE R 2—Bom bs, H. E. , air cr af t, G.P ., 40 lb., Mk. I, II, an d II I
CH AP TE R 3—B omb s, pa ra ch ut e, H. E. , ai rc ra ft, G.P ., 40 lb., Mk. I, II , an d II I
CH A PT ER 4—B omb s, H. E. , ai rc ra ft, G.P ., 120 lb., Mk. I an d II , 250 lb., Mk. I, II , an d II I, an d
500 lb., Mk. I, II , an d II I
CH A PT ER 5—B omb s, H. E. , air cr af t, G.P ., 250 lb., Mk. IV, an d 500 lb., Mk. IV
CH AP TE R 6—B omb s H. E. , air cr af t, G.P ., 1,000 lb., Mk. I, II , II I, an d IV
CH A PT ER 7—B omb , H .E ., air cr af t, G.P ., 1,900 lb., Mk. I
CH AP TE R 8—B omb s, H. E. , air cr af t, G.P ., 4,000 lb., Mk. I an d II

A PP E N D IX 1—C om pon ents used wi th G.P . bom bs


10
11

Th is chapter issue d with A .L . No. 29 A.P.1 661B, Vol. I, Sect. 1


Au gus t, 1942
Releva nt amend ments up to A .L . 72
incorpora ted in this repr int
Jan ua ry , 1944

CHAPTER 1

General notes on G.P. bombs

LI ST OF CO NT EN TS
Para.
Introd uctio n ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1
Precaut ions to be observed when fuzing or unfuzing bombs

xf m r* oo
Repair and examina tion of bombs ...
Supply ...
Storage of bombs, bom b tails, and components ...

\
12
13

CHAPTER 1

General notes on G.P. bombs


Introduction
1. G.P. bombs are heavy- cased bombs rangi ng in weight, at the pres ent time, from 40 lb. to
1,900 lb. The smaller bombs are used main ly as anti- perso nnel bombs, whilst the larger bombs
are used for general bom bard men t purposes.
2. The earli er m arks of bom bs a re fitte d w ith cen tral tu bes to take th e exploderi ng co mponen ts,
bu t lat er mark s are fitted with a n explod er con tain er at the nose end or at the nose an d tai l ends.
3. Bombs with cen tral tube s or explod er con taine rs at each end ma y be fuzed at both ends
or at eith er end, depen ding on the oper ation al requir emen ts. Bombs fuzed at the nose only are
fitte d with ins tan tan eou s deto nato rs, whilst bombs fuzed at the tai l are usually fitted with delay
deto nato rs. If bombs are fuzed at bot h the nose and tai l with ins tan tan eou s deto nato rs, the nose
assembly will funct ion first, due to the dire ct action of the nose pistol.
Precautions to be observed when fuzing or unfu zing bombs
4. Only the smalle st num ber of bombs comp atibl e with the circum stanc es are to be worked
on at one time in the fuzing area.
5. Comp onents must not be inse rted in, or removed from, bombs whilst the y are loaded in or
on airc raft .
6. Fuzing mus t not be done with in 75 yds . of a ny airc raft , petr ol store, or any buildin g oth er
th an one which has been specially erecte d and /or sited for thi s purpose, nor mu st it be done in the
open to the rear of any air cra ft havin g its engines runn ing, owing to the dus t distu rbed by the
slipstr eam.
7. Bombs mu st not be fuzed in or nea r the bomb or oth er explosives storeh ouse or dump .
8. Bombs, when fuzed in the open, mus t always be fuzed over soft ground.
9. The cen tral tube s of bombs so fitted , mus t be clean and dry.
10. The screw -threa ds of nose and tail ada pter s, explod er conta iners , and det onato r holders,
mu st be clean.
11. Nose and tail pistols or fuzes mu st be test ed before inse rting them into bombs. <
12. Fuzin g comp onen ts mu st riot be left exposed to the rays of the sun.
13. When a bomb has been fuzed, it is to be mark ed with chalk to th at effect.
14. In bombs with cen tral tu bes, the nose pist ol mu st be screw ed in to the full dep th of th rea d,
and the tai l pisto l mu st be screwed in at least four full threa ds.
Repair and examina tion of bombs
15. Only such repa ir a nd exam inati on of bombs as is specified in Sect. 20, Chap. 1, is to be done
by arm am ent personn el. Any bombs found to have maj or damage or defects mu st be s et aside for
A.I.D. inspect ion.
16. Fuzed bombs, whet her loaded on to airc raft , or stored in the fuzed bomb area, mus t be
exami ned at the inter vals sta ted in Sect. 20, Chap. 2.

Supply
17. The smaller bombs and some of the older mark s of larger bombs are supplie d in boxes,
with or with out tai l units . La ter mark s of heav y bombs are supplied fitte d with tr an sit bases, the
tail uni ts being sepa rate ly supplied in conta iners , with oi^ witho ut nose pistols. Some bombs are
supplie d p lugged with t ra ns it plugs; in other s, the nose or tail p istol may be sup plied in position , in
which inst ance the pistol acts as a tra ns it plug.

Storage of bombs, bomb tails, and component s


18. The regul ations govern ing the stora ge of bombs are given in A.P.1245, Chap. 3. Tail
units, pistols, de ton ato r holders, etc., may be store d in the same explosives store house as the filled
bombs, bu t the packages con taini ng them mus t be stack ed well clear of the filled stores.
14

Th is chapter issued with A .L . No. 36 A.P.1 661B, Vol. I, Sect. 1


Au gus t, 1942
Relev ant amend ments up to A .L . 72
incorporated in this repri nt
Ja nu ar y, 1944

CHAPTER 2

BOMBS, H E ., AIRCRAFT, G.P., 40 lb., Mb. I, li g an d III

LIS T OF CONTENT S
P ar a.
Introd uction 1
Bomb, H.E., aircraf t, G.P., 40 lb., Mk. I
Leading particu lars 2
General descripti on
Bomb body 3
Filling ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 5
Tail .................................................................................... 7
Identific ation colouring an d markings 8
Function ing 12
Instr uctio ns for use
Fuzing t he bomb 16 '
Loading t he bomb in to t he 250 lb. Small Bomb Container 17
Loading t he bomb on to th e Light Series bo mb carrier 20
Unloading th e bomb from the 250 lb. Small Bomb Con tainer 22
Unloading th e bomb from th e Ligh t Series b omb carrier ... 23
Unfuzing th e bomb 24
Supply and storage
Supply ... ... ... ... ... ... 25
Storage ... 26
Bomb, H.E., aircraf t, G.P., 40 lb., Mk. II
Leading particu lars 27
General descrip tion ... 28
Bomb, H.E., aircraf t, G.P., 40 lb., Mk. I ll
Leading particula rs 30
General description ... 31

LIS T OF ILLUS TRAT IONS


Fȣ-
1. Bomb, H.E., aircraft, G.P., 40 lb., Mk. I ll

Bomb H.E ., airc raft , A.P., 2,000 lb., Mk. I has been declare d obsolete b,\. 4
(N) 1242/45. ................................ ........................................................... !a...
15

-CYL INDR ICAL V A N E -

ADAP TER

VANE SUPPO RTS

TAIL ROD

TAIL CO NE

BODY

MAIN FILLING

PAINTED DARK GREE N

SUSPENSION L U G -

PAPER TUB E
T.N.T. EXPLO DER
-L IG H T GRE EN BAND
EXPLODER CONTAINER
C .E . EXPLODER

DET ONA TOR

•91 Olzd'O
WAXED FELT WASHER
RED BAND
GL AZ ED BOA RD WASHER
CO MP OS ITIO N PAD
SET-SCREW
PISTOL N O .3 4

Fig. 1.—Bomb , H. E., air cra ft, G.P., 40 lb., Mk. I l l


16

A.P .166 1B, Vol. I, Sect. 1

CHAPTER 2

BOMBS, H.E ., AIRCRAFT, G.P., 40 lb., Mk. I, H, and III


Introduction
1. The 40 lb. G.P. bom b is inten ded for general bom bar dm ent and low alt itu de bombi ng
operati ons, and is carried in t he 250 lb. Small Bomb Cont ainer o r on the Lig ht Series bomb carrie r.
It is fuzed at the nose only, and is issued complet e with pistol, exploder, and tai l uni t in posit ion.
Ei the r pist ol No. 34 or 38 may be used with thi s bomb, the pisto l serving as a nose plug duri ng
tr an sit a nd storage.

BOMB, H.E ., AIRCRAFT, G.P., 40 lb., Mk. I


Leading particulars
2. Store s Ref. ... 12A/313
Overall length (pistol and tail i n po sition) 2 ft. 3-25 in.
Maximum diam eter ... 5- 01 in.
Weigh t of body 27 lb. 5 oz.
Weigh t and nat ure of filling 6-3 lb. am ato l 80/20
Term inal velocity 1,070 ft. per sec.

GEN ERA L DES CR IPT ION


Bomb body, fig. 1
3. The bomb bo dy is ma de of steel, the n ose en d being open and t hre ade d inte rnal ly to receive
an exploder conta iner, which is screwed and ceme nted in posi tion and locked by a set-screw. The
rear end of the bom b bo dy is closed a nd r educed in diam eter to form a sp igot an d a boss on t he spigot
is drilled and tap ped t o receive the f orward thre ade d end of a tai l ro d. The explo der con tain er is in
the form of a tube , closed at one end, the open end being thre ade d inte rnal ly to tak e the pisto l.
4. The Mk. I bombs are no t norm ally fitte d with suspens ion lugs, for carria ge on the Lig ht
Series bomb carrier, altho ugh a limited num ber have been so fitte d and may be carrie d eith er on
the Ligh t Series b omb ca rrier or in the 250 lb. Small Bomb Co ntainer.

Filling
5. The bomb bod y is filled wi th a ma tol 80/20, which is sealed b y a pad of approv ed comp ositi on
and a glazedbo ard washe r in the nose end of the bomb body.
6. An e xploder, T.N.T ., 1 oz. 7 dr., and an exploder, C.E., 4 oz. 6 dr., reta ined by a waxed felt
washer, are housed in the ex plode r con taine r, which is pr otec ted from t he m ain filling by a p ape r tub e.

Tail
7. The tail consists of a cylin drical vane atta che d to a tai l cone by four vane sup por ts. It is
secured in posi tion on th e bomb bo dy by the ta il rod which exte nds axial ly thro ugh th e t ail cone and
has its forward end screwed into the cent ral boss on the spigo t a t the rea r end of the bomb body,
being locked in posi tion by a sprin g washe r and a lock-n ut. The rea r end of th e tai l cone is fitte d
with an inte rna lly thre ade d flanged a da pte r which screws on to th e rea r th rea ded end of the ta il rod,
and corre ctly locates the tai l cone on the bom b body. The tai l is locked in posi tion by a sprin g
washer and lock -nut screwed aga ins t t he a dap ter.

Identification colouring and markings


8. The exte rior of the b omb bo dy and th e tail are pai nte d da rk green. A red band , | in. wide,
is pain ted round the bomb body 1 in. from the nose end, and a light green band, 1 in. wide,
appr oxim ately 5 | in. from the no se end.
9. Stencilled in black lett ers betwee n the red and green band s are the following p art icu lar s:—
(i) G.P. 40 lb. I, indic ating th e typ e of bomb , weight, and mar k number.
(ii) The monogra m of th e filling sta tion , or t he i nitia ls or recognized tra de ma rk of th e filling
cont racto r.
(iii) The dat e of filling, m onth and year.
(iv) The lot num ber of the filling.
17

10. Stam ped on th e bomb body, ne ar the nose, are the body ma nuf act ure r’s markin gs, as
follows:—
(i) G.P. 40 lb. I.
(ii) The ma nuf act ure r’s initia ls or recognized tra de mark.
(iii) The dat e of ma nufa ctur e, mo nth a nd year.
11. Near th e t ail end of the bomb body is stenc illed, in bl ack, t he design num ber of the m ethod
of filling.

Functi oning
12. When the bomb is rele ased from the Ligh t Series bomb carrier , the safe ty fork of th e No.
34 p istol, if fitted , is first withd rawn , and the sa fety cap th en remo ved by t he acti on of the s afety cap
spring.
13. When the bomb is relea sed from the 250 lb. Small Bom b Contain er, the safe ty cap of th e
No. 34 pi stol is i mmed iately removed by the acti on of t he safe ty cap spring.
14. With the No. 38 pistol, the s afe ty c ap is remo ved by the a ctio n of th e armin g vanes, which
rot ate during the fall of the bomb.
15. On imp act of t he bomb with the targ et, the pisto l fires t he det ona tor, the de ton ato r fires
the exploder, and the explod er det ona tes the m ain filling.

INSTR UCTI ONS FOR USE


Fuzin g the bomb
16. The following pro cedure is to be a dopt ed for fu zing the b om b:—
(i) Unscrew and r emove the p isto l by hand.
(ii) Ensu re th at t he d eto nat or cav ity is uno bstr ucte d, and t ha t the e xploder is in t he correc t
position . Gauge, cavi ty, det ona tor, No. 2, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/349) mu st be used for
thi s purpose. If the waxed felt washer has become loose, or has shifted, it is to be
pushed back into place with the gauge. Bombs which fail to pass thi s gauge te st are
to be set aside for A.I.D. inspecti on.
(iii) Ins ert the required det on ato r into the de ton ato r cavi ty. Force must not be used when
inserting the detonator.
(iv) Replace and screw home the pis tol by h and u ntil it is well seated on it s washer an d locked
by its locking spring.

Loading the bomb into the 250 lb. Small Bomb Container
17. Load the bom b into t he Small Bomb Cont ainer as described in A.P. 1664, Vol. I, Chap. 3.
The bombs are issued assembled to the cor rect lengt h for th is purpos e. Should any bom b be found a
tig ht fit in the Small Bomb Containe r, no at te m pt mu st be made to corre ct the length, bu t the
bomb is to be set aside for A.I.D. inspectio n.
18. After the bombs are finally in p ositi on in the Small Bomb Contain er, and it is c erta in th at
the bombs cann ot leave the Small Bomb Cont ainer excep t und er condi tions of norma l release, the
safe ty pins of the No. 34 or 38 pi stols a re to be remove d.
19. After the. loaded Small Bomb Conta iner has been instal led in the aeropla ne, as described
in A.P. 1664, Vol. I, Chap. 3, all tes ts of re lease mecha nism and electr ical circui ts have been made,
and all switches are in the off p osition , the saf ety forks*of No. 34 pi stols are to be r emoved. The
safet y pins and safe ty forks, if an y, should be hande d to the pilo t or the bom b aimer, or be p laced
in the aeroplane.

Loading the bomb on to the Light Series bomb carrier


20. Load the bo mb on t he Ligh t Series b omb carr ier as described i n A .P. 1664, Vol. I, Chap. 2,
using the No. 1A att ach me nt, and conn ect th e saf ety fo rk of the No. 34 pistol, if used, to th e wit hdraw al
cable.
21. Remove the safe ty pins of th e No. 34 and 38 pist ols afte r t he b omb s are finally in p osition
on t he carrier . Ha nd the s afet y pi ns t o t he pi lot or th e b omb aimer , or p lace t hem in th e a eroplan e.
18

A. P.1 66 1 B, Vol. I. Sect. 1. Ch ap. 2

Unloading the bomb from the 250 lb. Small Bomb Container
22. Replace the safe ty fork if the No. 34 pist ol is fitted . Replace also the safet y pin of the
No. 34 or 38 pistol . Unload the bomb from the Small Bomb Cont ainer as described in th e rele vant
cha pte r of A.P. 1664, Vol. I.

Unloading the bomb from the Light Series bomb carr ier
23. Replace the safe ty pin of the No. 34 or 38 p istol, and then , if No. 34 p isto l is fitte d, dis ­
connec t the s afety fork from the w ithd raw al cable. Unloa d the bom b from the carr ier as described
in t he relev ant cha pte r of A.P . 1664, Vol. I.

Unfuzing the bomb


24. If it is neces sary to unfuze the bomb, remove the pist ol by han d a nd ex tra ct the deto nato r,
using extr acto r, deto nath r, No. 2, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/348). Replace the pistol.

SUP PLY AND STORA GE


Supply
25. Two bombs, and one drop bar for use with the Small Bomb Contai ner, are packed in
Box B.272, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/316).

Storage
26. The bombs are classified, for t he purpos e of stora ge, in Group VII.

BOMB, H.E. , AIRCRAFT, G.P., 40 lb., Mk. II


Leading parti cular s
27. Store s Ref. 12A/314
Overall lengt h (pistol and tai l in p osition) 2 ft. 3.25 in.
Maximum diam eter 5- 05 in.
Weigh t of bod y... 29 1b. 4 oz.
Weight a nd nat ure of filling ... ' ... 6- 5 lb. T.N.T.
Term inal velocit y 1,070 ft. per sec.

GE NER AL DES CR IPT ION


28. The Mk. I I'b om b is similar in dimensions and cons truc tion to th e Mk. I bomb, i ts m axim um
diam eter, however, being sligh tly larger, and its filling T.N.T . The lett ers T.N.T . are stencill ed in
black at thre e equ i-di stan t places on the light green band .
Note.— If the l ette rs T.N.T . are followed b y the lett ers G .D.2, the b omb is filled w ith Grade 2
T.N.T. Bombs so m arke d are unsu itabl e for storag e in ho t climates .
29. Mk. II bombs, as supp lied, a re not f itted with a suspensio n lug, being norma lly inten ded for
carriag e in the 250 lb. Small Bomb Contain er, bu t the y may be fitte d with band , suspendi ng, No.
7, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/471) so as to ad ap t them for carriag e on the Ligh t Series bomb carrier.

BOMB, H.E. , AIRCRAFT, G.P., 40 lb., Mk. I ll


Leading partic ulars
30. Store s Ref ....................................................................... 12A/470
Overall lengt h (pistol and tai l in.po sition) ... ... 2 ft. 3-25 in.
Maximu m diam ete r ... ... ... ... ... 5-05 in.
Wei ght of bo dy ... ... ... ... ... ... 29 lb. 6 oz.
Weig ht and nat ure of filling ... ... ... ... 6 lb. am ato l 80/20
Term inal veloc ity ... ... ... ... ... 1,070 ft. per sec.

GE NE RA L DE SC RIP TIO N
31. The Mk. I l l bomb is simila r in dimens ions and con stru ctio n to the Mk. I and II bombs,
bu t is fi tted with a suspensi on lug, and can be used in the 250 lb. Small Bomb Cont ainer or on the
Ligh t Series bomb carrier . It is filled w ith amat ol.
19

Th is chapter issue d with A .L . No. 57 A.P. 166 1B, Vol. I, Sect. 1


Februar y. 1943
Relevant amendm ents up to A .L . 72
incorporated in this repr int
Ja nu ar y, 1944

CHAPTER 3

BOMBS, PARACHUTE, H.E., AIRCRAFT, G.P., 40 lb., Mk. I, II, and IH

LIST OF CONTENTS
Par a.
In tr oduct io n ... .. . ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1
Bo mb , pa ra ch ut e, H .E ., ai rc ra ft , G .P ., 40 lb., Mk. I l l
Le ad in g pa rt ic ul ar s ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 3
Ge ne ral de sc rip tio n
Bo m b bo dy ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 4
Fi lli ng ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 6
Ta il u n it ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 8
Id en tif ic at io n co lou rin g an d m ar ki ng s ... ... ... ... ... ... 13
Fu nc tio ni ng ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 17
In st ru ct io ns lor use
Fu zi ng th e bo m b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 19
Lo ad in g th e bo m b in to th e 250 lb. Sm all Bo m b C on ta in er ... ... ... ... 20
Lo ad in g th e bo m b on to th e L ig ht Se rie s bo m b ca rr ie r ... ... ... ... 21
U nl oa di ng th e bo m b fro m th e 250 lb. Sm all Bo m b C on ta in er ... ... ... ... 22
Un loa din g th e bo m b fro m th e L ig ht Se rie s bo m b ca rr ie r ... ... ... ... 23
Un fu zin g th e bo m b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 24
Su pp ly an d st or ag e
Su pp ly ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 25
St or ag e ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 26
Bo mb pa ra ch ut e. H .E ., ai rc ra ft , G .P ., 40 lb. , Mk. II
Le ad in g p ar ti cu la rs ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 27
Ge ne ral de sc rip tio n ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 28
In st ru ct io ns for use ... ... .. .' ... ... ... ... ... 30
F it ti n g th e No. 7, Mk. I su sp en di ng ba nd ... ... ... ... ... ... 31
Su pp ly an d st or ag e
Su pp ly ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 32
St or ag e .... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 34
Bo mb , par ac hu te , H .E ., ai rc ra ft , G .P ., 40 lb., Mk. I
L ea di ng pa rt ic ul ar s ... ... .. . ... ... ... ... ... 35
Ge ne ral de sc rip tio n ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 36
In st ru ct io ns for use ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 38
Su pp ly an d st or ag e
Su pp ly ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 39
St or ag e ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 40

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Fig
I. Bo mb , par ac hu te , H .E ., ai rc ra ft , G. P. , 40 lb. Mk. I l l

B (166113)
20

TR A N S IT CL IP

COV ER

LAN YAR D

CY LIN DR IC AL VANE

— FABRIC CYL INDE R

VANE SUP POR T

PAR ACH UTE

SHROUD CO RD S

- E YE -B OL T

TAIL AD APT ER

SECURING SCREWS

AR MI NG LINK

INSULATI NG TAPE

MA IN FIL LIN G
9811!

BODY-

INSUL ATING TA PE -

- SUSPENSI ON L U G ------

EX PL OD ER . T.N.T

LIG HT GREEN B A N D -

-E X PL O D E R .C .E .

-E XP LO DE R CONT AINE R 9 11^11 O V


-P AP ER TUBE > MARKING5
n
-D ET O NA TO R
cP
-IN S U LA TIN G TAP E-----------
G LA ZE DB O AR D WAS HER
RED B A N D ---------------

AP PR OV ED CO M PO SI TI O N

FEL T WASHER

LO CK IN G SCREW
P IS TO L------------------

SAF ETY P IN -

Fig . 1.—B om b, pa ra ch ut e, H .E ., ai rc ra ft , G. P., 40 lb. , Mk. I l l


21

A.P.1 661B , Vol. I, Sect. 1

CHAPTER 3

BOMBS, PARACHUTE, H.E ., AIRCRAFT, G.P., 40 lb., Mk. I, H, and m


Introduction
1. The 40 lb. G.P. par ach ute bombs. Mk. I, II, and II I, are ident ical with the corresp onding
sta nda rd 40 lb. G.P. bombs as regards dimensions, general cons truct ion, and the provision or oth er­
wise of sus pension lugs.
2. The bombs are fuzed at th e nose only, and are issued explod ered and with the para chut e
tail un it and the nose pistol in position , the p istol serving as a nose plug durin g tra ns it and storage.

BOMB, PARACHUTE, H.E., AIRCRAFT, G.P., 40 lb., Mk. IH


Leading particulars
Stores Ref. 12A/468
Overall leng th (pistol and tail in position) 2 ft. 3-25 in.
Maximum diam eter ... 5-05 in.
Weigh t of body 29 lb. 6 oz.
Weigh t and nat ure of filling 6 lb., ama tol 80/20
Term inal velocit y 85 ft. per sec. (estimated)

GEN ERA L DE SCR IPT ION


Bomb body, fig. 1
4. The bomb body is ma de of steel, the nose end being fitte d with a n explod er con tain er which
is screwed and c ement ed in positio n and locked by a lo cking screw. The e xplod er con taine r is threa ded
inte rnal ly to tak e the pistol. The rear end of t he bomb body is closed, and is reduced in diam eter
to form a spigot w ith a cen tral boss, which is drill ed and tap ped t o receive an eye-bo lt w hich secures
the par ach ute t ail uni t t o the bomb b ody.
5. A suspension lug is welded to the bo mb body, for u se when the bo mb is carr ied on t he Ligh t
Series bomb carrier . This lug does n ot inter fere with th e loadin g of t he bomb i nto the 250 lb. Small
Bomb Containe r.
Filling
6. The bomb bo dy is filled w ith ama tol 80/20, which is sealed by a pa d of appr oved com position
and a glaze dboar d washe r in the nose e nd of th e bomb body.
7. 'An exploder, T.N.T ., 1 oz. 7 dr., and an explod er, C.E., 4 oz. 6 dr., reta ined by a waxed
felt wa sher, are housed in t he explo der cont aine r, which is pr otec ted from the m ain filling by a pap er
tube.
Tail unit
8. The par ach ute tai l uni t consists of a cylind rical vane att ac he d to the rea r end of a t ail t ube
by f our vane supp orts. The tai l tub e, which con stit ute s a housing fo r t he para chu te, has an ada pte r
secured in its forwa rd end by four screws.
9. The forward face of t he ad ap ter is recesse d to acco mmo date the boss o n the tail e nd of t he
bomb bod y and so locate th e ta il cen trall y, and the eye-bol t passes th rou gh a cent ral hole in the ada pte r
and into t he tap ped ho le in the boss t o secure the t ail u nit i n position.
10. A flexible wire rope, atta che d to the eye- bolt, has its rea r end c onnec ted t o th e sh roud cords
of th e par ach ute a nd also to the r ear en d of a wire a rmin g link which pas ses thro ugh a longit udin al
slot in the tai l tub e. This arm ing lin k is pu lled ta ut over the bomb body, to which it is s ecured by
three band s of ins ulati ng tap e, and its forwar d end cSrries a s pli t pin which is engaged i n registe ring
holes in the pistol circlip and has its ends sligh tly opened ou t to pre ven t accid ental withd rawal.
11. The par ach ute is folded and p acked in a fabric cylinde r, which is closed at it s r ear end an d
't s inside the ta il t ube ; the shro ud cord s, w hich cross o ne an oth er a nd are sewn tog ethe r a t th e v ented
peak of the para chu te, are conne cted by a cord to the centr e of the closed rea r end of the fabric
cylinder.
12. The rea r end of th e fabric cylin der is co nnect ed by pilo t l any ard s to a flanged c over which
fits loosely in t he c ylindr ical vane of th e tai l and, durin g tra ns it and s torag e, is r etai ned i n position,
closing th e rea r end of the tai l tub e, by a wire tra ns it clip the ends of which are engaged in holes
drilled for t he p urpose in t he c ylindr ical vane.
22

Identific ation colouring and markings


13. The exter ior of th e bomb body and of th e tai l are pai nte d yellow. A red band , | in. wide,
is p aint ed round the b omb body 1 in. from the nose end, and a light green band, 1 in. wide, app rox ­
imate ly 5 | in. from the nose end.
■ 14. Stencilled in black le tte rs between t he red and green bands are the following pa rtic ula rs: —
(i) G.P., 40 lb., I ll , indi catin g the type , weight, and ma rk of the bomb.
(ii) The monogr am of the filling s tati on, or the initia ls or recognized tra de ma rk of the filling
con trac tor.
(iii) The dat e of filling, mo nth and year.
(iv) The lot num ber of th e filling.
15. Stam ped on the bomb body, near the nose, are the body ma nuf act ure r’s marking s, as
follows:—
(i) G.P. 40 lb. II I. ■
(ii) The ma nuf act ure r’s initia ls or recognized tra de mark .
(iii) The dat e of man ufac ture, mo nth and year.
16. The design num ber of t he meth od of filling is sten cilled, in black, near the tail end of the
bomb body.
Functi oning
17. When the bomb is released from the 250 lb. Small Bomb Conta iner or from the Light
Series bo mb carrier , the c over is di splaced f rom the cylind rical vane of th e tail by the air strea m, so
as to tigh ten the pilot lany ard s and with draw the fabric cylind er with its par ach ute from the tail
tube . The drag ex erted by the cov er t hen draws the fa bric cylind er off the para chu te which opens as
the shrou d cords and the wire rope become ta ut and the load is tak en by the eye -bo lt; at t he sa me
time the p ull on t he wire a rmin g l ink withd raws the s plit pin from the c irclip of th e nose pis tol, and
the circlip and cap of the pisto l are imm ediat ely expen ded to leave the pistol armed.
18. On imp act of the bomb with the tar get , the pistol fires t he deto nato r, the det ona tor fires
the exploder, and the explod er deto nate s the main filling.

INSTR UCTIO NS FOR USE


Fuzing the bomb
19. The following pr ocedu re is t o be a dopt ed for fu zing the bom b:—
(i) Remove the split pi n atta ch ed t o the wire armin g li nk from th e circlip on the No. 33, Mk. I
pistol.
(ii) Remove the pistol by hand, engaging the stop pins in the pistol body with t he slots in the
safe ty cap.
(iii) Ensu re th at t he det on ato r cav ity is unob stru cted , and th at th e exploders are in t he correc t
positions. Gauge, cavit y, deto nato r, No. 2, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/349) mus t be used for
this purpos e. If the waxed felt washe r has become loose, o r has shifted , it is t o be p ushed
back into pla ce with th e gauge. Bombs which fail t o pass this gauge tes t are to be se t asi de
for A.I.D. inspection.
(iv) Ins ert the det ona tor into the det ona tor cavit y. Force must not be used whe n inserting
the detonator.
(v) Replace and screw h ome the pistol by han d unti l it is well s eate d on its washer and locked.
(vi) Replace the arm ing link split pi n in th e circlip of th e pistol, adj ust ing th e circlip a roun d the
pistol as necessary, and open up the ends of the split pin sligh tly to prev ent accid ental
withdra wal.

Loading the bomb into the 250 lb. Small Bomb Container
20. Remove the safet y pin from the pistol a nd the wire tra ns it clip from the cylindri cal vane,
reta inin g the cover in positi on by han d unt il loadin g is com pleted. Load the bomb into the 250 lb.
Small Bomb Cont ainer as described in A.P. 1664, Vol. I, Chap. 3. The tra ns it clip and the safety
pin should be ha nde d to the p ilot o r bomb aim er, or be p laced in t he airc raft . The bombs are issued
assembled to th e co rrect l engt h for t he Small Bom b Conta iner, and no att em pt mu st be made t o ad jus t
this leng th; any bomb which is found, thr oug h incor rect adj ust me nt of length , to be a tig ht fit in
the 250 lb. Small Bomb Cont ainer mus t be set aside for A.I.D . inspectio n, afte r first replacin g the
safet y pin in the circlip of the pistol and the tra ns it clip on the cylindr ical vane. -
23

A.P.166 1B, Vol. I, Sect. 1, Chap. 3


Loading the bomb on to the Light Series bomb carrier
21. Remove the wire tra ns it clip from the cylindr ical vane, reta inin g the cover in positio n by
hand, and load the bom b on t o t he Ligh t Series bo mb c arrie r as described in A.P. 1664, Vol. I, Chap. 2,
using the No. 1A atta ch me nt a dju sted to bea r light ly on t he cap of th e pis tol a nd th e No. 7 atta chm ent
to reta in the cover in the cylind rical vane. Remove the s afe ty pin from the pistol and han d it and
the tra nsi t clip to the pilot or the bomb aimer, or place the clip and pin in the aircra ft.

Unloading the bomb from the 250 lb. Small Bomb Container
22. Unloa d t he bomb from the 250 lb. Small Bomb Conta iner as described in A.P.1664, Vol. I.
Chap. 3, reta inin g the cover in the cylind rical vane by hand . Replace the safe ty pin in the pistol
immedia tely, and replace the tra ns it clip on t he t ail.

Unloading the bomb from the Light Series bomb carrier


23. Replace the safe ty pin in th e p istol, and unlo ad th e b omb from th e L ight Series bomb carri er
as descr ibed in A.P. 1664, Vol. I, Chap . 2, retai nin g th e cov er in the cylindr ical vane by han d. Replace
the tra ns it clip on the tail.

Unfuzi ng the bomb


24. If i t is necessary t o unfuze the bom b, remove t he spl it p in on t he wire ar min g li nk from the
circlip of the pistol, remove the pistol by hand, ext rac t the deto nato r, using ext rac tor, det ona tor,
No. 2, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/348), and replace the pistol and the split pin, rot ati ng the circlip, as
necessary, abo ut the pistol, to bring the holes for th e pin in line w ith the a rming link:

SUP PLY AND STORAGE


Supply
25. Two bombs and one drop bar f or use with the 250 lb. Small Bomb Conta iner are supplied
packed in Box, B.272, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/316), as for the corres ponding sta ndard 40 lb. G.P.
bombs, the marki ngs on the box being modified as necessar y to indic ate th at the bombs are of t he
para chu te type.
Storage
26. The bombs are classified, for stora ge purposes, in Group VII

BOMB, PARACHUTE, H.E ., AIRCRAFT, G.P., 40 lb., Mk. II


Leading particulars
27. Stores Ref. .................................................. 12A/467
Overall leng th (pistol a nd tail in position) ... 2 ft. 3-25 in.
Maximum diam eter ... ... ... ... 5-05 in.
Weig ht of body ... ... ... ... ... 29 lb. 4 oz.
Weigh t and na tur e of filling ... ... ... 6-5 lb. T.N.T.
Termi nal velocit y ... ... ... ... ... 85 ft. per sec. (estimated)

GEN ERA L DES CRI PTI ON


28. The Mk. II bomb is si milar to th e Mk. I l l bomb, exce pt th at it is filled with T.N.T. and
is not f itted wit h a sus pension lug. The n atu re of th e filling is indic ated by the lett ers T.N .T. st encilled
in black in thre e places on the light green ban d; if G.D^Z is also s tencilled on the light green band,
the bomb is filled with Grade 2 T. N.T. and is unsu itabl e for stora ge in ho t climates.
29. The Mk. II bomb may be ada pte d for carri age on the Ligh t Series bom b carri er by fittin g
it with band , suspendi ng, No. 7, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/471), which is provid ed with a str ap for
correc tly locatin g the band on the bomb body.

INSTR UCTI ONS FO R USE


30. The inst ruct ions for use detail ed in para. 19 to 24, app ly to the Mk. II bomb, exce pt th at
the No. 7, Mk. I sus pendin g ban d require s t o be fi tted to the bomb for loading on to the Light Series
bomb carrier. The suspe ndin g ban d is fitte d before fuzing the bomb.
24

Fitting the No. 7, Mk. I s uspending band


31. The No. 7, Mk. I suspen ding ban d is fitte d to the bomb as follows:—
(i) Remove the armin g link split pin from the circlip of the pistol.
(ii) Remove, as necessary, the i nsula ting tap e which secures the a rmin g link to the b omb body.
(iii) Remove the pistol by hand , engaging the stop pins in the p istol body w ith the slots in the
safe ty cap.
(iv) Slacken off the clampin g bolt of t he suspend ing band .
(v) Fi t t he suspend ing ban d over the bomb body wi th t he suspension lug d iam etric ally opposite
the slot in the tai l tub e from which the arm ing link prot rude s, ensurin g th at the ring of
the str ap on the suspen ding ban d rest s upon the face of t he explod er conta iner.
(vi) Tight en the clampin g bol t so as to secure the suspen ding ban d on the bomb body, tak ing
care no t to over strai n the bolt, and then screw home the pistol by hand , or fuze the bomb
at thi s stage if imme diate ly requi red for operati ons.
(vii) Ro tat e the circlip on the pistol, if necessary, to bring the holes for the split pin into align­
me nt with th e armin g link.
(viii) Ins ert t he armi ng li nk s plit pin in the circlip holes, op en up the end s of t he spl it pin slightly
to prev ent its accid ental withd rawa l, and the n secure the arm ing link to the bomb body
with bands of insu latin g tap e, using at leas t one-a nd-a- half compl ete tur ns of tap e for
each band.
SUP PLY AND STORAGE
Supply
32. The bombs are supplie d as sta ted i n par a. 25.
33. Bands, suspen ding, airc raft bomb, N o. 7, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/471) are supplied s epar ately ,
as require d.
Storage
34. The bombs are classified, f or stora ge purpos es, in Group VII .

BOMB, PARACHUTE, H.E ., AIRCRAFT, G.P., 40 lb., Mk. I


Leading particulars
35. Stores Ref................................................................. 12A/466
Overall leng th (pistol a nd tai l in position) ... 2 ft. 3-25 in.
Maximum diam eter ... ... ... ... 5-01 in.
Weight of body ... ... ... ... ... 27 lb. 5 oz.
Weigh t and nat ure of filling ... ... ... 6-3 lb. ama tol 80/20
Term inal veloc ity ... ... ... ... ... 85 ft. per sec. (estimated)

GEN ERA L DES CRI PTI ON


36. The Mk. I bomb is si milar to the Mk. I l l bo mb e xcep t fo r th e sm all differences in ma ximu m
diam eter, weight of body, and weight of the main filling.
37. The Mk. I b ombs are not n orma lly fitted with a suspensio n lug, alth ough a l imited n umb er
have been so fi tted and may t hu s be ca rried e ithe r on the L ight Series bomb carr ier or in the 250 lb.
Small Bomb Container .
INSTR UCTI ONS FOR USE
38. The inst ruct ions for use deta iled in par a. 19, 20, 22, an d 24 ap ply to all Mk. I bombs, and,
in ad ditio n, para . 21 and 23 apply to Mk. I bombs fitte d w ith suspensio n lugs.

SUP PLY AND STORAG E


Supply
39. The bombs are supplied as sta ted in para. 25.
Storage
40. The bombs are classified, for storag e purposes, in Group VII .
25

Issu ed with A. L. -N o. 21 A.P.16 61B, Vol. I, Sect. 1


Ju ly , 1942
Releva nt amen dmen ts up to A .L . 72
incorporated in this repri nt
Jan ua ry, 1944

CHAPTER 4

BOMBS, H.E., AIRCRAFT, G.P., 120 lb., Mk. I and H , !


and 500 lb., Mk. I, II, and III

LIS T OF CONTENTS
Par a.
In tr od uc ti on ,. . ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1
Bo mb , H .E ., ai rc ra ft , G. P. , 12G lb., Mk. I
Le ad in g pa rt ic ul ar s ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 4
Ge ner al de sc rip tio n ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 5
Bo m b bo dy ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 6
Fi lli ng ... .. . ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 10
Bo m bs su pp lie d un ex pl od er ed ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 11
Bo m bs su pp lie d ex pl od er ed to Sc he me C ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 12
Ta il ................................................................................................................................................................. 14
T ra nsi t pl ug s ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 15
Id en tif ic at io n co lou rin g an d m ar ki ng s
Co lou rin g ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 19
M ar kin gs on th e bo m b bo dy ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 21
M ar kin gs on th e ta il ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 26
M ar kin gs on th e tr an si t pl ug s ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 27
Fu nc tio ni ng ... .. . ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 31
In st ru ct io ns fo r use
Fu zi ng th e bo m b wh en su pp lie d un ex pl od er ed ... ... ... ... ... ... 32
Fu zi ng th e bo m b wh en su pp lie d ex pl od er ed to Sc he me C ... ... ... ... ... 36
L oa di ng th e bo m b on to th e ai rc ra ft bo m b ca rr ie r ... ... ... ... ... ... 41
U nl oa di ng th e bo m b fro m th e ai rc ra ft bo m b c a rr ie r. .. ... ... ... ... ... 42
Un fu zi ng a bo m b su pp lie d un ex pl od er ed ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 43
Un fu zi ng a bo m b ex pl od er ed to Sc he me C ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 45
Su pp ly an d st or ag e
Su pp ly ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 46
St or ag e ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 47
Bo mb , H .E ., ai rc ra ft , G. P. , 120 lb., Mk. II
L ea di ng pa rt ic ul ar s ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 48
Ge ne ral de sc rip tio n ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 49
In st ru ct io ns fo r use ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 50
Su pp ly an d sto ra ge
Su pp ly ............................. ... ............................. ................ ... ... ... 51
St or ag e ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 52
Bo mb , H .E ., ai rc ra ft , G. P. , 250 lb. , Mk. I
Le ad in g pa rt ic ul ar s ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 53
Ge ner al de sc rip tio n
Bo m b bo dy ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 54
Fi lli ng ........................................................ ..................................................................... 55
Bo m bs su pp lie d un ex pl od er ed ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 56
Bo m bs su pp lie d ex pl od er ed to Sc he me A . .. ... ... ... ... ... ... 57
Bo m bs su pp lie d ex pl od er ed to S ch em e B ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 58
Bo m bs su pp lie d ex pl od er ed to Sc he me C ... ... ... , ... ... ... ... 59
Ta il ................................................................................................................................................................. 60
Id en tif ic at io n co lou rin g an d m ar ki ng s ...
Co lou rin g ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 61
Ma rk ing s on th e bo m b bo dy ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 63
M ar kin gs on th e ta il ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 68
Fu nc tio ni ng ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 69
26

Para.
Instr uctio ns for use
Fuzing the bomb when supplied unexplodered 70
Fuzing the bomb when supplied explodered to Scheme A ... 74
Fuzing the bomb when supplied explodered to Scheme B ... 78
Fuzing the bomb when supplied explodered to Scheme C ... 80
Loading the bomb on to the aircr aft bomb carrier ... 85
Unloading the bomb from the aircr aft bomb carrier ... 86
Unfuzing a bomb supplied unexplodered 87
Unfuzing a bomb explodered to Scheme A 89
Unfuzing a bomb explodered to Scheme B 91
Unfuzing a bomb explodered to Scheme C 93
Supply and storage
Supply 94
Storage 95
Bomb, H .E., aircraft , G.P., 250 lb., Mk. II
Leading par tic ula rs. .. 96
General description 97
Instru ction s for use 98
Supply and storage
Supply 99
Storage 100
Bomb, H .E., aircraft , G.P., 250 lb., Mk. I ll
Leading particu lars ... 101
General description 102
Tran sit base 103
Identific ation colouring and markings
Colouring 104
Markings on the bomb body 105
Markings on the tail ... 107
Markings on the tran sit base 109
Instr uctio ns for use 110
Supply and storage
Supply 112
Storage 113
Bomb, H .E., aircraft , G.P., 500 lb., Mk. I
Leading pa rti cu lar s... 114
General description
Bomb body ... ... ... ... ... ... 115
Filling 116
Bombs supplied unexplodered 117
Bombs supplied explodered to Scheme A ... 118
Bombs supplied explodered to Scheme B ... 119
Bombs supplied explodered to Scheme C ... 120
Tail ................................................. ..................................... 121
Identific ation colouring and markings
Colouring ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 122
Markings on the bomb body 124
Markings on the tail ... 129
Functioni ng ... 130
Instru ctions for use
Fuzing the bomb when supplied unexplodered 131
Fuzing the bomb when supplied explodered to Scheme A ... 135
Fuzing the bomb when supplied explodered to Scheme B ... 138
Fuzing the bomb when supplied explodered to Scheme C ... 141
Loading the bomb on to the aircr aft bomb carrier ... 146
Unloading the bomb from the aircr aft bomb ca rri er. .. 147
Unfuzing a bomb supplied unexplodered 148
Unfuzing a bomb explodered to Scheme A 150
Unfuzing a bomb explodered to Scheme B 152
Unfuzing a bomb explodered to Scheme C 154
27

A.P.1 661B , Vol. I, Sect. 1, Chap. 4


Para,
Sup ply and stor age
Sup ply ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 155
Stor age ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 156
Bomb , H. E. , air cra ft, G.P. , 500 lb., Mk. II
Lea ding p ar ti cu la rs .. . ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 157
Gene ral des crip tion ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 158
In str uc tio ns for use ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 159
Sup ply and stor age
Sup ply ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 160
Sto rage ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 161
Bomb , H. E. , air cra ft, G.P. , 500 lb., Mk. - Ill
Le adi ng p ar ti cu la rs .. . ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 162
Genera l des crip tion ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 163
Tr an sit base ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 164
Ide nti fic atio n colour ing and ma rkin gs
Colouri ng ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 165
Mar kings on the bom b bod y ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 166
Mar kings on th e tai l ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 168
Mar kings on th e tr an si t base ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 170
Ins tru cti on s for use ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 171
Su pp ly and sto rag e
Sup ply ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 173
Sto rage ......................................................................................................................................... 174

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Fig.
1. Bom b, H.E ., air cra ft, G.P ., 120 lb„ Mk. I
2. Bom b, H. E. , air cra ft, G.P ., 120 lb., Mk. I or II , ex plod ered to Schem e C
3. Bomb , H. E., air cra ft, G.P ., 250 lb., Mk. I, II , or II I, expl oder ed to Schem es A, B, an d C
4. Base, tra ns it, air cra ft bomb , No. 1, Mk. I
5. Bom b, H. E., air cra ft, G.P., 500 lb., Mk. I, II , or II I, expl oder ed to Schem es A, B, and C
28

0 0 0 0 00

■CYLIND RICAL
VANE

VANE SUPPORT

-T A IL PISTO L

TAIL PLUG
SECURING SCREW
TAIL SOC KET
SECURING SCREW
CO LL A R
CON E SO CK ET
LOC ATIN G PIN

DETONATOR H OL DE R, 6 -7 in„ M K.I

TAIL CO NE
LO CA TI NG PIN
GLA ND NUT
CO NE RING
APPRO VED SEAL ING
CO MP OS ITI ON
FILLING PLUG
GLA ZED BOA RD WASHER
FELT WASHER
OR
| APPROVED COMP OSITIO N
BODY
-PAINTED YELL OW

£261 MAIN FILLING

-SUS PENSI ON. LUG

CENT RAL TUBE

JI IN I — GREEN BAND

I
021 d '9 -------------RED BAND
APP ROV ED CO MP OS ITI ON
x — 7 NOSE BUSH
\ /
SECURING SCREW
/
NOSE PLUG
NOSE PISTOL

F ig . 1. — B o m b , F . E . , a ir c r a ft . G .P ., 12 0 lb ., M k . I
29

’A.P.1661 B, Vol. I, Sect. 1

CHAPTER 4
BOMBS, H.E., AIRCRAFT, G.P., 120 lb., Mk. I and II, 250 lb., Mk. I, H, and HI,
and 500 lb., Mk. I, H, and HI
Introduction
1. The 120 lb. Mk. I and IT, 250 lb. Mk. I, II, and II I, and 500 lb Mk. I, II. and II I, G.P.
bombs are used lor general bom bard men t purposes. They differ from the later type s of G.P . bombs
in th at t he y are fitted with cent ral tube s instea d of ex plode r conta iners, and the tail is secu red by a
tail socket instea d of four spring clips.
2. Since Septem ber, 1938, the bombs hace been supplied with exploders in positio n in the
cen tral t ube. Three method s of expl odering are employed, namely, Schemes A, B, and C. Schemes
A and B are applicab le to 250 lb. and 500 lb. bombs only, and Scheme C is applica ble to 120 lb.
250 lb., a nd 500 lb. bombs.
3. Scheme A employs det ona tor holders and brass-cased exploders, as used in the fuzing of
bombs when supplied unexplo dered. Scheme B employs adj usta ble det onato r holders, and in the
250 lb. bombs, a reduced num ber of bra ss-cased exploders. Scheme C employs adj usta ble det ona tor
holders and paper- cased explode rs reta ined in positio n by millbo ard washers.

BOMB, H.E. , AIRCRAFT, G.P., 120 lb., Mk. I


Leading particulars
4. Stores Ref. (unexplode red! ... ... 12A/251
Stores Ref. (explodered to Scheme C) 12A/251C
Leng th, with tai l ... ... ... 3 ft. 6-4 in.
Maximum diam eter ... ... ... 8-1 in.
Weigh t and nat ure of fill ing ... ... 32-5 lb. T.N.T ., or 30 lb. a mat ol 80/20
Term inal velocity ... ... ... 1,250 ft. per sec.

GEN ERA L DES CRI PTIO N


5. The bomb consists of a body, filled with high explosive, and a tail reta ined in position by a
tail socket. The bomb is supplied plugged at the nose and tail.

Bomb body, fig . I


6. The bomb body is m ade of steel and is open at both the nose a nd tail ends. The nose e nd
is threa ded in tern ally to acc ommo date a nose bush, which is screwed in positio n a nd the joi nt between
the nose bush and the body welded or soldered. The nose bush is t hre ade d inte rnal ly to receive a
nose pistol or tra ns it plug, and a boss is formed on its inner end which is also thre aded inte rnal ly
to receive the centra l tube. The nose bush is pro vided with a thre ade d hole for a pistol securing
screw. A suspension lug is secured to the bomb body by four screws.
7. The tail end of t he bomb body is th read ed inte rnal ly to accom moda te a filling plug, which
is screwed int o position, the screw -threa ds being sealed with luting. A hole is provid ed at th e centre
of the filling plug, t hrou gh which pr otru des t he cen tral tube . This hole is coun terbo red and thre ade d
to receive a gland nu t which passes over the cent ral tub e and screws into the filling plu g to form a
gland which is packed with an approv ed sealing compositi on. A spigot is formed on the tai l end
of the body to form a iocation for the tail, and a locati ng pin is screwed into the face of the t ail
end, in align men t with the suspension lug, to Locate the tail correct ly when it is assembled to the
bomb body.
8. The centr al tube, which is a plain tube thre aded exte rnal ly at both ends, is screwed into
the nose bush and welded in position. It passes thro ugh the gland in the filling plug, and prot rude s
throu gh a cone so cket in the bomb tail. A tail socket screws on to the rear e nd of t he cen tral t ube
and retai ns the tail in position on the bomb.
9. The tail socket is thre ade d inte rnal ly to receive a tail pistol or tra ns it plug, and is also
threa ded inte rnal ly for screwing on to the cent ral tube, to which it is locked by a securing screw.
It is provided with four equi-spac ed reta inin g shear pins, which reta in the collar carry ing the vane
suppo rts and the cylindr ical vane on the tail cone. A t hrea ded hole is provided in the tai l socket
to receive a pistol securing screw.
30

Filling, fig. 1
10. The bomb may be filled with T.N.T., or with ama tol 80/20. Amatol-filled bombs are not
suita ble for stowage in H.M. ships.
Bombs supplied unexplodered
11. The filling is sealed at the nose end with a pad of appro ved composition , and at the tail
end with a pad of appro ved composi tion and a glazed board washer, or a waxed felt washer and a
glazed board .washer. The nose en d of th e bomb, as sup plied, is plugged w ith a plug, No. 7A, Mk. II,
or with a p lug, No. 21, Mk. I, and the tai l end of th e bomb with a plug, No. 13, Mk. I, or with plug,
No. 22, Mk. I. A holder, det ona tor, 6-7 in., Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12G/110) is supplie d in position
in the tail end of the cent ral tube.

Bombs supplied explodered to Scheme C, fig. 2


12. These bombs are supplie d sealed and plugged in the same man ner as bcmb s supplied
unexplo dered. In the tai l end of t he cen tral t ube is located a holder, deto nato r, adju stab le, No. 3,
Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12G/363), and assembled in th e cent ral tube , between two millboard washers,
are thr ee paper- cased exploders, namely , two' exploders, 3-7 in., No. 22, Mk. I, and one explode r
8-82 in., No. 21, Mk. I . The 3-7 in. exploders have de ton ato r cavities.
13. Locat ed in th e nose end of the cen tral tu be is an a dap ter, c entr al t ube, a ircr aft bomb, Mk. I.
If the b omb isf plugged at the nose end with a p lug, No. 7A, an d at the t ail en d with a p lrg , No. 13,
wooden packi ng pieces are inser ted at th e ends of the cen tral tub e between the plugs and the
compon ents, to pre ven t move ment of th e compon ents. If No. 21 and 22 plugs a re used, the pa cking
pieces are omit ted.

Tail, fig. 1
14. The tail consis ts of a tai l cone, and a cylind rical vane att ach ed to a collar by thr ee equi-
spaced vane supp orts. Att ach ed to the fro nt end of the tai l cone is a cone ring which is p rovide d
with a slot to engage the locatin g pin in the face of t he tai l end of t he bomb body. A l ocating p in
is provid ed in the cone socket to engage a slot in the collar when th e cylindr ical vane is assembled.
The tail cone is sec ured to the bomb body by the t ail s ocket, and the collar carry ing the cylind rical
vane and vane supp orts is retai ned by the four reta inin g shea r pins of the tail socket. A small
clearan ce between the rear face of the collar and these shea r pins allows sligh t mov emen t of the
cylindr ical vane.

Transit plugs
15. The No 7A, Mk. II plug is thre ade d for screwing into the nose bush of the bomb body,
and has a squ are-se ction tap ere d hole to ta ke th e key used for inse rtin g a nd removi ng t he plr g. The
plug is provi ded with a leat her washer.
16. The No. 13, Mk. I plug is th rea ded for screw ing int o th e t ail socket. It is bored and thr ead ed
on the inside to tak e the det on ato r holder. Span ner flats are formed on the head, and th e plug is
prov ided with a leat her washer.
17. The No. 21, Mk. I p lug is in th e form of a tu be closed at one end, and is thre ade d exte rnal ly
for screwing in to the nose bush. It is prov ided w ith span ner flat s a nd a slo t, and a leat her washer is
provid ed unde r its head .
1
18. The No. 22, Mk. I plug is s imila r in shape to the No. 21 plug bu t fits into the tai l socket,
and is provid ed with a leat her washer.

Identification colouring and markings, fig. 1


Colouring
19. The exter ior of th e bomb b ody and tail is pa int ed yellow, with th e except ion of a j in. red
band 1 in. from the face of t he nose bush, and a 1 i n. green b and 10 in. from t he face of th e nose bush.
20. When the bom b is supplied ex plodered to Scheme C, a 1 in. green bar is pai nte d on the bomb
body b ehind th e r ed ba nd. Ano ther g reen b ar is pain ted on the ta il cone and exten ded on to the bom b
body. Bot h bars are in line with the suspension lug.

Markin gs on the bomb body


21. On the same side as the suspensio n lug, between the red and green band s, is stencilled
the following inf orm ati on :—
(i) G.P., 120 lb., I.
31

A.P .166 1B, Vol. I, Sect. 1, Chap, 4


(ii) The monogr am of t he filling st atio n, or the filling c on tra cto r’s initia ls or recognized trad e
mark.
(iii) The dat e of filling, mo nth and year.
(iv) The lot num ber of the filled bomb.
Between the suspensio n lug and th e t ail end of the body is stencilled th e design n umb er of th e meth od
of filling.
22. When the bomb is filled with T.N.T., the lette rs T.N.T. are stencilled, in black, in thre e
places equi-spaced round the green band.
23. Toward s the r ear of the bomb body, in line with the suspension lug, is stenc illed the serial
num ber of the em pty bomb.
24. When the bomb., is explodere d to Scheme C, the lette rs EX PD . C are stencilled on the
bomb body in fro nt of the rea r green bar.
25. Stam ped on the bomb body, between the face of the nose bush and the suspension lug,
are the body ma nuf act ure r’s marki ngs as follows:—
(i) I, G.P., 120 lb.
(ii) The ma nu fac tur er’s initia ls or recognized trad e mark.
(iii) The dat e of man ufac ture.
The serial num ber of the em pty bomb is stam ped towa rds the rea r of the body in line with the
suspension lug.

Markin gs on the tail


26. The serial num ber of th e em pty bomb is sten cilled and stam ped on the rear e nd of t he tail
cone in line with the serial num ber on the bomb body, and also o n the collar for the vane supp orts
in line with the marki ngs on the rear of the tai l cone. The same serial num ber is also stam ped
towar ds the fron t end of th e tai l cone in line with the oth er marki ngs on the tail cone.

Markings on the transit plugs


27. Around the head of the No. 7A tra ns it plug is stam ped the following infor matio n :—
(i) P, No. 7A, IIM, IIS, or II F, the suffix to the mar k num ber depen ding on the mat eria l
from which the plug is made.
(ii) ' T he ma nuf act ure r’s initia ls or recognized tra de mark.
28. On the head of the No. 13 tra ns it plug is stam ped the following info rma tion :—
(i) No. 13, IM or IS.
(ii) The ma nuf act ure r’s initia ls or recognized trad e mark.
29. Around the head of th e No. 21, Mk. I plug is sta mpe d or cast the following in for ma tion :—
(i) NOSE.
(ii) The ma nuf act ure r’s initia ls or recognized tra de mark.
(iii) The dat e of man ufac ture, mo nth and year.
(iv) No. 21, IZ.
30. Around the head of th e No. 22, Mk. I plug is stam ped or cast the following in for ma tion :—
(i) TAIL.
(ii) The ma nuf act ure r’s initia ls or recognized tra de mark.
(iii) The dat e of man ufac ture, mon th and year.
(iv) No. 22, IZ.

Functio ning
31. When the bomb is released from t he b omb carrier, the f uze-se tting contro l link renioves the
safe ty clip from the nose pistol. The armi ng vanes of b oth pistols rot ate due to th e air pressure
on th em and free th e st riker s. On im pac t of t he bomb with th e t arg et, the str iker s a re forced a gain st
the ir r especti ve deto nato rs, firing th e deto nato rs, which in t ur n fire the expl oders, causing deto nati on
of the main filling.
32

INSTR UCTI ONS FOR USE


Fuzing the bomb when supplied unexplodered
32. Unscrew and remove the nose and tai l plugs, and remove the det onato r holder. Exam ine
the cen tral tub e of the bomb and ensure th at it is clean; if necessary wipe it .out with a soft dry
rag. On no accou nt mus t met al scrape rs be used for cleaning the cen tral tube.
33. Lay th e compo nents out on a clean bench in the orde r i n which the y are to be inser ted in
the cen tral tu be. Screw the d eto nat or holde r i nto a n exploder, H.E ., bomb, No. 19, Mk. I l l (Stores
Ref. 12G/52), and inse rt the app rop riat e det ona tor f or ta il fuzing int o the det onato r holder. Ins ert
the app rop riat e det on ato r for th e nose fuzing into an exploder, H.E ., bomb, No. 13, Mk. I (Stores
Ref. 12G/104). Screw th e nose p istol into t he No. 13 e xploder. The tra ns it sprin g of the t ail pi stol
is to be rem oved and t he a rmin g v ane screwed down to the free po sition again st the pistol b ody and
the p istol screwed i nto t he d eto nat or holder. Ins ert a 1-1 in. wooden pack ing piece betw een the two
exploders. A pisto l, bomb, tail , No. 21, Mk. I (Stores Ref . 12G/311) or Mk. I I (Stores Ref. 12G/312)
is used in the tai l fuzing, and a pistol, bomb, D.A., No. 19, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12G/162) o r Mk. II
(Stores Ref. 12G/366) "is used in the nose fuzing.

34. Measure th e leng th of the cen tral tub e availa ble for the assembled compon ents, using a
suita ble non-ferrou s meta l gauge. Measure t he lengt h of th e compo nents, assembled in t he ir correc t
order, and compar e thi s leng th with the space availab le in the cen tral tube. If the leng th of the
compo nents is less t ha n the availa ble leng th of th e cen tral t ube, add f elt adj usti ng washers to make
up the deficiency. The felt washers should be man ufac ture d locally, a nd it should be n oted t ha t the
felt compresses to a bou t one- fifth of its original thic kness. If the le ngth of th e c ompon ents is gre ater
tha n the avail able l ength of cen tral tube , a fresh set of compo nents should be assembled and measured .
If the length is still too great , the bomb is to be set aside for A.I.D. inspectio n.
35. Ins ert th e compo nents in t he cen tral t ube of t he bomb. To do this , f irst inse rt the pack ing
piece a nd any a dju stin g w ashers found necessary, and the n inse rt the tw o p istol assemblies, screwing
in t he nose pistol to its full de pth of th rea d and the ta il pi stol as fa r as it will go; at l east four thr ead s
of the tai l pistol are to engage. Lock the p istols in position with the ir respec tive securing screws.

Fuzin g the bomb when supplied explodered to Scheme C


36. The comp onen ts suppl ied assembled in the cen tral tub e are not to be removed. Unscrew
and remove the nose and tai l plugs, and remove the wooden pack ing pieces if fitted .
37. Gauge the det on ato r cav ity in the nose end of the cen tral tub e, using gauge, cavit y,
deto nato r, No. 7, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/575), as described in Sect. 19, Chap. 2. • If the bomb fails
to pass thi s tes t, it is to be set aside for A.I.D inspecti on, or used fuzed at the tai l only, see pa ra.
39 and 40, in which inst ance the plug, and pack ing piece if fitted , are to be replaced.
38. Ins ert the app rop riat e de ton ator , a nd screw in t he pistol, No. 19, Mk. I o r II , t o it s full de pth
of thr ead and lock it in positi on with the securing screw.
39. Gauge the de ton ato r ca vity in th e ta il end of the c ent ral tu be, using gauge, ca vity, de tona tor,
No. 1, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/301), as described in Sect. 19, Chap. 2. If the bomb fails t o pass this
tes t, it is to be unfuzed at the nose and set aside for A.I.D. inspe ction, or used fuzed at the nose
only, in which insta nce the t ail plug, and wooden pack ing piece if necessary, are to be r eplaced.

40. Ins ert the app rop riat e det ona tor, remove the tra ns it sprin g from the tail pistol, No. 21,
Mk. I or II, and screw the a rmin g vane down to the f ree po sitio n agai nst the pistol body. Screw in
the pist ol as far as it will go and lock it in position with the securing screw.

Loading the bomb on to the aircraft bomb carrier


41. Load the bomb on to th e bomb carrie r as described in the rele van t cha pte r of A.P.1664,
Vol. I. When the bomb is finally in posit ion on the c arrier , conne ct the fuze-s etting c ontro l link to
th e safe ty clip of the nose p istol. Imm edia tely before the airc raft is ready to tak e off, remove the
safe ty pins from the nose a nd tai l pistols and h and t hem to the pilot or b omb aimer.

Unloadin g the bomb from the aircraft bomb carrier


42. Ins ert the s afety pins in the nose and ta il pistols a nd discon nect the fuze- settin g contr ol
link from the nose pistol. Unload the bomb from the bomb carri er as described in the rele van t
cha pte r of A.P. 1664, Vol. I.
33

A.P .1661B , Vol. I, Sect. 1, Ch ap.4


Unfuzing a bomb supplied unexplodered -P L U G . N o 13.MK I

43. Unscrew the screws securin g the nose and tail


pistols and remove the pistols. Screw the armin g vane of
the tail pisto l bac k on to the screw -thre ads of th e st rike r and -P AC KIN G PIECE

inser t the tra ns it spring.


44. Remov e th e c ompo nents from t he pistols, and the
packin g piece and felt washers, if fitted , from the cen tral
tube. Ex tra ct the deto nato rs. Pac k th e compo nents in
thei r respecti ve packages . Replac e the nose and tail plugs
and the det ona tor holde r in the ir respec tive positio ns in -A DJ US TA BL E DETONA TOR
HO LD ER . No 3 M K I
the cent ral tube . The thre ads of th e p lugs a re to be coa ted
with luting, thin , Mk. V (Stores Ref. 12F/41).

Unfuzing a bomb explod eredto Scheme C


45. Remove the nose and tai l pistol s as described in
para . 43. Screw the armin g vane of the tai l pisto l back
on to the sc rew-t hread s of th e stri ker a nd inse rt the tra nsi t
spring. Remove the deto nato rs using extr acto r, det on­
ator, No. 1, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/302). Repla ce the
nose and tail plugs in the cent ral tub e, toge ther with the
packin g pieces if necessary. The thre ads of the plugs are
to be coated with thi n luting.

SUP PLY AND STORAGE


Supply — MI LL BO AR D WASH ER
46. The bomb, H.E ., airc raft, G.P., 120 lb., Mk. I,
is s upplied , with its tail, in Box, B.220, Mk. I (Stores Ref.
12A/252). Boxes conta ining bombs explode red to Scheme
C will be mark ed with a longit udin al green strip , paint ed -E XP LO DE R. 3 -7 in .N o 2 2 .
on one side, between the bat tens , and with EX PD . C M K .I

stencilled below t he stri p and on each end of the box.

Storage
-E X P L O O E R .8 6 2« M o .2 l.
47. The boxed bombs, suppli ed unexp lodered or ex­ MK I
plodered to Scheme C, are classified, for the purpo se of
storage, rn Group VII .

BOMB, H.E ., AIRCRAFT, G.P., 120 lb., Mk. II


Leading particulars
48. Stores Ref. (unexplodered) ... ... 12A/262
Stores Ref. (explodered to Scheme C) 12A/262C
The oth er leadin g par ticu lars are as for the Mk. I bomb,
see par a. 4.
GEN ERA L DES CR IPT ION
49. The general descri ption of t he Mk. I bomb, given
in para . 5 t o 31, applies also to the Mk. II bomb, the only
difference between the two bomb s being in the typ e of
-E X PL O DE R 3 -7 « ,N o ,2 2 ,
suspension lug. The ma rk num ber II is sub stit ute d for MKI
the mark num ber I, as necessary.

INSTR UCTI ONS FOR USE -M IL L B O A R D WASH ER

50. The instr uctio ns for use of the Mk. II bomb are -A D A P TE R ,C E N TR A L TUBE
AIR CR AF T BO M B. M K I
as for the Mk. I bomb, see par a. 32 to 45.

-R AC KIN G PIECE
SUP PLY AND STORAGE
Supply
51. The bomb, H.E ., aircr aft, G.P., 120 lb., Mk. II,
is supplie d in the same man ner as the Mk. I bomb, see PL UG .N o 7A M K I

para , 46, the mark ing on the box being amen ded to agree Fig. 2.—Bomb, H.E., aircraf t, G.P., 120 1’
with the conte nts. Mk. I or II, explodered to Scheme
34

A.P .166 1B, Vol. I, Sect. 1, Chap. 4


Unfuzing a bomb supplied unexplodered PL UG . No 13.MK I

43. Unscrew the screws securing the nose and tail


pistol s and remove the pistols. Screw t he armi ng vane of
the tai l pisto l bac k on to the screw -threa ds of th e st rike r and -PA CK ING PIECE

inser t the tra ns it spring.


44. Remove the co mpon ents from the pist ols, and the
packin g piece and felt washers, if fitted, from the cent ral
tube. Ex tra ct the deto nato rs. Pac k the comp onent s in
the ir respec tive packages . Replac e the nose and tai l plugs
and the det on ato r holde r in the ir respec tive positio ns in -A DJ US TA B LE DETON ATOR
H O LD E R .N o 3 M K I
the cen tral tub e. The thre ads of t he plugs are to be coa ted
with luting, thin, Mk. V (Stores Ref. 12F/41).

Unfuzin g a bomb explod eredto Scheme C


45. Remove the nose and tai l pistols as described in
para. 43. Screw the armin g vane of the ta il pistol back
on to the sc rew-t hreads of the stri ker an d inse rt the tra nsi t
spring. Remove the deto nato rs using ext rac tor, det on­
ator, No. 1, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/302). Replace the
nose and tail plugs in the cent ral tube, tog ethe r with the
packi ng pieces if necessary . The thre ads of the plugs are
to be coated with thin luting.

SUP PLY AND STORAGE


Supply — M IL LB O AR D WASH ER
46. The bomb, H.E ., aircr aft, G.P., 120 lb., Mk. I,
is su pplied, with its tail, in Box, B.220, Mk. I (Stores Ref.
12A/252). Boxes contai ning bombs explod ered to Scheme
C will be mark ed with a longit udin al green strip , pain ted -EXPLODER, 3-7™ .No 22.
on one side, betwee n the batt ens, and with EX PD . C MK. I
stencilled below the stri p and on each end of the box.

Storage
-E X PL O D E R ,8 3 2 , k,No.2I.
47. The boxed bombs, supplie d unexp lodere d or ex­ MK I
plodere d to Scheme C, are classified, for the purpos e of
storage, in Group VII.

BOMB, H.E. , AIRCRAFT, G.P., 120 lb., Mk. H


Leading particulars
48. Stores Ref. (unexplodered) ... ... 12A/262
Stores Ref. (explodered to Scheme C) 12A/262C
The othe r leading par ticu lars are as for the Mk. I bomb,
see para . 4.
GEN ERA L DES CRI PTI ON
49. The, gene ral descri ption of t he Mk. I bomb, given
in par a. 5 to 31, applies also to the Mk. II bomb, the only
difference between the two bombs being in the typ e of
suspensio n lug. The mar k num ber II is sub sti tut ed for -EXPL ODER 3-7 in ,No.22.
MK I
the mark num ber I, as necessary.

INSTR UCTI ONS FOR USE M IL LB O AR D WASH ER

50. The instr uctio ns for use of the Mk. II bomb are AD AP TE R, C EN TR AL TUBE
AIR CRA ET BO MB , MK I
as for the Mk. I bomb, see para. 32 to 45.

PACKING PIECE
SUP PLY AND STORAG E
Supply
51. The bomb, H.E ., airc raft, G.P., 120 lb., Mk. II,
is supplie d in the same man ner as the Mk. I bomb, see P LU G .N o 7A M K I
par a. 46, the mark ing on the box being amen ded to agree Fig. 2.—Bomb, H.E., aircra ft, G.P., 120 lb.,
with the conte nts. Mk. I or II, explodered to Scheme C
35

Storage
52. The boxed bombs, supplied unexpl odered or exploder ed to Scheme C, are classified, for
the purpos e of storag e, in Group VII .

BOMB, H.E., AIRCRAFT, G.P., 250 lb., Mk. I


Leading particulars
53. Stores Ref. (unexplodered) 12A/185
Stores Ref. (explodered to Scheme A) 12A/185A
Stores Ref. (explodered to Scheme B) 12A/185B
Stores Ref. (explodered to Scheme C) 12A/185C
Leng th, with tail 4 ft. 6 in.
Maximum diam eter 10-28 in.
Weigh t and na tur e of filli ng. .. 68 lb. T.N.T ., or 63 lb. a mat ol 80/20
Term inal velocity 1,440 ft. per sec.

GEN ERA L DES CRI PTI ON


Bomb body
54. The bomb b ody is simila r to the 120 lb. Mk. I bomb body, see p ara. 6 t o 9, differing only
in weight and dimensions.

Filling
55. The bomb ma y be filled with T.N.T., or with ama tol 80/20. Amatol-filled bombs are not
suit able for stowage in H.M. ships.

Bombs supplied unexplodered


56. The filling is sealed at the nose end with a pad of appro ved composition , and at the tail
end with a pad of appro ved composi tion and a glazed board washer, or a waxed felt washer and a
glazed board washer. The nose end of th e bomb, as su pplied, is plugged with a p lug, No. 7A, Mk. II,
or a plug. No. 21, Mk. I, and the t ail e nd with plug, No. 7A, Mk. II, or plug, No. 13, Mk. I, or plug,
No. 22, M k.I. A 6-7 in. Mk. I det on ato r hold er is suppl ied in positi on in the tai l end of th e cent ral
tube.

Bombs supplied explodered to Scheme A, fig. 3


57. The bombs are sea led in the same man ner as bo mbs su pplied unexplo dered, and are p lugged
with a No. 7A, Mk. II plug in t he nose and a No. 13, Mk. I plug in th e ta il end of th e bomb. Assembled
in the cen tral tube , in the following order, sta rti ng from the nose end, are two exploders, II.E .,
bomb, No. 16, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12G/103), and an exploder, H.E ., bomb, No. 19, Mk. I l l (Stores
Ref. 12G/52) to which is att ach ed a 6-7 in. Mk. I det ona tor holder. Wooden packin g pieces are
inse rted at the ends of the cen tral tub e between the plugs and the compone nts.

Bombs supplied explodered to Scheme B, fig. 3


58. The bombs are sealed and plugged in a similar man ner to bombs exploder ed to Scheme A.
Assembled in the cen tral tube , at the nose end, is a No. 16, Mk. I exploder, and a No. 19, Mk. I ll
explode r which is att ac he d to a holder, deto nato r, adju stab le, No. 1, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12G/361)
or Mk. II (Stores Ref. 12G/374). Wooden packi ng pieces are insert ed at the ends of the cent ral
tub e between the plugs and the compon ents.

Bombs supplied explodered to Scheme C, fig. 3


59. The se.b omb s are sealed in a man ner similar to the bombs supplied unexplo dered, and
are plugged at the nose en d of th e cen tral tub e with a No. 7A, Mk. II plug, or a No. 21, Mk. I plug,
and at the tail end with a No. 7A, Mk. II plug, or a No. 22, Mk. I plug. Assembled in the cent ral
tube , sta rti ng from the nose end, is an ada pte r, cen tral tube , air cra ft bomb Mk. I, an exploder,
H.E ., bomb, 3-7 in., No. 22, Mk. I, and exploder, H.E ., bomb, 5-6 in., No. 20, Mk. I, and ano the r
No. 22, Mk. I exploder. At the tail en d of th e cen tral t ube is a holder, deto nato r, adju stab le, No. 4,
Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12G/364). The explode rs are located between millbo ard washers. If the bomb
is plu gged with No. 7A, Mk. II plugs, wooden packing pieces are insert ed at the ends of t he cent ral
tub e between the plugs and the compo nents. When No. 21 and 22 plugs are used, the packin g
pieces are omit ted.
36

A .P .1 H 61 B , Col. I, Sect . 1, Ch ap. 4


Tail
60. Th e ta il is si m ila r to th e ta il fo r th e 120 lb. Mk. I bo m b, see p ar a. 14, di ff er in g m ai nl y in
w ei gh t an d di m en sio ns , an d in h av in g fo ur va n e su p po rt s in st ea d of th re e.

Identificati on colouring and markings


Co lour ing
61. T he ex te ri or of th e bo m b bo dy an d ta il is p ai n te d yel low , w ith th e ex ce pt io n of a | in.
re d b a n d 1 in. fr om th e fac e of th e no se bu sh , an d a 1 in. gr ee n b an d 13 in. fro m th e fac e of th e no se
bu sh .
62. W he n th e bo m b is ex pl od er ed to Sc he me A, B, or C, a 1 in. gr ee n b ar is p ai n te d on th e
b .m b bo dy be hi nd th e re d b an d . A n ot he r gr ee n b a r is p ai n te d on th e ta il co ne an d ex te nd ed on to
(h e b; m b bo dy . B ot h ba rs ar e in lin e w ith th e su sp en si on lug.

M ar ki ng s on the bomb bodv


63. On th e sa m e- si de as th e su sp en sio n lug. be tw ee n th e red an d gr ee n ba nd s, is st en ci lle d th e
fol low ing in fo rm a ti o n :—
(i) G. P. , 250 lb. , I.
(ii) T he m on og ra m of th e fill ing st a ti o n , or th e filli ng c o n tr a c to r’s in iti al s or rec og niz ed tr a d e
m ar k.
(iii) Th e d a te of filli ng, m on th a n d ye ar .
(iv) Th e lo t n um b er of th e filled bo mb .
Be tw ee n th e su sp en si on lu g an d th e ta il en d of th e bo m b bo dy is st en ci lle d th e de sig n n u m b er of th e
m et ho d of fillin g.
64 . W he n th e bo m b is fille d w it h T .N .T ., th e le tt er s T .N .T . ar e st en ci lle d, in bl ac k, in th re e
pla ce s eq ui -s pa ce d ro un d th e gr ee n ba nd .
65. To w ar ds th e re ar of th e bo m b bo dy , in lin e wi th th e su sp en sio n lug, is; st en ci lle d th e se ria l
nu m be r of th e em p ty bo m b.
66. W he n th e bo m b is su pp lie d ex pl od er ed , th e le tt er s E X P D ., fol low ed b y th e a p p ro p ri a te
le tt e r A, B, or C, ar e st en ci lle d on th e bo m b bo dy in fr o n t of th e re ar gr ee n ba r.
67. S ta m pe d on th e bo m b bo dy , betw -een th e fac e of th e no se bu sh an d th e sus pen sion - lug , ar e
th e bo dy m a n u fa c tu re r’s m ar ki ng s as fol low s:—
(i) I, G .P ., 250 lb.
(ii) Th e m a n u fa c tu re r’s in it ia ls or rec og niz ed tr a d e m ar k.
(iii) T he d a te of m an uf ac tu re .
T he se ri al nu m be r, of th e em p ty bo m b is st am pe d to rv ar ds th e re ar of th e bo d y in lin e w it h th e
su sp en si on lug.

M ar ki ng s on the tail
68. T he se ri al nu m be r of th e em p ty bo m b is st am p ed on th e re ar en d of th e ta il co ne in lin e
w ith th e se ri al n um be r on th e bo m b bo dy , an d als o on th e co lla r fo r th e va ne su p p o rt s in lin e w ith
th e m ar ki ng s on th e re ar of th e ta il con e. Th e sa m e se ria l n u m b er is also st am p ed to w ar ds th e
fr on t en d of th e ta il co ne in lin e w ith th e o th e r m ar ki ng s on th e ta il con e.

Function ing
69. W he n th e bo m b is rel ea se d fro m th e ca rr ie r, th e fu ze -s et ti ng co nt ro l lin k rem ov es th e
sa fe ty cl ip fro m th e nose, pi st ol . T he ar m in g va ne s "iff b o th pi st ol s un sc re w du e to th e ai r pr es su re
on th e m an d th u s rel ea se th e st ri ke rs . On im p ac t of th e bo m b w ith th e ta rg e t, th e st ri ke rs ar e for ce d
in ag ai n st th e ir re sp ec tiv e d et o n at o rs , fir ing th e d et o n at o rs , wh ich in tu rn fire th e ex pl od er s, ca us in g
d et on at io n of th e m ai n filli ng in th e bo mb .

IN ST R U C T IO N S TO R U SE
Fuzing the bomb when supplied unexplodered
70. Un scr ew an d re m ov e th e nos e an d ta il plu gs, an d re m ov e th e d e to n a to r ho ld er . E xa m in e
th e ce n tr al tu b e of th e bo m b an d en su re th a t it is cl ea n; if ne ce ss ar y, wip e it o u t w it h a d ry cl ot h.
A m et al sc ra pe r m us t n ot be use d for cl ea ni ng th e ce nt ra l tu be .
C (1661B) -
37

■P LU G. No . 7A .MK .U ■P LUG, No. 13, M K. I


PACK ING PIECE -P AC KI NG PIEC E -

-A DJ US TA BL E DETON ATOR -A DJ US TA BL E DETO NAT OR


HO LD ER ,N o 4, M K. I HO LD ER .N o. l. MK I
DETO NAT OR HO LDE R
6-7 in. , MK I —

EXP LOD ER. No. l9.M K.IH -

EXPL ODER . No. 16. M K .I -

-EX PLO DER .No. 19. M Km

-M ILL BO AR D WASHIER

-EX PLO DE R, 3-7 im.. N o .2 2 .


MK I

-E XP LO DE R. No 16. MK I -

-E XP LO DE R. 5 -6 in .N o 2 0
M K .I

-E XP LO DE R, 3- 7 in., N o 2 2 ,
M K .I
-M IL LB O A R D WASHER
-A DA PT ER .C EN TR AL TUBE
AI RC RA FT B O M B .M K .I

-PA CK ING PIECE PACKING PIECE -

P L U G .N o .7 A .M K I -P LU G ,N o. 7A . M K .I
SCHEME C SCHEM E B SCHEME A
F ig - 3 .— B o m b , H . E . , a ir c r a f t , G .P ., 2 50 lb ., M k . I , I I , o r I I I , e x p lo d e re d t o S ch e m e s A , B ," a n d C
38

A.P .16 61B , Vol. I, Sect. 1, Chap. 4


71. Lay out the comp onen ts on a clean bench in the orde r in which the y are to be inse rted
in the cen tral tub e. Screw the de ton ato r holder into a No. 19, Mk. I l l exploder , and in sert the
app rop riat e det on ato r for tail fuzing into the de ton ato r holder. In se rt the app rop riat e det ona tor
for nose fuzing into a No. 16, Mk. I explo der for th e nose, and inse rt a 45 g rain de ton ato r int o the
det ona tor clip of a second No. 16, Mk. I explod er for use in th e cen tral positio n. Screw t he nose
pistol i nto t he n ose exploder. The tr an sit s pring o f t he ta il pisto l is t o be removed and t he a rmin g
vane screwed down to the free posit ion aga ins t the pisto l body, and the t ai l pisto l screwed int o the
det ona tor h older. A p istol, bomb, tail, No. 22, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12G/202) or Mk. II (Stores Ref.
12G/203) is used in th e tai l fuzing, and a pistol, bomb, D.A., No. 19, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12G/162)
or Mk. II (Stores Ref. 12G/366) is used in the nose fuzing.
72. Measure th e leng th of th e cen tra l tub e availa ble for th e comp onent s, using a suit able
non-ferro us me tal gauge. Measure the lengt h of the compo nents, assembled in the ir corre ct order,
and compar e th is leng th w ith the ava ilable space in th e c ent ral tub e. If t he leng th of t he com ponen ts
is less th an the avai lable len gth of th e cen tral tub e, felt adj ust ing washers, ma nuf act ured locally,
should be used to make up the deficiency, it being note d th at felt compresses to abo ut one-fifth
of its original thickn ess. If the leng th of th e com pone nts is gre ate r th an the avail able leng th of
cen tral tub e, a fresh set of comp onen ts should be measu red. If th e leng th is still too gre at, the
bomb is to be set aside for A.I.D. inspect ion.
73. Ins ert the compo nents into the cen tral tube . To do this , f irst ins ert th e nose pist ol, screwi ng
it in to its full d ept h of th rea d, inse rt th e cent re No. 16 e xplod er w ith the det onato r end to th e rear,
and any f elt adj ust ing w ashers found necessary, ins ert the tai l pistol, screwing it in as far as it will
go; at least four full thr ead s are to be engaged. Lock th e pistols in positi on with the ir respec tive
securing screws.
Fuzin g the bomb when supplied explodered to Scheme A
74. Unscrew and remove the nose and tai l plugs, and remove the wooden pack ing pieces.
75. Remove the No. 16 ex plod er from th e nose en d and t he No. 19 ex ploder a nd the d eto nat or
holder from the tai l end of th e bomb. Remove t he re main ing No. 16 explod er by pushi ng i t ou t w ith
a stic k or oth er suita ble implem ent.
76. Ins ert the app rop riat e det ona tors int o the nose explod er and the de ton ato r holder, and
inse rt a 45 g rain det on ato r int o the de ton ato r clip of t he cen tra l No. 16 explode r. Screw th e nose
pistol, No. 19, Mk. I or II, int o th e nose explode r. Remo ve the tr an sit sprin g of th e tai l pistol,
No. 22, Mk. I or II, and screw the arm ing vane down to th e free positi on aga ins t th e pistol body,
and screw the ta il pisto l int o the det ona tor holder.
77. Ins ert th e comp onent s in the ce ntr al t ube in th e order tail, centr al, and nose; the de ton ato r
end of th e cen tra l ex ploder is t o be t owar ds the rea r. Lock t he pi stols with t he ir respec tive securing
screws.
Note.— (i) On no accou nt mu st any ad jus tm ent be mad e to the leng th of the det onato r
holder.
(ii) Compo nents a re to be replaced in t he bomb from which the y were w ithdr awn.
Fuziu g the bomb when supplied explodered to Scheme B
78. Remove the nose and tai l plugs and th e wooden packi ng pieces from the cen tral tube.
Ins ert th e a ppr opr iate d eto nat or in t he ad just able d eto nat or h older in t he ta il en d of t he ce ntra l tub e.
Remove the t ra ns it sprin g from th e No. 22, Mk. I or II tai l pistol, and screw t he arm ing vane down
to the free positio n agai nst the pist ol body. Screw t he p istol i nto t he t ail e nd of th e bomb b ody as
far as it will go, and lock it in positi on with the securing screw.
79. Par tia lly with draw the explod er from the nose end of the cen tral tub e, and inse rt the
app rop riat e det ona tor. Screw the No. 19, Mk. I or II nose pist ol int o the explod er and screw the
assembled comp onent s i nto th e bomb. Lock the pistol in p ositio n with th e securing screw.
Fuzin g the bomb when supplied explodered to Scheme C
80. The comp onen ts s upplied a ssembled in the c ent ral tub e of the bo mb are no t t o be remo ved.
Unscrew and remove the nose and tai l plugs, and remove the wooden pack ing pieces, if fitted.
81. Gauge the de ton ato r cav ity in the nose end of the cen tral tube , using gauge, cavit y,
deto nato r, No. 7, Mk. I , as described in Sect. 19, Chap. 2. If the bomb fails to pass this tes t, it is
to be set aside for A.I.D. inspec tion, or used fuzed at the tai l only, see para . 83 and 84, in which
instan ce the nose plug is to be replaced tog eth er with the pack ing piece, if require d.
82. Ins ert the app rop riat e det ona tor, and screw in the No. 19, Mk. I or II nose pistol, and
lock it in positio n with the securing screw.
39

83. Ga ug e th e d e to n a to r c av it y in t h e ta il en d of t h e c e n tr a l t u b e, us in g g au ge , ca vi ty , d et o na to r,
No. 1, M k. I, as de sc rib ed in Se ct. 19, Ch ap . 2. If th e bo m b fai ls to pa ss th is te st , it is to be un fu ze d
a t th e no se an d se t as id e fo r A .I. D . in sp ec tio n, or us ed fu ze d a t th e no se on ly , in wh ich in st an ce
th e ta il plu g, an d wo od en pa ck in g pie ce if ne ce ss ar y, ar e to be re pl ac ed .
84. In se rt th e ap p ro p ri at e d et o n at o r, rem ov e th e tr a n s it sp ri ng fr om th e No . 22, Mk. I or II
ta il pi st ol , an d scr ew th e ar m in g va ne do w n to th e fre e po si ti on ag ai n st th e pi st ol bo dy . Scr ew th e
pi st ol in as fa r as it will go a n d loc k it in po si tio n w ith th e se cu ri ng scre w.

Loading the bomb on to the aircraft bomb carrier


85. Lo ad th e bo m b on to th e bo m b ca rr ie r as de sc rib ed in th e re le v an t c h a p te r of A .P . 1664,
Vol. I. W he n th e bo m b is fin all y in po si tio n on th e ca rr ie r, co nn ec t th e fu ze -s et ti ng co nt ro l lin k
to th e sa fe ty c lip of th e no se pi st ol . Im m ed ia te ly b ef or e th e a ir c ra ft is re ad y t o t a k e off, re m ov e th e
sa fe ty pi ns fro m th e nos e an d ta il pi st ol s an d h an d th em to th e p il ot or bo m b aim er .

Unloading the bomb from the aircraft bomb carrier


86. In se rt th e sa fe ty p in s fr o m th e no se an d ta il pi st ol s an d di sc on ne ct th e fu ze -s et tin g co nt ro l
lin k fro m th e nos e pi sto l. Un lo ad th e bo m b fro m th e, b om b ca rr ie r as de sc rib ed in th e re le v an t
ch a p te r of A. P. 1664, Vol. I.

Unfuzin g a bomb supplied unexplodered


87. Un sc rew th e scr ew s se cu ri ng th e no se an d ta il pis tol s an d re m ov e th e pis tol s. Scr ew th e
ar m in g va ne of th e t a il p is to l ba ck on to th e sc re w -t hr ea ds of th e st ri k er a n d in se rt th e tr a n si t sp ri ng .
88. R em ov e th e co m po ne nt s fro m th e pi sto ls an d th e ce n tr al tu b e of th e bo mb , an d e x tr a c t th e
d et on at or s. P ac k th e co m po ne nt s in th e ir re sp ec tiv e pa ck ag es . Re pl ac e th e d e to n a to r ho ld er
an d th e no se an d ta il pl ug s in th e ir re sp ec tiv e po si tio ns in th e ce n tr al tu be . Th e th re ad s of th e
plu gs ar e to be co at ed w ith lu tin g, th in , Mk. V.

Unfuzing a bomb explodered to Scheme A


89. R em ov e th e nos e an d ta il pi sto ls, an d scr ew th e ar m in g va ne of th e ta il pi st ol ba ck on
to th e sc re w -t hr ea ds of th e st ri k e r an d in se rt th e tr a n s it sp rin g.

90. Re m ov e th e co m po ne nt s fro m th e pi st ol s an d th e ce n tr a l tu be , an d e x tr a c t th e d et on at or s.
P ac k th e co m po ne nt s in th e ir re sp ec tiv e pa ck ag es . R ep la ce th e d e to n a to r ho ld er an d th e ex pl od er s
in th e c e n tr a l tu b e, an d in se rt th e wo od en pa ck in g pie ces an d re pl ac e th e nos e an d ta il pl ug s. Th e
th re ad s of th e plu gs ar e to be co at ed w ith th in lu tin g.

Unfuzin g a bomb explodered to Scheme B


91. Re m ov e th e nos e an d ta il pi sto ls. Scr ew th e ar m in g va ne of th e ta il pi st ol ba ck on to th e
sc re w -t hr ea ds of th e st ri k e r an d in se rt th e tr a n si t sp rin g.

92. R em ov e th e co m po ne nt s fr om th e nos e pi st ol an d e x tr a c t th e d et o n at o rs . Re pl ac e th e
ex pl od er in th e ce n tr al tu b e, an d in se rt th e pa ck in g pie ce s an d re pl ac e th e plu gs . Th e th re ad s of
th e plu gs ar e to be co at ed w ith th in lu tin g.

Unfuzing a bomb explodered to Scheme C


93. R em ov e th e nos e an d ta il pi sto ls, an d scr ew th e ar m in g va ne of th e ta il pis tol ba ck on th e
sc re w -t hr ea ds of th e st ri k e r an d in se rt th e 't r a n s it sp rin g. R em ov e th e d et o n at o rs , us in g e x tr ac to r,
d et o n at o r, No . I, Mk. I. R ep la ce th e no se a n d ta il pl ug s, to g e th e r w it h th e wo od en pa ck in g pie ces
if ne ce ss ar y. T he th re ad s of th e plu gs ar e to be co at ed w it h th in lu tin g.

S U P P L Y AN D ST OR A GE
Supply
94. Th e bo m b, H .E ., ai rc ra ft , G .P ., 250 lb. , Mk. I, is su pp lie d, w it h its ta il, in Bo x, B.2 21 ,
Mk. I (S tor es Re f. 12A/ 186) . Bo xe s co nt ai n in g bo m bs ex pl od er ed to Sc he me A, B, or C, will be,
m ar ke d w it h a lo ng it ud in al gr ee n st ri p, p ai n te d on on e sid e, be tw ee n th e b at te n s, an d w ith E X P D .A ,
B, or C, st en cil led bel ow th e st ri p an d on eac h en d.

Storage
95. Th e bo xe d bo mb s, su pp lie d un ex pl od er ed or ex pl od er ed to Sc he me A, B, or C, ar e clas sifi ed
for th e pu rp os e of st or ag e, in G ro up V II .
40

. A.P .166 1B, V.ol. I. Seel. 1, Chap. 4


BOMB, H.E., AIRCRAFT, G.P., 250 lb., Mk. II
Leading particulars
96. Stores Ref. (unexplodered) ... ... ... 12A/263
Stores Ref. (explodered to Scheme A) ... 12A/263A
Stores Ref. (explodered to Scheme B) ... 12A/263B
Stores Ref. (explodered to Scheme C) ... 12A/263C
The othe r leading part icul ars are as for the Mk. I bomb, see para. 53.

GE NER AL DES CRI PTI ON


97. The Mk. II bomb is simila r to the Mk. I bomb, differing o nly in the type of suspens ion lug.
The mark II is sub stit ute d for the mark numb er I as necessary.

, '• INSTR UCTI ONS FOR USE


98. The inst ruc tion s for use of the Mk. I bomb, see par a. 70 to 93, apply also to the Mk. II
b >tnb.
SUP PLY AND STORAGE
Supply
99. The bomb, H.E ., airc raft , G.P., 250 lb., Mk. II, is supplied, with its tail, in Box, B.220,
Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/252). The box is marke d as described in para . 94 when cont ainin g bombs
explodere d to Scheme A, B, or C.
Storage
100. The boxed bomb s, su pplied unexpl odered or explod ered to Scheme A, B, o r C, a re classified,
for the purpose of storage, in Group VII.

BOMB, H.E., AIRCRAFT, G.P., 250 lb., Mk. IH


Leading particulars
« 101. Stores Ref. (unexplodered) ... ... ... . 12A/264
Stores Ref. (explodered to Scheme A) ... 12A/264A
Stores Ref. (explodered to Scheme B) ... 12A/264B
Stores Ref. (explodered to Scheme C) ... 12A/264C
The othe r leading par ticu lars are as for the Mk. I bomb, see para . 53.

GEN ERA L DES CRI PTI ON


102. The Mk. I l l bomb is simila r to the Mk. II bomb, differing only in mino r dimensions to
ensure inte rcha nge abil ity of tail units . The bomb is fitte d with tail, bomb, H.E ., airc raft, G.P.,
250 lb., No. 1, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/280), which may be supplie d wi th th e bom b, or packe d sep arate ly
in a crate , in which insta nce the bomb is supplied unboxe d and fitte d with a base, tra ns it, airc raft
bomb, No. 1, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/272). The tai l cone assembly is supplied with the bomb.
Transit base, fig. 4
103. The tra ns it base has a wooden cylindr ical body mad e up of two or thre e lamin ation s
secured toge ther by six coach bolts. It is bor ed and count erbor ed to fit over the cone s ocket in the
tail. A d ished steel washer is se cured to the bot tom of t he coun terbo re by thre e equi-spac ed nails.
The tra ns it base is secured on the cone socket by the tail socket.
Identification colouring and markings
Colouring
104. The colouring of the Mk. I l l bomb is iden tical with th at of the Mk. I bomb, see para.
61 and 62.
Markin gs on the bomb body
105. Between the green ban d and the suspensio n lug is sten cilled G.P., 250 lb., II I. Between
the suspension lug and the tail end of the bomb body are stencille d the following:—
(i) The monog ram of t he filling st atio n, or the filling c ont rac tor 's initia ls or recognized trad e
mark.
(ii) The dat e of filling, mo nth and year.
(iii) The lot num ber of the filled bomb.
On the reverse side is stencille d the design num ber of the meth od of filling.
41

106. All oth er marki ngs on the bo mb body are as s ta te d for t he Mk. I b omb, see par a. 64 to 67,
the ma rk num ber II I being sub stit ute d for the ma rk num ber I as necessary.

Markin gs on the tail


107. In addi tion to the marki ngs on the tail described in para. 68, the following infor mati on
is stencille d on one vane supp ort :—
(i) No. 1, I.
(ii) G.P., 250 lb., II I.
108. Stam ped on ano the r vane sup por t is the following info rma tion :—
(i) No. 1, I.
(ii) G.P., 250 lb.
(iii) The ma nu fac tur er’s initia ls or recognized tra de mark.
(iv) The dat e of man ufac ture.

Markings on the transit base


109. The following part icul ars are bra nde d-o n one face of the tra ns it bas e:—
(i) 1,1.
(ii) The ma nu fac tur er’s initia ls or recognized tra de mark.
(iii) The year of man ufac ture.

INSTR UCTI ONS FOR USE


110. The inst ruct ions for use of t he Mk. I bomb, see p ara. 70 to 93, a pply also to the Mk. I l l
bomb. A bomb supplied fitte d with a tra ns it base is to be prep ared for fuzing by unscrewing t he
tai l sock et a nd removing th e tra ns it base, fitti ng the t ail to t he bom b an d securing the t ail in p osition
with the tai l socket. The bomb should the n be fuzed in the same way as the Mk. I bomb.
111. Afte r unfuzi ng a bomb suppl ied with a tra ns it base, the tai l is to be Removed. Before
replacin g the tra ns it base, the ext ern al thr ead s and the exposed port ion of the cent ral tube , the
oute r su rface of th e cone soc ket and th e inne r sur face of the st eel w asher in t he tra ns it base are to be
lightly co ated with je lly, miner al (Stores Ref. 12F/6). After assembl y of th e tra ns it base, the h eads
of th e tail plug and securing screw, and the exter ior of t he tai l socket, are to be s imilarly trea ted.

SUP PLY AND STORAGE


Supply
112. The bomb, H.E. , airc raft, G.P., 250 lb., Mk. I l l (Stores Ref. 12A/264) may be supplied,
with its tail , in Box, B.221, Mir. I (Stores Ref. 12A/186). If the bomb is explodere d to Scheme A,
B, or C, the bo x will be ma rked as s tat ed in para . 94. Bomb bodies su pplied se para tely will be fi tted
with base, tra nsi t, airc raft bomb, No. 1, Mk. I, and will be accou nted for as Stores Ref. 12A/279.
Tails supplied in c rates will be accoun ted for as Stores Ref. 12A/280, and two tails will be supplied in
a crate.
Stora ge
113. Bombs, unexplo dered or expl odered to Schem e A, B, or C, boxed or u nboxed, are classified,
for the purpose of storag e, in Group VII . Tails, in crate s, ma y be store d in the same explosives
storeho use as the filled bombs, bu t the y mu st be stack ed well clear of the filled stores.

BOMB, H. E. , AIRC RAF T, G.P. , 500 lb., Mk. I


Lead ing partic ulars
114. Stores Ref. (unexplodered) 12A/187
Stores Ref. (explodered to Scheme A) 12A/187A
Stores Ref. (explodered to Scheme B) 12A/187B
Stores Ref. (explodered to Scheme C) 12A/187C
Lengt h, with tail 5 ft. 8-7 in.
Maximum diam eter 13 in.
Weigh t and na tur e of fill ing ... 143-5 lb. T.N.T ., or 133-5 lb. ama tol 80/20
Term inal veloc ity 1,580 ft. per sec.
42

A.P.1 661 B, Vol. I, Sect. 1, Chap, I


GEN ERA L DES CR IPT ION
Bom b body
115. The bomb body is simi lar to the 120 lb. Mk. I bomb body, see pa ra. 6 to 9, differing only
in weight and dimensions.
Fill ing
116. The bomb may be filled with T.N.T ., or with ama tol 80/20. Amatol-filled bombs are
not suit able for stowage in H.M. ships.
Bombs supplied unexplodered
117. The filling is sealed at the nose end with a pad of appro ved compositi on, and at the tail
end with a pad of appr oved composi tion and a glazed board washer, or a waxed felt washe r and a
glazed board washer. The nose end of th e bomb, as supplied, is plugged with plug, No. 7A, Mk. II ,
or with plug, No. 21, Mk. I, and the tai l end with plug, No. 7A, Mk. II, or plug, No. 13, Mk. I, or
plug, No. 22, Mk. I. A holder, det ona tor, 30-8 in.. Mk. II (Stores Ref. 12G/39) is suppl ied in position
in the tai l end of' th e cen tral tube.
Bombs supplied explodered to Scheme A, fig. 5
118. Bombs explodere d to Scheme A are sealed in the same man ner as bombs supplied
unexpl odered . The nose a nd tai l ends are plugged with a No. 7A, Mk. II, and a No. 13, Mk. I plug
respecti vely. Assembled in the nose end of th e cen tral tub e is an exploder , H.E ., bomb, No. 16,
Mk. I. Assembled in the tai l end is a holder, deto nato r, 30-8 in., Mk. II, and an explode r, H.E .,
bomb, No. 19, Mk. I II . Wooden pack ing pieces are insert ed between the c ompo nents a nd the plugs
in the cen tral tube .
Bombs supplied explodered to Scheme B, fig. 5
119. Bombs explodere d to Scheme B are similar to those explod ered to Scheme A, except
th at a holder, det ona tor, adju stab le, No. 2, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12G/362) is supplied in place of the
30-8 in. Mk. II det ona tor holder.

COACH BOLT

NAIL----

WASHER

BODY

Fig. 4.—Base, tran sit, aircra ft bomb, No. 1, Mk. I


Bombs supplied explodered to Scheme C, fig. 5
120. Bombs explod ered to Scheme C are sealed in the same man ner as bombs supplied
unexpl odered . They are plugged at the nose end with a plug, No. 7A, Mk. II, or a plug, No. 21,
Mk. I, and at the tai l end with a plug, No. 7A, Mk. II, or a plug, No. 22, Mk. I. An ad ap te r
cen tra l tub e, air cra ft bomb, Mk. I, is supplied in place in the nose end of the cen tral tube , and a
holde r, deto nato r, adju stab le. No. 5, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12G/365) in positi on in the tai l end of the
cen tral tube . Also located in the cen tra l tube , between two millboar d washers, are two exploders,
H.E ., bomb, 3-7 in., No. 22, Mk. and one exploder, H.E ., bomb, 5-6 in., No. 20, Mk. I. When
the bomb is plugged at the nose and tai l ends with No. 7A, Mk. II plugs, wooden pack ing pieces
are inser ted at the ends of the cen tral tub e between the plugs and the comp onent s to pre ven t
move ment of th e compo nents. When No. 21, Mk. I, and No. 22, Mk. I, plugs are used, the p ackin g
pieces are omitt ed.
43

Tail
121. The tail is similar to the tail used on the 120 lb. Mk. I bomb, see para. 14 differing
main ly in weight and dimensions, and in havi ng four vane supp orts inste ad of three.

Identificati on colouring and markings


Colouring
122. The exte rior of th e bomb body and tail is pain ted yellow, with the exception of a | in.
red ban d 1 in. from the face of the nose bush, and a 1 in. green band 17 in. from the face of th e
nose bush.
123. When the bomb is supplie d exploder ed to Scheme A, B, or C, a 1 in. green bar is pai nted
on the bomb body beh ind the red b and. Ano ther green bar is pain ted on the tail cone and exten ded
on to the bomb body. Bot h bars are in line with the suspension lug.

Markin gs on the bomb body


124. On the same side as the suspension lug, between the red and green bands, is stencilled
the following infor matio n :—
(i) G.P., 500 lb., I.
(ii) The monogr am of the filling sta tio n, or the filling co ntr act or’s initials or recognized trad e
mark.
(iii) The dat e of filling, m ont h and year.
(iv) The lot numb er of the filled bomb.
Between the suspension lug and the tail end of th e bomb body is stencille d the design numb er of th e
meth od of filling.
125. When the bomb is filled with T.N .T. , t he lett ers T.N.T . are stencilled , in black, in thre e
places equi-spac ed round the green band.
126. Towards the rear of t he bomb body, in line with the suspensio n lug, is stencilled the serial
num ber of the emp ty bomb.
127. When the bomb is supplied exploder ed to Scheme A, B, o r C, the le tter s EX PD ., followed
by the app rop riat e lett er A, B, or C, are stencille d on the bomb body in fro nt of th e rea r green bar.
128. Stam ped on the bomb body, between the face of the nose bush and the suspens ion lug,
are the body ma nuf act ure r’s marki ngs as follows:—
(i) I, G.P., 500 lb.
(ii) The ma nuf act ure r’s initia ls or recognized tra de mark .
(iii) The dat e of man ufac ture.
The serial numb er of the em pty bomb is stam ped towa rds the rear of the bomb body in line with
the suspensio n lug.

Markin gs on the tail


129. The serial num ber of the em pty bomb is stencill ed and stam ped on the rea r end of the
tai l cone in line with the seria l nu mbe r on the bom b bo dy, and also on t he collar for the va ne supp orts
in line with the marki ngs on the rear of the tail cone. The same serial num ber is also stam ped
towa rds the fron t end of the tai l cone in line with the oth er marki ngs on the tail cone.
Function ing
130. When the bomb is released from the bomb carrier , the fuze-s etting cont rol link removes
th e safe ty clip from the nose pistol. The armi ng vanes gf both pistol s unscrew due to the a ction of
th e air pressure on the m and release the str ikers. On im pact of t he bomb with the ta rge t, the str ikers
are forced agai nst the ir respecti ve deto nato rs, firing the deto nato rs, which in tur n fire th e exploders,
causin g deto nati on of the main filling in the bomb.

INSTR UCTI ONS FOR USE


Fuzin g the bomb when supplied unexplodered
131. Unscrew a nd remove t he nose an d tail plugs, and remove the det ona tor holder. Exam ine
th e cen tral tub e of the bomb and ensure th at it is clean; if necessary, -wipe it out with a soft dry
rag. A meta l scrape r mu st not be used for cleaning the centr al tube.
44

A. P. 16 61 B, Vol. I, Sect. 1, Chap. 4


P L U G .N o 7 A .M K l - PL U G . No. 13, M K .I ■

| PA CK ING PI EC E -
—PACKING PIECE

-ADJUSTA BLE DETONATOR -ADJU STAB LE DETONATOR


HOLDER. No 5. MK I HO LD ER .N o. 2 , MK .I

DETONATO R HOL DER .


3 0 -8 in., MK 1 ----- ;-----

-EXPL ODER , N o. l9 .M K .M -

- M IL LB O AR D washer

-EXPLODER 3-7 in., No. 22


mk 'i

EXPLODER. 5 -6IN.,No. 20 , EX PLO DE R. No. 16. M K. I -


MK .I

------ EXPLODER. 3 ’7 in., N o.2 2.


M K. I

r MILL BOA RD WASHER


-ADAP TER,C ENTRA L TUBE,
^AIRC RAFT BOMB.
MK .I

- PA CK ING PIEC PA CKI NG PIECE -*

- PLUG, No. 7A.MK K P L U G .N o .7 A .M K .i r-

SCHEME C SCHEME B SCHEME A


F i g . 5 .— B o m b , H . E . , a i r c r a f t , G .P . , 5 0 0 lb . , M k . I , I I , o r I I I , e x p lo d e r e d to Schem es A , B , a n d C
45

132. Lay out the compo nents on a clean bench in the orde r in which the y are to be inse rted
in the cen tral tube . Screw th e de ton ato r holder int o an exploder, H.E ., bomb, No. 19, Mk. Il l,
and in ser t t he a ppr opr iate det ona tor for tai l fuzing into t he det ona tor hold er. In se rt t he a ppro pria te
det ona tor for the nose into an exploder, H.E ., bomb, No. 16, Mk. I. Screw a No. 19, Mk. I or II
pistol into the No. 16 exploder, and a No. 22, Mk. I or II pistol int o the de ton ato r holder. The
tra ns it sprin g of th e t ail pisto l is to be removed and the ar min g va ne screwed down t o its free posi tion
agai nst the body of the pist ol before the pisto l is assembled to the compon ents.
133. Measure the leng th of th e cen tral tub e availa ble for the compo nents, using a suitab le
non-ferrous met al gauge. Measure the leng th of t he compo nents, assembled in the ir corre ct order,
and compar e th is leng th w ith t he len gth a vailab le in the ce ntra l tub e. If t he leng th of th e compon ents
is less tha n the availa ble leng th of the cen tra l tub e, felt adj ust ing washers, man ufa ctur ed locally,
should be a dded betwee n t he exp loders to make up t he deficiency, i t being note d t ha t felt compresses
to abo ut one-fifth of its origin al thick ness. If the leng th of the compo nents is gre ater th an the
availab le leng th of cen tral tub e a fresh set of com pone nts should be assembled and measur ed. If
the lengt h is st ill too great , the bomb is t o be s et aside for A.I.D. inspectio n.
134. Ins ert the comp onent s in the cen tral tube. To do this , first inse rt any a dju stin g washers
found necessa ry a nd the n in ser t t he tw o pi stol assemblies, screwing the nose pisto l in to i ts full d epth
of thr ead , and the tai l pistol in as far as it will go: at least four full th re ad s of the tai l pistol are
to be engaged. Lock the pistols in positi on with the ir respec tive securing screws.
Fuzi ng the bomb when supplied explodered to Scheme A
135. Unscrew and remove the nose and tai l plugs, and remove the packi ng pieces.
136. Pa rti all y with draw the de ton ato r holder from the tail end of t he cen tral tube , and inse rt
the de ton ator . Remove the tr an sit spri ng of t he ta il pistol, No. 22, Mk. I o r I I, and screw th e a rming
vane down 't o its free posit ion aga inst the pistol body. Screw the ta il pisto l into the det ona tor
holder, and screw the assembled comp onent s into the cen tral tub e as far as the y will go.
137. Pa rtia lly with draw the explod er from the nose end of the cen tral tub e and inse rt the
app rop riat e det ona tor. Screw the nose pistol, No. 19, Mk. I or II, into the explode r and screw the
assembled comp onen ts in to t he cent ral tub e: the pi stol mus t be screwed in to it s full dep th of thre ad.
Lock the nose and ta il pistols in posit ion with the ir respec tive secur ing screws.
Note.— No adj ust me nt is to be made to the lengt h of the det onato r holder.
Fuzin g the bomb whe n supplied explodered to Scheme B
138. Unscrew an d remove the nose and tai l plugs, and remove the wooden packi ng pieces
from the cen tra l tube.
139. Ins ert the app rop riat e det ona tor into the det ona tor holder in the tail end of th e cent ral
tub e. Remove th e tra ns it sprin g from the No. 22, Mk. I or II tai l pistol a nd screw t he armi ng vane
down to its free p ositio n aga inst t he p istol b ody. Screw th e pistol into t he bomb as far as it will go
and lock it in positio n with the securin g screw.
140. Pa rtia lly with draw the explode r from the nose end of the cen tral tube, and inse rt the
app rop riat e deto nato r. Screw the No. 19, Mk. I or II pistol into the exploder, and screw the
assembled comp onen ts into the bomb. Lock the pisto l in positi on with the securing screw.
Fuzing the bomb when supplied explodered to Scheme C
141. The comp onen ts s upplied in the cen tral tu be are not to be w ithdr awn . To fuze the bomb,
unscrew and remove the nose and tail plugs, and remove the pack ing pieces, if fitted.
142. Gauge the de ton ato r cav ity in the nose end of the cen tral tube , using gauge, cavit y,
det ona tor, No. 7, Mk. I, as described in Sect. 19, Chap. 2. If t he bomb fails to pass this tes t, it is
to be set aside for A.I.D. inspect ion, or used fuzed at the tai l only, see p ara . 144 a nd 145, in which
insta nce the nose plug, and pack ing piece if fitted , is to be .replaced.
143. Ins ert t he app rop riat e deto nato r, and screw in the No. 19, Mk. I or II nose pistol. Lock
the pistol in positi on with the securing screw.,
144. Gauge the det ona tor cav ity in the tail end of the cen tral tube, using gauge, cavity ,
det ona tor, No. 1, Mk. I, as described in Sect. 19, Chap. 2. If the bomb fails to pass thi s tes t, it
is to be unfuzed at the nose and set aside for A.I.D. inspect ion, or used fuzed at the nose only, in
which insta nce the tai l plug is to be replaced , toge ther with the wooden pack ing piece, if a ny.
145. Ins ert the app rop riat e det ona tor, remove the tra ns it sprin g from the No. 22, Mk. I or II
tai l pisto l and screw the arm ing vane down to its free positi on agai nst the pistol body. Screw the
pistol into the bomb as far as it will go, and lock it in posit ion with the securin g screw.
46

A. P. 16 61 B, Vol. I , Se el. 1, Chap. 4

Loading the bomb on to the aircraft bomb carrier


146. Load the bomb on to th e bomb carri er as described in the rele van t ch ap ter of A .P .(664,
Vol. I. When the bomb is finally in positi on on the carrie r, conne ct the fuze- setting con trol link
to th e safe ty clip of t he nose pistol. Imm edia tely before th e air cra ft is rea dy to tak e off, remove the
safe ty pins from the nose and tai l pistols and han d them to the pilot or bomb aimer.

Unloading the bomb from the aircraft bomb carrier


147. Ins ert t he s afety pi ns into t he nose and tai l pistols and discon nect the fuze- settin g co ntrol
link from the nose pistol. Unload the bomb from the carr ier as described in the rele van t ch apt er
of A.P.1664, Vol. I.

Unfuzi ng a bomb supplied unexplodered


148. Unscrew the screws securi ng the nose and tail pistols, and remove the pistols. Screw
the armi ng vane of t he tail pistol back on to the screw thr ead s of the stri ker and inse rt the tra nsi t
spring.

149. Remove the comp onen ts from the pistols and any adj usti ng washers from the cen tral
tube . Ex tra ct th e det ona tors from the explod er and from the de ton ato r holder, and pac k the
comp onen ts in the ir respe ctive package s. Replace the det onato r holder and nose and tai l plugs
in the ir respec tive positio ns in the cen tral tube. The thr ead s of the plugs are to be covered with
luting , thin , Mk. V.

Unfuzi ug a bomb explodered to Scheme A


150. Remove the nose and tai l pistols. Screw the armi ng vane of the tail pisto l back on to
the screw -threa ds of the stri ker and inse rt the tra ns it spring.

151. Remove the comp onen ts from the pistols and ex tra ct the deto nato rs. Replace the
de ton ato r hold er an d th e exploders in th e c ent ral tube . Ins ert the wooden p ackin g pieces an d repl ace
the nose and tai l plugs. The thr ead s of the plugs are to be coate d with thi n luting.

Unfuzi ug a bomb explodered to Scheme B


152. Remove the nose and tail pistols and screw the arm ing vane of the tai l pistol back on
to the screw -threa ds of the stri ker and inse rt the tra ns it spring.

153. Remove the comp onent s from the nose pistol and ex tra ct the deto nato rs. Replace the
explode rs in the cen tra l tube . Ins ert the packi ng pieces, if necessary, and replace the plugs.' The
thr ead s of the plugs are to be coate d with thi n luting.

Unfuzi ng a bomb explodered to Scheme C


154. Remove the nose and tai l pistols, screw t he armi ng vane of the tail pistol back on to the
screw -threa ds of the stri ker and inse rt the tra ns it spring. Remove the deto nato rs using extr acto r,
det ona tor, No. 1, Mk. I. Replace the nose and tai l plugs in the cen tral tube , tog eth er with the
wooden pack ing pieces if necessary . The thr ead s of th e plugs are to be coated with t hin luting.

SUP PLY AND STORAG E


Supply
155. The bomb, H.E ., airc raft , G.P., 500 lb., Mk. I, is supplied, with its tail , in Box, B.222,
Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/188). Boxes cont aini ng bombs explod ered to Scheme A, B, or C will be
mark ed with a lo ngitu dina l green strip , pai nte d on one side, between the bat ten s, and with EXP D.A,
B, or C, stencille d below the str ip and on each end of the box.

Storage
156. The box ed bom bs, su pplied une xploder ed or explod ered t o Scheme A, B, o r C, are classified,
for the purpose of storage, in Group VII .
47

BOMB, H.E., AIRCRAFT, G.P., 500 lb., Mk. II


Leading partic ulars
157. St or es Re f. (u ne xp lo de re d) ... . .. ... 12A/ 265
St or es Re f. (e xp lo de red to Sc he me A) ... 12A/2 65A
St or es Re f. (ex pl od ere d to Sc he me B) ... 12A /26 5B •
St or es Re f. (ex pl od ere d t o Sc he me C) ... 12A/2 65C
Th e ot he r lea di ng p ar ti cu la rs are as for th e Mk. I bo m b, see pa ra. 114.

G E N E R A L D E S C R IP T IO N
15S. Th e Mk. II bo m b is si m ila r to th e Mk. I bo m b, di ffe rin g on ly in th e tv p e of su sp en sio n
Jug. Th e m ar k nu m be r I I is su b st it u te d for th e m ar k nu m be r I as ne ce ss ary .

IN ST R U C TI O N S FO R US E
159. Th e in st ru ct io n s (or use of th e Mk. I bo m b, see p ar a. 131 to 154, ap pl y als o to th e
Mk. Il bo m b. •
S U P P L Y AN D ST OR A GE
Supply
160. Th e bo mb , H .E ., ai rc ra ft . G. P. , 500 lb., Mk. II , is su pp lie d, wi th its tai l, in Bo x, B.2 20 ,
Mk. 1 (S tor es Re f. I2A /25 2). Th e bo x is m ar ke d as de sc rib ed in pa ra . 155.

Storage
161. Th e bo xe d bo mb s, su pp lie d un ex pl od er ed or ex pl od er ed to Sc he me A, B, or C, ar e
cla ssi fie d, fo r th e pu rp os e of st or ag e, in G ro up V II .

BOMB, H.E., AIRCRAFT, G.P., 500 lb., Mk. m


Leading particu lars
162. St or es Re f. (u ne xp lo de re d) ... . .. ... 12A/ 266
St or es Re f. (ex pl od ere d to Sc he me A) ... 12A/2 66A
St or es Re f. (e xp lo de re d to Sc he me B) ... 12A /266 B
St or es Re f. (e xp lo de re d to Sc he me C) ... 12A /266 C
T he o th er le ad in g p ar ti cu la rs ar e as fo r th e Mk I bo mb , see p ar a. 114.

G E N E R A L D E S C R IP T IO N
163. Th e Mk. I l l bo m b is si m ila r to th e Mk. I I bo m b, di ffe rin g in m in or dim en sio ns to en su re
in te rc ha ng ea bi li ty of ta il un its . Th e bo m b is fi tt ed w it h ta il , bo m b, H .E ., ai rc ra ft , G .P ., 500 lb. ,
No . 1, Mk. I (St ore s Re f. 12A /282 ), wh ich m ay be su pp lie d w it h th e bo m b, or pa ck ed se p ar at el y in a
cr at e, in wh ich in st an ce th e bo m b is su pp lie d un bo xe d an d fi tt ed w ith a ba se, tr a n si t, a ir cr af t bo m b,
No. 2, Mk. I (S tor es Re f. 12A/ 273) . Th e ta il co ne as se m bl y is su pp lie d in po si tio n on th e bo m b.

Transi t base
164. Th e tr a n s it ba se is si m il ar to th e No . 1, Mk. I tr a n s it ba se , see pa ra . 103, dif fer ing m ai nl y
in w eig ht an d di m en si on s. E ig h t co ac h bo lt s ar e use d to se cu re th e la m in at io ns in st ea d of six .

Identifica tion colouring and marki ngs


Col our ing
165. Th e co lo ur in g of th e Mk . I l l bo m b is id en tic al wi th th a t of th e Mk. I bo m b, see p ar a.
122 an d 123.

M ar ki ng s on the bomb body


166. B et w ee n th e gr ee n b an d an d th e su sp en sio n lug is st en ci lle d G. P. , 500 lb., II I . B etw ee n
th e su sp en sio n lug an d th e ta il en d of th e bo m b bo dy is st en ci lle d th e fol low ing in fo rm a ti o n :—
(i) T he m on og ra m of th e fill ing st a ti o n , or th e fill ing c o n tr a c to r’s in it ia ls or re co gn ize d tr a d e
m ar k.
(ii) T he d a te of fill ing , m o n th a n d ye ar .
(iii) Th e lo t n um be r of th e fille d bo m b. "■
On th e re ve rs e sid e is ste nc ill ed th e de sig n n um be r of th e m et ho d of fillin g.
48

A.P.16C>1 B, Vol. I, Sect. 1, Cha p. 7

167. All o th er m ar ki ng s on th e bo m b bo dy ar e as s ta te d fo r th e Mk. I bo m b, see pa ra . 125


to 128, th e m ar k nu m be r I I I be in g su b st it u te d for th e m ar k n um be r I as ne ce ss ar y.

M ar kin gs on the tail


168. In ad d it io n to th e m ar ki ng s de sc rib ed in p ar a. 129, th e fo llo wi ng in fo rm at io n is st en ci lle d
on e va ne s u p p o r t:— ,
i) No. 1, I.
(») G .P ., 500 lb., 111.
169 St am pe d on an o th e r va ne su pp o rt is th e fol low ing in fo rm at io n
(i) No. 1. I.
(n) G .P ., 500 lb.
(iii) Th e m a n u fa c tu re r’s in iti al s or rec og niz ed tr ad e m ar k.
(iv) Th e d a te of m an uf ac tu re .

M ar ki ng s on the tra ns it base


170. Th e fo l ow ing p ar ti cu la rs ar c br an de d on on e fac e of th e tr a n si t ba se :
(i) 2 ,1 .
(ii) Th e m a n u fa c tu re r’s in it ia ls or rec og niz ed tr a d e m ar k.
(iii) Th e ye ar of m an uf ac tu re .

IN ST R U C T IO N S FO R US E
171. T he in st ru ct io n s fo r use of th e Mk. I bo m b, see p ar a. 131 to 154, ap p ly als o to th e Mk.
I l l bo m b. Bo m bs su pp lie d fi tt ed w it h tr a n s it ba se s ar e to be pr ep ar ed fo r fu zi ng by un sc re w in g
th e ta il so ck et an d re m ov in g th e tr a n si t ba se , fi tt in g th e ta il to th e bo m b an d se cu rin g th e ta il w ith
th e ta il so ck et . Th e bo m b is th e n to be fu ze d in th e sa m e w ay as th e Mk. I bo m b.
172. A fte r un fu zi ng a bo m b su pp lie d w ith a tr a n s it ba se , th e ta il is to be re m ov ed . Be for e
re pl ac in g th e tr a n si t ba se , th e e x te rn al th re ad s an d th e ex po se d p o rt io n of th e ce n tr al tu be , th e o u te r
su rf ac e of th e co ne s oc ke t an d th e i n ne r su rf ac e of th e s te el w as he r in th e tr a n si t ba se ar e to be lig ht ly
co at ed w ith jel ly, m in er al (S to res Re f. 12 F/6 ). A fte r as se m bl y of th e tr a n si t ba se, th e he ad s of
th e ta il pl ug an d se cu ri ng scr ew , an d th e ex te ri or of th e ta il so ck et , ar e to be si m ila rl y tr e a te d .

S U P P L Y AN D ST OR A GE
Supply
173. Th e bo m b, H .E ., ai rc ra ft , G .P ., 500 lb. , Mk. I l l (S tor es Re f. 12A/2 66) m ay be su pp lie d,
w it h it s ta il , in Bo x, B.2 22, Mk. I (S to re s Re f. 12A /188 ). Bo m b bo di es su pp lie d se pa ra te ly will be
fi tte d w it h ba se , tr a n si t, a ir c ra ft b om b, No. 2, Mk. I, an d wi ll be a cc ou nt ed for a s St or es Re f. 12A /281.
Ta ils su pp lie d in cr at es will be ac co un te d for as St or es Re f. 12A /282 , an d tw o ta il s wi ll be su pp lie d
in a cr at e.

Stora ge
174. Bo mb s, un ex pl od er cd o r ex pl od er ed to Sc he me A , B, or C, bo xe d or un bo xe d, ar e cla ssi fie d,
for th e pu rp os e of st or ag e, in G ro up V II . Ta ils , in cr at es , m ay be st or ed in th e sa m e ex plo siv es
st or eh ou se as th e filled bo m bs , b u t th e y m u st be st ac ke d wel l cl ea r of fille d sto re s.
49

T hi s le af iss ue d wit h A .L . No . 141 A.P .16 61B , Vol. I, Sect. 1


Nov embe r, 1947
A IR M IN IS T R Y

CHAPT ER 5
RESTRICTED

BOMBS, H. E. , AIRCR AFT, G.P. , 250 lb., Mk. IV, and 500 lb., Mk. IV

CONTENTS Para.
Int rod uct ion 1
Bomb, H.E ., airc raft , G.P.- 250 lb., Mk. IV
Lead ing par ticu lars
Body, bomb , H.E ., airc raft , G.P., 250 lb., Mk. IV 2
Tails, bomb, H.E ., airc raft , G.P., 250 lb., No. 2, Mk. I, II, and II I 3 I
General desc riptio n
Bomb bod y ... 4
Tails ... 8
Tra nsi t bases .. .' 13
Tra nsi t base, No. 5, Mk. I ... ... 14
this cha pte r, and mak e an en try in the Am end men t Reco rd Shee t a t
Remove and dispose of th e exist ing Cha pte r 5. substitute

Tr an sit base, No. 8, Mk. I ...


Tra nsi t plug
Filling 18
Ide ntifi cati on colouri ng and mark ings
Colouring 20
Marking s on th e bomb body 21
This is A.L. No. 141 to A.P.1 661B, Vol. I

Marking s on the tail s 24


Marking s on th e tra ns it bases 25
Marking s on th e tra ns it plug 27
Fuzi ng the bomb and assemb ling the tai l ... 28
Nose fuzing ... 29
Tail fuzing 31
Assembl ing the ta il .. . ... ... ... ... ... - ... 35
Load ing the bomb on to the air cra ft bomb carr ier 39
Fun ction ing 40
Unlo ading an une xpen ded bom b from th e airc raf t bomb carr ier 42
Unfuz ing the bomb 45
Supp ly ... " . . . 48
Stora ge 50
the begin ning of th e Volume.

Bomb, H.E ., airc raft , G.P., 500 lb., Mk. IV


Lead ing par ticu lars
Body, bomb, H.E ., airc raft , G.P., 500 lb., Mk. IV 51
Tail, bomb , H.E ., airc raft , G.P., 500 lb., No. 2, Mk. I ... 52
Tails, bomb, H.E ., airc raft , G.P., 500 lb.. No. 26, Mk. I, II, a nd II I 53
Tail, bomb, H.E ., airc raft , G .P., 500 lb., No. 77, Mk. I 54 I
Genera l descri ption
Bomb body ... 55
Tail, bomb, H.E ., airc raft , G.P., 500 lb., No. 2, Mk. I ... 56
Tail, bomb. H.E ., airc raft, G.P., 500 lb., No. 26, Mk. I 57
Section 1.

Tail, bomb, H.E ., airc raft , G.P., 500 lb., No. 2, Mk. II 58
Tail, bomb, H.E ., airc raft , G.P., hOO lb., No. 2, Mk. I l l 59
Tail, bomb, H.E ., airc raft , G.P., 500 lb., No. 77, Mk. I 60
Tr an sit bases 62
Tra nsi t base, No. 6, Mk. I ... ... ... ... 63
Tr an sit base, No. 7, Mk. I ... 64
Tra nsi t plug 65
Filling 66
Iden tific atio n colourin g and mar kin gs.. . 67
Fuzi ng the bom b and assemb ling the tai l ... 68
Loadi ng the bomb on to the airc raf t bomb c arr ier ... 69
Fun ction ing 70
Unload ing an une xpen ded bomb from th e air cra ft tJomb carr ier 71
Unfuzin g th e bomb 72
Suppl y 73
Stora ge 77

?i g _ LIS T OF ILLUS TRATI ONS


1. Bomb, H.E ., a ircr aft, G.P ., 500 lb., Mk. IV, with t ra ns it plug . No. 24, Mk. I, a nd t ra ns it base , No. 7, Mk. I
2. Bomb, H.E ., airc raft , G .P., 500 lb., Mk. IV, wit h nose pistol, and tail, No. 2, Mk. II
3. Base, tra nsi t, airc raf t bomb, No. 6, Mk. I
4. Base, tra nsi t, airc raf t bomb, No. 8, Mk. I
5. Tail, bomb, H.E ., airc raft , G.P., 500 lb., No. 26, Mk. II |
A (AL14 1)
50

TR AN SIT PL UG No. 2 4. Mk . I

EXP LOD ER CO NT AIN ER


CO M PO SI TI O N PAD
G LA ZE D BO A RD WASH ER
WAXED FELT WAS HER

4 OZ . 6 DR. C.E. EX PL OD ER

PAP ER TU BE

5^ OZ . T. N. T. EX PL OD ER

FEL T DISK

M AI N RIL LIN G

BODY

SU SP EN SIO N LUG

FELT DISK

S '- i OZ . T. N. T. EX PL OD ER

PA PE R TUBE

4 O Z . 6 DR. C .E . EX PL OD ER

WA XED FEL T WASH ER


C O M PO SI TI O N PAD
GL AZ ED BO AR D WASH ERS
FIL LI NG PLUG
EX PL OD ER . CON TAINE R.
No. 2 8 PIS TO L

TR AN SIT BASE No. 7 Mk. I

Fig. 1.—Bom b, H.E ., airc raf t, G.P., 500 lb. , Mk. IV, with t ra ns it plug, No. 24, Mk. I, and tra ns it base,
No. 7, Mk. I
51

Th is lea f issu ed with A .L . No. 141 A.P .16 61 B, Vol. I, Sect. 1


Novemb er, 1947

CHAPTER 5

BOMBS, H.E ., AIRCRAFT, G.P., 250 lb., Mk. IV, and 500 lb., Mk. TV
Introduction
1. The 250 lb. and 500 lb. Mk. IV G.P. bombs may be fuzed bot h nose and tail , if require d,
an d are used for gener al bo mb ard me nt purposes.

' BOMB, H.E ., AIRC RAF T, G.P., 250 lb., Mk. IV


Leading particulars
Body, bomb, H .E ., aircra ft, G.P. , 250 lb., M k. I V
2. Stores Ref. .......................................... ... 12A/287
Leng th, with tai l ... ... ... ... 4 ft. 8 in.
; Maxim um dia me ter ... ... ... ... 10-2 in.
Weig ht of body ... ... ... ... 151 lb., appro x.
Weig ht and na tur e of fill ing ... ... ... 67-75 lb. T.N.T ., or
63-6 lb. am atol 80/20
Term inal veloc ity ... ... ... 1,440 ft. per sec.

Ta ils , bomb, H .E ., aircra ft, G.P ., 250 lb., No. 2, M k. I, I I , an d I I I


3. Stores Ref., Mk. I ...................................... 12A/288
Store s Ref., Mk. II ...................................... 12A/902
Stores Ref., Mk. I l l ...................................... 12A/1654
Len gth, Mk. I, II , an d II I .......................... 2 ft. 3-7 in.

General description, fig. 1 and 2


Bomb body
4. The bomb body is a hollow steel casting , open at each end. The nose end of’th e body is
thr ead ed inte rna lly and is recessed to house an explod er con taine r, which is locked in posit ion by
a locking screw.
5. The tai l end of th e body is th rea ded int ern ally t o acco mmo date a filling plug. The ta il end
ext ern ally is shape d to ta ke the tai l cone , and is pro vide d with f our equa lly spaced slots which locate
the s pring clips on th e tai l when it is a ssembled to the bom b body. A l ocat ing pin is also provi ded
on th e coned por tion , at 45 deg. to the cent re line of the suspen sion lug, to locate th e tai l when it
is ass embled to th e bomb body. The suspensio n lug, for att ac hin g the b omb t o the b omb carri er, is
secure d by four cou nter sun k screws to the bom b body.
6. The filling plu g, which is in t he sh ape of a disk , is th rea ded ext ern ally f or screwing int o the
bomb body, and seat s on an int ern al flange formed at th e bot tom of the screw -thre ad in the tail
end of the body. It is thr ead ed inte rna lly and recessed to house an explod er cont ainer , which is
locked to it by a locking screw. I t is provi ded wit h two holes on its out er face which are thre ade d
to receive the securin g bolts of th e tra ns it base, and two plain holes to receive th e key used when
screwing the filling plug int o th e bomb bod y aft er the bomb has been filled.
7. Eac h explod er con tain er is in t he f orm of a t ube closed at one end, and h as a h ead which is
thr ead ed inte rna lly for pa rt of its leng th to tak e th e thr ead ed port ion of th e nose o r t ail pis tol or t he
tra ns it plug. It is thr ead ed ext ern ally for screwing into th e bomb body or th e filling p lug. Fou r
plain holes are prov ided on the ou ter face to tak e th e key used for screwing th e explod er cont aine r
into th e bomb body or filling plug. The lug on tire locking ring of th e pisto l is loca ted in one of
thes e holes when the pisto l is in positio n in the bomb. A thr ead ed hole is also provi ded on the
out er face to accom moda te the locking screw which locks the explo der con tain er in position .
Ta ils
8. The tails, bomb, H.E ., airc raft, G.P. , 250 lb., No. 2, Mk. I, II, and II I are of shee t meta l, |
an d are att ach ed to the bomb body b y four spring clips.
9. The No. 2, Mk. I t ai l c onsists of a t ail cone w ith a cy lindr ical tai l v ane att ach ed to it by four |
va ne supp orts . The four spring clips are fitte d to th e base of the cone, which is slot ted to engage
with the lo catin g p in i n t he bo mb body.
52

A t the apex of th e tai l cone is fitt ed a


bush, which locates one end of an ar min g
spindle, which is supp orte d at the
oppos ite end by a diap hrag m nea r the
base of the tai l cone.
10. The inne r end of the armin g
spindle ha s a ttac hed t o it an armin g fork ,
which engages with th e ar ming fork of the
No. 28 or oth er tail pist ol in the bomb.
The oute r end of the armin g spindl e has
atta che d to it an armin g vane, which is
secured to the spindle by a nu t and tab
washer. A sa fety clip, havi ng an armi ng ARM ING VANE
vane stop, is assemble d over the bush SAFETY C LP
at the apex of th e tail , and pre ven ts the
armi ng mecha nism from rot ati ng durin g
tra ns it or w hen t he bomb is dr oppe d safe.
11. The No. 2, Mk. II t ai l is sim ilar
to the No. 2, Mk. I tail, exce pt th at
each spring clip is fitte d wi th a locking
clip wh ich sw ivels a bou t a riv et and locks
the spring clip in posi tion when th e tai l
is assembl ed to the bomb.
Note.—Earl y issues of t he No. 2, Mk. ARMING SPINDLE
II t ails a re prov ided w ith two swivel
locking clips only. The No. 2, Mk. I
tail is prov ided wit hou t the swivel PISTOL No. 2 S
locking clips fi tte d; Clips, locking
LOCK ING C LP
(Stores Ref. 12A/842) a sprin g-on
typ e, for use with these tails, are SPRING C L P
issued sep arate ly.
12. The No. 2, Mk. I l l tai l is
simila r to the No. 2, Mk. II tail, exc ept
th at it is fitt ed for ho rizo ntal fuzing. The fn o o s 'c ra — MARKINGS
safe ty clip is removed, and over the bush
of the tai l cone is fitt ed an arm ing wire sti ot/z. va
guide hav ing two tub ula r channel s. The .use
arm ing vane has a small hole drill ed
thro ugh each blade. A saf ety wire,
passing thro ugh the app rop riat e chan nel
and armi ng vane blad e is secu red by t wo
safe ty clips, and prev ents rot ati on of the
armi ng me chanis m ex cep t when t he bomb
is released "li ve ” .
Note.— The No. 2, Mk. I and II tail s
are of the saf ety clip typ e, and as
such are no t to be assembl ed to the
bomb if ho rizo ntal fuzing is r equir ed.
If only the Mk. I or II tai l un it is
availa ble, and hori zont al fuzing is
required , it ma y be co nver ted for use
as describ ed in Sect. 10, Chap. 1,
App. 5, of thi s volume.
PAINTED LIGH T GREEN
Transit bases
13. Two typ es of tra ns it base may
be fitt ed to the 250 lb., Mk. IV, G P.
bomb body, namel y, base, tra nsi t, air ­
cra ft bomb, No. 5, Mk. I (Stores Ref.
12A/293), or base, tra nsi t, airc raft bomb,
No. 8, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/296)'. PAINTED RED
Tra nsit base, No. 5, M k. I
14. The No. 5, Mk. I tra ns it base is PISTOL Not 2.7.
a wooden cylind er resembl ing the No. 6 Pig. 2.—Bomb, H.E., aircraft, G.P., 500 lb., Mk. IV,
tra ns it base, see fig. 3. It is bored with nose pistol, and tail, No. 2, Mk. II
53

Th is lea f iss ued with A .L. No. 141 A. P. 16 61 B, Vol. I, Sect. 1, Chap. 5
Novemb er, 1947

SECTION ON A.A.
Fig . 3.— Ba se, tra nsit , aircr aft bom b, No. 6, Mk. I
54

Fig. 4. —B ase, tran sit, aircr aft bomb, (No. 8, Mk. I


55

This l eaf issued with A. L. No. 141 A.P .166 1B, Vol. I, Sect. 1, Chap. 5
November, 1947
cen trall y and coun terbo red to fit over the tai l end of the bomb body. ' The tra ns it base is made up
of thre e lami natio ns glued toget her, and secured by six equall y spaced coach bolt s; a met al band,
for stre ngth enin g purposes , is secure d to the circumferen ce by thre e screws. A rect ang ula r steel
pla te is secured by four screws over the end of the bore of the tra ns it base.
15. The tra nsi t base is p rovid ed with two wing bolts, retai ned in positi on by a spli t pin
passing thro ugh the sha nk of eac h bolt, for screwing into the holes in the filling plug in the bomb
body. The head of each bol t is accom moda ted in a recess cut in the tra ns it base, and seats on
to a washer secured in posit ion by thre e equal ly spaced screws.
Trans it base, No. 8, Mk. I, fig. 4
16. The No. 8, Mk. I tra ns it base consists of two metal pressings secured toge ther by
eith er riveti ng, rive ting and sweating , or rive ting and crampi ng. The inne r pressin g is sh aped to
fit over the tail, .end of the b omb body. The No. 8 t ra ns it base is sec ured to the filling plug i n the
bo mb 'bo dy in a simila r man ner to the No. 5 tra ns it base.
Transit plug
17. The plug, tra nsi t, No. 24, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/643) is in the form of a n eye-bol t, the
shan k being thr ead ed for screwing into the nose e xplod er cont aine r. It is pr ovid ed with a st eel ta b
washer a nd a leat her washer. The flange h as two flats for the key used when inse rting o r remov ing
the plug.
Note.— The No. 24, Mk. I tra ns it plug is supers eded by the plug, tra ns it, No. 24,
Mk. II which is dome-sh aped, and has 'a thre ade d port ion provid ed with a fibre inse rt
for locking the plug in the bomb.
Filling
18. The bomb, H.E ., airc raft , G.P., 250 lb., Mk. IV, is filled wit h eith er T.N.T . or am ato l
80/20. The filling is sealed at the nose end with a glaze dboar d wash er and a pad of appr oved
composit ion, and at th e t ail end of the bomb body by two glazed board wash ers a nd a p ad of appr oved
composition .
19. Loca ted at the end of each explo der con taine r, and housed in a pap er tube , is a 5 | oz.
T.N.T . explode r, hav ing a felt disk interp osed between it and the end of th e tub.e. Locat ed in each
explo der con taine r, by a waxed felt washer, is a 4 oz. 6 dr. C.E. explode r.
Identificati on colourin g and marking s
Coloimng
20. The bomb body is pai nte d dar k green, excep t for a J in. red ban d pai nte d round the body
1 in. from the nose, and a 1 in. ligh t green ban d 6 in. from the nose. On T.N. T. filled b ombs, the
initi als T.N. T. are stencil led in three, places round the green band . A whit e line, 1 in. by { i n., is
pain ted on the base of th e bod y and on the filling pl ug aft er the body h as been filled a nd the filling
plug screwed finally into position .
Mark ings on the bomb body
21. When the bomb is filled with T.N. T., behin d the suspensio n lug is stencille d, in black,
the following inf orm ati on :—
(1) G.P. 250 lb. IV
(2) The monog ram of th e filling st ati on, or the initia ls or recognized tra de mar k of the filling
con trac tor
(3) The dat e of filling (mon th and yeai^
(4) The lot num ber of the filling.
On the reverse side is stencill ed the design num ber of the meth od of filling.
22. When t he bomb is filled with am atol 80/20, at the rea r of the bomb in line wit h th e suspensi on
lug, is stencill ed in black, the following info rma tion ;—
(1) The mono gram of the filling st ati on, or the initia ls or recognized tra de mar k of t he filling
con trac tor
(2) The dat e of filling (mon th and year)
(3) The lot num ber of the filling
(4) G.P. 250 lb. IV.
56

On th e reverse side is stencilled the design num ber of the met hod of filling.
23. Toward s th e nose of t he bomb are st amp ed the bo dy ma nuf act ure r’s ma rking s a s follows:—■
(1) G.P. 250 lb.
(2) The ma nu fac tur er’s’ initia ls or recognized tra de mar k
(3) The dat e of man ufa ctur e (mont h and year).
Markin gs on the tails
24. One vane sup por t of the tai l is mark ed with the following:—
| (1) No. 2 I . (II or II I) G.P. 250 lb.
• (2) The ma nuf act ure r’s initia ls or recognized tra de mar k
(3) The dat e of man ufac ture (mon th and year).
When the bomb tai l is f or issue to the R.N., the following m arkin gs are stencilled on one oth er van e
sup po rt: —
■ (4) No. 2 I . (II or III )
(5) G.P. 250 lb. IV. . .
Markin gs on the transit bases
25. On one face of the No. 5 t ra ns it base is bran ded the following i nfo rma tion :—
(1) No. 5 I
(2) The ma nuf act ure r’s initia ls or recognized tra de ma rk
(3) The dat e of man ufac ture.
26. On the under side of the No. 8 tr an sit base is sta mp ed the following info rma tion :—
(1) The ma nuf act ure r's initi als or recognized tra de mar k
(2) 8 I .
On the same side of the tra ns it base is stencill ed the following:—
(3) No. 8, M ark I
(4) G.P. 250 lb.
Markin gs on the transit plug
27. The flange of the tra ns it plug is stam ped with the following inf orm ati on:—
(1) The ma nuf act ure r's initia ls or recognized tra de ma rk
(2) The dat e of ma nuf actu re (mon th and year)
(3) No. 24 I or No. 24 II, as app ropr iate.

Fuzin g the bomb and assembling the tail


£8. The bomb may be fuzed at the nose and tail , or at th e ta il only, in which inst anc e the
No. 24 tra ns it plug is left in position.
Nose fuzing
29. When the Mk. I tra ns it plug is used, unlock the ta b washer. Remove the tra ns it plug.
30. Ensu re th at the_ exploder is in th e corr ect position , and th at the det onato r cav ity is clear,
using gauge, cavi ty, det ona tor, No. 2, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/349). If this te st is passed, inse rt
the det ona tor in the det ona tor cavit y, and screw in the No. 27 or oth er nose pistol by han d unti l
it is well seate d on its washe r and locked in position.
Tai l fuzi ng
31. Remove the tra ns it base by unscrew ing the two wing bolts, and remove the No. 28 pi stol
by hand .
32. Ensu re th at the explod er is in the corre ct positi on and th at the det ona tor cav ity is c lear,
using the No. 2, Mk. I de ton ato r cav ity gauge. If thi s te st i^,passed, inse rt the requi red det ona tor.
33. Remove the press-c ap and safe ty pla te from the No. 28 o r oth er tai l pistol, and sc rew the
fork ligh tly aga inst the pisto l body.
34. Ins ert the pistol in the bomb, screwing it in by han d unt il it is well seat ed on its washe r
and locked in position .
Assembling the tail
35. Exa min e the tai l for servi ceabi lity. Remo ve the arm ing vane stop, or safe ty wire and
saf ety clips, and te st the armi ng vanes for freedom of rot atio n. Repla ce the arm ing vane stop, or
inse rt the safe ty wire thro ugh t he app rop riat e tub e and hole in th e armi ng van e and secure with
two safe ty clips. The ta il is now rea dy for use.
57

Th is lea f issu ed wit h A .L . No. 141 A. P. 16 61 B, Vol. I, Sect. 1, Chap. 5


November, 1947

36. Offer up the tai l to the tai l end of the body, ensur ing th at the slot in the tai l cone is in
line with the locatin g pin in the bomb body, and tak ing care th at the armi ng fork in the pisto l is
correc tly engaged by the arm ing mecha nism in the bomb tail.
Note .— When using tail s requ iring the add itio n of the Clips, locking (Stores Ref. 12A/842), I
one of these clips is to be fitte d into the U-sha ped port ion of each of the tai l sprin g clips |
afte r the tai l is assemble'd t o the b omb.
37. Push the tai l on to the bom b body unt il the sprin g clips on the tai l engage with the slots
in the bomb bod y; press ure should be applied to ind ivid ual springs to ensure corre ct assembly.
Ro tat e the locking clips, if fitt ed, on t he s pring c lips t o lock the m in p osition. |
38. Remov e th e ar min g va ne sto p from the arm ing m echan ism in th e ta il, and rot ate th e a rming
vane tw o com plete tur ns in an anti-cloc kwise directi on. Repla ce t he armi ng v ane stop, ensur ing t ha t
it is positi oned correc tly. If a tai l fitte d for hor izon tal fuzin g is being used, remove the s afety cl ips
and safe ty wire from the arm ing .mechanism and rot ate the armi ng vane two compl ete tur ns in an
anti-clo ckwise direc tion. Repla ce the safe ty wire and safe ty clips, ensuri ng th at app roxi mat ely
2 in. of th e safe ty wire pro trud es beyon d the a rmin g vane.
Note .— The armi ng vane mu st ro tat e freely, and any stiffness mu st be inve stig ated and
rectifi ed; if the stiffness can not be rectified the tail mu st be reject ed.
Loading the bomb on to the airc raft bomb carri er
39. Load the bomb on to the bomb carri er as described in the rel eva nt cha pte r of A.P. 1664,
Vol. I. Enga ge the a ppr opr iate f use-s ettin g contr ol links with the s afet y clip, or safe ty wire, on the |
arm ing mecha nism of th e b omb tail, and with th e s afety clip of the No. 27 pistol, if the bo mb is fuzed
at the nose. Remov e the safe ty pin on the safe ty clip of the No. 27 pistol imm edia tely before the
air cra ft tak es off, and han d it to the pilo t or bomb aimer.
Functio ning
40. When the bomb is released from the airc raft, the app rop riat e fuze- settin g contr ol links,
depe ndin g on the fuzing selected by the pilo t or air b omber , remove the safe ty clip, or safe ty wire, |
from the arm ing. mec hani sm in the bomb tail , and /or the safe ty clip from the No. 27 pistol.
41. As the bomb falls, t he arm ing vanes rot ate , due t o the a ir pr essure, t hu s freeing the s trike rs
of th e pistols. On im pac t of the bo mb with th e tar get , the s trike rs are forced a gain st t he ir respec tive
deto nato rs, which fire t he exploders, which in tu rn det ona te the main filling in the bomb.
Note.— If inst anta neo us det ona tors are used in bot h the nose and tai l assemblies, the
nose assem bly will functio n first.
■Unloading an unexpended bomb from the airc raft bomb carri er
42. Ins ert the saf ety pin in the safe ty clip of the No. 27 pistol, if fitted .
43. Discon nect the fuse-s ettin g con trol links from the safe ty clips or wires of the arm ing |
mecha nism in the b omb tail, and of th e No. 27 pistol, if th e bomb is fuzed at t he nose.
44. Unload the bomb, following the proce dure detai led in the rele van t ch apt er of A.P. 1664,
Vol. I.
Unfuzing the bomb
45. Release t he loc king clips, or rem ove th e spring -on clips from the sp ring clips on the bom b tai l, |
and remo ve the tai l by disengagin g the four sprin g clips from the slots in the bomb body.
46. Replace the safe ty pla te and press-c ap of th e pisto l and remov e the tai l pistol by hand .
Ex tra ct the det ona tor, using ext rac tor, det ona tor, No. 2, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/348) and replace
the pistol.
Note .— In the even t of the arm ing fork of the pistol sta ndi ng prou d of the pistol body,
the press-cap is n ot to be replaced unt il afte r the pistol h as been remove d from the bomb.
47. Remove the No. 27 pi stol from the nose of th e bomb by han d, and ex tra ct the de ton ato r'
using the No. 2, Mk. I det on ato r ext rac tor. Replace the No. 24 tra ns it plug, and lock it in position
with th e ta b washe r when the Mk. I plug is used.
Supply
48. Bombs, H.E ., airc raft , G.P., 250 lb., Mk. IV, are suppli ed fitte d with a base, tra ns it,
airc raft bomb, No. 5, Mk. I, or a base, tra ns it, air cra ft bomb, No. 8, Mk. I, in positio n. The nose
is plugged with a plug, tra nsi t, No. 24, Mk. I or II, and a No. 28 p istol is fitte d in positi on in th e
tai l end of the bomb body, where it acts as a tr an sit plug.
B (AL141)
58

49. The tails, bomb, H.E ., airc raft , G.P., 250 lb., No. 2, Mk. I, II , and II I are suppl ied in
Contain er, B.270, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12S/400); a pro por tion of th e cont aine rs con tain a pistol,
bomb, D.A., No. 27, used for the nose fuzing of the bomb.
Storage
50. Bombs, H.E ., aircr aft, G.P., 250 lb., Mk. IV, are classified, for the purpo se of stora ge,
in Group VII . The tails in the ir con taine rs may be stor ed in the same explosives store house as
the filled bombs, bu t the y mus t be stack ed well clear of the filled stores.
BOMB, H.E ., AIRC RAF T, G.P., 500 lb.", M k. IV
Leading particulars
Body, bomb, I I.E ., aircraft, G.P., 500 lb., Mk . IV
51. Stores Ref. 12A/289
Leng th, with tail, No. 2, Mk. I 5 ft. 10-6 in.
Leng th, with tail, No. 26, Mk. I, II, and II I 4 ft. 7-6 in.
Maximu m diam eter 12-9 in.
Weight of body ... 311 lb., appro x.
Weig ht and na tur e of fill ing ... 144-5 lb. T.N.T ., or
134-6 lb. ama tol 80/20
Term inal velocit y 1,580 ft. per sec.
Tail, bomb, H .E ., aircraft, G. P., 500 lb., No. 2, M k. I
52. Stores Ref. 12A/290
Len gth ... 2 ft. 11-4 in.
Tails, bomb, H .E ., aircraft, G.P., 500 lb., No. 26, Mk . I, II , and I I I
53. Stores R ef., Mk. I ...................................... 12A/984
Stores Ref., Mk. II ...................................... 12A/1116
Stores Ref., Mk. I l l ...................................... 12A/1656
Leng th, Mk. I, II, and II I ... ... ... 1 ft. 8-4 in.
Tail, bomb, H .E ., aircraft, G.P., 500 lb., No. 77, Mk . I
54. Stores R ef............................................................ 12A/1727
Len gth ... ... ... ... ... ... 2 ft. 9-4 in.
General description
Bomb body
55. The 500 lb. Mk. IV bomb body differs fro m the 250 lb. Mk. I V bom b body o nly in weight
and dimensions.
Tail, bomb, I I.E ., aircraft. G.P., 500 lb.. No. 2, M k. I
56. The 500 lb., No. 2, Mk. I tai l differs from th e 250 lb., No. 2, Mk. I ta il main ly in w eigh t a nd
dimension s. Two of the sprin g clips are fitte d with swivel locking clips.
Tail, bomb, H .E ., aircraft, G.P., 500 lb., No. 26, M k. I, fig. 5
57. The No. 26, Mk. I tail, which is to be used on 500 lb. Mk. IV G.P. bombs when carried
exte rna lly on high-speed fighter airc raft , or inte rna lly on fighte r-bomb ers of the Mosquito type,
is simi lar to the 500 lb., No. 2, Mk. I tail, differing main ly in weight and dimensions. The tai l vane
and vane supp orts are shor ter, and it has a two-b laded armi ng vane inste ad of the four-bl aded
armi ng vane used on the No. 2, Mk. I tail. The shor tenin g of the vane supp orts and tai l vane
causes the armi ng vane, the safe ty clip, and the apex of the tail cone to pro trud e beyon d th e end
of th e tai l v ane. The tai l is fitte d with tw o swivel locking clips.
Note.— Ea rly issues of the No. 26, Mk. I tail may no t be provi ded with swivel locking
clips f itted, bu t Clips, locking, (Stores Ref. 12A/842) a spring-o n type , are issued sepa rate ly
for use with this tail.
Tail, bomb, H .E ., aircraft, G.P., 500 lb., No. 26, Mk. I I *
58. The No. 26, Mk. I I tail is sim ilar to the No. 26, Mk. I tail, exce pt th at it is fitte d wit h four
swivel locking clips.
Tail , bomb, H. E., aircraft, G.P., 500 lb., No. 26, Mk . I l l
59. The No. 26, Mk. I l l tai l is simila r to the No. 26, Mk. II tail, excep t th at it is fitte d for
horizo ntal fuzing [para. 12).
Note.— The 500 lb., No. 2, Mk. I, and the No. 26, Mk. I and II tail s are of the safet y
clip typ e, and as such are no t to be assembled to the bomb body when horiz onta l fuzing
is requir ed. If only these tails are availa ble, and hor izon tal fuzing is requi red, the y
may be conv erted for use as described^in Sect. 10, Chap. 1, Ap p. 5, of t his volume.
59

Th is lea f issu ed with A .L . No. 141 A. P. 16 61 B, Vol. I, Sect. 1, Chap. 5


Novembe r, 1947
Ta il, bomb, H .E ., aircraf t, G.P ., 500 lb., No. 77, M k. I
60. The No. 77, Mk. I tai l is of sta nd ard le ngth an d r eplace s th e No. 26, Mk. I, II, and I II tails
on bomb s carri ed exte rna lly where sufficient clearan ce is av ailable . It is s ubs tan tial ly stre ngt hen ed
to enable it to be carrie d exte rna lly on high-spee d air cra ft; this carria ge is d epen den t on a numb er
of fact ors and is t he s ubj ect of specific instr uctio ns.

9 I
61. The No. 77, Mk. I tai l differs fr om previou s sta nda rd lengt h tails a s follows:—
(1) The vane supp orts are stro nger and are secured by add ition al rivets.
(2) The tai l is arra nged for horiz ontal fuzing (faro.. 12).
(3) A two-b laded armi ng vane of 4-J in. overall leng th is fit ted.
(4) , The sprin g clips reta inin g the tai l on the bomb a re back ed by a sec ond leaf. The spring
clip, backi ng leaf, and swivel locking clip are of heavie r gauge mate rial.
60

Note.— Some early issues of this ta il ma y have norm al single springs fitted , and where
this is found , Clips, lockin g (Stores R ef. 12A/842), a spring-o n ty pe, are to be used. These
clips are suppl ied wi th the earl y issues of these tails .
(5) Eac h t ail is supplie d co mplete w ith a No. 1, Mk. I sa fety wire an d t wo No. 1, Mk. I sa fety
clips.
Tran sit bases
62. Two ty pes of tr an sit b ase may be f itte d to the 500 lb. Mk. I V bomb, namely , base, tra ns it,
air cra ft bomb, No. 6, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/294), or base, tra nsi t, air cra ft bomb, No. 7, Mk. I
(Stores Ref. 12A/295).
Trans it base, No. 6, Mk . I, fig. 3
63. The No. 6, Mk. I tra ns it base differs from the No. 5, Mk. I tra ns it base, {para. 14), only
in weight and dimensions,- an d in th at the No. 6 tra ns it base has eight coach bolts inst ead of six.
Tran sit base, No. 7, Mk. I
64. The No. 7, Mk. I tra ns it base differs from the No. 8, Mk. I tra ns it base, {para. 16), only
in weight and dimensions.
Tra nsi t ►plug
65. The No. 24, Mk. I or II tra ns it plug is fitted in the nose of the 500 lb. Mk. IV G.P. bomb,
{para. 17).
Filling '
66. 500 lb. Mk. IV G.P. bomb bodi es are filled in a man ner simila r t o the 250 lb. Mk. I V bomb
bodies, {para. 18 and 19), the only difference being in the weight of the main filling.
Identific ation colouring and marki ngs
67. The colouring and marki ngs used to disti nguish the 500 lb. Mk. IV bomb are the same
as those used to distin guish the 250 lb. Mk. IV bomb, excep t th at the mark ing 500 lb. is used in
place of the mark ing 250 lb., and the green ban d den otin g the filling is 8 in. from the nose inste ad
of 6 in.
Fuzing the bomb and assembling the tail
68. The oper ation s ar e as for the 250 lb. b omb, {para. 28 to 38); the No. 2, Mk. I, No. 26, Mk. I,
| II , and II I, and No. 77, Mk. I tail s are assembl ed to the bomb in the same manner .
Loading the bomb on to the aircr aft bomb carri er
69. The opera tions for loadin g are as sta ted in para . 39.
Functio ning
70. The 500 lb. Mk. IV G.P. bomb functi ons in a man ner similar to the 250 lb. Mk. IV bomb,
(para. 40 and 41).
Unloading an unexpended bomb from the airc raft bomb carrie r
71. The bomb is unloade d from the airc raft bomb carri er in a man ner similar to the 250 lb.
bomb, (para. 42 t o 44).
Unfuzing the bomb
72. The opera tions for unfuzing th e bomb ar e as sta ted for the 250 lb. bomb, (para. 45 to 47).
Supply
73. Bombs, H.E ., aircr aft, G.P., 500 lb., Mk. IV , are supplie d fitte d with base, tra ns it, airc raft
bomb, No. 6, Mk. I, or base, tra ns it, airc raft bomb, No. 7, Mk. I, in position. The nose is plugged
with plug, tra nsi t, No. 24, Mk. I or II , and a No. 28 pi stol is su pplied in positio n in the tai l end of
the bomb body, where it acts as a tail plug.
74. The tail, bomb, H.E ., airc raft, G.P., 500 lb., No. 2, Mk. I, is su pplied in Contai ner, B.269,
Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12S/399); a prop ortio n of the cont aine rs con tain a pistol, bomb, D.A., No. 27,
used for the nose fuzing of the bomb.
75. The tails, bomb, H.E ., airc raft, G.P., 500 lb., No. 26, Mk. I, II, and II I are suppl ied in
Contai ner, B.382, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12S/417).
76. The tail, bomb, H.E ., airc raft , G.P., 500 lb., No. 77, Mk. I, is supp lied in Contain er, B.269,
Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12S/399).
Storage
77. Bombs, H.E ., aircr aft, G.P., 500 lb., Mk. IV, are classified, for the purpos e of storage,
in Group VI I. The tails in the ir cont aine rs ma y be store d in the same explosives store house as the
filled bombs, bu t the y mus t be stac ked well clear of the filled stores.
P1234 0 M43122/G15 04 12/47 3500 C&P G p. 1
61

Th is chapter issued with A .L . No. 46 A.P.16 61B, Vol. I, Sect. 1


Jan ua ry , 1943
Relev ant amen dmen ts up to A .L . 72
incorporated in this repri nt
Ja nu ar y, 1944
CHAPTER 6

BOMBS, H.E. , AIRCRAFT, G.P., 1,000 lb., Mk.’IJH, HI, and IV

LIS T OF CONTENTS
Pa ra .
In tr od uc ti on ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1
Bo mb , H .E ., ai rc ra ft , G. P. , 1,000 lb. , Mk. I
Le ad in g pa rt ic ul ar s
Bo dy , bo mb , H .E ., ai rc ra ft , G. P. , 1,000 lb., Mk. I ........................................................ 2
Ta il, bo mb , H .E ., ai rc ra ft , G. P. , 1,000 lb. , No. 13, Mk. I .......................................... 3
Ta il, bomb , H .E ., ai rc ra ft , G. P. , 1,000 lb., No . 29, Mk. I ... ... ... ... 4
Ge ne ral de sc rip tio n ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 5
Bo m b bo dy ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 6
Fi lli ng ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 15
Ta il, bo m b, H .E ., ai rc ra ft , G. P., 1,000 lb., No. 13, Mk. I ... ... ... ... ... 17
Ta il, bo mb , H .E ., ai rc ra ft , G. P. , 1,000 lb., No. 29, Mk. I ... ... ... ... ... 21
T ra ns it ba se ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 23
T ra nsi t plu g ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 24
Id en tif ic at io n co lou rin g an d m ark in gs
Co lou rin g ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 25
Ma rk ing s on th e bo mb bod y ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 26
Ma rk ing s on th e ta il, No. 13, Mk. I ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 28
p a rk in g s on th e ta il, No. 29, Mk. I ... ... ... ... ... ... 30
M ar ki ng s on th e tr a n si t ba se an d tr an si t plu g ... ... ... ... ... ... 31
Fu nc tio ni ng ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 33
In st ru ct io ns for use
Fu zi ng th e bo mb an d as se m bli ng th e ta il an d su sp en sio n lug ... ... ... ... 36
Fu zi ng a t th e nos e ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 37
Fu zi ng a t th e ta il ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 40
As se mb lin g th e ta il an d su sp en sio n lug ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 46
Lo ad in g th e bo m b on to th e ai rc ra ft bo m b ca rr ie r ... ... ... ... ... ... 50
Un lo ad ing th e bo m b fro m th e ai rc ra ft bo m b ca rr ie r ... ... ... ... ... ... 51
Un fu zin g th e bo mb
No se ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 53
Ta il ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 54
Su pp ly an d sto ra ge
Su pp ly ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 60
St or ag e ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 63
Bo mb , H .E ., ai rc ra ft , G. P. , 1,000 lb., Mk. II
Le ad in g pa rt ic ul ar s ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 64
Ge ne ral de sc rip tio n ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 65
In st ru ct io ns for use ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 67
Su pp ly an d st or ag e
Su pp ly ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 68
St or ag e ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 71
Bo mb , H .E ., ai rc ra ft , G. P. , 1,000 lb., Mk. I l l
Le ad in g p a rt ic u la rs .. . ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 72
Ge ne ral de sc rip tio n ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 73
In st ru ct io ns fo r use ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 75
Su pp ly an d st or ag e
Su pp ly ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 76
St or ag e ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 78
Bo mb , H .E ., ai rc ra ft , G. P. , 1,000 lb. , Mk, IV
L ea di ng pa rt ic ul ar s ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 79
Ge ne ral de sc rip tio n ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 80
In st ru ct io ns fo r use ... ... ... .* ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 82
Su pp ly an d st or ag e
Su pp ly ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 83
St or ag e ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 85

LIST OF ILLU STRA TION S


1. Bo mb , H .E ., ai rc ra ft , G. P. , 1,000 lb ., Mk. I, w ith nos e an d ta il pi sto ls in po sit ion , an d fi tte d wi th a
No . 13, Mk. I, ta il
2. Bo mb , H .E ., ai rc ra ft , G .P ., 1,000 lb., Mk. I, pr ep ar ed for tr an si t
3. Ta il, bo m b, H .E ., ai rc ra ft , G. P. , 1,000 lb. , No . 29, Mk. I
4. Ba se, tr an si t, ai rc ra ft bo mb . No. 24, Mk. I
62

CHAPTER 6

BOMBS, H.E., AIRCRAFT, G.P., 1,000 lb., Mk. I, H, HI, and IV


Introduction
1. The 1,000 lb. Mk. I and II G.P. bombs ma y be fuzed both at the nose and tai l if r equire d,
or may be fuzed a t t he nose or ta il only. The Mk. I l l a nd IV bombs are fuzed o nly at th e t ail. The
bombs are used for general bom bar dm ent purposes.

BOMB, H.E ., AIRCRAFT, G.P., 1,000 lb., Mk. I


Leading particulars
Body, bomb, H. E. , aircraft, G.P., 1,000 lb., Mk. I
2. Stores Ref. ... ... ... 12A/543
Leng th, with tail, No. 13, Mk. I 7 ft. 2-5 in.
Lengt h, with tail, No. 29, Mk. I 5 ft. 11 in.
Maximum diam eter ... 1 ft. 4T5 in.
Weight and na tur e of fill ing ... '• 333 lb. am ato l 80/20
Term inal velocit y 1,840 ft. per sec.

Tail, bomb, H. E. , aircraft, G.P., 1,000 lb.. No. 13, Mk. I


3. Stores Ref. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 12A/544
Len gth ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 2 ft. 11-5 in.

Tail, bomb, H .E ., aircraft, G.P., 1,000 lb., No. 29, Mk . I


4. Stores Ref. ... .............. ... ... ... ... 12A/1047
Leng th ... ... ... ... ... 1 ft. 8 in.

GE NE RA L DES CRI PTI ON


5. The bomb consis ts of a bod y filled with high explosive, and a detac hable tai l secured to
the bom b body by four wing bolts. Two type s of t ail are supplie d for use with this bomb, namely ,
the No. 13, Mk. I tail, and the No. 29, Mk. I tail. The No. 29, Mk. I tai l will supers ede the No. 13,
Mk. I tail, and has been designed to improve the stowage of t he bomb in heav y bombe r airc raft .

Bomb body, fig. 1 and 2


6. The bomb body is a hollow steel cast ing open at each end. The nose end of the body is
thre aded int ern ally to h ouse a nose bush , w hich is screwed a nd cemen ted in position , t he joi nt between
the body and the nose bush being welded or soldered.
7. The nose bus h, which has a flange shap ed to suit t he c ont our of the bo dy, is bored c entra lly,
and thre ade d for pa rt of its leng th to tak e an explode r con tain er which is screwed and ceme nted in
position. The explode r con tain er is locked to the nose bush by a locking screw.
8. The exploder cont aine r, which is in the shape of a hollow tub e closed a t one end, is flanged
at the open end and has an ext ern al screw -threa d for screwing into the nose bush. The flange has
two diam etric ally opposi te slots to ta.ke the key used for inse rting the explode r cont aine r, and is
provid ed with a thre ade d hole for the locking screw. The explod er con tain er is t hre ade d inte rna lly
at the open end to house a det ona tor h older which is screwed and cemen ted in position , and locked
with a locking screw.
9. The det on ato r holde r is simila r in shape to the exnlod er conta iner, the closed end havin g
a hole a t t he c entr e to house the s tem of the det ona tor ; a box-c loth washer is secure d to the bott om
of the de ton ato r hold er. Fou r pla in holes are p rovide d in the flange to ta ke th e ke y used for ins ertin g
the d eto nat or holder, and also to t ake t he lug on the locking sprin g of the pistol when it is assemb led
in th e bo mb. The d eto nat or holder is thre ade d inte rna lly at the open end t o tak e a pist ol o r a tra ns it
plug.
10. The tail en d of th e bomb b ody is sha ped ext ern ally t o tak e the t ail, and is provid ed with a
locati ng pin to locate the t ail w hen in posit ion on the bomb. The face of th e tai l end is sp igoted to
locate a tra ns it base which is fitte d to the body for tra ns it purposes . Fou r holes are drilled in the
face and are thre ade d to receive the wing bolts used for att ach ing t he tai l or the t ra ns it base to the
bomb body.
■TAIL VANE

TRANSIT PLUG N °2 9 M id .

DETONATOR HO LD ER ---------
EXPLODER C ON TAI NER -------
FELT WA SHE R---------------------
NOSE B U S H -----------------------

CO M PO SI TI ON PA D-----------
FELT W AS HE R---------------------

TRANSIT BASE , N °2 4 M k .I -

Fig, 2 .- Bo mb , H.E., a irc ra ft, G.P. 1 ,00 0 lh.Mk.1,


prepa red fo r tra ns it

Fig. I. - Bomb, H.E., ai rc ra ft, G.P., 1 ,0 00 Ih, Mk I,


with nose and tai l pistols in pos ition ,
and fi tt e d wi th No. 13. M k. I, tail

63
64
65

A.P .166 1P, Vol. I, Sect. 1, Chap. 6


11. The t ail end of the bom b bod y is recessed a nd t hre ade d to tak e a filling plug which is screwed
and c emente d in position . The filling plu g is in the form of a disc t hre ade d exte rna lly for screwing
into th e bomb body, and bored and thre ade d inte rna lly to receive an explod er conta iner. It is
provid ed with two plai n holes to tak e the key used for screwing it into the bomb body.
12. The explod er con tain er and det ona tor holde r used in the t ail e nd of t he body a re identi cal
with those used in the nose end, and are inser ted and locked in a like manne r.
13. A flat seat ing is provid ed on the bomb body which is drilled and tap ped to receive the
securing screws of a suspensio n lug which is atta che d to the body when requir ed, for locat ing the
bomb on, or suspen ding it from, the air cra ft bomb carrier . A plain hole is prov ided for a guide
pin on th e suspension lug. The screw holes are plugged with tra ns it screws when th e lug is not in
positio n.
14. The su spension lug is in the form of a rec tang ular sto p pla te t o w hich is welded a lug. Two
holes are provid ed to receive the screws for atta chi ng the lug to the bomb body. The suspensio n
lug is housed in the tra ns it base when not in positio n on the bomb.

Filling
15. The bomb is filled with am ato l 80/20, w hich is sea led a t t he nose end with a pa d of ap prove d
composit ion, a felt washer, and a layer of T.N.T . The tail end is se aled by a laye r of T.N.T ., two
felt washers, and a glazed board washer. The explod er cont aine rs are prot ecte d from the filling
by pap er tubes.
16. Locat ed in each explo der con tain er is a 2 oz. 14 dr., Mk. I , T.N.T . exploder, and an 11 oz.
2 d r., Mk. I, C.E. exploder . A w axed felt washe r is located betwe en the 11 oz. 2 dr. explod er and
the det on ato r holde r in each instan ce.

Tail, bomb, H.E., aircraft, G.P., 1,000 lb., No. 13, Mk. I, fig. 1
17. The tail, bomb, H.E ., airc raft , G.P., 1,000 lb., No. 13, Mk. I, consists of a tai l cone, a
cylind rical t ail vane att ach ed to the cone b y fou r corr ugat ed vane sup ports , a nd an a rmi ng me chanism
used for arm ing the tai l pistol.
18. Near t he base of th e tai l cone is a t ail ring, which is drill ed to house four wing bolts which
are used for att ach ing th e t ail to th e bomb body. The four w ing bo lts are each p rovid ed wit h do uble
spri ng washers, and are reta ined on the tai l ring by a split pin passing thr oug h the sha nk of each
bolt. The base of th e tai l cone h as a s lot which engages with the l ocati ng pin on the t ail e nd of t he
bomb body when t he ta il is a ssembled. The tail cone is p rovided w ith four h and holes t o allow access
to the four wing bolts.
19. Atta che d to the tail cone, to the rea r of the tail ring, is a spider in the form of a cross,
which sup por ts the fork end of th e arm ing mechan ism. One arm of the spide r is in line wit h the
locati ng slot in the t ail cone. The rea r end of th e tai l cone is closed by a bush, which supp orts the
armi ng vane end of th e arm ing mechanis m.
20. The armi ng mecha nism consists of an armi ng spindle, at one end of which is att ach ed a
fork which engages with the arm ing fork of the No. 28 or oth er tai l pisto l in the bomb. At the
oppos ite e nd of the ar ming spind le is an arm ing vane, secured to the spin dle by a nu t and ta b washer.
The armi ng vane and armi ng spindle are prev ente d from ro ta tin g duri ng tra ns it by a safe ty clip,
which fits over th e end of the bush in the tai l cone.

Tail, bomb,*H.E., aircraft, G.P., 1,000 lb., No. 29, Mk. I, fig. 3
21. The No. 29, Mk. I tai l is sim ilar to the No. 13, Mk. I tail, see pa ra. 17 to 20, differing only
in dimensions.
22. The tai l vane and vane supp orts are sho rter in the No. 29 ta il, and the vane supp orts are
not corr ugat ed. The shor tenin g of the tai l vane and vane sup por ts causes the armi ng vanes , the
saf ety clip, and the apex of the tai l cone to pro trud e beyond the end of the tail vane .

Transit base, fig. 4


23. The base, tra nsi t, air cra ft bomb, No. 24, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/546), is of cast steel, and
is prov ided with fo ur w ing bolts used f or a tta ch ing th e tra ns it base to the t ail end of th e b omb body.
The wing bolts are secured in a ma nne r simila r to the wing bolts in the tail, see para . 18. Eig ht
webs are cas t in the tra ns it base for stre ngth enin g purposes, alt ern ate webs havi ng machi ned
66

bos ses wh ich for m se at in gs for th e wi ng bo lts . On e we b ha s a m ac hi ne d se at in g fo r th e su sp en sio n


Jug. Th is se at in g is dr ill ed an d th re ad ed for tw o se cu rin g bo lt s us ed fo r a tt a c h in g th e lu g to th e
tr a n si t ba se . T hr ee o th er ho les ar e pr ov id ed in th e se at in g, on e fo r th e su sp en sio n lu g lo ca tin g pin ,
an d th e o th er tw o for th e se cu rin g scr ew s used for se cu rin g th e su sp en sio n lug to th e bo m b bo dy .

SAF ETY CLIP

ARM ING VANE

CO NE BUSH

TAIL VANF.

TAIL CONE

ARMI NG SPINDLE

VANE SUPPORT

SPIDER

AR MIN G FORK

WING BOL T

SPRING WASHER

TAIL RING

SPL IT PIN

Transit plug
24. Th e pl ug , tr a n si t, No . 29, Mk . I (S to res Re f. 12A /547 ), is co nic al in sh ap e an d ha s a sh an k
th re ad ed for sc re wi ng it in to th e d e to n a to r ho ld er in th e no se of th e bo m b bo dy . A le at he r w as he r
is pr ov d ed u nd er th e pl ug . A to m m y b a r hol e is pr ov id ed in th e pl ug for use wh en th e pl ug is be in g
in se rte d or re m ov ed fro m th e bo m b bo dv .

identifi cation colouring and markin gs


Colo urin g
25. Th e ex te ri or of th e bo m b bo dy an d ta il is p ai n te d d a rk gr ee n, w ith th e ex ce pt io n of a $ i n.
red ba nd , 2 in. fro m th e fac e of th e nos e bu sh , an d a 2 in. lig ht gr ee n ba nd , 9 | in. fro m th e face of
th e nos e flus h. Th e tr a n s it ba se is als o p ai n te d d ar k gre en .
67

A .P .l O ti lB , Vol. I, Sect. 1, Cha p. 6


M ar ki ng son the bomb bodv
26. T ow ar ds th e ta il en d of th e bo m b bo dv , an d on th e sa m e sid e as th e su sp en sio n lug, is
st en cil led
in bl ac k, th e fol low ing in fo rm at io n :—
(i)T he m on og ra m of th e filli ng st at io n , or th e filli ng c o n tr a c to r’s in iti al s or rec og niz ed
tr ad e m ar k.
(ii) Th e d a te of filli ng, m on th an d ye ar .
(iii) Th e lo t n um b er of th e filled bo m b.
(iv) G. P. , 1,000 lb. , I.
On th e rev er se sid e is st en cil led th e de sig n nu m be r of th e m et ho d of fillin g.

SEC TON ON A. -A,

Fig. 4.—Base, tra ns it, air cra ft bomb, No. 24, Ml;. I

27. On th e bo dy , to w ar ds th e nose , an d on th e sa m e sid e as th e su sp en si on lug, ar e st am p ed


th e bo dy m an u fa c tu re r’s m ar ki ng s as fo llo w s:—
(i) I, G .P ., 1,000 lb.
(ii) Th e bo dy m a n u fa c tu re r’s in iti al s or rec og niz ed tr a d e m ar k.
(iii) Th e d at e of m an uf ac tu re , m on th an d ye ar .
68

Mark ings on the tail, No. 13, Mk. I


28. On th e cylind rical vane is stam ped the following inf orm ati on :—
(i) No. 13, I.
(ii) G.P., 1,000 lb.
(iii) The ma nuf act ure r’s initia ls or recognized tra de mark.
(iv) The dat e of man ufac ture, mo nth and year.
29. After the tail has been pain ted, on the vane is stencille d No. 13, I.
Markin gs on the tail, No. 29, Mk . I
30. Stencilled in black on one vane sup por t is No. 29, I.
Mar king s on the transit base and transit plug
31. On one face of t he tra ns it base is st encilled No. 24, Mk. I, G.P., 1,000 lb. On the othe r
face is stam ped or cast the following inf orm ati on :—
(i) The dat e of man ufac ture, mo nth and year.
(ii) The ma nu fac tur er’s initia ls or recognized tra de mark.
(iii) 24, I.
32. The following infor mati on is stam ped on the tra ns it plu g:—
(i) The dat e of man ufac ture , mo nth and year.
(ii) The ma nu fac tur er’s initia ls or recognized tra de mark .
(iii) No. 29, I.

Functi oning
33. When the bomb is released from the bomb carrier , th e app rop riat e fuze -sett ing contro l
links remove the safe ty clips from th e arm ing mecha nism in the tai l and the No. 27 o r oth er nose
pistol if th e bomb is fuzed at t he nose, t hu s allowing the armi ng vane s to ro tat e due to air pressure.
34. After a cert ain num ber of revol utions of the arm ing vanes, the strik ers in th e pistols are
freed, and on imp act of the bomb with the tar get , the stri ker s are forced aga ins t the ir respec tive
det ona tors c ausing the m to func tion. The flash from th e det ona tors passes to the exploders, which
in tu rn det on ate the main filling in the bomb.
35. If the bomb is fuzed bot h at the nose a nd at the tail, each with inst anta neo us deto nato rs,
the nose assembly will funct ion first.

INST RUC TION S FOR USE


Fuzin g the bomb and assembling the tail and suspension lug
36. The bomb m ay be fuzed b oth a t t he nose an d at th e tail, or at th e nose or tai l on ly. When
fuzed only at the tail, the No. 29 tra ns it plug is left in position .
Fuzin g at the nose
37. Remove the No. 29 tra ns it plug.
38. Ensu re th at the det ona tor cav ity is clear, using gauge, cav ity, deto nato r, No. 2, Mk. I
(Stores Ref. 12A/349); the engra ved line for th e 250/500 lb. bombs is applic able to the 1,000 lb.
G.P. bomb. Bombs which fail t o p ass this t es t mus t be set aside for A .I.D. inspec tion, or used f uzed
at the tai l only.
39. Ins ert the app rop riat e de ton ato r in the det onato r c av ity . In se rt the No. 27 or othe r
nose pi stol in the de ton ato r holder in the bomb body a nd screw it in by han d unt il it is well seate d
on its washer and locked in positio n.
Fuzin g at the tail
40. Remove the No. 24 tra ns it base by unscrew ing the four wing bolts.
41. Remove the tai l pistol by han d.
42. Ens ure th at th e d eto nat or ca vit y is clear, using the No. 2, Mk. I cav ity gauge; the engra ved
line for the 250/500 lb. bombs is applica ble. Bombs which fail to pass this te st are to be set aside
for A.I.D. inspect ion, or used fuzed at th e nose only.
69

A.P .166 1B, Vol. I, Sect. 1, Chap. 6


43. Ins ert the app rop riat e det ona tor in the det onato r cavity .
44. Remove the overseal, press-cap, and safe ty pla te from the No. 28 or oth er tai l pistol, and
te st t he a rmin g fork of th e pistol for freedom of ro tati on, finally sc rewing it lightly agai nst the b ody
of the pistol.
45. Ins ert the pistol in the det on ato r holder in the bomb body, and screw it in by han d unti l
it is well seate d on its washer and locked in position.

Assembling the tail and suspension lug


46. Offer up the t ail to th e tai l end of th e bomb body, with t he slo t in the base of th e tail cone
in line with the locati ng pin in the bomb body, and ensure th at t he armi ng fork in the pistol is not
fouled by the armi ng mechan ism in the tail.
, 47. Push t he ta il firmly in to positio n a nd secure it to the b omb body by screwing t he fou r wing
bolts fully home. •
48. Remove the safe ty clip from the armi ng mechan ism in the tail, and unscrew the arming
vanes tw o com plete turn s. Replace th e s afety clip, ensuri ng t ha t the screw in th e safe ty clip engages
with the slot in the bush in the tail cone.
49. Remove the suspension lug from its seati ng in the tra ns it base, and remove the tra nsi t
screws from the holes in the suspensio n lug seati ng on the bomb body. Place the suspension lug in
positio n on the bomb body, and secure it by screwing in the two screws which for tra ns it purposes
are norm ally housed in the recesses i n the seat ing in the tra ns it base. The tra ns it screws are to be
replace d in th e seat ing in the tra ns it base for fur the r use as required.

Loading the bomb on to the aircraft bomb carrier


50. Load the bomb on to the bomb carri er as described in the rele van t cha pte r of A.P. 1664,
Vol. I. Att ach the app rop riat e fuze-s etting contr ol links of the bomb carr ier to the safe ty clip of
the armi ng mechan ism in the b omb tail, and to the s afety clip of th e nose pis tol if th e bomb is fuzed
at the nose. Remove the safety pin from the safety clip in the nose pistol imm ediat ely before the
air cra ft is ready to tak e off an d han d it to the pilot or bomb aimer.

Unload ing the bomb from the aircraft bomb carrier


51. Replace the safe ty pin in the safe ty clip of the No. 27 or oth er nose pistol if t he bomb is
fuzed at the nose.
52. Disengage the fuze- setting contr ol links from the safe ty clips, and unload the bomb as
described in the rele vant cha pte r of A.P.1664, Vol. I.

Unfuzi ng the bomb


Nose
53. Remove the nose pistol, if fitted , by hand, and remove the det ona tor, using extr acto r,
det ona tor, No. 2, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/348). Screw a No. 29 t ra ns it plug securely in position.

Tail
54. Remove the tai l by unscrewing the four wing bolts.
55. Replace the safet y pla te and press-cap of t he tail pistol. In the even t of t he armi ng fork
of th e pistol s tan din g proud of th e edge of the pistol body, the s afet y pla te and press-cap are not t o
be replaced unt il the pistol h as been removed from*the bomb, when the armi ng fork is to be lightly
scr ewed up to the pistol body and the safet y plat e and press-cap replaced.
56. Remove the pistol, and ext rac t the deto nato r, using the No. 2, Mk. I det ona tor extr acto r.
Screw in the pistol by hand.
57. Remove the suspension lug from the bomb body, by unscrewing the two securing screws,
and replace the tra ns it screws in the bomb body.
58. Ins ert t he securing screws for the lug in the recesses in the seating i n the tra ns it base, and
fit the suspension lug to its seati ng in the tra ns it base using the screws in the base.
59. Att ach the t ra ns it base to the bomb body b y screwing in t he f our wing bolts.
E (1661B)

0 r
70

SUP PLY AND STORAGE


Supply
60. The bomb, H.E ., airc raft, G.P., 1,000 lb., Mk. I, is s upplied with a plug, tra nsi t, No. 29,
Mk. I, in positio n in the nose. A pistol, bomb, tail, No. 28, is sup plied in the bomb body, where it
acts as a tr an sit plug. A base, tra nsi t, airc raft bom b, No. 24, Mk. I, is assembled t o the bomb body.
Note.—Consequen t on the change-o ver to sensitiv e typ e det ona tors the bomb may be supplied
with a No. 30 pistol in position inste ad of a No. 28 pist ol.
61. The tail, bomb, H.E ., airc raft , G.P., 1,000 lb., No. 13, Mk. I, is supplied in Box, B.321,
Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/545), tog ethe r with a pistol, bomb, D.A., No. 27, used in the nose fuzing of
the bomb as necessary. Only 50 per cen t, of the boxes will co ntain a pistol, those wit hou t a pistol
being stencilled accordingly. The tai l may also be supplied alone in Clamp, prote cting , B.360,
Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/843).
62. The tail , bo mb, H.E ., a ircr aft, G.P., 1,000 lb., No. 29, Mk. I, is supplied in Clamp, pr otect ing,
B.398, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/1083), two tails in a clamp.

Storag e
63. Bombs, H.E ., airc raft , G.P., 1,000 lb., Mk. I, are classified, for the purpose of st orage, in
Group VII . The tails, and nose pistols, in the ir packages, may be store d in the same explosives
storehou se as the filled bomb s, bu t the y mus t be stack ed well clea r of th e filled stores.

BOMB , H. E. , AIR CRA FT, G.P ., 1,0 00 lb., Mk. H


Lead ing parti cular s
64. Stores Ref. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 12A/1074
All oth er leading par ticu lars are as for the Mk. I bomb, see para. 2 t o 4.

GEN ERA L DES CRI PTIO N


65. The Mk. II b omb is simil ar to the Mk. I bomb, see pa ra. 5 to 35, except' th at the spigot on
the t ail end of the bo mb bod y for locati ng t he tra ns it base, and th e s eatin g on the bomb bod y f or t he
suspension lug, are omi tted. Certai n oth er minor m odification s have been inco rpora ted to facil itate
manu factu re. The mark num ber II is sub stit ute d for the ma rk num ber I where appr opri ate.
66. Both type s of tail, namely, the No. 13, Mk. I, and the No. 29, Mk. I, may be used with
Mk. II bomb bodies.
INSTR UCTI ONS FOR USE
67. The inst ruct ions for use of the Mk. II bomb are as for t he Mk. I bomb, see p ara. 36 to 59.

SUP PLY AND STORAGE


Supply
68. The bomb, H.E ., airc raft , G.P., 1,000 lb., Mk, II, is su pplied with a plug, tra ns it. No. 29,
Mk. I, in position in the nose. A pisto l, bomb, tail, No. 28, or No. 30, is supplie d in positio n in the
bomb body, where it acts as a tra ns it plug. A base, tra nsi t, airc raft b omb, No. 24, Mk. I l l (Stores
Ref. 12A/1078), which is si milar in cons truc tion to the Mk. I base, see para. 23, is assemb led to the
bomb body.
69. One tail, bomb, H.E ., airc raft, G.P., 1,000 lb., No. 13, Mk. I, is supplie d in Clamp,
prote cting , B.360, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/843).
70. The tail, bomb, H .E., aircr aft, G.P., 1,000 lb., No. 29, Mk. I , is supplied in Clamp, p rotec ting,
B.398, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/1083), two tails in a clamp.

Stora ge
71. The conditi ons govern ing the stora ge of the Mk. II bomb are the same as for the Mk. I
bomb, see para . 63.
BOMB, H .E ., AIR CRA FT, G.P ., 1,0 00 lb., Mk. m
Lea ding parti cular s
72. Stores Ref. ......................................................................... 12A/1075
All othe r leading par ticul ars are as for the Mk. I bomb, see para . 2 to 4.
71

A.P .166 1B, Vol. I, Sect. 1, Chap. 6


GE NER AL DES CRI PTI ON
73. The Mk. I l l bomb is simila r to the Mk. I bomb, see para . 5 to 35, excep t th at the nose
explod er con tain er and det ona tor h older are not fitted . The nose is plugged with a special ad ap ter
and a No. 29, Mk. I tra ns it plug; bot h t hese com pone nts are welded in positio n to pre ven t a ccide ntal
removal. The ma rk num ber II I is sub sti tut ed for the mar k num ber I where appro priat e.
74. Bot h types of tail, namely, the No. 13, Mk. I, and the No. 29, Mk. I, may be used with
Mk. I l l bomb bodies.
.INST RUCT IONS FOR USE
75. The instr ucti ons for fuzing the Mk. II bomb at the tai l are as for the Mk. I bomb, see
par a. 40 t o 45. The inst ruc tion s for unfuzi ng the Mk. I bomb at the tail, see para . 54 to 59, also
apply, as also do the inst ruc tion s for fitt ing the tai l and the suspension lug, see p ara. 46 to 49.

SUP PLY AND STORAGE


Supply
76. The bomb, H.E ., airc raft , G.P., 1,000 lb., Mk. Il l, is supplie d with a pistol, bomb, tail,
No. 28, or No. 30, in positio n in the bomb body, where it acts as a tra ns it plug. A base, tra nsi t,
airc raft bomb, No. 24, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/546) or Mk. II (Stores Ref. 12A/1077) is assembled
to the bomb body.
77. The No. 13, Mk. I, or No. 29, Mk. I tail is supplied as s tat ed in p ara. 69 or 70, respe ctively .

Stor age
78. The conditi ons governi ng the st orage of Mk. I l l bomb are the s ame as for t he Mk. I bomb,
see para . 63.
BOMB, H .E ., AIRC RAF T, G.P. , 1,0 00 lb., Mk. IV
Lea ding parti cula rs
79. Stores Ref. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 12A/1076
All o the r leading part icul ars are as for the Mk. I bomb, see para. 2 to 4.

GEN ERA L DES CR IPT ION


80. The Mk. IV bomb body is simi lar to the Mk. II bomb body, see para. 65, except th at the
nose is perm ane ntly plugged in a simila r ma nne r to t he Mk. I l l bomb, see para. 73. The m ark numb er
IV is used where app ropr iate.
81. Bo th types of tail, namely , the No. 13, Mk. I, and the No. 29, Mk. I, may be used with
Mk. IV bomb bodies/
INSTR UCTI ONS FOR USE
82. The in stru ctio ns for fuzin g t he Mk. IV bomb at th e tail are as for th e Mk. I bomb, see para .
40 to 45. The instr ucti ons for unfuzi ng the Mk. I bomb at the tail, see para. 54 t o 59, also apply,
as also do the inst ruct ions for f ittin g the tail and the su spension lug, see pa ra. 46 to 49.

SUP PLY AND STORAGE


Supply
83. The bomb, H.E ., airc raft , G.P., 1,000 lb., Mk. IV, is supplied with a pistol, bomb, tail,
No. 28, or No. 30, in positio n in the bomb body, where it acts as a tra ns it plug. A base, tra nsi t,
airc raft bomb, No. 24, Mk. I l l (Stores Ref. ftA/10 78), is assembled to the bomb body.
84. The No. 13, Mk. I, or No. 29, Mk. I tai l is sup plied as sta ted in para. 69 or 70.

Stora ge
85. The conditi ons governi ng the s torage of Mk. I V bomb are the sa me as for t he Mk. I bomb,
see para. 63.
72
73

Th is chapter issue d with A .L . No. 46 A.P.16 61B, Vol. I , S ect. 1


Jan ua ry , 1943
Relevan t amend ments up to A .L . 72
incorporated in this repr int
Jan ua ry , 1944

CHAPTER 7

BOMB, H.E ., AIRCRAFT, G.P., 1,900 lb., Mk. I

LIST OF CONTENTS
Para.
In tro du cti on ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1
Lea ding par ticu lar s
Body , bomb , H. E., air cra ft, G.P ., 1,900 lb., Mk. I ... ... ... ... ... ... 2
Tail , bom b, H. E. , air cra ft, G.P ., 1,900 lb., No. 14, Mk. I ................................................... 3
General des crip tion ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 4
Bom b bod y ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 5
Filli ng ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 14
T a il ................................................................................................................................................................. 16
Tr an sit base ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 20
Tr an sit plug ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 21
Ide nti fic atio n colo uring an d mar king s
Colouri ng ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 22
Mar king s on th e bo mb bod y ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 23
Mar kings on the tai l ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 25
Mark ings on th e tr an si t bas e an d tr an si t plug ... ... ... ... ... ... 27
Fun ctio nin g ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 29
Ins tru cti on s for use
Fuz ing th e bom b and assem blin g th e tai l and susp ensio n lug ... ... ... ... ... 32
Fuz ing a t th e nose ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 33
Fuz ing a t th e tai l ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 36
Asse mblin g th e tai l an d susp ensio n lug ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 42
Loa ding th e bom b on to th e air cra ft bom b c arr ier ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 46
Unlo adin g th e bom b from th e ai rc ra ft bom b car rier ... ... ... ... ... ... 47
Unfu zing th e bom b
Nose ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 49
Tail ..................................................................................................................................................... 50
Sup ply an d stor age
Su ppl y ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 56
Sto rage ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 58

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Rig-
1. Bomb , H.E ., air cra ft, G.P. , 1,900 lb., Mk. I, wit h nose and tai l pist ols in posit ion
2. Bomb , H. E., air cra ft, G.P. , 1,900 lb., Mk. I, pre par ed for tr an si t
3. Base, tra ns it, air cra ft bom b, No. 28, Mk. I

-i
74

CHAPTER 7

BOMB, H.E. , AIRCRAFT, G.P., 1,900 lb., Mk. I


Introduc tion
1. The bomb, H.E. , airc raft, G.P., 1,900 lb., Mk. I, may be fuzed eith er at the nose and tail
or only at the nose or tail, as required . The bomb is used for general bom bard men t purposes.

Leading particulars
Body, bomb, H.E ., aircraft, G.P., 1,900 lb., Mk. I
2. Stores Ref. ... ... ... ... ... ■■■ ... 12A/653
Lengt h, with tail ... ... ... ... ............. .. 8 ft. 2 in.
Maximum diam eter ... ... ... ..; ... ... 1 ft. 6'7 in.
Weigh t and nat ure of filling ... ... ... ... 450 lb. ama tol 80/20
Term inal velocity ' ... ... ... ... ... ... 2,100 ft. per sec.

Tail, bomb, H. E. , aircraft, G.P., 1,900 lb., No. 14, Mk. I


3. Stores Ref. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 12A/642
Leng th ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 2 ft. 9-3 in.

GEN ERA L DES CRI PTIO N


4. The bomb consists of a body, filled w ith high explosive, and a d etac habl e t ail u nit secured to
the bomb body by four wing bolts.

Bomb body, fig. 1 and 2


5. The bomb body is a hollow steel casti ng open at each end. The nose end of the body is
thre ade d inte rnal ly t o hou se a nose bush, which is scre wed an d c ement ed in positi on, th e jo int between
the body and the nose bush being welded or soldered.
6. The nose bush , which h as a flange shap ed to suit th e con tour of t he b ody, is bored c entra lly,
and thre ade d for pa rt of it s lengt h to tak e an explode r con tain er which is screwed and ceme nted in
position . The explode r con tain er is locked to the nose bush by a locking screw.
7. The explode r con taine r, which is in the shape of a t ube closed a t one end, is flanged at the
open end and has an exte rna l screw- thread for screwing into the nose bush. The flange has two
diame trical ly o pposite slots to ta ke the ke y used for ins ertin g th e explod er cont aine r, and is prov ided
with a thre ade d hole for th e locking screw. The ex ploder con tain er is t hre ade d i nter nall y a t th e op en
end to house a de ton ato r holde r which is screwed and cement ed in posit ion, and locked with a locking
screw.
8. The det ona tor h older is sim ilar in shape to the explod er conta iner, the closed end havin g a
hole a t th e c entr e to house the stem of th e de to na to r; a bo x-cloth wash er is secured inside the bo ttom
of the holder. Fou r plain holes are provided in the flange to tak e the key used for inse rting the
det ona tor holder, and also to tak e the lug on the locking spring of the pistol when it is inse rted in
the bomb. The d eto nat or ho lder is thr ead ed inter nally a t th e ope n end t o ta ke a pisto l or tr an sit plug.
9. The ta il end of th e bomb body is shaped exte rna lly to tak e the tail, and is provided with a
locatin g pin to locat e th e t ail when in po sition on th e bomb body. The face of th e t ail end is spigoted
to locate a tra ns it base which is fitted to the body for tra ns it purposes. Two sets of fo ur thre ade d
holes are provid ed in the face, one set to receive the wing bSlts used for att ach ing th e ta il and the
oth er s et to receive t he wing bolts of th e tra ns it base. Two l ocat ing screws are screwed into th e rear
face to locate the tra ns it base when it is assembled.
10. The tail end of the bomb body receives a filling plug which is screwed and cemen ted in
position . The filling plug is in the form of a disc, screwed i nto the bom b body, and bored a nd t hrea ded
inte rna lly to receive a n explode r c ontai ner. It is p rovide d with two plain holes to t ake t he key used
for screwing it into the bomb body.
11. The explode r con tain er and det ona tor holde r used in the tai l end of the bomb body are
iden tical w ith those used in the nose e nd, and are inse rted and locked in a like manne r.
75
76

A.P. 1661B, Vol. I, Seel.' 1; Chap. 7


12. A flat sea ting is pro vided on t he bomb body which is drill ed an d ta ppe d to tak e f our securing
screws which are used to secure a susp ension lug when req uired for locat ing th e bom b on, or s uspendi ng
it from, the airc raft bomb carrier. These screw holes are plugged with tra ns it screws when the
suspension lug is not in position.
13. The suspension lug is in the form of a stop plat e with an inte gral lug, and four holes are
provid ed for the securing screws used for atta chi ng it to the bomb body. The suspension lug is
housed in the tra nsi t base when not in position on the bomb.

Filling
14. The bomb is filled wit h ama tol 80/20, which is sealed at the nose end with a pad of approve d
composition , and a f in. layer of T.N.T. into which is pressed a fe lt washer. The t ail end of th e bomb
body is sealed with a ^ in. lay er of T.N .T., a pa d of appro ved composit ion, and a gla zedboa rd washer.
The explode r conta iners are prot ecte d from the filling by pap er tubes.
15 Lo cat ed'i n each explode r con tain er is a 2 oz. 14 dr., Mk. I, T.N.T. exploder, and an 11 oz.
2 dr., Mk. I, C.E. exploder. A waxed felt washe r is lo cated betwe en t he 11 oz. 2 dr. explod er an d t he
det ona tor holder in each instanc e.

Tail, fig. 1
16. The tail, bomb, H.E ., airc raft , G.P., 1,900 lb., No. 14, Mk. I, consists of a tail cone, a
cylind rical tai l vane att ach ed to the cone by four vane supp orts, and an armi ng mechan ism used for
armin g the tai l pistol.
17. Near t he base of t he tai l cone is a t ail ring, which is drilled to house four wing bolts used
for atta chi ng the tai l to the bomb body. Each wing bolt is p rovid ed wit h a double sprin g washer,
and is reta ined in the tai l ring by a split pin passing thro ugh each bolt. The base of t he tai l cone
has a slot which engages with the locati ng pin on the tail end of th e bomb body when the tai l is
assembled. The tai l cone is pro vided w ith four han d holes t o allow access to the four wing bo lts.
18. Atta che d to the tail cone, to the rear of the tai l ring, is a spider in the form of a cross,
which supp orts t he fork end of th e armi ng mechanis m. The rea r end of th e tail cone is closed by a
bush which supp orts the arm ing vane end of the armin g mechanism .
19. The armin g mec hanism consists of a n armin g spind le, to one end of which is att ach ed a for k
which engag es wit h t he arm ing f ork of the tai l pist ol in th e bomb. At t he opp osite end of the arm ing
spindle is a n armin g vane, secured to the spindle by a nu t and ta b washer. The armin g vane and
armi ng spindle are prev ente d from rot ati ng by a safet y clip, which fits over the end of the bush in
the tail cone.

Transit base, fig. 3


20. The base, tra ns it, air cra ft bomb, No. 28, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/640), is of cas t steel, and
is provid ed with four capt ive wing bolts used for att ac hin g th e tra ns it base to the tai l end of the
bomb body. Eig ht webs are cast in th e tra ns it base for stre ngt hen ing purposes , alt ern ate webs
havi ng machi ned bosses which form seatin gs for the wing bolts. One web has a machi ned seatin g
for t he susp ension lug, provid ed with holes drilled and thre ade d for t he fo ur securing screws used for
securing the lug to the tra ns it base. Fou r holes are also provid ed in the seat ing to house the four
screws used for securing the lug to the bomb body. Two holes, diam etri call y opposi te each other ,
are provid ed to engage the head s of t he tra ns it base locati ng screws on the bomb body.

Transit plug
21. The plug, tra ns it, No. 30, Mk. 1 (Stores4Ref. 12A/641) is conical in sha pe a nd has a th rea ded
shan k for screwing it int o the de ton ato r holde r in the bomb body. Span ner flats are machi ned on
the coni cal porti on, which is also p rovide d with a tom my b ar hole for use when inse rting or removin g
the plug. A leat her washer is provid ed unde r th e head of the plug.

Identificati on colouring and markings


Colouring
22. The exte rior of th e bomb body and tai l is p ain ted dar k green, with t he excep tion of a f in.
red band , 2 i n. from the face of the nose bush, and a 2 i n. light green band , I l f in. from the face
of the nose bush. The tra ns it base is also pai nte d dar k green.
77

Markin gs on the bomb body


23. Toward s th e tai l end of the bomb body, and on the same side as the suspens ion lug, is
stencille din blac k the following info rm ati on:—
(i) The monogr am of t he filling sta tio n, or the filling co ntr ac tor ’s initia ls or recognized trad e
mark.
(ii) The dat e of filling, mo nth and year.
(iii) The lot num ber of the filled bomb.
(iv) G.P., 1,900 lb., I.
On t he reverse side is stencille d the design num ber of th e metho d of filling.

24. On the body, towar ds the nose, and on the same side as the suspensio n lug, are stam ped
the body ma nuf act ure r’s marki ngs as follows:—
(i) I, G.P. , 1,900 lb.
(ii) The ma nuf act ure r’s initia ls or recognized tra de mark.
(iii) The dat e of man ufac ture , mo nth and year.
78

A.P. 1661 B, Vol. I, Sect. 1, Chap. 1

Markings on the tail


25. On th e cylind rical vane is stam ped the following i nfo rma tion :—
(i) No. 14, I.
(ii) G.P., 1,900 lb.
(iii) The ma nu fac tur er’s initi als or recognized tra de mark.
(iv) The dat e of man ufac ture , mo nth and year.
26. Afte r the tail has been pai nte d, on the vane is stencille d No. 14, I.
Markings on the transit base and transit plug
27. On one face of t he tr an sit base is stenc illed No. 28, Mk. I, G. P., 1,900 lb. On th e ot her face
is stam ped or cas t the following:—
(i) The dat e of man ufac ture , mo nth and year.
(ii) The ma nu fac tur er’s initia ls or recognized tra de mark.
(iii) 28, I.
28. The following info rma tion is stam ped on the tra ns it plu g:—
(i) The da te of man ufa ctur e, mo nth and year.
(ii) The ma nu fac tur er’s initi als or recognized tra de mark.
(iii) No. 30, I.
Function ing
29. When the bomb is released from the bomb carrie r, the app rop riat e fuze- settin g cont rol
links re move t he sa fety clips from t he arm ing mecha nism in t he tail an d fr om the nose p istol, if fitte d,
thu s allowing the armi ng vanes to rot ate due to air pressure.
30. Afte r a ce rtai n n umb er of revo lution s of th e a rmin g vanes, t he strik ers in th e p istol a re freed,
and on im pac t of the b omb with the t arg et, the st rike rs are forced agai nst the ir respec tive deto nato rs
causing the m to funct ion. The flash from the det ona tors passes to the exploders, which in tur n
det ona te the main filling in the bomb.
31. If the bo mb is fuzed bot h at the nose an d the tail, each with ins tan tan eou s deto nato rs, the
nose assem bly will funct ion first.

INST RUCT IONS FO R USE


Fuzin g the bomb and assembling the tail and suspension lug
32. The bomb ma y be fuzed at the nose and at the tail, or at the nose or tail only. When
fuzed only at the tail, the No. 30 tra ns it plug is left in position.
Fuzin g at the nose
33. Remove the No. 30 tra ns it plug.
34. Ens ure th at the de ton ato r cav ity is clear, using gauge, cav ity, det ona tor, No. 2, Mk.I
(Stores Ref. 12A/349); the engra ved line fo r th e 250/500 lb. bombs is appl icable t o the 1,900 lb. G.P.
bomb. Bombs which fail to pass thi s te st mus t be set aside for A.I.D . inspe ction , or used fuzed at
the tai l only.
35. Ins ert the app rop riat e det ona tor in the de ton ato r cav ity. Ins ert the nose pist ol in the
de ton ato r hol der in the bomb body and screw it in by han d unt il it is well seate d on its washer and
locked in position.
Fuzin g at the tail
36. Remove the No. 28 tra ns it base by unscrewing the four wing bolts.
37. Remove the tai l pistol by hand .
38. Ensu re th at the det on ato r cavit y is c lear, using the No. 2, Mk. I det ona tor cav ity gauge;
the engrav ed line for the 250/500 lb. bombs is applicab le. Bombs which fail to pass this te st are
to be set aside for A.I.D. inspect ion, or used fuzed at the nose only.
39. Ins ert the app rop riat e det on ato r in the det ona tor cavity .
40. Remove the overseal, press-cap, and s afety p late from the t ail p istol ; tes t the a rmi ng fork
of th e pistol for freedom of rota tion , finally screwing it ligh tly agai nst the body of the pistol.
41. Ins ert the pistol in the det on ato r holde r in the bomb body, and screw it in by han d until
it is well seated on its washe r and locked in position.
79

Assembling the tail and suspension lug


42. Offer up the tai l to the tai l end of the bomb body, with the slot in the base of the tail
cone in line with the locatin g pin in the bomb body, and ensure th at the armin g fork in the pistol
is not fouled by the armin g mechan ism in the tail.
43. Push the tail firmly into positio n and secure it to the bomb body by screwing the four
wing bolts fully home.
44. If the bomb is fuzed at t he tail, remove the safet y clip from the armin g mecha nism in the
tail, and unscrew the armin g vane two complet e tur ns. Repla ce the safet y clip, ensuri ng th at the
screw in the safet y clip engages with the slot in the bush in the tail cone.
45. Remove the suspension lug from its seat ing in the tra ns it base, and remove the tra nsi t
screws from the suspensio n lug seat ing on the bomb body. Place the suspensio n lug in positi on on
the bom b body, and secure i t w ith t he four screws w hich for t ra ns it pu rposes are h oused in the recesses
in the s uspension lug s eatin g in the tra ns it base. The tra ns it screws are to be placed in the seatin g
in the tra ns it base for fur the r use.

Loading the bomb on to the aircraft bomb carrier


46. Load the bomb on to the airc raft bomb carri er as described in the rele van t cha pte r of
A.P. 1664, Vol. I. Att ach t he app rop riat e fuze- setting c ontro l lin ks of th e bomb c arrier to th e safet y
clip of t he ar ming mechan ism in t he tail, if the bo mb is fuzed at th e tail, and to th e safe ty c lip of th e
nose pi stol, if th e bom b is fuzed at the nose. Remove the s afety pin from the s afety clip in th e nose
pistol imm ediat ely before the airc raft is read y to tak e off, and han d it to the p ilot or bomb aimer.
Unloading the bomb from the aircraft bomb carrier
47. If the bomb is fuzed at t he nose, replace the safe ty pin in the s afety clip of th e nose pist ol.
48. Disengage the fuze- settin g cont rol links from the safe ty clips, and unload the bom b as
described in the rele van t cha pte r of A.P.1664, Vol. I.

Unfuzin g the bomb


Nose
49. Remove the pistol by hand , and remove the deto nato r, using ext ract or, det ona tor, No. 2,
Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/348). Screw a No. 30, Mk. I tra ns it plug securely in position.
Tail
50. Remove the tail by unscrewing the four wing bolts.
51. Replace the safe ty pla te and press-cap of the tai l pistol. In the e ven t of th e arm ing fork
of the pistol sta ndi ng proud of th e edge of the pistol body, the safe ty plat e and press-cap are not
to be replac ed unti l t he pistol has been r emoved from the bo mb; the arm ing fork is the n t o be ligh tly
screwed up to 'the pistol body and the safe ty plat e and press-cap replaced.
52. Remove the pistol, and ext rac t the deto nato r, using the No. 2, Mk. I det onato r extr acto r.
Replace the pistol in the bomb, screwing it in by hand .
53. Remove the suspension lug from the bomb body, by unscrewing the four securin g screws,
and replace the tra ns it screws in the suspension lug seati ng on the bomb body.
54. Ins ert the securing screws for th e lug in the recesses in the suspension lug seati ng in the
tra ns it base, and fit the su spension lug t o its seat ing in the t ran sit base using the screws in the base.
55. Att ach the tra ns it base to the bomb body by screwing in the four wing bolts.

SUP PLY AND STORAGE


Supply
56. The bomb, H.E ., airc raft , G.P., 1,900 lb., Mk. I, is supplied with a plug, tra nsi t, No. 30,
Mk. I, in position in the nose. A pistol, bomb, tail, No. 28, or No. 30, is suppli ed in the b omb body,
where it acts as a tra ns it plug. A base, tra nsi t, airc raft btwnb, No. 28, Mk. I, is assembled to the
bomb body.
57. The tail, bomb, H.E ., airc raft, G.P., 1,900 lb., No. 14, Mk. I, is supplied in Box, B.343,
Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/639), to geth er with a nose pistol, used f or t he nose fuzing of the bomb. Only
a certai n perce ntage of the boxes will con tain a nose pistol, thos e wit hou t a pistol being stencilled
accordingly.
Storage
58. Bombs, H.E ., aircr aft, G.P., 1,900 lb., Mk. I, are classified, for the purpos e of storag e, in
Group V II. The tails , an d nose pistols, in the ir boxes, may be stored in th e same e xplosives storeh ouse
as the filled bombs, bu t they mus t be stack ed well clear of the filled stores.
80

Th is chapter issue d with A .L . No. 54 A.P.16 61B, Vol. I, Sect. 1


Februa ry, 1943
Relevan t amen dmen ts up to A .L. 72
incorporat ed in this repr int
Jan ua ry, 194

CHAPTER 8
BOMBS, H.E ., AIRCRAFT, G.P., 4,00 0 lb., Mk. I and D

LIST OF CONTENTS
Par a.
Intro ductio n ... 1
Bomb, H.E., aircraft , G.P., 4,000 lb., Mk. II
Leading partic ulars .............. 3
General description 5
Bomb body ... . 6
Filling ... 11
Nose plug 14
Tail .............. ........................................................... 15
Tran sit base ... 20
Identific ation colouring and markings
Colouring ... 25
Markings on the bomb body 26
Markings on the nose plug 28
Markings on the tail 29
Markings on the tran sit base ... 30
Functioni ng 31
Instru ction s for use
Fuzing the bomb ... ... ... ... ... 34
Fuzing at the nose 35
Fuzing at the tail 38
Assembling the tail to the bomb body ... 44
Assembling the suspension fittings ... 46
Loading the bomb on to the aircra ft 49
Unloading the bomb from the aircr aft ... 50
Unfuzing the bomb
Nose 52
Tail ........................................................................ 53
Assembling the bomb to the tra nsi t base 56
Supply and storage
Supply 58
Storage ........................................................................ 60
Bomb, H.E., aircraft , G.P., 4,000 lb., Mk. I
Leading parti culars ... 61
General description
Comparison with the Mk. II bomb 62
Instr uctio ns for use 63
Supply and storage
Supply 65
Storage 67

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Fig.
1 Bomb, H.E., aircra ft, G.P., 4,000 lb., Mk. II, on tran sit base
2. Bomb, H.E., aircra ft, G.P., 4,000 lb., Mk. II, (detail of nose and tail fuzingpositions)
3. Bomb, H.E., aircra ft, G.P., 4,000 lb., Mk. II, with tail fitted (bomb fuzed nose and tail)
4. Base, tran sit, aircr aft bomb, No. 30, Mk. I
81

CHAPTER 8

BOMBS, H.E ., AIRCRAFT, G J ., 4,00 0 lb., Mk. I and H


Introduction
1. The 4,000 lb. G.P. Mk. I and I I bombs, which are for spe cial o perat ions, a re fuzed a t the tail
and also at the nose if re quire d. In addi tion to the tai l and nose fuzing positions, the Mk. I bomb
has two side fu zing p ositions n ear the re ar end, thi s being t he onl y difference betwee n th e t wo mark s.
2. The bombs are issued on tr an sit bases, and the y hav e a tai l pisto l in position, servin g as
a tr an sit p lug, and a nose p lug which has to be remove d when the bomb is to be fuzed at t he nose.

BOMB, H.E ., AIRCRAFT, G.P., 4,00 0 lb., Mk. H


Leading particulars
3. Body, bomb, H .E ., aircraft, G. P., 4,000 lb., M k. I I
Stores R ef......................................................... 12A/1092
Lengt h, w ith nose plug an d ta il assem bled ... 8 f t. 8-5 i n., appr ox.
Maximum d iam eter ... ... ... ... 2 ft. 0-5 i n., appro x.
Weig ht of bo dy, em pty ... ... ... 2,450 lb., appr ox.
Weight a nd na tur e of filling ... ... 1,070 lb., app rox ., am ato l 50/50
or 60/40, o r 1,081 lb., appro x.,
am atex 51/40/9
Term inal veloc ity of b omb ... ... ... 2,400 ft. per sec. (estima ted)
4. Tail, bomb, aircraft, No. 34, Mk. I
Stores Ref. ... ... ... ... ... 12A/1086
Length ... ... ... ... ... 2 ft. , appro x.

GEN ERA L DES CR IPT ION


5. The bom b consis ts of a body, filled with high explosive, and a deta cha ble tai l which is
secured to the b omb body b y four wing bolts.
Bomb body
6. The bomb body, see fig. 1 and 2, is a hollow s teel cast ing with a n op ening at eac h en d. The
opening in the nose is fitted with a nose bush which is screwed in and welded in posit ion, and the
opening in the rea r end is f itted with a filling p lug which has a cen tral bore. The bore of t he nose
bush and th at of the filling plug are threa ded.
7. Two explod er cont ainer s, which are simi lar excep t in length, are screwed one into the nose
bush and the oth er into the filling plug, the longer one being in the nose bush. These explod er
conta iners are closed at the ir inne r ends and flanged at the ir out er ends, th e flanges being seate d
on shoulde rs in the nose bush and filling plu g respecti vely. The explod er conta iners are locked in
position by locking screws, and the ir out er ends accom moda te det ona tor holders.
8. Eac h det ona tor holder is screwed into t he explod er conta iner, and has a flange at its out er
end wh ich seat s in a recess in the explod er conta iner. The det ona tor h olders are locked in position
by locking screws, and are thre ade d inte rna lly to tak e a pistol or a plug, whils t the inne r end of
each det ona tor holde r has a cen tral hole for the det ona tor stem . The flange of each det ona tor
holde r h as four plain holes t o tak e the lu g on t he locking sprin g of th e pisto l when assemble d to the
bomb. The tai l pistol is in posit ion when the bomb is supplied , and the de ton ato r hold er in the
nose is closed by the nose plug.
9. The bomb bo dy has thre e se ts of tap ped holes for t he securin g screws of a cen tral suspen sion
lug and f ore a nd aft h oisting b rack ets, which fittin gs are assemb led to the bo mb body when requi red
for suspe nding and locati ng the bomb on the airc raft . The tap ped holes are plugged with tra ns it
screws durin g tra ns it of t he bomb body on its tra ns it base, and t he suspens ion and hoisti ng fitting s,
with the ir securing b olts, are carrie d in the t ra ns it base.
10. The rea r end of the bomb body is shape d t<? receive t he tail , and is provid ed with a pin
for locati ng the tai l in corre ct relat ion to the suspensio n and hois ting fittings , whilst the rea r face
has two sets of four thr ead ed holes, one se t for th e wing bolts of the tail , a nd the oth er s et fo r th e bolts
securing the tr an sit base to the bomb body.
Filling
11. The main filling consists of am ato l 50/50 or 60/40, or am ate x 51/40/9, and it is sealed a t
the ends by layers of ap prov ed composition .
12. The explod er c ont aine r in the nose of th e bomb body houses a T.N.T . and a C.E. exploder
covered by a felt washer, and it is prot ecte d from the main filling by a pap er tube .
82

A. P.1 661 B, Vol. I, Sect. 1, Chap. 8


No .4 0, Mk. 1 NOSE PLUG
NOSE BUSH

APPROVED CO M PO SI TI ON

EXPLODER CON TAI NER


(I N PA PER TUBE)

TRANSIT SCREWS

BO DY

TRA NSIT SCREW

■MAIN FI LL IN G

TR AN SIT SCREWS

T.N .T . EX PL OD ER

PA PE R TU BE

AP PR O VE D CON
EXPLODER CONTAINER

FILLI NG PLU G
LO C A TI N G PIN

SE CU RI NG BO LT SECU RING BOLT

T R A N S IT BASE- •TAIL PI ST O L

H O IS T IN G BRACKETS

Fig. 1.—Bomb , H. E., air cra ft, G.P., 4,000 lb., Mk II, on tr an si t base
83

N o .4 O .M k l NOS E PLUG

FELT DISC- T.N.T. EXP LODER

PAP ER TU B E

M A IN FIL LI NG

C.E.EXP LODER
EXPLODER CO NT AIN ER

FELT WASHER

DE TO NA TO R
HOLDER
FIL LIN G PLUG

•APPROVED
CO MP O SI TI O N
BOXCL OTH WASHER STRIK ER

PISTOL- ■ARMING FORK

Fig . 2.— B om b,. H .E ., ai rc ra ft , G. P. , 4,00 0 lb., Mk. II (d eta il of nose an d ta il fuz ing po siti ons )
84

A. P .ie ai B , Vol. I, Sect. 1, Chap. 8


13. The explode r in the tai l fuzing positi on houses a C.E. explod er covered by a felt washer;
and it is prot ecte d from the main filling by a pap er tub e which also houses a T.N.T . explod er with
a fe lt disc a t the in ner end.
Nose plug
14. The plug, bomb, nose, No. 40, Mk. I consists of a disc wh ich has on its under side a shallo w
recess with a sho rt screwed spigo t at the cent re for screwing into the de ton ato r hold er in the nose
of t he bomb, the spigo t being fitte d with a sealing washer. The top of t he disc has a head with a
tran sver se hole for a t om my ba r.
Tail
15. The tail, bomb, airc raft , No. 34, Mk. I, see fig. 3, con sists of a cylind rical t ail vane connect ed
by four van e sup por ts to a tai l cone w hich is f itte d wit h an arm ing mechan ism for the t ail p istol.
16. A cone ring is rive ted in the tai l cone a sho rt dist ance from its forwa rd edge, an d it has
four holes each of which accom moda tes a wing bol t for securing t he tai l to the bomb body. Eac h
wing bol t has a sprin g wash er on its sha nk betw een the head and the cone ring, and the bolt is
prev ente d from with draw al from the cone ring by a split pin passed thro ugh a h ole in its shank.
17. Fou r han d holes ar e provid ed in the t ail cone t o give acce ss t o the he ads of th e wing bo lts,
and a not ch is pr ovid ed in the f orwar d edge of the t ail cone for engaging the t ail l ocatin g p in on the
rea r end of th e bomb b ody.
18. A s pider, formed of crossed strip s, is s ecured in the tail cone to the rea r of the cone ring,
and it has a bea ring hole a t t he cen tre fo r th e for ward end of a n a rming spindle which e xten ds t hro ugh
a cone b ush secured in t he ap ex of th e cone.
19. The forwa rd end of the armi ng spindle has secured to it a fork for engaging the armin g
fork of the tai l pis tol, whils t th e r ear end of the spind le is fi tted wit h a four -blade d arm ing v ane which
is prev ente d from rot ati ng by a safe ty clip fitt ed over the end of the cone bush and positio ned by
the head of a screw on the clip engaging a hole in the cone bush. The ape x of t he tail cone, with
its cone bush and armi ng vane, proje cts beyon d the rea r edge of the cylindr ical tail vane.
Transit base
20. The ba se, t ran sit, air cra ft bom b, No. 30, Mk. I, see fig. 4, is a circula r cas ting h aving a c entr al
recess which accom moda tes the rea r end of the bomb body, and a depressi on at the cen tre of this
recess house s t he head of th e tai l pistol.
21. Fou r equi-spa ced holes are fitt ed with bolts for securin g the tra ns it base to the bomb
body. The securing bolts car ry sprin g w ashers betw een the ir head s a nd t he un dersi de of th e tra ns it
base, and the y are p rev ent ed from remov al by split pins passed thro ugh holes in the bolt shanks .
22. The upp er edge of the flange of the tra ns it base surr ounding the recess is formed with a
not ch to accom moda te the t ail locati ng pin on the r ea r end of th e bomb b ody, and t he inne r face of
this flange has bear ing surface s for locati ng the r ear en d of th e bomb b ody cen tral ly in t he recess.
23. The under side of the tra ns it base is formed with seatin gs for the suspens ion lug and for
the two hoisti ng brac kets , thr ead ed holes being provi ded to tak e the screws which secure the fit tings
in p osition. The seat ing for t he suspe nsion lug also ha s f our cou nter bore d clearan ce holes to ac com­
mod ate spare securing screws, which are reta ine d in positio n by the suspensi on lug so long as it is
secured to the tra ns it base.
24. The tra ns it base is recessed on its under side to afford cleara nce and prot ecti on for the
fittin gs which it acc ommo dates, and also for th e hea ds of th e b olts w hich secure it to the bomb body.
Identificati on colourin g and markings
Colouring
25. The b omb bo dy is pai nte d da rk gre en wi th a light green band , 2 in. wide, round its maxim um
diam eter, and a red b and, %in. wide, ro und the nose. The tai l is pa inte d da rk green, and t he tr an sit
base is pa inte d buff.
Markin gs on the bomb body
26. Towa rds the rea r end of the bomb body, and on the same s ide as the suspens ion lug and
hoistin g bra cke t po sitions, are stencill ed in black th e following p art icu lar s;—
(i) The monog ram of the filling stat ion , or the initia ls or recognized tra de mar k of the filling
cont racto r.
(ii) The dat e of filling, mon th and year.
(iii) The lot num ber of the filling.
(iv) The type , weight, and the m ark of th e bomb.
(v) The design num ber of th e meth od of filling.
85

CON E BUSH AR MI NG VANE


AR MIN G SPIND LE SAFETY CLIP

CY LIN DR IC AL VANE VANE SUPPORT

TAIL CONE
FOR K

CONE RING

WIN G BOLT
SPIDER

TA IL PIST OL LOCATING PIN

HOISTING BRACKET

BODY (PA INT ED


DARK GREEN )

-SUSP ENSIO N LUG

os/os
HO IST ING BRACKET -LI GH T GREEN BAND

RED BAND

NOSE PISTO L

Fig. 3.— Bomb, H.E. , aircraft , G.P., 4,000 lb., Mk. II, with tail fitted (bomb fuzed nose and tail)
86

A. P. 16 61 B, Vol. I, Sect. l t Chap.

pSU SPE NSIO N LUG SEA TIN G I— S P L I T PI N

BE AR IN G SURFACE B E A R IN G S U R F A C E - SECURING BOL T

STRE NGT HEN ING PR IN G WASHER


WEB
ST RE NG TH EN IN G

r—

Fig. 4.—Base, tra ns it, air cra ft bomb , No. 30, Mk. I
F (1661B)
87

The rati o 50/50, o r 60/40, as applic able, for t he am ato l filling, or the mark ing "AMAT EX 51/40/ 9,”
is stencille d, in black , to the rea r of the ligh t green band .
27. Towa rds the nose of t he bomb body, and on the same side as the suspensio n lug position,
are stam ped t he following body ma nuf act ure r’s ma rki ngs :—
(i) The typ e, weight, and mar k of th e bomb.
(ii) The bod y ma nuf act ure r’s i nitia ls or recognized tra de mark.
(iii) The d ate of man ufac ture, mon th and year.
Markin gs on the nose plug
28. The following ma rkings are stam ped on the h ead of th e nose p lug :—
(i) The dat e of m anu fact ure, mo nth and year.
(ii) The ma nu fac tur er’s init ials or recognized tra de mark.
(iii) "No. 40. I ” .
Markin gs on the tail
29. The following markin gs are stam ped on the c ylindric al tail van e:—
(i) "No. 34. I ” .
(ii) The ma nuf act ure r’s initi als or recognized tra de mark
(iii) The dat e of m anuf actu re, mo nth an d year.
After th e ta il has been pain ted, the mar king “No. 34. I ” is stencille d in black, on the cylindri cal
tai l vane.
Markin gs on the tran sit base
30. The mar king "No. 30 Mk. I. 3800 lb .” is ca st on the unders ide of th e tra ns it base, and the
ma nuf act ure r’s initi als and the dat e of man ufac ture, mon th and year, are cas t on the bot tom of
the cen tral recess in the u pper side of th e tra ns it base.
Functio ning
31. When the bomb is released from the airc raft , the app rop riat e fuze- setting con trol links
remove the sa fety clips from the armi ng mecha nism in t he tail, and f rom the nose pisto l if th e bomb
is fuzed at th e nose, thu s freeing the a rmin g vanes.
32. Duri ng the flight of the bomb, the armi ng vane s rot ate so as to arm the pistols, and on
imp act of t he bom b with th e targ et, the p istol str iker s are forced aga inst th eir r especti ve deto nato rs,
causing the m to functi on. The firing of the deto nato rs init iate s the associa ted explod ers which
det ona te the m ain filling of t he bo mb.
33. If the bomb is fuz ed bo th at the n ose and the tail, each with an insta ntan eou s deto nato r,
the nose fuz ing will fun ction first.
INST RUC TION S FO R USE
Fuzin g th e bomb
34. The bomb may be fuzed at bot h the nose and the tai l or at the tail only, in which lat ter
insta nce the nose plug is le ft in position.
Fuzi ng at the nose
35. Remov e the nose plug.
36. Ens ure th at the de ton ato r cav ity is clear, using gauge, cavi ty, deto nato r, No. 2, Mk. I
(Stores Ref. 12A/349); the eng raved line for th e 250/500 lb. bombs is appl icable to th e 4,000 lb. G.P.
bombs. Bombs which fail to pass thi s gauge tes t mu st be set aside for A.I.D. inspection.
37. In se rt the app rop ria te det ona tor in the de ton ato r cavi ty. In se rt the nose pisto l in
the de ton ato r holde r in the nose of the bomb and screw it in by han d unt il it is well s eate d on its
washer and l ocked in position.
Fuzin g at the tail
38. Remove the t ra ns it base by unscrew ing t he fo ur s ecuring bolts.
39. Remove t he t ail pis tol, by hand , from the det onato r holde r in t he rea r e nd of th e bomb.
40. Ens ure th at the det ona tor cav ity is clear, using gauge, cavit y, deto nato r, No. 2 Mk. I
(Stores Ref. 12A/349); the engra ved line for the 250/500 lb. bombs is appli cable to the 4,000 lb.
G.P. bombs. Bombs which fail to pass thi s gauge tes t mu st be set aside for A.I.D . inspectio n. ,
41. Ins ert th e app rop riat e det on ato r in t he d eto nat or cavit y.
42. Remove the overseal, press-cap , and safe ty pla te from the tai l pistol, and te st the armin g
fork of th e pistol f or freedom of ro tati on, finally screwing it ligh tly aga inst t he body of t he pistol.
43. Ins ert the tai l pistol in the det ona tor holde r in the rea r end of the bomb and screw it in
by hand unti l it is well seat ed on its washe r and locked in position.
88

A.P. 1661 B, Vol. I, Sect. 1, Chap. 8

Assembling the tail to the bomb body


44. Offer up the tail to the rear end of the bomb body with the notch in the forward edge of
the tail cone in line with the tail locating pin on the bomb body, and ensure that the arming fork
of the tail pistol is not fouled by the fork of the arming mechanism in the tail.
45. Push the tail firmly into position on the rear end of the bomb body and secure it b y screwing
home the four wing bolts.
Assembling the suspensi on f ittings
46. Remove the suspension lug and hoisting brackets from the underside of the transit base by
unscrewing the screws which secure them to their seatings. Remove the four spare screws from the
counterbored holes in the suspension lug seating, and replace the four screws which secured the
suspension lug to the transit base.
47. Remove the four transit screws from the suspension lug position on the side of the bomb
body and set them aside fpr use again should this be necessary. Place the suspension lug in position
on the bomb body and secure it with the four spare screws; these screws have fibre inserts, and
care should be taken to ensure tha t the y are screwed tigh tly home to clamp the suspension lug
firmly to the bomb body.
48. Remove the four transit screws from each of the hoisting bracket positions on the side
of the bomb body, and screw them one into each hole in the hoisting bracke t seatings in th e transit
base for use again if necessary. Place the hoisting bra ckets in position on the side of the bomb bod y
and secure them with the screws which held them on their seatings on the transit base.

Loading th e bomb on to the aircraft


49. Load the bomb on to the aircraft as described in the relevan t chapter of A.P. 1664, Vol. I,
or in the Air Publicati on relevant to the aircraft, and in A.P. 1095, Vol. I, Sect. X, Chap. 6 which
describes t he loading and cocking of the E.M. release unit, Typ e F and F/W. Fina lly connect the
safe ty c lip of the arming mechanism in the t ail of the bomb, and also the s afet y cli p of the nose pistol
if the bomb is fuzed at the nose, to appropriate fuze-setting control links on the aircraft, remove
the safety pin from the nose pistol, if fitted, and hand it to the pilot or the bomb aimer immediately
before the aircraft is read y to take off.
Unloading the bomb from the aircraft
50. Replace the safety pin in the s afe ty clip of the nose pistol i f the bomb is fuzed at the nose,
51. Disconnect the fuze-setting control link from the safe ty clip on the arming mechanism
in the ta il o f the bomb, and, if the bomb is fuzed at t he nose, disconnect t he other fuze-setti ng control
link from the safe ty clip of the nose pistol. Fina lly unload the bomb from t he aircraft as described
in the relevant chapter of A.P. 1664, Vol. I or in the Air Publicat ion relevant to the aircraft, making
sure tha t the bomb is adequa tely supported by the hoisting gear before operating the mechanical
release of the E.M. release unit, Typ e F or F/W, to free the suspension lug and allow the bomb to
be lowered.
Unfuz ing the bomb
Nose
52. Remove the nose pistol by hand, and remove the detonator, using extract or, detonator
No, 2, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/348). Replace the No. 40 plug in the nose of the bomb, screwing it
tigh tly home into the detonator holder.
Tail
53. Remove the tail from the bomb body by unscrewing the four win g bolts.
54. Replace the safe ty plate and the press-cap o f the tail pistol. In the unlik ely event of the
pistol arming fork standing proud of the top of the pistol body, no attempt must be made to replace
the s afety plate and the pres s-cap w hilst the pistol is in position in the d etonator h older; in th at event,
the tail pistol must be removed from the detonator Holder by hand and the arming fork then screwed
ligh tly home against the pistol body before replacing the safe ty plate and the press-cap.
55. Remove the ta il pistol by hand, if this has not alre ady been done, and ext ract the detonator
using extracto r, detonator, No. 2, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/348). Replace the tail pistol in the
detonator holder.
Assemblin g the bomb to th e tr ansit base
56. Assemble the transi t base to the rear end of the bomb body with the notch in the inner
flange of the transit base en gaging the tail locating pin on the bomb body; and screw the four bolts
in the transit base into the tapped holes in the rear end of the bomb body.
89

57. If the bom b is to be prep ared for tra nsi t, the suspens ion and hoisti ng fittin gs should be
remove d from th e bomb and be replaced on the tra ns it base, for prote ction , as follows:—r-
(i) Remov e th e suspension lug and hoist ing brac kets from the bomb, and replace the tra ns it
screws in t he ta ppe d holes in the bo mb body. The tra ns it screws fo r t he h oisti ng brac kets
are in the t ra ns it base.
(ii) Replace t he four spare screws fo r th e suspe nsion lug in t he p lain c ount erbo red holes in the
suspension lug seat ing on the t ra ns it base, remove the oth er four securin g screws from the
tap ped holes in th at seatin g, place t he suspens ion lu g in t he seati ng, and secure it in po sition
with th e securing screws.
(iii) Replace the hoisti ng brac kets on the ir seatin gs on the tra ns it base, and secure them in
position with the ir securing screws.

SUP PLY AND STORAG E


Supply
58. The bomb, H.E ., airc raft , G.P., 4,000 lb., Mk. II is suppl ied und er Stores Ref. 12A/1092,
assembled to base, tra nsi t, air cra ft bomb, No. 30, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/1088). A plug, bomb,
nose, No. 40, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/1085) is suppl ied assemb led to the nose of the bomb, and a
No. 28 pistol, or a No. 30 pistol , in the rea r end of th e bomb body, serves as a tra ns it plug. No. 27
or oth er pistols requ ired for nose fu zing are issued sepa ratel y.
59. The tail , bomb, airc raft , No. 34, Mk. I is supplie d unde r Store Ref. 12A/1086, packe d in
a clamp, prote cting , B.396, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/1087).
Storage
60. The bombs, H.E ., airc raft , G.P., 4,000 lb., Mk. II are classified, for stora ge purpose s, in
Group VII . The No. 34, Mk. I tails, in the ir pro tect ing clamps, and also th e nose pistols , ma y be
stor ed in the same explosive s store house as the filled bombs, bu t the y mu st be stac ked well clear
of th e filled stores.
BOMB, H.E ., AIRCRAFT, G.P., 4,000 lb., Mk. I
Leading particulars
61. Stores Ref. ................................................................................................. 12A/1084
The rema ining leading par ticu lars are the same as for th e Mk. II bom b see para . 3 and 4.

GEN ERA L DE SCR IPT ION


Comparison with the Mk. n bomb
62. The G.P. 4,000 lb. Mk. I bomb differs f rom th e G.P. 4,000 l b. Mk. II bom b in th at it has
two side f uzing positions , nea r th e r ear en d of the bo mb body, in add itio n t o the nose and ta il fuzing
positio ns. These side fuzing positio ns are afforded by ada pte rs welded int o the bom b body and
fitte d wit h explo der cont aine rs and det ona tor holders simi lar to thos e in th e tai l fuzing position ,
the ex ploder conta iners be ing f itte d with exp loders and th e det ona tor hold ers being closed b y tra ns it
plugs which m ust be kep t screwed u p tig ht. The ex ploder conta iner s of the side fuzing p ositions exten d
radi ally i nto t he bom b body from oppos ite sides and at a n angle of 45 deg. to t he s uspensi on lug.

INSTR UCTI ONS FO R USE


63. The inst ruct ions for use given in par a. 34 t o 57 app ly equa lly to the G.P. 4,000 lb. Mk I
bomb.
64. The side fuzing posit ions of the Mk. I bom b are to be used wit h special pistols if these
are requ ired for the par ticu lar opera tion, an d only wh en specific in stru ctio ns to side fuze the bomb
are given.
SUP PLY AND STORA GE
Supply
65. The supp ly of the bomb, H.E ., airc raft , G.P., 4,000 lb., Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/1084) is
the same as for th e Mk. II bomb, see para . 58, e xcep t th at in addi tion the s ide fuzing positi ons are
closed b y tra ns it plugs.
66. The tail , bomb, airc raft , No. 34,*Mk I (Stores Ref. 12A/1086) is suppl ied as describe d in
para . 59.
Storage
67. The bomb, H.E ., airc raft, G.P., 4,000 lb., Mk. I is classified, for s torag e p urposes , in Group
VII . The No. 34 Mk. I tails , in the ir pro tec ting clamps, and also the nose pistols, ma y be store d
in the same explosives storeho use as th e filled bombs, bu t the y mu st be stac ked well clear of the
filled stores.
90
91

T hi s ap pe nd ix iss ue d wi th A .L . No. 66 A.P. 1661 B, Vol. I, Sect. 1


Aug ust, 1943
Relevan t amen dmen ts up to A .L . 72
incorporated in this repr int
Jan ua ry, 1941

APPENDI X 1

COMPONENTS USED WITH G.P. BOMBS

LI ST OF CO NT EN TS
Table
Bombs, H .E., aircra ft, G.P., 40 lb., Mk. I, II, and II I ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1
Bombs, p arachu te, H.E., aircra ft, G.P., 40 lb., Mk. I, II, and II I. .. ... ... ... ... ... 2
Bombs, H .E., aircra ft, G.P., 120 lb., Mk. I and II, supplied unexplodered ... ... ... ... 3
Bombs, H .E., aircra ft, G.P., 120 lb., Mk. I and II, explodered to Scheme C ... ... ... ... 4
Bombs, H.E., aircr aft, G.P., 250 lb., Mk. I, II, and II I, supplied unexplo dered.. . ... ... ... 5
Bombs, H.E., aircra ft, G.P., 250 lb., Mk. I, II , and III , explodered to Scheme A ... ... ... 6
Bombs, H.E. , aircra ft, G.P., 250 lb., Mk. I, II, and III , explodered to Scheme B ... ... ... 7
Bombs, H.E. , aircra ft, G.P., 250 lb., Mk. I, II, and III , explodered to Scheme C ... ... ... 8
Bomb, H.E., aircra ft, G.P., 250 lb., Mk. IV ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 9
Bombs, H.E ., aircra ft, G.P., 500 lb., Mk. I, II , and III , supplied unexplo dered.. . ... ... ... 10
Bombs, H.E. , aircra ft, G.P., 500 lb., Mk. I, II, and III , explodered to Scheme A ... ... ... 11
Bombs, H .E., aircra ft, G.P., 500 lb., Mk. I, II, and III , explodered to Scheme B ... ... ... 12
Bombs, H. E., aircra ft, G.P., 500 lb., Mk. I, II , and III , explodered to Scheme C ... ... ... 13
Bomb, H .E., aircra ft, G.P., 500 lb., Mk. IV ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 14
Bombs, H.E., aircraft , G.P., 1,000 lb., Mk. I and II ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 15
Bombs, H .E., aircra ft, G.P., 1,000 lb., Mk. I ll a nd IV ........................................................................ 16
Bomb, H .E., aircra ft, G.P., 1,900 lb., Mk. I ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 17
Bombs, H.E., aircra ft, G.P., 4,000 lb., Mk. I and II ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 18
92

APPEN DIX 1

COMPONENTS USED WITH GJ*. BOMBS

TABLE 1

BOMBS, H.E ., AIRCRAFT, G.P., 40 lb., Mk. I, II, and HI

Nose fuz in g

Pist ol Detonator Explo der

No. 29, Mk. I or II No. 43, Mk. I (inst.)


or
No. 38, Mk. IM, II , IIM, II I, Specia l, supp lied in
. or IV posi tion
No. 45, Mk. I No. 52, Mk. II (inst.)

TABLE 2

BOMBS, PARACHUTE, H.E ., AIRCRAFT, G.P., 40 lb., Mk. I, II, and HI

Nose fu zi ng

Pistol Detonator Explod er


No. 33, Mk. I No. 43, Mk. I (inst.) Specia l, sup plie d in
posi tion

TABLE 3

BOMBS, H.E ., AIRCRAFT, G.P., 120 lb., Mk. I a nd H, supplied unexplodered

Nose fu zin g Ta il fuz in g

Pisto l Detonator Explod er Pisto l Detonator Detonator Explo der


holder
No. 19, No. 4, No. 13, No. 21, 6-7 in., No. 22, No. 19,
Mk. I or II Mk. I (inst.) Mk. I Mk. I or II Mk. I, supp lied Mk. I (inst.) Mk. I l l
in pos itio n

TABLE 4

BOMBS, H.E ., AIRCRAFT, G.P., 120 lb., Mk. I and H, explodered to Scheme C

Nose fu zin g Ta il fu zin g

Pistol Detonator Explo der Pistol Detonator Detonator Explo der


holder
No. 19, No. 4, Special, No. 21, Adj ust abl e, No. 22, Special,
Mk. I or II Mk. I (inst.) sup plie d in Mk. I or II No. 3, Mk. I, Mk. I (inst.) sup plie d in
posi tion supp lied in posi tion
posi tion
93

A.P .16 61B , Vol. I , Sect. 1, Ap p. 1

TABLE 5

BOMBS, H.E ., AIRCRAFT, G.P., 250 lb., Mk. I, II, and IH, supplied unexplodered

Nos e fu zi n g T ail fu zi n g

Pis tol Deto nato r Ex plo de r Det onator Ex plo de r Pi sto l Det onator Det onator Ex plo de r
holder

No. 19, No. 4, No. 16, 45 grain , No. 16. No. 22, 6-7 in., No. 22, No. 19,
Mk. I or II Mk. I Mk. I No. 1, Mk. I Mk. I or I I Mk. I, Mk. I Mk. I l l
(inst.) Mk. I sup plie d in (inst.)
posit ion

TABLE 6

BOMBS, H.E ., AIRCRAFT, G.P., 250 lb., Mk. I, H, and HI , explodered to Scheme A

Nos e fu zi n g T a il fu zi n g

Pi sto l Deto nato r Ex plo de r Det onator Ex plo de r Pis tol Det onator Deto nato r Ex plo der
holder

No. 19, No. 4, No. 16, 45 grain , No. 16, No. 22, 6'7 in., No. 22, No. 19,
Mk. I Mk. I Mk. I, No. 1, Mk. I, Mk. I Mk. I, Mk. I Mk, II I,
or II (inst.) sup plie d Mk. I supp lied or II supp lied (inst.) supp lied
in posi tion in posi tion in posi tion in pos itio n

TABLE 7

BOMBS, H.E ., AIRCRAFT, G.P., 250 lb., Mk. I, H, and III, explodered to Scheme B

No se f u zi n g T a il fu zi n g

Pi sto l Det onator Ex plo de r Pi sto l Det onator holder Det ona tor Ex plo de r

No. 19, No. 4, No. 16, No. 22, Ad jus tab le, No. 1, No. 33, No. 19,
Mk. I or II Mk. I (inst.) Mk. I, Mk. I or II Mk. I or II , Mk. I (inst.) Mk. I ll ,
sup plie d in sup plie d in supp lied in
posi tion posi tion posit ion

TABLE 8

BOMBS, H.E ., AIRCRAFT, G.P., 250 lb., M kx l, II, and HI, explodered to Scheme C

Nos e fu zi n g f T ail fu zi n g

Pi sto l Deto nato r Ex plo der Pis tol Deto nato r holder Deto nator Ex plo der

No. 19, No. 4, Special, No. 22, Ad just abl e, No. 4, No. 33, Special,
Mk. I or II Mk. I (inst.) sup plie d in Mk. I or II Mk. I, supp lied Mk. I (inst.) supp lied in
posi tion in posit ion posit ion
94

TABLE 9
BOMB, H.E. , AIRCRAFT, G.P., 250 lb., Mb. IV

Nose fuz in g Ta il fu zi ng

Pisto l Detonator Expl oder Pisto l Detonator Explod er


No. 27, Mk. I* No. 43, Mk. I No. 28, Mk. I, No. 43, Mk. I (inst.)
or II (inst.) II , II* , II I, No. 49, Mk. I or II I (0-025
or IV sec.)
No. 44, Mk. I, II , or II I (1
No.eC35, Mk. II , II I, or V
Special, (11 sec.) Special,
suppl ied supp lied
in in
No. 42, Mk. I No. 52, Mk. I posi tion No. 30, Mk. II No. 52, Mk. I or II (inst.)
or II or II (inst.) II I, III *, No. 51, Mk. I (0-025 sec.) posi tion
IV, or V No. 50, Mk. I (0-14 sec.)
No. 54, Mk. I (3 sec.)
No. 44, Mk. I No. 52, Mk. II No. 55, Mk. I (11 sec.)
(inst.)

T A B L E 10
BOMBS, H.E ., AIRCRAFT, G.P., 500 lb., Mb. I, n , and III, supplied unexplodered

Nose fu zin g Ta il fuz ing

Pisto l Detonator Explod er Pisto l Detonator holder Detonator Expl oder


No. 19, No. 4, No. 16, No. 22, 30-8 in., Mk. II , No. 18, No. 19,
Mk. I or II Mk. I (inst.) Mk. I Mk. I or II sup plie d in po sitio n Mk. I (inst.) Mk. I l l

TABLE 11
BOMBS, H.E ., AIRCRAFT, G.P., 500 lb., Mb. I, n , and III, explodered to Scheme A

Nose fuz in g Ta il fuz in g

Pistol Detonator Explo der Pisto l Detonator holder Detonator Explo der
No. 19, No. 4, No. 16, No. 22, 30-8 in., No. 18, No. 19,
Mk. I or II Mk. I (inst.) Mk. I, s uppl ied Mk. I or II Mk. II , supp lied Mk. I (inst.) Mk. I ll , sup ­
in posit ion in posit ion plie d in posi tion

T A B L E 12
BOMBS, H.E ., AIRCRAFT, G.P., 500 lb., Mb. I f II, and III, explodered to Scheme B

Nose fu zin g Ta il fuz in g

Pisto l Detonator Explod er Pisto l Detonator holder Detonator Explo der

No. 19, No. 4, No. 16, No. 22, Ad just able , No. 2, No. 18, No. 19,
Mk. I or II Mk. I (inst.) Mk. I , s uppl ied Mk. I or II Mk. I, suppl ied Mk. I (inst.) Mk. I l l, su p­
in pos itio n in pos itio n plied in posit ion
95

A .P.1 661B , Vol. I, Sect. 1, Ap p. 1

T A B L E 13
BOMBS, H.E ., AIRCRAFT, G.F., 500 lb„ Mk. I, II and in , explodered to Scheme C

No se f u zi n g T ai l fu zi ng

Pis tol Deto nator Ex plo der Pi sto l Det onato r holder Deto nato r Ex plo der

No. 19, No. 4, Special, No. 22. Adj ust abl e, No. 5, No. 18, Special,
Mk. I or II Mk. I (inst.) supp lied in Mk. I or II Mk. I, supp lied Mk. I (inst.) supp lied in
posi tion in posi tion posi tion

T A B L E 14
BOMB, H.E ., AIRCRAFT, G.P., 500 lb., Mk. IV

No se Fu zin g T ail fuz in g

Pis tol Deton ator Ex plo der Pis tol Detonator Ex plo der

No. 27, Mk. No. 43, Mk. I No. 28, Mk. I, No. 43, Mk. I (inst.)
I* or II (inst.) II , II* , II I, No. 49, Mk. I or II I (0-025 sec.)
or IV No. 47, Mk. I or II I (0-12 sec.)
No. 44, Mk. I, II, or II I (1 sec.)
Special, No. 35, Mk. II, II I, or V (11 sec.) Special,
supp lied supp lied
No. 42, Mk. No. 52, Mk. I in No. 30, Mk. II, No. 52, Mk. I or II (inst.) in
I or II or I I (inst.) posi tion II I, III *, No. 51, Mk. I (0-025 sec.) positi on
IV or V No. 50, Mk. I (0-14 sec.)
No. 44, M k.I No. 52, Mk. II, No. 54, Mk. I (3 sec.)
(inst.)

TABLE 15
BOMBS, H.E ., AIRCRAFT, G.P., 1,00 0 lb., Mk. I and U

No se fu zi n g T a il fu zi n g

Pis tol Deto nator Ex plo der Pi sto l Deton ator Ex plo der
No. 27, Mk. No. 43, Mk. I No. 28, Mk. I, No. 43, Mk. I (inst.)
I* or II (inst.) II , II* , or No. 49, Mk. I or II I (0-025 sec.)
II I No. 47, Mk. I or II I (0-12 sec.)
No. 44, Mk. I, II, or II I (1 sec.)
Special, No. 35, Mk. I I, II I, o r V (11 sec.) Special,
supp lied supp lied
No. 42, Mk. No. 52, Mk. I in No. 30, Mk. No. 52, Mk. I or II (inst.) in
I or II or II (inst.) posi tion II , II I, I II* , No. 51, Mk. I (0-025 sec.) posi tion
or IV No. 50, Mk. I (0-14 sec.)
No. 44, Mk. I No. 52, Mk. No. 55, Mk. I (11 sec.)
II (inst.)
96

TABLE 16
BOMBS, H.E ., AIRCRAFT, G.P., 1,000 lb., Mk. HI and IV

T ail f u zi n g

Pi sto l Det onato r Ex plo der


No. 28, Mk. I, II , No. 43, Mk. I (inst.)
II* , or II I No. 49, Mk. I or II I (0-025 sec.)
No. 47, Mk. I or II I (0-12 sec.)
No. 44, Mk. I, II , or II I (1 sec.)
No. 35, Mk. II , II I, or V (11 sec.) Special, suppl ied
in posi tion
No. 30, Mk. II, No. 52, Mk. I or II (inst.)
III * or IV No. 51, Mk. I (0-025 sec.)
No. 50, Mk. I (0-14 sec.)
No. 55, Mk. I (11 sec.)

T A B L E 17
BOMB, H.E ., AIRCRAFT, G.P., 1,900 lb., Mk. I

No se fu zi n g T a il f u zi n g

Pis tol Deto nato r Ex plo der Pis tol Det onato r Ex plo der

No. 27, Mk. I* No. 43, Mk. I No. 28, Mk. No. 43, Mk. I (inst.)
or II (inst.) I, II , II* No. 49, Mk. I or II I (0-025 sec.)
or II I No. 47, Mk. I or II I (0-12 sec.)
Special, No. 44, Mk. I, II , or II I (1 sec.) Special ,
supp lied supp lied
No. 42, Mk. I No. 52, Mk. I in No. 30, Mk. No. 52, Mk. I or II (inst.) in
or II or II (inst.) posi tion II , H I, No. 51, Mk. I (0-025 sec.) positi on
HI *, or No. 50, Mk. I (0-14 sec.)
IV No. 55, Mk. I (11 sec.)

TABLE 18
BOMBS, H.E ., AIRCRAFT, G.P., 4,00 0 lb., Mk. I and H

Nos e fu zi n g Ta il fu zi n g

Pis tol Det onator Ex plo der Pis tol Det onato r Ex plo der

No. 42, Mk. I No. 52, Mk. I Special, No. 30, Mk. No. 52, Mk. I or II (inst.) Special,
or II or II (inst.) supp lied II , II I, No. 51, Mk. I (0-25 sec.) supp lied
in III * or No. 50, Mk. I (0-14 sec.) in
posi tion IV No. 55, Mk. I (11 sec.) positi on
97

AIR PUBLICATIO N 168 1B


Vol ume I

Section 2

A.P. BOMBS

4*'
98
99

This leaf issued with A. L. No. 82 A.P .16 61B , Vol. I


Jun e, 1944

SECTION 2
A.P. BOMBS

LIST OF CHA PTE RS

Note.—A list of con ten ts app ears at the beginni ng of each cha pter .

CH APT ER 1—Genera,], notes on A.P. bombs


CH AP TE R 2—Bombs, H.E ., airc raft , A.P., 2,000 lb., Mk. I, II, and I II
CH AP TE R 3—Bombs, H.E ., airc raft , A.P., 2,000 lb., Mk. II**, III * and IV

AP PE ND IX 1—Comp onents used with A.P. bombs


100
101

Th is chapter issu ed with A .L . No 31 A.P.16 01B, VoL J, Sect. 2


Aug ust, 1942
Relevan t amen dmen ts up to A .L . 72
incorporated in this repr int
Ja nu ary , 1944

CHAPTER 1

General notes on A.P. bombs

L IS T OF CONTENTS
Para.
In tr oduc ti on ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1
Fi lli ng s for A. P. bo m bs ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 2
Pr ec au tio ns to be ob se rv ed wh en fuz ing or un fu zing bo m bs ... ... ... .. . ... ... 3
R ep ai r an d ex am in at io n of bo m bs ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .. . ... 4
S u p p l y .......................................... .......................................................................................................................... 6
St or ag e of bo mb s, bo m b ta ils , an d co m po ne nt s ... ... ... ... ... ... .. . ... 7
102

CHAPTER 1
General notes on A.P. bombs
Introduction
1. Only one typ e of A.P. bomb is at p resen t in general use in the Service, namely the 2,000 lb.
A.P. bomb, see Sect. 2, Chap. 2. A.P. bombs are used for the at ta ck of heavi ly-ar mour ed targ ets,
such as cap ital ships, and are so cons truc ted and fuzed th at the bomb does not brea k up during
pen etra tion of the armou r, and deto natio n of the bomb does no t occur unti l pen etra tion has been
achieve d. Owing to the thick ness of the walls of the bomb body the charge/ weight rati o is very
small. A.P. bombs are fuzed only at the tail.
Filling s for A.P. bombs
2. A.P. bombs are usually filled w ith a picric type e xplosive, such as shellit e. These explosives
are very insensi tive to shock or friction. This typ e of filling is rende red necessary by the friction
between t he filling and th e bo mb bo dy caused by the rap id dec eleratio n of th e bom b whil st pe netr atin g
the targ et.
Precauti ons to be observed yvhen iuz ing or unfuzin g bombs
3. Att ent ion is called to the prec autio ns detail ed in Sect. 1, Chap. 1, which appl y also to A.P.
bombs.
Repair and examina tion of bombs
4. Only such repai r a nd exam inati on of bom bs as is specified in Sect. 20, Chap. 1, is to be done
by arm am ent personnel. Any bomb found havi ng majo r damag e or defects is to be set aside for
A.I.D. inspecti on. Par tic ula r atte nti on is to be p aid to the p ain ting of bombs filled with picric type
explosives ; lead-free paint, oils, etc., only are to be used.
5. Fuzed bombs, whe ther loaded on to airc raft , or stored in the fuzed bomb area, must be
exami ned at the inter vals sta ted in Sect. 20, Chap. 2.
Supply
6. At prese nt, A.P. bombs are supplied fitted with tra ns it bases. Tail unit s and fuzes are
supplied in sepa rate packages.
Storage of bombs, bomb tails, and components
7. The regulat ions governin g the storag e of A.P . bombs are given in A.P.1245, Chap. 3. Tail
units, in the ir packages m ay be st ored in the same explosives s toreho use as t he filled bombs provid ed
th at the pa int used on the tail packages is a lead-free pain t. Tail unit s may also be stored in any
suita ble building or und er suita ble coverings.
8. Fuzes for use wit h A.P. bombs m ust be stor ed in the a ppr opr iate Explosives Group stor ehouse.
103

Th is chapter issue d with A .L . No. 4 A.P.16 61B, Vol. I, Sect. 2


March , 1942
Th is lea f issu ed with A .L . No. 75
Marc h, 1944

CHAPTER 2

BOMBS, H.E., AIRCRAFT, A.P. , 2,000 lb., Mk. I, H, and III

LIS T OF CONTENTS
Para.
Intro duc tion ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1
Bomb, H.E ., aircraft, A.P., 2,000 lb., Mk. I
Leading parti culars
Body, bomb, H.E. , aircraft , A.P., 2,000 lb., Mk. I ... ... ... ... 2
Tail, bomb, H.E., aircraft , A.P., 2,000 lb., No. 1, Mk. I ... ... ... ... 3
General descript ion
Bomb body ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 4
T ai l.. . ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 8
Tra nsit base ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 9
Tran sit plug ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 10
Filling ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 11
Identifi cation colouring and markings
Colouring ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 12
Markings on the bomb body ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 13
Markings on the tran sit plug a nd tran sit base ... ... ... ... ... 17
Fuzing the bomb ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 19
Prepa ring the fuze ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 20
Prepar ing the bomb ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 26
Loading t he bomb on to the 2,000 lb. bomb c arrier ... ... ... ... ... 30
Functio ning ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 34
Unloading a n unexpended bomb from the 2,000 lb. bomb car rier ... ... ... 35
Unfuzing the bo mb ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 39
Supply ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 43
Storage ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 44
Bomb, H.E., aircraft , A.P., 2,000 lb., Mk. II
Leading p articu lars
Body, bomb, H.E. , aircraft , A.P., 2,000 lb., Mk. Il ... * ... ... ... 46
Tail, bomb, H.E. , aircraft, A.P., 2,000 lb., No. 15, Mk. I ... ... ... ... 47
General descrip tion
Bomb body ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 48
T ai l.. . ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 49
Tran sit base ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 50
Identific ation colouring and markings
Colouring ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 51
Markings on the bomb body ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 52
Markings on the tail ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 56
Markings on the tran sit plug and tran sit base ... ... ... ... ... 57
Fuzing the bomb ... ... ... ... ... ... .... ... ... 59
Loading t he bomb on to the 2,000 lb. bomb carrier ... ... ... ... ... 63
Functio ning ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 64
Unloading an unexpended bomb from th e 2,000 lb. bomb carri er ... ... ... 65
Unfuzing t he bomb ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 66
Supply ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 68
Storage ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 69
Bomb, H.E., aircraft , A.P., 2,000 lb., Mk. I ll
Intro duct ion ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 70
Comparison with the Mk. II bomb ... ... ... ... .... ... ... 71

LI ST OF ILL US TR AT IO NS
Fig.
1. Bomb, H.E., aircraft, A.P., 2,000 lb., Mk. I, with tran sit base
2. Fit tin g of tail to the Mk. I bomb
3. Fit ting of t ran sit base to the Mk. I bomb
4. Fitt ing of tail to the Mk. II bomb
5. Fit ting of t ran sit base to the Mk. II bomb
104

CHAPTER 2

BOMBS, H.E. , AIRCRAFT, A.P. , 2,000 lb.,


Mk. I, II, and III

Introduction
1. T he Mk. I, II , an d I I I 2,0 00 lb.
A .P . bo m bs ar e so lid -n os ed bo m bs , fu ze d a t
th e ta il on ly. T he y ar e no rm al ly ca rr ie d
on th e 2,0 00 lb. bo m b ca rr ie r, T yp e A or B.
T he Mk . II an d I I I bo m bs ar e si m il ar an d
di ff er fro m th e Mk . I bo m b in h av in g a
di ff er en t ty p e of ta il an d tr a n s it ba se .

BO MB , H .E ., A IR C R A F T , A. P. ,
2,0 00 lb. , Mk . I

Leading particulars
Body , bomb, H .E ., aircraf t, A .P .,
2,000 lb., M k. I
2. St or es Re f. ... 12A /33 9
L en gt h, w ith ta il
a d a p te r ... 6 ft . 5-9 in.
L en gt h, w it h ta il 9 ft . 4-7 in.
M ax im um d ia m et er 1 ft . 1-5 in.
W ei gh t of bo dy 1,650 lb ., ap pr ox .
W ei g h t of fil lin g 166 lb ., ap pr ox .
Fi lli ng ... Sh ell ite
T er m in al ve lo ci ty 2,8 10 ft . p er sec.

7'ail, bomb, H .E ., aircraft, A .P .,


2,000 lb.', No. 1, M k. I
3. St or es Re f. 12A /34 0
L en g th ... 2 ft . 10-65 in.

General description, fig. 1, 2, an d 3


Bomb body
4. T he b om b bo dy is m ad e o f s te el , an d
ha s a sh a rp so lid no se ap p ro x im at el y 1 ft . 9
in. lon g. T he bo m b bo dy ta p er s sl ig ht ly
fro m th e m ax im um di am et er ne ar th e no se
en d to th e ta il en d. T he bo dy is ho llo w an d
ha s an in te rn al d ia m et er of 8-7 in. T he ta il
en d of th e bo m b bo dy is th re ad ed in te rn al ly
to ho us e a ba se ad a p te r, wh ich is scr ew ed
a n d ce m en te d in po si ti on ; it is als o th re ad ed
ex te rn al ly to ac co m m od at e a ta il ad ap te r.
5. T he ba se a d a p te r is t h re ad ed in te rn ­
al ly an d ho us es an ex pl od er co n ta in er wh ich
is sc re we d an d ce m en te d in p os it io n an d
w hi ch se at s on to a co m po si tio n wa sh er .
T he ex pl od er co n ta in er is clo se d a t on e en d,
an d is th re ad ed in te rn al ly a t th e op po si te
en d, in to w hic h is sc re we d a fuz e se cu rin g
rin g. T hi s rin g se cu re s th e fuz e in po si tio n
w he n th e bo m b is fu ze d, or re ta in s a No . 17
tr a n s it pl ug in po si ti on w he n th e bo m b is
p re p ar ed fo r tr a n si t. A sl ot is c u t on th e
in si de of th e ex pl od er co nt ai ne r, be low th e
in te rn al th re ad , to ac co m m od at e a po si ti o n­
in g pi n on th e fuz e bo dy wh en th e fuz e is in Fig. 1.—B omb, H.E ., air cra ft, A.P ., 2,000 lb., Mk. I,
po si tio n. wit h tr an si t base
P4175 M /25S7 4/44 7900 C& P G p. 1
105

A.P .166 1B, Vol. I, Sect. 2. Chap. 2


6. The tai l ad apt er is in the form of a ring, thre ade d inter nally at one end for screwing on
to the bomb body, to which it is cemen ted and locked in positi on by a secur ing screw, which is
positioned in the same plane as the slot in the explo der cont ainer . The opposite end of the tail
ada pte r is flanged and tape red to tak e the bomb tail or tra ns it base, eith er of which is secured to
the tail ad apt er by six screws. The base ada pte r, explode r conta iner, and tai l ada pte r, have two
holes each for inser ting a key or tom my bar when assemb ling these items.
7. To faci litate hand ling and to locate the bomb on the bomb carrier, a combine d stop pla te
and lifting eye is secured to the bomb body by four screws.

bomb tail-

tai l R IN G -

SC RE W -

FUZE No 3 7 -

EXPLODER

Fig. 2.—Fit ting of tail to the Mk. I bomb


Tail
8. The tail, No. 1, 2,000 lb., A.P., Mk. I, is made of alumi nium alloy, and consis ts of a
cylind rical vane, att ach ed to a tail cone by four vane supp orts. The tail cone is stre ngt hen ed at
the base by a tai l ring, which, when the tail is as sembled to the bomb, is secure d to the tai l ad ap ter
by th e si x screws u sed fo r securing th e t ra ns it base to th e t ail ad apt er. A slot in t he ta il ring engages
with a l ocatin g screw in t he tail a dap ter, and locates the t ail in th e correc t p osition.
Transit base
9. The bom b is supplied fitte d with a base, tra ns it, air cra ft bomb, No. 9, Mk. I (Stores Ref.
12A/342), t o pro tec t t he base of t he bomb during t ran sit . This tra ns it base is in the form of a ring,
and is secured to the tail ad apt er by six screws.
G (IGSIB)
106

Transi t plug
10. The bomb is issued with a plug, tra nsi t, No. 17, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/638), in position
in the explode r con tain er in place of th e fuze. The plug seat s on to a leat her washer, and is secured

in posit ion by the fuze securing ring, and is provid ed with a tapp ed bole at the centr e of i ts oute r
end to facili tate its removal.

Filling
11. The bomb body is filled with shellite, a pad of appr oved composition being inser ted in
the nose end of the body, and the filling being sealed with washers and cement . The exploder
cont aine r is prot ecte d from the filling by a pap er tube . An exploder, 8 oz., C.E., Mk. II , is issued
in positio n in the explode r conta iner, being locate d between pack ing disks at the inner end and
sealing disks at the oute r end.

Identification colouring and markings


Colouring
12. The exte rior of th e bomb a nd tail is pai nted dar k green. The nose of the bomb is p aint ed
light green, excep t for thre e | in. bands, coloured white, red, and white, respect ively, position ed
4 in. to 5 | in. from the t ip of th e nose. Stencilled in black between the tip of the nose a nd the first
white band is the mark ing 50/50, deno ting the composit ion of t he shellite used in the filling of t he
bomb.

Markin gs on the bomb body


13. Near the base of the bomb, and on the same side as the stop plate, is stencille d in black
the following inf orm ati on :—
(i) A.P. 2,000 lb. I.
107

A.P .166 1B, Vol. I, Sect. 2, Chap. 2


(ii) The monogr am of t he filling st atio n, or the filling c ont rac tor' s initial s or recognized tra de
mark.
(iii) The dat e of filling, mon th and year.
(iv) The lot num ber of the filled bomb.
14. On the reverse side of the body is stencilled in black |h e design num ber of the metho d
of filling.
15. Stam ped on the bomb body, nea r the stop plate , are the body ma nuf act ure r’s marking s
as follows:—
(i) I A.P. 2,000 lb.
(ii) The ma nuf act ure r’s initia ls or recognized trad e mark.
(iii) The dat e of manu factu re.
16. The serial num ber of the bomb is stam ped on the face of the explode r con taine r and the
base ada pter , and on the side ‘of the body and the tail ada pter .
Markings on the transit plug and transit base
17. On t he o ute r end of the t ra ns it plug is sta mpe d No. 17, I, followed by the lett er M, S, or F,
denotin g the mat erial from which the plug is made, and the ma nuf act ure r’s initial s or recognized
trad e mark.
18. The tra ns it base is mark ed as follows:—
(i) 9 I, deno ting the num ber and mar k of the tra ns it base.
(ii) The ma nuf act ure r’s initia ls or recognized tra de mark.
Fuzing the bomb
19. The fuze, percussion, airc raft bomb, tail, No. 37, Mk. I, is used in the fuzing of the bomb.
A descrip tion of the fuze is given in A.P.1661C, Vol. I.
Preparing the fuze \
20. Exam ine the fuze, and ensure th at the lead seal and the wire th at passes thr oug h the
armin g vane hub spigot and the safe ty pillar are int ac t. If the wire is broken or missing, or if the
lead seal appe ars to have been damage d or to be of the wrong typ e, the fuze should be regarded
as hav ing been tam per ed with, and mus t not be used.
21. Remove the whipcord beck et and the wire, with lead seal, from the armi ng vane hub
spigot and the safe ty pillar.
22. Unscrew and remove the safety pilla r from the end piece of the fuze.
23. Grip the arm ing vane hub spigot bet ween the finger and th um b, and r ota te it ten c omplete
turn s i n an anti-clockwi se direct ion when viewed from the a rmin g v ane end of th e fuze. Then rot ate
it the s ame num ber of t urn s in a clockwise di rectio n when viewed from the s ame end. This is done
to ensure th at the armi ng mechani sm of the fuze is free. These tur ns can easily be coun ted by
observin g th e n umb er of times th e ha lf-rou nd recess in the a rmin g va ne hub spig ot passes the posi tion
in which the safe ty pillar was moun ted.
Warning.— The arm ing vane should not be given more tha n ten tur ns in eith er directi on, or the
fuze may be armed.
24. Replace the safety pillar by screwing it into th e end piece of the fuze.
25. Ensu re th at ther e is a rub ber washer on th e body of the fuze, and th at the washer is in
serviceable conditio n.
Preparing the bomb
26. Unscrew the six screws securing the tra ns it base to the tai l ada pte r, and remove the
tra ns it base.
27. Unscrew the fuze securing ring and remove the No. 17 tra ns it plug, using a No. 129 key.
28. Ins ert th e fuze i nto the explod er c ont ain er in t he bomb body, ensuri ng t ha t the po sitioni ng
pin on the fuze enter s the slot in the explod er cont ainer . Place the fuze securing ring in position
over the fuze and screw the securin g ring tig htl y into the explode r conta iner, using a No. 129 key.
Test the firmness of the fuze by grippi ng the tail-p iece; the re should be no move ment of the fuze
if the fuze securing ring has been corre ctly tigh tene d.
29. Place the tai l over the end of t he bomb body, ensuri ng th at the locati ng screw in the tai l
ad apt er enter s t he slot in t he tai l ring, and secure t he t ail firmly in position on t he tai l ada pte r, using
the six screws used for securin g the tra ns it base.

u
108

Loading the bomb on to the 2,000 lb. bomb carrie r


30. Load the fuzed bomb on to the airc raft bomb carri er as described in A.P. 1664, Vol. I,
Chap. 5, en suring th at the stop pla te engages with the key plat e on the bomb carrier.
31. Fit the hub of th e armi ng vane on to the armi ng vane hub sp igot, inse rt the split pin into
the hole in the armi ng vane hub and spigot, and open out the ends of the split pin.
32. Fit the safe ty clip round the end piece of the fuze, and engage the fuze -settin g contro l
link with the safe ty clip.
33. Unscrew the safe ty pillar and remove it from the end piece of the fuze imm ediat ely before
the airc raft is read y to tak e off.

Functio ning
34. When the bomb is released from the carrier , the safe ty clip is pulled off th e end piece of
the fuze, a nd the armi ng vane of th e fuze r ota tes due to the a ir pressure . After the re quisi te numb er
of tur ns of the armi ng vane', the fuze becomes fully arme d, and on imp act of the bomb with the
targ et the det ona tor in the fuze is fired. After a fixed delay of 0-10 sec., the explosion of th e filling
in the m agazine of th e fuze in itia tes the explod er in t he explode r c onta iner in the b omb body, which
in tu rn deto nate s the main filling in the bomb

Unloading an unexpended bomb from the 2,000 lb. bomb carri er


35. Repl ace the safet y pillar by screwing it into the end piece of the fuze.
36. Disengage the fuze -settin g contr ol link from the s afety clip, and remove the s afety clip
from the fuze.
37. Wit hdr aw the s plit pin, and remove the a rmin g vane from the a rmin g vane hub spindle.
38. Unload the bomb from the bomb carri er as described in A.P. 1664, Vol. I, Chap. 5.

Unfuzing the bomb


39. Remove the tai l from the bomb by unscrewing the six securing screws.
40. Unscrew the fuze securin g ring, using key No. 129, and remove the fuze from th e bomb.
Thor oughl y dry the exte rior of the fuze with a dry cloth.
41. After the No. 37 fuze h as been dried, it should be tr ea ted as described in A.P.1661C, Vol. I,
Sect. 2, an d repacked in its cylind er and box.
42. Dry the explode r cont aine r i n the bomb body, inse rt the tra nsi t plug, with leath er washer,
and secure it in positio n with the fuze securing ring.

Supply
43. The bomb, H.E ., airc raft , A.P., 2,000 lb., Mk. I, is supplie d with a base, tra nsi t, airc raft
bomb, No. 9, Mk. I, and a plug, tra nsi t, No. 17, Mk. I, in positio n. The tail, bomb, H.F.., airc raft,
A.P., 2,000 lb., No. 1, Mk. I, is supplie d in Box B.245, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/341).

Storage
44. Bombs, H.E ., airc raft , A.P., 2,000 lb., Mk. I, are classified, for the purpose of storage, in
Group VII.
BOMB, H.E. , AIRC RAFT , A.P., 2,000 lb., Mk. II
45. The bomb, H.E ., aircr aft, A.P., 2,000 lb., Mk. II, is similar to the Mk. I bomb, excep t
for the differences described in the following para grap hs.

Leading particu lars


Body, bomb, H. E., aircraft, A .P. , 2,000 lb., Mk. I I
46. Store Ref............................................................................................. 12A/838
Lengt h, with tai l ad ap ter ... ... ... ... ... ... 6 ft. 5-9 in.
Lengt h, with tai l ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 9 ft. 4-5 in.
Tail, bomb, H .E. , aircraft, A .P. , 2,000 lb., No. 15, Mk. I
47. Stores Ref. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 12A/840
Len gth ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 2 ft. 11-5 in.
109

A.P .166 1B, Vol. I, Sect. 2, Chap. 2


General description, fig. 4 and 5
Bomb body
48. The body, base ada pte r, and explod er cont ainer , are simila r to thos e of the Mk. I bomb.
The tai l ada pte r, which is screwed on to the bomb body and is locked in a simila r man ner to the
tai l ad ap ter in the Mk. I bomb, has four equi-space d holes which are thre ade d for th e att ac hm en t
of the tail. Four thre ade d holes are also provide d for the att ac hm en t of the tra ns it base. A
locating screw is also provi ded on the tai l ad ap ter for posit ioning the tai l on assembly, and two
holes on the face of the tai l ad ap ter provid e a locati on for the tra ns it base when it is a ssembled to
the bomb. The sto p p late is not fitte d t o t he bomb body when in tra nsi t, and th e holes for it s securin g
screws are plugged with tra ns it screws.

8 0 M B TA IL

STR ENG THE NING RI NG

W IN G BO LT

LO CA TI NG SCREW

FU ZE , No. 8 7

FUZE SECURING RING

TAIL ADAPTER

EXPL ODER CON TAIN ER

BAS E AD AP TO R

WA SH ER
GL AZE DBO AR D.
WASHER
AP PR OV ED CO MP OS IT IO N
WA SH ER S

BOMB BODY

MAIN FILLING

PA PE R T U B E

EXPLODER

Fig. 4.—F ittin g of tail to the. Mk. II bomb


Tail
49. The tail, No. 15, Mk. I, is simi lar in cons truct ion to the No. 1, Mk, I tai l used on the Mk. I
bomb, bu t is m ade of steel. It has a stre ngt hen ing ring fitte d 2 in. from the base, inst ead of a tai l
ring, and it is screwed to the tai l ad ap ter by four wing bolts, each locked in positi on by a sprin g
washer. A locating slot in the base of the tai l cone engages with the locatin g screw in the tail
ada pte r and position s the tai l on assembly. In the tail cone, opposit e each wing bolt, is a hand
hole.
110

Trans it base
50. The bomb is supp lied with base, tra ns it, air cra ft bomb, No. 27, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/839)
in positi on on the tai l ada pter . This tra ns it base is s ecured to th e tai l ada pte r by four wing bolts,
locked by sprin g washers. Two locat ing screws are screwed into the tra ns it base, th e head s of t he
screws engaging in the holes provid ed in the tai l ad ap ter when the tra ns it base is assembled to the
bomb body. A seati ng is provid ed in the tra ns it base for the stop plate , and in this seat ing are
recesses to ta ke four screws for sec uring the st op pla te to the b omb body. The stop pl ate is re tained
on the seat ing by four securing screw's.

. —
Fig. 5.—Fittin g of tran sit base’ to the M k. II bomb

Identification colouring and markings


Colouring
51. The exter ior of th e bomb and tail is pa inted dar k green. The nose of the bomb is pai nte d
light green, excep t for thre e | in. bands, coloured white, red, and white, respecti vely, positi oned
4 in. to 5 | in. from the tip of t he nose. Stencilled in black between the t ip of th e nose and the first
whit e band is the mark ing 50/50, deno ting the composi tion of the shellite used in the filling of the
bomb.
Markin gs on the bomb body
52. Near the base of the bomb, and on the same side as the stop plate is stencil led in black ,
the following inf orm ati on:—
(i) A.P. 2,000 lb. II.
111

A.P. 1661B, Vol. I, Seel. 2, Chap. 2


(ii) The monogram of the filling sta tion , or the filling co ntr ac tor ’s initia ls or recognized tra de
mark.
(iii) The dat e of filling, mon th and year.
(iv) The lot num ber of the filled bomb.
53. On -the reverse side of the bomb is stencilled in black the design num ber of the metho d
of filling.
54. Stam ped on the bomb body, near the sto p plate, are the body ma nuf act ure r’s markin gs
as follows:—
(i) II A.P. 2,000 lb.
(ii) The ma nuf act ure r’s initia ls or recognized trad e mark.
(iii) The dat e of manu factu re.
The last two markin gs are also stam ped on the side of the stop plate, on the reverse side of which
is the mark ing No. 3 I.
55. The serial num ber of the bomb is st amp ed on the face of the explode r cont aine r and the
base ada pter , and on the side of the body and the tail ada pter .
Markin gs on the tail
56. On th e outsid e of th e cylindri cal tail v ane is stencilled in black, No. 15 I. On t he opposite
side of the vane is stam ped the following:—
(i) No. 15 I A.P. 2,000 lb.
(ii) The ma nuf act ure r's initia ls or recognized tra de mark.
(iii) The dat e of man ufac ture. ,
Markin gs on the transit plug and transit base
57. On th e oute r e nd of th e tra nsi t plug is sta mpe d No. 17, I, followed by the let ter M, S, or F,
deno ting the mat eria l from which the plug is made, and the ma nuf act ure r’s initi als or recognized
tra de mark.
58. The tra ns it base is painte d d ark green, an d on the top is stencilled in bl ack, the following:—
(i) No. 27, Mk. I.
(ii) A.P., 2,000 lb.
On the reverse side is stam ped or cast the following:—
(i) 27 I.
(ii) The ma nuf act ure r’s initia ls oi’ recognized tra de mark.
(iii) The dat e of man ufac ture.

Fuzing the bomb


59. Unscrew a nd remove the four t ran sit screws f rom the stop pl ate positio n on the bo mb body.
60. Unscrew the four wing bolts and remove the tra ns it base from the tail ada pter . Remove
the stop pla te from the t ran sit base and secure it firmly in po sition on t he bomb bo dy, using t he four
screws housed in the recesses in the tra ns it base.
Note.—The four screws should be screwed in securely, and the tra ns it screws used in the bomb
body are to be inser ted in the tra ns it base for fur the r use.
61. Fuze the bomb as described in para . 20 to 25, and para. 27 and 28.
62. Place the tail over the end of t he bomb body, ensuri ng th at the locatin g slot engages with
th e loca ting screw in the tail a dap ter, and secure the tai l firmly in position with the f our wing bolts.
Loading the bomb on to the 2,000 lb. bomb carrier
63. Load the fuzed bomb on to the bomb carri er as described in A.P. 1664, Vol. I, Chap. 5,
and para . 31 to 33.
Function ing
64. The bomb function s in a simila r man ner to the Mk. I bomb, see para. 34.
Unloading an unexpended bomb from the 2,000 lb. bomb carrier
65. Unload the bomb from the bomb carri er as described in para. 35 to 37, and A.P. 1664,
Vol. I , Chap. 5.
112

Unfuzin g the bomb


66. Remove the tai l from the tail ad apt er by unscrewing the four wing bolts.
67. Remove the fuze and replace the No. 17 tra nsi t plug as described in para . 40 t o 42.

Supply
68. The bomb, H.E ., airc raft , A.P., 2,000 lb., Mk. II, is s upplie d with a base, tra nsi t, airc raft
bomb, No. 27, Mk. I, and a plug tra nsi t, No. 17, Mk. I in position. The tail, bomb, H.E ., aircr aft,
A.P., 2,000 lb., No. 15, Mk. I, is sup plied in Clamp, prote cting , B.344, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/841).

Storage
69. Bombs, H.E ., aircr aft, A.P., 2,000 lb., Mk. II, are classified for the purpose of stora ge
in Group VII.
113

Th is lea f issu ed with A .L . No . 82 A.P .16 61 B, Vol. I, Sect. 2


Ju ne , 1944

CHAPTER 3

BOMBS, H.E. , AIRCRAFT, A.P. , 2,0 00 lb., Mk. II**, HI* and IV

LIS T OF CONTEN TS
Para.
Intro duc tion • ... ... .............. .............. 1
Leading par tic ula rs... 4
General descrip tion
Bomb body ... 5
Tail units 10
Tran sit bas e... 13
Identifi cation colouring a nd markings ... 14
Fun ctio nin g... 19
Suppl y an d storage
Supply ... .............. .............. .......................... 21
Storage .......................... ................................................. 23
Instr ucti ons for use
Assembling the suspension lug 24
Fuzing a bomb 25
1F ittin g the tail u nit an d s afety wire 26
Loading a bomb on t o its bomb c arrier ... 29
Unloading a b omb from i ts bomb carrier 31
Unfuzing a bomb ... 32

LIS T OF ILLU STR ATIO NS


Fig.
1. Sectional view thro ugh Mk. IV bomb, read y f or use
2. Mk. IV bomb, ready for tran sit
114

CHAPTER 3
BOMBS, H.E ., AIRCRAFT, A.P ., 2,00 0 lb., Mk. II**, III*, and IV
Introdu ction
1. These bombs are for use agai nst heavi ly armo ured targ ets. They are carri ed on the
2,000 lb. bom b carrier .
2. The bombs are fuzed only at the tail using a No. 30 Mk. IV pisto l and a No. 56, 0-05 sec.
delay det ona tor (Stores Ref. 12G/843). The p istol is supplie d fit ted to t he b omb body. The Mk. II**
and II I* bombs are simila r in the ir con stru ction al and funct ionin g cha racte risti cs to the Mk. IV
bomb and are conv erted Mk. II and II I bombs ada pte d for pis tol /de ton ato r fuzing in lieu of using
the No. 37 fuze. The “h oriz ont al” syste m of fuzing is to be employed, thi s syst em utiliz ing a
“ho rizo ntal ” pull-off of a safe ty wire thr ead ed thr oug h the tail armi ng mechanis m.
3. Att ent ion is direc ted to Cha pter 1 of this Section which conta ins general info rma tion on
A.P. bombs.
Leading particulars
4. Stores Ref. of Mk. II** bomb body fitted with tail pi stol No. 30 Mk. IV 12A/1776
Stores Ref .ofM k. Il l* bomb body fitted w ith t ail pistol No. 30 Mk.IV 12A/1777
Stores Ref. of Mk. IV b omb bod y fitted with t ai, pistol No. 30 Mk. IV 12A/1623
Stores Ref. of tai l No. 47, Mk. I 12A/1651
Stores Ref. of ta il No. 47, Mk. II .................................................. 12A/1652
Len gth of bom b, with tail un it assembled 9 ft. 4-7 in., appr ox.
Maximu m diam eter, wit hou t suspension lug 1ft. T45 in., appro x.
Weig ht of bom b body ... ... ' 1,765 lb ., appr ox.
Wei ght and na tur e of filling 166 lb. shellite
50/50 or 70/30
Charg e/weig ht ratio 8-6 per cent .
Termina l velocity 2,730 ft . per sec.
Bomb body GE NE RA L DE SC RIP TIO N
5. The bomb body is of thi ck walled steel const ructi on, the nose being solid for app rox ima tely
1 ft. 9 in. The rea r end of t he body is t hre ade d to acco mmo date a base ad ap ter int ern ally and a
tail a da pte r exter nally .
6. The tail ad ap ter is provid ed with a locatin g screw and has two sets of four tap pe d holes
to receive the four securin g bolts of th e tail uni t or tra ns it base when assem bled to t he bom b body.
7. The base ad ap ter is fitted with an explo der con tain er which houses a de ton ato r holde r and
a 12 oz. 3 dr. C.E. explode r. The explo der con tain er is s epa rate d from the main filling by a pap er
tube and the explod er is covered by a felt washer.
8. The bomb body is filled w ith shellite, prot ecte d by a composi tion pad at the nose end and
sealed into the rea r end of the body with washers and cemen t.
9. A single suspens ion lug for att ac hm en t to the bomb body is sto wed with in the tra ns it base.
Holes in the bomb body, closed d urin g tra ns it and s tora ge by tra ns it screws, are provid ed to receive
the screws s ecuring the suspensio n lug to the bomb.
Tail units
10. The No. 47 Mk. I and II t ail unit s a re designed for use in co njun ctio n w ith the “ hor izo nta l”
system of fuzing . They consist of a tai l cone to which a cylin drical vane is att ac he d by four vane
supp orts. The base of th e tail cone is fi tted with a stren gth enin g ring. Fou r wing bolts, accessible
thro ugh han d holes in the tai l cone and locked by sprin g washers, secure the tai l uni t to the bomb
body. A sl ot in the base of t he tail cone engages with t he locati ng screw on the tai l ada pte r, thu s
ensuri ng th at th e tai l is co rrec tly fitted to the bomb body.
11. An a rming m echan ism is fitt ed into th e tai l u nit. It co nsists of an a rmin g sp indle which is
supp orte d at its rea r end by a cone bush and which has an armin g fork at its forwar d end and a
two-b laded a rming van e a ttac hed a t its rear end. This vane is fl atten ed at its ce ntre a nd has a small
hole drilled thr oug h each of it s two blades.
12. On th e si de of t he tail cone, at th e rea r end, is fitt ed a ch anne l b rac ket which form s a saf ety
wire guide. In the ends of the bra cke t are two holes dire ctly oppos ite to each oth er and these,
tog ethe r with the ho le in one of th e armin g vane blades, are used to car ry the safe ty wire when the
bomb is fuzed.
Note.— The No. 47 Mk. I tail uni t has been produ ced by conversio n of the No. 15 Mk. I
tail, used with the 2,000 lb. Mk. II and II I A.P. bombs, so as to inco rpor ate the featu res
describe d in para. 11 and 12. The No. 47 Mk. I I tail is of new ma nuf act ure and is esse ntially
the same as the No. 47 Mk. I tail unit.
115

This leaf issued with A .L . No. 82 A.P .16 61 B, V o l. I, Sect. 2, Chap. 3


Jun e, 1944

Transit base
13. The No. 27 Mk, I tra ns it base (Stores Ref. 12S/41) is positi oned on the b omb body by two
locatin g screws which engage with holes i n the tai l ada pte r, and is sec ured in posit ion by four wing
bolts each locked by a sprin g washer. A s eatin g is pr ovid ed in the tra ns it base to acco mm odat e the
suspension lug. The screws holdin g the lug in the tra ns it base are used to secure it to the bom b
body. Fo ur spar e securing screws are locate d in recesses i n the s eating.
Identificati on colouri ng and marki ngs
14. The exte rior of the b omb body an d ta il is pa inte d d ark green, excep t t ha t t he nose is pain ted
a ligh ter green colour. Thre e | in. ban ds coloured white, red, and white, respect ively, are pai nte d
round the nose. Stencille d in black betwee n th e tip of the nose and the first white ban d is the
mark ing “ 50/50” or “70/3 0”, deno ting the composi tion of t he shellite filling.
15. The following in form ation is stencil led on the b omb b od y:—
(i)The design 'num ber of th e meth od of filling.
(ii)"A. P. 2,000 lb. II**, III * or IV ”, as app ropr iate .
(iii)The monog ram of t he filling s tati on or the initi als or recognized tra de mar k of t he filling
con trac tor.
(iv) The dat e of filling, mon th and year.
(v) The lot numb er.
(vi) “P IST OL No. 30", indi cati ng th at this pistol is fitte d in the tail end of t he bomb body.
16. Stam ped on the bom b body , n ear t he suspensio n lug, are t he body ma nuf act ure r's mark ings.
17. The num ber and ma rk of the tail units, eith er "No. 47- 1” or “No. 47-11” is stencilled
on the cylindr ical vane of t he tail unit. On t he oppos ite side of th e vane is stam ped “ No. 47-1 (or
II) A.P. 2,000 lb. ”, tog eth er with the ma nuf act ure r’s marking s.
18. The No. 27 Mk. I tra ns it base bear s the following stencil ma rkin gs: —
(i) "No. 27-1 ” .
(ii) “A.P . 2,000 lb .”
Funct ioning
19. On “liv e” release of the bomb from its carrier , the fuze -settin g cont rol link withd raws
the safe ty wire from the tail armin g mechani sm. Duri ng the fall of the bomb the arm ing vane
rota tes, due to air pressure , and arms the tai l pistol.
20. On imp act of the bomb with the tar get , th e pisto l strik er moves in to fire the deto nato r,
and thi s resu lts in deto nati on of t he explo der and the main filling of the bomb.

S u p p ly SUP PLY AND STOR AGE


21. Bodies, bomb, H.E ., aircr aft, A.P., 2,000 lb., Mk. II**, III * or IV are supplie d with
tra ns it base and pistol fitted.
22. Tails No. 47 Mk. I and No. 47 Mk. II are su pplied packed in pro tecti ng cla mps, B.459 Mk. I
(Stores Ref. 12S/395), one t ail to each clamp. One wire, safety, No. 1, Mk. I and two clips, safety,
No. 1, Mk. I are norm ally secured by adhesive tap e to each tail unit.
Storage
23. The filled b omb bodies are classified, for .the purpose of storage , in Gr oup 7, see A.P.2 608A,
Chap. 7.
INST RUC TION S' FO R USE
Assemblin g the suspens ion lug
24. To assemble the suspens ion lug, proceed as follows:—
(i) Remove the f our tra ns it screws from the side of th e bom b body.
(ii) Remove t he t ra ns it base by unscrewin g the four wing bolts.
(iii) Remov e t he fo ur screws securing th e suspension lug with in the tra ns it base, and secure the
lug firmly to the bomb body using the same four securin g screws.
Note.— The four screws mu st be tigh tene d securely, and the tra ns it screws are to be
insert ed in the tra ns it base for fur the r use. Fou r spare securing screws arc also
provi ded in recesses in the tra ns it base.
116

Fuzi ng a bomb
25. To fuze a bomb, proceed as follows:—
(i) Unscrew and remove the t ail p istol b y hand .
(ii) Ensu re th at the explode r is in the corre ct positio n and th at the det onato r cav ity is clea r,
by using gauge, c avity , deto nato r, No. 2, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12G/1001). The engra ved line
for 250/500 lb. bombs is applica ble. If the bomb fails to pass this te st, it mus t be set
aside for A .I.D ./A. I.S. inspectio n.
(iii) Remove the overseal, press-cap, and safe ty pla te from the tai l pistol and te st the armi ng
fork for freedom of rota tion , finally screwing it up light ly aga inst the pistol body.
Note.— If the t ail is not to be imm ediat ely fitted to the bomb body, the safe ty plate,
press-cap, and overseal mu st be replace d imm edia tely aft er test ing the pistol.
(iv) Ins ert a No. 56 d eto nat or into the de ton ato r cavi ty.
(v) Screw the pistol, by hand, into the bomb unti l it is well seate d on its washer and locked
in position.
Fittin g t he tail unit and s afety wire
26. Assemble the tail un it-t o the bomb body as follows :—
(i) Remov e the overseal, press-cap, and safe ty plate , if in position, from the tai l pistol. Test
the tai l armin g mecha nism for freedom of rota tion . Any stiffness mu st be inve stiga ted
and, where pract icab le, rectified. If it is no t possible to corre ct this, the tai l mus t be
rejecte d.
(ii) Offer up the tail un it to the bom b bod y, ensuri ng t ha t the loc ating screw in th e t ail a da pte r
engages with the slot in the tai l cone. Also ensure th at the armi ng fork in the pisto l is
corre ctly engaged wit h the tai l armi ng mechani sm.
Note.— When assembli ng the tai l un it, care m ust be tak en to pre ven t ac cide ntal ro tati on
of t he armi ng vane.
(iii) Secure the t ail to the b omb b ody by tigh ten ing t he f our wing bolts.
(iv) Ro tat e the armi ng van e two complet e tur ns in an anti-clockw ise direct ion and ensure
th at ther e is no stiffness.
Warn ing.— Should the tail be subs eque ntly remov ed from the bomb b ody, the s afet y
plate , press-cap , and overseal of the pisto l mu st be replac ed. If, however, th e pistol
armin g fork shoul d be found s tan din g prou d of the p istol body, no attem pt m ust be made
to replace the safety plate, press-cap, and overseal. The pistol mu st be unscrewed
from th e bomb, by hand , and the armi ng fork screwed down ligh tly on to the pistol
body b efore the safe ty plate , press-ca p, and overseal a re replaced .
27. Ro tat e the armi ng van e sufficien tly (but not more th an one c omple te turn ) to bring o ne of
the sm all holes in the b lades int o align men t with t he chann el bra cke t on the t ail unit .
28. Ins ert the plain end of a wire, safety . No. 1, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12G/807) thr oug h the
holes of th e chann el bra cke t and the n thr oug h the hole in the arm ing vane blade unt il thi s end
prot rud es app rox ima tely 3 in. At tac h two clips, safety , No. 1, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12G/806) to the
wire, positi oning the inne r clip so th at it bears light ly aga ins t the arm ing vane blade.
Loading a bomb on to i ts bomb carrier
29. Load t he fu zed bo mb on to a 2,000 lb. bo mb ca rrier, as descr ibed in A.P. 1664, Vol. I, C hap. 5.
30. To the loop end of the saf ety wire alre ady fi tted t o the tail, conne ct t he hoo k en d of a flexible
fuze- settin g contr ol link. Then inse rt the loop end of the fuze -sett ing contr ol link into the E.M.
fuzing un it in the norm al manne r. Since a ‘'horiz ontal ” pull on the safe ty wire is requir ed, the
E.M. fuzing un it mu st not be positio ned vertically above the chann el bra cke t bu t mu st be moved
inwa rd t owa rds the suspe nsion lug a min imu m di stanc e of 3 i n., measu red from a ver tica l line thr oug h
the channel brack et. Prefe rably , however, the u nit s hould be moved inwar ds towa rds the bom b lug
as far as is per mit ted by the con tou r of the bomb.
Note.— Two or more fuze -settin g cont rol links, att ac he d end to end, may be requi red.
Unload ing a bomb from its bomb carrier
31. Disconn ect the fuze- settin g contr ol link from the E.M. fuzing uni t. The n unlo ad the
bomb from its carr ier as describ ed in A.P. 1664, Vol. I, Chap. 5.
Unf uzi ng a bomb
32. To unfuze a bomb, proceed as follows :—
(i) Disconn ect the fuze- settin g contr ol link from the safe ty wire.
Warning.— Do not remove the safet y wire unti l after the tail unit has been detached
from the bomb body.
117

This leaf issued with A .L . No. 82 A.P .16 61B , V ol. I, Sect. 2, Chap. 3
Ju ne , 1944
(ii)Unscrew th e tail securing b olts a nd remov e the tail.
(iii)Replace the safet y plate , press-cap, and overseal on the pistol, heed ing the Warning at
the end of pa ra. 26.
(iv) Unscrew and remov e the pistol, by hand , and ex tra ct the det onato r using an extr act or,
deto nato r, No. 2, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12G/998). Replace t he pistol.
(v) Remove the suspensio n lug from the bomb body and replace the tra ns it screws.
At tac h the lug by its securing screws with in the tra ns it base. The n fit the tra ns it base
to the b omb body.
(vi) Remove t he safe ty clips from the t ail-s afet y wire and with draw t his w ire from the a rming
vane and chann el brac ket. Re tur n the tail, toge ther with safe ty wire and clips secured
to it by tape , to its prot ecti ng clamp.
Note.— Should the s afet y wire be kinked , bent, or otherw ise dis tort ed or damage d, it
mu st no t be u sed again.
118
119

This leaf issued with A .L . No. 82 A.P .166 1B, Vol. I, Sect. 2
Ju ne , 19 44

APPE NDIX 1

COMPONENTS USED WITH A.P. BOMBS

TAB LE 1
BOMBS, H.E ., AIRCRAFT, A.P., 2,00 0 lb., Mk. I, II, and III

Tai l fuz ing

Fuze Explode r
f
No. 37 Mk. I Special, suppl ied in position

TAB LE 2
BOMBS, H .E., AIRCRAFT, A.P ., 2,00 0 lb., Mk. II**, III* and IV

Tai l fuz ing

Pistol Detonator Explode r


No. 30 Mk. IV No. 56, Mk. I (0-05 sec.) Special, suppli ed in positio n

PS093 M /G1361 10/44 7900 C & P G p. 1


120
121

AI R PUBLIC ATION 166 1B


Vo lum e I

Section 3

S.A.P . BOMBS

(8662) T16 978/2 746 2500 4/44 M48142 C & P 752


122
123

Relev ant amend ments up to A .L . 72 A. P.1 66 1B , Vol. I


incorpor ated in this repr int
Ja nu ar y, 1944

SECTION 3

S.A .P. BOMBS

GEN ERA L CONTENTS LIST

Note.— A detaile d cont ents list appe ars at the beginning of each chap ter.

CHA PTE R 1—General notes on S.A.P. bombs


CHA PTE R 2—Bombs, H.E ., airc raft, S.A.P., 250 lb., Mk. II, lie , II I, III c, and IV, and 500 lb
Mk. I I, li e, II I, III c, and IV
CHA PTER 3—Bombs, H.E ., airc raft , S.A.P., 250 lb., Mk. V, and 500 lb., Mk. V

AP PE ND IX 1—Compo nents used with S.A.P. bombs


124
125

This chapter issue d with A .L. No. 34 A.P.16 61B, Vol. I, Sect. 3
Aug ust, 1942
Relevant amend ments up to A .L 72
incorporated, in this repr int
Jan ua ry, 1944

CHAPTER 1

General notes on S.A.P. bombs

L IS T O F C O N T E N T S
Par a.
In tr od uc ti on ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1
Pr ec au tio ns to be ob se rv ed wh en fu zin g or un fu zing bo m bs ... ... ... ... ... ... 3
R ep ai r an d ex am in at io n ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 4
Su pp ly ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 6
St or ag e ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 7
126

CHAPTER 1

General notes on S.A.P. bombs


Introduction
1. Only 250 lb. and 500 lb. S.A.P. bombs are at pres ent used in the Service. They are fuzed
at the tai l only, and are for use agai nst hard ta rge ts, such as reinfor ced concrete , or med ium-arm oured
targ ets, where pen etra tion of the tar ge t is requi red before the bomb is deto nate d. Owing to the
thickn ess of the walls of the bomb body, the charge /weigh t rat io is com para tivel y low.
2. Earli er ma rks of the bombs are ini tia ted by a fuze, while late r mar ks empl oy a pis tol/ deto nato r
combina tion.

Precautions to be observed when fuzing or unfuzing bombs


3. Att enti on is direc ted to the prec autio ns detaile d in Sect. 1, Chap. 1, which apply also to
S.A.P. bombs.

Repair and examinatio n


4. Only such repai r and exam inati on of bombs as is specified in Sect. 20, Chap. 1, is to be
done by arm am ent personnel. Any bomb found havin g majo r damage or defects is t o be set aside
for A.I.D. inspectio n.
5. Fuzed bombs, whe ther loaded on to airc raft , or store d in the fuzed bomb area, mus t be
examine d at the inter vals sta ted in Sect. 20, Chap. 2.

Supply
6. Earli er marks of S.A.P. bombs are supplied in boxes, the late r marks being supplie d fitted
with tra nsi t bases. In late r marks of bombs, the pisto l used for fuzing is supplied in positi on in
the bomb, where it acts as a tra ns it plug.

Storage
7. The regul ation s govern ing the storag e of S.A.P. bombs are given in A.P. 1245, Chap. 3.
Tail unit s may be stored in the same explosives storeho use as the filled bombs, bu t the packages
cont ainin g them mus t be stack ed well clear of the filled stores.
127

Thi s chapter ‘issued with A .L . No. 43 A.P.1 661B, Vol. I, Sect. 3


November, 1942
Releva nt amen dmen ts up to A .L . 72
incorporated in this repri nt
Jan ua ry , 1944
CHAPTER 2

BOMBS, H.E., AIRCRAFT, S.A.P., 250 lb., Mk. H, II C, m , i n C, and IV,


and 500 lb., Mk. H, H C, H I, H I C, and IV

LI ST OF CO NT EN TS
Para. . Para.
Intro ductio n General description
Bomb, H. E., aircraft , S.A.P., 250 lb., Mk. IV 1 , Comparison with the 250 lb., Mk. IV bomb
Leading particu lars Bomb body 57
Body, bomb, H.E., aircraft , S. A. P., Filling 58
250 lb., Mk. IV ............., 3 Tail ................................................. 59
Tail, bomb, H.E., aircraft , S.A.P., Tran sit base 60
250 lb., No. 5, Mk. I ... ... 4 Identific ation colouring an d markings ... 61
Base, tran sit, aircr aft bomb, No. 10, Instru ction s for use
Mk. I ................................................. 5 Fuzing the bomb ... 62
General description Removing the tran sit base 66
Bomb body ... 6 Assembling the tail to the fuzed bomb ... 67
Filling 9 Prote cting the fuze 68
Tail plug 11 Loading the fuzed bomb on to the aircra ft
Tran sit plug 12 bomb carrier 69
T a i l ............................................................ 13 Unloading the bomb from the aircr aft
Tran sit base 14 bomb carrier 70
Identific ation colouring and markings Unfuzing the bomb 71
Colouring 15 Supply and storage
Markings on the bomb body ... 16 Supply 74
Markings on the tail 20 Storage ... ... L. 77
Markings on the tra ns it base ... 22 Bomb, H.E., aircraft , S.A.P., 500 lb., Mk. I ll
Markings on the tail plug 24 Leading particu lars
Markings on the tran sit plug ... 25 Body, bomb, H.E., aircra ft, S.A.P.,
Functionin g ... 26 500 lb., Mk. I ll .......................... 78
Instr uction s for use Tail, bomb, H.E., aircra ft, S.A.P.,
Fuzing the bomb ... 29 5001b., No. 1, Mk. I .............. 79
Removing the tran sit base 33 Base, tran sit, aircr aft bomb, No. 4,
Assembling the t ail to the fuzed bomb ... 34 Mk. I ................................................. 80
Prote cting the fuze 35 General description
Loading the fuzed bom b on to the aircr aft Comparison with t he 500 lb., Mk. IV bomb 81
bomb carrier 36 Instru ction s for use ... 82
Unloading the bomb from the aircra ft bomb Supply and storage
carrier 37 Supply 83
Unfuzing the bomb 38 Storage 86
Supply and storage Bombs, H.E., aircraft , S.A.P., 250 lb., Mk.
Supply 41 IIIC , and 500 lb. Mk. IIIC
Storage 44 General description
Bomb, H .E., aircraft, S.A.P., 500 lb., Mk. IV Comparison with the Mk. I ll bombs ... 87
Leading particu lars Instru ction s for use ... 89
Body, bomb, H.E., aircraft, S.A.P., Supply and storage
500 lb., Mk. IV .......................... 45 Supply 90
Tail, bomb, H.E. , aircraft , S.A.P., Storage 95
500 lb„ No. 6, Mk. I .......................... 46 Bombs, H.E., aircra ft, S.A.P., 250 lb„ Mk. II,
Base, tran sit, aircr aft bomb, No. 11, and 500 lb., Mk. II
Mk. I ................................................. 47 General description
General description Comparison with the Mk. I ll bombs ... 96
Comparison with th e 250 lb., Mk. I V bomb 48 Instru ction s for use ... 97
Instr uction s for use ... 49 Supply and storage
Supply and storage Supply 98
Supply ... ... .............. 50 Storage 101
Storage 53 Bombs, H.E ., aircraft , S.A.P., 2501b., Mk. IIC,
Bomb, H. E., aircraft , S.A.P., 250 lb., Mk. I ll and 500 lb., Mk. IIC
Leading particu lars General description
Body, bomb, H.E., aircraft, S.A.P., Comparison with the Mk. II bombs 102
2501b., Mk. I l l ..................................... 54 Instru ction s for use ... 103
Tail, bomb, H.E., aircraft , S. A.P., Supply and storage
250 lb., No. 1, Mk. I ... 55 Supply 104
Base, tran sit, aircr aft bomb, No. 3, Storage 107
Mk. I ................................................. 56
128

LIS T OF ILLU STRA TION S


Fig.
1. Bomb, H.E., aircraft, S.A.P., 500 lb., Mk. IV
2. Bomb, H.E., aircraft, S.A.P., 500 lb., Mk. IV (fuzing detail)
3. Bomb, H.E., aircraft, S.A.P., 500 lb., Mk. I ll (fuzing detail)
4. Wooden transit base (typical)
5. Bomb, H.E., aircraft, S.A.P., 500 lb., Mk. IIIC (tail fitting)
6. Bomb, H.E., aircraft, S.A.P., 500 lb., Mk. I I (explodering detail)

CHA PTER 2
BOMBS, H. E. , AIR CRA FT, S.A .P. , 250 lb., Mk. n , H C, HI , H I C, and IV,
and 500 lb., Mk. H, H C, IH, III C, and IV
Int rod ucti on
1. The 250 lb. and. 500 lb. Mk. II to IV series S.A.P. bombs are employed for atta cki ng hard
targ ets, such as lightl y armo ured ships and reinforced concr ete stru ctur es, which nece ssitate the
use of bombs h aving gre ate r pe net rati ve power th an th e c orrespo nding G.P. bombs. They are suppl ied
exploder ed for use with the No. 30 tai l fuze, which provide s a dela y to allow for p ene trat ion of the
tar ge t before the bomb explodes.
2. In this cha pter , the Mk. IV bombs of each weight are first complet ely described, and the
earlier mark s are then dea lt with by compariso n.

BOMB, H. E. , AIRC RAF T, S.A .P. , 250 lb., Mk. IV


Lead ing part icula rs
Body, bomb. H.E ., aircraft, S.A .P ., 250 lb., M k. IV
3. Stores Ref. 12A/326
Leng th, with tai l ... 4 ft. 1-5 in., appro x.
Maximum diam eter 9-2 in., approx .
Weight of body ... 177 lb. 8 oz., approx.
Weight and natu re of filling 41-5 lb. T.N.T-.
Term inal velocity 1.440 ft. per sec.

Tail, bomb, H.E ., aircraft, S.A .P. , 250 lb., No. 5, Mk . 1


4. Stores Ref. .................................................. 12A/327
Len gth ... ... ... ... ... ... 1 ft. 6-6 in., appr ox.'
Base, transit, aircraft bomb, No. 10, Mk . I
5. Stores Ref. .................................................. 12A/336

GEN ERA L DES CRIP TION


Bom b body
6. The bomb body, which is simil ar to the 500 lb. Mk. IV bomb body, see fig. 1 and 2, is made
of steel and its wall thick ness reduces progressive ly from the shar p-po inted nose to the tail end,
which is formed with an exte rnal ly thre ade d spigot to' receive a t ail ad ap ter an d has a t hre ade d axial
bore in which a stee l expl oder c ont aine r is screwed and cemen ted in po sition. The body is fitte d with
a suspension lug.
7. The exploder con taine r has a tub ula r ster», closed at its forward end, which proje cts into
the filling space of the bomb body, and an enlarged head at the rear end. The rear port ion of th is
head is inter nally thre aded to receive a fuze securing ring, and the inne r surface of the head has a
longi tudin al locating slo t for a locatin g pi n on the b ody of the fuze; this locatin g slo t is so posit ioned
in relati on to the suspension lug as to locate the fuze correc tly for conne ction to the fuze-s etting
control link on the airc raft bomb carrier.
8. The tail ada pte r, which screws on to the tai l end of th e bomb body, consis ts of a coned ring
having an ann ular groove arou nd its conical surface to accom moda te spring clips on the tail unit.
A lo cating pin for the tai l uni t is p rovided on the ada pte r, in line with the suspension lug, and also
serves as a locking screw to lock t he ada pte r in position on the tail end of the bomb body.
129

A.P .166 1B, Vol. I, Sect. 3, Chap. 2

Fig. 1.—Bom b, H. E., air cra ft, S.A. P., 500 lb., Mk. IV
130

CYLINDRI CAL VANE

VANE SUPPORTS

ARMINC VANE

STOP PIN

SAFETY CL IP

No. 3 0 FUZE

TAIL CON E

FUZE SECURING RING

TAIL ADAPTER
SPRINC clip

LOCA TING PIN AND


LOCK1NC SCREW
LOCATIN G SLOT

EXPLO DER CONT AINER

SEALIN G WASHERS

RAPER TUBE

DISC

EXPL ODER

BODY

DISCS

MAIN FILLING

Fig. 2.—Bomb, H.E., aircraft, S.A.P., 500 lb., Mk. IV (fuzing detail)
131

A.P.16 61 B, Vol. I, Sect. 3, Chap. 2


Filling
9. The main filling consists of T.N.T. with a pad of appro ved composi tion in the nose end,
and a layer of appr oved mat erial , or waxed felt washers and a glazed board washer, for sealing
purposes, at the rear end of th e bomb body. A waxe d pap er tub e encloses th e stem of th e exploder
contain er.
10. An explod er, pellet, C.E., 8 oz., Mk. II is housed in th e forward end of the explode r con taine r
stem between cloth discs, one or more glazeboard packing discs being inserted in the end of the
stem as necessarv.

Tail plug
11. A tail plug, No. 17, Mk. I, with leat her washer, is accom moda ted in the rear end of the
exploder con tain er durin g tr an sit an d storag e of the bomb, and is held in position by t he fuze securing
ring.

Tran sit plug


12. A tr an sit plug, No. 26, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/338), closes the rear end of th e fuze sec uring
ring durin g tra ns it and storag e of the bomb.

Tail
13. The tail consists of a cylindr ical tai l vane secured by four vane supp orts to a tai l cone.
The tai l cone has four slots in its forward edge at posit ions centr al between adj ace nt vane supp orts,
so th at when the tai l is assembled to the bomb with the locati ng pin on the tail ad apt er engaging
one of th ese slots, the vane supp orts will be at 45 deg. to the suspension lug. Fou r spring clips are
att ach ed to the tail cone and exte nd one thro ugh each of the four slots so th at the y will sn ap into
engage ment with the groove in the tail ad ap ter when the tail is assembled to the bomb.

Tran sit base


14. The bomb is su pplied fitted with a No. 10, Mk. I tra ns it base, which consists of tw o meta l
pressings secured toge ther, the inne r pressing accom mod ating the tai l end of the bomb body and
the tail ad apt er of the bomb. The t ra ns it ba se is secured to t he bom b by claw bolts which pass throu gh
ferrules in the o ute r p ressing, and have t hei r claw e nds pro jecti ng thro ugh bay one t s lots in the inner
pressing so as to engage in the groove in the tai l ada pte r. The out er ends of the claw bolts are
thre ade d and fitte d with sprin g washers and wing nut s which are slackened off to allow t he bolts to
be tur ned and thu s to disengage the claws from the groove and perm it remova l of the tra ns it base
from the bomb body.

Identific ation colouring and mark ings


Colouring
15. The exter ior of the bomb body and tai l ad ap ter are pai nte d da rk green. A light green
band, 1 in. wide, is pain ted round the widest pa rt of the bomb body, a white band , J in. wide, is
pain ted round the bomb body 3 in. from the no se end, and a red band , j in. wide, is p aint ed round
the bomb body 3 | in. from the nose end. The tail is p aint ed dark green.

Markin gs on the bomb body


16. The lett ers T.N.T. are stencilled , in black, on the light green band in thre e places equall y
spaced. “G .D.2’' ma y also be stencill ed, in one place only, on t he light green ban d; thi s will i ndica te
th at the bomb is filled with grade 2 T.N.T. and is unsu itabl e for storag e in ho t climate s.
17. To the rea r of the light green band are stencilled , in black, the following pa rtic ula rs: —
(i) S.A.P., 250 lb., IV.
(ii) The monogr am of t he filling sta tion , or the initia ls or recognized tra de mark of t he filling
cont racto r.
(iii) The dat e of filling, m ont h and year.
(iv) The lot num ber of the filling.
On the reverse side of the bomb body is stencille d, in black, the design numb er of the meth od of
filling.
18. The ma nuf act ure r’s serial num ber is stam ped on the bomb body and is also stencill ed in
regis tering positions on the tai l end of the bomb body and the tail ada pter .
132

19. Stam ped on th e bomb body, on the same side as the suspensio n lug and towar ds the tail
end, are the following mar king s:—
(i) IV S.A.P. 250 lb.
(ii) The ma nuf act ure r’s initia ls or recognized tra de mark.
(ii) The dat e of manu factu re, mon th and year.

Markin gs on the tail


20. The following marki ngs are stencilled in black on the cylindri cal van e:—
(i) No. 5 I.
(ii) S.A.P., 250 lb., IV
21. The following marki ngs are stam ped on the cylindri cal van e:—
(i) No. 5 I.
(ii) The ma nuf act ure r’s initia ls or recognized tra de mark.
(iii) The dat e of .ma nuf act ure, mo nth and year.

Markin gs on the transit base


22. The following marki ngs are stencilled on the flange of the tra nsi t base inner press ing:—
(i) No. 10 Mk. I S.A.P. 250 lb.
23. The following mark ings are stam ped on the flange of the tra ns it base inner press ing:—
(i) 10 I.
(ii) The ma nuf act ure r’s initia ls or recognized tra de mark.

Markin gs on the tail plug


24. The following marki ngs are stam ped on the tail plu g:—
(i) “ No. 17 I" followed by “M” , “S ", or “F ”, depend ing on the mate rial from which the
plug is made.
(ii) The ma nuf act ure r’s initia ls or recognized tra de mark.

Markin gs on the transit plug


25. The following markin gs are stam ped on the tra ns it plug :—
(i) “No. 26 I ” followed by “M", “S ’’, or "F ", depen ding on the mat eria l from which the
plug is made.
(ii) The ma nu fac tur er’s initia ls or recognized tra de mark .
(iii) The dat e of man ufac ture, mon th and year.

Function ing
26. When the fuzed bomb is released from the bomb carrier , the safet y clip is first removed
from the fuze by the fuze-s etting contr ol link so as to free the arm ing vane.
27. Durin g th e fall of t he bomb the a rmin g v ane rot ate s so as to arm the fuze which, on i mpa ct
with the targ et, functi ons thro ugh the delay mechanis m to fire th e C.E. in the magazin e of th e fuze,
as described in A.P. 1661C, Vol. I, Sect. 2, Chap. 2.
28. The deto natio n of the magazine charge fires the exploder, and the explode r deto nate s
the main filling.

INSTR UCTI ONS FO R USE


Fuzing the bomb
29. Fuzin g is t o be done before assembling the tail to th e bomb, and can be effected with out
removing the tra ns it base.
30. Remove the tra ns it plug from the fuze securing ring.
31. Screw th e two tommies into t he body of a Key, No. 134 (Stores Ref. 12A/344) and engage
the projec tions on the end of th e key in the s lots in the fuze s ecuring ring. Ins ert t he rod provided
thro ugh th e hole in th e centre of th e key an d screw it into th e t hre ade d hole in the re ar end of th e tail
133

A.P .166 1B, Vol. I, Sect. 3, Chap. 2


plug. Contin ue to tu rn th e key clockwise t o unscrew the fuze securing ring, which has a left-ha nd
thre ad, and with draw t he ring with the t ail p lug on the e nd of t he key. Remove the tai l plug from
the key by unscrewing it from the rod, and with dra w the rod from the key end.
32. Prep are and tes t th e No. 30 fuze as describe d in A.P.1661C, Vol. I, Sect. 2, Chap. 2, and
then proceed as follows:—
(i) Locate the locat ing pin on the fuze body in the locati ng slot in the explode r conta iner,
see para. 7, and push the fuze fully home into th e explode r conta iner.
(ii) Thre ad th e fuze secur ing r ing over t he bo dy of the fuze and screw it home into th e e xploder
con taine r, using the key No. 134. Wit hdr aw the key and te st the firmness of the fuze
by g ripping it s t ail piece. If t her e is any slackness or side pla y, tigh ten up t he fuze secur ing
ring still fur the r unt il the fuze is held rigidly.

Removin g the transit base


33. To remove the tra ns it base from the bomb, slacken off the wing nuts , tu rn the claw bolts
to disengage them from the groove in the tai l ada pte r, and the n with draw the tra ns it base from
the tail ada pter .

Assembling the tail to the fuzed bomb


34. Offer up the tail cone to the tai l ada pte r, registe r one of the slots in the forward edge of
the tai l cone with the locati ng pin on the tail ada pte r, and press the tai l home. Ensu re th at the
sprin g clips are fully engaged with the ann ula r groove in the tai l ad ap ter by apply ing pressu re to
them individ ually.

Protecti ng the fuze


35. If the fuzed bomb, eith er fitted with tra ns it base or with tail assembled, is n ot to be used
forth with , the fuze should prefe rably be p rote cted by a cover, tai l fuze, airc raft bomb, No. 3, Mk. I
(Stores Ref. 12G/344), which is passed over t he fuze and screwed in to the r ear end of the fuze se curing
ring unti l its washer is well s eate d on th at end. Key, No. 134 (Stores Ref. 12A/344) s hould be used
for this purpose.

Loading the fuzed bomb on to the aircraft bomb carrier


36. Load the bomb on the bomb carri er as described in the rele vant cha pte r of A.P. 1664,
Vol. I, and then proceed as follows:—
(i) Unscrew and remove the fuze cover, if fitte d (see para. 35).
(ii) Assemble the armi ng vane to the D-sectioned end of the armin g vane spigot on the end
piece of the fuze, and secure it with the split pin, splayi ng the ends of the split pin to
reta in it in position .
(iii) Lit the safe ty clip with stop pin to the end piece of t he f uze so th at t he safe ty clip sp igot
engages the locatin g slot in the end piece, and conne ct the safe ty clip to the fuze-s etting
contr ol link on the bomb carrier .
(iv) Imm edia tely before the air cra ft is read y to tak e off, remove the safe ty pillar from the
fuze and han d it to the pilo t or to the bomb aimer.

Unloading the bomb from the aircraft bomb carrier


37. If a bomb is to be removed from the bomb carri er proceed as follow s:—
(i) Ens ure th at the aircr aft fuze- settin g cont rol switch is set to the safe position.
(ii) Replac e the safety pillar of the fuze.
(iii) Disconn ect the fuze -sett ing con trol link from the safet y clip on the fuze.
(iv) .Remove the safe ty clip with stop pin from the fuze.
(v) Remove the arm ing vane from the fuze, and fit the fuze cover to the bomb.
(vi) Unload the bomb from t he carr ier as d escribed in the r elev ant cha pter of A.P. 1664, Vol. I.

Unfuzi ng the bomb


38. Remove the fuze coyer and the No. 30 fuze from the bomb, using key No. 134, wit hou t
its centr e rod, to unscrew t he fuze securin g ring f rom the explod er conta iner.
134

39. Replac e the tai l plug in th e explode r co ntai ner a nd secure it in position by screwing in the
fuze securing ring, using key No. 134, w itho ut its cent re rod, for thi s purpose.
40. Replace the tra ns it plug.

SUP PLY AND STORAGE


Supply
41. The bomb, H.E ., airc raft , S.A.P., 250 lb., Mk. IV is su pplied, unde r Stores Ref. 12A/326,
with tai l plug, No. 17, Mk. I, and tra ns it plug, No. 26, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/338) in position, on
base, tra nsi t, airc raft bomb, No. 10, Mk. I.
42. The tails, bomb, H.E ., airc raft, S.A.P., 250 lb., No. 5, Mk. I, are supplied packed two in
Crate, B.287, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/332).
43. Covers, tai l fuze, air cra ft bomb, No. 3, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12G/344), are supplie d packed
five in Box, B.300, Mk I (Stores Ref. 12G/350), o r ten in Box, B.299, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12G/349).

Storage
44. The bombs are classified, for storag e purposes , in Group VII. Tail unit s may be s tored in
the same explosi ves storeh ouse as the filled b ombs, bu t crates contai ning them mus t be stack ed well
away from the filled stores.

BOMB, H .E ., AIR CRA FT, S.A .P. , 500 lb., Mk. IV


Lead ing partic ulars
Bod y, bomb, H .E ., aircraft, S. A .P ., 500 lb., M k. I V
45. Stores Ref. ... 12A/328
Length with tail 5 ft. 2-2 irr., a pprox .
Maximum diam eter 11-5 in., appro x.
Weigh t of body 390 lb., appro x.
Weight and nat ure of filling 90 lb. T.N.T.
Termina l velocity ... 1,880 ft. per sec.

Tail, bomb, H .E. , aircraft, S.A .P. . 500 lb., No. 6, Mk. I
46. Stores Ref. ... 12A/329
Length 1 ft. 9 in., approx .

Base, transit, aircraft bomb, No. 11, Mk. I


47. Stores Ref. ... 12A/337

GEN ERA L DES CR IPT ION


Compar ison wi th the 250 lb. Mk. TV bomb
48. The 500 lb. Mk. IV bomb is simila r to the 250 lb. Mk. IV bomb, and the descri ption in
para. 6 to 28 applies if the app rop riat e typ e number s and nominal weight figures are sub stit uted
for those given in para. 14, 17, and 19 to 23.

INSTR UCTIO NS FOR USE


49. The inst ruct ions for use given in para. 29 to 40 ap ply to the 500 lb. Mk. IV bomb.

SUP PLY AND STORAGE


Supply
50. The bomb, H.F.., airc raft, S.A.P., 500 lb., Mk. IV, is su pplied, unde r Stores Ref. 12A/328,
with tai l plug No. 17, Mk. I, and tra ns it plug, No. 26, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/338), in position, on
base, tra nsi t, airc raft bomb, No. 11, Mk. I.
51. The tails, bomb, H.E. , aircr aft, S.A.P., 500 lb., No. 6, Mk. I, are supplied, packed two in a
Crate, B.286, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/333).
52. The tail fuze covers (No. 3) are supplied as described in para. 43.
135

A.P. 1061 B, Vol. J, Sect. 3, Chap. 2

Storage
53. The bombs are classified, for s torage purposes , in Group VII , and tai l units may be st ored
in the same explosives storeho use as the filled bombs, bu t crate s con taini ng them mus t be stacke d
well a,wav from the filled stores.

BOMB, H. E. , AIRC RAF T, S.A .P. , 250 lb., Mk. m


Lead ing parti cular s
Body, bomb, H. E., aircraft, S .A .P ., 250 lb., Mk. I l l
54. Stores Ref. ... 12A/283
Length with tail 4 ft. T5 in., approx .
Maximum diam eter 9-2 in., appr ox. '
Weight of body 177 lb. 8 oz., a pprox .
Weight and nat ure of filling 41-5 lb. T.N.T.
Termina l velocity ... 1,440 ft. per sec.

Tail, bomb, H.E ., aircraft, S.A .P. , 250 lb., No. 7, Mk. I
55. Stores Ref. ... ... ... ... ... ... 12A/284
Length ... ... ... ... ... ... 1 ft. 5-6 in., approx.

Base, transit, aircraft bomb, No. 3, Mk. !


56. Stores Ref................................................................. 12A/274

GEN ERA L DES CR IPT ION


Compar ison wit h the 250 lb., Mk. IV bomb
Bomb body
57. The bomb bod y, which is similar to th at of th e 500 lb., Mk. I ll bomb, see fig. 3, differs from
th at of the 250 lb., Mk. IV bomb, see para. 6 t o 8, in th at the tai l ad apt er is in the f orm of a pl ain
inte rna lly thre ade d coned ring with a sho rt tai l t ub e welded to it, the rea r en d of th e tai l tu be, being
thre ade d inte rna lly to receive plug, bomb, tra ns it, tail, No. 25, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/276), and
exte rnal ly to receive a tail nut , with a locking screw, whereby t he tai l is secu red to the bomb b ody.

' Filling
58. The bomb is filled and explodere d as described in para. 9 and 10.

Tail
59. The tail is simila r to th e tail for th e corres ponding Mk. IV bomb excep t th at it has no spring
clips and accom modat ing slots, and a single locatin g notc h is provid ed in the tai l cone at its fron t
edge t o engage a locatin g pin on the tai l ad ap ter t o ensure th at the vane supp orts will be at 45 deg.
to t he suspension lug when the ta il is assembled to t he bomb. The rear edge of th e t ail cone is tu rned
inwards for engage ment by the tail nu t on the tub e of th e tai l ada pter .

Transi t base
60. The tra ns it base, see fig. 4, is not bui lt up from met al pressings, bu t consists of a wooden
ring bui lt up from overlap ped lamin ations , the cen tral bore tak ing the tai l tub e of t he tai l ada pter ,
and cen tral recesses b eing provid ed to receive the coned ring of t he tai l ad apt er and the tail nu t on
the end of th e tail tube. The tra ns it base is stre ngt hen ed by a s eries of equi-spaced clampin g bolts,
the heads and nut s of which, with the ir associa ted washers, are accom moda ted in recesses so a s not
to s tan d proud . The shoulders a t t he in ner emtls of the c entr al recesses, which accom modat e the ta il
end of the bomb, have steel washers secured by screws.

Ide ntif ica tion colo urin g and mar kin gs


61. The colouring of th e bomb body, tail ada pte r, and tail is as described in para. 15, and the
markin gs are as giv en in p ara. 16 to 21, and 24 and 25, excep t fo rt he su bst itu tio n of th e app rop riat e
typ e and mark number s. The tra ns it base is bran ded with the following mar king s:—
(i) The num ber and mark.
(ii) The ma nuf act ure r’s initials or recognized tra de mark.
(iii) The year of man ufac ture.

/
136

0 ■ o o o o

C Y L IN D R IC A L VA NE

VA NE SUP POR TS

FUZE COV ER

N o. 3O FU ZE

TAI L NU T

— L O C K IN G SCREW

TAI L CO NE

TA IL ADA PTE R

LO CA TI NG PI N

LO C K IN G SCREW

— FUZE SE CU RI NG R IN G

LO CA TIN G SLO T

EXP LOD ER CO NT AI NE R

SEA LING WASHERS

■DISCS

MAIN FIL LIN G

Fig. 3.— Bomb, H.E ., air cra ft, S.A..P., 500 lb., Mk. I l l (fuzing detai l)
137

A.P.1661B. Vol. I, Sect. 3, Chap. 2


INSTR UCTI ONS FOR USE
Fuzing the bomb
62. Fuzin g is t o be done before assembl ing the tail to th e bomb, an d'c an be effected with out
removing the tra ns it base.
63. Remove the tra ns it plug from the fuze securing ring.
64. Screw t he two tomm ies into t he b ody of a Key, No. I l l , Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/240), an d
engage the projec tions on the end of the key in the slots in the fuze securing ring. Ins ert the rod
provided t hrou gh the hole in t he cent re of the k ey and screw it in to the t hrea ded hole in t he rear end
of th e tail plug. Continue to tu rn the key clockwise, to unscrew the fuze securi ng ring, which has a
left-ha nd thre ad, and with draw the riDg w ith the tail plug on the end of t he key. Remove the tail
plug from the key by unscrewing it from the rod, and with draw t he rod from the key end.

65. Prep are and tes t the No. 30 fuze as described in A.P.1661C, Vol. I, Sect. 2, Chap. 2, and
then proceed as follows:—
(i) , L ocat e the locating pin on the fuze body in the locati ng slot in the explod er contain er,
see para . 7, a nd push the fuze fully home into the explod er contai ner.
(ii) Threa d the fuze sec uring ring over t he body of th e fuze an d screw it home into the exp loder
cont aine r, using the key No. 111. Wit hdr aw the key and tes t the firmness of t he fuze by
grippin g its tail piece. If t here is a ny slackness or side play, tigh ten up the fuze se curing
ring still furth er unti l the fuze is held rigidly.

Removing the tran sit base


66. The tra nsi t base is removed from the bomb by slacken ing off t he tai l nut locking screw,
unscrewing and removin g the tail nu t from the tub e of the tai l ad ap ter and then with draw ing the
tran sit base from the tail ada pte r. The t ail nut should be replaced if the tai l un it is no t to be assembled
to th e bomb immedi ately.

Assembling the tail to the fuzed bomb


67. After removin g t he ta il nu t the tail ca n bo assem bled to the fu zed bomb by passing the ta il
cone over the tai l ad ap ter w ith the locati ng notc h in regis ter with the locating pin, pressing t he tail
home on the ada pte r, replaci ng the tai l nu t so as to clamp the tai l tig htl y in position, and finally
locking the tai l nu t by tigh teni ng its locking screw.

Protect ing the fuze


68. If the fuzed bomb, eith er fitte d with tra ns it base or with tai l assembled, is not to be used
forth with , th e fuze should prefe rably be pro tecte d by a cover, tai l fuze, airc raft bomb, No. 1, Mk. I
(Stores Ref. 12G/305), which is passed over t he fuze and screwed into th e rear end of the fuze securin g
ring unt il its washer is well sea ted on th at end. Key, No. 123 (Stores Ref. 12A/303) sho uld be used
for this purpose.
138

Loa ding the fuz ed bom b on to the aircr aft bomb carrier
69. Load the bomb on the bomb carri er as described in the rele van t cha pte r of A.P. 1664,
Vol. I, and the n proceed as follows:—
(i) Unscrew and remove the fuze cover, if fitte d (see para . 68).
(ii) Assemble the armin g vane to the D-sectione d end of the armin g vane spigo t on the end
piece of the fuze, and secure it with th e split pin, splay ing the ends of the split pin to
reta in it in position.
(iii) Fi t the safe ty clip w ith stop pin to the end piece of t he fuze so t ha t the s afety clip engages
the locating slot in th e end piece, and conne ct th e safe ty clip to th e fuze- settin g contro l
link on the bomb carrier.
(iv) Imm edia tely before the air cra ft is ready to tak e off, remove the safe ty pillar from the
,fuz e and hand it to the pilot or to th e bomb aimer.

Un loa din g the bomb from the aircr aft bomb carrier
70. If the bomb is to be removed from the bomb carrie r, proceed as follows:—
(i) Ensu re th at the airc raft fuze- settin g contr ol switch is set to the SAFE position.
(ii) Replace the safety pilla r of th e fuze.
(iii) Disconn ect the fuze- settin g contr ol link from the safe ty clip on the fuze.
(iv) Remove the safety clip with stop pin from the fuze.
(v) Remove th e armin g vane from the fuze, and fit the fuze, cover to the bomb.
(vi) Unload the b omb from the c arrier as described in the r elev ant cha pte r of A.P. 1664, Vol. I.

Un fuz ing the bomb


71. Remove the fuze cover a nd the No. 30 fuze from t he bomb, using k ey No. 123 for the cover,
and key No. I l l , wit hou t its cen tre rod , t o unscrew th e fuze securing ring from t he explo der co ntain er.
72. Replace the tai l plug in the explod er con tain er and secure it in positio n by screwing in
the fuze securing ring, using key No. I l l , with out its centr e rod, for this purpose.
73. Replace the tra ns it plug.

SUP PLY AND STORAGE


Supply
74. The bomb, H.E ., airc raft, S.A.P., 250 lb., Mk. Il l, is supplie d, with tail plug, No. 17, Mk. I,
and tra ns it plug, No. 25, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/276), in position , eith er on base, tra nsi t, air cra ft
bomb, No. 3, Mk. I, or singly with tai l unassem bled in Box, B.224, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/217), or
singly with tai l eithe r assembled or unassem bled in Box, B.237, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/218).
75. The tails, bomb, H.E ., airc raft , S.A.P., 250 lb., No. 1, Mk. I, if supplied sep arate ly from
the bombs, are packed two in a wooden crate .
76. The No. 1, Mk. I fuze covers are supplie d packed eith er ten in Box, B.297, Mk. I (Stores
Ref. 12G/347), or five in Box, B.298, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12G/348).

Storag e
77. The bombs are classified, for stora ge purposes, in Group VII , and tail unit s may be stored
in t he same explosives sto rehous e as the filled bombs, bu t the cr ates co ntain ing them m ust be stack ed
well awa y from the filled stores.

BOMB, H. E. , AIRC RAF T, S.A .P. , 500 lb., Mk. m


Lea ding particular?
Body, brmb, H. E., aircraft, S.A .P. , 500 lb., Mk . I l l
78. Stores Ref. ... 12A/285
Len gth with tail 5 ft. 2-2 in., appro x.
Maximum diam eter 1T5 in., approx.
Weight of body 390 lb., approx .
Weig ht and nat ure of filling 90 lb. T.N.T.
Termin al velocit y ... 1,880 ft. per sec.
139

A.P .166 1B, Vol. J, Seel. 3, Chap. 2


Tail, bomb, H.E ., aircraft, S.A .P ., 500 lb., No. 1, Mk. 1
79. Stores Ref. ... 12A/286
Length 1 ft. 6 in., approx .

Base, transit, aircraft bomb, No. 4, Mk. I


80. Stores Ref. ... 12A/275

GEN ERA L DES CRI PTIO N


Compar ison wi th the 500 lb., Mk. IV bomb
81. The 500 lb., Mk. I ll bomb, see fig. 3, differs from the 500 lb., Mk. IV bomb in the same
details as the 250 lb., Mk. I ll bomb differs from the 250 lb., Mk. IV bomb, see para. 57 to 61.

INSTR UCTIO NS FOR USE


82. The inst ruct ions for use of the 250 lb., Mk. I ll bomb, given in para. 62 to 73 app ly also to
the 500 lb., Mk. I ll bomb.
SUP PLY AND STORAGE
Supply
83. The bomb, H.E ., airc raft , S.A.P., 500 lb., Mk. I ll , is suppli ed, with tai l plug No. 17, Mk. I
and tra ns it plug No. 25, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/276), in position , e ithe r on base, tra nsi t, airc raft bomb,
No. 4, Mk. I, or singly with tai l unassem bled in Box, B.223, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/221), or singly
with tai l assembled or unassem bled in Box, B.236, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/222).
84. The tails, bomb, H.E ., airc raft , S.A.P., 500 lb., No. 1, Mk. I, if supplied sepa rate ly from
the bombs, are packed two in a wooden crate.
85. The No. 1, Mk. I fuze covers are supplied as describe d in para . 76.

Storag e
86. The classification and inst ruct ions for storag e are as described in para. 77.

BOMBS, H. E. , AIRC RAF T, S.A .P. , 250 lb., Mk. HI C, and 500 lb., Mk. HI C
GEN ERA L DES CRI PTIO N
Compa rison wi th the Mk. i n bomb s
87. These bombs, see fig. 5, ar e con versions of th e c orresp ondin g Mk. I l l b ombs, the conversion
consis ting in provid ing on th e tub e of the ta il a dap ter, see pa ra. 57, a flanged sleeve, to afford between
the flange of the sleeve and the con ed ring of th e tai l ada pte r, an ann ula r groove for enga ging spring
clips on a clip-on tail.
88. Tail, bomb, H.E ., airc raft , S.A.P., 250 lb., No. 3, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/322), and tail,
bomb, H.E ., airc raft , S.A.P., 500 lb., No. 4, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/325), are c onversion s of th e co rres­
pondi ng No. 1, Mk. I tails, see par a. 59, for Mk. I l l bombs, the conversion consis ting in f orming four
equi-spaced slots in the forwa rd edge of the ta il cone at positio ns c entra lly between the va ne su pport s,
and fittin g sprin g clips which proje ct one thro ugh each slot to engage the ann ula r groove in the
modified tai l ada pter , see p ara. 87. One of the slots is eng aged with the locati ng pin on the coned
ring of the ta il ad apt er when the t ail is assembled to the b omb so as to ensure th at th e vane supp orts
are at 45 deg. to the suspension lug.

INSTR UCTI ONS FOR USE


89. The inst ruct ions for use of the Mk. I ll C bombs are as given in para. 33, 34, 62 to 65, a nd
68 to 73.
SUP PLY AND STORAGE
Supply
90. The bomb, H.E ., aircr aft, S.A.P., 250 lb., Mk. III .C (Stores Ref. 12A/321) is su pplied with
tail plug, No. 17, Mk. I, and tra ns it plug, No. 25, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/276 in position , on base,
tra nsi t, air cra ft bomb, No. 14, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/334), which is similar to the No. 10, Mk. I
tra ns it base described in para. 14.
140

0 o o o o 0I>

CYL IND RIC AL VANE

VANE SUPPORTS

N O .2 5 TR AN SI T plug

•TAIL CO NE

FL AN GE D SLEEVE

SP RIN G C L IP

TAI L ADA PTE R

LO C A TI N G P IN

BOD Y

Fig. 5.—B omb, H.E ., air cra ft, S.A .P., 500 lb., Mk. I l l C (tail fitting )
141

A. P. 16 61 B, Vol. I, Sect. 3 :C ha p. ’2

91. The tails, bomb, H.E ., airc raft , S.A.P., 250 lb., No. 3, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/322), are
supplied packed two in a wooden crate , B.275, Mk. II (Stores Ref. 12A/330).
92. Bomb, H.E ., airc raft, S.A.P., 500 lb., Mk. I l l C (Stores Ref. 12A/324) is supplie d with
tail plug, No. 17, Mk. I and tra ns it plug, No. 25, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/276) in positio n, on bass,
tran sit, air cra ft bomb, No. 15, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/335) which is similar to th e No. 10, Mk. I
tra nsi t base described in para . 14.
93. The tails, bomb, H.E. , airc raft , S.A.P., 500 lb., No. 4, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/325) are
supplied packed two in a wooden crat e, B.278, Mk. II (Stores Ref. 12A/321).
94. The No. 1, Mk. I fuze covers are supplie d packed eith er ten in Box, B.297, Mk. I (Stores
Ref. 12G(347) or five in Box, B.298, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12G/348).

Storag e
95. The bombs are classified, fo r storag e purposes, in Group VII, and tail units may be s tored
in th e s ame explosives s toreh ouse as t he filled bombs, bu t the cra tes con taini ng th em mus t be stacke d
well away from the filled stores.

BOMBS, H. E. , AIR CRA FT, S.A .P. , 250 lb., Mk. H, and 500 lb., Mk. II
GEN ERA L DE SCR IPT ION
Compar ison wit h the Mk. I l l bomb s
96. These bombs, see fig. 6, a re generall y simila r in con stru ction and dimensi ons to the corres­
pondin g Mk. I l l b ombs described in p ara. 57 to 59, excep t t ha t, inst ead of a steel explode r co ntain er,
a base ada pte r, hav ing the form of the head of an explode r cont aine r, is fitte d to tak e the No. 30
fuze, a nd the explode r is hou sed in a pap er former and pap er tub e which sep arat e it from the main
filling and accom moda te the ste m of the No. 17 t ail plug. No t ra ns it plug or tr an sit base is f itted.
VANE SUPPORTS

LOC KING SCREW

TAIL NUT

TAIL CONE
TAIL ADAPT ER

LO CA TIN C PIN

LO CK INC SCREW

FUZ E SEC URIN C RINC


LO CAT INC SLOT
No 17 TAIL PLU C

BASE ADAPTE R

5E ALI NC WASHERS

PAPER FO RM ER
PAPER TUBE

DISC
BODY

EXP LO DE R

MAIN FIL LIN C

DISCS

Fig. 6.—Bomb, H.E., aircra ft, S.A.P., 500 lb., Mk. II (explodering detail)
142

INSTR UCTIO NS FOR USE


97. The inst ruct ions for use g iven in para . 62 t o 65, a nd 67 to 73 apply also to the Mk. I I bombs.

SUP PLY AND STORAGE


Supply
98. The bomb, H.E. , airc raft , S.A.P., 250 lb., Mk. II (Stores Ref. 12A/216) is s upplied, with tail
plug, No. 17, Mk. I in position , in Box, B.237, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/218) which also c ontai ns the
No. 1, Mk. I tail unit.
99. The bomb, H.E ., airc raft , S.A.P., 500 lb., Mk. I I (Stores Ref. 12A/220) is s upplied with tai l
plug, No. 17, Mk. I in positio n, in Box, B.236, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/222) w hich also cont ains t he
No. 1, Mk. I tai l unit.
100. The No. 1, Mk. I fuze covers are supplied packed eith er ten in Box, B.297, Mk. I (Stores
Ref. 12G/347) or five in Box, B.298, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12G/348).

Storag e
101. The bombs are classified, for storag e purposes, in Group VII, and tail units may be store d
in t he same explosives storehou se as t he filled bombs, bu t the c rates co ntain ing them m ust be st acked
well away from the filled stores.

BOMBS, H .E ., AIRC RAFT , S.A .P. , 25 0 lb., Mk. II C, and 500 lb., Mk. H C
GEN ERA L DES CRI PTIO N
Comp ariso n wi th the Mk. II bomb s
102. These bombs are conver sions of the corres ponding Mk. 11 bombs to ad ap t them for use
with clip-on tails. The convers ion is as described, with reference to the Mk. I l l C bombs, in para.
87, the No. 1, Mk. I tails being con vert ed to 250 lb., S.A.P., No. 3, Mk. I and the 500 lb., S.A.P.,
No. 4, Mk. I, as described in para . 88.

INST RUC TION S FOR USE


103. The inst ruct ions for use of the Mk. II C bombs are as given in para . 33, 34, 62 t o 65, and
68 to 73.
SUP PLY AND STORAGE
Supply
104. The bomb, H.E ., airc raft , S.A.P., 250 lb., Mk. II C (Stores Ref. 12A/320), and bomb,
H.E ., airc raft , S.A.P., 500 lb., Mk. II C (Stores Ref. 12A/323) are supplied as described in para.
90 and 92 respecti vely, for the corres pondi ng Mk. I l l C bombs.
105. The No. 3, Mk. I and No. 4, Mk. I tails are supplied as described in para . 91 and 93
respective ly.
106. The supply of No. 1, Mk. I fuze covers is as described in para. 100.

Stora ge
107. The classification and instr ucti ons for storag e are as described in par a 101.
143

Issued with A .L . No. II A.P.1 661B, Vol. I, Sect. 3


May , 1942
Relevant amen dmen ts up to A .L . 72
incorporated in this repri nt
Jam tar v, 1944

CHAPTER 3

BOMBS, H.E ., AIRCRAFT, S.A.P ., 250 lb., Mk. V, and 500 lb., Mk. V

LIST OF CONTENTS
Pa ra.
In tr oduct io n ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1
Bom b, H .E ., ai rc ra ft , S. A. P., 250 lb. , Mk. V
Le ad in g pa rt ic ul ar s
Bo dy , bo m b, H ,E ., ai rc ra ft , S.A .P ., 250 lb., Mk. V ........................................................ 2
Ta il, bo mb , H .E ., ai rc ra ft , S. A. P. , 250 lb., No. 10, Mk. 1....................................................... 3
Ge ne ral de sc rip tio n
Bo mb bo dy ... ... ... ... ... ... .. . ... ... ... ... ... 4
Fi lli ng ... ............................. ... ............................. ... ... ... ... 6
Ta il ................................................................................................................................................................. 8
T ra nsi t ba se ... ... ... ... ... ,. . ... ... ... ... ... .1 0
Id en tif ic at io n co lou rin g an d m ar ki ng s
Co lou rin g ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .. . ... ... ... 11
M ark ing s on th e bo m b bo dy ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 12
M ar kin gs on th e tail ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 16
M ar kin gs on th e t ra n s it ba se ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 18
Ma rk ing s on th e t ra n s it plu g ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 20
F un ct io ni ng ... ... .. . ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 21
In st ru ct io ns for use
Fu zi ng th e bo m b an d as se m bli ng th e ta il
Fu zi ng th e bo m b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 24
As sem bli ng th e ta il ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .. . 29
Lo ad in g th e bo m b on th e ai rc ra ft bo m b ca rr ie r ... ... ... ... ... ... 32
Un lo ad ing th e bo m b fro m th e ai rc ra ft bo m b ca rr ie r ... ... ... ... ... 33
Un fu zi ng th e bo m b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 34
Su pp ly an d st or ag e
Su pp ly ... ... ... ... ... .. . ... ... ... ... ... ... 35
St or ag e ... .. . ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 37
Bo mb , H .E ., ai rc ra ft , S. A. P. , 500 lb., Mk. V
Le ad in g pa rti cu la rs
Bo dy , bo mb , H .E ., ai rc ra ft , S. A. P. , 500 lb. , Mk. V ... ... ... ... ... 38
Ta il, bo mb , H .E ., ai rc ra ft , S. A. P. , 500 lb ., No. 11, Mk. 1........................................................ 39
Ge ne ral de sc rip tio n
Bo m b bo dy ... ... ... ... ... .. . ... ... ... ... ... ... 40
Fi lli ng .................................................................................................................................................... 41
Ta il ................................................................................................................................................................. 42
T ra n si t ba se ... ... ... ... .. . ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 43
Id en tif ic at io n co lou rin g an d m ar ki ng s
Co lou rin g ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 44
M ar kin gs on th e bo m b bo dy ... ... .. . ... ... ... ... ... 45
M ar kin gs on th e ta il ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 49
M ar kin gs on th e tr a n s it ba se ... ... ... ... ... ... ................ 51
M ar ki ng s on th e tr an si t pl ug ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 53
Fu nc tio ni ng ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 54
In st ru ct io ns for use
Fu zi ng th e bo m b an d as se m bl in g th e ta il ... ... ... ... ... ... .. . 55
Lo ad in g th e bo m b on th e ai rc ra ft bo m b ca rr ie r . ... ... ... ... ... 56
Un lo ad in g th e bo m b fro m th e ai rc ra ft bo m b ca rri er" :.. ... ... ... ... ... 57
Un fu zi ng th e bo m b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 58
Su pp ly an d sto ra ge
Su pp ly ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 59
St or ag e ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 61
Mo dif ica tion to th e No. 10 M k. I ta il for ca rr ia ge on fig ht er -b om be r ai rc ra ft ... .. . 62

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Fig.
1. Bo m b, H .E ., ai rc ra ft , S. A. P. , 250 lb. , Mk. V, w ith tr an si t ba se in po sit ion
2. Bo mb , H .E ., ai rc ra ft , S. A. P. , 250 lb., Mk. V, wi th ta il in po sit io n
3. Ba se, tr an si t, ai rc ra ft bo mb , No. 22, Mk. 1

Note.--B om b, H.E ., tiircraft, S.A.P., 250 lb., Mk. V has been declared obsolete by A.M.O.
in ) 1242/45. ................
144

CO MP OS ITI ON PAD

SUSP ENSI ON
LUG

MAIN FILLING

T.N.T.

PAPER TUBE

EXPLODER
EXPLODER CO NT AI NE R

FELT WASHERS
GLAZ EDBO ARD WASHER

DETONATOR HOLDER

LOCKING SCREW LOCKING SCREW

LOCAT ING PIN TAIL ADAPTER

PISTOL

Fig . 1.—B om b, H .E ., ai rc ra ft , S. A. P. , 250 lb. , Mk. V, wi th tr an si t ba se in positi on


145

A.P.1 661B, Vol. I, Sect. 3


CHAPTER 3

BOMBS, H.E., AIRCRAFT, S.A.P., 250 lb., Mk. V, and 500 lb., Mk. V
Introduction
1. The 250 lb., Mk. V, and 500 lb., Mk. V, S.A.P. bombs a re in tend ed for use a gain st h ard targ ets,
such as reinforc ed concrete stru ctur es, and have grea ter pen etra tive power tha n the correspon ding
G.P. bombs. They may also be used agai nst lightl y arm our ed ships. They are fuzed at the tail
only, and the y differ from the earlier mark s of S.A.P. bombs in th at the y are used with a pistol in
the tail, inst ead of fuze, No. 30, an d in t ha t the t ail uni t is secure d to the t ail ad ap ter b y f our spring
clips.
BOMB, H.E ., AIRCRAFT, S.A.P., 250 lb., Mk. V
Leading particulars
Body, bomb, H. E. , aircraft, S.A .P ., 250 lb., M k. V
2. Stores Ref. ' ......................................................................... 12A/497
Lengt h, with tail ... ... ... ... ... ... 4 ft. 1 in., appro x.
Maximum diam eter ... ... ... ... ... ... 9-2 in., appro x.
We ight of body ... ... ... ... ... ... 177 lb. 8 oz., a ppro x.
Weig ht and nat ure of filling ... ... ... ... 40-5 lb. T.N.T./B eesw
Term inal veloc ity ... ... ... ... ... ... 1,440 ft. per sec.
Tail, bomb, H. E., aircraft, S.A .P ., 250 lb., N o. 10, Mk . 1
3. Stores Ref. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 12A/498
Len gth ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1 ft. 6 in.

GEN ERA L DE SCR IPT ION


Bomb body, fig. 1 and 2
4. The bomb body, which is made of cast or forged steel, has a poin ted nose a nd a n open
base which is th read ed inte rnal ly to receive an explod er conta iner, this being screwed and cemen ted
in position. The head of the explod er con tain er is thre ade d inte rnal ly to tak e a det ona tor holder,
which, when screwed home in the explo der conta iner, is secu red in p osition by a locking screw. The
det ona tor holde r is thre ade d inte rna lly at its rear end to tak e a tail pisto l or a tra ns it plug. The
base of t he bomb body is th rea ded exte rna lly to receive a t ail ad ap ter which is in t he form of a coned
ring with four equi-spa ced slots on the circumfe rence to receive the sprin g clips of t he tail.
5. The tail ad ap ter ,is s crewed on to the bomb body and is locked in positi on by a locking
screw. It is fi tted with a locatin g pin, at 45 deg. to the suspension lug on the bomb body, this pin
engaging with a slot in the forwar d end of the tail cone.

Filling
6. The main filling consists of T .N.T./ Beesw ax, 93/7, with a pad of appr oved composi tion in
the nose en d of the bom b, a nd w axed f elt wash ers an d a glazed board washe r for sealing p urposes at the
rear e nd of the bomb body. A layer of T .N.T. surro unds the stem of the explod er conta iner, from
which it is sep arat ed by a waxed pap er tube .
7. An exploder , H.E ., bomb, 6 oz. 6 dr., Mk. I, covered by a felt washer, is housed in the
explode r con tain er and held in positi on by the det ona tor holder, the thre ade d join t being sealed
with luting .
Tail, fig. 2
8. The tai l consists of a tai l cone w ith a cylind rical vane atta ch ed t o it by four van e s uppo rts.
The tail cone is fitted , at i ts apex, with a cone bush which locates the r ear en d of an ar ming spi ndle.
Appro xima tely half-w ay along the leng th of the tail cone is fitte d a diap hrag m which locates the
forwar d end of the armi ng spindle. Fou r equi-s paced sprin g clips are fitte d to the forwar d end of
the tail cone, and t he forwa rd edge of th e tail cone is s lotte d, at a position in align men t with one of
the four vane supp orts , for enga geme nt wit h the locati ng pin on the tail ad ap ter when the tai l is
assembled to the bomb. Two of th e,s pri ng clips are prov ided with channe l-sectio n locking clips
which swivel a bo ut a rivet . These lock th e sprin g clips in po sition when the ta il is assemble d to th e
bomb.
J (16 61B )
146

C Y LI N DR IC A L VANE

AR MI NG VANE -S A F E T Y CL IP

VALE SUPP ORT


CO NE GJS H
AR MI NG SPI NbL E
TAIL CO NE

DIA PH RA GM

FORK
L O C KI N G CL IP PIST OL
SP RIN G C LI P

TA IL AD AP TE R

PA INT ED DAR K
GREE N

BO DY

SUS PEN SIO N


LUG

LI G H T G RE EN BA ND

RED BAN D
WHIT E BA ND

Fig. 2.—Bomb, H .E., aircra ft, S.A.P., 250 lb., Mk. V, with tail in position
147

A.P.1661 B, Vol. 1, Sect. 3, Chap. 3


9. The armi ng spindle in the tai l is fi tted a t its forwar d end with a fork which, when the tail
is assem bled to the b omb, engages with a fork in t he No. 28 or o the r tail pis tol. The re ar end of th e
armi ng spin dle is thre ade d an d is fi tted w ith a f our-b laded a rmin g vane which is secu red by a locking
nu t and ta b washer. The arm ing vane is prev ente d from rot ati ng by a safe ty clip which fits over
the cone bush.
Note.— If the bomb is to be carrie d on fighter -bomb er airc raft , the tai l mus t be modified as
described in para . 62 to 65.
Transit base, fig. 3
10. The bomb is suppli ed fitte d with base, tra nsi t, air cra ft bomb, No. 22, Mk. I (Stores Ref.
12A/505), which consists of two metal pressings secured toge ther, the inner pressing being tape red
to accom modat e the base of the bomb body with the tail ad ap ter and pistol or tra ns it plug. The
tra nsi t base is secured to the tai l ad ap ter on the bomb body by t wo claw b olts which pass thro ugh
guide ferrules in the oute r p ressing, and h ave the ir claw e nds proje cting th rou gh bayo net slots in th e
wall of the inner pressing so th at the y can be engaged with two diam etric ally opposed slots in the
tail ada pter . The opposite e nds of th e claw bolts are thre ade d and f itted w ith wing nut s and sp ring
washers.
Identification colouring and markings
Colouring
11. The bomb body and the flange of the tail ad ap ter are pain ted dar k green. A light green
band, 1 in. wide, is pa int ed roun d the b omb body, 6 | in. fr om the nose end. A red band, | in. wide,
is pa int ed roun d the bomb body, 3 | in. from the nose end, and a white band, J in. wide, is p ain ted
round the bomb body 3 in. from the nose end. The tail and th e tra ns it base a re pai nte d dar k green.
Markin gs on the bomb body
12. The lett ers T.N.T . are stencille d, in black, on the light green ban d in thre e places equa lly
spaced, and the rat io figures 93/7 are stencilled , in black, in corres ponding positio ns imm edia tely
to the rear of the light green band.
13. To the rea r of the suspension lug are stencilled , in black, the following pa rtic ula rs: —
(i) S.A.P., 250 lb., V.
(ii) The monogr am of the filling sta tio n or initia ls or recognized tra de ma rk of the filling
cont racto r.
(iii) The dat e of filling, m ont h and year.
(iv) The lot num ber of the filling.
On th e re verse sid e of th e bomb body the design num ber of the meth od of filling is stencille d, in b lack.
14. The ma nuf act ure r’s serial num ber is stam ped on the bomb body, and is also stencil led in
registe ring positio ns on b oth th e tai l en d of th e bomb body and t he flange of t he t ail ada pte r.
15. Stam ped on the bomb body, on the same side as the suspensio n lug and towa rds the tai l
end are the following mar kin gs:—
(i) V, S.A.P., 250 lb.
(ii) The ma nuf act ure rs’ initials , or recognized tra de mark .
(iii) The dat e of man ufac ture, mon th and year.
Markings on the tail
16. The following marki ngs are stencill ed in black on the cylind rical va ne :—
(i) No. 10 I.
(ii) S.A.P., 250 lb., V.
17. Stam ped on the cylind rical vane are the following mar kin gs:—
(i) No. 10 I.
(ii) The ma nu fac tur er’s initials , or recognized tra de mark .
(iii) The dat e of man ufac ture , mon th and year.
Markings on the transit base
18. The following marki ngs are stencill ed in black on the top of the tra ns it base :—
(i) No. 22, Mk. I, S.A.P., 250 lb.
19. Stam ped on the top are the ma nuf act ure r’s markin gs, as follows:—
(i) The ma nu fac tur er’s initials , or recognized tra de mark .
(ii) 22. I.
148

OUT ER PR ES SIN G

Fi g, 3. —Ba se, tr an si t, ai rc ra ft bo m b, No . 22, Mk. I


149

A.P.1661 B, Vol. I, Sect. 3. Chap. 3


Markings on the transit plug
20. The following m arkin gs are stam ped on the head of t he tra ns it- plu g:—■
(i) TA IL NO. 27 IM (or IZ).
(ii) The ma nuf act ure r’s initia ls, or recognized tra de mark .
(iii) The dat e of man ufac ture, mo nth and year.
Functio ning
21. When t he bomb is released from the b omb carrier , the sa fety c lip is first r emoved f rom the
tail uni t by the fuze -settin g contr ol link so as to free the armi ng vane.
22. Durin g th e fall of th e bomb, the a rmin g vane is r ota ted b y the a ir stre am so as to unscrew
the pistol armi ng fork and arm the pistol.
23. On imp act of the bomb with the tar get , the stri ker of the pisto l fires the det ona tor, the
det ona tor fires the explode r, and the explod er deto nate s the main filling.

INST RUC TION S FO R USE


Fuzing the bomb and assembling the tail
Fuzin g the bomb
24. Remove the tra ns it base from the bomb body as follows:—
(i) Unscrew the wing nu ts on the claw bolts unt il the y bind.
(ii) Tur n the claw bolts by the wing nut s to brin g the claw ends out of enga geme nt with the
slots in the tail ada pte r, and remove the tra ns it base.
25. Unscrew and remove the pistol No. 28, or tra ns it plug No. 27.
26. Ensu re th at the de ton ato r cav ity is clear, using gauge, cavi ty, deto nato r, No. 2, Mk. I
(Stores Ref. 12A/349). Bombs which fail to pass this tes t mus t be set aside for A.I.D. inspecti on.
Ins ert the requ ired deto nato r.
27. Remove the press-c ap and safe ty pla te from the No. 28 pistol and tes t the armin g fork
for freedom of movem ent, finally screwing the fork ligh tly home aga inst the pistol body. If the
tail is n ot to be assemb led to the bomb imme diate ly, replace the safe ty pla te and press-cap.
28. Ins ert the pi stol into the d eto nat or holde r a nd screw it home by han d un til it is well sea ted
on its washe r and locked in positio n by the locking spring.
Assembling the tail
29. Offer up th e t ail to t he ta il a dap ter, maki ng sure t ha t t he slot in th e t ail cone is in a lignm ent
with the locatin g pin on the tai l ad ap ter and th at the fork in the pistol is n ot fouled by the a rmin g
mechanis m. Press the ta il h ome on to the ta il ad ap ter so as to engage th e locat ing p in in the slo t an d
so as to cause t he spring clips to sn ap into the fou r slots in t he tail ada pte r. Press ure mus t be applie d
to each of th e four spring clips to ensure th at the y are fully engaged. Tur n the locking clips so as
to lock the two asso ciate d spring clips.’
30. Test the armi ng vane for freedom of move ment by removin g the safe ty clip from the cone
bush and rot atin g the armin g vane two compl ete tur ns in an anti-cloc kwise directio n. If the
rota tion is not free, the tigh tnes s mu st be inve stig ated and rectified if possible. If the tigh tnes s
can not be r ectified, the t ail mus t n ot be u sed. Replace the safe ty clip, maki ng sure th at t he head of
its screw is engaged in the hole in the cone bush.
31. If the tail is subs eque ntly r emoved, the s afet y p lat e and press-c ap mus t be r eplaced on the
pistol. In the unlikel y even t of th e pistol a rmin g fork stan din g prou d of the top of th e pisto l body,
no att em pt m ust be made to replace t he s afety pla te a nd press-cap whilst t he p istol is in position in the
deto nato r holder. In th at even t, the pistol mu st be remove d from the det ona tor holder before
screwing the fork light ly home aga inst the pistol body, as described in para . 27, and replac ing the
safet y plat e and press-cap.
Loading the bomb on the airc raft bomb carri er
32. Load the bom b on the bomb carri er as described in the r elev ant cha pter of A.P . 1664, Vol. I .
Unloading the bomb from the airc raft bomb carri er
33. Disconn ect the safe ty clip from the fuze- setting contr ol link of the bomb carrier, and
unload the bomb as described in the rele van t cha pte r of A.P. 1664, Vol. I.
150

Unfuz ing the bomb


34. If it is necessa ry to unfuze the bomb, unlock the two locking clips and remove the ta il.
Replace the safe ty pla te and press-cap on the pistol (see, h owever, par a. 31), re move the pistol from
the bomb, ext rac t the deto nato r, using ext ract or, deto nato r, No. 2, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/348),
an d the n replace the pistol or the tra ns it plug in the bomb.

SUP PLY AND STORAG E


Supply
35. The bomb, H.E ., airc raft , S.A.P., 250 lb., Mk. V, is supplie d fitte d with base, tra nsi t,
air cra ft bomb, No. 22, Mk. I, and eith er with p istol, bomb, tail, No. 28, ser ving as a tra ns it plug, or
with t ra ns it plug No. 27 in positio n. Where the bomb is f itte d with tra ns it plug No. 27, the pistol
No. 28 is packed with the tail unit.
36. The tail, bomb, H.E ., airc raft , S.A.P., 250 lb., No. 10, Mk. I , is supp lied with p istol No. 28
in Containe r, B.302, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/501), or wit hou t the pistol in Contai ner, B.312, Mk. I
(Stores Ref. 12A/503).
Storage
37. The bombs are classified, for storag e purposes , in Group VII . Tail unit s may be store d
in the same explosives storehou se as the filled bombs, bu t packag es cont ainin g them mu st be sta cked,
well away from the filled stores.

BOMB, H.E., AIRCRAFT, S.A.P ., 500 lb., Mk. V


Leading particulars
Body, bomb, H.E ., aircrajt, S .A .P ., 500 lb., M k. V
38. Stores Ref. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 12A/499
Lengt h, with tai l ... ... ... ... ... ... 5 ft. 2 in., appr ox.
Maximum diam eter ... ... ... ... ... ... 11-5 in., appr ox.
Weig ht of body ... ... ... ... ... ... 385 lb. 12 oz., appro x.
Wei ght and na tur e of filling ... ... ... ... 89 lb. T.N.T.
Term inal veloc ity ... ... ... ... ... ... 1,880 ft. per sec.
Tail, bomb, H .E ., aircraft, S.A .P ., 500 lb., No. 11, Mk. I
39. Stores Ref. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 12A/500
Len gth ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1 ft. 8-4 in.

GE NER AL DE SCR IPT ION


Bomb body
40. The body of the 500 lb., Mk. V, S.A.P. bom b is simila r to th at of the 250 lb., Mk. V, bomb,
differing only in weigh t an d di mensions and in t ha t t he tai l a dap ter is form ed w ith a com plete ann ula r
groove, inste ad of w ith four slots, to accom modat e, the sprin g clips of t he tail, and is pr ovide d wi th
four key slots which are used w hen screwing the tail ad ap ter i nto the bomb body aft er filling.

Fillin g
41. The filling of th e 500 lb., S.A.P., Mk. V, bom b is simil ar to th at of th e 250 lb., Mk. V, S.A. P.
bomb, excep t for qu ant ity , for the omission of beeswax from the main filling, and for the omission
also of the sepa rate laye r of T.N.T. aro und the explo der cont aine r.
Tail
42. The tail, bomb, H.E ., airc raft , S.A.P., 500 lb., No. 11, Mk. I, is s imilar t o the tail, bomb,
H.E ., airc raft, S.A.P., 250 lb., No. 10, Mk. I, differing onlv in weight and dimensio ns.
Transit base
43. The bomb is su pplied fitte d wit h base, tra nsi t, air cra ft bomb, No. 23, Mk. I (Stores Ref.
12A/506), wh ich is simi lar to the base, tra nsi t, air cra ft bomb. No. 22, Mk. I, differing only in weight
and dimensions.
Identificati on colouring and markings
Colouring
44. The colouring of the bomb body, tail, and tra ns it base is the same as th at of the 250 l b.,
Mk. V, S.A.P., bomb, see pa ra. 11, excep t th at the light green ban d is 8 in. from the nose end.
151

A.P.1661 B, Vol. I, Sect. 3, Chap. 3


Markin gs on the bomb body
45. The lette rs T.N.T . are stencilled , in black, on the light green band in thre e places equall y
spaced. If G.D. 2 is also stencill ed on this band , the bomb is unsu itabl e for s tora ge in ho t climates.
46. To the rear of t he suspensio n lug are stencilled , in black, the following p art icu lar s:—
(i) S.A.P., 500 lb., V.
(ii) The monog ram of t he filling s tati on, or the initia ls or recognized tra de ma rk of the filling
cont racto r.
(iii) The dat e of filling, m ont h and year.
(iv) The lot num ber of the filling.
On the reverse side of t he bomb bod y th e d esign nu mbe r of th e meth od of filling is stencilled, in black.
47. The ma nuf act ure r’s serial num ber is stam ped on the bomb body, and is also stencill ed in
registeri ng positio ns on bot h the tail end of t he bom b-bo dy and the flange of th e tail ada pter .
48. Stam ped on the bomb body, on the same side as the suspension lug and towa rds the tail
end are the following mar king s:—
(i) V. S.A.P., 500 lb.
(ii) The ma nuf act ure r’s initials, or recognized tra de mark.
(iii) The dat e of man ufac ture, mon th and year.

Mark ings on the tail


49. The following m arking s are stencill ed in black on the cylindr ical van e:—-
(i) No. 11 I.
(ii) S.A.P., 500 lb., V.
50. Stam ped on the cylind rical vane are the following mar king s:—
(i) No. 11 I.
(ii) The ma nuf act ure r’s initia ls, or recognized tra de mark.
(iii) The dat e of man ufac ture, mo nth and year.

Markin gs on the transit base


51. The following m arkin gs are stencille d in black on the top of the tra ns it bas e:—
(i) No. 23, Mk. I, S.A.P., 500 lb. ,
52. Stam ped on the top are the ma nuf act ure r’s markin gs, as follows:—
(i) The ma nuf act ure r’s initials, or recognized tra de mark.
(ii) 23. I.

Markings on the transit plug


53. The marki ngs on the tra ns it plug are as described in par a. 20.
Funct ioning
54. The bomb functi ons as described in para . 21 to 23.

INST RUC TION S FOR USE

Fuzin g the bomb and assembli ng the tail


55. The 500 lb., Mk. V, S.A.P., bomb, is fuzed and the tail assemb led as describe d in par a.
24 to 31, it being note d th at the tail ad ap ter has a complete ann ula r groove, inst ead of f our slots,
to accom moda te the spring clips of the tail.
Loading the bomb on the aircraft bomb carrier
56 The bomb is loa ded on th e bomb carr ier as described in the rele van t cha pte r of A .P. 1664,
Vol. I.
152

Unloadin g the bomb from the aircraft bomb carrier


57. The bomb is un loaded from the bomb carri er as describe d in, pa ra. 33.

Unfuz ing the bomb


58. Unfuze the bomb as describ ed in para . 34.

SUP PLY AND STORA GE


Supply
59. The bomb, H.E ., airc raft , S.A.P., 500 lb., Mk. V, is suppl ied fitte d with base, tra nsi t,
air cra ft bomb, No. 23, Mk. I, and eith er with p istol, bomb, tail, No. 28, ser ving as a tra ns it plug, or
with tra ns it p lug No. 27, in positio n. Whe n th e b omb is fitte d w ith tra ns it p lug No. 27, the pis tol No.
28 is packe d with the tail unit.
60. The tail , bomb, H.E ., airc raft , S.A.P., 500 lb., No. 11, Mk. I, is sup plied with pi stol No. 28
in Container, B.303, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/502), or with out the pistol in Contai ner, B.313, Mk. I
(Stores Ref. 12A/504).

Storage
61. The bombs are classified, for stora ge purpose s, in Group VII . Tail unit s may be s tore d in
the same explosives storeho use as the filled bombs, bu t package s conta ining the m mu st be stac ked
well away from the filled sto res. Bombs mar ked G.D. 2 m ust not be st ored in hot climates.

Modification to the No. 10 Mk. I tail for carriage on fighter-bomber aircraft


62. The No. 10 Mk. I tail is to be m odified as follows if th e 250 lb. Mk. V.S.A .P. bomb is to be
carrie d on fighter -bomb er air cra ft: —
(i) Carefully str aig hte n th e ta b of th e ta b washer which secures the locking nut , and unscrew
and remove the nu t and tab washer.
(ii) Remove one pair of armi ng vane blades, and replace the ta b washer and locking nut.
(iii) Bend up the ta b of the ta b washer to lock the locking nu t in position .
63. Alter nativ ely, the tai l may be modified by cu ttin g off two diam etric ally oppos ite blades
of the armi ng vane.
64. Ensu re th at the screw in the safe ty clip engages securely in the hole in the cone bush.
If th e sa fety clip is not secure, i t is to be removed a nd a clip, saf ety, arm ing v ane (Stores Ref. 12A/982),
fitted . Tails of recen t man ufac ture are fitte d with safet y clips giving the necessar y secure engage­
ment.
65. If tai l unit s are not fitte d with swivel locking clips (the earlier ones were not so fitted),
a clip, locking, spring'-on ty pe (Stores Ref. 12A/842) is to be fitted over each of t he f our sprin g clips
on the tail cone.
153

Th is app end ix issu ed with A .L . No . 66 A.P.1 661B , Vol. I, Sect. 3


Au gus t, 1943
Relevant amen dmen ts up to A .L . 72
incorporated in this repri nt
Jan ua ry, 1944

APPEND IX 1

COMPONENTS USED WITH S.A.P. BOMBS

LI ST OF CO NT EN TS
Table
Bombs, H .E., aircraft , S.A.P., 250 lb., Mk. II, IIC, III , IIIC, and I V ................................................. 1
Bomb, H .E., aircraft, S.A.P., 250 lb., Mk. V * ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 2
Bombs, H.E., aircraft , S.A.P., 500 lb., Mk. II, IIC, II I, IIIC, and I V ................................................. 3
Bomb, H.E. , aircraft , S.A.P., 500 lb., Mk. V .................................................................................... 4 •
154

APPEND IX 1

COMPONENTS USED WITH S.A.P. BOMBS

TABLE 1
BOMBS, H.E ., AIRCRAFT, S.A.P ., 250 lb., Mk, H , IIC, HI, IHC, and IV

Ta il fuz ing

Fuze Explod er

No. 30, Mk. I, I*, II , or II I Special, supp lied in posi tion

TABLE 2
BOMB, H.E ., AIRCRAFT, S.A.P ., 250 lb., Mk. V

Ta il fuz ing

Pisto l Detonator Explod er

No. 28, Mk. I, II, No. 47, Mk. I or II I (0-12 sec.)


II*, or II I No. 44, Mk. I, II , or II I (1 sec.)
No. 35, Mk. II , II I, or V (11 sec.)
Special,
sup plie d in
posi tion
No. 30, Mk. II , II I, No. 51, Mk. I (0-025 sec.)
III *, or IV No. 48, Mk. I (0-04 sec.)
No. 50, Mk. I (0-14 sec.)

TAB LE 3
BOMBS, H.E ., AIRCRAFT, S.A.P. , 500 lb., Mk. H, HC, HI, HIC, and IV

Ta il fuz ing

Fuze Explod er

No. 30, Mk. I, I*, II , or II I Special, supp lied in posi tion

TABLE 4
BOMB, H.E ., AIRCRAFT, S.A.P ., 500 lb., Mk. V

Tail fusin g

Pist ol Detonato r Explod er

No. 28, Mk. I, II , No. 47, Mk. I or II I (0-12 sec.)


II*, or II I No. 44, Mk. I, II , or II I (1 sec.)
No. 35, Mk. II, II I, or V (11 sec.)
Specia l,
sup plie d in
posi tion
No. 30, Mk. I I, I II , No. 51, Mk. I (0-025 sec.)
III *, or IV No. 48, Mk. I (0-04 sec.)
No. 50, Mk. I (0-14 sec.)
155

7 A IR PU BL IC AT IO N 1661B
Volum e I

Section 4

R.L. BOMBS
156
157

Releva nt amend ments zip to A .L . 72 A. P.1 66 1B , Vol. I


incorporated in this repr int
Jan ua ry , 1944

SECTION 4

R.L . BOMBS

GE NE RA L CO NT EN TS LI ST

Rol e.— A de tai led co nt en ts list app ea rs a t th e beg inn ing of eac h ch ap ter .

CH AP TE R 1—Gene ral not es on R.L . bom bs


CH AP TE R 2—Bom bs, H. E. , air cr af t, R.L ., 112 lb., Mk. V II an d VI IC

A PP EN D IX 1—Com pon ent s used wi th R.L . bom bs


158
159

Thi s chapter issue d with A .L . No. 38 A.P.X661B, Vol. I, Sect. 4


September, 1942
Relevant amen dmen ts up io A .L . 72
incorporated in this repr int
Jan ua ry, 1944

CHAPTER 1

General notes on R.L. bombs

L IS T O F C O N T E N T S
Pa ra.
In tr oduct io n ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1
Pr ec au tio ns to be ob se rv ed wh en fu zing or un fu zi ng bo m bs ... ... ... ... ... ... 2
R ep ai r an d ex am in at io n ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 3
Su pp ly ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 5
St or ag e ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 6
160

CHAPTER 1

General notes on R.L. bombs


Introduction
1. A small num ber of 112 lb. Mk. VI I an d VIIC R.L. bombs rema in in the Service. They
are fuzed at the nose and tai l and are provi ded with a cen tral tu be. They may be used for general
bom bar dm ent purposes or as anti- pers onne l bombs.

Precaut ions to be observed when fuzing or unfuz ing bombs


2. Att ent ion is direct ed to the prec autio ns deta iled in Sect. 1, Chap. 1, which appl y also to
R.L. bombs.

Repair and examinatio n


3. Only su ch repa ir and exam inati on of bo mbs as is detai led in Sect. 20, Chap. 1, is to be d one
by arm ame nt personnel. Any bomb found havi ng majo r damage or defects is to be set aside for
A.I.D. inspecti on.
4. Fuzed bombs, whe ther loaded on to airc raft , or store d in the fuzed bomb area, mus t be
exami ned at the inte rval s sta ted in Sect. 20, Chap. 2.

Supply
5. R.L. bombs are su pplied, wit hou t t ail uni ts, in boxes, the ta il unit s b eing suppli ed se parat ely.

Storage
6. The regula tions governi ng the stora ge of R.L. bombs are given in A.P.1245, Chap. 3. Tail
units, in th eir pack ages, may be store d in the s ame explosives storeh ouse as the filled bombs, bu t the
pack ages conta ining them mus t be stack ed well clear of the filled stores.
161

Issu ed with A .L . No. 28 A.P.16 61B, Vol. I, Sect. 4


Aug ust, 1942
Relevant amen dmen ts up to A .L. 72
incorporated in this repr int
Jan uar y, 1944

CHAPTER 2

BOMBS, H.E. , AIRCRAFT, R.L., 112 lb., Mk. VII and VIIC

LIS T OF CONTENTS
Pa ra.
In tr oduct io n .. . ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1
Bo mb , H .E ., ai rc ra ft , R .L ., 112 lb., Mk. V II
L ea di ng pa rt ic ul ar s ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 2
Ge ner al de sc rip tio n ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 3
Bo mb bo dy ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 4
Fi lli ng ................ ............................. ................ ... ... ... ... ... 9
Ta il ................................................................................................................................................................. 10
Id en tif ic at io n co lou rin g an d m ar ki ng s
Co lou rin gs ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 11
M ar ki ng s................ ... ................ ............................. ... ... ... ... 12
Fu nc tio ni ng ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 15
In st ru ct io ns for use
Fu zi ng th e bo m b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 18
Lo ad in g th e bo m b on to th e ai rc ra ft bo m b ca rr ie r ... ... ... ... ... ... 24
Un lo ad in g a bo m b fro m th e ai rc ra ft bo m b ca rr ie r ... ... ... ... ... ... 25
Un fu zi ng th e b o m b .. . ... .. . ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 26
Su pp ly an d sto ra ge
Su pp ly ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 30
St or ag e ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 31
Bo mb , H .E ., ai rc ra ft , R .L ., 112 lb., Mk. V II C n
L ea di ng pa rt ic ul ar s ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 32
Ge ne ral de sc rip tio n ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 33
Bo m b bo dy ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 34
Fi lli ng ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 35
Ta il ... . , ................................................................................................................................................. 36
Id en tif ic at io n co lou rin g an d m ar ki ng s
Co lou rin g ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 37
M ar ki ng s.. . ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 38
Fu nc tio ni ng ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 41
In st ru ct io ns fo r use
Fu zi ng th e bo m b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 42
L oa di ng th e bo m b on to th e ai rc ra ft bo m b ca rr ie r ... ... ... ... ... ... 43
Un lo ad in g a bo m b fro m th e ai rc ra ft bo m b ca rr ie r ... ... ... ... ... ... 44
Un fu zi ng th e bo m b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 45
Su pp ly an d st or ag e '
Su pp ly ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 46
St or ag e ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 47

LIS T OF ILLU STRA TION S


1. Bo mb , H .E ., ai rc ra ft , R .L ., 112 lb., Mk. VI IC , w ith tr a n s it pl ug s in po sit io n
2. Bo mb , H .E ., ai rc ra ft , R .L ., 112 lb., Mk. VI IC , w ith fuz ing co m po ne nt s in po sit io n
162

CHAP TER 2

BOMBS, H. E. , AIRC RAF T, R.L ., 112 lb., Mk. VII and VIIC
Int rod uct ion
1. The 112 lb., R.L. , Mk. V II and VIIC bomb s a re inten ded for gene ral b om bar dm ent purposes,
and the y are p rovided with a cent ral tube for explod ering and fuzing at both the nose and tail, An
ins tan tan eou s de ton ato r an d a dire ct ac ting pisto l are employed in th e nose end, and a del ay de ton ato r
and tai l p istol in t he rear end of th e cen tral tu be, in c omb inati on with app rop riat e expl oders. When
ope rati ng agai nst soft targ ets, a shor t-de lay det onato r may be employed at th e tail end.

BOMB, H .E ., AIR CRA FT, R. L., 11 2 lb., Mk. VH


Lea din g partic ulars
2. Stores Ref. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 12A/2
Overall leng th ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 2 ft. 5 in., appro x.
Maximum diam ete r ... ... ... ... ... ... 9 in., appro x.
Weight of em pty bomb ... ... ... ... ... ... 80 lb., approx .
Weigh t and nat ure of filling ... ... ... ... ... 27 lb., ama tol 80/20
Term inal ve lo. ity ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 720 ft. per sec.

GEN ERA L DES CRI PTIO N


3. The bomb consists of a cast or forged steel body fitte d with a cen tral tube, a suspension
band, and a sheet metal tail.

Bomb body, fig. 1 and 2


4. The forward port ion of the hollow bomb body is of appr oxim ately hemisp herical form and
the rea r port ion has a conical taper .
5. The nose has a filling hole closed by a flanged ad ap ter plug which has a plain locatin g hole
for t he cen tral tube, and the tai l end of th e bomb body also has a plain locati ng hole for the centr al
tube.
6. The cent ral tub e exte nds axiall y th.o ugh the bomb body and beyon d the nose and tail
ends, and is lo cated and held in position by an inte rna lly thre ade d collar screwed on to its rear end,
so as to bear upon the rear e nd of th e bom b body, and by a nose nu t screwed on to its forward end.
The collar is fixed to the rear end of th e bomb body by diam etric ally opposed set-screws passing
thro ugh plain holes in the collar and screwing into tap ped holes i n th e bomb b ody, whilst the collar
and the nose nu t are bo th locked to the cen tral tub e by grub screws.
7. The ends of the cen tral tub e of th e unfuzed bomb are closed by screwed tra ns it plugs, one
plug being screwed into the rear end of the tube , which is inte rna lly thre ade d, and the oth er plug
being screwed into the nose n ut which is si milarly thre ade d. Any of t he plugs, bomb, nose or tail,
No. 5, Mk. I ; No. 5A, Mk. I; No. 7, M'k. I; or No. 7A, Mk. II, may be fitte d at e ithe r or bot h ends.
8. The bomb body is supp lied fitte d with band , suspe nding No. 3, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/270).

Fil lin g
9. The inte rior space aroun d the cen tral tub e is filled with ama tol 80/20, se aled at t he t ail e nd
with approv ed sealing mat eria l and topp ed at the nose e nd with appro ved composi tion and a waxed
felt washer.

Tail
10. The tai l consists of fou r e qui-spaced vane s se cured to a tai l cone which fits ov er the c onical
rea r porti on of the bomb body, and it is secured in positi on by a flanged washer and an inte rnal ly
thre ade d coupling sleeve. The four vanes are inte rcon nec ted by thr ee sets of stiffening sta ys so
as to leave an uno bstr ucte d space between two adj ace nt vanes. The flanged washe r seat s upon
the rea r face of the inte rna lly thre ade d collar, which is fixed to the rear end of t he bom b body by
set-screws, and its flange encircles th e rea r end of t he tai l cone, whilst the coupling sleeve is screwed
on to the rear end of the cen tral tub e to reta in the tai l assembly, as a whole, in positi on with the
free inte r-va ne space aligned with the lug on the suspens ion band , and the vanes at 45 deg. to the
radi al plan e thro ugh the suspension lug.
163

A.P .166 1B, Vol. I , Sect. 4, Chap. 2

Fig. I-—Bomb, H .E., aircra ft, R.L., 112 lb., Mk. VIIC, with tra nsi t plugs in position
(Mk. V II bomb similar except for tail and markings)
164

-CY LIN DR ICA L VANE

VANE SUPPORT

TAIL PISTOL NO. SB


COUPLING SLEEVE
FLAN GED WASHER

GRUB SCREW
COL LAR

SET-SCREW

SEALING MATERIAL

CENT RAL TUBE

EXPL ODER NO-19


TAIL CONE

MAIN FILLING

BODY

EXPLODER NO-13

APPROVED COMPOSITION
WAXED FELT WASHER
ADAPTER PLUG
GRUB SCREW
NOSE NUT
NOSE PISTO L NO 19

Fig, 2.—-Bomb, H.E ., aircra ft, R.L., 112 lb., Mk. VIIC, with fuzing components in position
(Mk. V II bomb similar excep t for tail and markings)
165

A. P. 16 61 B, Vol. I, Sect. 4, Chap. 2

Identification colouring and markings


Colouring
11. The bomb body, suspension band , tai l cone, and vanes are coloured yellow. A r ed band ,
| in. wide, is pa inte d round the bomb body 1 in. from the nose end, and a green band , 1 in. wide, is
pain ted round the bomb body 6 in. from the nose end.
Ma rkin gs
12. Between th e red and green band s on the bomb body are stencilled, in black, the following
pa rti cu lar s:—
(i) R.L., 112 lb., VII . >
(ii) The monogra m of the filling stat ion , or the initi als or recognized tra de mar k of t he filling
con trac tor; the dat e of filling, mo nth and year, and the lot num ber of t he filling.
(iii) The act ual weight of the filled bomb, wit hou t plugs.
(iv) The design num ber of the meth od of filling.
13. Im m ed ia te ^ t o the re ar of the gree n b and is stencilled , in black, in th ree places eq ui-spaced
aroun d the bomb body, the filling rat io figures 80/20.
14. Cast on the bomb body, in raised chara cters , between the nose end and the suspension
band, are the following mar king s:—
(i) R.L., 112 lb.
(ii) The initi als or recognized tra de mark of the man ufac turer s.
(iii) VIT.
(iv) The dat e of man ufac ture, mon th and year.
(v) C.S.

Function ing
15. The bomb may be dropp ed with b oth pistols “liv e”, the sa fety clips being with draw n from
both pistols by t he fuze- settin g co ntrol links w hen th e bomb is released ; or th e bomb may be dr opped
with only one pisto l “five” , its safet y clip being with draw n by the app rop riat e fuzC-setting contro l
link upon release, and the othe r fuze- setting cont rol link being freed from the carr ier; or the bomb
may be dropp ed “saf e” by freeing both fuze- settin g contr ol links from the carrier.
16. When the bomb is released from the bomb carr ier with one or both pistols "liv e”, the
arming vane or vanes are unscrewed and expend ed so as to arm one or bot h pistols.
17. Upon imp act of the bomb with the tar get , one or oth er of the pistol strik ers is actu ate d,
eith er direc tly or thro ugh iner tia, to de ton ate the main filling thro ugh the associa ted det ona tor
and explod er system .

INSTR UCTI ONS FOR USE


Fuzing (he bomb
18. Remove the nose an d tai l plugs. Ensu re th at t he cen tral t ube is clean and dry inter nally ,
cleaning i t w ith a s oft dry clo th if necessa ry. Also examin e the in ter nal scre w-thr eads of the c entr al
tub e and the nose nut , and clean them if necessary.
Note.— A meta l scraper, knife, or oth er tool mu st not be used for cleani ng the cen tral tub e or
the thre ads.
19. Lay out the nose and tai l comp onent s on a clean bench in the orde r in which the y will •
be a ssembled in the cen tral t ube. Pistol, bomb, D.A., No. 8, Mk. I, or No. 19, Mk. I or II, is t o be
used in the nose, and pistol, bomb, No. 5B, Mk. I is to be used at the tai l end. Expl oder No. 13,
Mk. I is to be used with the nose pis tol, and explode r No. 19, Mk. I l l is to be used w ith the t ail pi stol.
20. Test the pistols for freedom of move ment of the ir arm ing vanes, screwing the vanes fully
home on the strik er spindles and replaci ng the safe ty pins afte r tes tin g and before screwing the
pistols into the ir respec tive exploders.
21. Fi t the exploders with the ir deto nato rs, screw the nose and tai l pistols into the respectiv e
exploders, measu re the overall leng th of th e compo nents, and compar e it with the availa ble lengt h
of the cen tral tube , meas uring the la tte r with a suit able non-ferro us met al gauge.
22. If the overall lengt h of th e comp onen ts is s hor t of th e availa ble leng th of th e cen tral t ube,
it mus t be made up by inser ting, between the exploders, felt adj usti ng washers, allowing for com­
pression of these to one-fifth of the ir thickn ess. If the overall leng th of the comp onent s is g reat er
166

tha n the availa ble leng th of the cen tral tub e, a fresh set of compo nents, if availa ble, should be
assembled and measure d up; failing this, or in the even t of th e second set being too long, the bomb
should be set aside for A.I.D. inspectio n.
23. Ins ert th e compone nts, with adj ust ing washers as n ecessary, into th e cen tral tu be, screwing
the nose pistol fully into the nose nu t, and screwing th e tai l pistol into the rea r end of the cen tral
tub e, mak ing sure th at at least four complete screw -threa ds are engaged in the tube.

Loa din g the bomb on to the aircr aft bomb carrier


24. Load th e bo mb on th e a ircr aft bomb carri er as described in th e re leva nt c hap ter of A.P. 1664,
Vol. I . Connect t he safety clip of t he nose pis tol to the fu ze-se tting co ntrol link of th e bomb carrie r,
and conne ct ano the r fuze- setting cont rol link, havi ng a sprin g clip and stop pin, to the body of the
tai l pistol, so t ha t the stop pin will pr eve nt the armin g vane from rota ting . Remove the cap from
the tail pistol. The safe ty pins of both the nose and tai l pistols must be remove d and hand ed to
the pilot, or the bomb aimer, imme diate ly before the aeropl ane is rea dy to tak e off.

Un load ing a bomb fro m, the aircr aft bomb carrier


25. Replace the s afety pins of th e nose a nd tai l pistols, and d isconne ct the fuze-s etting contr ol
links respec tively from the safe ty clip of the nose pistol and the body of the tail pistol. Unload
the unex pende d b omb from the airc raft bom b car rier as describe d in t he rele van t C hapte r of A.P. 1664,
Vol. I.

Un fuz ing the bomb


26. Unscrew the tail pistol and with draw it, toge ther with its associat ed exploder, from the
cen tral t ube. Unscrew the nose p istol from the nose nu t and with draw it with its exploder.
27. Remove the pistols from the exploders.
28. Remove the deto nato rs from th e exploders.
29. Remove the felt washer or washers, if any, from the cen tral tub e, using a wooden stick
to push them out. Replace the tra nsi t plugs, with washers.

SUP PLY AND STORAGE


Supply
30. The bomb, H.E ., airc raft, R.L., 112 lb., Mk. VII , with tail, and fitted with a No. 3, Mk. I
suspen ding band is sup plied in Box, B.98, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/140).

Storag e
31. The boxed bombs are classified, for storag e purposes, in Group VII .

BOMB, H .E ., AIRC RAF T, R.L ., 112 lb., Mk. VHC


Lea ding parti cular s
32. Stores Ref. 12A/242
Overall length 2 ft. 8 in., appro x.
Maximum diam eter 9 in., approx .
Weigh t of emp ty bomb 82 lb., appro x.
Weigh t and nat ure of filling 27 lb., ama tol 80/20
Term inal ve loc ity ... 720 ft. per sec-.

GEN ERA L DES CRI PTIO N


33. The 112 lb., R.L., Mk. VIIC bomb, see fig. 1 and 2, is a conversio n of the 112 lb., R.L..
Mk. VII bomb, a differen t tail havin g been intro duce d to facil itate inte rna l stowage of the bombs
on aeroplanes.

Bom b body
34. The bomb body const ructi on is as described in par a. 4 to 8.

Fill ing
35. The filling of the bomb is as described in par a. 9.
167

A.P.1 661 B, Vol. I, Sect. 4, Chap. 2

Tail
36. The vane, tail, No. 1, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/277) which is sub stit ute d for the four-v aned
tail of the 112 lb., R.L., Mk. VI I bomb to conv ert the bomb to Mk. VIIC, consists of a cylin drical
vane atta che d, by four equi-spac ed vane supp orts, to a tai l cone which fits over the rear porti on of
the bomb body, and it is secured the ret o by a flanged washer and an inte rna lly thre ade d coupling
sleeve in the same way as the tail of t he Mk. VII bomb, see p ara. 10. The tai l is assembled to the
bomb body w ith the vane supp orts at 45 deg. to the radi al plane thro ugh the lug o n the suspension
band.

Identific ation colouring and marki ngs


Colouring
37. The bomb body, suspens ion band, and tai l are coloured yellow, with red and green bands
pain ted round the body as described in para . 11.

Markings
38. The stencille d marki ngs on the bomb body are as described in para. 12 and 13, excep t
th at the mark num ber "V II ” is followed by the lett er "C” .
39. The ma nuf act ure r’s marki ngs on the bomb body, see para . 14, are barr ed out, where not
applicab le, and replaced by the conv ertin g co ntr act or’s m arking s so as to read as follows:—
(i) VIIC.
(ii) R.L., 112 lb.
(iii) The initial s or recognized tra de mar k of the conv ertin g cont racto r.
(iv) The dat e of conversion, mon th and year.
(v) C.S.
40. The same serial num ber is stencilled , in black, on both the bomb body and the tail cone,
near its forward edge, in correspon ding positions.

Functio ning
41. The bomb functio ns as described in para . 15 to 17.

INSTR UCTI ONS FOR USE


Fuzin g the bomb
42. The bomb is fuzed as described in par a. 18 to 23.

Loading the bomb on to the airc raft bomb carrie r


43. Load the fuzed bomb on to the airc raft bomb carri er as described in para . 24.
Unloading a bomb from the aircr aft bomb carri er
44. Unload the bomb from the airc raft bomb carri er as described in para. 25.

Unfuzing the bomb


45. Unfuze the bomb as described in para . 26 to 29.

SUP PLY AND STORAGE


Supply
46. The bomb, H.E ., airc raft, R.L., 112 lb., Mk. VIIC, with t ail, and fitted with a No. 3, Mk. I
suspend ing ban d is supplied in Box, B.253, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/243).

Storage
47. The boxed bombs are classified, for storag e purposes, in Group VII.
168
169

Issu ed with A .L . No. 17 A. P.1 66 1B , Vol. I, Sect. 4


Jun e, 1942
Relevant amend ments up to A .L. 72
incorporated in this repr int
Jan ua ry, 1944

AP PE ND IX 1

COMPONENTS USE D WI TH R.L . BOMBS

LI ST OF CO NT ENT S
Table
Bombs, H.E., aircraft, R.L., 112 lb., Mk. V II and VIIC ................................................. ... 1
170

AP PE ND IX 1

COMPONENTS USE D WIT H R.L. BOMBS

TABLE 1

BOMBS, H. E. , AIR CRA FT, R.L ., 112 lb., Mk. VH and VHC

Nos e fu zi ng T ai l fu zi ng

Pi sto l Ex plo der Deto nato r Pis tol Ex plo der Deto nato r

No. 8, Mk. I No. 13, No. 4, Mk. I No. 5B, No. 19, No. 13, Mk. I (12 sec), or
or Mk. I (inst.) and Mk. I Mk. I l l No. 21, Mk. I (1 sec.), or
No. 19, Mk. I 45 grain , No. 4, Mk. I (inst.)
or II No. 1, Mk. I
171

A IR PU BL IC AT IO N 1661B
Volume I

Section 5

A.S. BOMBS
172
173

Rele vant amend ments up to A .L . 72 A. P.1 66 1B , Vol . I


incorpora ted in this repri nt
Jan ua ry , 1944

SECTION 5

A.S. BOMBS

GEN ERA L CONTEN TS LIST


Note.— A detaile d cont ents list appe ars at the beginning of each chapt er.

CH APT ER 1—General notes on A.S. bombs


CH APT ER 2—Bombs, H .E., airc raft, A.S., 250 lb., Mk. I, II, an d II I, an d 500 lb., Mk. I, II, a nd II I
CH APT ER 3—Bombs, H.E ., aircr aft, A.S., 100 lb., Mk. IV, 250 lb., Mk. IV, and 500 lb., Mk. IV

AP PE ND IX 1—Component s used with A.S. bom bs


174
175

Th is chapter issue d with A .L . No. 33 A.P.1 661B, Vol. I, Sect. 5


Aug ust, 1942
Releva nt amen dmen ts tip to A .L . 72
incorpora ted in this rep rint
Ja nu ar y, 1944

CHAPTER 1

General notes on A.S. bombs

L IS T O F C O N TE N TS
Para.
Int rod uc tio n ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1
Pre cau tio ns to be obse rved when fuz ing -or unfu zing bomb s ... ... ... ... ... ... 3
Re pai r and ex am ina tio n ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 4
Sup ply ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 6
S to r a g e ............................................................................ ........................ ................................................... 7
176

CHAPTER 1
General notes on A.S. bombs
Introduction
1. A.S. bombs, rangi ng in weight from 100 lb. to 500 lb., are at pres ent in use in. t he Service.
They are thin- walle d bombs, havi ng a high charge /weigh t rati o, to give the maxi mum blas t effect
on or und er water.
2. Ear lier marks of A.S. bombs are fuzed at tne nose only with a No. 32 fu ze; late r marks of
the bombs employ a pist ol/d eton ator comb inatio n at the t ail e nd only. Ballistic caps may b e fitted
to bombs employing a fuze, to improv e the unde rwat er traje ctor y.

Precautio ns to be observed when fuzing or unfuz ing bombs


3. Atte ntio n is called to the prec autio ns detaile d in Sect. 1, C hap. 1, which app ly also to A.S.
bombs.

Repair and examinatio n


4. Only such repa ir and exam inati on of bo mbs as is de tailed in Sect. 20, Chap. 1, is to be done
by arm ame nt personnel. Any bomb found havin g majo r damag e or defects is to be set aside for
A.I.D. inspe ction.
5. Fuzed bombs, whe ther loaded on to airc raft , or store d in the fuzed bomb area, must be
examine d at the inter vals sta ted in Sect. 20, Chap. 2, par ticu lar att en tio n being paid to the
exa min ation of the No. 32 fuze.

Supply
6. Ear lier mark s of A.S. bombs are supplie d, with or wit hou t tails, in boxes. La ter marks of
the bombs are supplied fitted with tra ns it bases, the tail uni ts being supplie d sep arate ly in packages.

Storage
7. The regu lation s regar ding the stora ge of A.S. bombs are given in A.P. 1245, Chap. 3. Tail
units, when s upplied sepa ratel y, may be st ored in t he sam e explosives store house as the filled bombs,
bu t the packages cont ainin g them mus t be stack ed well clear of filled stores.

I
177

This chapter issue d with A .L . No. 58 A.P.1 661B, Vol. I, Sect. 5


February, 1943
Releva nt amen dmen ts up to A .L . 72
incorporated in this repr int
Jan ua ry, 1944
CHAPTER 2

BOMBS, H .E., AIRCRAFT, A.S ., 250 lb., Mk. I, H, and HI, and 500 lb., Mk. I, H, and HI

LIST OF CONTENTS
Pa ra.
In tr oduct io n ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1
Bo mb , H .E ., ai rc ra ft , A.S ., 250 lb., Mk. I l l
Le ad in g pa rt ic ul ar s ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 3
Ge ner al de sc rip tio n ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 4
Bo m b bo dy ... ... ... ... ... ... ■■■ ... ... ... ■■■ 5
Fi lli ng .................................................................................................................................................... 9
Ta il ................................................................................................................................................................. 11
Ba lli sti c ca p ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 12
Fu ze co ve r ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 13
Id en tif ic at io n co lou rin g an d m ar ki ng s
Co lou rin g ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 14
M ar kin gs ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 15
Fu nc tio ni ng ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 20
In st ru ct io ns for use
As sem bli ng th e t a i l .. . ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 23
Fu zi ng th e bo m b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 24
F it ti n g th e ba lli sti c ca p ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 28
Lo ad in g th e bo m b on to th e ai rc ra ft bo m b ca rr ie r ... ... ... ... ... ... 30
U nl oa di ng th e bo m b fro m th e ai rc ra ft bo m b ca rr ie r ... ... ... ... ... ... 33
Un fu zi ng th e bo m b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 34
Su pp ly an d st or ag e
Su pp ly ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 35
St or ag e ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 37
Bo mb , H .E ., ai rc ra ft , A.S ., 500 lb. , Mk. I l l
Le ad in g pa rt ic ul ar s ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 38
Ge ne ral de sc rip tio n
Co mp ari so n w ith th e 250 lb., Mk. I l l bo m b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 39
Su pp ly an d st or ag e
Su pp ly ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 40
St or ag e ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .. .. ... ... ... ... 42
Bo mb s, H .E ., ai rc ra ft , A.S ., 250 lb., Mk. II , an d 500 lb., Mk. I l
L ea di ng pa rt ic ul ar s
Bo mb , H .E ., ai rc ra ft , A.S ., 250 lb., Mk. I I ... ... ... ... ... ... 43
Bo mb , H .E ., ai rc ra ft , A.S. , 500 lb., Mk. I I ... ... ... ... ... ... 44
Ge ne ral de sc rip tio n ... " ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 45
Co mp ari son w it h th e co rre sp on di ng Mk. I l l bo m bs ... ... ... ... ... ... 46
Su pp ly an d sto ra ge
Su pp ly ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 47
St or ag e ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 50
Bo mb , H .E ., ai rc ra ft , A.S ., 250 lb., Mk. I, an d 500 lb. , Mk. I
Le ad in g pa rt ic ul ar s
Bo mb , H .E ., ai rc ra ft , A.S ., 250 lb., Mk. I ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 51
Bo mb , H .E ., ai rc ra ft , A.S ., 500 lb ., Mk. I .................................................................................. 52
Ge ne ral de sc rip tio n
Co mp ari so n w ith th e co rre sp on di ng Mk. I l l bo m bs ... ... ... ... ... ... 53
Su pp ly an d sto ra ge
Su pp ly ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 54
St or ag e ... ... ... .. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 56

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Fig.
1. Bo mb , H .E ., ai rc ra ft , A.S ., 250 lb. , Mk. I l l
178

CY LIN DR ICA L VANE

VAN E S U P P O R T S

TAIL CONE

SPLIT PIN

TAIL BOLT

TAIL CLO SIN G PLATE

LOC ATIN G SCREW

BODY (PAI NTE D YEL LOW )

MAI N FIL LIN G

FIXING SCREWS

PAD

SUSPENSION LUG

LIG HT GREEN BAND

DISCS

EXPL ODER

PAPER TUBE

EXP LOD ER CONT AINE R

LOC KING SCREW

APPR OVE D C O M P O S IT IO N

RED BAND

LOC KING SCREW

NOSE BUSH

BAL LIS TIC CAP


No, 32 Mk. n *F U 2E

SAF ET Y CLIP
FUZE COVER ARM ING VANE

Fig . 1.—Bomb, H. E., air cra ft, A.S„ 250 lb., Mk. I l l
179

A.P.1 661B , Vol. I, Sect. 5

CHAPTER 2

BOMBS, H.E. , AIRCRAFT, A.S., 250 lb., Mk. I, H, and IH, and 500 lb., Mk. I, II, and HI
/
Introduc tion
1. The 250 lb. and 500 lb. Mk. I, II , and II I A.S. bombs are used for att ac kin g submar ines.
They differ fro m the corresp onding Mk. IV A.S. bombs in th at t he y emplo y a nose fuze, inst ead of
a tai l p isto l/de ton ato r com binat ion, and in th at th e t ail is secur ed to the bom b b ody by a b olt inste ad
of by sprin g clips.
2. In thi s cha pte r the 250 lb. Mk. I l l bomb is first fully described, and the othe rs are then
dea lt with b y comparis on.

BOMB, H.E ., AIRCRAFT, A.S., 250 lb., Mk. I ll


.Leading particulars
3. Stores Ref. ... ... ... 12A/306
Lengt h, with t ail and t ra ns it plug 4 ft. 1T5 in.
Maximu m diam eter 1T2 in.
Weigh t of b ody 83 lb. 13 oz., appro x.
Weig ht and nat ure of filling 126-7 lb., T.N.T., or
131-7 l b., bar ato l 10/90
Term inal veloc ity of bomb fitte d with cap, ballistic,
No. 2, Mk. I .................................................. 1,150 ft . per sec.

GE NER AL DES CR IPT ION


4. The bomb, see fig. 1, consists of a body, con taini ng the high explosive filling, and a tail
secu red to the bo mb body b y a ta il bolt. The nose fuz ing po sition of th e bomb, as su pplied, is fitted
with a t ra ns it plug.
Bomb body
5. The bomb body consists of a hollow nose forging or casti ng and a shee t steel casing which
is closed by a t ail closing pl ate, the thre e pa rts being welded toget her.
6. The nose is closed by a screwed-in nose bu sh which is locked in p ositio n by a locking screw.
The nose bush has an explod er con tain er screwed into it and welded in positio n, and the forward
porti on of the nose bush is thre ade d to receive the tra ns it plug or the fuze. The forwar d porti on
of the nose bush is also thr ead ed exte rna lly to receive a ballisti c cap, or (for Fle et Air Arm use
only) a fuze cover.
7. The sheet meta l casing is made in two pa rts secured toge ther by long itudi nal welds. A
suspension lug p ad is welded t o t he inside of the casin g a nd the suspe nsion lug is se cured to the bomb
body by fixing screws which pass thr oug h the casing into tap ped holes in the suspensio n lug pad
an d are locked by locking screws screwed into holes in the sus pension lug.
8. The tai l closing pla te is a disc, shap ed ex ter na lly 'to fit into the tail and also into the rear
port ion of t he bomb body. A l ocati ng screw for the tail is sc rewed into the side of t he tai l closing
pla te at a posit ion in line with the s uspens ion lug, and ther e is a thr ead ed cen tra l boss on the rear
face of the p late t o receive t he tai l securing bolt.
Fillin g
9. The main filling consist s of T.N.T ., or bar atol 10/90, w ith a top ping of appro ved compositio n
at t he nose e nd for s ealing purposes.
10. The explode r cont aine r is enclosed in a pap er tub e which prot ects i t from the main filling,
and it houses a 11J oz. C.E., or C.E./ T.N. T., explod er, wit h a felt disc and glazeb oard discs, as
necessary, in the inne r e nd, and a cloth c overing disc a t the o ute r end.
Tail
11. The tai l consists of a tai l cone with a cylind rical vane atta ch ed to it by four equi-spac ed
vane supp orts which are rivete d to the cone and to the vane. The forwa rd edge of the tail cone
has a slot which engages the locati ng screw on the tai l closing plate , see p ara . 8, to ensure th at the
180

vane supp orts are at 45 deg. to the suspension lug. The tai l securing bolt is passed thr oug h a hole
in the top ot the tai l cone, where it seats on a sprin g washer, and a split pin thr oug h the sha nk of
the b olt prev ents its loss when the tai l is off the bomb.

Ballis tic cap


12. The ballist ic cap, when assemble d to the fuzed bomb, surr ounds the fuze and forms a
nose exten sion of the bomb body to improve the und erw ater tra jec tor y of the bomb. It screws on
to the nose bush, and is provid ed with a locking screw for securin g it in position.

Fuze cover
13. The fuze cover, which is for Flee t Air Arm use only, consists of a hollow met al cylind er
closed a t one en d and inte rna lly thre ade d at t he oth er end to screw on to the nose bush of th e fuzed
bomb so as to enclose an d pro tect t he fuze d urin g st orage.

Identification colouring and markin gs


Colouring
14. The bomb body and the t ail are pai nte d yellow. A red band, | in. wide is pain ted round
the bomb body 2 in. from the forw-ard face of t he nose bush, and a light green band , 1 in. wide, is
pain ted round the grea test diam eter of the bomb body.

Markings
15. The lette rs T.N.T ., or BAR, are stencill ed in black in thr ee places on the light green band
round the body to indic ate the nat ure of the main filling. The lett ers G.D.2 are stencille d in one
place only on the light green band , in addi tion to the thre e T.N.T . mark ings, when the bomb is
filled wit h Grade 2 T .N .T .; bombs so m arke d are unsu itab le for s torag e in ho t climate s. A ba rato l
filled bomb has the rat io figures 10/90 s tencille d in black imm edia tely to the rea r of the light green
ban d in positions corresp onding to the thre e BAR mark ings on the band .
16. The following par ticu lars are stencill ed in black on the uppe r side of the bomb body, to
the rear of th e suspension lug :■—
(i)The typ e and nomin al weight of th e bomb.
(ii)The ma rk num ber of th e bomb.
(iii)The monogr am of the filling s tati on, or the initia ls or recognized tra de mar k of the filling
con trac tor.
(iv) The dat e of filling, m ont h a nd year .
(v) The lot num ber of th e filling.
17. The design num ber of th e meth od of filling is stenc illed in black on the reverse side of t he
bemb t o the rear of the susp ension lug.
18. The following m arkin gs are stam ped on the nose porti on of th e bod y:—
(i) The mark , typ e, and nomina l weight of the bomb.
(ii) The ma nuf act ure r’s initials, or recognized tra de mark .
(iii) The dat e of m anu factu re, mo nth a nd year.
19. The ma nu fac tur er’s serial num ber is stam ped on the rea r port ion of the bomb body, near
the tai l closing plate , and also upon the tail cone in a corre spond ing positio n near t he f orward edge.

Function ing
20. When the fuzed bomb is released from the bomb c arrier, the s afet y clip is w ithd rawn from
the fuze b y the fuze -settin g cont rol link so as to free the armin g vane.
21. During the fall of t he bomb, the armi ng vane is r ota ted by the airs trea m to arm the fuze,
the delay ring of whi ch is pre -set before the a ircr aft tak es off.
22. Upon imp act of th e bomb w ith th e wat er from an alti tud e of 500 ft. or more , or on strik ing
a tar ge t offering a sligh t resist ance to pen etra tion , the delay m echanis m of t he fuze functi ons to fire
the magazi ne charge afte r the pred eterm ined delay. The firing of the magazi ne charge initia tes
the exploder, which deto nate s the main filling of the bomb. If the bomb strik es a ha rd tar get ,
the fuze functio ns by d irect actio n to fire th e magazine charge a nd det ona te the main filling, th roug h
the ex ploder.
181

A.P.166 1B, Vol. I, Sect. 5, Chap. 2


INST RUC TION S FOR USE
Assembling the tail
23. Offer u p the tai l cone to the tai l closing plate , mak ing sure th at the slot in the tai l cone
is in registe r wit h the loca ting screw in th e closing plat e, and press the tail home. Screw t he tail
securing bol t tig htl y into the boss on the tai l closing pla te to secure the tai l firmly in position.

Fuzin g th e bomb
24. Obta in a fuze, D.A., im pac t and delay, air cra ft bomb, nose, No. 32, Mk, II* (Stores Ref.
12G/351), or Mk. I l l (Stores Ref. 12G/352), from its cylinder , and prep are it for use as described
in A.P.1661C, Vol. I, Sect. 2, Chap. 3, mak ing sure th at the tip s of the arm ing vane have a set of
60 deg. to the plane of rota tion .
25. Remov e the plug from the nose bush of t he bomb, tak e the leat her washe r from the plug
and fit it on the fuze, and the n screw the securing ring back aga inst the s hould er on the f uze body
afte r roll ing 'the rubb er ring clear.
26. Screw th e prep ared fuze fully home into t he nose bush of the bomb and a dju st its positi on
as ne cessary, to bring th e locati ng s lot for t he sa fety clip in line with th e s uspensi on lu g on th e bomb
body. Hold the fuze from turn ing , using Key No. 104, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12G/256), a nd screw the
securing ring har d down aga inst the nose bush, using Key No. 89, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12G/255), or
Mk. II (Stores Ref. 12G/267). Replace the rubb er ring between the s ecurin g ring and t he shoulde r
on the fuz e body.
27. Set the fuze to funct ion for the delay requ ired by remo ving the cover on the side of the
fuze and rot ati ng the delay ring spindle, using Key No. 126, Mk. I (Stores Kef. 12G/266) unt il the
gra dua tion which is prov ided on the key registe rs wit h the set tin g requir ed. The final move ment
in set ting t he s pindle mu st be in the direc tion of increas ed delay, otherwis e a back lash e rror will be
intro duce d. If it becomes necessary, therefo re, to reduce a s ettin g, the s pindle mu st first be t urn ed
back pa st the new set tin g re quire d and th en forwar d again to the new s ettin g. After sett ing, repl ace
the cover, maki ng sure th at an effective seal with the leat her washers is obtai ned,

Fittin g t he ballistic cap


28. If the balli stic cap is to be fitted , the bomb mu st first be fuzed, as descri bed.i n par a. 24
to 27, and the thr ead s of the cap- and nose bush mus t be wiped clean and be l iber ally coated* wit h
minera l jelly.
29. To fit the ba llistic cap, p ass it o ver the fuze an d screw it, by hand , fully home on t o t he nose
bush, and the n secure it by its locking screw. After fitti ng and securing t he ballistic cap, the space
between the forwar d port ion of the cap and the body of the fuze is to be sealed with thi ck luting .

Loading the bomb on to the aircraft bomb carrier


30. Loa d the fuzed bomb on the airc raf t bomb carr ier as described in the rele van t cha pter
of A .P. 1664, Vol. I.
31. Mount th e armi ng v ane on th e armi ng vane hu b sp igot of t he fuze, sec uring i t w ith the spl it
pin provi ded, and fit the saf ety clip to the fuze so th at the spigo t on the clip engages the locat ing
slot in the to p cap of the fuze and the sto p pin is in the pa th of rot ati on of the armi ng vane . It
may be necess ary to depress the van e assem bly by finger pressu re to ensure th at the wings of the
clip corre ctly engage the upp er surface of the armi ng vane hub and th at the locat ing ledges on the
clip engage the slots in the top cap of t he fuze. Connec t the saf ety clip to the fuze -settin g contr ol
link on the c arrier.
32. Unscrew and remove the safe ty pillar from the fuze jus t before the air cra ft is rea dy to
tak e off, and han d the p illar to the p ilot or bomb aimer.

Unload ing the bomb fro m the aircraft bomb carrier


33. Repla ce t he safe ty p illar in t he fuze, disco nnect th e s afe ty c lip fr om t he fu ze-s ettin g co ntrol
link, and proceed to unload th e bomb from the bomb carri er as describ ed in the rel eva nt cha pte r
of A.P. 1664, Vol. I. Before tran spo rtin g the bomb, the balli stic cap, if fitte d, should be removed,
the fuz e should b e set to bridg e a nd be removed, see p ara. 35, and the tr an sit plug replaced in the
nose bush. Rem oval of th e ballist ic cap entai ls first removi ng the arm ing vane and the safe ty clip
from the f uze.
L (1661B )
182

Unfuzi ng the bomb


34. To unfuze the bomb, proceed as follows:—
(i) Ens ure th at the fuze has been set to brid ge .
(ii) Slacken the securing ring on the fuze body, and unscrew and remove the fuze from the
nose b ush of th e bomb. Remove th e l eat her w asher from t he fuze and fit it on th e tra ns it
plug. Replac e the tra ns it plug in the nose bush, and tre at the fuze as describe d in A.P.
1661C, Vol. I, Sect. 2, Chap. 3.

SUP PLY AND STORAGE


Supply
35. The bomb, H.E ., airc raft, A.S., 250 lb., Mk. I l l is suppli ed und er Stores Ref. 12A/306,
with ta il una ttac hed a nd with th e t ra ns it plug in position , in Bo x B .262, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/309),
which holds one bomb and one tail.
36. The caps, ballisti c, airc raft bomb, No. 2, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/473) are suppl ied packed
five in a Crate B.292, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/480).

Storage
37. The bombs are classified, fo r stora ge purposes , in Group VII.

BOMB, H.E ., AIRCRAFT, A.S., 500 lb., Mk. m


Leading particulars
38. Stores Ref. 12A/307
Leng th, with tail and tra nsi t plug 6 ft. 4-5 in.
Maximum diam eter 1 ft. 2-3 in.
Weig ht of body ... 148 lb. 3 oz., appro x.
Weigh t and nat ure of filling 256 lb. T.N.T ., or
265 lb. bar ato l 10/90
Term inal veloc ity of bomb fitted with cap, ballistic,
No. 3, Mk. I .............................................................. 1,320 ft. per sec.

GE NE RA L DES CR IPT ION


Comparison with the 250 lb., Mk. H I bomb
39. The bomb differs from the 250 lb. Mk. I l l bomb main ly in weight and dimensio ns and in
the qu an tit y of the main filling. Pa ra. 4 to 34 app ly to the bomb excep t for the abov emen tioned »
differences.

SUP PLY AND STORAGE


Supply
40. The bomb, H.E ., aircr aft, A.S., 500 lb., Mk. I l l is suppli ed unde r Stores Ref. 12A/307,
with tai l u nat tac hed a nd with the t ran sit p lug in pos ition, in B ox B.261, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/310),
which holds one bomb and one tail.
41. The caps, ballistic , airc raft bomb, No. 3, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/474) are suppli ed packed
five in Crate B.294, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/482).

Storage
42. The bombs are classified, for storage' purposes , in Group VII.

BOMBS, H.E ., AIRCRAFT, A.S., 250 lb., Mk. H , and 500 lb., Mk. n
Leading particulars
Bomb, H. E. , aircraft, A .S ., 250 lb., Mk . I I
43. Stores Ref. .............................................................. 12A/249
Leng th, with tai l and tra ns it plug ... ... ... 4 ft. 10-45 in.
Maximum diam eter ... ... ... ... ... 11-1 in.
Weigh t of body ... ... ... ... ... ... 98 lb. 4 oz., appr ox.
Weig ht and na tur e of filling ... ... ... ... 130-7 lb. T.N.T ., or
137-7 lb. bar ato l 10/90
Termin al velocit y 970 ft. per sec.
183

A .P.1661B, Vol. I, Sect. 5, Chap. 2


Bomb, H. E. , aircraft, A .S. , 500 lb., M k IJ
44. Stores Ref. 12A/250
Leng th, with tai l and tra ns it plug ' ... 6 ft. 2-5 in.
Maximum diam eter 1 ft. 2-1 in.
Weigh t of body ... 179 lb. 9 oz. ap prox.
Weigh t and nat ure of filling 267-7 lb. T.N.T ., or
283-7 lb. bar ato l 10/90
Term inal velocit y of bomb fitte d with cap, ballistic,.
No. 6, Mk. I .............................................................. 1,320 ft. per sec.

GE NE RA L DES CRI PTIO N


45. The 250 lb. and 500 lb. Mk. II A.S. bombs djffer from each othe r main ly in weight and
dimensions and in the qu an tit y of the main filling. A ballist ic cap is no t provi ded for th e 250 lb.
Mk. II A.S. bomb. Par a. 4 to 34 app ly to the 500 lb. Mk. II A.S. bomb, and, with the except ion
of pa ra. 12, 28, a nd 29, also to t he 250 lb. Mk. II, A.S. bomb.

Comparison with the corresponding Mk. H I bombs


46. The Mk. I I bombs d iffer fr om the c orresp ondi ng Mk. I l l bombs in weight and d imensions ;
in q ua nti ty of th e mai n filling; and in c erta in cons truc tion al detail s. The cons truct iona l differences
are the provisi on in the Mk. II bombs of angle- section stren gth enin g rings welded roun d the inside
of the bomb body c asing, one near t he joi nt between the c asing and the nose port ion and t he othe r
app roxi mate ly half-w ay along the casing, and the att ac hm en t of t he vane supp orts to the tail cone
by welding inst ead of riveting .

SUP PLY AND .STORAGE


Supply
47. The bomb, H.E ., airc raft, A.S., 250 lb., Mk. II is supplie d unde r Stores Ref. 12A/249,
with tail un att ach ed and with the tr an sit plu g in p osition , in Box B.239, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/233),
which holds one bom b and one tail.
48. The bomb, H.E ., airc raft, A.S., 500 lb., Mk. II is suppl ied unde r Stores Ref. 12A/250,
with tai l un atta che d, and wit h t he t ra ns it plug in po sition, i n Bo x B.238, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/232),
which holds one bomb and one tail.
49. The caps, ballist ic, air cra ft bomb, No. 6, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/477) a re suppl ied packed
five in Crate, B.295, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/483).

Storage
50. Th e.b om bs are classified, fo r stora ge purposes , in Group VII.

BOMBS, H.E ., AIRCRAFT, A.S., 250 lb., Mk. I, and 500 lb., Mk. I
Leading particulars
Bomb, H .E ., aircraft, A .S ., 250 lb., Mk . I
51. Stores Ref. 12A/230
Leng th, with tai l and tra nsi t plug 4 ft. 10-45 in.
Maxim um diam eter 11-1 in.
Weig ht of body ... 91 lb. 6 oz. a ppro x.
Weigh t and na tur e of filling 130-7 lb. T.N.T ., or
137-7 lb. bar ato l 10/90
Term inal velocity 970 ft. per sec.

Bomb, H .E ., aircraft, A .S ., 500 lb., M k. I


52. Stores Ref. .............................................................. 12A/231
Leng th, with tai l and tra ns it plug ... ... ... 6 ft. 2-5 in..
Maximu m diam eter ... ... ... ... ... 1 ft. 2-1 in.
Wei ght of body ... ... ... ... ... ... 182 lb. 10 oz. ap prox.
Weigh t and na tur e of filling ... ... ... ... 267-7 lb. T.N. T., or
283-7 lb. ba rat ol 10/90
Term inal ve loc ity ... ... ... ... ... ... 1,240 ft. per sec.
184

GE NE RA L DES CRI PTI ON


Comp ariso n wi th the corre spon ding Mk. i n bomb s
53. Ex cep t for mino r cons truc tion al differences, the Mk. I A.S. bomb s are simil ar to the
corre spond ing Mk. I l l A.S. bombs. The con stru ction al differences are the provis ion of an inter nal
stren gth enin g ban d and stre ngth enin g angle rings welded to the bomb bod y casing; the welding
of the suspensio n lug pad to the stren gth enin g band , inst ead of dire ctly to the ‘rea r por tion of the
bod y; and the welding of the suspens ion lug, which is no t so stro ng as th at on lat er ma rk bombs,
to th e bomb body casing in add ition to its being secure d by fixing screws. Balli stic caps are not
prov ided for the Mk. I A.S. bo mbs. Ex cep t for the differences sta ted , para . 4 t o 11, 13 to 27, and
30 to 34 app ly to the Mk. I A.S. bombs .

SUP PLY AND STORAG E


Supply
54. The bomb , H.E ., airc raft , A.S., 250 lb., Mk. I is suppl ied unde r Stores Ref. 12A/230, with
tai l un att ach ed and with the tra ns it plug in pos ition ; in Box B.239, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/233),
which holds on eb om b and one tail .
55. The bomb, H.E ., airc raft, A.S., 500 lb., Mk. I is su pplied unde r Stores Ref. 12A/231, with
tail una ttac hed and with the tra ns it plug in positio n, in Box B.238, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/232),
which holds one bomb and one tail.

Stora ge
56. The bombs are classified, fo r stora ge purpose s, in Group VII .
185

Issu ed with A .L . No . 20 A.P.16 61B, Vol. I , Sect. 5


Ju ly, 1942
Relevant amen dmen ts up to A .L . 72
incorporated in this rep rint
Jan ua ry, 1944

CHAPTER 3

BOMBS, H.E ., AIRCRAFT, A.S., 100 lb., Mk. IV, 250 lb., Mk. IV, and 500 lb., Mk. IV

LI ST OF CO NT EN TS
Para.
Introd uctio n ... ’ 1
Bomb, H .E., aircra ft, A.S., 100 lb., Mk. IV
Leading partic ulars
Body, bomb, H.E ., aircra ft, A.S., 100 lb., Mk. IV 2
Tail, bomb, aircraft , 100 lb., A.S., No. 7, Mk. I 3
General description
Bomb body ... 4
Filling .............. ..................................... 9
Tail .................................................................................... 12
Tran sit base ... 14
Identific ation colouring and markings
Colouring 15
Markings on the bomb body 16
Markings on the tail ... 17
Markings on the tran sit base 18
Markings on the tran sit plug 19
Function ing ... 20
Instr uction s for use
Fuzing the bomb and assembling the tail 23
Loading the bomb on to the aircr aft bomb carrier ... 24
Unloading the bomb from the aircr aft bomb carrier ... 25
Unfuzing the bomb 26
Supply and storage
Supply .............. ..................................... 27
Storage ... ... ... ... ... ... 29
Bomb, H .E., aircraft , A.S., 250 lb., Mk. IV
■ Leading partic ulars
Body, H.E., aircraft , A.S., 250 lb., Mk. IV .............. 30
Tail, bomb, aircra ft, 250 lb., A.S., No. 8, Mk. I . .. 31
General description
Bomb body ... 32
Filling 33
Tail ...................................................................................., 34
Tran sit base 35
Identific ation colouring and markings
Colouring 36
Markings on the bomb body 37
Markings on the tail ... 38
Markings on the tran sit base 39
Function ing ... 40
Instru ctions for use
Fuzing the bomb and assembling the tail 41
Loading the bomb on to the aircr aft bomb carrier ... 42
Unloading the bomb from the aircr aft bomb ca rri er. .. 43
Unfuzing the bomb 44
Supply and storage
Supply 45
Storage 47
186

Bomb, H.E ., aircra ft, A.S., 500 lb., Mk. IV Para


Leading partic ulars
Body, bomb, H.E., aircraft , A.S., 500 lb., Mk. IV 48
Tail, bomb, aircraft, 500 lb., A.S., No. 9, Mk. I 49
General description
Bomb body ... ... ' ... 50
Filling 51
Tail ...................................................................................................................... 52
Tran sit base ... 53
Identifica tion colouring and markings
Colouring 54
Markings on the bomb body 55
Markings on the tail ... ... ... ... ... 56'
Markings on the tran sit base 57
Functionin g ... 58
Instru ctions for use
Fuzing the bomb and-ass embling the tail .............. 59
Loading the bomb on to the airc raft bomb carrier ... 60
Unloading the bomb from the aircr aft bomb car rie r... 61
Unfuzing th e bomb ... ... - 62
Supply and storage
Supply 63
Storage 65
Modification to the No. 8 Mk. I tail for carriage on fighter-bomber aircr aft -■ 66

LI ST OF IL LU ST RA TI ON S
Fig-
1. Bomb, H.E., aircraft, A.S., 100 lb., Mk. IV, w ith tra nsi t base in position
2. Bomb, H .E., aircra ft, A.S., 100 lb., Mk. IV, w ith tail in position
3. Base, tran sit, aircr aft bomb, No. 18, Mk. I
187

A. P.1 66 1B , VoL I, Sect . 5

CHA PTER 3

BOMBS, H. E. , AIRC RAFT , A.S. , 100 lb., Mk. IV, 250 lb., Mk. IV, and 500 lb., Mk. IV

Intro duct ion


1. The 100 lb ., 250 lb., and 500 lb., Mk. IV, A.S. bombs a re thin walled bombs inten ded for
use ag ains t subma rines. They are designed to give a max imum bla st effect o n or unde r wate r, and
they differ from the earlie r mark s of A.S. bombs princ ipall y in th at (a) the y are fuzed by a pist ol/
det ona tor c ombi natio n a t th e tai l, inste ad of by a fuze in t he nose, (Z>) t he bomb body has a tail ad ap ter
to receive a clip-on tail, and (c) the b omb body is fi tted with a nose plug and is designe d to have a n
improved unde r-wa ter traj ect ory .

BOMB , H. E. , AIR CRA FT, A.S ., 10 0 lb., Mk. IV

Lead ing parti culars


- L O C K IN G SCp CW
Body, bomb, H .E ., aircraft, A .S. , 100 lb., - NO SE PLUG
' Mk. IV FELT D IS C S
-T N. T
2. Stores Ref ............................... 12A/484
Leng th, with tail 3 ft. 5 in., approx .
Maximum diarn eter ... ... 8-05 in.
Weig ht of body 43 lb. 5 oz., approx .
Weig ht and nat ure of filling
45 lb. 8 oz. R.D .X./ T.N .T. 60/40 MAIN FILLING '■

or 44 lb. T.N.T.
Term inal veloci ty ... 800 ft. per sec.

Tail, bomb, aircraft, 100 lb., A. S., No. 7, Mk . I


3. Stores Ref. ... ... ... 12A/485
Leng th ... 1 ft. 5-9 in., appro x. SU SP EN SI O N >LUG'

GEN ERA L DES CRI PTIO N

Bom b body , fig. 1 and 2 EX PL OD ER

4. The buil t-up body c onsists of a hollow


nose forging or casting , a shee t steel casing,
and a cast or forged tail ada pte r, the thre e
par ts being welded toget her.
EX PL OD ER C O N T A I^ V A

5. The hollow nos e is thre ade d to accom- ■ EXP LOO ER

' m odat e a solid nose plug which, when screwed


tigh tly home, is locked by a locking screw in
the nose. The nose plug has a roun ded fron t
surface with a chamfe red edge which conforms DETONATOR HOLDER
to the strea mlin ed exte rior of the nose, and is I NT
provid ed with two diam etric ally oppose d holes
for a tur n key. FELT WASHERS
LOCATING PIN
TAIL adap ter :
6. The sheet steel casing, which con sti­
tut es the maj or por tion of the bomb body, is
made in two pa rts s ecured tog eth er by long itu­
dinal welds. A pad is w elded to the inne r face
of the casing, at a positio n app roxi mat ely
centra l, an d holes are drille d and tap ped j p ri X F q [— TR AN SI T BASE

thro ugh the shee t steel casing into this pad


for fixing screws which secure the suspension Fig. 1.—Bomb, H.E., aircraft, A.S., 100 lb., Mk. IV
lug in position. with transit base in position
188

7. The tail ad ap ter is coned to suit the cone


of the clip-on tail and has four equi-spac ed slots
for th e s pring clips on th e t ail cone. A locat ing pin -CYL INDR ICAL VANE
for th e tai l is screwed into the coned face of the
tail a da pte r at a posit ion half-w ay betwe en two of
the slots , and th e ta i) ad ap ter is w elded to t he re ar
end of th e she et ste el casing so th at th e loc ating pin
is at 45 degrees to the suspensio n lug in an an ti­ ,-V AN E SUPPORTS
clockwise d irecti on when viewed from the re ar end
of the bomb body.
8. The ta il ad ap ter is bored and coun terbo red
axially , the bore being thr ead ed to receive an
explod er conta iner. The thre ade d joi nt is sealed
with appr oved sealing mate rials and the explode r -A R M IN G VA NE
con tain er is secured in po sition by a locking screw. SAFETY CLIP
The rea r e nd of th e explo der cont aine r is th read ed
inte rnal ly to receive the det ona tor holder and the CO NE BUSH
tail pistol. Two diam etrica lly opposed holes in -TA IL CO NE
the tail ad ap ter accom moda te the tra ns it base
-A R M IN C SPINDLE
securing screws.
- D IAPH RAG M
Filling -FORK
9. The main filling consists of T.N.T. or PISTOL
R.D .X./ T.N .T., 60/40, topp ed at both ends with
■LOC KIN G CLIP
T.N.T. It is seal ed a t the rea r en d by thre e waxed
felt washers, and at the nose end by two waxed -T A IL ADAPTER
discs. -SP RI NC CLIP
10. An exploder, C.E., 4 oz. 6 dr., covered -SLOT
by glazed board packin g washers, is housed in the
explo der cont aine r and held in positio n by the
det ona tor holder, in the inner end of which is a
box-clo th washer secured by shellac.
MA RK IN GS
11. An explo der T.N.T ., 5 | oz., is housed
between the inner end of the explod er contai ner,
and a felt disc. This explod er and the explode r
con taine r are surro unde d by a pape r tube.

Tail BODY
12. The tail, bomb, airc raft, 100 lb., A.S.,
No. 7, Mk. I, consists of a shee t meta l tail cone
with a c ylindr ical vane att ach ed to it by four vane
-SUS PEN SIO N LUG
supp orts . The tail cone is fitted, at i ts apex, with
a cone bush which locates the rear e nd of an arm ­
ing spindle. App roxi mate ly half-way along the
length of th e tail cone is fitted a diap hrag m which
locates the forward end of the armi ng spindle. -PA INT ED DARK
Fou r equi-spac ed spring clips are fitted to the for­ GREEN
ward end of the tai l cone, the forwar d edge of
which is slotte d, at a positio n in align ment with
one of th e fo ur va ne su ppo rts, for eng agem ent w ith
the locati ng pin on the tail ad ap ter when the tail
is assemble d t o the bom b. Two of th e sprin g clips
are provid ed with channe l-sectio n locking clips
which swivel abo ut a rive t and serve to lock the 0t>/09
two sprin g clips agai nst displ acem ent when the
tai l is assembled to the bomb. 1N1/X0M LIGHT GREEN
BAND

13. The armi ng sp indle in th e tail is f itted a t


its forwar d end with a fork which, yrhen the tail
is assem bled to the bomb, engages t he a rming fork
of the No. 30 pistol. The rear end of the armin g -R ED BA ND
spind le is thre ade d to tak e a four-b laded arming
vane which is Secured by a locking nu t and tab — N OSE PLUG
washer . The armi ng spindle is prev ente d from
rot atin g by a safet y clip which fits over the cone Fig. 2.—B omb, H. E., air cra ft, A.S., 100 lb.,
bush. Mk. IV, wi th tai l in posi tion
189

A .P.1661B, Vol. I, Sect. 5, Chap. 3


Transit base, fig. 3
14. The base, tra nsi t, airc raft bomb, No. 18, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/494), used for this bomb,
consists of two met al pressings secured toget her, the inner press ing being shap ed to accom moda te
the ta il a da pte r and pisto l or ta il p lug No. 27. The o ute r press ing is dish ed to acco mmo date the heads
of two wing b olts wh ich p ass thr oug h diam etric ally opposed holes in th e p ressing s a nd are fitte d with
spring washers and reta inin g spl it pins. The thre ade d ends of the bolts are engaged with the
diame trical ly opposed holes in the ta i] ad ap ter a nd screwed home to assembl e t he tr an sit base to the
bomb. A slo t is provid ed in the tr an sit ba se to accom moda te the lo cating pi n on t he tail ada pter .

Identification colouring and markings


Colouring t
15. The bomb body, with the excep tion of the tail ada pte r, is pain ted dar k green. A red
band, j in. wide, is pai nte d round the bom b body, 1 in. from the nose end, and a light green band,
1 in. wide, 4 in. from the nose end. The tail and the t ra ns it bas e are also pain ted dar k green.

Markin gs on the bomb body


16. The following are the marki ngs on the bomb bod y:—
(i) The le tter s T.N .T., or R. D.X /T.N .T., are stencilled, in black, on the light g reen b and in thre e
places e quall y s paced. When the b omb is filled wit h R.D .X. /T.N .T., the r atio figures 60/40
are stencille d, in black, in corres pondi ng positio ns to the thre e lett er groups, imme diate ly
to the rea r of the light green band. When the bomb is filled with Grade 2 T.N. T., the
lette rs G.D.2 are stencille d, in black, on the light green band , in one place only, between
two of the T.N.T. let ter groups.
Note.—Bombs filled with Grade 2 T.N .T. are unsu itab le for s torag e in hot c limates.
(ii) The following par ticu lars are stencille d, in black , on th e suspensio n lug side of the bomb
body towa rds its rea r en d:—
(«) The monog ram of the filling stat ion , or the initi als or recognized trad e mar k of the
filling con trac tor ; the dat e of filling, mon th and yea r; and the lot num ber of the
filling.
lb) A.S. 100 LB. IV.
(iii) On th e r everse s ide of the bomb body, tow ard its rea r end, is stencille d, in bla ck, the design
numb er of the metho d of filling.
190

(iv) Th e follo wing ma rki ng s ar e sta mp ed on th e nose forg ing or ca sti ng :—


(a) IV A.S. 100 LB.
(b) Th e m an uf ac tu re r’s ini tia ls, or reco gniz ed tr ad e ma rk.
(c) Th e da te of ma nu fac tur e, m on th an d year .

Ma rki ng s on the tail


17. Th e cyl ind rica l va ne has th e follow ing ma rk in gs :—
(i) Sten cill ed, in bla ck, is No. 7 I.
(ii) Sta mp ed ar e: —
(«) No. 7 I.
(6) Th e m an uf ac tu re r’s init ials , or reco gniz ed tr ad e ma rk.
(r) Th e da te of ma nu fa ctu re , mo nth an d yea r.

Ma rki ng s on the tran sit base


18. Th e tr an si t base has th e follo wing m ar ki ng s:—
(i) Ste ncil led, in bla ck, on th e flang e of th e inn er pre ssin g is No. 18, Mk. I, 100 LB.
(ii) Sta mp ed on th e ou ter pre ssin g of th e tr an si t bas e are th e m an uf ac tu re r’s init ials , or
reco gnize d tra de ma rk, an d th e da te of ma nu fa ctu re , m on th an d year .

Ma rki ng s on the tran sit plug


19. Th e follo win g ma rki ng s ar e sta m pe d on th e hea d of th e tr an si t pl ug :—
(i) TA IL. No. 27. IM (or IZ).
(ii) Th e co nt ra ct or ’s ini tia ls, or reco gniz ed tr ad e ma rk.
(iii) Th e da te of ma nu fac tur e, m on th an d yea r.

Functio ning
20. Wh en th e bom b is rele ase d from th e bom b car rie r, th e sa fe ty clip is rem ove d by th e fuz e­
se tti ng co ntr ol lin k so as to free th e arm ing vane .
21.' Du rin g th e fall of th e bo mb th e arm ing va ne is ro ta te d by th e air str ea m so as to unsc rew
th e arm ing for k an d ar m th e pist ol.
22. On im pa ct of th e bom b, th e pis tol fires th e de to na to r, th e de to na to r fires th e exp lod er,
and th e exp lod er de to na te s th e mai n filling.

IN ST RU CT IO NS FO R US E
Fuzing the bomb and assembli ng the tail
23. D eta ch th e tr an si t bas e, rem ove p isto l No. 30, or tr an si t plu g No. 27, by ha nd , an d proce ed
as foll ows :—
(i) En su re th a t th e de to na to r ca vit y is clea r, usin g gaug e, ca vit y, de to na to r, No. 2, Mk. I
(Sto res Ref. 12A/349), an d ins er t th e req uir ed de to na to r. If th e de to na to r ca vi ty is
ob str uc ted , th e bo mb m us t be se t asid e for A. I.D . ins pec tion . Fo rce mu st no t be used
wh en ins ert ing th e de to na tor .
(ii) Re mo ve th e pre ss- cap an d sa fe ty pl at e from th e pis to l No. 30 an d te st th e arm ing fork
for free dom of mo vem ent , fin all y scre win g th e for k lig ht ly hom e ag ain st th e pis to l bod y.
If th e ta il is no t to be ass em ble d to th e bo mb im me dia tel y, rep lac e th e sa fet y pl at e and
pres s-ca p.
(iii) In se rt th e pis tol No. 30 in to th e de to na to r hol der an d scre w it hom e by ha nd un til it is
well se ate d on its wa she r an d lock ed by its loc kin g spri ng.
(iv) Offer up th e ta il to th e ta il ad ap te r, ma kin g sur e th a t th e slo t in th e ta il cone will reg ist er
wi th th e loc ati ng pi n an d th a t th e pis tol arm ing f<5rk is n ot fo uled b y th e for k o f t he a rm ing
spi ndl e in th e tai l cone. Pr ess t he ta il hom e on to t he t ai l ad ap te r s o a s t o cau se th e spr ing
clips to sn ap int o th e fou r slot s. Pr es su re m us t be ap pli ed to eac h of th e fou r spr ing
clips to ens ure th a t th ey ar e ful ly enga ged. Lo ck th e two spr ing clip s by tu rn in g th ei r
ass oci ate d lock ing clips to cov er th em fully .
(v) Te st th e arm ing van e for free dom of mo ve me nt by rem ovi ng th e sa fe ty clip frd m th e cone
bus h an d ro ta tin g th e arm ing va ne tw o com ple te tu rn s in an ant i-cl ock wis e dir ect ion .
If th e ro ta tio n is no t free, th e tig ht ne ss m us t be inv es tig ate d an d rect ifie d if poss ible .
If th e tig ht ne ss ca nn ot be rect ified , th e ta il m us t no t be used . Re pla ce th e sa fe ty clip,
ma kin g su re th a t th e hea d of its scre w is eng age d in th e hole in th e con e bus h.
191

A.P.1661B , Vol. I, Sect. 5, Chap. 3


(vi) If the ta il is sub sequ ently remo ved, the sa fety plat e and pre ss-cap m ust be re place d on th e
pisto l. In the unlik ely eve nt of the pisto l armi ng fork sta ndi ng pro ud of the to p of the
pisto l body, no at te m pt mu st be made to replac e the safe ty pla te and press -cap whils t
the pis tol is in positi on in t he d eto na tor hold er. In th at e vent, the pis tol mu st be rem oved
from the d eto nat or hold er before screwing the a rmin g fork ligh tly home aga inst the p istol
body and replac ing the safe ty pla te and press-cap .
Loading the bomb on to the aircraft bomb carrier
24. Load the bomb on to the bomb carri er as described in the rele vant cha pte r of A.P. 1664,
Vol. I, and conne ct the safe ty clip to the fuze -settin g cont rol link of the carrier.

Unloading the bomb from the aircraft bomb carrier


25. Discon nect t he saf ety clip from the fuz e-setti ng c ontro l lin k of th e bomb carr ier, and unload
the bomb as described in the rele van t cha pte r of A.P. 1664, Vol. I.

Unfuzi ng the bomb


26. If it is necess ary to unfuze the bomb, unlock the two locking clips and remov e the tail-
Replace the s afety p lat e and p ress-ca p on t he p istol (see, however, par a. 23 (vi) ), remove t he pistol,
ex tra ct the deto nato r, using ex trac tor, d eton ator , No. 2, Mk. I (Stores Re f. 12A/348), an d th en replace
the pistol, or the tra ns it plug.
SUP PLY AND STORAGE
Supply
27. The bomb is suppl ied fitte d with base, tra nsi t, airc raft bomb, No. 18, Mk. I, and eith er
with pistol, bomb, tail, No. 30, serving as a tra ns it plug, or with tra ns it plug No. 27 in position.
Where the b omb is fi tte d with t ra ns it plug No. 27, the p isto l No. 30 is packed with th e tail.
28. The tai l No. 7, Mk. I is suppl ied with pistol No. 30 in conta iner, B.301, Mk. I (Stores
Ref. 12A/490), or wit hou t pistol, in conta iner, B.309, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/491).,
Storage
29. The bombs are classified for stora ge purpo ses in Group VII . Tail units , in contain ers,
may be store d in the same explosives storeh ouse as the filled bombs, th e conta iners being stacke d
well aw ay from the filled store s, or the y may be st ored unde r any o the r dry p rote ctiv e condition s.
BOMB, H.E ., AIRCRAFT, A.S., 250 lb., Mk. IV
Leading particulars
Body, bomb, H. E. , aircraft, A .S ., 250 lb., Mk . IV
30. Stores Ref. ... 12A/486
Leng th, with tail 4 ft. 9-65 in., appro x.
Maximum diam eter 11-35 in.
Weigh t of body 96 lb. 12 oz., approx .
Weigh t and nat ure of filling 137 lb. R.D .X. /T.N .T.,
or 132 lb. T.N.T.
Term inal velocit y ... 970 ft. per sec.
Tai l bomb, aircraft, 250 lb., A .S., No. 8, Mk . I
31. Stores Ref. ... 12A/487
Leng th 1 ft. 11-35 in., appro x.

GEN ERA L DE SCR IPT ION


Bomb body
32. The body of the 250 lb. Mk. IV A.S. bomb is simil ar to th at of the 100 lb. Mk. IV A.S.
bomb, see para . 4 to 8, dif fering only in weig ht and dirrjpnsions.
Filling
33. The filling of the 250 lb. Mk. IV A.S. bomb is simila r to th at of the 100 lb. Mk. IV A.S.
bomb, see para . 9 to 11, differing only in qu an tit y of the main filling.
Tail
34. The tail, bomb, aircr aft, 250 lb., A.S., No. 8, Mk. I, is simila r to the tail, bomb, airc raft,
100 lb., A.S., No. 7, Mk. I, see p ara . 12 and 13, differing only in weight and dimensions.
Note.— If the bomb is to be carrie d on fighte r-bom ber airc raft, the tai l mus t be modified as
describe d in para . 66 to 69.
192

Transit base
35. The base, tra ns it, airc raf t bomb, No. 19, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12/495), used for thi s bomb, is
similar, excep t i n weight and dimensions, to base, tra nsi t, airc raft b omb, No. 18, Mk. I, see p ara. 14.

Identific ation colouring and markings


Colouring
36. The colouring of th e bomb body, tail , and tr an sit b ase is th e same as describ ed in p ara. 15,
exce pt th at the light green ban d is 4 | in. from the nose end.
Mark ings on the bomb body
37. The marki ngs on th e bomb body are as deta iled in para. 16, exce pt th at the app rop riat e
figures “250” , ind icati ng weight, are sub sti tut ed for “ 100”.

Mark ings on the tail


38. The marki ngs on the cylind rical vane are as deta iled in para. 17, excep t th at the ap pro ­
pria te num ber "8 ” is sub stit ute d for “7 ” .

Mark ings on the transit base


39. The marki ngs on the tra ns it base are detail ed in par a. 18, excep t th at the num ber "19 ”
is sub stit ute d for "18 ”.
Function ing
40. The bomb functio ns as described in para. 20 to 22.

INSTR UCTI ONS FOR USE


Fuzin g the bomb and assembling the tail
41. The 250 lb. Mk. IV A.S. bomb is fuzed and the tail assemble d as described in para . 23.

Loading the bomb on to the aircraft bomb carrier


42. Load the bomb on to the bomb carr ier as describe d in the rele van t ch apt er of A.P. 1664,
Vol. I, and conne ct the safe ty clip to the fuze- setting con trol link of the carrier.

Unloading the bomb from the aircraft bomb carrier


43. Discon nect the saf ety clip fro m t he fuze- settin g co ntrol link of th e bomb carrier, and unload
the bomb as describe d in the rele van t cha pte r of A.P. 1664, Vol. I.

Unfuzi ng the bomb


44. Unfuze the bomb as describ ed in para . 26.

SUP PLY AND STORAGE


Supply
45. The explod ered bom b is supp lied fitte d with base, tra nsi t, airc raft bomb, No. 19, Mk. I,
and with pistol, bomb, tail, No. 30, se rving as a tra ns it plug.
46. The tail, No. 8, Mk. I is suppl ied in cont ainer , B.310, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/492).

Storage
47. The bombs are classified for stora ge purpos es in Group VII , and tail units may be stored
as described in para . 29. '

BOMB, H.E ., AIRCRAFT, A.S., 500 lb., Mk. IV


Leading particulars
Body, bomb, H .E ., aircraft, A .S ., <500 lb., M k. IV
48. Stores Ref............................................................................. 12A/488
Leng th, with tai l ... ... ... ... ... ... 6 ft. 0-46 in., appro x.
Maxim um diam eter ... ... ... ... ... 1 ft. 2-3 in.
Weig ht of body ... ... ... ... ... ... 148 lb. 3 oz., appr ox.
Weigh t and nat ure of filling ... ... ... ... 279 lb. T.N.T .
Term inal velocit y ... .............. ... ... ... 1,320 ft. per sec.
193

A.P .166 1B, Vol. I, Sect. 5. Chap. 3


Tail, bomb, aircraft, 500 lb., A .S ., No. 9, Mk . I
49. Stores Ref. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 12A/489
Leng th ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 2 ft. 0-18 in., appr ox.

GEN ERA L DES CRI PTI ON


Bomb body
50. The body of the 500 lb. Mk. IV A.S. bom b is simi lar to th at of the 100 lb. Mk. IV A.S.
bomb, see para . 4 to 8, dif fering only in weigh t and dimensions.

Filling
51. The filling of the 500 lb. Mk. IV A.S. bom b is simi lar to th at of the 100 lb. Mk. IV A.S.
bomb, excep t for qu an tit y of the main filling and rest ricti on of the main filling to T.N.T .
Tail
52. The tail, bomb, airc raft, 500 lb., A.S., No. 9, Mk. I, is simil ar to the tail, bomb, airc raft ,
100 lb., A.S., No. 7, Mk. I, see pa ra, 12 a nd 13, differing only in weigh t a nd dimensions.

Tran sit base


53. The base, tran sit, air cra ft bomb, No. 20, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/496), used for th is bomb
is similar, excep t in weight an d dimen sions, to base, tra nsi t, air cra ft bo mb, No. 18, Mk. I , see para . 14.
Identific ation colouring and marki ngs
Colouring
54. The colouring of the bomb body, tail and tra ns it base is as described in para . 15, excep t
th at the ligh t green ban d is 6 in. from the nose.
Mark ings on the bomb body
55. The mark ings on the bomb body are as detai led in par a. 16, excep t th at the app rop riat e
figures "500” , ind icatin g weight, are sub stit ute d for "100 ” .
Markin gs on the tail
56. The m arking s on t he cylind rical vane are as det ailed in par a. 17, ex cept th at th e a ppr opr iate
num ber “9 ” is sub stit ute d for "7 ” .
Mark ings on the transit base
57. The marki ngs on the t ra ns it base are as detai led in p ara. 18, excep t th at t he num ber "20 ”
is sub stit ute d for "18 ” .
Funct ionin g '
58. The bomb functi ons as describ ed in para . 20 to 22.

, INST RUC TION S FO R USE


Fuzin g the bomb and assembling the tail
59. The 500 lb. Mk. IV A.S. bom b is fuzed and the tai l assembl ed as describe d in para. 23.
Loading the bomb on to the airc raft bomb carr ier
60. Load the bomb on to the bom b carrie r as describe d in the rel eva nt cha pte r of A.P. 1664,
Vol. I, Chap. 1, a nd conne ct the safe ty clip to the fuze -settin g cont rol link of the carrier .

Unloading the bomb from tfie airc raft bomb carr ier
61. Discon nect t he safe ty clip from t he -fuze-setting co ntrol lin k of th e b omb carrier, and unload
the bomb as described in the rele van t cha pte r of A.P. 1664, Vol. I.
Unfuzi ng the bomb
62. Unfuze the bomb as describe d in para . 26.

SUP PLY AND STORAG E


Supply
63. The bom b is suppli ed fitte d with base, tra ns it, air cra ft bomb, No. 20, Mk. I, and with
pistol, bomb, tail, No. 30 serv ing as a tra ns it plug
194

64. The tail. No. 9, Mk. I is supplied in contai ner, B.311, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/493).

Storage
65. The bombs are classified for stora ge purpos es in Grou p V II, and tail uni ts may be store d
as described in para. 29.
Modification to the No. 8 Mk. I tail for carriage on fighter-bomber aircraft
66. The No. 8 Mk. I tai l is to be modified as follows if t he 250 lb. Mk. IV A.S. b omb is to be
carrie d on fighter- bomber air cra ft: —
(i) Carefully stra igh ten the t ab of th e ta b wash er which secures the locking nut , and unscrew
and remove the nu t and ta b washer.
(ii) Remove one pai r of armin g van e blad es, and replace the ta b wash er and locking nut.
(iii) Bend up the ta b of the ta b wash er to lock the locking nu t in position.
67. Alter nativ ely, the ‘tai l may be modified by cut tin g off two diam etric ally oppos ite blades
of the armin g vane.
68. Ensu re th at the screw in the safe ty clip engages securely in the hole in the cone bush.
If th e saf ety clip is n ot secure, it is to be remove d, an d a clip, safet y, armi ng van e ( Stores Ref. 12A/982)
fitted. Tails of r ecent man ufac ture are fitted with safe ty clips giving the necess ary secure engage­
ment.
69. If tail units are no t fitted with swivel locking clips (the earlie r ones were no t so fitted),
a clip, locking, spring-on typ e (Stores Ref. 12A/842) is to be f itted over each of t he four sprin g clips
on the tail cone.
195

Th is app end ix issu ed with A .L . No . 67 A. P.1 88 1B , VoL I , Sec t. 5


Au gus t, 1943
Relev ant amen dmen ts up to A .L . 72
incorpo rated in this rep rint
Ja nu ar y, 1944

AP PE ND IX 1

COMPONENTS US ED WI TH A.S . BOMBS

LI ST OF CO NT EN TS
Table
Bombs, H .E., aircraft , A.S., 100 lb., Mk. I, II, and I I I ...................................... 1
Bomb, H.E., aircra ft, A.S., 100 lb., Mk. IV ................................................ 2
Bombs, H .E., aircraft , A.S., 250 lb., Mk. I, II, and II I ... 3
Bomb, H .E., aircra ft, A.S., 250 lb., Mk. IV ................................................. 4
Bombs, H .E., aircraft , A.S., 500 lb., Mk. I, II, and II I ... 5
Bomb, H.E., aircraft , A.S., 500 lb., Mk. IV ................................................ 6
196

AP PE ND IX 1

COMPONENTS USE D WI TH A.S . BOMBS

TABLE 1

BOMBS, H. E. , AIR CRA FT, A. S., 100 lb., Mk. I, H , and m

Nose fuz ing

Fuze Explo der

No, 32, Mk. II* , II I, or IV Special, sup plie d in posit ion

TABLE 2
BOM B, H. E. , AIR CRA FT, A.S ., 10 0 lb., Mk. IV

Tai l fuz ing

Pisto l Detonator Explode r

No. 30, Mk. II , I II , No. 51, Mk. I (0-025 sec.) Special, sup plie d in
III *, IV, or V posi tion

TABLE 3

BOMBS , H. E. , AIR CRA FT, A. S., 25 0 lb., Mk. I, II , and HI

Nose fuz ing

Fuze Explod er

No. 32, Mk. II* , II I, or IV Special, sup plie d in pos itio n

TABLE 4

BOM B, H. E. , AIR CRA FT, A.S ., 25 0 lb. , Mk. IV

Ta il fuz ing

Pisto l Detonator Explo der

No. 30, Mk.1 1,111 , No. 52, Mk. I or II (inst.) Special , sup plie d in
III *, IV, or V No. 51, Mk. I (0-025 sec) pos itio n
No. 53, Mk. I (0-5 sec.)
No. 54, Mk. I (3 sec.)
No. 55, Mk. I (11 sec.)
197

A.P .166 1B, Vol, I, Sect. 5, A p p .J

TABLE 5

BOMBS, H.E ., AIRCRAFT, A.S., 500 lb., Mk. I, 13, and HI

Nose fu zin g

Fuze Explo der

No. 32, Mk. II*, II I, or IV Special, supp lied in posi tion

TABLE 6

BOMB, H.E ., AIRCRAFT, A.S., 500 lb., Mk. IV

Ta il fuz ing

Pisto l Detonator Explo der

No. 30, Mk. II , II I, No. 52, Mk. I or II (inst.) Special, sup plie d in
III *, IV, or V No. 51, Mk. I (0-025 sec.) posi tion
No. 50, Mk. I (0-14 sec.)
No. 53, Mk. I (0-5 sec.)
No. 54, Mk. I (3 sec.)
No. 55, Mk. I (11 sec.)
198
199

AI R PUBLIC ATION 166 1B


Vo lum e I

Section 6

F. BOMBS
200
201

Rele vant amen dme nts up to A .L . 72 A. P.1 66 1B , VoL I


incorporat ed in this rep rint
Ja nu ar y, 1944

SECTION 6

F. BOMBS

GEN ERA L CONTEN TS LI

Note .— A de tai led co nt en ts lis t ap pe ar s a t th e beg inn ing of eac h ch ap te r.

CH APT ER 1—-General notes on F. bombs


CHA PTE R 2—Bombs, H.E ., aircr aft, F., 20 lb., Mk. I , II , and II I
CHA PTE R 3—Bombs, para chu te, H.E ., airc raft, F., 20' lb., Mk. I , II, and II I

AP PE ND IX 1—Compone nts used with F. bombs


202
203

Th is chapter issu ed with A .L . No. 32 A.P .16 61B , Vol. I, Sect. 6


September, 1942
Relev ant amen dmen ts up to A .L. 72
incorporated in this, rep rint
Ja nu ar y, 1944

CHAPTER 1

General notes on F. bombs

LI ST OF CO NT EN TS
Para.
Introd uction 1
Precauti ons to be observed when fuzing or unfuzing bombs ... 2
Repair and examina tion .... ... ... ... ... ... 3
Supply ... 5
Storage ... 6
204

CHAPTER 1
General notes on F. bombs
Introduction
1. At the pres ent time ther e is only one typ e of F. bomb in use in the Service, namely, the
20 lb. F. bomb. It is a thick -wall ed bomb, fuzed at the nose only, and is simil ar in const ructi on
to the 40 lb. G.P. bomb. It is used as ah anti-p erson nel weapon, and may be fitte d with a pa rach ute
att ac hm en t to reduce the term ina l velocity , and so pre ven t the bomb bury ing itself in the ground
before exploding.

Precautio ns to be observed when fuzin g or unfuz ing bombs


2. Att enti on is directe d to the prec aution s deta iled in Sect. 1, Chap. 1, which apply also to
F. bombs.

Repair and examinati on


3. Only such rep air and exam inati on of bombs as is detai led in Sect. 20, Chap. 1, is to be
done by arm ame nt personne l. Any bomb found havi ng maj or dama ge or defects is t o be set aside
for A.I.D . inspection .
4. Fuzed bombs, whe ther loaded on to airc raft, or store d in the fuzed bomb area, must be
examine d at the inte rval s sta ted in Sect. 20, Chap. 2’.

Supply
5. F. bombs are supplie d in boxes, with tail unit s and nose pistols in position, the nose pistol
actin g as a tra ns it plug.

Storage
6. The regula tions governi ng the storag e of F. bombs are given in A.P. 1245, Chap. 3.
205

Th is chapter issue d with A .L . No. 55 ' = A.P. 166 1B, Vol. I, Sect. 6
Febru ary, 1943
Relev ant amend ments up to A .L . 72
incorpora ted in this repr int
Ja nu ar y, 1944

CHAPTER 2

BOMBS, H.E ., AIRCRAFT, F., 20 lb., Mk. I, II, and HI ,

LIST OF CONTENTS*
Par a.
In tr oduct io n .... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1
Bo mb , H .E ., ai rc ra ft , F. , 20 lb. , Mk. I
L ea di ng p ar ti cu la rs ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 3
Ge ne ra l de sc rip tio n
Bo m b bo dy ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 4
Fi lli ng ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 6
• Ta il ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 8
. Id en tif ic at io n co lou rin g an d m ar ki ng s ... ... ... ... ... ... 9
F un ct io ni ng ... ... . ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 13
In st ru ct io ns for use
Fu zi ng th e bo m b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 16
Ga ug in g an d ad ju st in g bo m bs fi tte d w ith su b st it u te pi st ol s ... ... ... ... 17
Lo ad in g th e bo m b in to th e 250 lb. Sm all Bo m b C on ta in er ... . . . . ... 19
L oa di ng th e bo m b in to th e 460 lb. Sm all Bo m b C on ta in er ... ... ... ... 22
L oa di ng th e bo m b on to th e L ig ht Se rie s bo m b ca rr ie r ... ... ... ... 23
Un lo ad in g th e bo m b fro m th e 250 lb. or 160 lb. Sm all Bo m b Co nt ai ne r ... ... 25
t U nl oa di ng th e bo m b fro m th e L ig ht Ser ies bo m b ca rr ie r ... ... ... ... 26
Un fu zi ng t h e bo m b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 27
S up pl y an d st or ag e
Su pp ly ... ... ... ... ... ... .. , ... ... 28
St or ag e ... ... ... ... ... ... ... . 29
Bo mb , H .E ., ai rc ra ft , F. , 20 lb., Mk. II ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 30
L ea di ng p a rt ic u la rs ' ... ... ... ... ... ... 31
Ge ne ral de sc rip tio n ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 32
In st ru ct io n s fo r use ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 33
F it ti n g th e No . 8, Mk. I su sp en di ng ba nd ... ... ... ... ... ... 34
Su pp ly an d st or ag e
Su pp ly ... , ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 35
St or ag e ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 36
Bo mb , H .E ., ai rc ra ft , F. , 20 lb. , Mk. I l l ... ... ... ... ... .. . 37
Le ad in g par ti cu la rs .. . ... .. . ... .. . .. . ... .. . 38
Ge ne ral de sc rip tio n ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 39
In st ru ct io ns fo r use ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 40
Su pp ly an d st or ag e
Su pp ly ,..., ... ... ... ... ... ... 1 ... ... 41
St or ag e ... - ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 42

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
7ig-
I. Bo mb , H .E ., ai rc ra ft , F. , 20 lb. , Mk. I, fuz ed, w ith No . 34 pi st ol sho wn
206

CYL INDR ICAL VANE

ADAPTER

/ -VAN E SUPP ORTS

BODY-

MAIN FILLING

fr!6Z
PAPE R TUB E

T.N. T. PE LL ET

-SU SPE NSI ON LUG

GREEN BA ND
1 'N ’l
C .E . PE LL ET S

69 JF /9 HVd

I detonXVor

'9 1 0 3 j
RED BA ND EXP LOD ER CO NTA INE R

PIS TO L

D
F ig . ! . — B o m b , H .E ., a ir c r a f t . F ., 20 lb ., M k . I , fu z e d , w it h N o . .3 4 p is t o l s h o w n
207

A.P.1 661B, Vol. I, Sect. 6


0HAPT ER 2

BOMBS, H.E ., AIRCRAFT, F., 20 lb., Mk. I, H, and HI


Introduction
1. The 20 lb. F. bomb is an anti- pers onne l bomb for carri age in eithe r the 250 lb. or 160 lb.
Small Bo mb C ontai ner or o n th e Lig ht Series bomb ca rrier. I t is fuzed at th e nose only, and is is sued
complete wit h pistol, exploder , and tai l uni t in position . Pis tol No. 29, 34, or 38 may be supplie d
in the bomb, which is issued adj ust ed to the corr ect overal l leng th for the Small Bomb Contai ners.
2. The alte rna tiv e pisto ls menti oned in par a. 1 ma y be sub stit ute d, by Unit s, for the pistols
suppli ed in the bombs, to sui t oper atio nal requ irem ents, in which eve nt the bombs with sub stit ute
pistols will requ ire gauging, and adju stin g if necessar y, to the corre ct overall leng th before loadin g
int o the S mall Bomb C ontain er, see pa ra. 17 a nd 18.

BOMB, H.E ., AIRCRAFT, F., 20 lb., Mk. I


Leading particulars
3. Stores Ref ................................ ......................... 12A/311
Lengt h, pisto l a nd ta il in p ositio n ... ... ... 21-8 in.
Maxim um dia me ter ... ... ... ... ... 3-95 in.
Weig ht of b ody ... ... ... ... ... 12 1b. 12 oz.
Wei ght of filling, inc luding explo der ... ... 3-3 lb., appr ox.
Na tur e of m ain filling ... ... ... ... T.N.T . or R.D .X. /T.N .T,
Term inal veloc ity ... ... ... ... ... 990 ft. per sec.

GEN ERA L DES CR IPT ION


Bomb body, fig. 1
4. The bom b body is made of steel, the nose end being open and int ern all y thr ead ed to tak e
an explod er con tain er which is screwed and ceme nted in positi on and locked by a locking screw,
whils t th e clos ed re ar end is redu ced in d iam ete r to form a spigo t. The open nose en d of t he expl oder
con tain er is thre ade d int ern ally to t ak e the pis tol.
5. Mk. I bombs are no t norm ally fitte d wit h suspensio n lugs, alth oug h a limite d num ber were
so fi tted.
i

Filling
6. The bomb body is’ filled with T .N.T . or R.D .X./ T.N .T.
7. The exploder, which is house d in the explod er con taine r, consists of pape r-wr appe d C.E.
and T.N.T . pell ets; two of the C.E. pellet s are per fora ted to form a de ton ato r cavit y.
Tail
8. The tai l consists of a cylin drica l vane atta ch ed to a tai l cone by four vane supp orts. The
tail is secured to the bomb body by a tai l rod screwed into a boss on the spigot on the bomb bo dy
and passin g thr oug h a t hre ade d a da pte r on t he narr ow end of the ta il cone. A nu t an d a spring washer
on the out er end of the t ai l rod hold the tai l in position , and a locking nu t and a sprin g wash er on
the inne r end of t he tai l rod lock the rod in positio n in the spigot of th e bomb bo dy.
Identification colouring and markings
9. The exte rior of the bomb body and of the tail is pai nte d yellow. A red band, j in. wide,
is p ain ted round the bomb body j in. from the nose, and a green b and, 1 in. wide, is p ain ted round
the bomb body app rox ima tely 4 in. from the nose. The red ban d indic ates th at the bomb is filled
with high explosive, and the green ban d deno tes the typ e of explosive used. Stencille d in black at
thre e equ i-d ista nt places on the green ban d are the lett ers T.N.T. or R.D .X./ T.N .T.
Note.—If the lett ers T.N. T. are followed by G.D.2, the bom b is filled wit h Grade 2 T.N.T .
Bombs so mar ked are uns uita ble for stora ge in ho t climates.
10. Stencille d i n b lack lett ers be tween the re d a nd green ban ds are the following p art icu lar s;—
(i) The typ e, - nom inal weight, and m ark n um ber of the bomb.
(ii) The mono gram of the filling s tati on, or the initi als or. recogni zed tra de ma rk of the filling
con trac tor.
(iii) The da te of filling, mo nth an d year. ,
(iv) The lot num ber of th e filling. .
11. Nea r the t ai l end of t he bomb b ody is stencilled in black t he d esign num ber of t he meth od
of filling.
208

12. Stam ped on the bomb b ody, near th e nose, a re the body m an ufa ctu rer ’s m arking s, consis t­
ing o f:— .
(i) The typ e of th e bomb, includi ng the ma rk numbe r.
(ii) The ma nuf act ure r’s initia ls or recpgnized "trade mar k.
(iii) The dat e of m anuf actu re, mon th and year.

Functi oning
13. When the bomb fitte d with a No. 29 or 34 pisto l is releas ed from the Lig ht Series bomb
carrie r, or from eith er of th e Small Bomb Contai ners, the s afet y cap is im med iate ly remov ed by the
acti on of it s sp ring.
14. Whe n, the bomb is fitte d wit h a No. 38 pistol, the actio n of the ajr stre am on the armin g
vanes durin g th e fall of th e bom b causes th em to ro tat e an d screw off the saf ety c ap, whic h is expended.
15. On im pac t of th e bom b with t he tar get , the s trik er of th e No. 29, 34, or 38 pi stol is dr iven
inwa rds so as to shea r th e shea r wire and fire the d eto nat or; the d eto nat or fires the explo der, and the
explode r d eto nate s the- mai n filling.

INST RUC TION S FOR USE


Fuzin g the bomb
16. The following proce dure is t o be ado pte d for fuzing t he b om b:—
(i) Unscrew and remov e t he pi stol b y hand .
(ii) Ens ure th at the det ona tor cav ity is clear, using gauge, cav ity, deto nato r, No. 2, Mk. I
(Stores Ref . 12A/349) for t esti ng, and also ensure th at the ex plode r is in the co rrec t posit ion.
Bombs which fail to pass this gauge te st are to be se t a side for A .I.D. i nspecti on.
(iii) Ins ert the det on ato r into the det ona tor cav ity, tak ing care no t to use force.
(iv) Repla ce t he pistol, sc rewing- it home b y h and , and en sure th at it is well seate d on it s washer
and locked by its lo cking spring.

Gauging and adjusting bombs fitted with substitute pistols


17. If the bomb is fitte d wit h a sub sti tut e pistol, see p ara . 2, i t mu st be gauged, and adju sted
if necessar y, to an overal l leng th of 21-8 in. before loadin g into the Small Bomb Contai ner. If the
sub stit ute pist ol is a No. 38 pi stol, the saf ety pin mu st be remove d and the bomb gauged with the
safe ty cap screwed on so th at th e anti- locki ng stop s are in engag ement .
18. To ad jus t the overall length , hold the bomb ta il so t h a t it can not rot ate , an<J slac ken the
nu t sec uring i t t o t he ta il r od; th en ro ta te th e ta il, wit h it s ad apt er, e ithe r clockwise or anti-clockwise,
as necessar y, unt il the corre ct overa ll leng th is obta ined , and fin ally tig hte n the securin g nut . Care
mus t be ta ke n t ha t th e ta il is no t di sto rted dur ing the se opera tions , and if any difficult y is experienc ed
in unscrewing the ta il securin g nu t the bomb concern ed is to be set aside for A.I. D. inspecti on.

Loading the bomb in to the 250 lb. Small Bomb Container


19. Load the bomb into the 250 lb. Small Bomb Con taine r as describe d in A.P. 1664, Vol. I,
Chap. 3. Care sh ould be tak en no t to load any bo mb which is a ti gh t fit in the c onta iner. ' Any such
bomb ma y be adju sted , see p ara . 18, alth ough thi s should no t be necess ary if sub stit ute pistols are
not used.
20. When eac h bo mb is final ly po sitione d i n th e c ontai ner, remove the sa fety pin, if in pos ition,
from the pistol, and when each con tain er com par tm ent has been loaded wit h its full compl ement
of bombs, positi on its drop bar.
Note.— If the pistol is a sub sti tut e No. 38 pist ol the saf ety pin will hav e been remov ed durin g
gauging, see p ara . 17.
21. When the thr ee com par tme nts of the con tain er hav e been filled, ensure th at the bombs
can not l eave the c onta iner e xcep t und er norm al conditi ons of rel ease. Afte r all c ont aine r tes ts have
been m ade e nsure t ha t t he selec tor swit ches on the ai rcr aft are in th e O FF position , load the con taine r
on to the a ircr aft, and remove t he sa fety fo rks of No. 29,or 34 pisto ls, if th ese are fitted . The safe ty
caps of th e No. 34 pistol s can be ro tat ed as requ ired to fac ilita te with draw al Of t he saf ety forks.
The safe ty forks, if an y, and t he s afet y pins, should be h and ed to the p ilot or the b omb ai mer when
the airc raf t is re ady to t ak e off.
i
Loading the bomb into the 160 lb. Small Bomb Container
22. Lo ad the bom b into the 160 lb. Small Bomb Con taine r as describ ed in A.P. 1664, Vol. I,
Chap. 14. Bombs which are found to be a tig ht fit in the con tain er ma y be adj ust ed as described
209

A.P .16 61B , Vol. I, Sect. 6, Chap. 2

in para . 18. Before placing the bomb in the cont ainer , the saf ety pin mu st be removed from the
pistol ( but see Note to para . 20); if a No. 29 or 34 pisto l is fitted , t he saf ety fork also mu st be removed
before placin g the bomb in the conta iner, and the safe ty cap mu st be r eta ine d in positi on by hand ,
again st displa ceme nt by its spring, unt il the bomb is finally positi oned in th e cont aine r. The safet y
forks, if an y, and the s afet y pins, should be han ded t o the p ilot or t he bomb a imer whe n t he a ircr aft
is rea dy to tak e off.
Loading the bomb on to the Light Series bomb carri er
23. The bombs, if fi tted wi th s uspension lugs, can be lo aded on to the Li ght Series bomb carr ier
as described in A.P.1664, Vol. I, Chap. 2, using the No. 1A att ac hm en t to ret ain the safe ty cap in
position.
24. Remove the safet y pin an d th e sa fety fork when the bom b is finally po sition ed on t he c arrier.
Unloading the bomb from the 250 lb. or 160 lb. Small Bomb Container
25. Unlo ad the bom b from the 250 lb. or 160 lb. Small Bomb Cont ainer as describ ed in the
rele vant ch apt er of A.P. 1664, Vol. I. If a No. 29 or 34 p istol is fitte d, the safe ty cap mu st be held '
in po sition b y han d durin g the u nload ing and the s afet y fork mus t be r eplace d before releasing h and
pressure on the s afet y cap. Fin ally r eplace the saf ety pin in the pistol.
Unloading the bomb from the Light Series bomb carri er
26. Replac e the saf ety fork, if any, and /or the safe ty pin of the pisto l, and unloa d the bomb
as described .in A. P.1664, Vol. I, Chap. 2.
Uniuz ing the bomb
27. If it is ne cessary to un fuze t he bom b, remove the pi stol by h and a nd ex tra ct the de ton ato r,
using ext ract or, deto nato r, No. 2, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/348). Repla ce the pisto l in the. bom b.

SUP PLY AND STORA GE


Supply
28. Fou r bombs, H.E ., airc raft , F., 20 lb., Mk. I, pac ked t oge ther with one drop ba r for use
with th e 250 lb. Small Bomb Conta iner, are supplie d und er Stores Ref. 12A/311 in Box, B.271, Mk. I
(Stores Ref. 12A/315).
Storage
29. The bombs are classified, for stora ge purposes , in Group VI I.

BOMB, H.E ., AIRCRAFT, F., 20 lb., Mk. H


30. Att ent ion is d irect ed to par a. 1 and 2.

Leading partic ulars


Stores Ref. ... 12A/312
Leng th, pistol and tai l in positio n 21-8 in.
Maximum d iam eter 3-9 in.
Weigh t of b ody 12 lb. 12 oz.
Weig ht of filling, i ncludin g explo der 2-9 lb., appro x.
Nat ure o f ma in filling T.N. T. or R.D .X. /T.N .T.
Term inal veloc ity ... 990 ft. per sec.

GE NE RA L DE SCR IPT ION


32. The Mk. I I bomb is simil ar in d imensions a nd con stru ction t o the Mk. I bomb, exce pt th at
the maxi mum d iam eter is sl ightl y sm aller. The Mk. I I bomb is no t n orm ally fitte d with a suspension
lug, alth oug h a limited num ber of thes e bombs were so fi tted. The bombs wit hou t suspensio n lugs
may be fi tted with Bands , suspe nding, No. 8, Mk. I ( Stores Ref. 12A/528), which, in ad diti on t o ha ving
a suspensio n lug, is pro vided with a s tra p for corre ctly loca ting the b and on, the bo mb body.

INST RUC TION S FO R USE


33. The inst ruct ions for use deta iled in pa ra. 16 to 27 app ly to the Mk. II bomb, exce pt th at
the No. 8, Mk, I suspe nding ban d has to be f itte d to the bomb, before fuzing, when it is d esired t o
car ry it on the Lig ht Series bomb carrie r.
210

Fitting the No. 8, Mk. I suspending band


34. The No. 8, Mk. I suspend ing ban d is f itted to the bomb as follows:—
(i)Remove t he pis tol by hand .
(ii)Slacken off the clamp ing bolt of the su spend ing band .
(iii)Fit the suspend ing ban d over the bomb body, ensure th at the ring of the str ap on the
suspend ing ban d rests upon the face of the explod er cont ainer .
(iv) Tight en the clamp ing bol t so as to secure the suspen ding ban d on the bomb body, tak ing
care not ove rstra in the b olt.
(v) Replac e the pistol, screwing it home by han d. The bom b ma y be fuzed aft er fitti ng the
suspendi ng ban d and before replaci ng the pistol, if the bomb is requ ired imm edia tely for
operatio ns.
SUP PLY AND STORA GE
Supply
35. The bombs are supplied, unde r Stores Ref. 12A/312, simil arly to the Mk. I bombs, see
para. 28.
Storage
36. The bombs are classified, fo r sto rage pu rposes, in G roup VII .

BOMB, H.E ., AIRCRAFT, F., 20 lb., Mk. HI


37. Att ent ion is d irect ed to par a. 1 and 2.
Leading particulars
38. Stores Ref. ... 12A/469
Lqngth, pisto l a nd tai l in positi on 21'8 in.
Maximum diam eter 3-9 in.
Weigh t of bod y 12 lb. 12 oz.
Weig ht of filling, inc luding ex ploder 3 lb., appro x.
Nat ure of main filling R.D .X. /T. N.T .
Term inal veloc ity ... 990 ft. per sec.

GEN ERA L DE SCR IPT ION


39. The Mk. I l l bom b is simil ar in con stru ctio n and dimensions to the Mk. I bomb, exce pt
for the slight ly smalle r maxi mum diam ete r and the provisi on of a suspen sion lug welded on to the
bomb body. The filling is a lways T.N.T.

INST RUC TION S FOR USE


40. The inst ruct ions for use deta iled in par a. 16 to 27 app ly to the Mk II I bomb.

SUP PLY AND STORAG E


Supply
41. The bombs are supplied , unde r Stores Ref. 12A/469, simi larly to the Mk. I bombs see
para. 28.
Storage
42. The bombs are classified, for stora ge purpose s, in Group VII.
211

Th is chapter issue d with A .L . No. 51 A.P.16 61B, Vol. I, Sect. 6


Febru ary, 1943
Relev ant amen dmen ts up to A .L . 72
incorpora ted in this rep rint
Jan ua ry , 1944

CHAPTER 3

BOMBS, PARACHUTE, H.E., AIRCRAFT, F., 20 lb., Mk. I, H, and HI

LIS T OF CONTENTS
Par a.
In tr oduct io n ' ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1
Bo mb , pa ra ch ut e, H .E ., ai rc ra ft , F. , 20 lb., Mk. I l l
Le ad in g pa rt ic ul ar s ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ..." ... 4
Ge ne ral de sc rip tio n
Bo mb bo dy ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 5
Fi lli ng ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 8
Ta il u n it ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 9
Id en tif ic at io n co lou rin g an d m ar ki ng s ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 14
Fu nc tio ni ng ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... . ... ... 19
In st ru ct io ns for use
Fu zi ng th e bo m b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 21
Lo ad in g th e bo m b in to th e 25 0- lb. Sm all Bo mb C o n ta in e r. .. ... ... ... ... 22
Lo ad in g th e bo m b in to th e 160 1b. Sm all Bo m b C on ta in er ... ... ... ... ... 23
L oa di ng th e bo m b on to th e L ig ht Ser ies bo m b ca rr ie r ... ... ... ... ... 24
Un lo ad in g th e bo m b fro m th e 250 lb. Sm all Bo m b Co nt ai ne r ... ... ... ... 25
Un lo ad in g th e bo m b fro m th e 160 lb. Sm all Bo m b Co nt ai ne r ... ... ... 26
Un lo ad in g th e bo m b fro m th e L ig ht Ser ies bo m b ca rr ie r ... ... ... ... ... 27
Un fu zing th e bo m b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 28
Su pp ly an d st or ag e
Su pp ly ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 29
St or ag e ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 30
Bo mb , pa ra ch ut e, H .E ., ai rc ra ft , F., 20 lb., Mk. II
Le ad in g pa rt ic ul ar s ... ... ... ... ... ... ... - ... ... ... ... 31
Ge ne ral de sc rip tio n ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 32
In st ru ct io ns fo r use ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 34
F it ti n g th e No. 8 Mk. I su sp en di ng ba nd ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 35
Su pp ly an d sto ra ge
Su pp ly ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 36
St or ag e ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 38
Bo mb , pa ra ch ut e, H .E ., ai rc ra ft , F. , 20 lb., Mk. I
Le ad in g pa rt ic ul ar s ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .. .. ... ... ... 39
Ge ne ral de sc rip tio n ... ... ... ... ... . k. ... ... ... ... ... 40
In st ru ct io ns for use ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 42
Su pp ly an d st or ag e
Su pp ly ... ... ... ,... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 43
St or ag e ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 44

LIS T OF ILLU STRA TION S


Fi g.
1. Bo mb , par ac hu te , H .E ., ai rc ra ft , F. , 20 lb., Mk. I l l
212

A.P.1 661B , Vol. I, Sect. 6

CHAPTER 3

BOMBS, PARACHUTE, H.E ., AIRCRAFT, F., 20 lb., Mk. I, II, and HI


Introduction
1. The 20 lb. F. par ach ute b ombs, Mk. I, II, and II I, are simila r t o th e co rrespon ding s tan da rd
20 lb. F. bombs, excep t th at the y are fitted with par ach ute tail units.
2. The bombs are fuzed at the n ose only, and are issued compl ete with tail unit, exploder, and
nose p isto l in position . The pistol serves as a nose plug durin g tra nsi t and stora ge of the bomb.
3. Mk. I l l bombs, and also a limited num ber of Mk. I bombs, are 'fit ted with suspensio n lugs
for c arriage o n the L ight Series bo mb carr ier; the Mk. II bombs are no t fitte d wit h suspens ion lugs.
All thre e mark s of bombs m ay be ca rried in th e 250 lb. Small Bomb Contain er, or in th e 160 lb. S mall
Bomb Container .
BOMB, PARACHUTE, H.E. , AIRCRAFT, F„ 20 lb„ Mk. H I
Leading particulars
4. Stores Ref. ... ... ... .............. ... I2A/465 1

Overall leng th (pistol and tai l in position) ... ... 21-8 in.
Maximum diam eter ... ... .............. ... 3-9 in.
Weig ht of body ... ... ... ... ... ... 12 lb. 12 oz.
Weigh t and na tur e of filling ... ... ... ... 3 1b. appr ox., R.D .X./ T.N .T.
Term inal veloc ity ... ... ... ... ... 85 ft. per sec. (estimate d)

GEN ERA L DES CRI PTI ON


Bomb body, fig. 1
5. The bom b b ody, which is ma de of steel, has its nose end int ern ally th read ed and f itted with
an explod er con tain er which is screwed and cemen ted in positi on and secured by a locking screw.
The closed rea r end of the bomb body is reduce d in diam eter and has an int ern ally thre ade d boss
at the cent re to receive the eye-b olt of the par ac hu te tail unit.
6. The forwar d end of t he explo der con taine r is int ern ally thre ade d to receive the nose pistol.
7. A suspensio n lug is welded to the bomb body.
I
Filling
8. The bom b is filled with R.D .X. /T.N .T., which is top ped by a layer of T.N.T . and sealed
by a pad of appr oved comp osition an d a glazed board w ashe r at th e nose en d. The explo der co ntain er,
which is pr otec ted from the m ain filling by a pa per tu be, conta ins an ex ploder con sisting of one solid
T.N.T . pelle t, a solid C.E. pellet, and two perf orat ed G.E. pell ets which afford a cen tral cav ity for
the det ona tor stem. The explo der pelle ts are pap er-w rapp ed and are reta ined in positio n by a
waxed felt washer.

Tail unit
9. The pa rac hut e u nit consis ts of a tai l tu be with a c ylindr ical vane connec ted t o i ts rear por tion
by four vane supp orts.
10. A rece ssed tai l ad ap ter is sec ured in the tai l tub e at a sho rt dista nce from its forward end
by fouf securing screws and has a cen tral hole to acco mmo date the eye-bolt . The tai l ad ap ter
accom modat es th e c entr al boss on t he tail en d of the bo jnb body a nd the ey e-bol t is screwed into the
thre ade d hole in the boss to secure the tai l un it in positio n.
11. The tai l tub e houses a fabri c cylin der in which the folded par ach ute is pack ed with its
peak c onnec ted by a cord to the closed rea r end of the fabric cylind er. The rea r end of the fabric
cylin der is co nnected by thre e lany ards t o a flanged me tal cover which fits loosely in the cylindr ical
vane t o close the rea r end of the tail tub e, and which is reta ined in pos ition, duri ng t ra ns it and storag e,
by a w ire t ra ns it clip h avin g i ts ends engaged in holes in t he cy lindr ical vane.
12. The shrou d cords of th e par ach ute a re kno tte d tog eth er and c onne cted to the rea r end of a
wire rope which has its oth er end conne cted to the eye-bolt.
213

13. . A wire armin g link, also connec ted to the rea r end of the wire rope, passes thro ugh a
longit udin al slot in the forward port ion of t he tail tube, and has a spl it pin atta ch ed t o its free end.
This armin g link is pulled ta ut over the bomb body and secu red to it by thre e ban ds.o f insul ating
tap e arou nd the bomb body, and the spli t pin engages registe ring holes in the ends of the circlip on
the nose pistol, the ends of th e spl it pin being opened sligh tly to prev ent its accide ntal withd rawa l.

Identific ation colouring and markings


14. The bomb body a nd the tail are pain ted yellow. A red band , | in. wide, is pain ted round
the bom b body | in. from the nose, and a light green band , 1 in. wide, is pain ted round the bomb
body app roxi mat ely 4 in. from the nose.
15. Stencille d in blac k at thre e equi-spac ed positio ns on the light green band are the lette rs
R.D .X./ T.N .T.
16. Stencilled, in black lett ers between the red and light green band s are the following
par ticu lar s:—
(i) The type , nominal weight, and the mar k num ber of the bomb.
(ii) The monogra m of t he filling s tati on, or the initia ls or recognized tra de mar k of the filling
cont racto r.
(iii) The dat e of filling, m onth and year.
(iv) The lot num ber of the filling.
17. The design num ber of the metho d of filling is stencill ed in black on the bomb body near
the rear end.
18. Stam ped on the bomb body, near the nose, are the body ma nu fac tur er’s markin gs,
consis ting of :— '
(i) The typ e of bomb, including the mar k number .
(ii) The ma nuf act ure r’s initia ls or recognized tra de mark.
(iii) The dat e of man ufac ture, mon th and year.

Functi oning
19. When the bomb is releas ed from the Sm all Bomb Cont ainer or from the Ligh t Series bo mb
carrier , t he air stre am thro ugh the cylind rical vane displac es th e cov er from th e ta il unit, a nd the drag
exer ted by t he cover on the la nya rds withd raws th e fabric cylin der and par ach ute from t he tail t ube.
As th e shrou d cords and the w ire rope become ta ut and the l oad is t ak en by the e ye-bo lt, the fabric
cylin der is draw n off th e par ach ute, which the n ope ns; at the same time the tigh tenin g of t he wire
rope causes the armin g lin k to remov e th e sp lit pin from the pisto l circlip, which is the n au tom atic ally
expended , with the safe ty cap, to leave the pist ol armed.
20. Up on 'im pac t of the bomb wit h the targ et, the pistol fires the deto nato r, the det ona tor
fires the exploder, and the explod er deto nate s the main filling.

INSTR UCTI ONS FOR USE


Fuzin g the bomb ,
'21. The following proce dure is to be ado pted for fuzing the bom b:—
(i) Remove th e spl it pin on~the armi ng link from the circl ip on t he No. 33, Mk. I nose pis tol.
, (ii) Remove the pis tol by hand , engaging the sto p pins in th e pisto l bo dy with t he slots in t he
safe ty cap.
(iii) Ensu re th at the de ton ato r cav ity is clear, using gauge, cav ity, det ona tor No. 2,. Mk. I
(Stores Ref. 12A/349) for test ing, a nd ensure als o th at the expl oder is in t he corre ct posit ion.
If the waxed felt wash er has become loose, or has Shift ed, it is to be push ed bac k into
place with the gauge. Bombs which fail to pass this gauge tes t are to be set aside for
A.I.D. inspection.
(iv) In se rt t he req uired det ona tor in th e det ona tor cav ity. Force mus t n ot be u sed in insertin g
the deto nato r.
(v) Replace the pisto l, screw ing it home b y h and un til i t is well se ated on it s w asher and locked.
(vi) Ro tat e the circlip abo ut the pistol, as necessary , to bring its registe ring holes in line with
the a rmin g link, pass the sp lit pin on t he armi ng li nk thro ugh t he holes, a nd open the sp lit
pin ends sligh tly to pre ven t accid ental withd rawal.
214

A.P .166 1B, Vol. I, Sect. 6, Chap. 3

Loading the bomb into the 250 lb. Sm all Bomb Container
22. Remove the tra ns it clip from the cylindr ical vane, and the safe ty pin from the circlip
of t he pistol, and load the bomb into the 250 lb. Small Bomb Cont ainer a s describe d in A.P. 1664,
Vol. I, Chap. 3, re taini ng the cov er in the cylindr ical vane by han d unti l loading is com pleted . Han d
the tra ns it clips and the safet y pins to the pilot or bom b aimer, or place the clips and pins in the
aircra ft.
Note.—The bombs are issued c orrec tly adj uste d for l ength , and no at te m pt is to be m ade to alt er
the length of any bomb which is f ound to be a tig ht fit in the con tain er; any such inco rrect ly
adju sted bomb should be set aside for A.I.D. inspectio n, afte r first replac ing the safe ty pin
in the circlip of the nose pisto l and the tra ns it clip on the cylin drical vane.

Loading the bomb into the 160. lb. Small Bomb Container
23. Remov e t he tra ns it clip fro m the cy lindrica l vane and t he safet y pin from the circl ip of the
nose pistol, and proceed to load the bomb into the 160 lb. Small Bomb Cont ainer as described in
A.P. 1664, Vol. I, Chap. 14, reta inin g the cover in the cylind rical vane by han d unti l loadin g is
comp leted; see, how ever, the note in para. 22.

Loading the bomb on to the Light Series bomb carri er


24. Remove the tra nsi t clip from the cylindr ical vane, reta inin g the c over in position by hand,
and load the bomb on to the Ligh t Series bomb carri er as described in A.P. 1664, Vol. I, Chap. 2,
using the No. 1A a tta ch me nt on the c arrie r adju sted to bear l ight ly on the c ap of th e pist ol and the
No. 7 atta ch me nt to reta in the cover in the cylin drical vane. Remove the safe ty pin from the
circlip on the pistol when the airc raft is read y to tak e off, and han d the safe ty pin and the tr an sit
clip to the pilot, or to the bomb aimer, or place the pin and clip in the aircr aft.

Unloading the bomb from the 250 lb. Sm all Bomb Container
25. Unload the b omb from the 250 lb. Small Bomb C ontaine r as describ ed in A.P. 1664, Vol. I,
Chap. 3, retai ning the cover in the cylind rical vane by hand . Repla ce the safe ty pin in the circlip
on the pistol, and replace the tra ns it clip on the cylin drical vane.

Unloading the bomb from the 160 lb. Small Bomb Container
26. Unload the b omb from the 160 lb. Small Bomb Cont ainer as described in A.P. 1664, Vol. I,
Chap. 14, re taini ng the cover in the cylind rical vane by h and. Repla ce th e s afety pin in t he circli p on
the pistol, and replace the tra ns it clip on the cylindr ical vane.

Unloadin g the bomb from the Light Series bomb carri er


27. Repla ce the safe ty pin in the circlip on the pistol, and proceed to unloa d the bomb from
the Ligh t Series bo mb carr ier as described in A.P. 1664, Vol. I, Chap. 2, holding t he cover in positio n
in the cylin drical vane by hand . Replac e the tra ns it clip on the cylind rical vane.

Unfuzing the bomb


28. Should it be neces sary to unfuze the bomb, remove the spli t p in on th e armi ng l ink from the
circlip of the pistol, remove the pisto l by hand , ext rac t the deto nato r, using ext ract or, deto nato r,
No. 2, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/348), and- rep lace the pisto l and the spli t pin, rot ati ng the circlip, as
necessary, abo ut the pistol to bring the holes for the pin in line with the arm ing link.

SUP PLY AND STORAG E


Supply
29. Fou r bombs, and one d rop bar for use wi th the 250 lb. S mall Bomb Cont ainer, are suppli ed,
unde r Stor es Ref. 12A/465, packed in Box B.271, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/315), as fo r th e co rrespo nding
sta nda rd 20 lb. F. bombs, the marki ngs on the box being sui tab ly modified to indi cate th at the
bombs are of the par ach ute type.

Storage
30. The bombs are classified, for storag e purpose s, in Group VII .
N (1661B )
215

BOMB, PARACHUTE, H.E ., AIRCRAFT, F., 20 lb., Mk. H


Leading particulars
31. Stores Ref. ... ... ... ... ... ... 12A/464
Overall lengt h (pistol and tai l in position) ... 21-8 in.
Maximum diam eter ... ... ... ... ... 3-9 in.
Weigh t of body ... ... ... ... ... 12 lb. 12 oz.
Weigh t and na tur e of filling ... ... ... 2-9 lb. appr ox., T.N.T.
Term inal veloc ity ... ... ... ... ... 85 ft. per sec. (estimated)

GE NER AL DES CR IPT ION


32. The Mk. II bomb is simila r to the Mk. I l l bomb, exce pt th at it is filled with T.N.T . and
is no t fitte d with a suspensio n lug. The nat ure of the filling is indic ated by the lett ers T.N.T,
stencil led in black in thr ee places on the light green ban d; if G.D.2 is also stencill ed on the light
green band , the bomb is filled w ith Grade 2 T.N .T. and is u nsui tabl e for stora ge in ho t climates .
33. The Mk. II bomb m ay be ada pte d for carria ge on the Lig ht Series bomb carr ier by fitti ng
it with ba nd, suspendin g, No. 8, Mk. I (Stores R ef. 12A/528) whic h in addi tion to ha ving a s uspensio n
lug, and a k nuckl e jo int as semb ly with a cl ampin g b olt for t ight enin g t he ban d upon the bomb body,
is prov ided with a str ap for corre ctly locat ing tfie ban d on the bomb body.

INST RUC TION S FOR USE


34. The instr uctio ns for use detail ed in para . 21 to 28 a pply to the Mk. II bomb, exce pt th at
the No. 8 Mk. I suspe nding ban d has to be fitte d to the bomb, before fuzing, for loading on to the
Lig ht Series bomb carrier.

Fittin g the Ko. 8 Mk. I suspending band


35. The No. 8 Mk. I suspen ding ban d is fitte d to the bomb as follows :—
(i) Remov e the armi ng link spli t pin from the circlip of the pistol.
(ii) Remove, as ne cessary, the in sulat ing tap e which sec ures t he armi ng link to the bo mb body.
(iii) Remove the pi stol by hand , engaging th e stop p ins in the pist ol body w ith the slo ts in t he
safe ty cap.
(iv) Slacken of the clamp ing bol t of the suspe nding band.
(v) Fi t the suspen ding ban d over the bomb body with the suspensio n lug diam etric ally
oppos ite the slot in the tai l tub e from which the armi ng link prot rude s, ensuri ng th at
the ring of t he st rap on the s uspen ding ban d re sts upon the face of the explo der c ontain er.
(vi) Tigh ten the clampi ng bo lt so a s to secure the suspe nding ban d on the bomb body, tak ing
care not to over strai n the bolt, and the n replace and screw home the pisto l by hand , or
fuze the bomb at this stage if imm ediat ely requi red for operat ions.
(vii) Ro tat e the circlip on the pistol, if necessar y, to bring the holes for the spl it pin into
align men t with the armi ng link. ' .
(viii) Ins ert th e a rmin g lin k spl it p in in th e ci rclip holes, open up the ends of th e s plit pin sli ghtly
to pre ven t its accid ental with draw al, and the n secure the armi ng link to the bomb body
with b ands of insul ating ta pe, using at le ast on e and a half compl ete tur ns of ta pe fo r each
band.
SUP PLY AND STORA GE
Supply
36. The bombs are suppli ed as sta ted in para . 29, b ut und er Stores Ref. 12A/464.
37. Bands , suspendi ng, air cra ft bomb. No. 8, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/528) are supplied
sep ara tely as requir ed. i

Storage •
38. The bombs are classified, for stora ge purpose s, in Group VII.
216

A.P .16 61B , Vol. I, Sect. 6, Chap. 3


BOMB, PARACHUTE, H.E. , AIRCRAFT, F., 20 lb., Mk. I
Leading particulars
39. Stores Ref. ... 12A/463
Overall length (pistol and tail in position) 21-8 in.
Maximum diameter 3-95 in.
Weight of body 12 lb. 12 oz.
Weight and natur e of filling 3-3 lb. approx. T.N.T.
Terminal velocity ... 85 ft. per sec. (estimated)

GENERAL DESCRIPTI ON
40. The Mk. I bomb is similar to th e Mk. I ll bomb, except for the slight difference in maximum
diameter and t ha t i t is filled with T.N.T. The nat ure of the filling is indicated by the le tters T.N.T,
stencilled in black in three places on the light green band; if G.D.2 is also stencilled on the light
green band, the bomb is filled with Grade 2 T.N.T. and is unsu itable for storage in h ot climates.
41. The Mk. I bombs are not normally fi tted with a suspension lug, although a limited number
have been so fitted and may thus be carried either on the Light Series bomb carrier or in th e Small
Bomb Container.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE
42. The inst ructions for use detailed in para. 21 to 23, 25, 26, and 28 apply to all Mk. I bombs,
and, in addition, para. 24 and 27 apply to Mk. I bombs fi tted with suspension lugs.

SUPPLY AND STORAGE


Supply
43. The bombs ar e supplied as state d in para. 29, but under Stores Ref. 12A/463.
Storage
44. The bombs are classified, for storage purposes, in Group VII.

/ /•>
217

th is app end ix issue d with A .L . No, 68 A.P. 1661 B, Vol. I, Sect. 6


Aug ust, 1943
Releva nt amen dmen ts up to A .L . 72
incorpo rated in this repr int
Ja nu ary , 1944

APPEN DIX 1

COMPONENTS USED WITH F. BOMBS

LI ST OF CO NT EN TS
Table
Bombs, H.E., aircraft , F., 20 lb,, Mk. I, II, and II I ... ... ... ... ... 1
Bombs, parac hute, H.E. , aircra ft, F., 20 lb., Mk. I, II, and III ... ... ... ... 2
218

APPEN DIX 1

COMPONENTS USED WITH F. BOMBS

TABLE 1

BOMBS, H.E ., AIRCRAFT, F., 20 lb., Mb. I, H, and HI

Nos e fu zi ng

Pis tol Deto nato r Ex plo de r

No. 29, Mk. I or II No, 43, Mk. I (inst.)


No. 38, Mk. IM, II , IIM , II I, or IV
Special, supp lied in posit ion
No. 45, Mk. I No. 52, Mk. II (inst.)

TABLE 2

BOMBS, PARACHUTE, H.E. , AIRCRAFT, F„ 20 lb., Mk. I, H, and HL

Nos e fu zi n g

Pis tol Deto nator Ex plo der

No. 33, Mk. I No. 43, Mk. I (inst.) Special , supp lied in posi tion
219

I
AI R PUBLIC ATION 166 1B
5 Vo lum e I

Section 7

IN CE ND IA RY BOMBS
•/

7.
220
221

Th is lea f issu ed with A .L . No. 24 A. P.1 66 1B , Vol. I


Au gu st, 1942
Rel evan t amen dmen ts up to A .L . 72
incorp orated in this rep rint
Ja nu ar y, 1944

SECTION 7

INC END IARY BOMBS

LIST OF CHA PTER S


Note.— A list of con tent s appe ars at the beginning o f. each cha pte r
*
CH APT ER 1—General notes on incen diary bombs
CHA PTE R 2—
CH APT ER 3—Bombs, incend iary, airc raft , 4 lb., Mk. I, IE, II, IIE , II I, and II IE
CH APT ER 4—Bombs, incend iary, aircr aft, 4 lb., Mk. IV, IVE, V, a nd VE
CHA PTE R 5—
CHA PTE R 6— '
CHA PTE R 7—Bomb, incend iary, airc raft, 25 lb., Mk. I; atta chm ent s, para chu te, airc raft bomb,
No. 1, Mk. I and II ; and strik ers, airc raft bomb. No. 1, Mk. I and II '
CHA PTE R 8— Bombs, incendia ry, aircr aft, 30 lb., Mk. I, II, IIM, II I, and IIIM

Note.— Info rma tion on Bomb, incend iary, airc raft, 1£ lb., Mk. I (being a store used as an airc raft
dest ruct or), is given in A.P. 1661G, Vol. I, Sect. 5, Chap. 1.
222
223

Th is chapter issu ed with A .L . No. 32 A.P.1 661B , Vol. I, Sect. 7


Au gus t, 1942
Releva nt amen dmen ts up to A .L . 72
incorpo rated in this repr int
Ja nu ar y. 1944

CHAPTER 1

General notes on incendiary bombs

LIST OF CONTENTS
Para.
Int rod uc tio n 1
Su ppl y ... 5
Sto rag e ... 7
224

CHAPTER 1

General notes on incendiary bombs


Introduction
1. Ince ndia ry bombs of variou s types , rangin g in weight from 4 lb. to 250 lb., are in use in
the Service for opera tions agai nst differing typ es of targ ets. There is also a special pur pose lb.
incen diary bomb. The cons truct ion and filling of the bombs differ wit h indiv idua l typ es and no
general descr iptio n can be given here to cover the com plete range. The typ es of tar ge ts which can be
successful ly att ack ed with each typ e of bomb are given in the ch apt er describi ng the bomb.
2. Some bombs, such as the 4 lb. series, have bodies composed main ly of incen diary mate rial,
such as magnesi um alloy, and are filled with solid incen diary compos itions. Oth er bombs, such
as the 30 lb. bomb, have steel tub ula r bodies and are liquid-filled with a rubb er/b enzo le solutio n
and may also be p art iall y filled wi th cast w hite phosp horus . Liquid-filled bom bs.ar e prov ided w ith
an e jection charge for eje cting the filling. The 25 lb. bom b ha s a faired steel tub ula r b ody conta ining
incen diary fire-pots which are eject ed successi vely by small gunp owde r charges.
3. A small perce ntage of 4 lb. incen diary bombs conta in an explos ive' charge, the obje ct of
which is to r ende r a ppr oac h to the b urni ng bombs dangerou s, due to the risk of flying splin ters, and
ther eby t o discourage att em pts to extin guish th ese and the s tan dar d non-expl osive bombs which are
dropp ed simul taneo usly. Par ach utes , for reta rdin g purpose s, the reb y pre ven ting bury ing when
drop ped on to soft targ ets, are fitte d to 25 lb. incen diary bombs when used for s pecial oper ations .
4. Ince ndia ry bombs may be used in conju nctio n with H.E . bombs, depend ing on ope ratio nal
requir emen ts.

Supply
5. All the incend iary bombs, with the exce ptio n of t he 250 lb. bomb, are at pres ent supplie d
in box es, w ith t ails in po sition. The 4 lb. bom bs are packe d in a tin pla te case which is loaded into the
Small B omb Containe r, the co rrec t p rop orti on of non-e xplosive and explosive b ombs being conta ined
in the case. The 250 lb. incen diary bomb is suppl ied fitte d with a tra ns it base, the tail for the
bomb being supplied in a contai ner.
6. Liquid-filled bombs may be s upplie d with o r w ith out fuzes and ejectio n charges in position.

Storage
7. Deta ils of t he stor age of incen diary bom bs ar e given in A.P. 1245, Ch ap. 3; at ten tio n is calle d
to the regula tions governi ng the stora ge of store s conta ining white phos phoru s. Liquid-filled
incen diary bombs may be store d with fuzes and eject ion charge s in position.
225

Iss ued with A .L . No. 24 A.P.1 661B, Vol. I, Sect. 7


Au gus t, 1942
Rele vant ame ndm ents up io A .L . 72
incorpor ated in this rep rint
Ja nu ar y, 1944

CHAPTER 3

BOMBS, INCENDIARY, AIRCRAFT, 4 lb., Mk. I , IE, II, HE, HI, and HIE

LIS T OF CONTEN TS
Para.
In tr oduct io n .. . ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1
Bo mb s, in ce nd ia ry , ai rc ra ft , 4 lb., Mk. I l l an d I I I E
Ge ne ra l de sc rip tio n
Mk. I l l bo m b ... ' ... ... ... ... ... ... - ... ... ... 2
Fi lli ng ... ... ... ... ... ... ■■ ... 5
Id en tif ic at io n co lou rin g an d m ar ki ng s ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 6
Mk. I I I E bo m b ............................................................................................................. ................ 9
Id en tif ic at io n co lou rin g an d m ar ki ng s ... ... ... ... ... ... 10
Case, bo m b, in ce nd ia ry , 4 lb. , Mk. IV ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 12
Id en tif ic at io n co lou rin g an d m ar ki ng s ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 16
Case , bo mb , in ce nd ia ry , 4 lb. , Mk. I l l .. . ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 20
Case, bo mb , in ce nd ia ry , 4 lb., Mk. I I ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 22
Fu nc tio ni ng
Mk. I l l bo m b ....................................................................................................................................... 23
Mk. I I I E bo m b .............................................................................................. : ............................ 24
In st ru ct io ns for use
L oa di ng bo m bs on to an ae ro pl an e ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 25
O pe ra tio na l in st ru ct io n ... ................ ... ... ... ................ ... ... 29
U nl oa di ng bo m bs ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 30
Su pp ly an d st or ag e
Su pp ly ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ••• ••• ••• 31
St or ag e ... ... ... ................ ... ................ ... ... ................ 34
Bo mb s, in ce nd ia ry , ai rc ra ft , 4 lb. , Mk. II an d H E ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 35
Co mp ari so n w ith th e Mk. I l l an d I I I E bo m bs ... ... ... ... ... ... 36
Su pp ly ... ... ... ... .. . ■■■ ••• •• 38
St or ag e ... ... ... ................ ... ... ... ... • ■. • ■■ ■-■ 40
Bo mb s, in ce nd ia ry , ai rc ra ft , 4 lb., Mk. I an d IE ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 41
Co m pa ris on w ith th e Mk. I l l an d I I I E bo m bs ... ... ... ... ... ... 42
Su pp ly ... ... ... .. . .. . ■■■ ■■■ ••• ••• ■ ••• 44
St or ag e ... ... ................ ... ... ................ ... ■■■ ... ... 46

LIST OF ILL UST RAT IONS


1. Bo mb , in ce nd ia ry , ai rc ra ft , 4 lb. , Mk. I l l
2. No se an d ta il en ds of th e Mk. I I I E bo m b
3. Case, bo mb , in ce nd ia ry , 4 lb. , Mk. IV

Note .— Bo m bs , in ce nd ia ry , ai rc ra ft , 4 lb., M k. 1, IE , I I a n d I I E h a v e
by A.M.O. (N) 1242/45. be en de cla re d ob so lel i
(a . l .130)

ffS
226

TAIL CA P

PLAN

TAIL PLUG
- STRIKER
•'SA FET Y PLUNGER
• CR EEP ’ SPRING
■DRIVE SCREW
■F ERRULE
- D ETONATOR
-C A P HOL DER
-C OR K INSERT
VENT HO LE
-PR IME D CA MB RI C. S TR P
- WASHER
-PR IMI NG PASTE
-PR ESS ED P R IM IN G
C O M P O S IT IO N

- IGNITE R PE LLE TS

-BO DY

- NOSE

F ig . I . — B o m b , in c e n d ia r y , 'a ir c r a f t , 4 lb ., M k . I I
227

A. P.1 66 1B , Vol . I, Sect . 7

CHA PTE R 3

BOMBS, INC END IAR Y, AIR CRA FT, 4 lb., Mk. I, IE , II, IIE , HI , and HI E
Intr odu ctio n
1. These bombs are simila rly cons truct ed, bu t the E typ e bombs coni n, at the nose end, a
small explosi ve ch arge of gunpo wder the pu rpose of which is to r ende r app roac.. to the burn ing bombs
danger ous and so t o discoura ge att em pts to extingu ish both these bombs and the exte rna lly similar
non-expl osive incend iary bombs which are released simu ltaneo usly. The bombs funct ion on impa ct
and are released in clutch es from a Small Bomb -Container. The bombs are not released from any
alti tud e below 350 ft . Release from this heigh t perm its bombs which jost le one ano the r on release
from the Small Bo mb Co ntaine r to s trai ght en u p before h ittin g th e ta rge t. The bo mbs ha ve a t erm inal
velocit y of 420 ft. per sec.

BOMBS, INCE NDIA RY, AIR CRA FT, 4 lb., Mk. n i and HI E

GEN ERA L DE SCR IPT ION


Mk. I l l bomb, fig. 1
2. This bomb (Stores Ref. 12A/S68), which is 21-4 in. long, is hexag onal in cross-sect ion and
measure s 1-67 in. across the flats. It has a hollow magnes ium-all oy body at one end of which is a
cast iron or a steel nose, the body being ca st on t o the nose durin g m anuf actu re. A magne sium-al loy
tail plug, which may be of solid or open const ructi on, is screwed into the oth er end of the body. Fixed
to the tail plug by two drive-screws is a tin pla te tail closed b y a tai l cap.
3. The tail plug houses a strik er, a creep spring, a ferrule hav ing four tags , and a brass cap
holder cont ainin g a ] -7 gra in deto nato r. When the bo mb is pa cked in its case, see p ara. 15, m oveme nt
of th e s trik er t owa rds the d eto nat or is pre vent ed by a spring -loade d sa fety p lung er h oused in a sleeve
fitted into the tail plug.
4. Two vent holes, plugged by cork insert s, are provid ed in the body to comm unic ate with the
space betwee n the cap holde r and the filling of the bomb. A str ip of primed cambri c is located
in this space.

Fil ling
5. The filling consists of a card boar d washe r filled with gunpow der-she llac prim ing pas te, a
qu an tit y of pressed primin g compositi on, and a num ber of ignit er pellets.

Ide ntifi cati on colouring and mar kin gs


6. The end face of t he nose and the forward port ion of the bomb for a dista nce of 31- in. from
the end face of the nose are pain ted dull red to indica te th at the bomb is an incen diary bomb. At
a dist ance of in. from the end face of the nose is a black band, in. wide, pain ted on the d ull
red. In the cent re of the black band is a brig ht red band, K in. wide, to indi cate th at the bomb is
filled. i
7. The following infor matio n is stencille d, in bteck, on the bod y:—
(i) The mar k num bef of the bomb.
(ii) The monogram of t he filling s tati on, or the filling c on tra cto r’s initia ls-or recognized trad e
mark.
(iii) The dat e of filling, mo nth and year.
(iv) The filled lot numbe r.

8. The following infor mati on is stam ped on the body, the tail plug, and the nose :—
(i) The dat e of man ufac ture, mon th and year, of the em pty bomb.
(ii) The initia ls or recognized tra de mar k of the ma nuf act ure r of the em pty bomb.

n I
228

Mk. TTTR bomb, fig. 2


9. This bom b (Stores Ref. 12A/869) is simil ar to the Mk. I l l bomb excep t th at a burs ter,
consis ting of 210 grains of gunpo wder in a tin pla te cont aine r, replaces some of the igni ter pelle ts
at the nose end of the bomb.

Fig. 2.—Nose and tail ends of the Mk. H IE bomb

Iden tific atio n colouring and mar kin gs


10. The colouring is as sta ted in para. 6 b ut, in a dditi on, the e nd face of the t ail c ap is pa inte d
brig ht red and ther e is a sec ond brig ht red band, £ in. wide, at a d istan ce of I in. from the d ull red,
to indica te th at the bomb conta ins an explosive charge.
11. The mark ings are as sta ted in par a. 7 and 8.
Case, bomb, incendiary, 4 lb., Mk. IV, fig. 3
12. This is a tin pla te case (Stores Ref. 12A/937) to cont ain th irt y 4 lb. incen diar y bombs and
fits into a Small Bomb Containe r. It has a lid secured in positio n by two tin pla te tear-o ff band s
soldered to the lid and the b ody of th e case. Eac h tear-off b and has a link which serves as a ha ndle
when rippi ng off the band to open the case. Secured to the inside of th e lid are strips, of felt which
press agai nst the top row of bombs when the case is closed.
13. The bombs are reta ined in positio n in the case by side and bot tom fitting s, as shown in
fig. 3, a nd one of th e side f itting s provid es a stowag e for a d rop ba r which is t o be used for s ecuring
the filled case in a Small Bomb Contain er. The drop b ar is su pplied wrap ped in greasep roof pape r.
14. On t he o utside o f each of th e longer sides of th e case is a l ink pla te havi ng a han dle an d’a
hook porti on. The link pla te is a ttac hed to a hand le brac ket by a remov able hinge pi n. Whe n the
case is inser ted into a Small Bomb Conta iner the link pla£e is removed and replac ed as described
in A.P. 1664, Vol. I, Chap. 3, to ensure th at the case remains in the cont aine r when the bombs are
released. Some earlier issues of tin pla te cases conta ining 30 bombs may have stop brac kets as
indic ated by c hain line, see fig. 3, b ut lat er issues will ha ve no sto p b rack ets, because the Mk. IV cases
rest agai nst the bott om of the small Bomb Contain er.
15. The bombs a re so packe d in the case th at whe n t he case is in th e Small Bomb Co ntain er t he
noses of the bom bs a re direc ted forwards , th at is, the noses should all lie at th e end of th e case wh ich
is f urth est from the side fittings . The meth od of pa cking e nsures t ha t the s afety plung ers of a ll t he
bombs are depressed . The safe ty plunge rs of the bombs in the top row will be depres sed if the y
are n ot visible when the case is open. Care should be tak en to ensure th at none of the saf ety plunge rs
of the top row of bombs is visible, see para . 28.
FELT ST RlP -
'Z Z F 2
UD --------------- ---------1¥——
TEA R-O FF BA N D -

■HANDLE

A.P .166 1B, Vol. I, Sect. 7, Chap. 3


SHOWN ABOVE CASE
Fig. 3.—Case, bom b, inc end iary , 4 lb., Mk. IV

229
230

Identification colouring and markings


16. The case and lid are pain ted black and on the top of t he lid, at the end of t he case whic h
is fur the st from the side fittings , is a 1 in. brig ht red band.
17. The following infor matio n is stam ped on one side of the case :—
(i) The mar k num ber of the case.
(ii) The initia ls or recognized tra de mar k of the man ufac turer .
(iii) The dat e of man ufac ture, mon th and year.
18. If the case c ontai ns 30 Mk. I l l bombs, label No. H.1514, readin g a s f ollows, will be affixed
to the outsi de of the lid of the case :—
H .1 5 I 4
3 0 BO M BS ,
IN C E N D IA R Y , a /C.,
4 L B ., MA RK II I
& 1 R E L E A SE B A R

19. If the case cont ains 24 Mk. I l l an d 6 Mk. H IE bombs, label No. H.151 5, read ing as follows,
will be affixed to the outsid e lid of the case :—
H .1 5 1 5
30 BO M BS ,
IN C E N D IA R Y , A /C .,
4 L B .,
2 4 ---- MA RK III
6---- MA RK II IE
& 1 R EL E A SE BA R

Case, bomb, i ncendiar y, 4 lb., Mk. m


20. This case (Stores Ref. 12A/867) is simil ar to the Mk. IV case described in para. 12 to 19,
bu t the side fi ttin g in t he case is n ot qui te so wide as th at in the Mk. IV case an d it is lo cated sligh tly
near er the tail end of the case. Mk. I l l cases may be provid ed with the stop brac kets mention ed
in para . 14.
21. The labels mentio ned in pa ra. 18 an d 19 may, as ap plicabl e, be affixed to t he lids of Mk. I l l
cases, or the inform ation may be stencille d, in white lett ers, on the lid.

Case, bomb, incendia ry, 4 lb., Mk. n


22. This case (Stores Ref. 12A/596) is s imila r to the Mk. IV case described in para . 12 to 19,
bu t it is not so deep as it is con stru cted to cont ain only twe nty 4 lb. incend iary bombs. The lid
has no brig ht red band , bu t tw'o 1 in. dull red bands, If in. apa rt, are pain ted on it. The case is
provided with stop brac kets and the end of the case at which the stop bra cke ts are located is
pain ted dull red on the inside. The side fitting in the case is not quit e as wide as th at in the
Mk. IV ease and it is locate d sligh tly near er the tail end of the case. The infor mati on regard ing
the cont ents of the case is stencilled , in white letter s, on the lid.

FUN CTIO NING


Mk. H I bomb
23. When the bomb is released from its case in th ^ Small Bomb Conta iner carrie d by the
aerop lane the safe ty plunger, which has been kep t depressed, springs out to the positio n shown in
fig. 1. On imp act of the -bomb w ith the targ et, the strike r, overcoming the resista nce of the creep
spring, bends the tags on the ferrule and strike s and fires t he deto nato r, the prod ucts of combu stion
from the det ona tor blowing the cork insert s out of the ven t holes. The flash from the det onato r is
conveyed by the primed cambri c stri p to the gunpowd er-shell ac past e which ignites the pressed
primin g composi tion which, in turn , ignites the ignit er pellets. The magne sium-a lloy body sta rts
to melt abo ut 25 sec. aft er the bomb is ignited, and burn s for abo ut 10 min.

Mk. I IIE bomb


24. This bomb is initi ated and burn s as described in para. 23, but, aft er 7 | to 4 min., the
gunpo wder in the bur ster is ignited and explodes.
231

A.P. 1661 B, Vol. 1, Sect. 7, Chap. 3


INSTR UCTI ONS FO R USE
Loading bombs on to an aeroplane
25. The bombs, in the ir cases, are carrie d in the 250 lb. Small Bomb Contain er, or, if they
are packed in Mk. I I cases, th ey may be carri ed in th e 160 lb. Small Bomb Containe r. The cont aine r
is to be=filled a nd loaded on t o the a eropl ane as describe d in A. P. 1664, Vol. I.
26. Before placing a case into the Small Bomb Containe r, remove the soldered tear-o ff band s
holding the lid in positi on and remove the lid.
27. If, when the lid is removed, any safe ty plung er is visible in the top row of bombs, the
bomb concerned should be removed and replace d so th at the plun ger is not visible and is thu s
depressed .
28. The bombs should be found packed in the case as describe d in para. 15. Should the
bombs not be so arran ged the y mus t be repac ked in the corr ect directio n, care being tak en when
repack ing to ensure th at no safe ty plung ers are visible in the to p row.

Operational instructi on
29. The bombs are not to be released from any alt itu de below 350 ft.

Unload ing bombs


30. The Small Bomb Conta iner is to be unload ed from the aerop lane and the cases of bombs
removed from it as described in A.P. 1664, Vol. I. The drop bars are to be oiled or greased and
retu rne d to the ir stowages in the cases, and the lids replace d on the cases and secured by adhesiv e
tape . The cases, so sealed, are to be insert ed in the ir boxes, see par a. 32 and 33, and retu rne d to
store for use at the first opp ortu nity .

SUP PLY AND STORAG E


Supply
31. The bombs may be su pplied pack ed 24 Mk. I l l and 6 Mk. II IE in Case, bo mb, incend iary,
4 lb., Mk. I l l or IV, toge ther with one drop bar ; or 16 Mk. I l l and 4 Mk. II IE in Case, bom b,
incend iary, 4 lb., Mk. II, tog eth er with one drop bar. It may, however, be found desira ble to vary
the pro port ion of Mk. II IE to Mk. I l l bombs in a case. A Mk. I l l or IV case, as supplie d, may
cont ain 30 Mk. I l l bombs tog eth er with one drop bar, and a Mk. II case may cont ain 20 Mk. I ll
bombs tog eth er with one drop bar.
32. Each Mk. I l l or IV case will be conta ined in wooden Box, B.268, Mk. II, pai nte d green
to lessen the possi bility of its being seen from the air. To disti nguish this box frorn othe r green-
pain ted boxes, a brig ht red ban d 1$ in. wide is p aint ed roun d the box at one end.
33. Each Mk. II case will be conta ined in wooden Box, B.268, Mk. I.

Storage
34. Bombs, incend iary, airc raft, 4 lb., Mk. I l l and II IE are classified, for stora ge purposes,
in Group XI.

BOMBS, INCENDIARY, AIRCRAFT, 4 lb., Mk. I I and HE


35. Att ent ion is directe d to 'par a. 1.

Comparison with the Mk. I ll and IIIE bombs^


36. The Mk. II and II E bombs are, respe ctivel y, simila r to the Mk. I l l and II IE bombs, but
differ from them as follows:—
(i) The Stores Ref. numb ers are, Mk. II bomb (12A/595), Mk. II E bomb (12A/597).
(ii) The bomb bodies have a small er bore, with the resu lt th at , when the bombs functio n, the
inte rva l of tim e betw een i gnition of the bombs and the me lting th rou gh of the ir m agnesiu m-
alloy bodies at any poin t is abo ut 10 sec. longer tha n for the Mk. I l l and II IE bombs.
(iii) The cap holders are of magnesiu m-alloy.
(iv) The bomb bodies have four cork-plug ged ven t holes.
(v) The tail plugs are of solid magnesiu m-alloy.
(vi) The noses are of steel.
‘ 1661B)
232

(vii) The burs ter in the Mk. HE bomb consists of a hard grey wrap ping -pape r t.ube, closed at
each end by millbo ard discs and conta ins 154 to 170 grains of gunpowder.
(viii) The bur ster in the Mk. II E bomb explode s 1 to 5 min. afte r ignition of the bomb.
37. The instr uctio ns for use, para. 25 t o 30, app ly also to the Mk. II and II E bombs.

Supply
38. The bombs may be supplie d packed 16 Mk. II and 4 Mk. II E in Case, bomb, incendia ry,
4 lb., Mk. I I, toge ther with one drop bar. It may , h owever, be found desirab le t o v ary the pro port ion
of Mk. II E to Mk. II bombs in a case. A Mk. II case as supplied may conta in 20 Mk. II bombs
tog eth er with one drop bar.
39. The case will be conta ined in wooden box, B.268, Mk. I.

Storage
40. Bombs, incendia ry, airc raft , 4 lb., Mk. II and II E are classified, for stora ge purpose s, in
Group XI.
BOMBS, INCENDIARY, AIRCRAFT, 4 lb., Mk. I and IE
41. Att enti on is direct ed to para.. 1.

Comparison wit h the Mk. H I and HIE bombs


42. The Mk. I and IE bombs are, respecti vely, simil ar to the Mk. I l l and H IE bombs, but
differ from them as follo ws'—
(i) The Stores Ref. numbe rs are, Mk. I bomb (12A/267); Mk. IE bomb (12A/430).
(ii) The leng th of the bomb is 21-5 in.
(iii) The bomb bodies have a smalle r bore, with the resul t th at, when the bombs functi on, the
inte rval of time between igni tion of the bombs and the meltin g th rou gh of t hei r magne sium-
alloy bodies at any point is a bou t 10 sec. longer tha n for the Mk. I l l and II IE bombs.
(iv) The cap holders are of magnesi um-allqv .
(v) The bombs have a 1-62 grain deto nato r.
(vi) The bomb bodies have four cork-plug ged ven t holes.
(vii) The tail plugs are of solid magnesiu m-alloy.
(viii) The noses are of steel.
(ix) The bur ster in the Mk. IE b omb c onsists of a hard g rey w rapp ing-p aper tu be closed a t each
end by millb oard discs and conta ins 154 to 170 grains of gunpowd er.
(x) The bu rst er in t he Mk. IE bomb ex plodes 1 to 5 min. afte r ignition of th e bomb.
(xi) The Mk. I and IE bombs are packed in Case, bomb, incend iary, 4 lb., Mk. I (Stores Ref.
12A/269). This case is simil ar to the Mk. I V case de scribed in p ara. 12 t o 19, bu t it is no t
so de ep, as it is c onst ruct ed to cont ain only twe nty 4 lb. incend iary bombs. The lid has
no b righ t red band, bu t two 1 in. dull red bands, 14 in. apa rt, are pain ted on it. The case
is provid ed with stop br acke ts a nd the end of th e case a t which th e st op b rack ets are l ocated
is pain ted dull red on the inside. The side fittin g in the case is not qui te so wide as th at
in the Mk. IV case and it is l ocated sligh tly neare r t he tail end of the case. The infor matio n
regar ding the cont ents of the case is stencilled , in white letter s, on the lid.
Note.— Mk. I and IE bombs must not be pa cked in any ca se othe r tha n the Mk. I case, because
the y are longer tha n the suceeding Marks of bo mbs and may jam in cases oth er tha n the Mk. I case.
43. The inst ruct ions for use, para . 25 to 30 kpply also to the Mk. I and IE bombs.

Supply
44. Norm ally the bombs will be suppli ed packed 16 Mk. I and 4 Mk. IE, tog eth er with one
drop bar, in Case, bomb, incend iary, 4 lb., Mk. I. It may, however, be f ound desira ble to var y the
pro por tion of Mk. I E to Mk. I bombs in a case. The case, as su pplied, may cont ain 20 Mk. I bombs,
tog eth er with one drop bar.
45. The case will be conta ined in wood en Box, B.268, Mk. I.

Storage
46. Bombs, incendi ary, airc raft, 4 lb., Mk. I and IE are classified, for sto rag e purpos es, in
Group XI.
233

Issu ed with A .L . No. 25 A. P.1 66 1B , Vol. I, Sec t. 7


Au gu st 1942
Relev ant amen dmen ts up to A .L . 72
incorpo rated in this rep rint
Ja nu ar y, 1944

CHA PTE R 4

BOMBS, INC END IAR Y, AIRC RAF T, 4 lb., Mk. IV, IVE , V, and VE

LIST OF CONTENTS
Par a.
In tr oduct io n ... ... ... ... .... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1
Bo mb s, in ce nd ia ry , ai rc ra ft , 4 lb., Mk. IV an d IV E
Ge ner al de sc rip tio n
Mk. IV bo m b ....................................................................................................................................... 2
Fi lli ng ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 6
Id en tif ic at io n co lou rin g an d m ar ki ng s ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 7
Mk. IV E bo m b ............................. ............................................................................................... 10
Id en tif ic at io n co lou rin g an d m ar ki ng s ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 11
Case, bo mb , in ce nd iary , 4 lb., Mk. IV ... ... ... ... ... ... 13
Id en tif ic at io n co lou rin g an d m ar ki ng s ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 17
Fu nc tio ni ng
Mk. IV bo m b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 21
Mk. IV E bo m b ....................................................................................................................................... 22
In st ru ct io ns fo r use
Lo ad in g bo m bs on to an ae ro pl an e ... ... ... " .. . ... ... ... ... 23
O pe ra tio na l in st ru ct io n ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 27
U nl oa di ng bo m bs ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 28
Su pp ly an d st or ag e
Su pp ly • ... ... ... ... ■ ... ... ... ... .... ... ... ... 29
St or ag e , ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 31
Bo mb s, in ce nd ia ry , ai rc ra ft , 4 lb., Mk. V an d V E ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 32
Co m pa ris on w it h th e Mk. IV an d IV E bo m bs ... ... ... ... ... ... 33
Id en tif ic at io n of bo mb s, cas es, an d bo xe s ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 35
^Supp ly ... ... ,.. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... -3 7
St or ag e ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 38

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Fig.
1. Bo mb , in ce nd ia ry , ai rc ra ft , 4 lb., Mk. IV
' 2. No se an d ta il en ds of th e Mk. IV E bo m b
3. Case, bo m b, in ce nd ia ry , 4 lb. , Mk. IV
234

TAIL COVER

TAIL

STRIKER SUPPORT
STRIKER
STRIKER HOUSING
SLEEVE
SAFETY PLUNGER

DETONATOR
PLATE
CORK INSERT
VEN T HOLE
PRIMED CAM BRI C
STRIP
WASHER
PRIM ING PASTE
PRESSED P R IM IN G
CO M PO SI TI O N

IGNITER PEL LET S

BODY
AB C

NOS E

F ig . 1. — B o m b , in c e n d ia r y , a ir c r a f t , 4 lb ., A ik . I V
235

A.P.1 661B , Vol. I, Sect. 7

CHAPTER 4

BOMBS, INCENDIARY, AIRCRAFT, 4 lb., Mk. IV, IVE, V, and VE


Introduction
1. These bombs are simila rly cons truct ed, bu t the E typ e bombs conta in, at the nose end, a
small explosive charge of gunpowd er, the purp ose of which is to rend er appr oach to the burni ng
bombs dangerou s and so t o discoura ge att em pts to e xting uish them and the exte rnal ly simil ar non­
explosive incend iary bombs which are released simu ltaneo usly. The bombs funct ion on imp act
and are released in clutch es from a Small Bomb Contain er. The bombs are no t released from any
alti tud e below 350 ft . Release from this heig ht perm its bombs which jostl e one ano the r on release
from the Small Bomb Cont ainer to stra igh ten up before hitt ing the targ et. The bombs have a
term inal velocity of 420 ft. per sec.

BOMBS, INCENDIARY, AIRCRAFT, 4 lb., Mk. IV and IVE


GEN ERA L DES CRI PTI ON
Mk. IV bomb, fig. 1
2. This bomb (Stores Ref. 12A/872), which is 21-4 in. long, is hexago nal in cross-sec tion a n d 1
measures 1-67 in. across the flats. It h as a hollow magnes ium-all oy body, at one end of which is a
cas t iron .nose, the body being cas t on to the nose in man ufac ture. A ti np lat e tail, closed by a tail
cover, is secured to the othe r end of t he body by thre e drive-screws, which also hold a steel strik er
housing in positi on in the body.
3. At the t ail end, the body is cou nterb ored t o accom modat e an ignitin g mechanis m consisting
of a strik er, located in the s trik er housing, and a steel pla te seate d at t he bott om of t he count erbor e
and contai ning a 1-7 grain deto nato r. ,
4. One end of the stik er is point ed, and the othe r end proje cts thro ugh a hole in the strik er
housing. The. edge of this hole is chamf ered to perm it a t hin brass cross, see section on A—A, fig. 1,
secured to the strik er, to be ben t and pulled thro ugh the hole when the bomb functions . This
cross forms a stri ker sup por t duri ng tra ns it and storag e. Movement of the stri ker towa rds the
det ona tor is, whe n the bomb is pack ed in it s case, see p ara. 16, fur the r prev ente d by a s pring-lo aded
safe ty plung er housed in a sleeve.
5. Two vent holes, plugged by cork inserts , are provi ded in the tail end of the body and
comm unicat e with the space between the ignit er mechanism and the bomb filling. A stri p of
primed cambri c is located in this space.

Fillin g
6. The filling consists of a card boar d washe r filled with gunpow der-she llac prim ing paste , a
qu an tit y of pressed priming composit ion, and a num ber of ignite r pellets.

*
Ide ntifi cati on colouring and mar kin gs
7. The end face of t he nose, and the forwar d port ion of the bomb for a distan ce of 2 in. from
the end face of th e nose, are pain ted brig ht red to i ndic ate th at the bomb is filled.

8. . The following infor matio n is stencilled , in black, on the bod y:—


(i) The ma rk num ber of the bomb.
(ii) The monogr am of the filling s tati on, or the filling c on tra cto r’s initia ls or recognized tra de
mark.
(iii) The dat e of filling, mon th and year.
(iv) The filled lot numbe r.

9. The following infor mati on is sta mpe d on the body, the nose, h nd the tail cove r:—
(i) The dat e of man ufac ture, mon th and year, of the em pty bomb.
(ii) The initial s or recognized tra de mar k of the man ufa ctu rer of the emp ty bomb.
236

Mk. IVE bomb, fig. 2


10. T hi s bo m b (S to res Re f. 12A /873) is si m il ar to th e Mk. IV bo m b ex ce pt th a t a b u rs te r
co ns is tin g of 12 gr am m es of gu np ow de r in a ti n p la te Co nt ain er re pl ac es so m e of th e ig ni te r pe ll et s
a t th e no se en d of th e bo m b.

Ide ntif icat ion colouring and mar king s


11. T he co lo ur in g is as s ta te d in p ar a. 7 bu t, in ad di ti on , th e en d fac e of th e ta il c ov er is pa in te d
br ig ht red an d a in. b ri g h t re d ba nd is p ai n te d ro un d th e bo m b a t a. di st an ce of | in. fro m th e
br ig ht red no se en d po rt io n of th e bo mb .
12. T he m ar ki ng s ar e as st a te d in p ar a. 8 an d 9.

Case, bomb, incend iary, 4 lb., Mk. IV, fig. 3


13. T hi s is a ti n p la te ca se (S to res Re f. 12A /937 ) to co nt ai n th ir ty 4 lb. in ce nd ia ry bo m bs an d
fits in to a Sm al l B om b C on ta in er . I t ha s a lid se cu re d in po si tio n by tw o ti n p la te te ar -o ff ba nd s
so ld er ed to th e lid an d th e bo dy of th e cas e. E ac h te ar -o ff ba nd ha s a lin k w hi ch se rv es as a ha nd le
wh en rip pi ng off th e b an d to op en th e cas e. Se cu re d to th e ins ide of th e lid ar e st ri p s of fe lt w hic h
pr es s ag ai n st th e to p row of bo m bs w he n th e ca se is clo sed .
14. Th e bo m bs ar e re ta in ed in po si ti on in th e ca se by si de an d b o tt o m fi tt in gs as sh ow n in
fig. 3, an d on e of th e sid e fi tt in gs pr ov id es a st ow ag e fo r a dr op b a r wh ich is to bd use d fo r se cu rin g
th e fille d ca se in a Sm al l B om b C on ta in er . Th e dr op b a r is su pp lie d w ra pp ed in gr ea se pr oo f pa pe r.
15. On th e ou ts id e of ea ch of th e lo ng er sid es of th e ca se is a li nk p ja te ha vi ng a h an dl e an d a
ho ok po rt io n. Th e li nk p la te is a tt a c h e d to a .h an dl e b ra ck et by a re m ov ab le hi ng e pi n. W he n
th e ca se is in se rt ed in to a Sm al l B om b C on ta in ei ^t he lin k p la te is re m ov ed an d re pl ac ed as de sc rib ed
in A. P. 1664, Vo l. I, Ch ap . 3, to en su re th a t th e ca se re m ai ns in th e co n ta in er w he n th e bo m bs ar e
rel ea sed . So me ea rl ie r iss ue s of ti n p la te ca se s co nt ai ni ng 30 bo m bs m ay ha ve st o p b ra ck et s as
in di ca te d by ch ai n lin e, see fig. 3, b u t la te r iss ue s wi ll ha ve no st o p br ac ke ts , be ca us e th e Mk. IV ca ses
re st ag ai ns t th e bo tt om of th e Sm al l B om b C on tai ne r.
16. Th e bo m bs ar e so pa ck ed in th e ca se th a t wh en th e c as e is in th e Sm al l Bo mb C on ta in er t h e
no ses of th e bo m bs ar e di re ct ed fo rw ar ds , th a t is, th e no ses of th e bo m bs sh ou ld al l lie a t th e en d of
th e ca se wh ich is fu rt h e st fro m th e sid e fi tti ng s. T he m et ho d of pa ck in g en su re s th a t th e sa fe tv
pl un ge rs of al l th e bo m bs ar e de pr es se d. Th e sa fe ty pl un ge rs of th e bo m bs in th e to p row will be
de pr es se d if th ey ar e n o t vi sib le w he n th e ca se is op en . Ca re sh ou ld be ta k en to en su re th a t no ne of
th e sa fe ty pl un ge rs of th e to p row of bo m bs is vis ibl e, see p ar a. 26.
FELT STR IP-
- H fe
• UD ---------------

TEAR -OFF BA ND -

-H AN DL E

TEA R-O FF BAND


STOP BRACKET, / HANDLE BRACKET-

! |

A.P .166 1B, Vol. I, Sect. 7, Chap. £


SECTIQN A -A
LID AND TE AR- OFF STRIP
SHOWN ABOV E CAS E
F ig . 3 . — C a s e , b o m b , i n c e n d i a r y , 4 lb . , M k . I V

237
238

Identification colouring and markings


17. The case and lid are pai nte d black and on the t op of the lid, at the end of t he case which
is fur the st from the side fitting s, is a 1 in. brig ht red band.
18. The following infor mati on is stam ped on one side of the cas e:—
(i) The ma rk num ber of the case.
(ii) The initia ls or recognized tra de mar k of the man ufac ture r.
(iii) The dat e of man ufac ture, mon th and year.
19. If the case c ontai ns 30 Mk. IV bombs, label No. H.1514, readin g as follows, will be affixed
to the outsid e of the lid of the case:.—
H .1 51 4
3 0 BO M BS ,
IN C E N D IA R Y , A /C .,
4 L B ., MA RK IV
& 1 R E L E A SE BA R

20. If the case co ntain s 24 Mk. IV a nd 6 Mk. IVE bombs, label No. H.1515, readi ng as follows,
will be affixed to the outsid e of the lid of the case: —
H .1 51 5
30 BO M BS ,
IN C E N D IA R Y , A /C ., .
4 L B .,
2 4 ----M AR K IV
6---- MA RK IV E
& 1 R EL E A SE BA R

FUNC TION ING


Mk. IV bomb
21. When the bomb is released from its case in the Small Bomb Conta iner carrie d by the
aeropla ne, the safe ty plunger , which has been kep t depressed , springs out to the positio n shown in
fig. 1. On i mpa ct of t he bomb with the targ et, the stri ker moves tow ard the de ton ato r and fires it.
The flash from the d eto nat or ignite s the p rimed cambri c stri p and the g unpowd er-shell ac paste , and
the prod ucts of combu stion blow the cork insert s out of the ven t holes. The past e ignites the
pressed primi ng composi tion which, in tur n, ignites the ignit er pellets. The magnesi um-allo y body
sta rts to jnelt abo ut 25 sec. a fte r the bomb has ignited, and burn s for abo ut 10 min.

Mk. IVE bomb


22. This bomb is initi ated and burns as described in p ara. 21, but, afte r 1 | to 4 m in., the gun­
powder in the bur ster is ignited and explodes.

INSTR UCTI ONS FOR USE


Loading bombs on to an aeroplane
23. The bombs, in t heir cases, are carrie d in t he 250 lb. Small Bomb Contain er. The cont aine r
is to be filled an d loaded on to the aeropl ane as described in A.P. 1664, Vol. I.
24. Before placin g a case into the Small Bomb Containe r, remove the soldere d tear-off band s
holding the lid in posit ion and remove the lid.
25. If, when the lid is removed, any safet y plung er is visible in the top row of bombs, the
bomb concerned should be removed and replaced so th at the plun ger is not visible and is thu s
depressed.
26. The bombs should be fou nd pac ked in the case as de scribed in pa ra. 16. Should the b ombs
not be so arrang ed, the y mu st be rep acked in the corre ct directi on, care being tak en when repack ing
to ensure th at no s afety p lunger s are visible in the top row.

Operational instruction
27. The bombs a re not to be r eleased from any alti tud e below 350 ft.
239

A. P. 16 61 B, Vol. I, Sect. 7, Chap. 4

Unloading bombs
28. The Small Bomb Conta iner is t o be unloade d from the aerop lane and the cases of bombs
remov ed from it as described in A.P. 1664, Vol. I. The drop bars are to be oiled or greased and
retu rne d to the ir stowages in the cases, and the lids replace d on the cases and secured by adhesiv e
tape . The cases, so sealed , are to be inser ted in the ir boxes, see p ara. 30, and retu rne d to store for
use at the first opp ortu nity .
SUP PLY AND STORAGE
Supply
29. Norm ally the bombs will be supplie d packed 30 Mk. IV in Case, bomb, incendi ary, 4 lb.,
Mk. IV, toge ther with one drop b ar. If, however, any Mk. IVE b ombs are suppli ed the b ombs may
be packed 24 Mk. IV and 6 Mk. IVE in a case, tog eth er with one drop bar.
30. Eac h case is conta ined in wooden Box, B.268, Mk. II, p ain ted grepn t o lessen th e p ossib ility
of i ts being seen from the a ir. Tb disting uish this box from oth er gree n-pain ted boxes, a brig ht red
band I f in.' wide is pain ted round the box at one end.

Storage
31. Bombs, incendi ary, aircr aft, 4 lb., Mk. IV and IVE, are classified, for storag e purposes,
in Group XI.

. BOMBS, INCENDIARY, AIRCRAFT, 4 lb., Mk. V and VE


32. Att ent ion is direc ted to para . 1.

Comparison with the Mk. IV and IVE bombs


33. The Mk. V and V E bombs are, respec tively, simi lar to the Mk. I V a nd IVE bombs, bu t are
ma nuf act ured in America and differ from them as follows :—
(i) The Stores Ref. numb ers are Mk. V (12A/1020), Mk. VE (12A/1021).
(ii) The bomb is i niti ated by a cap and -anv il being stru ck by the strik er. The stri ker has a
blu nt point .
(iii) The cap is supp orte d by an alum inium plate .
(iv) The stri ker housing is made of alumin ium. '
(v) A different kind of pressed primin g composi tion is used. It is more viole nt tha n the
prim ing compo sitions used i n the Mk. IV bombs, and causes some of t he magnes ium-all oy
to sca tte r when the bombs are ignited.
(vi) Cardb oard packi ng strip s are located between the ends of t he bombs and the ends of t he
case contai ning them.
34. The infor matio n contai ned in para . 23 to 28 applies also to the Mk. V an d VE bombs, but
when a case is load ed into the small bomb cont aine r the c ardb oard packin g stri ps must be removed.

Identification oi bombs, cases, and boxes


35. Ear ly issues of these stores will bear American identifi cation markin gs and the following
markin gs are char acter istic of those which will be seen :—
(i) On bombs—TH . N.F. Mk.V Lo t 1. 50-A1. 3/42.
(ii) On boxes, which will be pain ted grey—BAN. BSC. 4230. AIR2717. 6720.
36: Lat er issues of these stores will bear identif ication markin gs simila r to those described in
para . 7 to 9, a nd 17 to 20, and the boxes will be pain ted buff.

Supply
37. The bombs will be s upplied 30 in a case as described in para. 29.

Storage
38. Bombs, incendi ary, airc raft, 4 lb., Mk. V and VE, are classified, for storag e purposes, in
Group XI. .
240
241

T h is le a f i ss u ed w it h A .L . N o. 119 A.P .16 6IB , Vol. I, Sect. 7


J u ly , 1945

CHAPTER 5

BOMBS, INCENDIARY, AIRCRAFT, X, 4 lb., WITH DELAY, Mk. I, II, and III

LIST OF CONTENTS
z ' Pa ra.
In tr oduct io n ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .. . ... ... 1
BO MB , IN C E N D IA R Y , A IR C R A FT , X, 4 lb. , W IT H D EL AY , Mk. I l l
Ge ner al de sc rip tio n
Bo m b w ith 10 m in. de la y ... ... ... .. . ... .. .’ .. . ... ... 3
B om b w it h 4 mi n. de la y ... ... .. . ... ... ... .. . .. . ... ... ” 6
Bo m b With 2 m in. de la y ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 7
Id en tif ic at io n co lou rin g an d m ar ki ng s .. . ... ... .. . ... .. . ... ... 8
Su pp ly ... ... ... ... ... ............................. ........................................... ... 10
St or ag e ... ................ ... ... ... ... ... .. . ... ... ... ... 12
BOM B, IN C E N D IA R Y , A IR C R A FT , X, 4 lb. , W IT H D EL AY , Mk . II ........................................... 13
Co mp ari so n w ith th e Mk. I l l bo m b ... ... ... .. . ... ... ,... .. . ... 14
BO MB , IN C E N D IA R Y , A IR C R A FT , X, 4 lb. , W IT H D EL A Y , Mk. I ............................................... 17
Co mp ari so n w ith th e Mk. I l l bo m b ... ... .. . ... ... ... .. . ... ... 18
IN ST R U C TI O N S FO R US E
Sa fe ty pr ec au tio n ... ... ... .. . .. . ... .. . ... .. . ... .. . 21
Lo ad in g th e bo m bs on to an ai rc ra ft .. . .. . .. . ... ... .. . ... .. . 22
Un loa din g, an d re mo vi ng bo mb s fro m th e Sm all Bo m b C on tain er ... .. .. .. . .. . 24

Bombs, incendiary, aircraft, X, 4 lb., with delay, Mk. I, II, and III
... ............................. .............................. . (a . l .11 9)

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Fig.
1. Details of the Mk. I ll X bomb
2. D et ai ls of th e Mk . II X bo mb
3. In it ia ti n g m ec ha ni sm of th e Mk. I X bo mb
242

TAIL CAP

TAIL

b r X ss
CR OS S

^STRIK ER HOU SING

/SLEEVE

/SA FET Y PLUN GER

-DE TON ATO R


©
-V EN T HOL E

-C OR K PL UG .

-M US LIN DISC
■ P R IM IN G COMP OSITIO N

-INCENDIARY PELL ETS

MAG NES IUM -AL LOY


BODY

DELAY UNIT

DELAY PELLETS

EN LA RG ED SE CT IO N
SH OW ING SAFET Y PAPER TUBE
PLU NG ER

. QUICK MATCH

-WAS HER

-No.6 DETONATOR

BR IGH T RED

Fig. 1.—Deta ils of the Mk . I l l X bomb


243

.This leaf issued with A.L . No. 119 A.P. 166 1B, Vo l. I , Sect. 7
July, 1915

CH A P T ER 5

BO MB S, IN CE N D IA R Y , A IR C R A F T , X , 4 lb., W IT H D E L A Y , Mk . I , I I , and H I

Introduction
1. Exce pt for their identification markings and the fact that the y are fitted with nose plugs,
these bombs are e xternally similar to the 4 lb. incendiary bombs described in Sect. 7, Chap. 4. The
X bombs, however, have steel noses containing a charge of high explosive which, after a period of
delay, is detonated and bursts the nose, the fragmentation being such as t o render the bombs lethal,
so tha t when the y are dropped together w ith bombs of the non-explosive typ e t hey act as a d eterrent
to anti-fire personnel.
2. Mk. I l l X bombs have a 2, 4, or 10 min. delay before explosion occurs, but the Mk. I and I I
bombs hav e only a 2 or 4 min. delay. Mk. I ll X bombs will normally be supplied only in clustered
form, but Mk. I and II bombs are normally supplied packed 30 in a metal case for carriage in a
Small Bomb Container.

BOMB, IN CE ND IAR Y, AI RC RA FT , X, 4 lb., WI TH DE LA Y, Mk. I ll


General description, fig. 1
Bomb with 10 min. delay
3. This bomb, which is 21-4 in. long, is hexagonal in cross-section and 1-67 in. across th e flats.
It has a hollow magnesium-alloy body which is cast on to a steel nose, and which contains the
initiatin g mechanism, priming composition and incendiary composition pellets, and the delay unit.
The steel nose contains an explosive charge consisting of C.E. pellets. A tinplat e tail, closed at
one end by a tail' cap, is secured to the tail end of the bomb body by thre'e drive-screws which also
hold the striker housing of the initiating mechanism in position.

4. The initiating mechanism includes a pointed striker located in the striker housing and
retained against premature setting forward by a brass cross, see section A- A, fig. 1. On impact
of the bomb with the target, the arms of the cross, due to inertia, pull through the striker housing
and the striker sets forward to fire a 1 -7 grain detonator p artly housed in a steel plate. This detonator
blows the cork plugs out of two vent holes in the bomb body and ignites a piece of primed cambric.
This, ifi turn, burns through a muslin disc held between two millboard washers and ignites the
priming composition. The muslin disc, due to its close contact with the priming, is impregnated
with the priming composition and the composition, in turn, ignites the incendiary composition
pellets. These pellets ignite the magnesium-alloy body and the delay unit. This unit consists
of a number of 0-55 in. diameter delay composition pellets housed in a rolled paper tube closed at
the nose end by a millboard washer. The end pellet has a hole into which extends a piece of quick-
match forming part of a No. 6 detonator which is housed in perforated pellets forming part of the
C.E. exploder which bursts the nose of the Domb. The delay pellets bu m for app roximate ly 10 min.
and then ignite the quick match thus initiating the No. 6 detonator which detonates the exploder
and so bursts the nose.

5. During storage or transit in the cluster, or metal case, see para. 2, a spring-loaded safety
plunger, housed in a sleeve, extends into the path of the striker to prevent the striker moving
forward and firing the detonator of the initiating mechanism. When the bomb is released or removed
from the cluster or case, the plunger moves out of the path of the striker, see fig. 1, so that the
striker is then held in position only by the brass oross. The bomb is now armed and, if dropped
nose first on to concrete from a height of 5 ft., will probably function.

Bomb with 4 min. delay


6. This bomb is similar to the 10 min. delay bomb described in para. 3 to 5, but the delay
unit contains pellets which are of slightly greater diameter and contain a different delay composition.

Bomb with 2 min. delay


7. This bomb is similar to the 4 min. delay bomb, but its delay unit is ap proximat ely one-half
the length of that contained in the 4 min. delay bomb.
244

-TA IL CA P

-T AI L

“ O’

PLA N

-BRASS CROSS
-ST RI KE R HO US IN G
STR IKE R - -S LE EV E
DRIVE S C R E W - -S A FE TY PLU NG ER
PLA TE - -D ET ON AT OR
TJ -V E N T H O LE
PR IM ED CA M BR IC STR IP -C O R K PLU G
- GUN POW DER -S H E L L A C PAS T E
-P R IM IN G PEL LET S
ZY V

SECTION A- A - M AG N ES IU M -A LL O Y BO DY
6 /4 3

-IN C E N D IA R Y PE LL ET S
LOT No.

-T U BE

- D ELA Y PE LL ET S

-W AS HE R
-B R IG H T RED -G UN PO W DE R PEL LET
SLEE VE
-D IST AN CE PIE CE
-IN ST AN TA NE OU S FU ZE
■DULL RED -D ET ON AT OR
-P ER FO R AT ED C .E . P EL LE T
S P R IN G

-P A P E R WR APP ER
EN LA RG ED SECT ION
C .E .P E L L E T S
SHO WIN G SAFE TY
PLUNG ER -S TE E L NO SE

F ig . 2 .— D e ta il s o f th e M k . H X b o m b
245

Th is lea f issu ed with A .L . No. 119 . A.P .16 61B , Vol. I, Sect. 7, Chap. 5
Ju ly , 1946 ■

Identification colouring and markings


8. The nose of the bomb (but not the end) is pai nte d bri ght red for a dista nce of ab out 2 in.
At a dista nce of abo ut J in. from the pai nte d port ion is a bri ght red ba nd abo ut j in. wide.

9. On t he | in. brig ht red ban d is stencil led, in b lack, the ty pe of bomb a nd the p eriod of dela y
it contain s, for examp le ‘TO X ” . Also on the bomb body, in black, is t he f ollowing i nformati on:-—
(i) The mar k num ber of th e bomb.
(ii) The monogr am of th e filling sta tion , or the initia ls or recognized tra de ma rk of the filling
con trac tor. *
(iii) The dat e of filling, mo nth an d year.
(iv) The filled lo t n umbe r.

Supply
10. When the bombs are not supplie d cluster ed, the y are suppl ied packe d th ir ty in Case,
tinp late , Mk. V, each case conta ining one drop ba r and being packe d in Box B.268, Mk. IV. The
case has a bri ght red band , 1 in. wide, on its lid, to indi cate th at it cont ains explosive bombs and,
at a dista nce ofT in. from the bri ght red band , is a 1 in. yellow ban d to indic ate th at the bombs
are X bombs and not E- typ e explosive bombs (see Sect. 7, Chap. 4). Ex cep t for thes e bands , the
exte rior of the case is black in colour. Ins tea d of the stencille d mark ings usually found on the lid
of a case conta ining 4 lb. incen diary bombs, a label sta tin g the cont ents is affixed to the outside
of the lid of cases contai ning X bombs.

11. The box is pai nted g reen t o lessen th e possib ility of its be ing seen from the air , and a brig ht
red band , I f in. wide, is pain ted roun d it at a distan ce of I f in. from one end and the lid ba tte n
adj ace nt to the red ban d is pai nte d yellow to draw att en tio n to the special nat ure of the con tent s
of t he box. A la bel affixed t o the box sta tes the cont ents of the box.

Storage
12. The 4 lb. X bombs are classified, for stora ge purposes, in Group 11, Category W.

BOMB, INCE NDI ARY , AIRC RAF T, X, 4 lb., W IT H DELAY , Mk. II


13. Att ent ion is direc ted to par a. 1 and 2.

Comparison with the Mk. Il l bomb, fig. 2


14. The Mk. II bom b is similar to the Mk. I l l bomb bu t exist s only in 2 m in: or 4 min. delay
vers ions .' The det ona tor for the explosiye charge is fired by a sho rt leng th of inst anta neo us fuze
and a gunpow der pellet. The meth od of i niti atio n of the bomb is also sligh tly differen t in th at the
piece of primed cambr ic ignites some gunpowd er-shella c past e conta ined in a washe r abu tti ng the
primin g pellets.

15. The identifi cation colouring of t he Mk. II bomb is di fferent from th at of the Mk. I l l bomb.
The end face of t he nose of th e Mk. II bomb, and the nose en d of t he bomb for a distan ce of 3J in.,
are pain ted a dull red. At a dista nce of 1 in. from the end of th e nose a b lack band , 1 | in. wide, is
pain ted over the dull red, and at the cent re of thi s ban d a bri ght red band, 1 in. wide, is pain ted
over t he black. At a dis tanc e of 4 in. from t he end of the nose is a second bri ght red band , j in. wide.
16. The detail s as to supp ly and storag e are as sta te d in para. 10 to 12.

BOMB, INC END IAR Y, AIRC RAFT , X, 4 lb., WIT H DELAY , Mk. I
17. Att ent ion is direc ted to para . 1 and 2.

Comparison with the Mk. Il l bomb, fig. 3


18. The Mk. I bomb is similar to the Mk. I l l bomb bu t exists only in 2 m in. or 4 min. delay
versions. The det ona tor for the explosive charge is fired by a piece of inst anta neo us fuze and a
gunpow der pellet as in the Mk. II bomb.
246

19. The initi atin g mechanis m is dif ferent from th at of the Mk. I l l bomb, see fig..3, in th at the
strik er is conta ined in a tail plug which is screwed into th e tai l end of the bom b body and, when
. the bom b is armed, the strik er 'is held away from th e det ona tor by a creep spring. On impa ct
of thi s bomb with the targ et, the stri ker has to overcome the resista nce of 'th e creep spring and to
bend down the tag s of a ferrule before firing th e deto nato r.

20. The identi ficati on colo uring of th e Mk. I bomb


is different from th at of the Mk. I l l bomb, bu t is the
same as th at of the Mk. II bomb, see para . 15. The - tall cap
details as to suppl y and storag e are as sta ted in para.
10 t o 12, excep t t ha t Mk. I bombs are supplie d in a Mk.
I l l tin pla te case c ontain ed in Box B.268, Mk. II . The -T AI L
stop brac kets at the nose end of the Mk. I l l case are
pain ted yellow.
INST RUCT IONS FO R USE
Note.—The inst ruct ions contai ned in the succeeding
. par agr aph s app ly only to bomb s supplie d in
tinp late cases for carriag e in a Small Bomb
Container.
Safety precaution
21. The tin pla te case in which the bombs are -T AI L PLUG
suppli ed is fitted wit h pack ing pieces which reta in the -STRI KER
safet y plunge rs in the bombs in the depress ed or safe -S LE EV E
position. The top layer of bombs is packed with the -S AF ET Y PLUNGER
safet y plung ers facing inwards. If, when the lid of the -D RI VE SCREW
case is removed, a safet y plun ger is visible in the top -FE RR UL E
layer, the bomb concerned mu st be remov ed and re­ -C RE EP SPRINC
packed so th at the plung er is de pressed. -D ET ON AT OR ,I-7 CRAIN
-CA P HO LDE R
Loading the bombs on to an aircraft -V EN T HOL E
-C O RK PLUC
22. The bombs, in the ir cases, are carrie d in the
-P RI M ED CAM BRI C STRIP
250 lb. Small Bomb Container , which is t o be filled and -CU NP OW DE R-S HE LLA C PASTE
loaded on to the airc raft as described in A. P. 1664, -P RI M IN G PELLETS
Vol. I, Chap. 3.
23. Before loading a case into the small Bomb
Container , remove the stra ps (or the soldered strip s if pj g 3 _ -Initiating mec hanism of the
the case is of earlier ma rk th an Mk. V) holding the Mk. I X bomb
lid in position, tak e off the lid, and remove th e drop
ba r from its stowage in the case. The bombs are so pa cked th at whe n the case is corre ctly inser ted
into the Small Bomb Conta iner the bomb s are nose forward. Should occasion arise in which the
bombs are found to be tail forward when the case is prop erly fitted i nto the Small Bomb Container,
the bombs mus t be repack ed in the opposite directi on, care being tak en when repack ing to ensure
th at no safet y plunge rs are visible in the top row of bombs.

Unloadin g, and removing bombs f rom the Small Bomb Container


24. The Small Bomb Cont ainer is to be unloa ded from the air cra ft and the cases of bombs
removed from the conta iner as described in A.P.1664, Vol. I, Chap. 3. When the case has been
removed from the co ntaine r, oil or grease the drop bar an d place it in i ts stowage positi on i n the .case.
Check th at the lid bears th e corre ct label indic ating the cont ents of the case, and place the lid on
the case. Secure the lid in positi on wit h the stra ps if it is a Mk. V case, or if it is an earlier m ark
secure with ad hesive tape .

25. The sealed case is t hen to be inserted, into its wooden box, care being tak en to ensure th at
the box bears a label iden tical w ith th at on t he case. Clearly ma rk the box “F OR F IR ST ISS UE ”
and ret urn the bombs to storag e for use at the first opp ortu nity .

P8501 H /0 17 7b 10/45 7900 C& P Gp . 1


247

Th is chapter issue d with A .L . No. 42 A. P. 16 61 B, V ol. I, Sect. 7


September, 1942
Relev ant amen dmen t# up to A .L. 72
incorporat ed in this repr int
Ja nu ar y, 1944

' CHA PTE R 7

BOMB, INCE NDI ARY , AIR CRA FT, 25 lb., Mk. I; ATTACH MENTS, PAR ACH UTE , AIRC RAF T
BOMB, No. 1, Mk. I and IT; and STR IKE RS, AIR CRA FT BOMB, No. 1, Mk. I and n

LI ST OF CO NT EN TS
Para.
In tr oduct io n ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1
Bo mb , in ce nd iary , ai rc ra ft , 25 lb. , Mk. I
Le ad in g pa rt ic ul ar s ... ... ... ... ... ... ... . ■■■ ■■■ ... 3
Gen eral , .d esc rip tio n ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 4
Bo m b bo dy ... ... ... ................ ... - ... ... ... ... ... ... 5
Fi lli ng ............................. ’ ............................................................................................................ 10
Ta il ............................................................................................... . ........................................................ 13
St ri ke r pe lle t an d sa fe ty me ch an ism ... ... ... .. . ... ... ... ... 14
Id en tif ic at io n co lou rin g an d m ar ki ng s ... . . . . ... ... ... ... ... .... 16
Su pp ly an d sto ra ge
Su pp ly ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 19
St or ag e ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 20
A tt ac hm en t, pa ra ch ut e, ai rc ra ft bo mb . No. 1, Mk. 1, an d St ri ke r, ai rc ra ft bo mb , No. I, Mk.- I
Ge ner a) de sc rip tio n
P ar ac hute a tt a ch m en t ... ... ... ... ... ..." ... ... ... ... 21
S tr ik er .. . ... ... ... ... .... ... ... ... ... ... ... 27
Id en tif ic at io n m ar ki ng s ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 33
F un ct io ni ng of B om b, in ce nd iary , ai rc ra ft , 25 lb., Mk. I fi tte d wi th No. 1, Mk. I p a ra ch u te a tt a c h ­
m en t an d No. 1, Mk. I st ri ker ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 34
In st ru ct io ns for use
As sem bli ng th e No. 1, Mk. I pa ra ch ute a tt a ch m en t to it s st ri ke r ... ... ... ... 41
F it ti n g th e No. 1, Mk. I p ar ac hute as se m bl y to th e ta il of th e bo m b ... ... 42
Lo ad in g th e bo m b w ith p ar ac hut e as se m bl y No. 1, Mk. I in to th e 250 1b. Sm all Bo m b
C on ta in er ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 43
L oa di ng th e bo m b wi th p ar ac h u te a ss em bl y No. 1, Mk. I on to t he L ig ht Ser ies b om b ca rr ie r 44
Un lo ad in g th e bo m b wi th pa ra ch ut e as se m bl y No. 1, Mk. I fro m th e 250 lb. Sm all Bo mb
Co nt ai ne r ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 45
Un lo ad in g t h e bo m b w ith p ar ac hute as se m bl y N o. 1, Mk. I fro m th e L ig ht Se rie s b om b c ar ri er 46
Fo ld in g an d pa ck in g th e par ac h u te of th e No. 1, Mk. I a tt a ch m en t ... ... ... 47
Su pp ly ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 48
A tt ac hm en t, pa ra ch ut e, ai rc ra ft bomb , No. 1, Mk. II , an d St ri ke r, ai rc ra ft bo m b, No. 1, Mk. II
Ge ner al de sc rip tio n
P ar ac hute a tt a ch m en t ... ... ... ». . ... ... ... ... ... ... 49
S tr ik er .. . ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 52
Id en tif ic at io n m ar ki ng s ... ... .. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 53
Fu nc tio ni ng of B om b, in ce nd ia ry , ai rc ra ft , 25 l b., Mk. I fi tte d wi th No . 1, Mk. II par ac hu te a tt a c h ­
m en t an d No. 1, Mk. II st ri ker ... ... ... ... ... ... .... ... ... 55
In st ru ct io ns for use
As sem bli ng th e No. 1, Mk. II p ar ac hute a tt a ch m en t to its st ri ker ... ... ... 56
F it ti n g th e No. 1, Mk. II p ar ac hu te as se m bl y to th e ta il of th e bo m b ... ................ 57
Lo ad in g th e bo m b w ith p ar ac hute as se m bl y No. 1, Mk. I I in to th e 250 lb. Sm all Bo mb
C on ta in er ... ... ... ... - ... ... ... * ... ... ... ... ... 58
Lo ad in g th e bo m b w ith p ar ac hute a ss em bl y No. 1, Mk. II on to t h e L ig ht S erie s bo m b c ar ri er 59
Un lo ad in g th e bo m b w ith p ar ac hute as se m bl y No. 1, Mk. II fro m th e 250 lb. Sm all Bo mb
Co nt ai ne r ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 60
Un lo ad in g th e bo m b w ith pa ra ch ute as se m bl y No. 1, Mk. I I fro m th e L ig ht Ser ies bo mb
ca rr ie r ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .. .. ... ... ... 66
L oa di ng a bo m b fi tte d w ith a p ar ac hute as se m bl y No. 1, Mk. I I wh ich ha s be en rem ov ed
fro m an un ex pe nd ed bo m b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 67
Fo ld in g an d pa ck in g th e p ar ac hute of th e No. 1, Mk. II a tt a ch m en t ... ... ... 68
Su pp ly ... ... ... ... ... ... ................ ... ... ... ... ... 69

LI ST OF IL LU ST RA TI ON S
Fig-
1. Bo mb , in ce nd ia ry , ai rc ra ft , 25 lb., Mk. I
2. Fi re -p ot fo r bo m b, in ce nd ia ry , ai rc ra ft , 25 lb., Mk. I
3. A tt ac hm en t, pa ra ch ut e, ai rc ra ft bo mb , No. 1, Mk. I, an d St ri ke r, ai rc ra ft bo mb , No. 1, Mk. I
4. A tta ch m en t, par ac hu te , ai rc ra ft bomb , No. 1, Mk. II , an d St ri ke r, ai rc ra ft bo m b, No. 1, Mk. II
5. A tt ac hm en t, par ac hu te , ai rc ra ft bo mb , No. 1, M k. II
248

-LA BE L-
2l
f UNSCREW SAFE TV RQO AFTEFCi
bomb is on l s carrier or
REMO VE SUSPENSION BAND
Of ANY) A ND UNSCREW O
SAFETY ROD B E F O R E
BO MB IS PLA CED IN SM AL L ■
F&Q MB CONTAINER_______P T O ,

( SCREW IN SAFETY ROD


GENTLY B E F O R E BO MB IS
REMOVE D FR OM L S CARRIER
O 'O R AFTE R BO MB IS
REMO VED FRO M SM ALL
BO MB CONTAINER SECURE
^ SAFETY ROD WITH WIRE _

- TAIL VANE

KEY STRIP

----- SAFET Y WIRE

----- TAIL NUT —

t / ----- TAIL AD A PT E R—

-S TR IKE R PEL LET

- SHEAR WIRE

-C R E E P SPRING

-C A P HOL DER

IGNIT ION CA P

-B A SE AD APT ER

-BL OW IN G CH AR GE

-B O DY TUBE

-FIRE - POT S

PAINTED DU LL RED
P69Z
-P AP ER WR APP ING S

-C AR DB OA RD FA IR IN G-
•T ’ .
o .)\
-SUSP ENSIO N BAND

-SUS PEN SION LUG

-P AP ER WASHERS
tn < ;s
<; iw / 6 £iv
IEI ‘ 19?'
ACIONI
— NOS E AD AP TE R

QU tC KM AT CH

-PR IMI NG CHA RG E

-T H ER M IT E

BL A CK BA ND

RED BAN D

BL AC K BAND

-N O S E

Fig . 1.— Bo mb , in ce nd iary , ai rc ra ft , 25 lb., Mk. I


249

A.P.16 61B, Vol. I, Sect. 7


CHAPTER 7

BOMB, INCENDIARY, AIRCRAFT, 25 lb., Mk. I ; ATTACHMENTS, PARACHUTE, AIRCRAFT


BOMB, No. 1, Mk. I and H; and STRIKERS, AIRCRAFT BOMB, No. 1, Mk. I and H

Introduction
1. The 25 lb. Mk. I incen diary bomb which is used fitte d with the No. 1, Mk. I par ach ute
att ac hm en t and the No. 1, Mk. I strik er, or with the No. 1, Mk. II par ach ute att ac hm en t and the
No. 1, Mk. II strik er, is prim arily inten ded for atta cki ng forests and simila r targ ets. The object
of fitti ng the par ach ute att ac hm en t is to reduce the term inal veloc ity of the bomb sufficiently to
pre ven t it from pen etr ati ng too deeply into the ground and the reb y being rende red less effective.
The strik er, which is assemb led to the par ach ute att ac hm en t and fitte d with it into the tail of the
bomb, is an aux ilia ry to the stri ker pell et to provide the necess ary increased ine rtia to ensure the
oper ation of th e firing mecha nism of t he bomb upon imp act with t he tar ge t at the reduced term inal
velocity.
2. The bomb is fuzed at the tail only a nd on functio ning provide s a numb er of activ e sources
of fire spre ad over a conside rable area. It is supplie d eith er with suspens ion lug and band , for
drop ping from the Ligh t Series bomb carrier , or wit hou t the lug and band, for drop ping from the
250 lb. Small Bomb Containe r. Each mar k of par ach ute atta ch me nt is supplie d, toge ther with
its associ ated strik er, as a sepa rate store.

BOMB, INCENDIARY, AIRCRAFT, 25 lb., Mk. I


Leading particulars
3. Stores Ref. (with suspension lug and band) I2A/255
Stores Ref. (with out suspen sion lug an d band) 12A/258
Leng th ... 32-6 in.
Maximum diam eter ... 5-03 in.
Weigh t of filled bomb 25 lb. appro x.
Weigh t of em pty bomb 17 lb. appro x.
Weigh t an d nat ure of inc endiar y c ompositio n 6 lb. 4 oz. ap prox.
filling (1 lb. The rmit e and 5 lb. 4 oz. magnesium)
Note.— App roxi mate ly half of th e tot al weight of th e filled bo mb is made up by incend iary
mat erial of different kinds.

GEN ERA L DE SCR IPT ION


4. The bomb , see fig. 1, consists of a cy lindr ical st eel bod y tu be secu red to a hollow shar p-po inted
nose by a nose a da pte r and bui lt up exte rnal ly to strea mlin e form by a card boa rd fairing, a column
of seven closed conta iners, term ed fire-pots, accom moda ted in t he b ody tube , a flanged base ad apt er
which affords a moun ting for a cap holder, a tail cone with a cylind rical tail vane secured to it by
four vane supp orts, and a tail t ube w hich accom modat es a s trik er pellet, with a shea r wire and creep
spring, and a safe ty rod.

Bomb body
5. The body tub e is closed at its rea r end by the base ada pter , which is secured in positi on
by screws a nd has a cen tral boss in to which the ca p h older is screwed. The forwar d end of th e body
tub e fits into th e nose ada pte r, to which i t is welded, and is closed b y th e ho llow nose which is screwed
into the nose ad ap ter a nd secured by stabb ing.
6. The card boar d fairing overla ps the rea r end of the nose ad ap ter so as to' cove r the welded
join t between the ad apt er and the body tub e; and when the bomb is to be fitte d with a suspension
lug and band the fairing is provid ed with a hole in which the su spension lug securing nu t engages
to locate the lug at 45 deg. to the vane sup por ts' of the tail.
250

7. Eac h of th e seven fire-pots, see fig. 2, consists of a cylind rical con taine r made of mag nesium
alloy and formed with a cen tral tub e which commu nicate s, thro ugh a fire h ole, with a recess in a
cen tral boss on the base of the conta iner. The cont aine r is closed by a magnesi um alloy lid which
has a shallow cen tral recess in its oute r side, and holes thro ugh the lid place thi s recess in com­
mun icati on with the inte rior of the contai ner. A^ ont ain er lid also closes th e hollow nose of th e bomb.

OELAY CHAR GES i in

PAPER­ •THERMITE
WRAPPING ■
CONTAINER -76

EJECT ION CHAR CE PRIMIN G CH AR GE


FIRE HOLE PAPER DISC
Fig. 2.—Fire-pot for bomb, incendiary, aircraft , 25 lb., Mk. I

8. Each con taine r is wrapp ed round with a strip of fine whit e pape r, and the seven con taine rs
are arrang ed in a column, so t ha t the b oss on the base of one cont aine r pro jects into the recess in the
lid of the adja cen t conta iner. The column of c ontai ners almo st compl etely fills th e body tub e and
is wrapp ed round with two thickn esses of brown pap er secured with adhesive . The cap holder
in the base ad ap ter p roje cts into the recess in the lid of th e rea r conta iner, and the boss on th* base
of t he conta iner at the f orward end of t he column proj ects into the recess in the lid which closes t he
nose chamber.
9. The cap holde r is bored thro ugh axia lly to accom moda te an ignite r cap and a blowing
charge, th e re ar po rtion of the bore being thre aded to receive th e fo rward thre ade d end of th e t ail tube .

F ill in g
10. The ignition cap conta ins a layer of gunpo wder and a layer of deto nat ing compos ition,
whils t the blowing charge in the f orwar d end of t he cap holder consists of g unpow der retai ned by a
pap er disc.
11. The cent ral tube of each of the seven fire-pots houses a delay charge, and is surrou nded
by a delay charge and a primin g charge for the the rmi te and magnesi um filling which occupies the
rema inder of the ann ula r cham ber in the fire-pot. A loop of quic kmat ch exte nds into the bore of
the cen tral tub e and has its two ends carrie d out thr oug h the slots in the tub e and thro ugh two of
the holes in t he lid. An e jection charge of gunpow der is re taine d in t he recess in t he cen tral boss of
each fire-pot by a pap er disc which is secured in positi on by shellac.
12. The lid which closes the nose cham ber has a lengt h of quic kma tch exte ndin g thro ugh
two of i ts holes and across the primin g charge of the the rmi te which fills th e rema inde r of the nose
chambe r.

Ta il
13. The tai l cone fits over the flange of the base ad ap ter an& is held assemb led to the bomb
body by a tail nu t which screws on to the rear end of t he tail tub e agai nst a tail ad ap ter which fits
into the rear en’d of the tail cone. The tail tub e is screwed into the rea r end of the cap holder, to
which it is secure d by a grub screw, and the tail nu t is locked to the t ail tub e by a grub screw.

Str ik er pe lle t an d sa fe ty m ec ha ni sm
14. The stri ker pellet, which has a sha rp poin t at the forwar d end, is held in the safe
positi on by a shea r wire passed thro ugh hole s' in the stri ker pellet and tail tub e and havin g
251

A . P .1 66 1B , Vol. I, Seel . 7. Ch ap. 7

its ends soldered over to prev ent removal. The rear end of the stri ker pellet receives the forward
thre ade d end of t he safe ty rod, and has a long itudin al guide slot which is engaged by a guide screw
in the tail tube. The creep sprin g is housed in the forward end of the tail tub e and bears agai nst
the cap holder and the stri ker pellet.
15. The safe ty rod passes thro ugh the tail tub e and is screwed into the thre ade d bore of the
strik er pellet. Its rear end is pro vided with a head, the forward spigo t port ion of which fits looselv
into the rear end of t he tail t ube, and carries a washer-w hich closes t he tub e end. The rea r por tion
of the safet y rod head has a slot for a key stri p which is secured in positi on by a spli t pin. Holes
are formed thro ugh oppo site ends of the key stri p and a safe ty wire is passed thro ugh one of these
holes a nd thro ugh a hole in one of th e vane supp orts a nd has its ends twis ted tog ethe r to pre ven t the
safet y rod being unscrewed from the stri ker pellet. An instr uctio n label (rele vant only to the
dropp ing of the bomb wit hou t atta chm ents ) is secured to the oppos ite end of the key stri p by a
spl it ring.

Identification colonring and markings


16. The bomb, exce pt for th'e lug of the suspension band when fitted , is pain ted dull red. A
black band 1-5 in. wide, is pain ted round the nose, and when the bomb is filled, a red band, 0-5 in.
wide, is pain ted cen trall y on the black band.
17. Stencilled in black on the bomb bodv are the following mar kin gs:—
(i) INCDY.
(ii) 25 LB. I.
(iii) The monogra m of the filling st atio n, or the initials or recognized trad e mar k of the filling
cont racto r.
(iv) The dat e of filling, day, mon th, and year.
(v) The lot numb er of the filling.
(vi) The- act ual weight of the filled bomb.
(vii) The design num ber of the meth od of filling.
18. The ma nuf act ure rs’ initials, or recognized tra de mark, and the dat e of manu factu re, are
stam ped on the nose, nose ada pter , body fairing, base ada pter , cap holder, each of the magnesium
alloy fire-pots and lids, tail tube , one of the tail vane supp orts, and on the suspensio n band , when
fitted . In addi tion the nose has the following marki ngs stam ped on it :—
(i) INCDY.
(ii) 25 LB. I.
SUP PLY AND STORAG E
Supply
19. Fou r bombs, with or wit hou t suspensio n lugs and bands , are suppl ied packed , toge ther
with one d rop bar for use with the 250 lb. Small Bomb Containe r, in Box, bo mb, incendia ry, airc raft,
25 lb., B.258, Mk. I or II.

Storage
20. The bombs are classified, for storag e purpose s, in Group XI.

ATTACHMENT, PARACHUTE, AIRCRAFT BOMB, No. 1, Mk. I, and STRIKER, AIRCRAFT


BOMB, No. 1, Mk. I
GE NER AL DES CRI PTIO N
Parachu te attachme nt
21. The atta chm ent , par ach ute, airc raft bomb, No .-l, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/459), see para . 1
and fig. 3, consists of a small par ach ute housed in a conta iner. It is fitted with a strik er, airc raft
bomb, No. 1, Mk. I, with which it is ass embled into the tai l of th e bomb, from which the safe ty rod
has been removed.
22. The con taine r is of sheet meta l and consists of a cylind rical housing pla te and a cover.
It fits loosely in the cylind rical vane of the bomb tail.
23. The para chu te, which is 15 in. in diam eter and vent ed at the peak, has eight gores with
rigging lines passed thro ugh and secured in t he gore seams, the lo wer ends of the rigging lines being
brou ght toge ther and kno tted to form an eye which is p assed thro ugh a cen tra l hole in the housing
pla te and between a pair of bearin g lugs stam ped out of, and ben t outw ard at rig ht angles to, the
housing plate , one at each side of the cen tral hole.
252

TRANS IT NUTS

PARACHU TE

TRANS IT STUD

— RIGGING LINES
PAPE R DISC

COU PLI NG BO LT
BEA RIN G LUG
SPLI T PIN

COU PLIN G FORK

SNAT CH RO D

SPRING

RETAINING SLEEVE

GRUB SCREW

RETAINING BA LL S

SAFETY PIN

CO UP LIN G SO CK ET

STRIKER ROD

Fig. 3.—Attachm ent, parac hute, aircr aft bomb, No. 1, Mk. I, and Striker, aircr aft bomb, No. 1, Mk. I
253

A.P .166 1B, Vol. I, Sect. 7, Chap. 7


24. The upp er port ions of t he rigging lines cross one ano the r at the centr e of the ven t, where
the y are sewn tog ethe r and kn ott ed to cords which conne ct the apex to the cover of t he par ach ute
cont aine r, the cover being provi ded with thr ee equi-spa ced ancho ring lugs for the att ac hm en t of
the cords.
25. The housing pla te of the par ach ute con tain er has rive ted to it two tra ns it stud s which
receive tra ns it nu ts for securin g the cover in positi on on the housing plat e. Fou r holes are formed
in the h ousing pla te to per mit inflow of air to the i nter ior of the c onta iner a s the bomb f alls; thes e
holes are co vered o n th e inside by a p ape r disc which is p laced in positi on before t he folded par ach ute
is pack ed into the conta iner, the pap er disc havin g a cen tral hole to regis ter with the cen tral hole
in th e housing plate .
26. An instr uctio n tab let is wired to one of the tra ns it nuts.

Striker
27. The stri ker, air cra ft bom b, No. 1, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/460), see fig. 3, consists of a coupli ng
fork, a s natc h rod, a stri ker ro d, a couplin g so cket, and a reta inin g slee ve which houses a sp ring.
28. -The coupling fork is screwed on to the rea r end of the sna tch rod and is pre ven ted from
unscrewing by a split pin. Holes are drilled thro ugh both limbs of the coupling fork to house a
coupli ng bolt.
29. The forward end of t he sna tch rod is en larged and bored axia lly to receive the r ear e nd of
the stri ker rod, and is provi ded with diam etrica lly opposed holes which accom moda te retaining ,
balls for r etai nin g t he s trik er rod in the safe position. The sna tch ro d is also provi ded with a flange
which forms an ab utm en t for the forwa rd end of the spring.
30. The stri ker rod exte nds into the tail tub e of the bomb when the par ach ute atta ch me nt
and stri ker are assemb led to the bomb. Its forwar d end is reduce d in diam eter for stri kin g the
stri ker pelle t in the tail tub e on imp act of t he bomb with the targ et, and its rea r end, which is also
reduce d in diame ter, has a neck which registe rs with the reta inin g ball holes in the forwa rd end of
the snat ch rod. A diam etric al hole is provid ed in t he rear e nd of the stri ker rod for a safe ty pin,
which secures the stri ker rod to the coupli ng socket.
31. The coupling socke t screws on to the thre ade d rea r end of the tail tube , to which it is
locked, on a ssembl y t o the bomb, by a grub screw in one of a pai r of tap ped ra dial ho les t hro ugh th e
socke t wall. It is bored axial ly to accom modat e the rea r end of the stri ker rod and the forwar d
porti on of the sna tch rod, so as to serve as a bal l-ret ainin g sleeve. It is thr ead ed ext ern ally to receive
the forwar d end of the retai ning sleeve, and the bearin g por tion for the end of the stri ker rod is
bored thro ugh for the safe ty pin. The safe ty pin has an inst ruct ion tab let , see fig. 3, a tta ch ed to
its head.
32. The reta inin g sleeve is in the form of a hexa gonal nut , inte rna lly thre ade d at one end,
which screws on to the end of the couplin g socket, to which it is locked by a grub screw. It
accom moda tes the spring, the forwa rd end of which bears upon the rear face of the flange on the
sna tch rod. Imm edia tely to the rea r of the inte rna lly thre ade d port ion, the reta inin g sleeve has
an ann ula r recess int o which the stri ker rod reta inin g balls can escape from the radi al holes in the
sna tch rod when this is w ithd raw n from the rea r end of t he couplin g socket.

Identificati on markin gs ,
33. Stam ped on the reta inin g sleeve of the stri ker are the following mar king s:—
(i) ST RI KE R AIR CRA FT BOMB, No. 1, Mk. I.
(ii) The ma nuf act ure r’s Ini tial s or recognized tra de mark.
(iii) The dat e of man ufac ture, mon th and^ year.

FUN CTIO NING OF BOMB, INCE NDI ARY , AIRC RAFT , 25 lb., Mk. I, FIT TE D WI TH
No. 1, Mk. I PAR ACH UTE ATTAC HMENT and No. 1, Mk. I ST RI KE R
34. When the par ach ute bomb is released from the Small Bomb Cont ainer or from the Lig ht
Series bomb, carrier, the co ver of the p ara chu te cont aine r is blown aft and draws the par ach ute o ut,
this ope ratio n being assist ed by the air flow thro ugh the holes in the h ousin g p late . The par ach ute
the n opens and pulls the sna tch rod aga ins t the actio n of the sprin g unt il the stri ker rod reta inin g
balls escape .into the ann ula r recess in the reta inin g sleeve. The stri ker rod is the n free to move
P (1661B)
254

down the t ail tub e on to the stri ker p ellet of the bomb. The comb inati on of s trik er rod and stri ker
pellet provide s the necess ary increased iner tia to ensure the oper ation of the firing mechan ism of
the bomb upon imp act with the tar ge t at the reduce d term inal veloc ity due to the par ach ute
atta chm ent .
Note.—The term inal velocity of the bomb fitted with par ach ute att ach me nt, No. 1, Mk. I,
is 110 ft. per sec., appr oxim ately .
35. Upon imp act of the par ach ute bomb with the targ et, the pelle t breaks the shea r wire,
due to the iner tia of t he stri ker pelle t and strik er rod, overcomes the resist ance of t he creep spring,
and its poin t pierces the ignition cap. The resul ting flash ignites the blowing charge, which blows
the base ad apt er and compl ete tail and par ach ute assem bly from the body tube , and also ignites
the quick match which' passes thro ugh the lid and into the centra l tub e of the rear mos t magnesiu m
alloy fire-pot.
36. The burning quic kma tch ignites the delay charges in and arou nd the cent ral tub e of the
fire-pot and, whils t the cent ral tub e delay charge is bu rning th roug h, the o ute r delay ch arge initi ates
the surro undi ng primin g charge which, in tur n, ignites the incend iary compo sition arou nd it.
Meanwhile the cent ral delay charge burn s thro ugh and fires the ejection charge in the base of the
fire-pot ; this has the effect of eject ing the activ e fire-pot from the bomb and also ignitin g the
qui ckm atc h of t he second fire-pot so as to cause this, in tur n, to become acti ve and be ejecte d afte r
a pred eterm ined delay ; and so on throu gh the series of fire-pots unt il the las t one is ejected.
37. The successive ejection s tak e place at inte rval s of app rox ima tely four seconds, and the
body tub e of t he bomb serves the functio n of a gun barr el the effective length of which is inc reased
with each ejection, so t ha t the distan ce of-pr ojecti on or range will increase progressively .
38. Each eject ed fire-pot will conti nue to burn for app roxi mate ly 10 minute s, the magnesium
alloy cont aine r and its lid being consumed.
39. Finally , the quick matc h in the lid closing the nose of the bomb, ignited by the l ast ejection
charge, initi ates the prim ing charge which, in tur n, ignites the incend iary compo sition in the nose
and so provide s an addi tiona l fire source.
40. The bomb, fitted with par ach ute att ach me nt, will funct ion when drop ped from a heig ht
above 500 feet on to soft targ ets. With par ach ute control , the sca tte r of bombs released in salvos
will exhib it consider able varia tion , being largely depe nden t upon wind conditi ons prev ailing at the
time.
INSTR UCTI ONS FOR USE
Assemblin g the No. 1, Mk. I parachute attach ment to its striker
41. The following procedu re should be ado pted in assemb ling the No. 1, Mk. I par ach ute
atta ch me nt to the No. 1, Mk. I str ike r:—
(i) Remove the coupling bolt from the bearin g lugs on the housing pla te of the par ach ute
conta iner, tak ing care not to push the eye on the rigging lines thr oug h the cen tral hole
in the housin g plate .
(ii) Ins ert the coupling fork of the auxil iary stri ker between the bear ing lugs on the housin g
pla te so th at the holes in these pa rts register, and ensure th at the rigging line eye is
between the limbs of the fork.
(iii) Pass the coupling bol t thro ugh the bearin g lugs, couplin g fork limbs, and rigging line
eye, and replace the washer, nut , and spli t pin to secure the bolt.

Fittin g the No. 1, Mk. I parachute assembly to the tail of the bomb
42. The par ach ute assemb ly should be fitted to the bomb imm ediat ely before loading it into
the Small Bomb Cont ainer or on to the Ligh t Series bomb carrier . The proce dure is as follows:—
(i) Remove the grub screw from the coupling socket.
Warning .—The follow ing operations must ba»dcne with t he bomb in the horizon tal position,
care being taken that the bomb is not dropped or subjected to rough usage.
(ii) Remove t he s afety rod from the t ail tub e of the bomb by rot atin g it in an anti-clock wise
direct ion so as to unscrew it from the stri ker pellet, and the n with draw ing it axiall y
from the tail tube. With the safe ty rod removed, safe ty is dep ende nt only upon the
creep spring and shea r wire.
(iii) Ins ert the stri ker rod of the par ach ute assem bly into the tail tub e of the bomb, guiding
it by holdin g the reta inin g sleeve. Screw the couplin g socke t on to the end of the tail
tub e and tigh ten it, using the span ner provided .
(iv) Replac e the grub screw, into whiche ver of the two tap ped radi al holes in the coupling
socket is most accessible, and tigh ten it.
255

A.P .166 1B, Vol. I, Sect. 7, Chap. 7

Loading the bomb with para chu te assembly No. 1, Mk. I into the 250 lb. Small Bomb Container
43. The following is the p roced ure for lo ading the p ara chu te bomb, wit hou t s uspension lug an d
band, into the Small Bomb Container.
War ning. —The following operations mus t be done with the bomb in the horiz ontal position
care being tak en th at the bomb is not dropped or subjected to rough usage.
(i) Remove the safe ty pin.
(ii) Remove the tra nsi t nut s which secure the c over of th e par ach ute cont aine r t o the housing
plat e, reta ining the cover in position by hand until the bomb is loaded into the Small
Bomb Contain er.
(iii) Load the bomb into the Small Bomb Conta iner as described in A.P. 1664, Vol. I, Chap. 3i
The tra ns it stud s of bombs loaded into the Small Bomb Conta iner should be aligned
horizo ntally.

Loading the bomb with para chut e assembly No. 1, Mk. I on to the Light Series bomb carr ier
44. The following is the proce dure for loading the par ach ute bomb, with suspensio n lug and
band, on the Ligh t Series bomb carrier . 1

War ning. —The following operations mus t be done with the bomb in the horiz ontal position,
care being tak en tha t the bomb is not dropped or subjected to rough usage.
(i) Load the bomb on t he Lig ht Series bom b carri er as d escribe d in A.P. 1664, Vol. I, Chap. 2,
using the No. 7 att ac hm en t fitte d and adju sted to reta in the par ach ute cont aine r in
position in the tail of the bomb until release.
(ii) Remove the tra ns it nut s from the par ach ute containe r.
(iii) Remov e the safe ty pin.

Unloading the bomb w ith para chute assembly No. 1, Mk. I from the 250 lb. Small Bomb Container
45. When an unexp ended par ach ute bomb is to be unloa ded from the Small Bomb Contai ner
proceed as follows:—
Warn ing.—The following operatio ns (i) to (iv) mus t be done with the bomb in the horiz ontal
position, care being take n tha t the bomb is not dropped or subjected to rough usage.
(i) Remove the bomb from the Small Bomb Conta iner as described in A. P. 1664, Vol. I,
Chap. 3, reta inin g the cover of the par ach ute cont aine r in positi on on the housing plat e
by hand.
(ii) Replac e and screw home the tra ns it nuts to secure the cover in position.
(iii) Remov e the grub screw from the coupling socket and remove the comple te par ach ute
assem bly from the bomb by unscrewing the couplin g socket from the tail tube, using the
span ner provid ed, and with draw ing the assem bly axia lly from the tai l of the bomb.
(iv) Replac e the grub screw in one of the tap ped holes in the coupling socket.
(v) Rend er the bomb safe by replacin g t he safe ty rod in t he tail, tube, gent ly screwing it home
into the stri ker pellet, and finally securin g it, with suit able wire, to one of the tai l vane
supp orts, see para . 15.
(vi) Ins ert the safe ty pin, rot atin g the stri ker rod, if necessary, to align the hole ther ein with
the holes in the couplin g socket.

Unloadin g the bomb with par achu te assembly No. 1, Mk. I from the Light Series bomb carr ier
46. The following proce dure should be ado pted in unload ing an unexp ended par ach ute bomb
from the Light Series bomb car rier :—
(i) Replac e the tra ns it nut s to secure the cover of the par ach ute cont aine r in position.
War ning .—The following operatio ns mus t be done with the bomb in the horizon tal
position , care being tak en tha t the bomb is not dropped or subjected to rough usage.
(ii) Unloa d the bomb from the Ligh t Series bomb carr ier as describ ed in A.P. 1664, Vol. I,
Chap. 2.
(iii) Remov e the comp lete par ach ute assem bly from the bomb, rend er the bomb safe, and
inse rt the safe ty pin, as describ ed in para . 45 (iii) to (vi).
256

Folding and packing the parachute of the No. 1, Mk. I attachme nt


47. Should the par ach ute of the No. 1, Mk. I atta ch me nt acci dent ally come g-drift from its
conta iner, it is to be folded and repack ed as follows:—
(i) Remove the complet e par ach ute assem bly from the bomb as'd esc ribe d in para. 45 (iii).
(ii) Spread out the par ach ute on a tab le and ensure th at the rigging lines are not twiste d or
tang led toge ther at this or any subs equ ent stage of the folding.
(iii) Sta rtin g from an outsid e gore seam, lay the nex t seam on it by folding the enclosed panel
or gore outw ards, conti nuing with each gore in turn , unti l all the seams are grouped
togeth er.
(iv) Fold the riggin g lines b y placing t he ski rt of th e par ach ute on the eye passi ng thro ugh the
housing plate . Coil the bigh t in the rigging lines so t ha t the coil lies f lat on the housing
plate, and hold the lines in posit ion by hand.
Note.—A pap er disc is to be laid over the housing pla te before the par ach ute is
folded (on to the plate .
(v) Fold back the upp er two- third s of t he folded par ach ute so th at the vent of the p arac hute
is upperm ost.
(vij Place the cover over the parach ute so th at the holes register with the tra ns it stud s.
Ascer tain th at no rigging lines are tra pp ed b etwee n the rim of the cover and the housing
plate , and secure the cover in positi on with the two tra ns it nuts.

SUP PLY
48. Sixteen atta chm ent s, para chut e, airc raft bomb, No. 1, Mk. I, sixtee n strik ers, airc raft
bomb, No. 1, Mk. I, and th ree spann ers, 1i n., No. 1, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/461), a re su pplie d i n Box,
B.323, Mk. II, the strik ers being housed verti cally in wooden cross-pieces, and the atta chm ent s
packe d vertica lly, in wooden packin g pieces, in f our bank s of four. The spann ers are housed in the
centr e of the wooden cross-pieces and are held in positi on by a wooden wedge.

ATTACHMENT, PARACHUTE, AIRCRAFT BOMB, No. 1, Mk. n , and STRIKER,


AIRCRAFT BOMB, No. 1, Mk. n
GE NER AL DES CR IPT ION
Parachu te attachme nt
49. The att ac hm en t,'p ara ch ute , air cra ft bomb, No. 1, Mk. II (Stores Ref. 12A/592), see para.
1 and fig. 4, differs from the No. 1, Mk. I par ach ute atta ch me nt in th at the folded par ach ute is
housed in a collapsible card boar d con taine r between card boa rd pack ing discs. The uppe r portio n
of the pa rac hut e is made of net m ateri al. The p ara chu te c ontain er, see fig. 5, is d ivided d iame trical ly
into two halve s held toge ther by gumm ed pap er stri ps secured over a rip cord which exte nds across
the t op an d down the sides of t he con taine r on the line of division. The two ends of th e rip cord are
tied tog ethe r over the top of t he con taine r and the n tied toge ther a gain to form a loop t o which an
inst ruct ion tab let is atta che d.
50. The lower packin g disc, upon which the folded par ach ute rests, is divide d diam etric ally
at 96 deg. to the plane of division of the contai ner, and has a centr al hole which registe rs with a
corresp onding hole in the divided base of the conta iner.
51. The eye on the rigging lines rests on the lower pack ing disc and has att ach ed to it a wire
link which passes thro ugh the registe ring holes in the lower packi ng disc and base of t he par ach ute
cont aine r a nd which is secured to the b ase by gumme d pape r s trips . The wire link has an eye a t its
free end for connec tion to a quick-releas e pin in the coupling fork on the aux ilia ry strike r.

Striker
52. The strike r, airc raft bomb, No. 1, Mk. II (Stores Ref. 12A/593), is simila r tq the No. 1,
Mk. I strik er, excep t th at the couplin g fork is fitte d with a quick-re lease pin.

Identification markings
53. The following marki ngs are stencilled on the par ach ute cont aine r in black lett erin g:—
(i) ATTACHMEN T, PARA CHU TE, AIR CRA FT BOMB, No. 1, Mk. II.
(ii) The ma nuf act ure r’s initia ls or recognized tra de mark.
(iii) The dat e of assembly , mon th and year.
54. The markin gs stam ped on the reta inin g sleeve of stri ker No. 1, Mk. II are the same as
detail ed in para . 33, excep t for the ma rk number .
257

A .P. 16 61 B, Vol. I, Sect. 7, C hap. 7

PU LL LO OP TO REMO VE
CORD BE FO RE LOADING
INTO BOMB CONTAINE R
RIP CORO
PACKING C4SC

GUMMEO PAPER STRIP

-RIG GIN G LINES

PACKING DISC

PARACHUTE

QU IC K- RE LE AS E PIN

COUPL ING FORK

SPLIT PIN

SNATCH ROD

SPRING

RETAINING SLEEVE

Fig . 4.— A tt ac hm en t, pa ra ch ut e, ai rc ra ft bo mb , No. 1, Mk. I I an d St rik er , ai rc ra ft bo mb , No . 1, Mk. I I

Fig . 5.— A tt ac hm en t, pa ra ch ut e, ai rc ra ft bo mb , No . 1, Mk. II


258

FUN CTIO NIN G OF BOMB, INC END IARY , AIRC RAFT , 25 Ib„ Mk. I , FIT TE D WIT H
No. 1, Mk. II PAR ACH UTE ATTACH MENT and No. 1, Mk. II ST RI KE R
55. When the par ach ute bomb is released from the Small Bomb Cont ainer or from the Light
Series bomb c arrier, the par ach ute cont aine r is blown aft out of the cylindr ical vane on the tail and
falls ap ar t so a s to allow the par ach ute to open, the reb y freeing the strik er mechan ism as described
in para . 34. The bomb functio ns on imp act with the tar ge t as described in para . 35 to 39.'
Note.-—The term inal velocit y of the bomb fitte d with the No. 1, Mk. II par ach ute att ach me nt
is 200 ft. per sec., appr oxim ately , and the bomb will funct ion when dropp ed from a height
above 500 feet on to soft targ ets.
INST RUC TION S FOR USE
Assembling the No. 1, Mk. n para chut e atta chm ent to its strik er
56. The No. 1, Mk. II par ach ute atta ch me nt is assemble d to the No. 1, Mk. II stri ker as
follows:—
(i) Remove the quick-releas e pin from the couplin g fork of the strike r.
(ii) Release the wire link of the par ach ute atta ch me nt by pulling it awa y from the pap er
strips, and secure the eye on its free end to the coupling fork with the quick-rel ease pin.

Fitt ing the No. 1, Mk. II parac hute assembly to the tail of the bomb
57. To att ac h the No. 1, Mk. II par ach ute assem bly to the tail of the bomb, proceed as
described in para . 42, finally inser ting the par ach ute co nta ine r into the cylind rical tai l vane and
makin g sure th at the wire link connec ting the par ach ute to the quick-rel ease pin is not trap ped.
Loading the bomb with para chut e assembly No. 1, Mk. H into the 250 lb. Small Bomb Container
58. The following is the proce dure for loading the p ara chu te bomb, wit hou t suspension lug an d
band, into the Small Bomb Containe r.
Warn ing.—The following operations mu st be done with the bomb in the horizo ntal position,
care being take n th at the bomb is not dropped or subjected to rough usage.
(i) Remove the safe ty pin.
(ii) Take hold of the rip cord loop and, whilst holding the par ach ute cont aine r aga inst with ­
draw al from p osition in th e cylind rical tail va ne, pull off the rip cord so as to br eak thro ugh
the gummed pap er stri ps and free the two halve s of the contai ner.
(iii) Load the bomb into the Small Bomb Cont ainer as describe d in A.P. 1664, Vol. I, Chap. 3,
retai ning the p ara chu te cont aine r in position, by hand , thro ugh out the loading oper ation .
The division in the par ach ute cont aine r should be arran ged vertica lly.
Loading the bomb with para chu te assembly No. 1, Mk. I I on to the Light Series bomb carri er
59. The following is the proce dure for loading the par ach ute bomb, with suspensio n lug and
band, on to the Lig ht Series bomb carrier.
Warn ing.—The following operations must be done with the bomb in the horiz ontal position,
care being tak en th at the bomb is not dropped or subjected to rough usage.
(i) Pull off the rip cord as described in para. 58 (ii). .
(ii) Whi lst retai ning the para chu te con taine r in the cylindri cal tail vane by hand , load the
' bomb on to the Ligh t Series bomb c arrie r as described in A.P. 1664, Vol. I, Chap. 2, using
the No. 7 att ac hm en t fitted and adj ust ed to reta in the par ach ute cont aine r in positio n
in the tail of the bomb unti l release. Ensu re th at the division in the par ach ute conta iner
is arra nged vertica lly.
(iii) Remove the safet y pin.

Unloading the bomb w ith para chu te assembly No. I , Mk. I I from the 250 lb. Small B omb C ontainer
Warn ing.—The following operation s must be done with the bomb in the horiz ontal position,
care being tak en tha t the bomb is not dropped or subjected to rough usage.
60. An unexpe nded bomb should be unloa ded from th e’Sma ll Bomb Conta iner as describe d in
A.P. 1664, Vol. I, Chap. 3, the par ach ute cont aine r being retai ned in positio n in the cylindri cal tai l
vane by hand so th at it can not fall ap ar t and allow the par ach ute to become unfolded.
61. Wit h the bomb in the horizo ntal position, the par ach ute con taine r should then be wit h­
draw n from the cylind rical tail vane to the ext ent whic h t he wire link will perm it, the c onta iner pa rts
being held toge ther by hand.
259

A.P .166 1B, Vol. I, Sect. 7, Chap. 7


62. Th e co n ta in er sh ou ld th en be bo un d w ith tw o tu rn s of ad he si ve ta pe , 1 in. wid e, so as to
ho ld th e tw o ha lv es to ge th er .
63. T he wi re li nk s ho ul d n ex t be f re ed fro m th e co up lin g fo rk by w ith dr aw in g th e qu ic k- re le as e
pin , an d th e p a ra c h u te a tt a c h m e n t co m pl et el y re m ov ed fro m th e cy lin dr ic al ta il va ne . R ep la ce th e
qu ic k- re le as e pi n in th e co up lin g for k.
64. R em ov e th e gr ub scr ew fro m th e co up lin g so ck et , un sc re w th e co up lin g so ck et fro m th e
ta il tu b e of th e bo m b, us in g th e sp an n er pr ov id ed , w it hd ra w th e au x il ia ry st ri k e r as se m bl y fro m th e
ta il tu b e, an d re pl ac e th e g ru b scr ew in th e co up lin g so ck et.
65. F in al ly re pl ac e th e sa fe ty ro d to re nd er th e bo m b saf e, as de sc rib ed in p ar a. 45 (v), an d
re pl ac e th e sa fe ty pin in th e st ri ke r, see p ar a. 45 (vi).

Unloading the bomb with para chu te assembly No. 1, Mk. II from the Light Series bomb carr ier
Warn ing.—The following operations must be done with the bomb in the horizo ntal position,
care being take n tha t the bomb is not dropped or subjecte d to rough usage.
s 66. R em ov e th e un ex pe nd ed p a ra c h u te bo m b fro m th e L ig h t Se rie s bo m b ca rr ie r as de sc ri be d
in A. P.1 66 4, Vol. I, Ch ap . 2, ho ld in g th e p a ra c h u te co n ta in er in th e cy li nd ri ca l ta il va ne b y 'h a n d ,
a n d th en pr oc ee d to w it h dr aw an d bi nd th e co nt ai ne r, see p ar a. 61 an d 62. D et ac h th e p a ra c h u te
a tt a c h m e n t fr om th e au .xi lia ry st ri ke r, re m ov e th e p a ra c h u te a tt a c h m e n t an d th e au xi li ar y st ri k e r
fr om th e bo m b, an d re nd er th e bo m b saf e, as de sc rib ed in pa ra . 63 to 65.

Loading a bomb fitted with a para chut e assembly No. 1, Mk. H which has been remove d from an
unexpended bomb
67. R em ov e th e ad he si ve ta p e fro m th e p a ra ch u te co nt ai ne r, see p ar a. 62, ta k in g ca re th a t
th e tw o ha lv es of th e co n ta in er do n ot fal l a p a rt , an d pr oc ee d to loa d in th e Sm al l B om b C on ta in er
or on th e L ig ht Se rie s bo m b ca rr ie r as de sc rib ed in pa ra . 58 (i) an d (iii) or 59 (ii) an d (iii).

Folding and packin g the para chu te of the No. 1, Mk. I I atta chm ent
68. Sh ou ld th e ha lv es of th e p ar ac h u te co nt ai ne r ac ci de nt al ly fal l a p a rt an d th e p a ra c h u te
be co m e un fo ld ed , de ta ch th e p ar ac h u te fro m th e qu ic k- re le as e pi n an d pr oc ee d to fol d an d re pa ck
it as fo llo w s:—
(i) Sp re ad th e p ar ac h u te o u t fl at up on a ta b le an d, st a rt in g w ith an ou ts id e se am , fol d ea ch
go re or pa ne l o u tw ar d ly in tu rn , so as to la y th e se am s on e up on an ot he r, an d gr ou p th e
rig gin g lin es to ge th er . T ak e ca re th a t th e rig gin g lin es ar e n o t tw is te d or ta ng le d
to ge th er .
(ii) Fo ld th e up pe r p a rt of th e p ar ac h u te ov er on to th e low er p ar t, an d th e n coil th e rig gi ng
lin es so th a t th e coil lies on th e u nd er p a rt of th e fo ld ed p ar ac h u te .
(iii) P la ce th e un di vi de d pa ck in g dis c on to p of th e fo ld ed p a ra c h u te an d th en pl ac e th e fol de d
p ar ac h u te w ith it s co ile d rig gin g lin es an d th e pa ck in g dis c in to on e ha lf of th e co nt ai ne r
so th a t th e dis c is to w ar d th e to p.
No te. — T he to p of th e co n ta in er ca n be id en tif ied by th e p ri n te d in st ru ct io n s on its
face .
(iv) In se rt th e tw o ha lv es of th e di vi de d pa ck in g dis c be tw ee n th e fo ld ed p a ra c h u te an d .th e
ba se of th e ha lf co nt ai ne r ho ld in g it, ta k in g ca re th a t th e wi re lin k co nn ec te d to th e ey e
on th e rig gin g lin es pa ss es th ro ug h th e ce n tr al ho le in th e di vi de d pa ck in g dis c an d th a t
th e lin e of di vi sio n of th e tw o p a rt dis c lies ap p ro x im at el y a t ri g ht an gl es to th e
di am et ri ca l ed ge of th e ha lf co nt ai ne r.
(v) As se mb le th e o th e r ha lf of th e co nt ai ne r to en clo se th e pr oj ec ti ng po rt io ns of th e pa ck in g
dis cs an d th e fo ld ed p a ra c h u te be tw ee n th em , an d bi nd th e tw o ha lv es of th e co n ta in er
to g et he r w ith tw o tu rn s of 1 in. ad he si ve ta pe .

SU PPLY
69. T w en ty -f ou r at ta c h m e n ts , p ar ac hu te , a ir cr af t bo mb . No. 1, Mk. II , tw en ty -f o u r st ri k er s,
ai rc ra ft bo m b, No . 1, M k. II , an d tw o sp an ne rs , 1 in ., No . 1, Mk. I (S to res Re f. 12A /4G I), ar e su pp lie d
in Bo x, B. 32 3, Mk. II I. Th e st ri k er s ar e su p p o rt ed ve rt ic al ly , six on ea ch sid e of th e bo x, an d th e
a tt a c h m e n ts a re p ac ke d in tw o ti er s in a re ct an g u la r ca rd b o ar d pa ck in g pie ce in th e c en tr e of t h e bo x,
ea ch ti e r co m pr isi ng tw el ve at ta c h m e n ts , in tw o ho ri zo nt al ro ws of six at ta c h m e n ts . T he sp an n er s
ar e pa ck ed loos e, be tw ee n th e tw o ti er s of at ta ch m en ts .
260
261

Th is chapter issue d with A .L. No. 41 A.P. 1661 B, Vol. I, Sect. 7


October, 1942
Rele vant amen dmen ts up to A .L . 72
incorp orated in this repr int
Ja nu ar y, 1944

CHAPTER 8

BOMBS, INCENDIARY, AIRCRAFT, 30 lb., Mk. I, H, H M, HI, and HI M

LIST OF CONTENTS
Para.
In tro du cti on ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1
Bom b, inc end iar y, air cra ft, 30 l b., Mk. I l l
Lea ding pa rti cu lar s ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 4
Gene ral de sc rip tio n. .. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 5
Fill ing ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 10
Ide nti fic ati on colo urin g an d ma rki ngs ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 11
Fu nc tio nin g ... • ... ... ' ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 13
In str uc tio ns for use
Fuz ing th e bom b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 15
Pre pa rin g a fuzed bom b for load ing ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 16
Lo adi ng the bom bs int o th e 250 lb. Smal l Bomb Co nta ine r ... ... ... ... ... 17
Unl oad ing the bom bs from th e 250 lb. Small Bom b Co nta ine r ... ... ... ... ... 18
Unf uzin g th e bom b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 20
Su ppl y and sto rag e
Su ppl y ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 21
S to ra ge ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 23
Bom b, inc end iary , air cra ft, 30 l b., Mk. II
Com paris on wi th th e Mk. I l l bo mb ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 25
Bom b, inc end iar y, air cra ft, 30 l b., Mk. I l l M
Com paris on wi th th e Mk. I l l bo mb ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 26
Bom b, inc end iary , air cra ft, 30 l b., Mk. II M
Com paris on wi th th e Mk. I l l bom b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 27
Bom b, inc end iary , air cra ft, 30 lb., Mk. I
Com paris on wi th thle Mk. I l l bo mb ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 28
In str uc tio ns for use of th e Mk. I bomb
Fu zin g th e bom b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 29
Pre pa rin g a fuzed bom b for load ing ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 30
Loa ding th e bom b int o th e 250 l b. Small Bom b Co nta ine r ... ... ... ... ... 31
Un load ing th e bom b from th e 250 l b. Small Bom b Con tain er ... ... ... ... ... 32
Unf uzin g th e bom b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 33
Su ppl y and sto rag e of t he Mk. I bom b
Sup ply ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 34
St or ag e. .. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 36

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Pig-
1. Bom b, inc end iar y, air cra ft, 30 lb., Mk. I l l
2. Bom b, inc end iar y, air cra ft, 30 l b., Mk. I l l (fuzing detail )
3. Bom b, inc end iary , air cra ft, 30 lb., Mk. I (fuzi ng detail )
262

TAIL VANE

VANE SUP POR T

T A IL CONE

PLUG

SPIG OT

DIAP HRA GM
-P AI NT ED DULL RED PLATE

TAIL PLATE

AIR SPACE

( I Z j\
99 0£ l
INC END IAR Y FILLI NG

BR IGH T RED BANDS


BODY

SAFET Y PiN MUS T BE REPLACED


^ IM M E DI AT E LY BOMB IS REMOVED
^ F R O M CON TAINE R OR BEFORE
BURS TER CON TAI NER
REM OVA L FROM CARRIER

F U 2 E .N o .B 4 6 ,M k I

SAFET Y PIN MU ST BE REM OVE D


^B EF OR E BOMB IS LOA DED IN NOS E
^ C O N T A lN E R O R AFTER BOMS

HA5 BEEN LOADED ON CARRIER WHITE PHO SPH ORU S

NO SE PL UG
INSTR UCTIO N TAB LET -

TRA NSIT NUT

GRUB SCREW

safety pin

Fig . 1.—B om b, in ce nd ia ry , ai rc ra ft , 30 lb ,, Mk. I l l


263

A. P.1 661 B, Vol. I, Sect. 7

CHAP TER 8

BOMBS, INCE NDIA RY, AIRC RAF T, 30 lb., Mk. I, H, H M, HI , and HI M

Intr odu ctio n


1. These bombs are thin-c ased and, on i mpa ct with th e targ et, 'fu nction so as to sca tte r a filling
of in cend iary mate rial, which ignites spontaneous!} ' on con tac t with air, to produ ce a large numb er
of sources of fire dis trib ute d over a considerab le area.
2. The bombs are fuzed at the nose only, and are effective when released at a heig ht above
150 ft. Against soft targ ets th e heig ht of release mu st not exceed 500 ft., or the bomb will bu ry and
the incen diary m ater ial will n ot be ej ected above the g round.
3. In this c hap ter the Mk. I l l bomb is fully described, and the othe r marks a re then d eal t w ith
"by com pari son' with the Mk. I ll bomb.

BOMB, INCE NDIA RY, AIRC RAF T, 30 lb., Mk. HI

Lea ding parti cular s


4. Stores Ref. 12A/942
Leng th 2 ft. 8-7 in. approx .
Dia met er of ta il vane 4-7 in., appro x.
Weight of bomb, fuzed ... 25 lb. appr ox.
Weigh t and nat ure of filling 1 lb. white phosp horus and 7 lb. appr ox., of rubber-
benzole or Perspex- benzole solution
Term inal velocity ... 850 ft. per sec.

GEN ERA L DES CRI PTI ON


5. The bomb, see fig.. 1, c onsists of a cylindri cal body with a h emispheric al nose a t one e nd and
a tail at the othe r end, the cylindri cal tail vane being connec ted by four equi-spaced vane supp orts
to the rea r end of t he tail cone.
6. The cylindr ical body is made from welded tube, the forward end being reduced sligh tly
in diam eter to fit in the rim of th e hemisph erical steel plat e nose, to which it is welded. The nose is
pierced cen trall y and has welded into it a bur ster cont aine r closed by a screwed plug, the oute r
surface of which conforms with the shape of the bomb nose.
7. A flanged ta il p late is welded in th e rear end of th e b ody and has in the cent re a hollow spigc
thro ugh which the bomb is charged. This spigot is closed by a screwed plug, and it is threa der
exte rna lly for the atta ch me nt of t he tail.
8. Rivet ed in t he f orward end of the tail cone is a dia phrag m p late hav ing a thr ead ed boss whicl
screws on to the tail pla te spigot to secure the tail to the bomb body.
9. Norma lly t he bomb is sup plied fuzed, see fig. 2, a fuze, percussion, airc raft bomb, nose, No. 84V
Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12G/589) being reta ined in position in the bur ste r c onta iner by the nose plug. Thy
inner face of the nose pl ug is provid ed with two pins which engage holes in the out er end of th e fuze-
body to locate the fuze w ith its safet y pin hole in regist er with a hole thr oug h the nose plug. The
safet y pin passes thro ugh t hese holes to r etair >a ball in the fuze in its safe po sition, in which it locks
the ine rtia pellet of the fuze again st displa cemen t on to the strik er. The safe ty pin is reta ined by
a grub screw in a tra ns it nu t which is screwed into the out er end of the safe ty pin hole in t he nose
plug. Should the bomb be supplied unfuzed, the safe ty pin hole in the nose plug will be closed by
the tra ns it nu t with the grub screw retai ning the safet y pin in position. The tra nsi t nu t carries an
inst ruct ion tab let.

Fil lin g
10. The main filling co nsists of 1 Lb. of white phosph orus cast in the nose and app roxi mat ely
7 lb. of a 5 pe r cent s olution of ru bbe r or Pers pex in benzole in the body of th e bomb, a 10 per cent
air space being left in. the body when the bomb is filled.
264

identificatio n colouring and marki ngs


11. The bomb is p aint ed dull red and has two bri ght red ban ds pai nte d roun d the body, one
toward s the tail end to indi cate th at the bom b is fuzed, and th e oth er towa rds the nose end to
indi cate t h at th e bomb is filled.

Fig. 2.—Bomb, ince ndiary, aircra ft, 30 lb., Mk. I ll (fuzing detail)

12. Betwe en the bri ght red band s on the body are the following iden tific ation mark ings in
ck let teri ng: —
(i) The type , nomina l w eight, and ma rk num ber of th e bomb.
(ii) The monogr am of the filling sta tion , or the initia ls or recognized tra de mar k of the filling
cont racto r.
(iii) The dat e of filling, m ont h and year.
(iv) The filled lot numb er.
(v) The design num ber of th e meth od of filling.
(vi) “FZ D” , if the b omb is sup plied fuzed.

'func tionin g
13. On imp act of the bomb with the targ et, the firing of the gunpo wder in th e magaz ine of
the fuze disr upt s the bomb body along the weld, and sca tter s the filling over a consid erable area
app roxi mate ly 50 yds. X 30 yds.) to produ ce a large num ber of sources of fire.
14. A salvo of eigh t bombs released from th e 250 lb. Small Bom b Con taine r at a heig ht of
6,000 ft. will sca tte r over an area app rox ima tely 73 yds. x 39 yds. A simila r salvo released at a
heig ht of 10,000 ft . will sca tte r over an are a app rox ima tely 83 yds. x 48 yds.
265

A .P.1661B, Vol. I, Seel. 7. Chap. 8


INST RUCT IONS FO R USE
Fuzing the bomb
15. If the bombs are supplie d unfuzed, the y should be f uzed as follows:—•
(i) Obtai n a fuze, percussion, air cra ft bomb, nose, No. 846, Mk. I from a Mk. I cylinde r, using
opener, tin, small (Stores Ref. 21C/364) to op en t he cylin der if it has not alre ady been opened,
or from a Mk. II cylind er by removi ng the lid. >
(ii) Remove the nose plug from the bomb, compl ete with tra ns it nu t and safe ty pin,
(iii) Wit hdr aw the tra ns it safe ty pin from the fuze.
War ning .—The fuze is now live and should be handle d with grea t care whilst performing
operations (iv) and (v)
(iv) Pass the safe ty pin and locati ng pins on the nose plug into the app rop riat e holes in the
fuze body.
(v) Screw th e nose p lug, complet e with the fuze, fir mly into the bur ster c ontain er.

Prep aring a fuzed bomb for loading


16. To prep are the f uzed bomb for l oading proceed as follows:—
(i) Unscrew and remove the tra ns it nut , complete with grub screw and saf ety pin, from the
nose plug of th e bomb.
War ning .—Great care mu st be exercised in hand ling the bomb afte r the safety pin has been
removed, as the bomb is then live and rough trea tme nt may cause the fuze to functio n and
explode the bomb. The bomb should be handled in a hori zont al or nose-up position.
(ii) Unscrew and remove the grub screw from the t ra ns it nut.
(iii) Screw the grub screw firm ly home into t he hole fr om w hich the t ran sit n ut was removed.
(iv) Re tur n the tra ns it nu t and safet y pin to store r ead y for use again, if necessary.

Loading th e bombs in to th e 250 lb. Small Bomb Co ntainer


17. Bombs which have been prep ared for loading as detai led in para . 16 are to be loaded into
the 250 lb. Small Bom b Conta iner as described i n t he rele vant c hap ter of A.P. 1664, Vol. I, observing
the W arnin g given in para . 16 (i) above.

Unloading the bombs from the 250 lb. Small Bomb Container
18. Unload the bomb from the 250 lb. Small Bomb Cont ainer as described in the rele van t
ch apt er of A .P. 1664, Vol. I, observing the W arnin g given in para . 16 (i) above, and the n rend er the
bomb safe a s f ollows:—
(i) Draw the tra ns it nu t and safe ty pin from store.
(ii) Wit h the bomb in the horizo ntal or nose-up positi on (see Warning , para. 16 (i) ), unscrew
and remove the grub screw from the nose plug and screw it firmly into the tr an sit nu t to
hold the s afety pi n in po sition.
(iii) Keeping the bomb in the horiz ontal or nose-up position, and avoid ing rough handli ng,
pass the safet y pin thro ugh the hole in the nose plug and into the fuze body, and screw
the t ra ns it nu t firmly home into t he nose plug.
Note.— If the safe ty pin does no t easil y pu sh f ully home i nto th e fuze body, t he bomb shou ld
be rota ted abo ut its axis unti l the hole for the safe ty pin is upp erm ost; thi s will allow the
locking ball in the fuze, see par a. 9 and fig. 2, to fall by grav ity, or to be pushed by the
safe ty pin, into i ts safe position.
19. Hav ing re ndere d the bomb safe as described in para . 18 (i) to (iii), ret urn the fuzed bomb
to its crate, see p ara. 21, t aki ng care, when pack ing it, to ensure th at the r ubb er pad s on the b earer
pla te are in con tac t with the tail cone before tigh tenin g up the wing nut . This pre caut ion avoids
damag e to the bomb tail if the packed cra te is subs eque ntly subj ected to rough usage.

Unfuzing the bomb


20. Should it be necessary to unfuze the bomb, proceed as follows:—
(i) Ens ure th at the bomb has been rend ered safe, see para . 18, the n unscrew and remove the
nose plug, comple te with fuze, from the bur ste r cont ainer , using a suit able key spanne r.
266

(ii) Remov e the fuze axial ly from the nose plug so as to with dra w the safe ty pin from the
fuze body.
W arn ing .— The fuz e is no w liv e and sho uld he han dle d wi th gre at care wh ilst perfo rmin g
the fol low ing oper ation .
(iii) Repla ce the tra ns it safe ty pin in the fuze, so as to rend er the fuze safe.
(iv) Repla ce the nose plug, compl ete with tra ns it nut, grub screw, and safe ty pin, in the nose
of the bomb, replace the fuze in its cylinder, and seal the cylin der wit h adhesi ve tape.
SUP PLY AND STORAG E
Suppl y
21. The bombs are supplie d packe d four in Crate B.377, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/943) toge ther
with one drop bar which is wired to the c entr al rod of t he crate . The b ombs can be removed from
the cra te afte r unscrewing a wing nu t and removin g a bear er plate .
22. Fuzes, percussion, airc raft bomb, nose, No. 846, Mk. I, when issued as sep ara te stores ,
are supplied packed seven in Cylinder B.375, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12G/590), or Mk. II (Stores Ref.
12G/663).
Stor age
23. The bombs, fuzed and unfuzed, are classified, for stora ge purposes , in Group XI I.
24. Fuzes, No. 846, Mk. I, if supplie d sepa rate ly from th e bombs, are classif ied,.fo r storag e
purposes, in Group VI.
' BOMB, INCE NDIA RY, AIR CRA FT, 30 lb., Mk. II
Compa rison wi th the Mk. m bomb
25. The bomb, incen diary, aircr aft, 30 lb., Mk. II (Stores Ref. 12A/938) differs from the 30 lb.,
Mk. I ll incend iary bomb, see p ara. 1 and 2, and 4 t o 24, in the f ollowing re spec ts:—
(i) ■ The bod y is made from draw n tub e inst ead of being a welded tub e, so th at the bomb
functi ons by tai l ejection of the filling, the tai l pla te and tai l being blown off by the firing
" of the magazi ne charge in the fuze.
(ii) The weigh t of white phosp horus c ast in t he nose is 1£ lb. inste ad of 1 lb.

BOMB, INCE NDIA RY, AIR CRA FT, 30 lb., Mk. H IM


Comp arison wi th the Mk. i n bomb
26. The bomb, incend iary, airc raft, 30 lb., Mk. I l l M (Stores Ref. 12A/1056) differs from the
Mk. I l l bomb, see p ara. 1 and 2, and 4 to 24, in th at the body cylin der has two pads welded on
which locate a band , suspendi ng, No. 9, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/620), wi th lug. Wi th the s uspend ing
band in position, the bomb can be carri ed on the Lig ht Series bomb carrier. After removin g the
band it can be carri ed in the 250 lb. Small Bomb Contain er, as described in the rele van t Chapt ers
of A.P.1664, Vol. I. '
BOMB, INCE NDIA RY, AIR CRA FT, 30 lb., Mk. D M
Comp arison wi th th e Mk. i n bomb
27. The bomb, incend iary, airc raft, 30 lb., Mk. II M (Stores Ref. 12A/1055) differs from the
Mk. I ll bomb, see pa ra. 1 and 2, and 4 to 24, as follows:—
(i) The bo dy is mad e from d rawn tu be i nste ad of bei ng a welded tube , so t ha t th e bo mb fu nctions
by tail ejectio n of the filling, the tail pla te and tail being blown off by the firing of the
magaz ine charge in the fuze.
(ii) The body cylind er has two pads which locate a No. 9 Mk. I suspen ding ban d with lugs, as
described, with reference to the Mk. I l l M bcynb, in par a. 26.
(iii) The weigh t of wh ite phosp horu s cas t i n t he nose is 1-J- lb. inste ad of 1 lb
BOMB, INCE NDIA RY, AIR CRA FT, 30 lb., Mk. I
Comp arison wit h the Mk. m bomb
28. The bomb, incen diary, airc raft, 30 lb., Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/870), see fig. 3, differs from
the Mk. I l l bomb, see para. 1 and 2, and 4 t o 24, in weight, being 27 lb. ap prox , inst ead of 25 lb.,
and also in the following resp ects :—
(i) The bur ste r c onta iner is screwed and welded into a fla t n ose pl ug which is welded in the end
of th e body, and a hemisp herical noSe fa iring fits on to the nose plug.
267

A .P.166 1B, Vol. I, Sect. 7, C hap. 8


(ii) Fuze, percussion, non-delay , air cra ft bomb, nose, No, 38, N.D. , Mk, II (Stores Ref . 12G/538),
described in A.P.1661C, Vol. I, Sect. 2, Chap. 5, is em ployed, inste ad of t he No. 846, Mk. I
fuze. The No. 38, N.D., Mk. II fuze screws into t he bur ste r conta iner, and the nose fai ring
is held in positi on on the nose plug by a circlip on the cap of the fuze.

BODY

W HI TE PHOSPHORUS

BURSTER CO NTA INE R

FUZE, No. 3 6 , N.D .,M k. if

GR UB SCREW

NO SE PLUG

NOSE FA IR IN G

GRUB SCREW

L O C K -N U T
TO U N A R M FUZ E - SLACKEN
ST RI KE R LO CK NU T, SC RE W ST RI KE R
FULLY OU T A N D T IG H T E N
LO CK NU T.

TO A R M F U Z E - U N W IR E
XAB EL. SLA CKE N LOCKNUT
SC RE W STR IKER FULLY DOWN
AND TI GH TE N LO CK NU T RTO

Fig. 3.—B omb, ince ndi ary , air cra ft, 30 lb ., Mk. I (fuzing detai l)

(iii) The filling of th e b omb consists of 1£ lb. of wh ite ph ospho rus c ast in th e nose e nd of th e b ody
cylind er (some of the early issues had phosph orus sesquis ulphide mix ture instead ), and
app roxi mat ely 6 lb. of a 5 pe r cent , s olution of ru bbe r (or Persp ex in la ter bombs) in benzole.
268

INSTR UCTIO NS FO R USE OF TH E Mk. I BOMB


Fuzin g t he bomb
29. If the bombs are supplie d unfuzed, the bur ste r con tain er is closed by a tra ns it plug. The
following is the p rocedu re for fu zing the bom b:—
(i) Obt ain a fuze, percussion, non-delay , airc raf t bomb, nose, No. 38, N.D. , Mk. IT from its
cylinder, using opener, tin, small (Stores Ref. 21C/364) to open the cylin der if it has not
alre ady been opened.
(ii) Ens ure th at the st rike r of th e fuze is fully screwed out and th at i t is secured in th at position
by the lock-nut .
(iii) Ensu re th at th e grub screws holding the ca p and base piece of t he fuze in positio n a re firmly
screwed hom e.
(iv) Remove the tra ns it plug from the bur ste r con tain er of the bomb afte r slacken ing the set ­
screw.
(v) Screw th e fuze, by hand , into the bur ste r conta iner, tigh ten it up with Key No. 104, Mk. I
(Stores Ref. 12G/256) or an app rop riat e spann er, finally locking it in positio n with the
set-screw which was slackene d to enable t he tra ns it plug to be removed.
(vi) Remove the circlip from the cap of the fuze, pass the nose fairing over the fuze on to the
nose plug, and secure the nose fai ring in positio n by replacin g the circlip in the a ppr opr iat e
groove in the cap of th e fuze. Ens ure th at the circlip is defi nitely locate d all roun d in the
groove.

Prepa ring a fuzed bomb for loading


30. To prep are the fuzed bomb for l oading, proceed as follows:—
(i) Sla cke n'th e lock -nut on the fuze and screw the stri ker down until pressu re is felt agai nst
the body washer in the fuze_.
Warn ing.—The fuze is now armed and grea t care m us t.b e tak en in handli ng the bomb,
which is now live, as any rough trea tme nt may cause it to explode. After the fuze has been
armed, the bomb shoul d always be handled in a horiz ontal or no se-up position.
(ii) Tigh ten the lock- nut agai nst the cap of the fuze, using the span ners (Stores Ref. 12G/370)
provid ed with t he fuzed bombs.

Loading the bomb into the 250 lb. Small Bomb Container
31. Bombs prepa red for lo ading as described in para . 30, are t o be load ed into the Small Bomb
Cont ainer as described in the rele van t cha pte r of A .P .1664, Vol. I, observi ng the Warn ing given
in para. 30 above.

Unloading the bomb from the 250 lb. Small Bomb Container
32. Observin g the War ning given in para . 30 above, unload the bomb from the 250 lb. Small
Bomb Cont ainer as described in the rele van t cha pte r of A.P. 1664, Vol. I, and rend er the bomb
safe as follows:—
(i) Slacken the lock- nut on t he fuze a nd screw th e stri ker outw ards unti l it binds aga inst the
unde r surface of the cap of the fuze.
(ii) Tig hten the lock- nut agai nst the cap of the fuze, using the span ners (Stores Ref. 12G/370)
provided with the fuzed bombs.

Unfuzing the bomb


33. Should it be necessa ry to unfuze the bomb, proceed as follows:—
(i) Ensu re th at the fuze is unar med , see par a. 32, observ ing the War ning given in para. 30
until this has been done.
(ii) Remove the circlip from the fuze and remove the nose fairin g from the bomb.
(iii) Slacken the set-screw securing the fuze in the bu rst er contai ner, then remove the fuze,
using Key, No. 104, Mk. I, or any s uita ble spann er.
(iv) Replace the tra ns it plug in the bur ster con tain er and tigh ten the set-screw to secur e it in
position.
(v) Replace the circlip on the fuze, place the fuze in its cylinder, if one is prov ided , seal the
cylinder with adhesive tape , and ret urn the fuze, bomb, and nose fairing, to store.
269

A. P. 16 61 B. Vol. I , Sec t. 7, Ch ap . 8

SUP PLY AND STORAG E OF TH E Mk. I BOMB


Supply
34. The bombs are supplied packed four in Box, B.304, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/346) toge ther
with one d rop bar. Two sp anne rs (Stores Ref. 12G/370) are supplie d with t he fuzed bombs.
35. Where unfuzed bombs and fuzes are supplied sepa ratel y, the fuzes are pack ed singly in
Cylinder, No.' 308, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12G/357), ten cylind ers being packe d in Box, B.305, Mk. I
(Stores Ref. 12G/356).

Stora ge
36. The bombs, fuzed and unfuzed, are classified, for stora ge purposes, in Group XI I.
37. Fuzes, No. 38, N.D., Mk. IT, if supplied sep arate ly from the bombs, are classified, for
storag e purposes, in Group VI.
270
271

Section 8

PR A CT IC E BOMBS

1
272
273

Thi s leaf issu ed with A .L . No. 134 A .P .1 66 1B , Vo l. I


Jun e, 1946
M IN IS T R Y
J u n e , 194 6

SECTION 8

PRAC TICE BOM BS

LIST OF CHAPTERS
Note.—A list of conte nts appears at t he beginning of each c hapte r
is
(1) Rem ove an d dis pos e of th e ex is ti ng L is t of C ha pt er s an d su bs tit ut e

CHAP TER 1--Gen eral notes on practic e bombs


S e c t.

CHAP TER 2--Bomb s, practice, aircraf t, smoke, l l j lb., Mk. I, and flash, l l j lb., Mk. I
concern s

(2) In se rt th e a tt a ch e d C ha pt er 10 to fol low C hap te r 9.

CHAP TER 3--Ap para tus, charging, practice smoke bombs, No. 2, Mk. I
M ak e an e n tr y i n th e A m en dm en t R ec or d Sh ee t.

CHAPTE R 4--Bombs, practice, aircraf t, smoke, break-u p, 8-| lb., Mk. I and II, and flame, break-up,
and

84 lb., Mk. I ll
A .F .1 B 0 1 B , V o l. I

CHAP TER 5-
t
CHAP TER 6- -Bomb s, practice, aircraf t, smoke, 10 lb., Mk. I, flash, 10 lb., Mk. I and II I, and
brown smoke, 10 lb., Mk. I l l •
th e a tt a ch e d Li st of C ha pt er s.

CHAPT ER 7--Bomb , practice, aircra ft, smoke, break-up, 8 lb., Mk. I


to

CHAPT ER 8--Bombs, practice, aircra ft, smoke, 25 lb., Mk. I, and flash, 25 lb., Mk. I ll
134

CHAP TER 9-—Bombs, practice, aircraf t, smoke, 10 lb., Mk. I; flash, 10 lb., Mk. I ll ; and smoke,
N o.

11| lb., Mk. I (South African Manufacture)


A .L .

CHAPT ER 10—Bombs, practice, aircraf t, smoke, 25 lb., Mk. I*** and IV, and flash, 25 lb., Mk.
II P* and V
is
T h is
274
275

Th is lea f issu ed with A .L . No. 105 A. P.1 66 1B , Vol. I. Sect. 8


Februa ry, 1945

CHAPTER 1

General notes on practice bombs

L IS T O F CO N TE N TS

Pa ra.
Int ro du cti on ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1
Pr ac tic e bom b fillings
Smok e fillings ............... ... ... ... ............... ... ... ... ............... 4
Fla sh .fi llings ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 5
Fla me fillings ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 6
Ide nti fic ati on colo urin g and mar kin gs ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 7
Fu nct ion ing ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 8
Gen eral pre cau tio ns
Bom bs con tain ing tit an iu m tet rac hlo rid e ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 10
Bom bs co nta ini ng chlor osul pho nic acid mi xtu re ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 15
Re mo val of de ton ato r-b ur ste rs fro m une xp end ed pra cti ce bom bs ... ... ... ... 16
Su ppl y ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 18
Sto rag e ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .. ... ... 20

Sa fe ty dev ice s ... 18


Su pp ly ... 20
St or ag e .. . 22
(a.l .140)
276

CHAPTER 1
General note s on practice bombs
Introductio n
1. Pra ctic e bombs, which mu st not be confused wit h bombs used for drill purpo ses or with
inert-filled H.E . typ e bombs, are used for day or nig ht prac tice bomb ing aga ins t vario us typ es of
tar get s. An in dica tion of the po int of imp act is given by a cloud of w hite or b rown smoke, a brill iant
whit e flash, or by a flaming mass of charging , dependi ng on the typ e of bomb.
2. The range of p racti ce bombs a vailab le includes bombs of d ifferen t weights and mar ks some
of w hich are designed for s pecial purposes. The uses to w hich any p arti cul ar typ e of p racti ce bomb
is to be limi ted are to be found in th e Int rod uct ion of the Cha pter of thi s Section rele van t to the
bomb.
3. Prac tice bombs are norma lly carrie d on the Lig ht Series bomb carrie r, special atta chm ent s
not norma lly being required .
Practice bomb fillings
Smoke fillings
4. Pra ctic e white smoke bombs are norm ally filled with tit an ium tetr ach lori de, which evolves
white smoke on co nta ct wit h mois t air. Bombs ma nuf act ured and filled in Sout h Africa cont ain
chlorosul phonic acid mix ture inst ead of tita niu m tetra chlo ride . Brown smoke bombs con tain an
S.R. composition.
Flash fillings
5. Pra ctic e flash bombs are filled with flash produ cing mix ture s such as gunpo wder and
magnesi um turn ing s or gunpo wder and calcium silicide ; alte rna tive ly, an S.R. composi tion may
be used.
Flame fillings
6. Pra ctic e flame bombs are filled with a flame produ cing mate rial, for example , sodium
phosph ide soaked in heav y oil.
Identific ation colouring and m arkings
7. The bodies a nd tails of all prac tice bombs are pain ted white, excep t th e tails of flame bombs,
which are pain ted red. The bombs ha ve vario us m arki ngs stencille d on them t o d enot e t he ir weight,
mar k numbe r, etc., and par ticu lars of th e mark ings for each typ e of b omb are given in the Chap ter
of thi s Section Relevant to the bomb. The filled bombs may have one or oth er of th e following
schemes of colour band ing to indic ate the nat ure of the ir filling:—
(i) Two | in. green bands, J in. apa rt, pai nte d cen tral ly roun d th e tai l cone, deno te a white
smoke filling.
(ii) A re d ring pain ted round t he nose a nd two green bands , £ in. wide and J in. ap art , pain ted
rou nd the t ail cone, deno te a brown smoke filling.
(iii) A red ring pai nte d roun d the nose and two | in. black band s, | in. ap art , rou nd th e tail
cone, denot e a flash filling.
(iv) A red ring pai nte d roun d the nose, and a red pai nte d tail, denot e a flame filling.
Functi oning
8. All typ es of prac tice bombs funct ion on imp act with the tar ge t to give, acco rding to the
nat ure of the ir filling, the app rop riat e indic ation at the poi nt of impa ct, see par a. 1.
9. Certai n typ es of pr actic e bombs brea k up and rel ease th ei r filling me rely due to the f orce of
impa ct, whilst o the r t ype s are disr upt ed, and the ir charg ing scat tere d, by a det ona tor -bu rst er which
is explode d on impa ct.
General precautions
Bombs containing titan ium tetrachloride
10. Tit aniu m tetr ach lori de is no t classed as a toxi c subst ance, bu t it evolves smoke and fumes
which are injuri ous and extre mely corrosive in chara cter.
11. The fumes, if bre ath ed in qu an tit y, cause viole nt coughing, naus ea and severe head ache.
All oper ations , there fore, invo lving th e filling of prac tice b ombs or s tora ge drum s, or th e han dlin g
of le aking bombs, should a lways be done in t he o pen with t he personnel concer ned stan din g upwin d
of th e bombs. The personne l are to wear eyeshields (Stores Ref. 23B/3), rub ber gloves (Stores
Ref. 23B/16), boots, rubb er, knee (Stores Ref. 22D/367 to 379), a nd suits, com bina tion (Stores Ref.
22G/720 to 733). If workin g in enclosed spaces is, however, neces sitated , respi rator s, ins tea d of
eyeshields, are to b e wo rn; comple te prot ectio n aga inst t he fumes will th en be obtai ned.
Note.— The filling of prac tice bombs is to be done by Maint enanc e Uni ts only.
277

This leaf issued ivilh A .L . No. 140 A.P.1G61B, Vol. I, Seel. 8, Chap. 1
Ma y, 1947
12. Splashes of the liquid falling on the skin will cause imme diate stingi ng to be felt, but
normal ly will not cause burns. As freq uen t con tac t with the filling, however, will cause the skin
to become hard, cracked , and sore, splashes of the liquid should be remov ed as soon as possible
using a liberal qu an tit y of wate r. Splashes in the eyes may cause total blindness', hence first-aid
tre atm ent , consisting of washing the eyes for at least five minu tes with wat er (warm if possible),
or prefe rably with a 2 per cent sodium bica rbon ate solution, must be immediate. This first-aid
tre atm ent mus t be followed by medical att ent ion as soon as possible.

13. Small splashes of the liquid chargin g on non-p rotec tive clothin g must be removed as soon
as possible wi th a dam p clo th or swab. In the eve nt of a large splash occurring, the affected garm ents
should be rem oved immed iately, soaked in w ater, and subs eque ntly washed in wa ter rende red alkal ine
with washing soda. In no circum stances should any att em pt be made to wash off a large splash
of the chargin g w hilst the ga rme nt is being worn, as a severe skin burn m ay resu lt d ue to the develo p­
men t of hea t when a relat ively small qu an tit y of wat er is bro ugh t into con tac t with the liquid
charging. Rub ber gloves and boots should be c leaned by dippin g into wa ter a s soon as they become
splashed.

14. Oper ations involving leaking bombs, etc., should be done downwin d of aircr aft, mach inery
and oth er pla nt liable to damage by corrosion , bu t where this cond ition can not be obtain ed, then
the oper ation s mus t be done as far away as possible from these items of equip ment.

Bombs containing chlorosulphonic acid mixture


15. Bombs filled with chlorosu lphonic acid mixt ure must be hand led with gre at care since
the acid can cause severe burn s and is danger ous to the eyes. When han dlin g leaking bombs, the
precau tions to be observed and the first-aid tre atm en t to be given in the even t of cont ami nati on
are the same as sta ted for bombs contai ning tita niu m tetra chlor ide, see para. 10 to 14.

Removal of detonator-bursters from unexpended practice bombs


16. Det ona tor-b urst ers are to be remo ved as soon as possible from unexpe nded practi ce bombs,
and the bombs mus t n ot be stor ed with de ton ato r-bu rste rs in po sition. It may be requ ired, however,
to hold some fuzed bombs for "rea dy- use ” ; this may be done provided th a t: —
(i) The bombs are held in a fuzed bomb area, away from othe r stores, and are given a safet y
distan ce of 50 yds.
(ii) The num ber of "rea dy- use ” bombs is kep t to the minimum com patib le with train ing
efficiency.

17. If difficulty is experienc ed in removing a det ona tor -bu rst er from a bomb, the bomb is
to be considere d unservice able and must be destro yed as described in A.P.2608A, Chap. 19. As
soon as a det ona tor- bur ster is removed from a bomb having a liquid filling, it is to be carefull y
examine d for con tam inat ion by the filling. Any det ona tor- bur ster found to be con tam ina ted is
to be destro yed as described in A.P.2608A, Chap. 19.

Safety devices
18. If cer tain bombs, even with safely devices in position, are dropp ed from a heig ht of t hree
feet or over, the y may funct ion on impa ct. These bombs, listed in para. 19, must, therefo re, be
han dled with special care when they are fuzed. Since large stock s of these bombs are held in the
Service, and as prod ucti on of them has ceased, it is imp racti cabl e to replace them with bombs
havi ng a gre ate r safe ty factor.
19. The dang er heig hts of fall of the bombs referre d to in para. 18 are as follows:—
8-1, lb., Brea k-up (All marks) ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 3 ft.
10 lb., Brit ish typ e (All marks) ... ... ... ... ... ... 3 ft.
10 lb., Sout h African typ e (All marks) ... ... ... ... ... 10 ft.
25 lb., Smoke, Mk. I*** and IV, and Flash , Mk. Ill ** and V ... ... 20 ft.
Supply
20. All pract ice bombs are supplied in boxes. Great care must be tak en not to sub jec t the
boxes co ntain ing filled bombs to rough usage, o therwise the bomb bodies may be f ractu red, and with
liquid filled bombs leakage will then occur.
278

21. Special preca ution s and care are necessary when han dlin g “b rea k-u p” typ e bombs
con taini ng flame filling (sodium phosphide/oi l), since if a bomb is frac ture d, the filling, on coming
into con tac t w ith the air, will bur st into flame. On r eceipt of the filled bombs, the boxes contai ning
them are to be s tack ed side by side in double rows, two tiers high, and with sufficient space between
the rows to allow a person to pass between and remove any par ticu lar box. The rows are to be
watch ed for signs of smoke or flame for a per iod of seven days. Should smoke or flame be observed,
the affected box is to be immediately removed to a site where the risk of fire is ac cepta ble and w hich
has a dang er are a of r adiu s 50 yds. The bombs are then to be removed from the box and arr ang e­
ments are to be made for them to be destr oyed by a qualified explosives officer (Q.X.O.) in the
man ner detai led in A.P.2608A, Chap. 19. If the bombs can not be destro yed imme diate ly, they
are to be covered w ith dry san d or e arth , the ir position flagged, and a n otice board e rected d isplaying
the words: “ danger—damaged flame bombs” .

Storage
22. The stora ge cond itions laid down for practi ce bombs vary with the nat ure of the filling,
and are as follows:—
(i) Bombs containing- a white smoke filling are classified for stora ge and tra nsp ort purpose s
as “ dangerous goods”. The bombs should be s tored in the ir boxes, in open-sided sheds;
if such accom modat ion is n ot availa ble, the boxed bombs must be st ored in the open under
tarp auli ns, the boxes being raised clear of the ground on bat ten s. The bombs are to be
exam ined periodica lly for leakage, see Sect. 20, Chap. 1, pa ra. 23 and 24. As the likelihood
of leakage increases with age, arra nge men ts should be made for bombs to be s tored so t ha t
those th at have been longest filled are used first.
(ii) Bombs cont ainin g a brown smoke filling are classified in Group 11, see A.P.2608A, Chap. 7'
(iii) Bombs havi ng a flash filling are classified in Group 9, see A.P.2608A, Chap. 7.
(iv) Bombs cont ainin g a flame filling are classified for stora ge and tra nsp ort purposes as
“ dangerous goods”. The bombs mus t be store d in the ir boxes under cover; if roofed
stora ge is not availab le, the boxed bombs may be stored in the open unde r tarp auli ns.
Bat ten s are to be used in all instan ces to raise the boxes c lear of th e ground and dry storag e
is essentia l. The bombs are to be exam ined periodica lly for leakage.
Note.—Where prac tice bombs are store d under tar pau lin s in ho t climate s, the tarp aul ins must
be raised off the stack s of bombs by the use of a suit able framewo rk, and ade qua te atte ntio n
must be paid to ven tilati on of 1he stacks.
279

Iss ued with A .L . No. 13 A. P.1 66 1B , Vol. I, Sec t. 8


Ju ne , 1942
' Relev ant amen dmen ts up to A .L . 72
incorpo rated in this rep rint
Ja nu ar y, 1944

CHA PTE R 2

BOMBS, PRACT ICE, AIR CRA FT, SMOKE, 1 H lb., Mk. I, and FLA SH, U £ lb., Mk. I

LIST OF CONTENTS
Para.
In tro du cti on . ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1
Bomb , pra ctic e, air cra ft, smoke , 11J lb. Mk. I
Lea ding pa rti cu lar s ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 2
Gene ral des crip tion ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 3
Nose cas tin g ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 4
Str ike r asse mbl y and saf ety me cha nis m. .. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 9
Tai l cone ... ... ... ... ... ... .. .' ... ... ... ... ... 12
Ide nti fic ati on colo uring ancf ma rkin gs ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 16
Fu nct ion ing ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 19
Ins tru cti on s for use
Fuz ing th e bom b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .. .' ... ... ... 21
Loa ding th e bom b on to th e Lig ht Series bom b car rie r ... ... ... ... ... 24
Un load ing th e bom b from th e Lig ht Series bom b car rie r ... ... ... ... ... 26
Un fuzi ng th e bom b ............... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 27
Su pp ly and stor age
Sup ply ....................................... ... ... ............... ...................«, ... ... 28
Sto rag e ............... ............... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 29
Bom b, pra ctic e, air cra ft, flash, 11J lb. Mk. I
Lea ding pa rti cu lar s ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 31
Gene ral des crip tion ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 32
Ide nti fic ati on colou ring an d ma rkin gs ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 33
Fu nct ion ing ... ... ... ... ... ... ............... ... ... ... ... 35
In str uc tio ns for use
Fuz ing th e bom b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 36
Loa ding th e bom b on to th e Lig ht Series bom b car rie r ... ... ... ... ... 37
Un load ing th e bom b from th e Li gh t Series bom b car rie r ... ... ... ... ... 38
Unf uzin g th e bom b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 39
Su ppl y and stor age
Sup ply /. ... ...- ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 40
Sto rag e ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 41

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Fig.
1. Bomb, prac tice , airc raf t, smoke , or flash, 11 | lb., Mk. I (empty )

tt.
280

CY LI ND RI CA L
VAN E -

CAP----

VANE SU P P O R TS

TAIL TUBE

TAI L PL UG

CE NT RA L TU BE

TAIL C O N E

FIL LI NG PL UG

CENTRAL PLUG

GRU B SCR EW

SHE AR WIRE
GUI DE BU SH

S U S P E N S IO N LU G

P A R T IT IO N ------

STR IKE R ROO

LE AD F IL L IN G -
NO SE casting
PW WITHDRAWN AFTE

SA FE TY
A FE TY W IR E -

S P LI T PIN

S TR IK ER HE AD SA FE TY -HH

Fig. 1.—Bomb, practice, aircra ft, smoke, or flash, 11J lb., Mk. I (empty)
281

A.P.16 61B, Vol. I , Sect. 8


CHAPTER 2
BOMBS, PRACTICE, AIRCRAFT, SMOKE, 11 j lb., Mk. I , and
FLASH, 11J lb., Mk. I
Introduction
1. . Th e 11 | lb., Mk. I pr ac tic e bom bs, smo ke an d flash , are ide nti ca l ex ce pt for t he filling, and
are int en de d for gen era l bo mb ing pra cti ce. Th e smo ke bo mb is for use by day , an d exp lod es on
im pa ct wi th th e ta rg et an d sc at te rs th e filling wh ich, on exp osu re to th e atm os ph ere , form s a
clou d of wh ite smo ke. Th e flash bo mb is int en de d for ni gh t bom bin g pra cti ce, an d exp lod es on
im pa ct wi th th e ta rg et an d pro duc es a br ill ia nt wh ite flash. Ag ain st ar mo ur ed m ot or bo ats th e
hei gh t or r elea se of th e bom bs m us t no t exce ed 10,000 ft.

BOMB, PRACTICE, AIRCRAFT, SMOKE, 11J lb., Mk. I


Leading particulars
2. . St ore s Ref. , em pt y bom b 12B/197
Sto res Ref. , filled bom b 12B/198
W eig ht of bom b, em pt y 10 lb. 5 oz., ap pro x.
Le ng th ... 1 ft. 6 in.
Ma xim um di am ete r ... 3 in.
We igh t an d na tu re of filling 1 lb. tit an iu m te tra ch lo rid e
Ter mi na l vel oci ty 955 ft. pe r sec.

G EN ER AL D ES CR IP TI ON
3. Th e bom b, see fig. 1, con sist s of two ma in pa rts , nam ely , a nose cas tin g, wh ich is fit ted
wi th a str ik er ass em bly an d sa fe ty me cha nis m, an d a ta il cone whic h co ns tit ut es a co nt ain er for th e
filling an d is fit ted wi th a ce ntr al tub e, for a de to na to r bu rst er, an d wi th a ta il plu g ca rry ing a
cy lin dri cal va ne a t th e re ar end.

Nose casting a c t i v e l y . tt O T g o r t
read “safe ty plung er” and “tr ans it safety pm (x.n.
>F or “saf ety pm and “spli t pin ’ .m a n ax ial
this chapter . -•rCT’C’CtVX, an o aiod wi th rad ial holes, lead ing
.. ciXia-r’'ubre: wrncft ac co mm od ate a spr ing -lo ade d sa fe ty pi m an d a sp lit pin ^r es pe cti ve ly.
5. Th e re ar end of th e nose ca sti ng is th re ad ed in te rn al ly to rece ive th e sp igo t po rti on of a
ce ntr al plu g whi ch closes th e for wa rd end of th e ta il cone, an d an in teg ra lly for me d tra ns ve rs e
pa rt iti on is pro vid ed in th e nose cas tin g.
6. Th e pa rt it io n has a ce ntr al th re ad ed bor e fit ted wi th a gui de bu sh, an d equ i-sp ace d aro un d
th e ce nt ra l scre wed bore are fou r holes.
f
7. Th e int er ior spa ce bet we en th e pa rt it io n an d th e for wa rd end of th e nose cas ting , wi th th e
exc ept ion of an ax ial cle ara nce hole for a st ri ke r rod, is filled wi th lead, po ur ed in thr ou gh th e fou r
hole s in th e pa rti tio n.
8. Th e nos e c ast ing is fitt ed , ne ar it s re ar en d, wi th a s usp ens ion lu g, wh ils t a ta pp ed r ad ial hol e,
fit ted wi th a gru b screw , is pro vid ed for lock ing th e ta il cone wh en ass em ble d to th e nose cas ting .

Striker assembly and safety mecha nism


9. Th e st ri ke r ass em bly con sist s of a st ri ke r hea d, an d a str ik er rod whic h is po int ed at th e
re ar e nd. Th e for wa rd end of th e st ri ke r hea d is st rea ml in ed a nd t he r ea r end is red uc ed in dia me ter .
Two an nu la r groo ves, one in th e for wa rd po rti on of th e st ri ke r hea d an d th e ot he r in th e red uce d
po rtio n, reg ist er wi th th e rad ial hole s whi ch ac co mm od ate th e sp lit pin an d spr ing -lo ade d sa fe ty
pin, res pec tiv ely .
10. Th e sp lit pin, whi ch has an ins tru ct io n ta bl et at ta ch ed to its eye by a sp lit ring , enga ges
in its gro ove in th e str ik er hea d to re ta in th e str ik er in th e safe po sit ion . Th e spr ing -lo ade d sa fe ty
pin is hel d ou t of e ng ag em ent w ith its g roo ve in the s tr ik er h ea d by t he load ing s prin g, an d is se cur ed
by a s af ety wire whi ch enga ges in th e for ked pr ot ru di ng end of th e sa fe ty p in, pas ses rou nd th e nose
ca sti ng an d th ro ug h th e eye of th e sp lit pin, an d has its end s tw ist ed tog eth er.
11. Th e st ri ke r rod is scre wed int o th e rea r end of th e st ri ke r he ad an d ex ten ds, th ro ug h th e
ax ial cle ara nce hol e in th e lead , in to th e bo re of th e guid e bu sh in wh ich it is re tai ne d in th e safe
pos itio n by a sh ea r wire.
282

Tail cone
12. The shee t me tal tail cone, which con stit ute s the con tain er for the tit an ium tetra chlo ride ,
is closed at t he rea r end by a c onical steel tai l plug an d at t he f orwar d end by the c ent ral p lug which
screws into the rea r end of the nose castin g.
13. The c ent ral plug is bor ed and coun terb ored to acco mm odat e a ce ntr al' tub e, which exte nds
axia lly from this bore, thro ugh the tai l cone, and has its rea r end acco mmo dated in the tai l plug.
The co unte rbor e in th e cen tral plu g, and the c ent ral tub e, con stit ute a hold er f or a d eto nat or- bur ster ,
No. 28, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12G/207).
14. A ta ppe d hole, fitted with a filling plug , is pr ovid ed in the c entr al plug for filling pur poses.
15. Secured to the tail plug is a tail tub e havi ng four vane sup por ts which car ry a cylind rical
vane. The tai) tub e is closed at its rea r end by a cap.

Identifi cation colourin g and markings


16. Filled bomb s are pai nte d white and have two j in. green bands , J in. ap art , pain ted
cen tral ly round the tai l cone.
17. Em pty bombs are pai nte d white, and hav e no coloured bands .
18. The following mark ings are stam ped on the nose castin g, in fro nt of the suspens ion lug,
and on . the forw ard face of the cen tral pl ug :—
(i) “ 11£ lb. I ” .
(ii) The ma nu fac tur er’s initia ls or recognized tra de mark .
(iii) The yea r of man ufac ture.

Funct ioning
19. When the bomb is release d from the bomb carrier , th e safe ty pin is ejec ted by its sprin g
so a s to leave the stri ker held in the safe posi tion by the shea r wire only, the spli t pin havi ng been
removed, see par a. 25.
20. On imp act of the b omb w ith the t arg et, the s trik er head and s trik er rod are forced into t he
bom b so a s to bre ak the she ar wire and fire the det ona tor -bu rst er, which dis rup ts the tai l cone and
sca tter s the filling. The filling, on con tac t with the atmo sphe re, crea tes a whit e smoke cloud at
the poi nt of imp act. . •
INST RUC TION S FOR USE
Fuzin g the bomb
21. Slacke n the grub screw and unscrew the nose cashing fro m the tai l cone, holdin g the tail
un it by the tai l cone and no t by th e cylin drica l vane. Exa min e the filling plug and th e deto nato r-
bu rst er hold er for signs of corrosion due to leakage of the filling. If the re are signs of corrosion,
th e bo m b m u st n o t be use d ......... ................... ........................................................................
22. Cle an th e det o n at o r- b u rs te r ho ld er wi th a clea n dr y clot h. Ga ug e th e ho lde r, us ing a No. 17, Mk. I
det o n at o r ca vi ty ga ug e; if ga ug e does no t en te r free ly, se t bo m b as ide for A. I.S . in sp ec tio n. ( a . l . 140)
i'T.'''' I ns er t a ’ffet&Hatof-trnrslel',' 'aiTt¥dTt7tbb mb , No7 '28, Mk. T m fo'ff ie de ton ato r-b urs ter h older,
and replac e the nose castin g, screwin g it fully home and locking it with the gru b screw.

Loading the bomb on to the Light Series bomb carrier


24. The bomb should be loaded on to the Lig ht Series bom b carri er as descr ibed in A.P. 1664,
Vol. I, Chap. 2. The fron t cru tch fitte d to the Lig ht Series bomb car rier p resses the spring -loade d
safe ty pin into engag emen t with the groove in the stri ker head.
25. When the bom b is finally in posi tion on the bomb carrie r, and imm edia tely before the
aero plan e tak es off, remove the saf ety wire and spl it pfh and han d the la tte r eith er to the pilo t or
the bomb aime r for inser tion if the bomb is bro ugh t bac k unex pend ed.

, Unload ing the bomb from the Light Series bomb carrier
26. Before unloa ding the bomb , replace th e spl it pin in the nose end of the bomb. Then
engage a len gth of 20 s.w.g. coppe r wire in the slo tted end of the safe ty pin, pass each end of the
> wire thr ou gh the eye of t he spli t pin and t wi st the two ends of the wire tog eth er so a s to reta in the
safe ty pin in positio n, tak ing care th at the wire is tig ht enoug h to pre ven t the spl it pin' being with­
draw n from its groove in th e str ike r head . Then unlo ad the bom b from the carr ier as described
' in A.P.1664, Vol. I, Chap. 2.
Note.— The spl it pin and reta inin g wire are to be fitt ed to all pra ctic e bomb s loaded on the
air cra ft before any bom b is unload ed.
Warni ng.— Unex pend ed bomb s mu st be unfuz ed as soon as possible, and mu st no t be stored
wit h det ona tor -bu rst ers in positio n. Should it be requ ired, however, to hold bombs for
“r ea dy -u se ”, the inst ruc tion s given in Chap. 1 of thi s Sectio n mus t be followed. (a.l. 124)
283

A.P .166 1B, Vol. I, Sect. 8, Chap. 2


Unfuz ing the bomb
27. Ens ure th at t he bomb has been rend ered safe, see p ara . 26. Unlock a nd remov e the nose
casting , see par a. 21, and remove the det ona tor. Repla ce and lock the nose castin g.

SU PPL Y AND STORA GE


Supply
28. The bombs are supplie d packe d ten in Box, B.252, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12B/199).
Storage
29. Bombs, practic e, airc raft , smoke, 11| lb., Mk. I mu st be stor ed” in the ir boxes, pref erab ly
in op en-sided sh eds; if this ac comm odatio n is not av ailab le, the box ed bombs sho uld be sto red unde r
tarp auli ns, and be raised from the groun d zon batt ens.
30. As the likelihood of leakage increases with age, bombs which have been in stor e longest
should be used first, and stora ge arra nge men ts to faci lita te this should be made.

BOMB, PRACTICE, AIRCRAFT, FLASH, l l i lb., Mk. I


Leading particulars
31. Stores Ref., em pty bomb ... ... ... ... ... 12B/197
Stores Ref., filled bom b .................................................. 12B/201
Weig ht of bomb, em pty ... ... ... ... ... 10 lb. 5 oz., appr ox.
Len gth ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1 ft. 6 in.
Maxim um diam eter ... ... ... ... ... 3 in.
Weig ht and na tur e of filling ... ... ... ... 1 lb. mix ture of gun-po wder
and magne sium turn ing s
Term inal veloc ity ... ... ... ... ... ... 955 ft. per sec.

GE NE RA L DE SCR IPT ION


32. Th e'b om b, pract ice, airc raft , flash, 11J lb., Mk. I, is iden tical in con stru ction with the
111 lb., Mk. I prac tice smoke bomb. It differs only in th at i t is filled with a mix ture of g unpow der
and magne sium turn ing s inst ead of with tita niu m tetra chlo ride.

Identific ation colouring and markings


33. Filled bombs are pai nte d white, and have a red ring roun d the nose and two | in. black
rings, J in. ap art , round the tai l cone.
34. The marki ngs on the bomb are as described in par a. 18.

Funct ioning
35. The bomb functi ons as described in para . 19 and 20, exce pt th at , on impac t, a bri llia nt
whit e flash is produ ced.
INST RUC TION S FOR USE
Fuzin g the bomb
. 36. The bomb is fuzed, as describ ed in para. 21 to 23. Leakag e and corrosion will no t occur
with this bomb.
Loading the bomb on to the Light Series bomb carrier
37. Load the bomb on the bomb carr ier as describ ed in para . 24 and 25.
Unloadin g the bomb from the Light Series bomb carrier
38. Unload the bomb as describ ed in par a* 26.
Unfu zing the bomb
39. Ens ure th at the bomb has been rende red safe, see p ara. 26, and the n unfuze the bomb as
describ ed in para . 27.
SUP PLY AND STORA GE ,
Supply
40. The bombs are suppli ed packe d ten in Box, B.252, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12B/199).
Storage
41. The bombs are classified, for stora ge purpose s, in Group IX.
284
285

Iss ued with A .L . No. 20 A. P.1 66 1B , Vol. I, Sec t. 8


Au gus t, 1942
Rele vant amen dmen ts up to A .L . 72
incorp orated in this repr int
Jan ua ry, 1944

CHA PTE R 3

AP PA RA TU S, CHARG ING, PRACTIC E SMOK E BOMBS , No. 2, Mk. I

' LIST OF CONTENTS


Para.
Int ro du cti on ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... . .. ' 1
Gene ral des crip tion ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 8
Sta nd , Mk. I ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 9
Dru m, sto rag e, No. 4, Mk. II ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 10
Stop cock , dru m, stor age , Mk. I ... ... ... ... ............... ... ... ... ... 12
Charg er, Mk. I ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 13
Cha mbe r, air dry ing , Mk. I ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 19
Fillin g the air dry ing cha mb ers ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 20
Assem bling the ap pa ra tu s ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 22
Ins tru cti on s for use
Pr eca uti ons ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 23
Fillin g the sto rag e dr um on th e sta nd ... ... .. .' ... ... ... ... ... 25
Filli ng from a ho riz ont al ty pe dru m ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 26
Filli ng from a ve rtic al ty pe dru m ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 27
Charg ing ope rat ion s ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 28
Clean ing and ma int ena nce
Cleanin g ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 29
Ma inte nan ce ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 30
Su ppl y ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 35

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Fig.
1. Ap par atu s, char ging , pra cti ce smo ke bombs , No. 2, Mk. I
2. Stop cock , dru m, sto rag e, Mk. I, wi th coup ling to feed pipe
3. Char ger, Mk. I, wi th cha mbe r, air dry ing , Mk.- I, con nec ted
4. Char ger, Mk. I (fr agm ent ary side eleva tion)
CHA MBE R. AIR DRYING. Mk I

Fig. 1.—Apparatus, charging, prac tice smoke bombs, No. 2, Mk. I

286
287

A. P.1 66 1B , VoL I, Sect . 8

CHA PTE R 3

AP PA RA TU S, CHARGING, PRACTICE SMOKE BOMBS, No. 2, Mk. I


Intr odu ctio n
1. The No. 2, Mk. I chargin g app ara tus for prac tice smoke bombs is for use by Main tenan ce
Units only, to exped ite and faci litat e the chargi ng of smoke bombs with the corre ct qu an tit y of
tita niu m tetr ach lori de or oth er liquid so as to leave app roxi mat ely a ten per cen t air space in the
cont aine rs of the bombs.
2. The charg ing app ara tus consists of the following s tores, which are suppl ied sepa rate ly and
requi re to be assembled as detai led in para . 22:—
Nomenclature Stores Ref.
Charger, Mk. I .............................................................. 12B/202
Chamber, air dryin g, Mk. I (2 req uired per app arat us) 12B/203
Stopcock, drum , storag e, Mk. I ... ... ... ... 12B/205
Sta nd, Mk. I .............................................................. 12B/204
Drum , storag e, No. 4, Mk. II .............. ... ... 12F/86
3. In add itio n to the items detail ed in para . 2, t he following st ores will be requi red to enable
the ap pa rat us to be assembled
Nomenclature Stores Ref.
Two couplings to A.G.S.708D, each consis ting of:—
Coupling, brass, collar, pi pe ... ... ... ... 28/3562
Coupling, brass, sleeve, out er ... ... ... 28/3632
Coupling, nipple, ad ap ter ... ... ... ... 28/3582
| in. o/d x 20 S.W.G. copper tu be (le ngth as requ ired) 30B/409
A tool, tub e expa ndin g, Type B, small (Stores Ref. 1C/5506) will also be requ ired for flaring the
ends of the cop per tu be to sui t th e co uplings, and, if the st an d is to be b olted down, a n umbe r of bolts
and nu ts will be needed.
4. The air dryi ng cham bers employ the following ma ter ials :—
N omenclature Stores Ref.
Calcium chlorid e ... ... ... ... ... ... 33C/561
Glass wool ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 33C/562
Each air dryi ng cham ber require s to be filled with calcium chloride, between layers of glass wool,
before assembly on the app ara tus , and the filling requir es to be renewed. Ins tru cti ons for filling
and main tena nce of th e air dryin g chamb ers are given at para . 20, 21, a nd 30.
5. Afte r the app ara tus has been Assembled, the No. 4, Mk. II stora ge drum require s to be
filled with tita niu m tetr ach lori de by siphona ge from ano the r drum . Ins tru cti ons for perform ing
thi s oper ation and the prec autio ns to be observed are detai led in para . 23 t o 27.
6. Ins truc tion s for chargin g pract ice smoke bombs from the ap pa rat us are given in deta il in
para . 28.
7. The app ara tus require s periodic cleani ng and mai nten ance , and these poin ts are dea lt with
in par a. 29 and para . 30 to 34 respective ly.

GE NER AL DES CR IPT ION


8. The assemble d app ara tus is illu stra ted in«fig. 1, th e em pty storag e drum being moun ted
in t he crad le o f th e s tan d and conne cted, thr oug h the stop cock and t he cop per tu be which con stit ute s
a feed pipe, to the valve body of the charg er which is carrie d by an adj usta ble pla te on the stan d.
One of the air dryi ng cham bers is mou nted on the uppe r end of the charg er mea surin g chambe r,
and th e oth er is mou nted in one of the ven t openings in the drum .

Stan d, Mk. I, fig. 1


9. The sta nd consists of a cross-br aced angle-iro n framewo rk, wit h curved cradle members
for supp orti ng the drum , and drilled feet for bolt ing firmly to th e floor. A slo tte d plat e, which
proje cts beyond t he f ron t of th e sta nd, is m ount ed to slide on locatin g b olts on t he s tan d framewor k,
the forward end of th e pla te being drilled for fittin g the charger.
288

Drum, storage, No. 4, Mk. n, fig. 1


. 10. The No. 4, Mk. II, stora ge drum has in its cylin drical wall a cen trall y position ed filling
openi ng which is closed by a cover bolted down on to a seatin g. Two ven ts fitte d with screw-on
caps are provid ed, one a t e ach s ide ol th e filling opening, and one e nd plat e of th e drum has an out let
opening, fitte d with an inte rnal ly thre ade d drai n boss closed by a screw-in flanged drai n plug.
11. The drum is p ain ted black and bears on its side a brass plat e with the following m arkings
stam ped on it :—
(i) No. 4 II.
(ii) The ma nu fac tur er’s initia ls or recognized tra de mark.
(iii) The dat e of man ufac ture, mon th and year.
Note.— In add itio n to use wit h th is c hargin g ap par atu s, the dru m m ay be used for th e sto rage
or tra nsp ort of ti tan ium tetra chlo ride, stan nic chloride, or carbo n tetra chlo ride. When so use d
the drum bears oth er disti nctiv e markin gs, in the form of coloured band s, pain ted aroun d the
shell and across the ends, and app rop riat e letteri ng.
Stopcock, drum, storage, Mk. I, fig. 2
12. The stopco ck for connec tion to the s torage drum is flanged and thre ade d to screw i nto t he
dra in boss on the drufn, and the out let end of i ts bore is flared to receive th e ad ap ter nipple of t he
coupling to the feed pipe.

Fig. 2.—Stopcock, dr um, storage, Mk. I, with coupling to feed pipe

Charger, Mk. I, fig. 3 and 4


13. The charg er consists of a charg er body, fitt ed with a rot ary valve, an inlet connec tion, a
filter enclosed by a knur led screw-on cover, a meas uring c hambe r, and a dischar ge nozzle also fitted
with a knur led screw-on cover.
14. The charg er body has a tran sve rse tap er bore in which is housed the rot ary valve, of the
tap er plug type, which control s passages leading from this bore to the filter, the m easur ing chamb er,
and the nozzle, respe ctivel y; the arra nge men t being such th at in the OF F positio n of the valve all
thr ee passages are cut off from one ano ther , in the RE FI LL positi on the passages leadin g to the
filter and the me asurin g ch amb er are connec ted and t ha t to the nozzle is closed, an d in t he CH ARGE
positi on the p assages leading to th e meas uring cham ber and the nozzle are co nnect ed and th at t o the
filter is cut off. A fo urth passage in the charge r body, and which is also contro lled by the valve, is
aligned with the passage leading t o the filter and is no rmally closed b y a cleaning plug fitte d with a
sealing washer. A d rilled flange is pr ovid ed on the charg er body for conne cting it to the stan d.
15. The filter cover is screwed on to a spigot on ^he rea r end of the charg er body, whilst the
filter, which is in the form of a finely perf orat ed cylind er with a closed end, fits on to a plain boss on
the spig ot. This boss includ es the e ntra nce t o the passage leading fr om the filt er to th e valve, and a
passage leading from an inle t co nnectio n on t he left-h and side of t he cha rger body, when viewed from
the f ron t, leads int o th e space afforded between the filter cover and the filter. The inlet c onnect ion
is ad apt ed to be co nnect ed to the feed pipe by a c oupling simila r t o th at for c onne cting the feed pipe
to the stopcock.
16. The measu ring cham ber consists of a g rad uat ed glass cyl inder surro unde d by a m eta l g uard
cylind er which has inspec tion windows or openings. The guar d cylin der screws into a recess in the
top of th e charg er body and is locked by a r ing nut , wh ilst .the glass c ylind er rests upon a w asher in
a groove in the base of th e recess. A me tal cap, with a washer, fits in the top of th e guard c ylinde r
289

A.P .166 1B, Vol. I, Sect. 8, Chap. 3

SCR EW CAP

ST OP C OC K

-G U AR D CY LIN DE R

- G AU ZE DIS C

-G L A S S W O O L

-A IR DR YIN G C H AM BE R -

C A LC IU M CH LO RI DE

-G L A S S W OO L

- G AU ZE DIS C 1

- BAS E PIECE

- WASHE R

-C A P

-R IN G NUT

- WAS HER

l S T O P PIN

INDE X PLA TE

CL EA NI NG

CH AIN

F i g . 3 .— C h a r g e r , M k . 1, w i t h c h a m b e r , a i r d r y i n g , M k . I , c o n n e c te d

R (1661B)
290

and res ts wit h i ts w asher on th e u pper end of t he glass me asuri ng cy linder, whilst a rin g n ut is screwed
on to the upp er end of th e guard cylind er so as to clam p th e meas uring ch ambe r assem bly toge ther
as a whole and ensure liqu id-t igh t join ts at the en ds of th e meas uring cylinder. The met al cap has
a cen tral bor e which ext end s th roug h a screwed s pigot on its up per side for con nection to an air d rying
chamber.

17. The discharge nozzle is screwed into a spigo t on the unders ide of th e charge r body, and
the nozzle cover, which has a keeper chain att ach ed to it, screws on to th e spigot.

18. The spindle of the rot ary valve has an


ope rati ng hand le att ach ed to it, and a lso a po inter
which rides over an index pla te on the r igh t-ha nd
side of the charg er body. This inde x pla te bears
inscr iptio ns RE FIL L, OFF , and CHAR GE to
indi cate the setti ngs of the valve. Ex trem e posi­
tions of the valve, i.e. R EF IL L and CHARG E,
are dete rmin ed by a s top pin on the ch arger b od y;
in the RE FI LL positi on the rea r face of t he oper ­
atin g han dle engages the stop pin, and in the
CHAR GE positi on a spu r exten sion of the oper­
atin g hand le engages the stop pin. The nozzle
cover keeper chain is att ach ed to the index plate .

Chamber, air drying, Mk. I, fig. 3


19. Eac h air dryi ng cham ber consists of a
glass cylin der surro und ed by a me tal guar d
cylin der which has ins pectio n openings and screws
into a b ase piece. The glass cylin der rest s upon a
wash er in a groove in the base piece, and its
upp er end is engaged by a wash er carrie d in a
groove in a cap piece which fits with in the top of
the guar d cylinder , the air dryi ng cham ber
assem bly being clampe d tog ethe r as a whole by a
ring nu t which screws on to the upp er end of the
guar d cylind er. Two fine wire gauze discs are
fitte d in the glass cylinder , and both the base
piece and the cap piece each hav e a thro ugh
cen tral bore which is thr ead ed for some distan ce
from the out er end. A thr ead ed plug, with a
washer, is s crewed into the bore of the base piece
before assem bly of the app ara tus , and a small X-------- CHAIN
\. ./
stopc ock is screwed into the bore of the cap
piece. This sma ll stopc ock has a screw cap con­ Fig. 4.—Ch arger , Mk. I (fra gm ent ary
nect ed by a keep er chain to the cap piece of the side eleva tion)
air dryin g chamb er.

FIL LIN G TH E AI R DR YIN G CHAMBERS


20. Each of th e air dryi ng chamb ers require s filling with a charge of calcium chloride between
pads of glass wool, see fig. 3. The ca lcium chlo ride supp lied u nder Stores Ref. 33C/561 is of the qu alit y
known as commercial, fuzed, lump, and, as it is a very hygrosco pic subst ance, it mu st not be left
needles sly exposed to the air. The lumps used as a charge should be capab le of bein g passed th rou gh
a 1 in. diam ete r opening, bu t not thro ugh one of | in. diam eter. The glass wool is of or din ary com­
mercial quali ty.
21. The proced ure for filling an air dryi ng cham ber is as follows:—
(i) Unscrew the ring nu t from th e guar d cylind er and remove the cap piece. Also remove
the uppe r gauze disc from the glass cylinder.
(ii) Cover the lower gauze disc in the glass cyli nder w ith a lay er of glass wool to a d ept h of ab out
| in., the n pac k the cylin der with calcium chloride, shak ing it down lightl y to ensure a
comp act a rran gem ent of the lumps, unt il th e c ylind er is ch arged to ab out 1 in. fr om t he top,
and cover the calcium chloride with ano the r j i n. layer of glass wool. Repl ace th e uppe r
gauze disc to cover the upp er layer of glass wool.
291

A. P. 16 61 B, Vol. I, Sect. S, Chap. 3

(iii) Replace the cap piece and the ring nut , maki ng sure th at the glass cylind er is correct ly
seate d on its washers at b oth e nds. Tigh ten the ring n ut o nly sufficiently to ensure good
air- tigh t join ts betwee n the glass cylind er and its sealing washers, as over -tigh tenin g may
brea k the glass cylinder .
Note.—Thr oug hou t t he ab ove oper ation s t he plug, in the b ase piece, and the st opcock
cap should not be remov ed, and the stopco ck should be kep t closed.

ASSEMBL ING TH E APPA RATU S


22. The charging app ara tus should be assembled as follows:—
(i) Stan d the e mp ty No. 4, Mk. I I dru m on e nd, drai n plug upp ermo st, remove the d rain plug,
and screw in its place the stora ge drum stopcoc k, mak ing sure th at an efficient seal, is
obta ined b y c ompression of th e l ead was her, in t he flange of the stopc ock, agai nst the drai n
boss. Set the hand le of t he stopcock to the OF F position .
(ii) Mount th e s tan d in p osition on th e chargin g site , and ensu re t h a t i t is firm, s ecuring it with
bolts to a wooden base if necessary . If th e site is outdoo rs, th e fro nt end of th e sta nd,
see para . 9, should be dir ected in to t he wind, so as to ensu re t ha t any fumes given off by th e
ap pa rat us will be carrie d away from th e ope rato r when charg ing prac tice bombs. Hoist
the em pty No. 4, Mk. II dru m on t o th e st an d w ith t he stdpco ck dir ected beyo nd t he fro nt of
the sta nd and the filling opening cover and ve nt plugs upper most.
(iii) Secure th e charger, Mk. I to t he a dju stab le pla te on the s tan d by suita ble bolts and nuts.
(iv) Assemble the out er sleeves of the two couplings, wit h the ir coned pipe collars, on the
opposi te ends of th e feed pip e and flare th e ends of th e feed pi pe, wit h the tu be ex pand ing
tool, on t o th e coned i nner surfaces of the pipe colla rs, see fig. 2, and , wi th th e a da pte r nipples
in po sition , screw th e out er sleeves of t he couplings respec tively on to the sp igot por tion of
the stora ge dru m stopco ck and th e inlet conne ction of the charg er body.
'Note.— Such a l engt h of copp er t ub e is to b e used for t he f eed pipe as will ensure easy
bendi ng w itho ut dist orti on of the bore a nd will ad mi t of the slid ing p late on t he sta nd
being in a positi on to enable th e couplings to be easily and conv enie ntly broke n and
re-ma de when necessary.
(v) Lock th e adj usta ble plat e in position .
(vi) Remove the p lugs from the b ase pieces of th e charged a ir dryin g chambe rs, and screw one
air dr ying cham ber on to the top of the me asuri ng cha mbe r of the cha rger, see fig. 3. Remove
one of the ven t caps from the em pty storag e dru m on the sta nd and screw the oth er air
dryi ng cham ber on to the ven t. Undu e force is not to be used.
(vii) Confirm
nhrmththatatththe esto
storage
rage<aru m stopcocK ana the small sto pcock s on the ai r ary ing cham ber
are: all closed,
closed t h at t he nozzle cov er and t he c aps of th e small stopcoc ks are a ll in positio:
_ an dI screwed
scr ew ed home, and th at t he rot ary v alve of th e char ger is in the OF F p osition .
•rre cau ii„ iXa ii x o lt tU L ii U M ii_ ____
hO K ___ ~
U bh
qua nti ty, ca™s? lu n g ^ d a t i o ^ 1 he
a d ^ h ? a ^ n a " sea° n Splal hes T ? tit lff iun ^ t T ’ jj, b r ®a t h e d *n
eye may cause to ta l blindnes s F ir st ai d tw a tm o n i • Pl a s a e s o f tita niu m tetra chlo ride in the
w ish ing o ut t he e ye fo r“ t l e i i f iv T m in u ti w S wa ie r o i l ? o i l e l T " “ d i a “ , >'’ •>'
This tre atm en t should be followed by medical att en tio n as
“ S S X ’p’ S ' " ” ° b S " V e d W h “ h “ d l i "« tetra chlo ride a re d etaile d
----------- ■ --------- , __ J a .l .137)
24. Person nel engaged in filling storag e drum s, or filling pract ice bombs, with tita niu m
tetr ach lori de, mu st wear prot ecti ve equi pme nt consis ting of rub ber goggles (Stores Ref. 22G/73), a
service resp irato r, a rub ber apro n (Stores Ref. 22G/395), rub ber gloves (Stores Ref. 22G/866-869),
clogs (Stores Ref. 22D /414-424), and overalls (Stores Ref. 22G/722-733). Should any exposed pa rt
of t he body, or unp rote cte d clothin g, become con tam ina ted by the liquid, it mus t imm ediat ely be
thoro ughly rinsed in clean wat er. Grossly con tam inat ed cloth ing should b e removed from the bodv
before being rinsed, otherwise th e hea t developed may resu lt in skin burns.

Filling the storage drum on the stand


25. The stora ge dru m on the sta nd is, firstly, to be filled with tit an ium tetr achl orid e by
siphonage, eith er from a hori zon tal typ e stora ge drum , such as a No. 4, Mk. I or II. or from a vertic al
typ e storag e drujn , such as a No. 2, Mk. I or II.
292

Fillin g from a horizontal type drum «


*26. T o fill t he dru m on the sta nd from a No. 4, Mk. I or II hor izon tal typ e storag e drum , the
proce dure is as follows:—
(i) Wit h th e full d rum in th e h oriz onta l posi tion, ven ts u pperm ost, remove one of the ve nt caps
to release any pr essure from t he int erio r of the dr um, and the n replace th e ven t ca p. As a
conside rable gas pressu re ma y accu mula te in stora ge drum s con taini ng tit an ium tet ra -
. chloride, care mu st be e xercised, in opening th em, to avoid being splashe d with t he liq uid,
and the o pera tor should sta nd on the win dward side of th e d rum on which he is working .
(ii) Place th e full d rum i n a ho rizo ntal po sition, between chocks, on t he pl atfo rm of a Slingsbv
stack er, positi on t he st ack er as n ear as possible to the sta nd, a nd raise t he sta cke r pl atfor m
so as to s upp ort th e drum w holly above the level of th e filling open ing of th e dru m on the
stan d.
(iii) Remove the covers from the filling opening s of b oth drum s and place in positi on a siphon
pipe shape d to conn ect bot h filling ope nings. The siphon pipe should consist of a length
of s teel tubin g, 1 in. i/d, ben t to a U-shape with unequ al limbs, and the sho rter limb, or
inlet leg, of th e s iphon should have a cover, in t he form of a m etal disc, soldered on in such
a positi on th at , when the cover is bolte d down to the filling opening boss of the full drum
to close th e.op enin g, the i nlet-le g will reac h almo st to t he b ott om of th e liquid in the full
drum.
(iv) Remove one of the v en t caps fr om th e d rum on th e sta cker, co nnect a n a ir pum p to the vent,
using a suita ble a dap ter , a nd crea te sufficien t ai r press ure in th e full dr um to force the liquid
over th e b end of the siphon an d so se t up th e sipho nic ac tion. Remove the ai r pu mp as soon
as siphonag e has commenced. The siphonic actio n will conti nue auto mat ical ly un til the
drum on the stac ker is almos t emp ty, and smok y fumes will be em itte d from the filling
openin g of th e d rum on the sta nd t hro ugh out th is period. Imm edia tely th e end of th e i nlet
leg of the s iphon is u ncovere d by t he f alling liquid level, the sip hon will suck a ir, and t his
will cause a prono unced puff of smoke to be ejecte d from the dru m on the sta nd. This
smoke puff serves as a signal th at siphon age is complet ed.
(v) When siphon age is comp leted, remove the siph on pipe, and re place th e covers on the- filling
openi ng bosses of bo th drums . Also replace the ve nt cap on th e drum which has been
emptie d.
Filli ng from a vertical type drum
27. To fill the d rum on the sta nd from a No. 2, Mk. I or II vert ical t ype drum , the procedu re
is as follows:—
(i) Drill a hole cen trall y thro ugh a filling ca p from an unservi ceable No. 2 dr um, so t ha t the
cap c an be passed on to a le ngth of steel tube , of abo ut -5in. i/ d, a nd s weat the cap o n to the
tub e i n s uch a positi on th at when screwed on t o the filling neck of a No. 2 dru m t he en d of
the t ub e will be with in abo ut J in. of th e bot tom o f th e liquid in th e drum . Drill ano the r
hole thro ugh the cap and swea t int o thi s hole a sho rt leng th of copper tub ing , of about
J in. o/d, to serve as a pum p connect ion.
(ii) Place t he full drum on end cen trall y upon a sm all t ur nta ble which m ust be m ount ed on t he
platf orm of a stag ing erect ed alongside t he s tan d so t ha t the f ull d rum is su ppo rted above
the level of the filling opening of the dru m on th e stan d.
(iii) Shape the stee l tu be as a si phon ben d t o conne ct t he two dr ums, remove the filling op ening
cover fr om th e d rum on t he sta nd , a nd t he filling cap slowly a nd c arefull y from the dru m on
the tu rnt ab le, observ ing the p reca utio ns agai nst release of pre ssure deta iled in par a. 26 (i).
Place the ste el tub e in posit ion and r ot at e th e tur nta ble a nd vert ical d rum slowly, so as to
' cause th e cap, which is sweate d on t he steel tub e, to be screwed on t o the filling nec k of th e
drum .
(iv) Connect an ai r p um p t o the co pper t ube , sweate d in t he cap now on th e vert ical dr um, a nd
pum p in sufficien t air to s ta rt th e si phon. As soon as siphonag e comme nces d isconn ect th e
air pum p. Siphonag e will con tinu e and its comple tion will be ind icate d as described in
par a. 26 (iv).
(v) When siphona ge is c omplet ed, rot ate the tu rn tab le to unscrew t he filling cap from th e filling
neck of th e v erti cal drum , a nd remove the steel p ipe. Replace th e cov er of the dr um on th e
sta nd and the original cap on the ver tica l drum .

Charging operations
28. The ap pa rat us is used for charg ing the cont aine rs of prac tice smoke bombs as follows:—
(i) Ens ure t h at the ope rati ng han dle of t he charg er is in the OF F position .
(ii) Remove th e caps from the sma ll st opcock s on the a ir dryi ng chamb ers, set these stopco cks
to th e open positio n, and remove the cover from the discharge nozzle.
293

A.P .166 1B, Vol. J, Sect. 8, Chap. 3


(iii)Turn the storag e drum stopco ck to the ON position.
(iv) Move t he oper ating han dle of t he charg er to the R EF IL L positio n to allow the liquid to
flow from the dr um on the stan d, by wa y of the f ilter and valve , in to th e m easur ing cham ber.
Tur n the oper ating hand le to the OF F positi on when the rising level of liquid in the
meas uring cham ber reaches the grad uati on mark .
(v) Place a pra ctic e bo mb con tain er u nder the cha rger so t ha t t he dischar ge nozzle is well inside
its filling hole, and tu rn the ope ratin g han dle of the char ger to the CHAR GE position.
Ensu re th at the charge r is em pty before removin g the prac tice bomb conta iner.
(vi) To charge fur the r prac tice bom b conta iners , rep eat, the opera tions detai led in para . 28
(iv) and (v).
(vii) If chargi ng op erati ons are ^ ispe nde d, the o pera ting han dle mu st be tu rne d OFF , the nozzle
cover mus t be replaced , and the stopcoc ks on the air dryin g chamb ers closed a nd capped.
If suspe nsion $ charg ing op erati ons is for oth er t ha n o nly a sh ort period the ap par atu s m ust
be cleaned, see para . 29.

CLEA NING AND MAINT ENANC E


Warning .— The liquid which is used for c leaning the c hargin g a ppa rat us is ca rbon tetra chlo ride ,
and as it has prope rties similar to those of tit an ium tetra chlo ride , the pre caut ions detai led in para,
23, 24, and 26, mus t be o bserved when perfo rmin g cleaning o perat ions with this liquid.
Cleaning
29. To clean the app arat us, perfor m the following ope rati ons :—
(i) Tu rn the stora ge drum stopc ock to the OF F position.
(ii) Remove the air dryi ng cham ber from the charg er and replace its plug in the base piece,
see par a. 19.
(iii) Disconn ect the coupling at the stora ge dru m stopco ck and, by freeing and sliding the
adju stab le plat e on the sta nd, draw the char ger forwar d a sho rt distanc e.
(iv) Remove the cover from the discharg e nozzle, tu rn th e ope rati ng han dle to the RE FI LL
position , and th en to th e CHAR GE positio n, repe atin g these hand le opera tions several
times, to ensure th at as much resid ual t ita niu m tetra chlo ride is drain ed away as is possible.
(v) Connect a suit able funne l to the free end of the feed pipe by a sho rt rub ber tube . Using
carbon tetr ach lori de (Stores Ref. 12F/40) in the funnel, ope rate t he hand le on the c harger,
as described in para . 28 (iv) and (v), sever al time s, ignori ng the gra dua tion ma rk and
allowing t he meas uring cham ber to fill to cap aci ty each tim e the valve is in the RE FI LL
position . Collect the discharge from the nozzle in a suit able recepta cle.
(vi) Remove the filter cover and filter and wash the filter in carbo n tetra chlo ride.
(vii) It should not be necess ary to dism antle the app ara tus an y fur the r at every cleaning, bu t
periodica lly th e val ve in t he c harge r should be cleaned out. This can be effected b y remo ving
the cleaning plug from the f ron t of th e char ger and u sing a su itabl e brus h dippe d in carbo n
tetra chlo ride . Replace the cleaning plug.
(viii) The No. 4, Mk. II stora ge dru m and its stopc ock should be washed out as necessary w ith
carbo n tetra chlo ride .
(ix) After cleaning, the a pp ara tus should be re-assembl ed as described in para . 22 (iv) to (vii) so
far as is applicable.

Maintenance
30. The calcium chloride in the air dryin g cham bers will not requir e to be renewed unt il half
of it appe ars to be wet'. Prov idin g the air dryi ng cham bers are kep t corre ctly closed when no t in
use, the calcium chloride charges should serve un til the con ten ts of a num ber of drum s have been
deca nted thr oug h th e charger.
31. Two spare grad uate d glass meas uring cylinders are supplie d with the charge r, and two
spare glass cylinders are supplied with each of t he air dryi ng chamb ers. Whe n fitti ng any of th ese
cylinders undue force mu st not be used in clamp ing the m in positio n, and when fitti ng a measur ing
cylind er care mus t be tak en to ensure th at it is mou nted with the gra dua tion ma rk in the correc t
position.
32. The sealing washers for th e char ger and for the air dryi ng cham bers may requ ire renewal
ffom time to time. Spare rub ber washers, for this purpose , should be obta ined locally.
294

33. To faci lita te remov al of screw caps and plugs, the thre ads should be tre ate d periodically
with a lub rica nt consis ting of:—
Grap hite, powdered ... ... (Stores Ref. 33C/81) 33 per cent, by weight
Oil, lu bric ating , M.T. m edium ... (Stores Ref. 34A/36) 66 per cent, by weight-
34. Complete dism antli ng of the charge r should no t be und erta ken unless this is absolu tely
necessary.
SUP PLY
35. The app arat us, charging , prac tice smoke bombs, No. 2, Mk. I, is issued to Mainte nance
Uni ts chargin g prac tice smoke bombs, with supplies of calcium chloride and glass wool, and the
necessary spares and ancil lary stores, as detai led in para. 2 and 3.
295

Th is le af iss ued with A .L . No. 80 A.P. 166 1B, Vol. I, Sect. 8


M ay , 1944

!*
P4 CHAPTER 4

BOMBS, PRACTICE, AIRCRAFT, SMOKE, BR EAK -UP , 81 lb., Mk. I and II, and
£
I—I FLAME, BR EA K-U P, 8 | lb., Mk. I l l
s 8

I—I LI ST OF CO NT EN TS
Par a
In tr o d u ct io n .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . 1
BO MB , PR A C T IC E , A IR C R A F T , SM OK E, B R E A K -U P , 8£ lb. , Mk
L ea di ng par ti cu la rs 3
Ge ne ra l de sc ri pt io n 4
No se ... 5
S tr ik er as se m bl y an d sa fe ty de vi ce s 6
C en tre an d re ar bo dy po rt io ns 10
Id en ti fi ca ti on co lo ur in g an d m ar kin gs. .. 13
F unc ti on in g 16
a
T)
Su pp ly 18
a St or ag e 19
a BO MB , PR A C T IC E , A IR C R A F T , SM OK E, B R E A K -U P , 8 J lb. , Mk II
C om pa ris on w it h th e Mk. I sm ok e bo m b 20
BO MB , PR A C T IC E , A IR C R A F T , FL A M E, B R E A K -U P , 8 | lb „ Mk I I I
C om pa ris on w it h , t h e Mk. I sm ok e bo m b 24
St or ag e 2?
< <D+C2
) 4-> LI ST OF IL LU ST RA TI O N S
> rt q
Fig.
o 03a 1. Se ct io na l vi ew of Mk. I sm ok e bo m b
Pm-,
5 O q) 2. No se of Mk. I I sm ok e or Mk. I l l fla me bo m b fi tt ed w it h st ri k er a tt a c h m e n t

LI ST O F A PP E N D IC E S
Not e.— A lis t of co nt en ts ap pe ar s a t th e be gi nn ing of eac h ap pe nd ix
>Tj CD
A P P E N D IX 1— In st ru ct io ns for use
a) c
1X O
! a -o
i S
i o
o
' 3 43
>S W
• T3
;J S<—ooO
s 33
296

C Y LI ND R IC AL VANE

VANE SUPPO RT

VANE T UBE

AI R SPACE

TIT AN IU M TE TR AC HL OR IDE

BODY, REAR PO RTI ON

PERFO RATED DISK

D E TO N AT O R BURST ER
HO LD ER
LE A D -A N TI M O N Y BAL LS

SUSPENSION BAND

SECU RING SCREW

SUSP ENS ION LU C


DE TO NA TO R BURSTER
N? 23 ,M K. I

BODY, C E N TR E PORT ION

FIBRE PEC

BODY, NOSE PO RT IO N / IE B0M 313 MOT tWOPPEOS


REPLACE SPLIT PIN BEFORE
LE A D SHO T F"\REMOVING FROMCAPR1ES
MkSE CUH SAFETY PIN
STR IKE R POD \W T H SUITABLE WIRE
WIPE SURROUNDING B0 M$ \
SA FE TY WIRE ,
TO B£ REMOVED SSP UT
SA FE TY PIN WITHDRAWN AFTSR
SOMS HAS BEEN PLACED
SA FE TY - fW s P R IN C ON CARRIER________ )
PLU A'^ p N

STRIKER HEA D R A W r <


T

Fig. 1—Section al view oi Mk. I smok e bomb


297

This leaf issued with A .L . No. 131 A.P .16 61B , Vol. I, Sect. 8
December, 1945

CHAPTE R 4

£ BOMBS, PRACTICE, AIRCR AFT, SMOKE, BR EA K-U P, 8J lb., Mk. I and II, and
Ph ’- i
H K' FLAME, BR EA K-U P, 8 i lb., Mk. I l l
If l
Intro duct ion
1. The 8| lb. break -up prac tice bombs are to be used for low alti tud e pract ice bombing against
armoured motor boats, submarines, and simila r targ ets where a bomb is required to break up on
impact, with out causing damage to the targ et.
2. The smoke bombs are for use b y day ; on “ brea k-up ” of a smoke bomb, the filling produces
a white smoke cloud, indica ting the point of impac t of the bomb. The flame bomb is intended for
night pract ice bombing, and on “ brea k-up ” the fillin g ignites on cont act with wate r to give a flame
lasti ng about 15 sec. which is sufficient to indic ate the point of impact.

BOMB, PRACTICE, AIRCRA FT, SMOKE, BR EA K-U P, 8 i lb., Mk. I


Lead ing particula rs
3. Stores Ref. , em pty bomb ... ............... 12B/327
Stores Ref., filled bomb ............... 12B/328
Ove rall length ... 1 ft. 4 in.
Maximu m diamete r 3-0 in.
Weigh t, empt y ... 7 lb., approx .
’ p?.s Wei ght and nature of filling ... 1 lb. titaniu m tetrach loride
Termin al vel oci ty 784 ft. per sec.

„ j) .9
§ £? General descript ion, fig. 1
u 1) CO 4_>
4. The bomb consists of three main parts, nam ely, a nose portion housing a strike r assem bly
and saf ety devices, a centre portion, and a rear portion. The rear portion carries the tai l assemb ly.
The bomb body is made of moulded plas tic mate rial and the tai l of steel.
Nose
5^‘ 5. The nose of the bomb is threade d inte rna lly for screwing on to the centre portion. An
annula r groove is formed on the inside of the nose portion and is filled with lead shot, secured in
position with wax.

Striker assembly and safety devices


6. The strike r assem bly consists of a strik er head to which is attac hed a pointed strike r rod.
. (a 7. The strike r head is accomm odated in a counterb ore in the nose portion of the bomb body.
Two grooves are machined on the strike r head, one to accomm odate a sprin g-loaded safe ty pin* and
the other for a split pin.* A phosphor-bronze shear wire passes through the strike r head and the
nose portion of the body and retains the strik er asse mbly in the “ safe ” position after withd rawa l
of the spli t pin.
8. The safe ty devices consist of the shear wire, split pin and spring-loaded saf ety pm.
9. Both the spli t pin and the safe ty pin are kept in position by a safe ty wire, the split pin
being held so as to engage wit h its groove in the strike r head to retain the strike r assem bly in the
“ safe ” position. The saf ety pin does not engage with its groove in the strik er head until afte r the
bomb has been loaded on to th e aircraf t, when t he plunger is depressed by cont act with th e underside
of the front crutc h of the carrier. An instruction tab let is attac hed to the split pin by a split ring.

Centre and rear body portions


10. The centre portion is hollo w for most of its length. The closed forward end is bored to
receive the head of a detonato r-burste r, and a meta l detonat or-btirs ter holder is moulded into a
Q boss formed on the inside of the closed end. The closed end is also drilled and tapped to receive a
W
H filling plu g, w hich is screwed firmly into p osition after the bo mb has been filled. This end of the centre
O portion is thread ed ext ern ally for atta chm ent to the nose portion which, when assembled, is held
i—i
agains t loosening, due to vibra tion, by a fibre peg, which is inserted in the centre portion flush with
H the top of the threads. The other end of the centre portion is thread ed inte rna lly for screwing
co on to the rear portion of the body, the join t being sealed with cement.
W

* For "safety pin” and "split pin” read "safe ty p lunger” and “tran sit safety p in”, respectively, through out
this chapter.
298

11. The rea r port ion of t he body is hollow and is closed at the tai l end, the tai l of the bomb
being mould ed into the closed end. The oth er end of the rea r porti on is thre ade d ext ern all y for
screwing in to the c entre p ortio n, and a g roove is form ed on t he outsi de to tak e the su spensio n band
and lug, which is l ocked in position by a securing screw. App roxi mat ely half-w ay along the inside
of the re ar porti on, is a p erfo rated disc lo cated on a sh ould er fo rmed in t he body. This disc s uppo rts
the end of the det ona tor- bur ster holder . The space in the centr e and rea r port ions of the body,
betwe en the closed end of the cent re port ion and the perf orat ed disc, is filled with lead -ant imo ny
balls . The in tersti ces betwe en th e ball s, a nd th e rem aind er of the space in the rear portio n of the body,
are filled with tita niu m tetr ach lorid e, with the exceptio n of a 10 per cent, air space.
12. The tai l assem bly consists of a vane tube which is mould ed into the rea r portio n of the
bomb body, and a cylin drica l vane which is att ach ed to th e vane tub e by vane supp orts.
Ide ntif ica tion colo uri ng and ma rki ngs
13. The exte rior of the bomb body is pain ted white and, when the bomb is filled, two green
bands , j in. wide, are pain ted roun d the rea r porti on.
14. The following ma rking s are st encil led on th e b omb body, in f ront of t he suspensio n ba nd :—
(i) "8 J lb. I ”. -
(ii) The ma nuf act ure r’s initi als or recognized tra de mark.
(iii) The yea r of man ufac ture.
15. On the bomb body, behin d th e suspen sion band, the mark ing “B RE AK -U P” and the
following infor mati on is ste nci lle d:—
(i) The monogra m of t he filling stat ion , or the i niti als or recognized tra de mar k of th e filling
cont racto r.
(ii) The dat e of filling, mon th and year.
(iii) The lot numbe r.
Fu nc tio nin g
16. When a bomb is releas ed from its carr ier, the safe ty pin is eject ed by its spring, leaving
the stri ker a ssem bly held in the "sa fe” posit ion by the shea r wire only, the s plit pin havin g alre ady
been removed.
17. On im pact of the bo mb with th e tar get , the s trik er head and s trik er rod are forced i nto th e
bomb so as, successively, to bre ak the shea r wire, fire the det ona tor- bur ster , and thu s dis rup t the
bomb body, scat teri ng the filling. As soon as the filling comes into con tact with the atmos phere ,
a w hite smoke cloud is pro duced.
Supply
18. The bombs are suppli ed packe d four in Box B.427, Mk. I.
Stora ge
19. The stora ge inst ruc tion s and hand ling prec autio ns applic able to these bombs are con­
tai ne d in Chap. 1 of this Section. In add itio n, due to the corrosive actio n of tit an ium te tr a­
chloride on t he compo und used for sealing the joi nts between the nose, centre , and tai l portio ns
of the bomb, the following condi tions res tric ting the life of a filled bomb are to be obse rved :—
(i) In tem per ate climate s, the max imum life of a filled bomb is thre e mon ths. Since the
dat e of filling, which is stencill ed on the bomb box, quote s only the mo nth and year,
the dat e of red und anc y of a filled bom b is to be tak en as the las t day of the second
mon th aft er the mo nth of filling; for example , a bomb filled in April 1945 is mark ed
“F illed 4/45” and is to be consid ered unserv iceabl e afte r 30th Jun e 1945. Over-age
bombs are to be empt ied and disposed of as salvage.
(ii) In trop ical climate s, bombs are to be filled onl y for imm ediat e use, owing to the acceler­
ated actio n of tita niu m tetr ach lori de on the join ting compo und when the bombs are
store d und er trop ical conditio ns.
BOMB, PRACTIC E, AIR CRA FT, SMOKE ,*B RE AK -U P, 8J lb., Mk. II
Comp arison wi th the Mk. I sm ok e bomb
20. The Mk. II smo ke bo mb is identi cal in co nstr uctio n w ith the Mk. I b omb excep t for a dif fer­
ence in the str ike r mechan ism, an alum inium inst ead of a p hosph or-bro nze shea r wire, and th at the
filling plug is provid ed w ith a lead sealing washer. Wit h t hese excep tions, the info rmat ion contai ned
in para . 1 and 2, and p ara. 4 to 12, a pplie s e qua lly to this b omb. The difference in t he design of the
stri ker mecha nism neces sitate s the fittin g of a stri ker att ac hm en t into the str ike r head, which is
bored and thre ade d to receive it. For tra ns it purpo ses, the stri ker att ac hm en t is not assemb led,
and the stri ker head is plugged by a tra ns it screw.
21. Striker attachment, fig. 2. The att ac hm en t consi sts of a rod, fitte d at one end with a ball
nose. The op posite end is thr ead ed, for screwing th e a tta ch me nt into the strik er h ead, and is provide d
with a lock-nu t.
P963 6 M /G384S 2/46 7900 C& P Gp. 1
299

Th is lea f issue d with A .L . No. 80 A.P.16 G1B, Vol. I, Sect. S, Chap. 4


M ay , 1944

22. Th e lea din g pa rt ic ul ar s for th is bo mb wh ich diffe r from tho se giv en for th e Mk. I smok e
bo mb in pa ra. 3, are as follo ws —
Sto res Ref ., em pt y bo mb ... ... ... 12B/480
Sto res Ref ., filled bo mb ... ... ... ... 12B/481
Ov era ll len gth , wi th st ri ke r at ta ch m en t ... 1 ft. 7 in., app rox .

23. Fo r pa rti cu la rs of ide nti fic ati on col our ing an d ma rki ng s, fun ctio nin g, su pp ly an d sto rag e,
refe ren ce sho uld be ma de to pa ra . 13 to 19, w hich als o ap pl y to th is bo mb ex ce pt for th e fol low ing
diffe renc es:—
(i) Th e ap pr op ria te m ar k nu m be r is ste nc ill ed on th e bo mb bod y.
(ii) Th e bo mb fun cti ons as de scr ibe d in pa ra . 16 an d 17 ex ce pt th a t th e st ri ke r at ta ch m en t
is des ign ed to pr od uce de to na tio n, an d di sr up tio n of th e bo mb bod y, bef ore im pa ct of th e
bo dy w ith th e ta rg et .
(iii) Th e bom bs are su pp lie d wi th a t ra n si t s crew in p os itio n in th e st ri ke r h ead , and are p ack ed
fou r i n Box B.4 27 Mk. II . Fo ur st ri ke r at ta ch m en ts a re p rov isio ned s ep ar at el y in th e box
in th e spe cial co m pa rtm en ts pro vid ed.

BOMB, PRACTIC E, AIR CRA FT, FLA ME , BR EA K- UP , 8J lb. , Mk. I l l


Compa rison wi th the Mk. I sm ok e bomb
24. Th e i nf orm ati on co nt ain ed in p ar a. 1 an d 2, a nd p ar a. 4 to 12, app lie s e qu all y to t he Mk. I l l
flam e b om b, wh ich has t he s am e co ns tru cti on a s t he Mk. I sm oke b om b, ex cep t f or a diff eren ce in the
st ri ke r me cha nis m, an al um ini um in ste ad of a ph os ph or- bro nze sh ea r w ire, an d th a t t h e filli ng plu g is
pro vid ed w ith a lea d se ali ng was her . Th ese diffe renc es ar e th e sam e as th os e al re ad y me ntio ned
for th e Mk. II s mok e bo mb a nd a tt en ti on is, the ref or e, als o dir ec ted to p ar a. 20 a nd 21. In a dd itio n,
th e Mk. I l l flame bo mb diffe rs from th e Mk. I sm oke b om b in th e fol low ing re sp ec ts: —•
(i) Th e fl ame b om b is f illed w ith sod ium ph os ph ide soa ked in h ea vy oil, ins tea d of wi th tit an iu m
te tra ch lo rid e.
(ii) Th e sc rew -th rea ds an d face s of th e jo in t be tw een th e ce ntr e an d re ar bo dy po rti on s are
sea led wi th mi ne ral je lly ins tea d of cem ent .
300

25. Th e lea din g pa rti cu la rs for th is bom b wh ich are dif fer ent from tho se lis ted for th e Mk. I
smo ke bo mb in pa ra . 3, are as foll ow s —
Sto res Re f., em pty bom b ... ... ... 12B/482
Sto res Ref ., filled bo mb ... ... ... ... 12B/483
Ov era ll len gth , w ith str ik er at ta ch m en t ... 1 ft. 7 in., app rox .
We igh t an d na tu re of filling ... ... ... J lb. sod ium ph osp hid e/o il
26. Th e pa rti cu la rs of ide nti fic ati on col our ing an d ma rki ngs , fun cti on ing an d su pp ly give n in
pa ra . 13 to 18 also ap pl y to th is bo mb wi th th e follo win g exc ept ion s:—■
(i) Th e ex ter ior of th e bom b bo dy is pa in te d wh ite, w ith a red ban d, £ in. in wi dth , pa in ted
rou nd th e nose , w hil st th e ta il is p ai nt ed red an d ha s th e wo rd “F LA M E” ste nc ille d on it.
(i>) The ap pr op ria te ma rk nu m be r is ste nc ille d on th e bo mb bod y.
(hi) The bo mb fun cti on s as des crib ed in pa ra . 16 and 17, ex ce pt th a t th e st ri ke r at ta ch m en t
is des ign ed to p rod uce de to na tio n, an d di sr up tio n of th e bo mb bod y, bef ore im pa ct of th e
bod y wi th th e ta rg et . Also, th e sod ium pho sph ide /oi l fill ing, o n co nt ac t wi th w ate r, igni tes
(hi')' W it h a c l e a n d r y c l o t h - G a u §e t h e h o l d e r
to a tn re M “ 7 a No " n 'i ir 'k 'r
le to n 7 y H gaU F ; d 0 6 S n o t e n t e r f r e e l y ’ s e t b o m b a s i d e for A. I.S in sp ec tio n
(IV) In se rt de to naa to r- bu rs te r, a. rc ra ft bom b, No. 28, Mk. 1 in to de to nat or- burs te r ho ld er P ( , ,
A 40)

27 The bombs mus t be stored in thei r boxe s under cover; if roofed storag e is not availab le,
the bo xed bombs may be stored in th e op en under tarpaul ins. Ba tte ns are to be used in all instan ces
to raise the boxe s clear of the ground and dry storag e is essen tial. The bombs are to be exam ined
periodi cally for leakage.
301

This leaf issued with A .L. No. 80 A.P.1 661B, Vol. I, Sect. 8, Chap. 4
May, 1944
APPE NDIX 1

INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE

LIS T OF CON TEN TS


Par a.
Fu zi ng a bo m b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1
Lo ad in g a bo m b on to th e L ig ht Se rie s bo m b ca rr ie r ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 2
Un lo ad in g a bo m b fro m th e L ig ht Ser ies bo m b ca rr ie r. .. ... ... ... ... ... ... 4
Un fu zing a bo m b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 6

Fuzi ng a bomb
1. To fuze an 8| lb. practice bomb, proceed as follows:—
(i) The nose portion of the bomb is to be examined visua lly to ensure that all the safety
devices are present.
(ii) Unscrew the nose portion.
Note.-— When fuzing a smoke or flame bomb, the filling plug and detonator-burster holder
must be examined for signs of corrosion and/or leakage of the filling. If there are any
signs of corrosion or leakage, the bomb must not be used.
(iii) Clean the detonator-burster holder with a clean dry cloth.
(iv) Insert a detonator-burster, aircraft bomb, No. 28, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12G/207), into the
detonator-burster holder.
(v) Replace the nose, po sitioning it so tha t the safety pin is in alignment with the suspension
lug on the suspension band of the bomb.
Note.— After fuzing the Mk. II smoke or Mk. I ll flame bomb, fit the striker attachm ent
by first removin g the transit screw and th en screwing the attachm ent into the striker head,
locking it in position with its lock-nut. During this assembly, care must be taken not to
break the shear wire, the attachm ent being screwed in finger-tight only.

Loading a bomb on to the Light Series bomb carrier


2. A bomb is to be loaded on to the Ligh t Series bomb carrier as described in A.P . 1664, Vol. I,
Chap. 2, so th at the spring-loaded safety pin is depressed by contact with the underside of the front
crutch o f the carrier. The sa fety pin is thus engaged with the groove in the striker head, maintaining
the striker rod in the "sa fe" position while the bomb is being carried on th e aircraft.
3. When the bomb is fina lly in po sition on the bomb carrier, and immediately before the aircraft
takes off, remove the safet y wire and split pin and hand t he latter either t o the pilot or bomb-aimer.
The sp lit p in is the n avail able for insertion into the bomb, should it be necessary to unload the bomb
from the aircraft.

Unloading a bomb from the Light Series bomb carrier


4. Before unloading a bomb, replace the split pin in the nose end of the bomb. Then engage
a length of 20S.W .G. copper wire in the slotted end of the safet y pin. Pass each end of the wire
through the eye of the split pin and twist the two ends of the wire toge ther so as to retain the safety
pin and split pin in position, taking care th at the wire is ti ght enough to prevent the split pin being
withdrawn from its groove in the striker head.
Note.— The above procedure is to be follo wed for all practice bombs on the aircraft and is to be
completed before a ny one bomb is unloaded. On no account is a bomb to be rendered safe and
5. Unload the bomb from the bomb carrier as described in A.P.1664, Vol. I, Chap. 2.
Unexpended bombs must be unfuzed as soon as possible, and must not be stored
W a r n in g ._
with detonator-bursters in position. Should it be required, however, to hold bombs for
"rea dy- use ” „ the instructions given in Chap. 1 of this Section must be followed. (a .l .124)

Unfuzin g a bomb
6. Before unfuzing a bomb, ensure that it has been rendered safe, as described in para. 4, then
proceed as fo ll o w s—
(i) Unscrew the nose portion.
302

(ii) Re mo ve th e de to na to r-b ur ste r. Force mu st not be used in removi ng the detonato r-burste r.
If dif ficu lty is e xpe rien ced in so doin g, th e bo mb m us t be t re at ed a s un ser vic eab le an d mu st
be de str oy ed as des crib ed in A.P. 260 8A, Chap . 19.
Note .— W he n unf uzin g a sm oke or flame bom b, th e de to na to r- bu rs te r af te r rem ova l mu st
be exa mi ned for co nt am in ati on by th e filli ng; if co nt am in ate d, it is to be de str oy ed as
des cri bed in A.P .260 8A, Chap . 19.
(iii) Re pla ce th e nose af te r rem ovi ng th e st rik er at ta ch m en t if unf uzin g Mk. II sm oke an d
Mk. I l l flame bom bs.
(iv) Af ter rep lac ing th e nose of th e Mk. II sm oke an d Mk. I l l flam e bom bs, screw th e tr an si t
screw int o th e st rik er he ad . In doi ng thi s, car e m us t be ta ke n no t to br ea k th e she ar
wir e an d th e screw is to be fin ge r-t igh t only .
303

Thi s chapter issu ed with A .L . No, 40 A.P.1 601B , Vol. I, Sect. 8


September, 1942
Rele vant amend ments up to A .L . 72
incorpor ated in this repr int
Ja nu ar y, 1944

CHAPTER 5

BOMB, PRACTICE, AIRCRAFT, A.T., 9 lb., Mk. I

LIS T OF CONTENTS
Para .
In tr oduct io n ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1
Le ad in g pa rt ic ul ar s ... ... ... ................ ... ... ... ... ... ... 4
Ge ne ra l de sc rip tio n ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 5
Bo m b bo dy ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 6
Fil lin g ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .. ." ... ... ... 7
T a i l ................................................................... ........................................................................................................... 8
R et ar der an d sa fe ty tu be ... ... ... • ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 9
Id en tif ic at io n co lo ur in g an d m ar ki ng s. .. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 12
Fu nc tio ni ng ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 15
In st ru ct io ns for use
L oa di ng th e bo m bs in to th e 250 lb. Sm all Bo m b C on ta in er ... ... ... ... ... 17
U nl oa di ng th e bo mb s fro m th e 250 lb. Sm all B om b C on ta in er ... ... ... ... ... 19
Su pp ly an d st or ag e
Su pp ly ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 20
St or ag e ... ' ... ... ................ ................ ... ... ... ... ... .. . 22

LIS T OF ILLU STRA TION S


F»g.
1. ~ F im b p 1,1 l ir-TT jin I -ft, ,1k T ft- 111 Mt T AT- t C i
304

NESTED BOMBS PLAN (REAR BOMB)


Fig. 1.—Bomb , pra ctic e, air cra ft, A.T., 9 lb., Mk. I
305

A.P.16 61B, Vol. I, Sect. 8

CHAPTER 5

BOMB, PRACTICE, AIRCRAFT, A.T., 9 lb., Mk. I


Introduction
1. This store is a simu lator , for day tim e bombin g practic e, of the bomb, H.E ., airc raft , A.T.,
9 lb., Mk. I described in Sect. 11, Chap. 2. It is app rox ima tely of t he same shape, size, and filled
weight, and has app roxi mate ly the same ballistic chara cteri stics .' It is dropp ed from th e 250 lb.
Small Bomb Conta iner, divided into thre e com part men ts, each of which holds eight b ombs arrang ed
in pairs, the bombs of each pai r being neste d tog eth er with the nose of one fitti ng freely into the
tail of t he o ther , so t ha t the y commence t o fall toge ther . The rea r bomb of ea ch pair is f itte d with
means for reta rdin g its fall, so th at th e nested bombs, released toge ther , will s epa rate duri ng the ir
descent.
' 2. A load of 24 bombs, when released simu ltane ously /ro m a heig ht of 250 ft. at 190 m.p.h.,
will s cat ter to cover an area app roxi mate ly 60 yds. long and 30 y ds. wide.

3. The prac tice bomb has nei ther explode r nor deto nato r, bu t its body breaks up on impa ct
with the tar ge t to release a white filling which spread s aroun d the poi nt of ijnp act to serve as a
mar ker which will be clearly visible from the airc raft.

Leading particulars
4. Stores Ref. (bomb only) ... ... ... 12B/340
Overall leng th ... ... ... ... 1 ft. 2 in., approx .
Weigh t of bomb, filled ... ... ... 8 | lb., appro x. .

GEN ERA L DES CRI PTI ON


5. The bo mb cons ists of a bod y, which is the con tain er for th e filling mat erial , an d a perm ane ntly
att ach ed shee t-me tal tail.

Bomb body
6. The hollow bomb body, see fig. 1, is made of eart hen war e, and is of squa re cross-section,
with roun ded corne rs; it ta per s slig htly fr om re ar to fron t. Its re ar en d has a dep ression with a filling
openin g at t he cent re in the form of a n eck exte ndin g a sho rt dist ance i nto t he inter ior. The filling
openin g is fitte d with a plug -type stop per which, when pushed fully home, has its oute r portion
comple tely accom moda ted in the depression in the rea r end of the body.

Filling
7. The body cont ains a filling of white powder with a qu an tit y of lead shot, as necessary, to
make up the weight. A suit able white powder is set plas ter of Pari s which has been ground , but
any oth er app rop riat e ine rt white powder may be used.

Tail
8. The sheet met al tai l is in the form of a tub e of s quar e cross-section, with round ed corners,
and has a tap er tow ard the for ward end, such th at t he t ail a hd bomb body ha ve flush ou ter surfaces.
The forwar d end of t he tai l is cut away a t the round ed corners and the remai ning p ortio ns between
the cut- outs , are curled inwa rdly to form scrolls which engage grooves in the sides of th e bom b body
so a s t o secure th e tai l per ma nen tly in position . Each side of t he tub ula r tai l has a hand- cleara nce
hole to give access to the inte rior of the tail.

Retarder and safety tube


9. The r ear b omb of a pai r of bomb s neste d toge ther is fitte d with a plate, ret ard er (Stores Ref.
12A/885) and with a Tube, safety; prac tice bomb (Stores Ref. 12B/342).
10. The ret ard er plat e is a squa re flat pla te which is sec ured diamond-w ise in the rea r portio n
of the bomb tail. It has two sho rt securin g strip s formed inte gral ly with it, one at each of two
diagon ally opposite c orners, and tw o longer s ecuring strip s a tta che d one t o each of th e oth er corners.
The en ds of th e longer st rips are b ent over the re ar edge of the bom b ta il, and th e s hor t str ips are bent-
over the re ar edges of tw o of th e hand -clea rance holes in opposi te sides of th e tail. A hole is formed
thro ugh the c entr e of th e ret ard er pla te for t he p assage of th e safet y tube.
306

11. The safe ty tub e is made of t hin sheet me tal and its diam eter is such th at t he f orwar d end
fits freely over the rea r end of t he stop per i n the filling o penin g of t he bom b body. The leng th of
the safe ty tub e is such th at , when it is co rrectl y assemble d in the t ai l end of t he bomb, its rea r end
exte nds a sho rt dista nce beyon d the bomb t ail. The safe ty tub e has p erm ane ntly a tta che d to it, at
a sho rt dista nce from the re ar end, a squ are safe ty tub e p late , with round ed corners, which lies w ithin
the tail with a small clearan ce all round.
Identification colouring and markings
12. The bomb body, tail, ret ard er plat e, and safet y tub e are white.
13. The tai l has the following marki ngs stencilled , in black lette ring , on one of its side s:—
(i) PRAC. A/C. A.T. 9-LB i I.
(ii) The initia ls or recognized tra de ma rk of the assemblin g con trac tor.
(iii) The dat e of assembly, mo nth and year.
14. The following m arking s are .stamped on the t ail, safe ty tub e plate , ret ard er plate, and the
bo dy :—
(i) PRAC. A/C. A'.T. 9-L B. I.
(ii) The initia ls or recognized tra de mark of the manu factu rer.
(iii) The dat e of man ufac ture, mon th and year.
Functioning
15. When the bombs are released from the 250 lb. Small Bomb Contai ner, the y commence
the ir fall in neste d pairs , see p ara. 1, bu t the actio n of th e air on the ret ard er pla te fitte d in the t ail
of th e rea r bomb causes this bom b to lag so t ha t the bombs sepa rate. Also, t he air stre am passing
thro ugh the tai l of the rea r bomb blows the safe ty tube , with its plate , out of the tail, so as to
uncover t he st opper , in the sam e w ay as th e safe ty tub e of th e corresp onding H.E . bom b is expended
to uncov er the tai l fuze.
16. Upon imp act of the bomb with the t arg et, the eart henw are body break s up and the white
powder filling is spre ad aroun d th e poi nt of im pac t so as td serve as a ma rke r which will be readily
visible from the aircra ft.
INSTR UCTI ONS FOR USE
Loading the bombs into the 250 lb. Small Bomb Container
17. Remo ve the b ombs in neste d pair s from the ir boxes, asce rtain t ha t the bombs of each pair
can fall ap ar t readily and th at th e safe ty tub e in the ta il of .each r ear bomb is a loose fit over the
stopp er, and th en load the ne sted pairs of bombs into th e 250 lb. Small Bomb Cont ainer as described
in A. P. 1664, Vol. I, Chap. 3 with referenc e to th e corre spond ing H.E . bomb. The safe ty t ub e s hould
be reta ined in positi on in the rea r bomb by han d as each pai r of bo mbs is loaded nose forward into
the Container.
18. Fou r pairs of bombs are loaded into each of the thre e com part men ts of thy Contain er,
and when loadin g is compl ete an exa min ation is to be made to ensure th at t he e xpend able platfo rms
and drop ba rs h ave no t d isto rted th e b omb tail s, as an y su ch d isto rtio n m ay i nterf ere with or prev ent
the sepa rati on of the bomb s, or th e expen ding of the sa fety tube s, afte r release. If t he ta il of a bomb
is found to be ben t, it should, if possible, be stra igh ten ed at t he U nit ; if th is is impossible t he bo mb
should not be used. ,V "
Unloading the bombs from the 250 lb. Small Bomb Container
19. Unload the bombs as described, with reference to th e corres ponding H.E . bombs, in A.P.
1664, Vol. I, Chap. 3, a nd pack the b ombs, in nested pairs as re moved from the cont ainer , into th eir
boxes.
SUP PLY AND STORAGE
Supply
20. Eig ht bombs are supplied packe d in Box, B.373, Mk. I.(S tore s Ref. 12A/887). The bombs
are nested in pairs in the box, with a ret ard er plat e and a safe ty tub e fitted iri the tai l of each rear
bomb.
21. The drop bars and expe ndabl e platfo rms for reta inin g the bombs in the Small Bomb
Cont ainer are supplie d sepa rate ly packed in expen dable card boar d boxes.
Storage
22. The bombs should be store d in the ir boxes in any conv enien t storehouse.
307

Th is lea f issu ed with A .L . No. 136 A. P.1 66 1B , Vol . I, Sec t. 8


Aug ust , 1946

CHA PTE R 6

BOMBS, PRACTIC E, AIR CRA FT, SMOKE, 10 lb., Mk. I, FLA SH, 10 lb., Mk. I and III ,
BRO WN SMOKE, 10 lb., Mk. I l l , and FLA ME, 10 lb., Mk. IV

LIST OF CONTENTS
P ai a.
In tr oduct io n ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1

BOM B, PR A C TI C E, A IR C R A FT , SM OK E, 10 lb., Mk. I—


Le ad in g pa rt ic ul ar s ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 3
Ge ne ral de sc rip tio n ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 4
No se, p or tio n ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 5
St ri ke r as se m bl y an d sa fe ty de vic es ... ... ... ... 6
Ta il con e ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 8
Id en tif ic at io n co lou rin g an d m ar ki ng s ... ... ... ... ... 11
Fu nc tio ni ng ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 14
Su pp ly ... ... ... ... ... .. . ... ... ... 16
St or ag e ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 17

BOM B, PR A C TI C E, A IR C R A FT , FL A SH , 10 lb., Mk. I—


Co m pa ris on w ith th e Mk. I sm ok e bo m b ... ... ... ... 18
St or ag e ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 20

BOM B, PR A C TI C E, A IR C R A FT , FL A SH , 10 lb., Mk. I l l -


Co mp ari so n w ith th e Mk. I sm ok e bo m b ... ... ... ... 21
St or ag e ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 23

BO MB , PR A C TI C E, A IR C R A FT , BR OW N SM OK E, 10 lb., Mk. I l l -
Co mp ari so n w ith th e Mk. I sm ok e bo m b ... ... ... ... 24
St or ag e ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 26

BOM B, PR A C TI C E, A IR C R A FT , FL AM E, 10 lb., Mk. IV —


Co mp ari so n wi th th e Mk. I sm ok e bo m b ... ... ... 27
St or ag e ... ... ... ,.. ... ... ... .. . ... 29

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Fi g. 1.—V iew of Mk. I sm ok e bo mb in se ct io n an d elev atio n

LIST OF APPENDICES
No te. — A lis t of co nt en ts ap pe ar s a t th e be gin ni ng of ea ch ap pe nd ix

A P P E N D IX 1— In st ru ct io ns for use

B (AL 136)
308

-SAFETY PLUNGER

Fig. 1.— View of Mk. I smo ke bomb in secti on and eleva tion
309

This leaf issued with A. L. No. 136 A.P.1661B, Vol. I, Sect. 8


August, 1946

CHAPTER 6
BOMBS, PRACTICE, AIRCRAFT, SMOKE, 10 lb., Mk. I , FLASH, 10 lb., Mk. I an d II I,
BROWN SMOKE, 10 lb., Mk. I ll , and FLAME, 10 lb., Mk. IV
Introd uctio n
1. The 10 lb. prac tice bombs supersed e, for ce rtai n purposes, the 11| lb. pract ice bombs, which
the y resemble in con stru ction excep t for a solid cast-iro n nose, instea d of t he lead weighted nose.
2. The smoke bomb is for use by day, the poin t of impa ct with the tar ge t being indi cate d by
a cloud of white smoke. The flash bomb is inten ded for nigh t bombi ng pract ice, and on imp act
with th e ta rg et produces a b rill ian t wh ite flash. The Mk. I flash bomb is to be used unti l all supplies
are exha usted , when it will be superse ded by the Mk. I l l flash bomb. The brown smoke bomb,
which produces a brown smoke cloud at the poin t of impac t, is for Adm iralt y purpose s only. The
flame bomb, also designed for use by the Adm iralt y, is inten ded for nigh t bombing prac tice ; on
imp act with the tar get , the filling ignites on con tact with wate r to give a flame lasti ng abo ut 15
sec. which is sufficient to indi cate the poi nt of impact.
Wa rnin g.—The 10 lb. prac tice bombs m ust n ot be used again st arm oured m otor bo ats, or
othe r lightly armo ured targe ts whe re pene tration , by the solid cas t-iro n nose, m ight cause
inju ry to personn el, or other damage. Against such targe ts the 81 lb. br eak-u p practice
bombs should be used for low altitu de practice bombing, and 111 lb. practice bombs
should be conserved for high al titud e practice bombing, noting, however, the restric tion
given in Chap. 2 of this Section.

BOMB, PRACTICE, AIRCRAFT, SMOKE, 10 lb., Mk. I


Leading partic ulars
3. Overall leng th ... ... ... ... ... ... 1 ft. 6 in.
Maxim um diam eter ... ... ... ... ... 3 in.
Weig ht and nat ure of filling ... ... ... ... 1 lb. tit an ium tetra chlo ride
Weigh t of filled bo m b. .. ... ... ... ... 10 lb., appr ox.
Term inal velocit y ... ... ... ... ... 920 ft. per sec.
General description, fig. l
4. This bomb consists of tw o main par ts, namely , a cast- iron nose p ortio n fitted with a strik er
assem bly and safe ty devices, and a tail cone, which con stitu tes a con tain er for t he filling. A cen tral
tub e in th e tai l cone provides a housing for a deto nat or-b urs ter, and a ta il plug ca rries the ta il assembly.
Nose porti on
5. The nose port ion is bored to accom moda te the stri ker assem bly and safe ty devices, and is
thre ade d at its rea r end to receive the tai l cone, which is locked in positi on by a grub screw. A
suspensi on lug is screw ed into t he rear e nd of th e nose porti on.

Strike r assembly and safety devices


6. The stri ker assem bly consists of a stri ker head and a stri ker rod. One end of the strik er
rod is screwed into the rea r end of the stri ker head while the opposi te and poin ted end of the rod
is housed in a guide bush, which is screwed i nto the rear end of the nose po rtion . A shear wire passes
thr oug h the guide bush and stri ker rod.
7. The s afet y devices consis t of a safe ty wire, a tr an sit saf ety pin, a spring -loaded sa fety plu nger
and the shea r wire. Durin g tra nsi t, stora ge, and hand ling of the bomb, the safe ty wire reta ins the
tra ns it s afet y pi n a nd safet y p lunge r in positio n in the nose porti on of the bo mb (see fig. 1), t he sa fety
pin being held so as to engage one of two grooves cut in the st rike r head, thu s main tain ing th e s trik er
assem bly in the “saf e” position . When the bomb is loaded on to the bomb carri er and afte r the
saf ety wire and tra ns it safe ty pin have been with draw n, the funct ion of th e safe ty pin is take n over
by the sa fety plu nger, which is depre ssed by the f ront c rutc h of the b omb carr ier so th at t he plun ger
is brou ght into engage ment with the othe r groove in the stri ker head. An ins truc tion tab let , the
wording on which is show n in fig. 1, is att ach ed to the tra ns it safe ty pin by a spl it ring.

)
310

Tai l cone
8. The tai l cone is made of stee l, and is closed at its rear end by a conical tai l plug and at its
forward end by a cent ral plug which is screwed and locked into the rear end of th e nose porti on of
the bomb.
9. The cast-i ron or steel centr al plug is bo red to accom moda te the c ent ral tube, which exten ds
thro ugh th e tai l cone to the ta il plug. The cen tral tu be and cen tra l plu g to geth er con stit ute a holde r
for a No. 28 Mk. I or II det ona tor- bur ster when the bomb is fuzed. A tap ped hole, fitted with a
steel plug and lead sealing washer, is provid ed in the cent ral plug for filling purposes.
10. The tai l assembly proje cts from the tail plug. It consists of a ta il tub e which has four
vane supp orts carry ing a. cylindr ical vane. The tube is closed at its rear end by a cap.
Identifi cation colouring and markings
11. The exte rior of t he bomb is pain ted white and, when the bomb is filled, two green bands,
J in. wide, are pai nte d roun d the tai l cone.
12. The mark ing “ 10 LB .’’ may be stenc illed on the cylin drica l vane, toge ther with the
following info rma tion :—
(i) “I ’’, indic ating the mark.
(ii) The initia ls or recognized tra de mar k of the con trac tor who assemble d the tai l unit.
(iii) The dat e of assembl y (month and year).
13. The following m arking s are stenc illed on the nose po rti on :—
(i) The monogr am of t he filling sta tio n or the initia ls or recognized tra de mark of t he filling
con trac tor.
(ii) The dat e of filling (mon th and year).
(iii) The lot numbe r.
Functio ning
14. When a b omb is released from its carrie r, the safe ty plung er is ejecte d by its spring, leaving
the stri ker held in t he “sa fe’’ position by the shea r wire only, the s afet y wire and tr an si t safe ty pin
havi ng been remov ed before take-off.
15. On im pact of the b omb with th e targ et, the stri ker he ad and stri ker rod are forced inwards
break ing the she ar wire and firing the det ona tor- bur ster . The firing of the det ona tor -bu rste r dis­
rup ts the tai l cone and sca tter s the filling whi ch, on con tact with the atmo spher e, produces a white
smoke cloud at the poin t of impac t.
Supply
16. The bombs are suppli ed packed ten in Box B.252 or six in Box B.428.
Storage
17. The bombs are classified, for tr an spo rt and storag e p urposes, as “D angerou s Goo ds” . They
must be sto red in the ir boxes, pref erab ly in open-sided sheds. If t his accom modat ion is not availa ble,
the boxed bombs sho uld be st ored under tarp auli ns, the bo xes being ra ised from th e gro und on ba tten s.
As the likelihood of leakage of the filling increases with the age of the filled bomb, bombs which
have been the l ongest in st ore should be used first, and storag e a rran gem ents to fa cili tate th is should
be made. All bombs should be used with in a year of filling.

BOMB, PRACTICE, AIRCRAFT, FLASH, 10 lb., Mk. I


Comparison with the Mk. I smoke bomb
18. The inform ation conta ined in para . 3 to 10 atmlies equ ally to thi s bomb, which is identi cal
in cons truc tion with the Mk. I smoke bomb, bu t has a differen t filling. It is filled with a mix ture
of magne sium turn ing s and g unpowd er or c alcium silicide and gunpo wder instea d of ti tan ium t et ra ­
chloride, the weight of the filling being 11 oz.
19. The par ticu lars of id entific ation colouring and markin gs, function ing, and supply , given in
para. 11 to 16, are also appli cable to thi s bomb with the following exce ptio ns:—
(i) The filled bombs ha ve a red ring pain ted roun d the nose and two j in. blac k b and s pain ted
roun d the tai l cone.
(ii) The bomb functi ons as described in para . 14 and 15 exce pt th at the flash from the
det ona tor -bu rste r ignites the filling and a bril lia nt white flash is produced .
311

Th is lea f issu ed with A .L . No. 136 A.P .16 61B , Vol. I, Sect. 8, Chap. 6
Au gus t, 1946

Storage
20. The bombs are classified, for the pu rpose of storage , in G roup 9, Categ ory Y (see A.P.2608A,
Chap. 7).

BOMB, PRACTICE, AIRCRAFT, FLASH, 10 lb., Mk. I ll


Comparison with t he Mk. I s moke bomb
21. This bomb is simi lar in con stru ction to the Mk. I smoke bomb and the infor mati on given
in pa ra. 3 to 10 for th e Mk. I bomb applie s equ ally to th is bomb exce pt for the following dif feren ces:—
(i) The cen tra l plug used is always made of steel.
(ii) The filling plug is of mould ed plas tic mat eria l and is provid ed with a leat her sealing
washer,
Note .— Ear ly issues of t hese bombs are fitted with c ork filling pl ugs sealed with sh ellacked
linen tape.
(iii) The bomb is filled with an S.R. composi tion, the weight of the filling bei ng. 9 oz.

22. The par ticu lars of identi ficati on colouring and markin gs, function ing, and supply , given
in para. 11 to 16, also app ly to thi s bomb excep t for th e following differen ces:—
(i) The filled bom bs h ave a red ring pain ted round the nose an d two | in. black b ands p aint ed
round the t ail cone. The mark ing “S .R.54 1B” is sten cilled on t he bomb body behind the
suspensio n lug.
(ii) The app rop riat e mar k num ber is in dica ted on the bomb.
(iii) The b omb fu nctio ns as des cribed in para . 14 an d 15 excep t th at the flash from t he deto nato r-
bur ster ignites the filling to produc e a bri llia nt white flash.

Storage
23. The bombs are classified, for th e purpose of stora ge, in Gr oup 9, Categor y Y (see A.P.2608A,
Chap. 7).

BOMB, PRACTICE, AIRCRAFT, BROWN SMOKE, 10 lb., Mk. I ll


Comparison with the Mk. I smoke bomb
24. This bomb is si milar in cons truc tion to the Mk. I smoke bomb and the info rma tion given
in para . 3 t o 10 for the Mk. I bomb applies equa lly to thi s bomb excep t as follows:—
(i) The cen tral plug used is always made of steel.
(ii) The filling plug is of moulded plasti c m ater ial and is prov ided with a le ath er se aling wash er.
Note .— Ear ly issues of the se bombs are fitted with cor k filling plugs sealed with shel lacked
linen tape.
(iii) The bomb is filled with an S.R. compos ition, the weight of t he filling bei ng 10£ oz.

25. The par ticu lars of identific ation colouring a nd markin gs, functio ning, and supply, given in
para . 11 to 16, also app ly to thi s bomb with t he following e xce ptio ns:—
(i) The filled bombs have a red ring pain ted roun d the nose and two green rings, | in. wide
round the ta il cone. A “worm -lfke” markin g, 2 in. in length, is pain ted in da rk brown
on the b omb body behind the s uspension lug.
(ii) The app rop riat e mar k num ber is indi cate d on th e bomb.
(iii) The bomb fu nction s as de scribed in p ara. 14 and 15 ex cept th at th e filling, on con tact w ith
the atmos phere , produc es a brown smoke cloud.

Storage
26. The bom bs are classified, for the purpo se of storage , in G roup 11, Catego ry X (see A.P.2608A,
Chap. 7).
312

BOMB , PRACTI CE, AIRC RAF T, FLA ME, 10 lb., Mk. IV


Com paris on w ith the Mk. I sm ok e bomb
27. This bom b is simil ar in con stru ction to the Mk. I smoke bomb and the infor mati on con­
tain ed in para . 3 to 10 for the Mk. I bomb applie s equ ally to thi s bomb excep t in the
following respe cts:—
(i) The ta il cone is closed a t one end, wi th eli mina tion of the t ail plug, and a ta il a da pte r welded
to the tai l cone and tai l tub e secures the tai l assemb ly to the bomb. The steel cen tral
plug is bored cen tral ly to accom moda te a large filling plug, which is screwed in positio n
and held secu re by a locking ring. The filling plu g is provid ed wi th a leath er seali ng washer.
(ii) The cent ral tube, which does not ext end the whole leng th of the tai l cone, is moun ted
in a hole in th e filling plug. The tube , with th e recessed port ion of th e filling plug, accom­
moda tes the det ona tor- bur ster when the bomb is fuzed.
(iii) The bomb is filled with sodium phosp hide soaked in heav y oil, the weight of the filling
being 12-13 oz.
28. The par ticu lars .of identi ficati on colouring and markin gs, function ing, and supply , given
in para .11 to 16, also app ly to thi s bomb excep t for the following differen ces:—
(i) The exte rior of the bomb body is pa inted white, wit h a red band , | in. wide,pain ted round
the nose, whils t the tai l is pain ted red and has the word "FL AM E” stenc illed on it.
(ii) The app rop ria te mark num ber is indic ated on the bomb.
(iii) The bomb f unctio ns as described in para. 14 and 15 excep t th at the s odium phosph ide/oil
filling, on con tact with water, ignites to produce a flame of sho rt dur atio n (abou t 15 sec.).

Stora ge
29. The bombs are classified, for stora ge and tra nsp ort purp oses, as "Dang erous Go ods” . They
mus t be sto red in th eir boxes unde r co ver; if roofed sto rage is not av ailabl e, the b oxed bombs may be
stor ed in t he open und er tarp auli ns. Bat ten s are to be used in a ll instanc es to raise the boxes clear
of th e ground , and dry st orage is esse ntial. The bombs are to be ex amined period ically for l eakage.
313

Th is lea f issu ed with A .L . No. 136 A.P.1 661B , Vol. I, Sect. 8, Chap. 8
Aug ust, 1946

APPEND IX 1

INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE

LIS T OF CONTE NTS


Par a.
Fu zi ng a bo m b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1
L oa di ng t h e bo m b on to a L ig ht Ser ies bo m b ca rr ie r ... ... ... 2
Un lo ad in g th e' b o m b fr om t h e L ig ht Se rie s bo m b ca rr ie r ... ... ... 4
U nfu zi ng.th e bo m b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 6

Fuzin g a bomb
1. To fuze a 10 lb. prac tice bomb, proceed as fo llows:—■
(i) The nose port ion of th e bomb is t o be exami ned visua lly to ensure th at all safe ty devices
are pres ent, and corr ectly position ed.
(ii) Slacken the grub sc rew and unscrew the nose from the ta il cone, holdi ng the rea r porti on
of t he bomb by the tai l cone and not b y the cylin drical vane.
Note.— When fuzing a s moke or flame bomb, the filling plug and det ona tor -bu rst er holder
must be e xami ned for si gns of co rrosion and /or leakage of th e filling. If th ere are
any signs of corrosion or leakage, the bomb must not be used, bu t set aside for
A.I.S. inspecti on.
(iii) Ensu re th at t he shea r w ire is prese nt, and th at the poin t of t he stri ker d oes not prot rud e
beyond t he gu ide bush.
(iv) Clean the det ona tor -bu rste r hold er wit h a clean dry c loth.
(v) Gauge the det ona tor -bu rst er holder, using a No. 17, Mk. I det ona tor cav ity gauge; if t he
gauge will n ot ente r freely, t he bo mb is to be set aside for A .I.S. inspecti on.
(vi) Ins ert a No. 28, Mk. I or II det ona tor -bu rste r into the det ona tor -bu rst er holder. Due
to the possi bility of over-size det ona tor- bur ster s occurring, force mu st no t be used when
inser ting the det ona tor -bu rste r; if an y difficulty is found, the bomb a nd det ona tor -bu rst er
are to be set aside for A.I.S. inspectio n.
(vii) Replac e the nose by screwing it fully home and locking it with the grub screw.

Loading the bomb on to a Light Series bomb carrier


2. The fuzed b omb is to be loa ded on to th e Lig ht Series bom b c arri er as de scribed in A. P. 1664,
Vol. I, Chap. 2, so th at the safe ty plun ger is depresse d by con tact wit h the under side of the fron t
cru tch of th e carrie r. The safe ty plun ger is th us engaged wit h t he gro ove in the s trik er head, ma in­
tain ing the stri ker assem bly in the “sa fe” position while the bomb is being carri ed on th e airc raft .
3. When t he b omb is sec urely in positi on on the bomb carrier , and imm edia tely before the air ­
craf t take s off, remove the safet y wire and tra ns it safe ty pin and han d the lat te r eith er to the pilot
or th e air bomber. The tr an sit safe ty pin is th en a vail able for inserti on i nto the b omb shou ld the bomb
not be expended.
Unload ing the bomb from the Light Series bomb carrier
4. Before unloa ding the bomb, replace the tra ns it safe ty pin in the nose end of the bomb.
Then engage a le ngth of 20 S.W.G. c opper wire in t he slo tted en d of t he safe ty plunger , pass e ach e nd
of the wire thr oug h the eye of the tra ns it safe ty pin, and twi st the two ends of the wire tog eth er
so as to reta in the s afety p lunge r in position , tak ing care t ha t the wire is tig ht enough to p reve nt the
tra ns it safe ty pin being wit hdra wn from its groove in the str ike r head.
Note.— This proce dure is to be followed for all prac tice bombs on the airc raft before anv
bomb is unload ed. On no acco unt is a bomb to be rend ered safe and unload'
indiv idual ly.
314

5. Unload the bom b from the bomb carri er as describe d in A.P. 1664, Vol. I, Chap. 2.
Warni ng.— Unexp ended bombs mus t be unfuze d as soon as possible, and mus t not be store d
with deto nato r-bu rste rs in positio n. Should it be require d, however, to hold bombs for
"re ad y- us e” , the i nstr uctio ns given in Chap. 1 of th is Section mus t be followed. (a.l . 124)
m us tb e followed.

Unfuz ing the bomb


6. Before unfuzin g th e bomb, ensure th at it has been rende red safe, as descri bed in par a. 4,
the n proceed as follo ws:—■
(i) Slacken the grub screw and unscrew the nose from the ta il cone, holding the rear
porti on of the bomb by the tail cone and not by the cylind rical vane.
(ii) Wit hou t using undue force, caref ully remove the det ona tor- bur ster . If difficu lty is
experienc ed, the bo mb mus t be t rea ted as unservi ceable a nd mus t be d estro yed as des cribed
in A.P.2608A, Chap. 19.
(iii) Replace the n ose by screwing it fully hom e and locking wit h the grub screw.
315

This leaf issued with A. L. No. 98 A.P.1 661B, Vol. I, Sect. 8


November. 1944

CHAPTER 7
BOMB, PRACTICE, AIRCRAFT, SMOKE, BRE AK-U P, 8 lb., Mk. I

LIS T OF CONTENTS
Pa ra .
In tr o d u ct io n ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1
Ge ne ral pr ec au tio ns ... ... ... ... ... . . ... ... ... ... ... 3
L ea di ng par ti cu la rs ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 5
Ge ne ral de sc rip tio n ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 6
Id en tif ic at io n co lou rin g an d m ar ki ng s ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 7
Fu nc tio ni ng ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 8
In st ru ct io n s fo r use .,. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 9
Su pp ly ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 10
St or ag e ... ...- ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .. . 11

LIS T OF ILLU STR ATI ONS


Fig-
1. Br ok en pe rs pe ct iv e view of Mk. I bo m b

CH APT ER 8—Bombs, pract ice, airc raft , smoke, 25 lb., Mk. I, and flash, 25 lb,
316

CE ME NT

-W AX -P AD

-C O RK

-FLA SK

BOLT

•TIT ANI UM
TE TRA CH LOR IDE

Pig. 1.—Broken perspective view of Mk. I bo m b


317

Th is lea f issue d with A .L . No. 98 A.P.1661B, VoL I, Se ct 8


November, 1944
CHAPTER 7
BOMB, PRACTICE, AIRCRAFT, SMOKE, BREAK -UP, 8 lb., Mk. I
Intro ducti on
1. This bomb is for use for low level t rain ing purpo ses, up to heig hts of 2,000 ft., aga ins t airfield
targ ets, and is no t for use as an a lte rna tiv e t o oth er t ype s of b reak -up p rac tice bomb s use d for g eneral
tra ini ng purpose s. The design of the bomb is such th at on brea k-u p no debris is left which migh t
be injuri ous to the tyre s of taxy ing airc raft.
2. The bomb is rea dy for use as issued, and no fuzing comp onents are requi red.
General precaut ions
3. Because of the fragile na tur e of the bomb, par tic ula r care mu st be tak en to avoi d rough
usage durin g tra nsp ort , storag e, and handlin g.
4. The liquid charg ing (tit ani um tetrac hlori de) in the bomb is no t classed as toxic , bu t it
evolves fumes and smoke which are injur ious and extre mely corrosive in cha ract er. As a resu lt
cert ain genera l prec autio ns are to be observe d when han dlin g the bombs. At ten tio n is direc ted,
therefo re, to the general prec auti ons deta iled in Chap. 1 of this Section.
Leading parti cula rs
5. Stores Ref. of filled bomb . 12B/486
Overall leng th ... . 16-5 in.
Maximu m diam eter (excluding suspensi on band) .. . 4-2 in.
Volume and na tur e of fil lin g.. . . 300 c.c. Titan ium tetra chl orid e (F.M.)
General description, fig. 1
6. The b omb consist s of two mai n pa rts , n amely, the body, which consist s of an asbes tos-ce ment
tube, and a glass flask conta ining the tit an ium tetra chlo ride . The flask is sealed by a cork and a
wax pad, and is cem ented into th e no se end of the bod y tu be. The rea r po rtio n of the bo dy is hollow,
and ac ts as a t ail uni t to th e b omb. A suspen sion ban d is sec ured t o t he bod y tu be by a n ut an d bolt.
Identi ficatio n colouring and mark ings
7. The exte rior of the bom b is pai nte d white , and two green band s, | in. wide, are pa int ed
roun d the rea r port ion of th e body tube . In fro nt of the suspen sion ban d th e following mark ings
are stencill ed in bla ck: —
(i) "8 lb. I ”, deno ting the weight, and the ma rk of the bomb.
(ii) Monogram, initia ls or recognized tra de ma rk of ma nuf actu rer.
(iii) Dat e of filling (mon th and year).
Func tioni ng
8. On imp act of the bomb with its tar get , th e bomb body and glass flask brea k up, releasing
the filling which , on con tac t wit h the air, forms a smoke cloud. The frag men ts of bomb remai ning
aft er imp act are easily crushed , and are not, therefo re, injur ious to air cra ft tyres.
Instr uctio ns for use
9. The bomb is att ach ed to the Lig ht Series carr ier in the norm al mann er, as deta iled in the
rele van t C hap ter of A.P. 1664, Vol. I . No special att ac hm en ts are requir ed, and four bomb s may b e
loaded on to one carrie r.

Supply
10.' The bombs are supplied filled, an d are paeke d four in Box B.533. The stowage dimensions
of th is box are 25 in. x 18'5 in. x 6 in., and the filled we ight is a ppro xima tely 50 l h The bombs
are not suita ble for supp ly overseas and, pending furt her instru ction s, all issues will be restric ted
to Home Units.
War ning .—The bombs are not suitab le for t ran spo rt by rail , and t ran spo rt mus t be r estric ted to
road vehicles. (a.l .117)
Storage
11. The bombs are to be stor ed in the ir boxes, prefe rably in open-sides sheds. If this
accom moda tion is not availa ble, the boxed bombs should be stor ed und er tarp aulin s, th e boxes
being raised from the groun d on bat ten s.

I >
318
319

Th is lea f issu ed with A .L . No. IOS A.P .16 61 B, Vol. I, Sect. 8


March , 1945

CHAPTER 8

BOMBS, PRACTICE, AIRCRAFT, SMOKE, 25 lb ., Mk. I , and FLASH, 25 lb., Mk. I ll

LIST OF CONTENTS
Pa ra.
In tr oduct io n ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1
BO MB , PR A C TI C E, A IR C R A FT , SM OK E, 25 lb. , Mk. I
L ea di ng p ar ti cu la rs ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 4
Ge ne ral de sc rip tio n ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 5
Nos e po rt io n . . ... ... ... ... ... ... 6
St ri ke r as se m bl y an d sa fe ty de vic es ... ... ... ... 8
Ta il con e ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 12
Id en tif ic at io n co lou rin g an d m ar ki ng s ... ... ... ... 16
F un ct io ni ng ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 19
Su pp ly ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 21
St or ag e ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 22
BO MB , PR A C TI C E, A IR C R A FT , FL A SH , 25 lb., Mk. I l l
Co m pa ris on w ith th e Mk. I sm ok e bo m b ... ... ... ... 23
S t o r a g e ............................................................................................................ 26

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Fig.
1. Bo mb , pr ac tic e, ai rc ra ft , sm ok e, 25 1b., Mk. I

LIST OF APPENDICES
No te. — A Li st of co nt en ts ap pe ar s a t th e be gi nn in g of ea ch Ap pe nd ix .
A P P E N D IX 1.— In st ru ct io ns fo r use.

CH APT ER 9—Bombs, prac tice, airc raft , smoke, 10 lb., Mk. I ; flash, 10 1b., Mk. I l l , and
smoke l l j l b . , Mk. I (Sout h Africa n Manu factur e). (A.L. 109)
320

CY LIN DR ICA L VANE

- VAN E SUP POR TS

TAIL TUBE

TA IL PLU G

CE NT RA L TUBE

TAIL C O N E ------

GREE N BAN DS

DETONATO R - BURSTER
FIL LIN G PLUG
SE AL IN G WASHER

CE NT RA L PLUG
SEC URIN G SCREW

SHEA R WIRE
GUID E BUSH

STRIK ER ROD

SUSPE NSION LUG

NOSE PO RT IO N

SAFETY W IR £------------
TRA NSI T SAFETY PIN
(Fo rm erly Tab let Pin)

(t
Zi >S ™ J SISg 5
oS ”
eads \ /
i m >5 iJ l? s
> S 3 Z£
r~> ' 2 \ / -------- — co 3
STRIKE R HEAD STRIKER HEAD

Fig . 1.— Bom b, prac tice, aircr aft, sm ok e, 25 lb., Mk. I


321

Th is lea f iss ued with A .L . No. 108 A.P. 1661B, Vol. I, Sect. 8
Marc h, 1945

CHAPTER 8

BOMBS, PRACTICE, AIRCRAFT, SMOKE, 25 lb., Mb. I, and FLASH, 25 lb., Mk. H I

Intro duct ion


1. Att enti on is direc ted to Chap. 1 of thi s Section in which some general info rma tion ,
including preca utions , applic able to thes e bombs is given.
2. These bombs a re for'u se in high level prac tice bombi ng with th e Mk. XIV bombs ight, bot h
bombs havi ng a term inal veloc ity of over 1,000 ft. per sec.
3. The smoke bomb is for use by day, th e poi nt of imp act w ith the tar ge t being indi cate d by
a cloud of white smoke. The flash bomb is inte nde d for nig ht bomb ing pract ice, and on imp act
with the tar ge t produ ces a bri llia nt white flash.
War ning .—The bombs m ust not be u sed agai nst armo ured mo tor boats, or othe r lig htly armo ured
targ ets, where penet ratio n, by the cast- iron nose, may cause inju ry to personn el, or othe r damage.
Agains t such targ ets, the 8J lb. brea k-up practic e bomb should be used for low altitu de practice
bombing, and the H i lb. practice bomb for high altit ude practic e bombing, notin g however the
restric tion given in Chap. 2 of this Section.
BOMB, PRACTICE, AIRCRAFT, SMOKE, 251b., Mk. I
Leading parti cular s
4. Stores Ref. of em pty bomb 12B/487
Stores Ref. of filled bomb 12B/488
Overall length ... 22 in.
Maximum d iam eter 4 in.
Weig ht of filled bomb ... 25 lb.
Weig ht and nat ure of filling 1 lb. Tit ani um te trac hlo ride
Term inal velocit y ... 1,085 ft. per sec.

General description, fig. 1


5. The bomb consis ts of two main par ts, namely, a cast- iron nose porti on, which is f itted with
a stri ker assem bly and safe ty devices, and a steel tai l cone, tin ned inte rna lly to pre ven t corrosion
by the filling. The tail cone con stit ute s a cont aine r for the filling. A c entr al tub e in the tail cone
prov ides a housing for a det ona tor- bur ster .

Nose porti on
6. The cast-i ron nose port ion has an axia l bore which houses the stri ker assembly . Rad ial
holes, leading into the bore, accom moda te a safe ty plun ger and a tra ns it safe ty pin.
7. The rear end of the nose port ion is inte rna lly thr ead ed to receive the tai l cone, which is
locked in positio n by a securing screw. A suspens ion lug is screwed into the nose portion .

Str ike r assembl y and safet y devices


8. The stri ker assemb ly consists of a str ike r rod and stri ker head. The forwar d end of the
head conform s with the cont our of the nose, and at the rea r end of th e hea d is an ann ula r groove
with which the tr an sit safe ty pin and safe ty plun ger engage.
9. The stri ker rod is screwed into th e rea r end of the stri ker head, and exte nds thr oug h the
nose porti on into a guide bush, screwed into the r^ar end of t he nose porti on. A s hear w ire passes
thr oug h the guide bush and s trik er rod.
10. The safe ty devices consis t of th e tra ns it safe ty pin, th e safe ty plunger , and t he s hea r wire.
11. Bot h the tra ns it safe ty pin and the safe ty plun ger are re tain ed i n posi tion in th e nose porti on
by a safe ty wire, see fig. 1, th e t ra ns it safe ty pin en gaging with th e groove in the st rik er h ead to reta in
the str ike r ass embly in th e "saf e” position. The s afet y pl unge r engages w ith t he groove i n th e st rik er
head only aft er the bomb has been loaded on to an airc raft , the pin the n being depress ed int o the
groove by con tac t with t he u nders ide of th e fro nt cru tch of the bo mb carrie r. An i nstr ucti on tab let
is a tta ch ed to the tra ns it safe ty pin by a split ring.
322

Ta il cone
12. The tai l cone is of ste el cons truc tion and is closed at its rear end by a tail plug and at i ts
forwar d end by a centr al plug which is screwed and locked into the rear end of the nose port ion of
the bomb.
13. The cast- iron or steel cent ral plug is bored to accom moda te a cen tral t ube , which exte nds
thro ugh the tai l cone to the tai l plug. The cen tral tub e forms a holder for a det ona tor -bu rste r
No. 28, Mk. I or I I, when the b omb is fuzed.
14. A ta ppe d hole, fitte d wit h a steel plug and lead sealing washer, is provid ed in the cen tral
plug for filling purposes.
15. The tai l assem bly proje cts from the ta il plug and con sists o f a tai l tu be which has four v ane
supp orts carry ing a cylindri cal vane.

Identificati on colourin g and marking s


16. The exte rior of the bomb, exce pt th e lug, is pai nte d white and, when the bomb is filled,
two green bands, | in. wide, are pai nte d roun d the tai l cone. On the nose porti on, in fro nt of the
suspens ion lug, are stam ped the following mar king s:—
(i) “ 25 lb. I ”.
(ii) The ma nuf act ure r's initia ls or recognized tra de mark.
(iii) The dat e of m anu fact ure (mon th and year).

17. The following ma rking s a re stencil led on t he nose p ort ion :—


(i) The monog ram of th e filling sta tio n or the initi als or recognized tra de mar k of the filling
con trac tor.
(ii) The dat e of filling (mon th and year).
(iii) The lot numb er.
18. The ma rking “ 25 lb.’’ is stencille d on the tail cone, toge the r with the following infor ma tio n:—
(i) “ I ”, indic ating t he mar k num ber of th e bomb.

Functi oning
19. When th e bo mb is r eleased from th e b omb carrie r, t he safe ty p lung er is ej ected by its spring,
leavin g th e stri ker held in the “saf e” posit ion by the shea r wire only, the tra ns it safe ty pin and
saf ety .wi re havin g been remov ed before take-off.
20. On imp act of th e bomb with the tar ge t, th e str ike r hea d and the stri ker rod are forced
inwards so as to brea k th e s hear wire and fire th e det ona tor- bur ster . The explosion of the de tona tor-
bur ste r d isru pts th e t ail cone and sca tte rs t he filling which, on c ont act wi th t he atm osph ere, produc es
a whit e sm oke cl oud at th e poi nt of imp act.

Supply
21. The bombs are suppli ed packe d four in box B.537, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12S/820). The
stowage dimensio ns of t he box are 26} in. x 21 in. x 7 | in., and its filled w eight is 128 lb.

Storage
22. The bombs are classified, for stora ge and tra ns po rt purposes , as “Da ngerous Sto res. ”
They mu st be stor ed in the ir boxes, pref erab ly in open-side d sheds. If thi s accom moda tion is not
availa ble, the boxes should be store d on ba tte ns unde r tarp auli ns. As th e likelihood of leakage
of the filling in creases with t he age of the filled b omb, bombs which have bee n l onges t in store shoul d
be used first, and storag e arra nge men ts to faci litate th is should be made. All bomb s should be
used within a year of filling.

BOMB, PRACTICE, AIRCRAFT, FLASH, 25 lb ., Mk. I ll


Comparison with the Mk. I smoke bomb
23. The infor mati on conta ined in para. 1 to 3, a nd para . 5 to 15, applies equa lly to thi s bomb,
excep t th at thi s bomb always has a moulded plas tic filling plug, with leat her washer, and a flash
filling.
323

Th is lea f issu ed with A .L . No. 108 A.P.1 661 B, Vol. I, Sect. 8, Chap. 8
Mar ch, 1945

24. Th e lea din g pa rti cu lar s for th is bo mb are th e sam e as tho se giv en in pa ra . 4 for th e Mk. I
smo ke bom b, ex ce pt as fol low s:— ...................................................
Sto res Ref. of em pt y bo mb ...............
Sto res Ref. of filled bom b ................ 12B/4 89 (a.l .133)
We igh t an d na tu re of filling ... 9 oz. S.R. Co mp osi tio n...............
juttv jJo.n.ivuid.-r.voi"iue«[.nicaLioff"COlOilring'a'ft’d ’ m’afkir igs, -fun ctio nin g an d su pp ly given
in par a. 16 to 21 also ap pl y to th is bo mb ex ce pt for th e follo wing diff ere nce s:—
(i) Th e filled bom bs ha ve a r ed rin g pa in te d ro un d th e nose a nd tw o j in. bla ck ban ds pa in ted
ro un d th e ta il cone.
(ii) Th e ap pr op ria te m ar k nu mb er is ind ica ted on th e bom b.
(iii) Th e b om b f un cti on s a s d esc rib ed in p ar a. 19 and 20, ex ce pt th a t t he flas h fr om th e d eto na to r-
bu rs te r ign ite s th e filling to pr od uce a br ill ia nt wh ite flash.

Storage
26. Th e bom bs ar e classif ied, for th e pu rpo se of st ora ge , in Gr oup 9, Ca teg ory Y , see A.P. 2608A
Cha p. 7.
324
325

This leaf issued with A .L . No. IOS A. P. 16 61 B, VoL I, Sect. 8, Chap. 8


March, 1945

APPE NDIX 1

INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE

LIS T OF CONTE NTS


Pa ra.
Fu zi ng a bo m b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1
Lo ad in g th e bo m b on to th e L ig ht Se rie s bo m b ca rr ie r ... ... 2
U nl oa di ng th e bo m b fro m th e L ig ht Se rie s bo m b ca rr ie r ... ... 4
U nf uz in g th e bo m b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 6

Fuzin g a bomb
1. To fuze a 25 lb. prac tice bomb, proceed as follows:—■
(i) Visuall y examin e the nose porti on of t he bomb to ensure th a t bot h th e sa fet y plung er and
the t ra ns it safe ty pin are prese nt, and c orrec tly position ed.
(ii) Slacken the securing screw and unscrew the nose porti on from the tai l cone, holding the
rea r porti on of t he bomb by the tail cone an d NOT by the cylind rical vane .
Note.-—When fuzing a smoke bomb, the filling plug and de ton ato r-b urs ter holder mus t
be exami ned for signs of corrosion and /or leakage of th e filling. If the re are an y signs of leakage
or corrosion, the bom b mus t not be used, bu t set aside for A.I.D ./A.I .S. inspectio n.
(iii) Ens ure th at the shea r wire is prese nt, and th at th e poin t of t he stri ker does not pro tru de
beyo nd the guide bush.
(iv) Clean t he det ona tor -bu rste r holde r wit h a dry clean cloth.
(v) In se rt a det ona tor- bur ster , air cra ft bomb, No. 28, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12G/848 o r 12G/207),
or Mk. II (Stores Ref. 12G/1145 or 12G/1146), into the det ona tor -bu rst er holder.
(vi) Re-assemb le the bom b by screwing the nose porti on fully home on to the tai l cone and
locking wit h the securing screw.

Loading the bomb on t o the Light Series bomb carrier


2. The fuzed b omb is to be loaded on to th e L igh t Series bomb carr ier as descr ibed in A. P. 1664,
Vol. I, Chap. 2, so th at the safet y plun ger is depres sed by con tac t wit h the undersi de of t he fron t
crut ch of the carri er. The safety plung er is thu s engaged wit h the groove in the str ike r head,
main taini ng the strik er rod in the “sa fe” position whilst the bomb is being carrie d on the airc raft .
3. When the bomb is finalty in positi on on th e bomb carrie r, and imm edia tely before the
air cra ft ta kes off, remov e th e safet y wire a nd tra ns it safe ty p in and ha nd the l att er ei ther to th e pilo t
or the air bomber . The tra ns it safe ty pin is the n avail able for insert ion into the bomb should it
not be expended.

Unloadin g t he bomb from the Light Series bomb carrier


4. Before unload ing th e bomb, replace the tra ns it safet y pin in the nose port ion of th e bomb.
Then engage a leng th of 20 S.W.G. copper wire in th e slot ted end of the safe ty plunge r, pass each
end of the wire thro ugh the eye of the tr an sit saf ety pin, and tw ist th e ends of t he wire toge ther
so as to reta in th e tra ns it safet y pin in position , tak ing c are th at th e wire is t ig ht en ough to p rev ent
the tra ns it safe ty pin from being with draw n from its groove in the stri ker head.
Note.— This proce dure is to be followed for all pra ctice bombs loaded on the airc raft before
any bomb is unload ed. _ ............................................................
5. Unloa d the bomb from the bom b car rier as describe d in A.P. 1664, Vol. I, Chap. 12.
Warning.—Unex pende d bombs mu st be unfuze d as soon as possible, and mus t not be stor ed,
wit h det ona tor- bur ster s in positio n. Should it be require d, howeve r to hold bombs for
“re ad y-u se” , th e instr ucti ons g iven in Chap. 1 of thi s Sectio n-mus t be followed.__ (a.l . 124)

Unfuz ing the bomb


6. Before unfuzing the bomb, ensure th at it has been rende red safe, as describe d in para. 4,
the n proceed as follows:—
(i) Slacken th e securing screw and unscrew the nose porti on from the tail cone, holding the
rear porti on of th e bomb by the tai l cone and NOT by the cylind rical vane.
326

(ii) Remove th e deto nato r-bu rste r. Force mu st not be used in remov ing the det ona tor-
burs ter. If difficulty is ex perienc ed in so doing, the b omb mu st be t re ate d a s un servic eable
and mu st be dest roye d as describ ed in A.P. 2608 A, Chap. 19.
(iii) Re-assemb le the bomb by screwing the nose port ion fully home on to the tai l cone and
locking with the securing screw.
327

T hi s le af iss ue d wit h A .L . No . 109 A .P .1 6 6 1 B , Vol. I, Sect . 8


Ma rch , 1945

CHA PTER 9
BOMBS, PRACTIC E, AIR CRA FT, SMOKE, 10 lb., Mk. I; FLA SH, 10 lb., Mk. IH ;
and SMOKE, 111 lb., Mk. I
(South Afr ican Manu factu re)

1. Att ent ion is direct ed to Cha pter 1 of thi s Section in which some general infor mati on
applica ble to these bombs is given.

2. These prac tice bombs, of Sout h African man ufac ture, are issued unde r the same Stores
Referenc e numb ers as, and conc urre ntly with, the corresp onding prac tice bombs of Brit ish man u­
factu re. For a descri ption of the la tter , reference should be made to Chapte rs 2 and 6 of thi s Section.

3. Exte rnal ly, the South A frican bombs are simila r to the Brit ish bombs, excep t th at the y are
not provid ed with a grub screw for securing the tail cone port ion to the nose casting . Due to thi s
difference, par ticu lar care mus t be tak en when fuzing thes e bombs to ensure th at , afte r inser ting
the deto nato r-bu rster , the nose castin g and tail cone are screwed tig htl y toge ther . There are also
minor inte rnal cons truct iona l differences b etween t he Sout h African and Brit ish bombs, bu t thes e in
no way affect the instr uctio ns for the ir use.

4. The smoke filling of b ombs man ufac tured and filled in Sou th Africa is chlorosu lphonic acid,
bu t for emp ty bombs supplied to, and filled in, the Uni ted Kingd om tita niu m tetr achl orid e is used.
It should be note d th at the smoke cloud produ ced by a bom b filled w ith chlorosulph onic acid take s
longer to form and is slightl y less dense tha n th at obta ined by using a bomb conta ining tita niu m
tetra chlo ride. The flash filling of bombs man ufac ture d and filled in South Africa is bari um nitr ate ,
zinc dust, and gunpowder.

5. The bombs bear the same marki ngs as the Brit ish equiva lents, exce pt th at Sout h African
flash filled b ombs have, in addit ion, "S.A ." stencille d on the tai l vane aft er the mar k numb er, and
thes e lette rs also app ear on the Box in which the bombs are packed. The Sout h African flash filled
bombs are specially mark ed in t his way to disting uish t hem fro m flash bombs of Br itish ma nufa cture ,
which cont ain a flash filling of m uch more sensiti ve composition .
No te. — Ear ly issues of 10 lb. “S.A .” flash filled bombs were stencille d Mk. I.

6. The term inal velocities of th e bombs, and the bomb sigh t sett ings t o be used, are the same
as for th e correspon ding Briti sh types.
328
329

Th is lea f issu ed with A .L . No. 134 A. P.1 66 1B , Vol. I, Sect . 8


Jun e, 1946

CHA PTE R 10

BOMBS, PRACTI CE, AIR CRA FT, SMOKE, 25 lb., Mk. I*** and IV, and
FLA SH, 25 lb., Mk. Il l* * and V

LIST OF CONTENTS
Para.
In tr oduct io n ... ... ... ... ... .. . ..." ... 1
BOM BS, PR A C TI C E, A IR C R A FT , SM OK E, 25 lb „ Mk. I*** an d IV
L ea di ng pa rt ic ul ar s ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 4
Ge ne ral de sc rip tio n ... ... ............ ... ... ... ... 5
Nos e po rt io n ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 6
St ri ke r as se m bl y an d sa fe ty de vic es ... ... ... ... ... 7
Tai l co ne ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 9
Id en tif ic at io n co lou rin g an d m ar ki ng s ... ... ... ... ... 12
Fu nc tio ni ng ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 14
Su pp ly ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 16
St or ag e ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 17
BOM BS, PR A C TI C E, A IR C R A FT , FL A SH , 25 lb., Mk. Il l* * an d V
Co m pa ris on w ith th e Mk. I*** an d IV sm ok e bo m bs ... ... ... 18
St or ag e ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 19

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

1. E x te rn al an d se ctio na l vie ws of Mk. IV bo m b


2. Bo mb , pr ac tic e, ai rc ra ft , sm ok e, 25 lb., Mk. IV

LIST OF APPENDICES
No te.— A lis t of co nt en ts ap pe ar s a t th e be gin nin g of ea ch ap pe nd ix

A P P E N D IX 1—I ns tr uc ti on s fo r use
330

^SlftE AF TER BOMB HAS AND SCREW TABLET PIN O


HARD HOME BEFORE REMOVING
BEEN PLACED ON CARRIER BO MB FROM CARRIER

Fig. 1.—External and sectional views o£ Mk. IV bomb


331

Th is lea f issu ed with A .L . No .134 A.P.1 661B, Vol. I, Sect. 8


Ju ne , 194b

CHAPTER 10

BOMBS, PRACTICE, AIRCRAFT, SMOKE, 25 lb., Mk. I*** and IV,


and FLASH, .25 lb., Mk. Ill** and V

Intro duct ion


1. Att ent ion is direc ted to Cha pter 1 of thi s section for general inform ation, includi ng pre ­
cauti ons, appli cable t o these bombs.
2. These bombs are simi lar to the 25 lb. Mk. I and II I prac tice bombs, described in Chap ter
8 of th is section, bu t differ in th at th ey in corp orate i mprove d safe ty devices, which rende r th e bombs
safer to hand le and. which a re more easily rep laced should i t be nec essary to unload a bom b from t he
bomb carrie r. The. Mk. I*** and III** bombs are conv erted Mk. I and II I bombs, respectiv ely,
whereas the.M k. IV and V b ombs are man ufa ctur ed to the modified design. Tike the earlie r marks
of 25 lb. prac tice bomb, these bombs are for use in high level prac tice bombing with the Mk. XIV
bomb sig ht.
*
3. The smoke bombs are for use by day, the p oint of imp act wit h t he t arg et being ind icate d by
a cloud of white smoke, The flash bombs are inte nde d for nig ht bomb ing pract ice, and on impa ct
with t he tar ge t produc e a bril lian t white flash.
War ning .—The bombs m ust not be used a gain st armo ured moto r b oats, or othe r lig htly armou red
targe ts where penet ratio n, by th e cast- iron nose, may cause inju ry to personnel, or othe r d amage.
Agains t such targe ts the 8 | lb. break -up practice bomb should be used lor low altitu de practice
bombing, and the 11 | lb. practic e bomb for h igh altitu de practice bombing, notin g how ever the
restr ictio n given in Chap. 2 of th is S ection.

BOMBS, PRACTICE, AIRCRAFT, SMOKE, 25 lb., Mk. I*** and IV

Leading partic ulars


4. Overall leng th ... ... ... ... ... ... .. .1 ft . 10in.
Maxim um diam eter ... ... ... ... ... ...4 in.
Weig ht and nat ure of filling ... ... ... ... ...1 lb. tit an ium te trac hlo ride
Weigh t of filled bomb ... ... ... ... ... ...25 1b.
Term inal veloc ity ... ... ... ... ... ...1,085 ft. per sec.
General description, fig. 1
5. The bombs consist of two main part s, namely, a c ast-ir on nose porti on, fitte d with a st rike r
asse mbly and s afet y devices, and a t ai l cone, which con stitu tes a con tain er for t he filling. A ce ntra l
tub e in th e t ail cone provides a housing for a d eto nat or- bur ster and a ta il plu g carries the ta il assemb ly.
Nose porti on
6. The nose port ion is bored to accom modat e the stri ker assemb ly and safe ty devices, and is
thre ade d at its rear end to receive the tai l cone, which is locked in posit ion by a securing screw. A
suspens ion lug is screwed into t he nose p ortion .
Stri ker assembly and safely devices
7. The st rike r assem bly co nsists of a st rike r h ead 'and a str ike r rod . The stri ker head, made of
steel, is red uced in diam eter at its rea r end, Jftid has a single groove, which registe rs with two radia l
holes in the nose port ion of the bomb. One end of th e stri ker r od is screwed into th e rear e nd of th e
stri ker head while th e o pposite and po inted en d of the rod is housed in a guide bush screwed into the
rea r end of the nose por tion. A shea r wire passes thr oug h th e guide b ush a nd st rike r rod.
8. The safe ty devices consist of a safe ty wire, which is a loop of flexible steel wire to which a
tap ped saf ety co llar is a ttac hed , a screwed tra ns it safe ty pin, a sp ring-l oaded s afety plung er and the
shea r wire. Durin g tra nsi t, storage, and hand ling, these safe ty devices rema in fitted to the bomb,
as sh own in fig. 1; th e safe ty wire passes over a ho oked safe ty catc h secured to one e nd of th e safe ty
plung er and the safe ty collar receives the tra ns it safe ty pin. In thi s way, the safe ty plung er and
tra ns it safe ty pin are held so a s to regis ter wit h the groove in the strik er head thu s ma inta inin g the
strik er assem bly in th e "sa fe” positio n. When the bo mb is loa ded on t o the a ircr aft, th es af et y wire
332

and tra ns it safe ty pin are remov ed prior to "Tak e


-off”, bu t the safe ty plunger contin ues to engage
with the stri ker head, due to con tact wit h the front
cru tch of th e carrier, unt il the bomb is rel eased from
th e airc raft . An inst ruc tion tab let , the wording on
which is shown in fig. 1, is atta che d to the tra nsi t
safe ty pin by a split ring.
Ta il cone
9. The tail cone is of steel cons truc tion and is
tinn ed internai l}' to prev ent corrosion by the filling.
It is closed at its rea r end by a tai l plug and at its
forw ard end by a cen tral plug, screwed and locked
int o the rea r end of the nose por tion of the bomb.
The tai l and cen tral plugs are made eithe r of cast-
iron or steel.
10. The cen tral p lug is' bo red to accomm odate
a cen tral tube, which, with t he recessed po rtion of the
plug, forms a holder for a No. 28, Mk. I o r I I det ona ­
tor -bu rst er when the bomb is fuzed. A t app ed hole,
fitte d with a steel plug and lead sealing washer, is t
provi ded in th e cent ral plug for filling purposes.
11. The tail assembly proj ects from the tail
plug and consists of a tai l t ube w hich has four vane
sup por ts carry ing a cylind rical vane.

Identif ication colouring and mark ings


12. The exte rior of the bomb, exc ept the lug,
is pai nte d whit e and, when the bomb is filled, two
green bands, I in. wide, are pai nted round the tail
cone.
13. The mark ing "25 I***” or "25 IV ”, in dic a­
tin g the weight and mar k numb er, is stencille d on
the tai l cone. In addi tion , the following inform ation
is st encille d on the nose po rtion behind th e suspension
lug :—
(i) The monog ram of th e filling sta tio n or
the initial s or recognized tra de mar k of
the filling co ntra ctor .
(ii) The dat e of filling (month and year),
(iii) The Lot numbe r.

Func tionin g
14. When the bomb is released from the bomb
carrie r, the safe ty plunger is ejected by its spring, l eav ­
ing th e strik er held in th e "saf e” po sition by t he shear
wire only, the tr an sit safet y pin and safety wire having
been removed b efore “Take -off".
15. On impa ct of the bomb wit h the targ et,
the stri ker head and the stri ker rod are forced in­
wards breakin g the shear wire and firing the deto na­
tor -bu rste r. The explosion of th e det ona tor- bur ster
disr upts the tai l cone and sca tter s the filling which,
on con tac t with th e atmos phere , produce s a white
smoke cloud at the poin t of imp act.

Supply
16. The bombs are supplie d pac ked four in Box
B.537, Mk. I. The stowage dimensions of the box
are 26-j in. x 21 in. x 7{ in., and its filled weight is Fi g. 2.— Bom b, practi ce, aircraft, smo ke,
1281b. 25 lb., Mk. IV
333

Th is lea f issu ed with A .L . No. 134 A.P .16 61 B, Vol. I, Sect. S, Chap. 10
Ju ne , 1946 '

Storage
17. The bombs are classified, for storag e and tra nsp ort purposes , as “Da ngerous Goods” .
They must be store d in thei r boxes, pref erab ly in open-sided sheds. If thi s accom moda tion is not
avail able, t he boxes should be store d on ba tte ns unde r t arp auli ns. As the likel ihood of leakage of the
filling increases with the age of t he filled b omb, bombs which have been longest in store should be
used first, and storag e arra ngem ents to faci litate thi s should be made. All bombs should be used
withi n a year o f filling.

BOMBS, PRACTICE, AIRCRAFT, FLASH, 25 lb., Mk. Ill* * and V

Comparison with the Mk. I*** and IV smoke bombs


18. The infor mati on conta ined in par a. 4 to 16 app lies equa lly to these bombs, which are ide nt­
ical with the corres ponding s moke bombs excep t for t he following differ ences :—
(i) The bombs are filled with an S.R. compos ition, the weight of the filling being 9 oz.
The bombs func tion as described in para . 14 and 15, excep t th at the flash from the
det ona tor- bur ster ignites the filling .to produc e a bril lia nt white flash.
(ii) The filling plug is of moulde d p lasti c mate rial, with a le athe r w asher, a nd t he cent ral
and t ail plug s are always of steel.
(iii) The filled bombs have a red ring pai nte d roun d the nose and two | in. black bands
pai nte d roun d the ta il cone, and the mark ing “S.R .541B ” is sten cilled on the bomb
body behind the suspensio n lug.
(iv) The app rop riat e mark n umb er is in dica ted on th e bomb.
Storage
19. The bombs are classified, for the purpos e of stor age, in Group 9, Categ ory Y. (See
A.P.2608A, Chap. 7).

I
334
335

Thi s l eaf issued with A. L. No. 142 A.P. 1661 R, Vol. I, Sect. 8, Chap. 10
February, 1948

Q APPE NDIX 1
H s
g H INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE
£ d £

g g LIST OF CONTENTS
Fara .
Fu zin g a bom b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1
Lo adi ng th e bom b on to a Li gh t Series bo mb ca rri er ... ... ... 2
Un loa din g th e bo mb from th e Li gh t Series bom b ca rri er ... ... ... 4
Un fuzi ng th e bom b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 6

Fuzin g a bomb
± 4) £X 1. To fuze a bomb, proceed as follows : —
C rrt
D 2 o (1) Visually examine the nose portion of the bomb to ensure th at the safety wire, tran sit
a- S x
Cu safety pin, and safety plunger are present, and correctly positioned.
< 2 'c
(2) Slacken the securing screw and unscrew t he nose portion from the tail cone, holding
<L>.5 the rear portion of th e bomb by the tail cone and nol b y the cylindrical vane.
. v> d c
o .S Note.—When fuzing a smoke bomb, the filling plug and deton ator-b urster
„ <D £ holder must be examined for signs of corrosion and/o r leakage of the filling. If
there are a ny signs of leakage or corrosion, the bomb mu st no t be used, but must be
set aside for A.I.S. inspection.
$ (3) Ensure th at the shear wire is present , and tha t the point of the strike r does not pro­
<D1>
~ <D trud e beyond the guide bush.
o (4) Clean the deto nator -burs ter holder with a clean dry cloth.
0 C : :<
z>
3 d ,-g (5) Gauge the deton ator-b urste r holder, using a No. 17, Mk. I deton ator cavi ty gauge;
co>—<U
C if th e gauge will not en ter freely, the bomb is to be s et aside fo r A.I.S. inspection.
(6) Inse rt a No. 28, Mk. I or II deton ator-b urste r into the deto nator -burs ter holder-
d 4J Due to the possibility of over-size deton ator-b ursters occurring, force must not be
< a. £ used when inserting the deton ator-b urste r and, if an y difficulty is found, t he bomb
« _• 3"5 and deton ator-b urste r are to be set aside for A.I.S. inspection.
S<-5
3 «-2 S (7) Re-assemble the bomb by screwing the nose portion fully home on to the tail cone
e- -2.S £ and locking with the securing screw.
(8) Test the assembly by atte mpt ing to unscrew the tai l cone, by hand, from the nose
portion. If the tail cone can be unscrewed even the smallest amount , the bomb
is to be unfuzed, as described in par a. 6, and set aside for A.I.S. inspection.

Loading the bomb on to a L ight Series b omb carrier


2. The fuzed bomb is to be loaded on to the Light Series bomb carrier as described in A.P.
1664, Vol. I, Chap. 2, so t ha t the front crutch of th e carrier bears on the safety plunger and will,
therefore, retai n the plunger in position when t he safety wire is removed. The safety plunger thus
remains engaged wi th the groove in the strik er head, mainta ining the strik er assembly in t he “safe"
position while the bomb is being carri ed on th e aircraft.
3. When the bomb is securely pos ition ed on the bomb carrier, and immediately before the air­
craft t akes off, unscrew the tran sit safety pin and remove th e safety wire. Hand th e safety pin and
wire to the pilot or air bomber.
LLI
Z Unload ing the bomb from the Ligh t Series bomb carrier
< 4. Before unloading the bomb, fit t he safety wire over the nose of th e bomb so th at i t engages
Z with the safety catc h and so th at th e collar s eats over the hole used to receive the tran sit safety pin.
ez
< Then insert the tran sit safety pin an d screw it fully home, ensuring th at the safe ty wire is drawn tau t
around the nose of t he bomb.
Note.—This procedure is to be followed for all pra ctice bombs loaded on th e aircr aft before any
bomb is unloaded . On no account is a bomb to be rendered safe an d unloaded individually.
336

Thi s l eaf issued with A. L. No. 142 A.P .166 1B, Vol. I, Sect. 8, Chap. 10
February, 1948

APPE NDIX 1
B E S T Jt tl v rE h .

M IN IS TR Y

INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE


A IR

LIST OF CONTENTS
Pa ra .
Fu zi ng a bo m b ... ... ... ... ................ ... ... 1
L oa di ng th e bo m b on to a L ig h t Se rie s bo m b ca rr ie r ... ... ... 2
Un lo ad in g th e bo m b fr om th e L ig ht Se rie s bo m b ca rr ie r ... ... ... 4
ITn fuz ing th e bo m b ... .. . ... ... .. . .. . ... ... 6
Section 8, Chapter 10. R em ov e a n d di sp os e of th e e x is ti n g A p p e n d ix 1
e n tr y in th e A m en dm en t R ec or d Sh ee t a t th e be gi nn in g of th e boo k.
an d sub sti tut e th is A pp en di x 1. W he n yo u ha ve do ne th is , m ak e an

Fuzin g a bomb
1. To fuze a bomb, proceed as follows : —
(1) Visually examine the nose p ortion of the bomb t o ensure tha t the safety wire, tran sit
safety pin, and safety plunger are present, and correctly positioned.
(2) Slacken the securing screw and unscrew t he nose portion from the tai l cone, holding
the rear portion of th e bomb by the tail cone and not by the cylindrical vane.
T his is A. L. No . 14 2 to A .P .1 66 1B , Vo l. I

Note.—When fuzing a smoke bomb, the filling plug and detonat or-bur ster
holder must be examined for signs of corrosion and/or leakage of the filling. If
there are an y signs of leakage or corrosion, the bomb m ust not be used, but must be
set aside for A.I.S. inspection.
(3) Ensure tha t the shear wire is present, and tha t the point of the striker does not pro­
trude beyond the guide bush.
JJOM 15S

(4) Clean the detona tor-bu rster holder with a clean dry cloth.
(5) Gauge the deton ator-b urster holder, using a No. 17, Mk. I deton ator cavi ty gauge;
if t he gauge will not enter freely, th e bomb is t o be set aside for A.I.S. inspection.
(6) Inse rt a No. 28, Mk. I or II deton ator-b urste r into the deton ator-b urster holder-
Due to the possibility of over-size d etonato r-burst ers occurring, force mus t not be
used when inserting the d etona tor-b urste r and, if an y difficulty is found, the bomb
and detona tor-bu rster are t o be se t aside f or A.I.S. inspection.
(7) Re-assemble the bomb by screwing the nose portion fully home on to the tail cone
and locking with the securing screw.
(8) Test the assembly by atte mpt ing to unscrew th e tail cone, by hand, from the nose
portion. If the tail cone can be unscrewed even the smallest amount, the bomb
is to be unfuzed, as described in para. 6, and set aside for A.I.S. inspection.

Loading the bomb on to a L ight Series bomb carrier


2. The fuzed bomb is to be loaded on to the Light Series bomb carrier as described in A.P.
1664, Vol. I, Chap. 2, so t ha t the front crutch of th e carrier bears on the safety plunger and will,
therefore, retain the plunger in position when the safety wire is removed. The safety plunger thus
remains engaged with t he groove in t he strike r head, mainta ining the striker assembly in the “safe’'
position while the bomb is being carried on the aircraft.
3. When the bomb is securely positione d ojp the bomb carrier, and immediatel y before the air­
craf t t akes off, unscrew th e tran sit safety pin and remove th e safety wire. Hand th e s afety pin and
wire to the pilot or air bomber.
Unloadin g the bomb from the Light Series bomb carrier
4. Before unloading the bomb, fi t the safety wire over the nose of the bomb so tha t it engages
with the safety catc h a nd so tha t the collar seats over the hole used to receive t he tran sit safety pin.
Then i nsert the t ran sit safety pin and screw it fully home, ensuring t ha t t he s afety wire is drawn ta ut
around the nose of th e bomb.
Note.—This p rocedure is to be followed for all p ractice bombs loaded on th e aircra ft before any
bomb is unloaded. On no account is a bomb to be rende red safe and unloaded individually.
337

5. Unlo ad t he bomb fro m t he bo mb carri er as describ ed in A.P. 1664, Vol. I, Chap. 2.


Warnin g.— Unex pende d bombs mus t be unfuzed as soon as possible, and mu st not be store d
wit h det ona tor- bur ster s in position . Should it be re quire d, however, to hold bombs for "rea dy
use” , the instr ucti ons given in Chap. 1 of t his section must be followed.
Unfuzi ng the bomb
6. Before unfuzin g the bomb, ensure th at it has been rend ered safe, as described in para. 4,
the n proceed as follows:—
(1) Slacken the secur ing screw and unscrew t he nose p orti on from t he ta il cone, holding the
rea r po rtio n of t he bo mb b y t he tail cone an d not by the cyli ndric al v ane.
(2) Remove the deto nato r-bu rste r. Force must not be used in removing the detonator-
burster and if difficulty is experienc ed, the b omb mu st be tre ate d as unservic eable
and mu st be destr oyed a s d escribe d in A.P.2608A, Chap. 19.
(3) Re-assem ble the b omb b y screwing the nose p orti on fully h ome on to the ta il cone and
locking with the securing screw.
338
339

A IR PU BL IC AT IO N 1661B
Volume I

Section 9

H.C. BOMBS
340
341

Th is lea f issue d with A .L . No . 102 A. P.1 66 1B , Vol. I


Ja nu ar y, 1945

SECTION 9

H.C. BOMBS

LIS T OF CHA PTE RS


Note.— A list of cont ents appe ars at the beginning of each chap ter.

CHA PTE R 1—General notes on H.C. bombs


CHA PTE R 2—Bomb, H.E ., airc raft , H.C., 2,000 lb., Mk. I
CHA PTE R 3—Bomb, H.E ., airc raft , H.C., 4,000 lb., Mk. I
CHA PTE R 4—Bomb, H.E ., airc raft , H.C., 4,000 lb., Mk. I I
CHA PTE R 5—Bomb, H.E ., airc raft , H.C., 4,000 lb., Mk. I l l and IV
CHA PTE R 6—Bombs, H.E ., airc raft , H.C., sectiona l, 8,000 lb., Mk. I and II
CHA PTE R 7—-Bombs, H. E., airc raft , H.C., 2,000 lb., Mk. I I and H I
CHA PTE R 8—Bomb, H.E ., airc raft, H.C., sectiona l, 12,000 lb., Mk. II

AP PE ND IX 1—Compone nts used with H.C. bombs

iT
342
343

Th is chapter issued with A .L . No. 47 A.P. 1661 B, Vol. I, Sect. 9


Au gus t, 1942
Rel eva nt amen dmen ts up to A .L . 72
incorpo rated in this repr int
Ja nu ar y, 1944

G&AST1E& 1

General notes on H.C. bombs

LIST OF CONTENTS
Pa ra.
In tr oduct io n ................ ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ••• ■■■ 1
Pr ec au tio ns to be ob se rv ed wh en fuz ing or un fu zing bo m bs. .. ... ... ... ... ... ... 5
R ep ai r an d ex am in at io n ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 6
Su pp ly ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ■■■ ••• 8
St or ag e ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... • •■ ■■ •• ■• • 9
344

CHAPTER 1

General notes on H.C. bombs


Introductio n
1. At t he p resen t t ime, two typ es of H.C. bombs are in use in th e Service, namely, the 2,000 lb.
and 4 ,000 lb. bombs. These bombs are thin- wall ed and have a high charge /weigh t rati o. They are
used for general bom bard men t purpo ses on oper ation s where the maxi mum damag e by blas t is
require d.
2. The earlier mark s of the bombs are provi ded wit h side fuzing positio ns, which are used
only for special operat ions, the bombs norm ally being fuzed only at the nose. Lat er mar ks of t he
4,000 ft), bomb a re provid ed with thre e nose fuzing position s.
3. All type s of H.C. bombs are provid ed with nose att ach me nts for stabiliz ing the flight of
the bomb. The 4,000 lb. bomb is fitte d with a drum tail, and the 2,000 lb. bomb ma y be fitted
with eith er a drum tai l or a par ach ute atta chm ent .
4. Central tub es ar e a t p rese nt f itted in all typ es of H.C. bombs, and where side fuzing p ositions,
or nose fuzing po sition s offset from t he axi s of t he bo mb are used, explod er tu bes are used t o connect
thes e fuzing positio ns t o the centr al tube.

Precautions to be observed when fuz ing or unfu zing bombs


5. Att ent ion is direc ted to the prec autio ns detai led in Sect. 1, Chap. 1, which app ly also to
H.C. bombs.

Repair and exam ination


6. Only such re pair an d exam inati on of bom bs as is specified in Sect. 20, Chap. 1, is to be d one
by arm am ent personn el. Any bom b found havin g ma jor damage or defects is to be set aside for
A.I.D. inspecti on.
7. Fuzed bombs, whet her loaded on to airc raft, or. stor ed in the fuzed bomb area, mus t be
exam ined at the inter vals sta ted in Sect. 20, Chap. 2.

Supply
8. H.C. bombs ar e supplied uncr ated a nd are fitt ed with tra ns it rings. All fuzing positio ns are
plugged with tra ns it plugs. Tails, nose atta chm ent s, and par ach ute att ach me nts are supplie d in
sepa rate packages.

Storage
9. The regula tions governing the s torag e of H.C. bombs a re given in A.P. 1245, Chap. 3. Tail
uni ts and nose att ach me nts may be stor ed in the same explosives store house as the filled bombs,
bu t package s contai ning the m mu st be stac ked well clear of t he filled s tores.
10. Par ach ute a tta chm ent s are no t to be store d in p ositi on on t he b ombs, bu t are to b e s tore d
in any s uitab le dry building .
11. The par ach ute att ac hm en t should be carefully handl ed at all times. If it shows signs
of having been rough ly handle d, or havi ng det erio rate d in storag e, it is not to be used, and should
be retu rned , complete w ith all fittings, to th e app rop riat e Mainten ance Unit.
345

Th is chapter issu ed with A .L . No. 48 A.P.16 61B, Vol. I, Sect. 9


Jan ua ry , 1943
Rele vant amen dmen ts up to A .L . 72
incorporated in this repr int
Jan ua ry , 1944

CHAPTER 2

BOMB, H.E ., AIRCRAFT, H.C., 2,000 lb., Mk. I

LIS T OF CONTENTS
Para.
Int rod uc tio n ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1
Lea ding par tic ula rs ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... . ... 2
Genera l des crip tion
Bom b bod y ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 3
Filli ng ................... ... ... ... ... .... ... ... ... 11
Nose att ac hm en t, No. 4, Mk. I ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 14
Pa rac hu te att ac hm en t, No. 10, Mk. I or II ... ... ... ... ... ... 15
Tail, bom b, air cra ft, No. 32, Mk. I ... ... ... ... • ... ... ... 19
Pr ote cti ng r ings ... ... ... ... ... ... ... • ... ... 20
Ide nti fic atio n colou ring and ma rkin gs
Colouri ng .................... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 21
Mar kings on th e bom b body ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 23
Mar kings o n th e tr an si t plug s ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 26
Mar kings on th e nose att ac hm en t ... ... ... ... ... ... . .. - 2 7
Mar kings on th e pa rac hu te att ac hm en t ... ... ... ... ... .. 28
Fu nct ion ing ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 30
In str uc tio ns for use
Rem ovin g th e pro tec tin g rings ... ... .. .. ... ... ... ... ... 32
Asse mblin g th e loca ting p lat e or susp ensio n lug ... ... ... ... ... ... 33
Fi tti ng t he p ara ch ut e at ta ch m en t ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 34
Fi tti ng th e tai l ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 37
Fi tti ng t he nose att ac hm en t ................... ... ... ... ... ... ... 40
Fuz ing th e bom b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 42
Loa ding t he bom b on to t he air cra ft ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 43
Unlo adin g th e bom b from the air cra ft ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 44
Unf uzin g th e bom b ... ... ' ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 45
Rem ovin g th e pa rac hu te att ac hm en t from th e bom b ... ... ... ... ... 46
Rem ovin g th e tai l from th e bom b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 47
Sup ply and stor age
Sup ply ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 48
Sto rage ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 53

LIS T OF ILLU STRA TION S


Pig-
1. Bomb . H. E., air cra ft, H.C., 2,000 lb., Mk. I
2. At tac hm en t, nose, air cra ft bom b. No. 4, Mk. I fi tt ^l to the bom b
3. At tac hm en t, pa rac hu te, air cra ft bom b, No. 10, Mk. II
4. Tail, bom b, air cra ft, No. 32, Mk. I
5. .P rot ec tin g ring
346

CHAPTER 2

BOMB* H.E ., AIRCRAFT, H.C., 2,000 lb., Mk. I


Introduction
1. The 2,000 lb., Mk. I H.C. bomb is a thi n-cas ed b las t bomb which is f itte d with a nose at ta ch ­
me nt and a par ach ute att ac hm en t, or a tail, to stabili ze its flight. I t has a char ge/we ight rat io of
app roxi mate ly 70 per cent, and is provid ed with thr ee fuzing positions, one in t he nose a nd two in
the side nea r the rea r end of th e body.

Leading particulars
2. Stores Ref. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 12A/790
Leng th, wit ho ut par ach ute a tta chm ent , or tail ... ... ... 8 ft . 3J in. approx .
Maximum diam eter ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1 ft. 6-j in. appr ox.
Weight and n atu re of filling ... ... ... ... ... 1,340 lb. am ato l 60/40
Term inal velocit y of bomb f itted with t ail ... ... ... 830 ft. per sec.

GE NER AL DES CR IPT ION


Bomb body, fig. 1
3. The bomb body consists of a cylind rical shell havi ng a hollow conical nose piece welded to
one end and a closing pla te bolte d to an angle ring welded in positio n at a sho rt dista nce within
the oth er end.
4. The cylind rical shell is s tren gthe ned ci rcum feren tially by a T-sec tion ring welded to its inner
surface a t an app roxi mat ely cen tral p osition, the e nds of th e ring being welded to the oppos ite sides
of a ste el block which is welded to the inte rior of the shell. Tap ped holes, for t he se curing screws of
a locat ing pla te or suspe nsion'l ug, exte nd thro ugh t he shell and i nto the st eel block, and thes e holes
are closed by tra ns it screws which requi re to be remov ed when the locati ng pla te or suspensio n lug
is t o be fitted.
5. The shell is stre ngth ene d longit udin ally by two channe l-sectio n beams which are welded
one t o each end of t he cen tral s teel block and to the in teri or of t he shell.
6. The conical nose-piece has welded in its apex an ad apt er for an explo der con tain er which is
secured to t he nose ad ap ter by a locking screw. Over the rea r por tion of the e xplod er cont aine r is
fitted and ceme nted a cent ral tub e which exten ds axia lly thro ugh the bomb body almos t to the
closing p late a t the r ear end.
7. The closing pla te has a cen tral ad ap ter fitte d wit h a screw-in plug which requi res to be
removed to give access to th e cen tral tub e for exploderi ng. Two drop handl es are att ach ed to the
closing p late, one at e ach side of the a dap ter.
8. Small angle pieces are welded at equi-spa ced positio ns aro und the inne r rea r edge of the
cylindr ical shell; these act in conju nctio n with corres ponding ly space d membe rs on the par ach ute
atta chm ent , or on the t ail, to form a bay one t j oin t. One of these a ngle pieces carries a stop p in and
a locking screw which passes thro ugh a tap ped hole in the shell and angle piece.
9. Two explode r c ontai ners are moun ted in a dap ters w elded i nto t he shell t owa rd the rear end.
These explod er conta iners exte nd radia lly into the bomb body, one on each side of the stiffening
beam, the ir i nner ends being close t o t he cen tral tu be. The ir ste ms are enclosed i n wax ed pap er tubes
and the explo der cont ainer s are secured in the ada pte rs by locking screws.
10. Each of the thre e explod er conta iners is f itte d with a det ona tor holde r which is l ocked in
position by a locking screw and closed by a tra ns it plug.
i
Filling
11. The main filling of the bomb consists of am ato t 60/40 which occupies the inte rnal space
arou nd the cen tral tub e and is sealed at the ends by layers of appr oved composition.
12. The cen tral tub e cont ains a column of eight 33 | oz. T.N.T . explod ers which are hel^l in
positio n e nd-to- end and aga inst th e rea r end of t he explo der con taine r i n th e nose. These are secured
by a wooden distan ce piece reta ined in the rear end of the cen tral tub e by the plug in the closing
pla te ada pter , and a felt disc, and millbo ard discs as necessary, are inter pose d betwee n the wooden
distan ce piece and the rea r explod er to pre ven t axial move ment of the explode rs in the tube .
13. Eac h of the th ree explode r c ontain ers houses a 9 oz. 3 dr. T.N.T . explod er wh ich is covered
by a felt washe r and reta ined in positio n by the det ona tor holder. Eac h det ona tor holde r has a
boxclb th washe r se cured in its inner e nd by shellac.
347
348

A.P.16&1B, Vol. I, Sect. 9, Chap.


Nose attachment, No. 4, Mk. I, fig. 2
14. The nose att ac hm en t is a cylind er of light-ga uge pla te which fits over the forwa rd end of
the cylindrical shell of the bomb body and pro jects forwa rdly beyo nd it arou nd the conical nose-
piece. The ends of a met al stri p formin g the cylin der are over lappe d and inter conn ected by guide
screws, engaged in fixed nut s on one end and p assed thro ugh slo ts in the o ther en d. Port ions of th e
ends of the stri p nea r the rear edge are be nt roun d to form bearin gs for the tru nni on bars of a
knuck le joi nt assemb ly with a clampi ng bolt where by the nose att ac hm en t can be tigh tene d on to
the bom b body . Stop s equi- spaced roun d t he inside of t he cylind er engage the nose-piece t o de termine
the ex ten t to which th e nose att ac hm en t can be push ed on to the bomb body.

Parachute attachment, No. 10, Mk. I or n, fig. 3


15. The para chu te, which is 5 ft. 6 in. in diam eter and is made of hessian, is vent ed at the
pea k and has rigging lines made of webbing which are connec ted, by shackles and pins, to lugs on
a met al tra y which is flanged and f its on to the rea r end of th e bom b body.
16. The lugs to which the rigging lines are att ach ed are welded in slots in the tra y and pas s
thro ugh the tra y to con stitu te, on the forwa rd side, a series of eq ui-spac ed bay one t dogs which can
be e ngaged with t he angle pieces in t he r ear end of t he bomb body to connec t the par ach ute a tta ch ­
me nt to the b omb body.
17. The rigging lines are rolled up indiv idua lly and the par ach ute is folded upon the m on the
tra y and r etai ned by a num ber of peta l-lik e panels of w aterpr oofed fa bric eyeleted to a housing ring
which is laced to the flange of the tra y, the panels overla pping one ano ther to enclose the folded
para chu te. The tip of the first pane l to be laid over the folded par ach ute is pro vide d-w ith a wire
loop an d t he tip s of al l th e o ther pane ls have eyelets which are passed over t he wire loop as th e pa nels
are laid over the folded par ach ute in tur n. The panel s are reta ined in the ir overla pped posit ions
by a reta inin g pin which is conne cted to one end of a sta tic cord in a fabric sleeve stit che d on the
outsid e of th e last pane l to be l aid ov er ; this end of th e sta tic c ord is also connect ed by a fine hem p
cord to t he peak of the fold ed par ach ute . The sta tic co rd is coiled i n a fabric pocket, combined w ith
the fabric sleeve, and its out er end is fitte d with a wire shackle for connec tion to the bomb c arrier,
or a conv enie nt stro ng poin t on t he a ircr aft. To pre ven t accide ntal with draw al of th e reta inin g pin,
its head is connec ted by a t hre ad to a f abric loop on one of th e panels.
349

18. The Mk. I and I I parach ute at tachme nts differ only in minor details, an d the y are enclosed,
when in store, by a Cover, protecting, parach ute attach ment, No. 1, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/956).
This is a cylindrical waterproof cover made of cotton duck and having a cord, with an elastic insertion,
in the hem so th at it can be tightened upon and tied around the flange of the tray.

Tail, bomb, aircraft, No. 32, Mk. I, fig. 4


19. The tail, which is 5 ft. long, is a cylinder of light gauge metal with a metal tray secured
in its forward end and a stren gthening ring secured in its open rear end. The t ray has welded on to
it a series of equi-spaced bayonet dogs similar to those on the tray of the No. 10 parachu te atta chmen t.
The ta il cylinder has a number of openings in it to give ballistic stability.

Fig. +.—Tail , bomb , air cra ft, No. 32, Mk. I

Protecting rings, fig. 5


20. For protecting the bomb body during storage and tr ansit , it is fitted with pro tecting rings,
one at each end, see fig. 1. Each protect ing ring is of U-shaped cross-section and made in two halves
350

A.P.1661 B, Vol. I, Sect. 9, Chap. 2


with welded-on lugs a t t he ends for secur ing bolts. When assembled to the bom b a nd bolte d toge ther
tigh tly, the t wo halves of t he ring encircle the bomb b ody and grip it to pre ven t displace ment.

Identific ation colourin g and markings


Colouring
21. The bom b body is pai nte d da rk green exce pt for a ligh t green band , 2 in. wide, pain ted
round it 1 ft. 4 in. from the fro nt edge of the cylin drical shell and a | in. red ban d 34 in. from
th at edge.
22. The nose att ach me nt, the tra y of the par ach ute att ach me nt, and the tail are pai nte d
da rk green.
Markin gs on the bomb body
23. The rat io figures 60/40 are stencil led in black on the body imm ediat ely to the rea r of the
ligh t green band .
24. The following marki ngs are stencil led in black on the body, to the rea r of the locating
pla te or suspensi on lug tra ns it screws, and also upon the closing pl at es :—
(i) H.C. 2,000 lb.
(ii) " I ”, deno ting the ma rk numbe r.
(iii) The d esign num ber of the m etho d of filling.
(iv) The monog ram of the filling stat ion , or the initia ls or recognized trad e mar k of the filling
con trac tor.
(v) The d ate of filling, mon th and y ear.
(vi) The lo t num ber of the filling.
25. The following mar king s ar e st amp ed on th e body in fro nt of th e l ocatin g p late or suspension
lug t ra ns it scre ws:—
(i) H.C. 2,000 lb.
(ii) " I ”, den otin g the ma rk numbe r.
351

(iii) The body ma nuf act ure r’s initi als or recognized trade- mark.
(iv) The dat e of m anuf actu re, mon th and y ear.

Markings on the transit plugs


26. The following marki ngs are stam ped on the head of the tra ns it plug in each of the three
det ona tor hol der s:—
(i) No. 34 X.
(ii) The m anu fac tur er’s initi als or recognized tra de mark.
(iii) The dat e of m anuf actu re, mon th and year,

Markings on the nose attachment


27. The following markin gs are stam ped on the cylindr ical surface of the nose at ta ch m en t:—
(i) No. 4 Ma rk I.
(ii) The ma nuf act ure r’s initia ls or recognized tra de mark.
(iii) The dat e of m anuf actu re, mo nth a nd year.

Markings on the parachute attachment


28. The fabri c panels hav e stencil led num bers indi cati ng the orde r in which the y are to be
laid over the folded para chu te. Also stencill ed on the panels ate the following pa rtic ula rs: —
(i) No. 10, and Mk. I (or Mk. II) on two adj ace nt panels respect ively.
(ii) The dat e of assembly, mon th and year, on one panel only.
29. The cylindrica l wate rpro of cover has stencill ed on its end the following ins tru cti on :—
IMPO RTAN T, r e m o v e t h is c o v e r im m e d ia t e l y b e f o r e l o a d in g s t o r e on a ir c r a f t .
ST A TI C CO R D TO B E A T T A C H E D TO C A R R IE R , OR A IR C R A F T S T R O N G P O IN T , A F T E R L O A D IN G .

Function ing
30. Upon release of t he bomb from th e a ircr aft the saf ety clip is w ithd raw n fr om th e nose pist ol
by the fu ze-se tting con trol link, th e pisto l ar ming va ne rot ate s and falls off, a nd, if th e bomb is f itted
with a par ach ute a ttac hm ent , the s tat ic cord with draw s t he p ara chu te reta inin g pin, so as to rel ease
the fabric panels covering th e folded pa rac hute; the hem p cord the n draws ou t the par ach ute and
finally bre aks, and the p ara chu te opens. The effect of the open p arac hut e, or t he tail, in c onjun ction
with th at of th e nose att ach me nt, is t o stabil ize the f light of t he bomb.
31. Up on. im pac t of the bomb wit h the tar ge t the pistol in the nose fuzing positi on fires the
deto nato r. The det ona tor the n fires the explo der in the nose explo der conta iner, and thi s init iate s
the column of ex ploders in the cen tral tub e to ensure the deto nati on of t he main filling as a whole.

INST RUC TION S FO R USE


Remov ing the protecting rings
32. Place the bomb on plan ks of sufficient thick ness to provid e groun d clearance, slacke n off
the bolts securing the two halves of e ach prot ecti ng ring toge ther , and with draw the rings from the
ends of th e bomb body.

Assemblin g th e locatin g plate or sus pension lu g


33. Remove the app rop riat e tra ns it screws from the bomb body and att ac h the locat ing pla te
or suspens ion lug wit h t he bol ts p rovide d. These bolts have fy?re inserts an d g reat care mus t be take n
to ensure th at the fitti ng is securely assembled to the bomb body.

Fittin g the parachute attachm ent


34. Wi th the b omb placed on p lank s of sufficient thickn ess to provi de groun d cleara nce for the
par ach ute gear, slacken off th e locking screw which passes thr oug h one of the angle pieces.
35. Remove th e cyli ndrica l wate rproo f cover fro m th e pa rac hut e a ttac hm ent , a nd w ith th e pa nel
havin g t he combine d pock et and sleeve on it upper most, assemble the par ach ute att ac hm en t to the
rear en d of th e bomb b ody, passing th e bay one t dogs betwe en t he an gle pieces a nd turn ing t he p ar a­
chu te atta ch me nt clockwise t o engage these p arts . The tur nin g move ment m ust be c ontin ued until
one of the dogs comes into con tac t with the s top pin on the a ngle piece.
352

A.P.1661B, Vol. I, Seel. 9, Chap. 2


36. Screw home the locking screw so as to ensure th at the par ach ute att ac hm en t is locked
securely in posit ion. This sh ould be tes ted by try ing to tu rn the .pa rac hut e a tta ch me nt anti-clockwise,
which shoul d no t be possible. Replac e th e wate rproo f cover.
Fitting the tail
37. Slacken off the locking screw which passes thr oug h one of t he angle pieces in the rea r end
of th e bomb bo dy.
38. Assemble the tail to the rea r end of the bomb body, passing the bay one t dogs between
the angle pieces and tur nin g the tail clockwise- to engage thes e par ts. The tur nin g mov eme nt mus t
be cont inue d unt il one of t he dogs comes into con tac t with the stop pin on the angle piece.
39. Screw home the locking screw so as to ensure th at the tail is locked secure ly in position .
This shoul d be tes ted by try ing to tu rn the tai l anti-clockwi se, which should no t be possible.
Fitting the nose attachm ent
40. Assemble the cylinde r, knuc kle joi nt tru nni on bars, and clamp ing bolt, leavin g the bolt
slacken ed off.
41. Pass the rea r port ion of the cylind er over the nose of the bom b un til it ove rlap s-th e
cylindr ical shell of t he bomb bod y by app rox ima tely 3 | in. and the stop s ab ut the nose-piece. The
clamp ing bol t of the nose att ac hm en t mu st be locate d on the side of the bomb opposi te to the
suspensio n lug or locat ing plate . Tig hten the clampin g bol t unt il the nose att ac hm en t is rigid on
the bomb.
Fuzin g the bomb .<
42. Pen ding fur the r inst ruct ions , and the issue of sp ecial pistols for the side fuzing position s,
the b ombs are to be fuzed at t he nose only, as follows:—
(i) Ens ure th at the tr an sit plugs in the side fuzing positio ns are screwed home tigh tly.
(ii) Remov e t he tra ns it plug from the nose.
(iii) Ensu re th at t he det ona tor c avi ty is clea r, using the gauge, cavit y, deto nato r, No. 2, Mk. I
(Stores Ref. 12A/349) f or this p urpose. Bombs which fail to pass this gauge te st are to be
set aside for A.I.D. inspectio n.
(iv) Ins ert t he re quir ed deto nato r.
(v) Ins ert a No. 27, Mk. I* or II pisto l in the det ona tor holde r and screw home by han d unti l
well se ated on its washe r and securely locked.

Loading the bomb on to the aircraft


43. If the b omb is fitt ed wi th a p ara chu te a tta chm ent , r emove th e wat erpr oof cover, see para . 18.
The bom b is to be lo aded as d etaile d in the ins truc tion s in the Air Publ icat ion rele van t to th e a ircra ft,
or in the c hap ter of A.P. 1664, Vol. I dealing with the 2,000 lb. Bomb Carrie rs, Typ e A, B, or Special,
as a ppro pria te, using two Slings (Stores Ref. 11A/992) with the Type A, or th e Special, c arrier, or two
Slings (Stores Ref. 11A/994) with the Type B carr ier. Where a p ara chu te a tta ch me nt is fitted, connect
the shackle on the end of the sta tic cord to the carrier, or conv enien t stro ng poi nt on the airc raft.
Finall y, conne ct the safe ty clip of the nose pistol to the carri er fuze-s etting cont rol link.

Unloadmg the bomb from the aircraft


44. If the bo mb is fitt ed wit h a par ach ute a ttac hm ent , first discon nect the st ati c cord from the
carrie r, or ai rcra ft. Discon nect t he safe ty clip from t he fuze-s etting contr ol lin k, and unloa d th e bo mb
as detai led in the inst ruct ions in the Air Pub lica tion rele van t to the airc raft , or in the app rop riat e
cha pte r of A.P. 1664, Vol. I. If the bo mb is fit ted with_p arach ute atta chm ent , replace th e w aterp roof
cover, see par a. 18.

Unfuzi ng the bomb


45. If it is necessary to unfuze the bomb, remove the pistol by hand , ex tra ct the deto nato r,
using extr acto r, deto nato r, No. 2, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/348), and then replace the pisto l or the
tra ns it plug.

Remo ving the parachute attachm ent from the bomb


46. If it is necessary to remove the pa rac hut e att ac hm en t from the bomb, slacke n off the
locking screw i n t he rear end of th e bomb body, tu rn the p ara chu te att ac hm en t an ti-clo ckwis e t o f ree
353

the bay one t dogs from the angle pieces in the end of th e bomb body, and with draw the par ac hu te
att ac hm en t from the bom b body. Screw home the locking screw, and the n replace the wat erpr oof
cover on the p ara chu te atta chm ent .
I
Remo ving the tail from the bomb
47. If it is nece ssary t o remove the ta il fr om t he bom b, slacken oS th e locking screw in the r ear
end of the bom b body, tu rn the tai l anti-clockw ise to free the bay one t dogs from the angle pieces,
and with draw the tai l from the bomb body. Screw home the locking screw.

SUP PLY AND STORA GE


Supply
48. The filled bomb bodies are supplie d unbox ed, wit h the thr ee fuzing poi nts fitte d with
tra ns it plugs, and w ith the p rote ctin g rings in position.
49. The att ach me nt, para chu te, No. 10, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/793) or Mk. II (Stores Ref.
12A/794), is su pplied pack ed w ith t he No. 4, Mk. I nose at tac hm en t (Stores Re f. 12A/797) an d s uspe n­
sion lug or locati ng plate , in a card boa rd box (Stores Ref. 12A/795).
50. The tail, bomb, ai rcraf t, No. 32, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/1071) is su pplie d tog eth er with the
No. 4, Mk. I nose a tta ch me nt (Stores Ref. 12A/797) and the l ocati ng pla te and screws.
51. The covers, prote cting , par ach ute att ach me nt, No. 1, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/956) are
suppl ied in card boar d boxes.
52. Pistol s No. 27, Mk. I* (Stores Ref. 12G/425) or Mk. II (Stores Ref. 12G/426) are supplied
irt cont rac tor ’s packag es as required .
Storage
53. The filled bom b’ bodies are classified, for stora ge purposes , in Group VII. Par ach ute
atta chm ent s, in the ir wate rproo f covers, may be store d in any conv enien t dry place of sto ra ge ;
the y s hould no t be le ft f itte d t o the bo mb for lon ger t ha n is neces sary. If, for a ny reason, th e bombs
are stor ed with the ir par ach ute atta chm ent s fitted , th e par ach ute att ach me nts are to be prot ecte d
from mois ture by fitti ng the ir wate rproo f c ove rs; this is to be done even tho ugh t he b ombs are also
prot ecte d by tarp auli ns.
54. The No. 32, Mk. I ta ils may be st ore d in th e sa me e xplosives s toreh ouse as t he filled bomb s,
bu t the y mu st be stack ed well aw ay from the filled stores.
354

Th is chapter issued with A .L . No. 49 A.P.1 661B , Vol . I, Sect. 9


Ja nu ar y, 1943
Rele vant amen dmen ts up to A .L . 72
incorporat ed in this repr int
Ja nu ar y, 1944

i CHAPTER 3

BOMB, H.E. , AIRCRAFT, H.C., 4,000 lb., Mk. I

LIST OF CONTENTS
Pa ra .
Intro ductio n 1
Leading particu lars 2
General description
Bomb body 3
Filling 10
Nose atta chm ent ... 13
T a il ................................................................................... 14
Identific ation colouring and markings
Colouring 15
Markings on the bomb body 16
Markings on the tran sit plugs 19
M ar kin gs on th e tail ... ... ... 20
Functioning 22
Instruction s for use
Assembling the suspension lug and hoisting brackets 25
Fitt ing the nose atta chm ent 26
Fittin g the tail 28
Fuzing the bomb ... ... ■... 29
Loading the bomb on to the aircra ft 30
Unloading the bomb from the aircra ft 31
Unfuzing the bomb 32
Supply and storage
Supply 33
Storage 35

LIS T OF ILLU STR ATI ONS


Fig.
1. Bomb, H .E., aircra ft, H.C., 4,000 lb., Mk. I
2. Section on A.B. of fig. 1
3. End elevation of bomb
355

CHAPTER 3

BOMB, H E ., AIRCRAFT, H.C., 4,000 lb., Mk. I

Introduction
1. This bomb is a thin- cased blas t bomb havin g a charge /weig ht rati o of app roxi mat ely
75 per cent, and is f itted w ith a nose att ac hm en t a nd a t ail to sta bilize its flight . It has t hre e fuzin g
positions, one in the nose and two in the s ide nea r the rea r end of the body.

Leading particulars
2. Body, bomb, H .E. , aircraft, H .C., 4,000 lb., M k. 1
Stores Ref. 12A/789
Len gth ... 7 ft. 4-5 in., appro x.
Maximum diam eter 2 ft. 6 in., appr ox.
Wei ght and nat ure of filling .. ... 2,882 lb. am ato l 60/40
Attachment, nose, aircraft bomb, No . 3, Mk. I
Stores Ref. ... 12A/796
Dia met er ' 2 ft. 6-2 in., appr ox.
Le ngt h... ... ... ... ... ' 8-25 in., approx .
Tail, bomb, aircraft, No. 24, Mk. I
Stores Ref. 12A/791
Diam eter 2 ft. 5-25' in., a ppro x.
Len gth ... 2 ft. 3 in., appro x.
Plug, aircraft bomb, No. 34, Mk. I
Stores Ref. 12A/800

GEN ERA L DES CR IPT ION


Bomb body
3. The bomb. body, see fig. I, co nsists of a c ylindr ical shell havi ng a conical nose-piece welde d to
one e nd and a closing p late bolted to an angle ring welded in positi on at a sho rt dista nce with in the
othe r end.
4. The cylindr ical shell is stre ngt hen ed by a T-secti on beam welded to its inne r s urface. Steel
blocks, which con stit ute pads for a suspension lug and hoisti ng brac kets , are welded in the angles
of the beam, and are prov ided with tap ped holes fitted with tra ns it screws which pass thro ugh the
shell and the head of t he beam into t hese blocks.
5. The rea r end of the cylind rical shell has near its edge a series of equi-s paced coun tersu nk
holes for tail securing screws, whilst cru tch pads are welded to the exte rior of the shell towa rds the
fron t and rea r ends. Stop pieces for the nose att ac hm en t are welded to the cylindr ical shell in
equi-spa ced positio ns nea r its fron t end.
6. The conical nose-piece is hollow and has welded in its apex an ad ap ter for an explod er
cont aine r which is secured by a locking screw. A cen tral tub e is fitte d over and ceme nted to the
stem of this e xplod er con tain er an d ex tends axia lly th rou gh t he bomb body alm ost to the closing plate .
7. Two drop handl es are att ac he d to the rea r of the closing plate .
8. Two explod er contai ners, simila r to th at in the nose ada pte r, are fitted , and secure d by
locking screws, in ada pte rs welded into the shell near the rea r end, .so th at the )' pro ject into the’
bomb body at 45 deg. to th e stren gth enin g beam.
9. Eac h of the thr ee explod er conta iners is fitte d with a det onato r holder which is locked in
position by a locking screw and closed by a tra nsi t plug.

Filling
10. The main filling of the bomb consists of ama tol 60/40, which occupies the inte rna l space
aro und the cen tral tub e and is sealed at the ends by layers of appr oved composition .
356
357

A.P .16 61B , Vol. I, Sect. 9, Chap . 3

Fig. 2.—Se ctio n on A.B. of fig. 1

Fig. 3.—E nd elev atio n of bomb


358

11. The centr al tub e conta ins a column of four explode rs arran ged, end-t o-end , aga ins t the
rear end of the explod er cont aine r in the nose. These are position ed by a wooden distan ce piece
reta ined in the rear end of the cent ral tub e by the c losing p late, and a felt disc, and millbo ard discs
as necessary, are interp osed between the rea r explo der and the wooden dist ance piece to prev ent
move ment of the explode rs in the tube . Eac h of the explod ers consists of nine pressed T.N.T.
pellets in a waxed pap er wrappin g.
12. Eac h of the thre e explode r conta iners houses an explode r, consis ting of one solid C.E.
pellet an d two p erfo rated C.E. pellets, covered by a felt washe r a nd held in position b y the d eto nat or
holder, which has a boxclo th washer secured in its inne r end by shellac. The explod er conta iners in
the two side fuzing positio ns have thei r stems enclosed in w axed pap er tub es each of wh ich contain s
an explod er consisti ng of two solid T .N.T. pellets sepa rate d by a felt washer. The closed inner ends
of th ese two pap er tube s are almos t in con tac t with the c entr al tube.

Nose atta chm ent


13. The nose att ac hm en t is a cyli nder of light-g auge pla te w hich fits over the for ward end of the
cylindr ical shell of the bomb body and proje cts beyon d it arou nd the conical nose-piece. The rear
portio n of th e cyl inder is spli t an d pro vided a t opp osite sides of the split wit h bea rings f or the tru nnio n
bars of a k nuck le-jo int asse mbly h avin g a clam ping b olt w hereby t he nose atta ch me nt c an be ti ghte ned
on to the bomb body.

Tail
14. The tail consists of a cylinder, of light-ga uge plate , closed a t its rea r end by a diaph ragm
plat e welded in position , t he diam eter of the tail cylind er bein g slight ly less th an t ha t of t he cylindr ical
shell of the bom b b ody. The forwar d p ortio n of the t ail cylin der has, near the edge, a series of screw
cleara nce holes equi-spa ced arou nd it, and, on the inside, a corres ponding series of fixed nuts. The
forwar d porti on of the tai l cylin der is also prov ided with saw cuts, betwee n the holes, so th at it is
weakened and can be sprun g into the rea r end of 'th e cylin drica l shell of the bomb body.

Identific ation colouring and mark ings


Colouring
15. The bomb body is pai nted d ark green, and ha s a lig ht g reen b and, 2 in. wide, p ain ted round
it 1 ft. 4 in. from the fron t edge of the cylind rical shell and a J in. red ban d 1 in. from th at edge.
The nose att ac hm en t and the tai l are also pain ted dar k green.

Markin gs on the bomb body


1G. The ama tol rati o figures 60/40 are stencille d in black on the top of the bomb body
imme diate ly to the rea r of th e ligh t green band.
17. The following m arking s are stencill ed in bl ack to the r ear of the s uspens ion lug pos itio n:—
(i) H.C. 4,000 LB.
* (ii) “ I ”, deno ting the mark numbe r.
(iii) The design numb er of the meth od of filling.
(iv) The monog ram of the filling stat ion, or the initia ls .or recognized tra de mar k of the
filling con trac tor.
(v) The dat e of filling, mon th and year.
(vi) The lot num ber of the filling.
18. The following marki ngs are stam ped in fro nt of the suspens ion lug pos itio n:—
(i) H.C. 4,000 LB.
(ii) " I ” , deno ting the mar k numbe r.
(iii) The ma nuf act ure r’s initials or recognized trad e mark .
(iv) The dat e of man ufac ture, mon th and year.

Markin gs on the transit plugs


19. The following marki ngs are stam ped on the head of each tra nsi t plug: —
(i) No. 34. I.
(ii) The ma nuf act ure r’s initia ls or recognized tra de mark .
(iii) The dat e of man ufac ture, mon th and year.
359

A.P.166 1B, Vol. I, Sect. 9, Chap. 3


Markin gs on the tail
20. The tai l has th e mar kin g "No. 24. I ” stencil led on it in yellow.
21. The following mark ings are stam ped on the ta il: —
(i) No. 24. I.
(ii) H.C. 4,000 LB.
(iii) The ma nu fac tur er’s initia ls or recognized tra de mark .
(iv) The da te of man ufac ture, mo nth and year.

Functio ning
22. Upon release of the , fuzed bomb from the air cra ft the safe ty clip is with draw n from the
pistol in the nose fuzing positi on by the fu ze-s ettin g co ntro l li nk, and th e a rmi ng vane is ex pend ed t o
arm the p istol durin g the f all of th e bomb. The flight of t he b omb is st abili zed by the e ffect of the
nose att ac hm en t and the tail.
23. Upon imp act of the bomb with the tar ge t the pisto l in the nose fuzing posit ion fires the
deto nato r. The de ton ato r the n fires the explo der in the nose explod er cont aine r, and this init iate s
the c olumn of ex ploders in the c ent ral tub e to ensure det ona tion of th e main f illing as a whole.
Note.— The minim um safe hei ght of release for thi s bomb is 1,500 ft. Owing to the
light st ruc tur e of t he body the nose will c rush when t he bomb is d roppe d "sa fe” on a nyt hin g
oth er tha n wat er or v ery soft ground , resul ting in d eton atio n. I t is th erefo re essent ial th at
enforced jett iso nin g should be done well away from frien dly buil t-up area s and with the
air cra ft at a heig ht of at leas t 1,500 ft.
24. The term inal veloc ity of the bomb is app rox ima tely 750 ft. per sec. and the hei ght scale
for th e 100 lb. A.S. b omb is, to be used (No. 3 o r 4 for t he Mk. IX cour se s etti ng bomb sight).

INST RUC TION S FO R USE


Assembling the suspension lug and hoistin g brackets
25. Remove th e tra ns it screws from t he bo mb body a nd at ta ch th e suspensio n lu g a nd hoist ing
brac kets in the app rop riat e positions, using the bolts provid ed. These bolts have fibre inse rts and
grea t care mu st be t ake n to ensure th at the f ittin gs are securely assembled to the bomb body.

Fitting the nose attachm ent


26. Assemble the cylinde r, knuc kle- join t tru nni on bars, and clampi ng bolt, leaving the bolt
slacken ed off.
27. Pass the rea r port ion of t he att ac hm en t over the nose of th e bomb and on to the forward
end of the cy lindrica l shel l u ntil it engages t he stop s. Ens ure th at th e clampi ng b olt is positi oned on
the under side of t he bomb, th at is on the oppos ite side to the suspension lug and hoisti ng brack ets,
and the n tig hte n up the clampi ng bolt unt il the nose a tta ch me nt is rig id on the bomb.

Fitting the tail


28. Pre sen t th e f orward end of the ta il to the rea r en d of th e bo mb b ody, so th at the screw holes
and nut s will reg ister with the cou nter sunk screw boles, press the t ail into t he r ear en d of t he bomb
body and secure it in position with the cou nter sunk screws provid ed. To faci litate fitti ng the tail,
the bomb should be supp orte d on plank s so th at it can be rolled as necessary, the plan ks being of
sufficient thickn ess to provide ground cleara nce for the suspension lug and hoisti ng brack ets.

Fuzing the bomb


29. Pend ing fur the r instr uctio ns, th e bombs are to be fuzed in the nose only, as follows:—
(i) Ens ure t ha t the tra ns it plugs in the side fuzing positio ns are screwed tig htl y home.
(ii) Remove the tra ns it plug from the nose.
(iii) Ens ure th at the nose d eto nat or cav ity is clear, using th e gauge, cavi ty, det ona tor. No. 2,
Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/349), for the purpose. Bombs which fail to pass this gauge
tes t are to be set aside for A.I.D . inspection.
(iv) Ins ert the requir ed deto nato r.
360

(v) Ins ert an app rop riat e nose pistol in the det ona tor holder and screw it home by hand
unt il it is well s eate d on its washe r and securely locked in position.
Note.— The side fuzing positio ns are provi ded for special pistols which are only likely
to be used with a few Mk. I bombs which inco rpor ate a stre ngt hen ed closing plate . This
stre ngt hen ed pla te can be identified by its being secured by 24 bolts inste ad of the usual
12 bolts for an ordi nary closing plate.

Loading the bomb on to the aircraft


30. Load th e bo mb on to the a ircr aft as described in the ap pro pria te cha pte r of A.P . 1664, Vol.
I, or in the A ir Pu blica tion re leva nt t o t he airc raft, finally conne cting t he safet y clip of t he nose pistol
to a fuze-s etting contr ol link and removing the safe ty pin from the pistol safet y clip. Han d the
safet y p in to the p ilot or b omb aimer, or place it in the aircr aft.

Unloading the bomb from the aircraft


31. Repla ce the sa fety pin of the pis tol, discon nect the fuze- setting c ontro l l ink from the safety
clip of th e pistol, and unl oad the bomb as described in the app rop ria te cha pte r of A.P .1664, Vol. I,
or in the Air Pub lica tion re leva nt to the air craft .
• 1
Unfuzi ng the bomb
32. If it is necessa ry to unfuze the bomb, remov e the pisto l by hand , ex tra ct the deto nato r,
using ext rac tor, deto nato r, No. 2, Mk. I ("Stores Ref. 12A/348), and the n replace the pistol or the
tra ns it plug.

SUP PLY AND STORAG E


Supply
33. The filled bomb bodies are supplie d unboxe d, with the thr ee fuzing positio ns fitte d with
tra ns it plugs.
34. The No. 24, Mk. I tail is s upplie d with th e nose a tta ch me nt No. 3, Mk. I, inside it and w ith
th e suspension and ho isting fittings, conta ined in a bag, also p acked insid e it , the whole being secur ed
with a wooden prot ectiv e framework.

Storage
35. The filled bom b bodies are classified, for st orage pu rposes, in Group VII.
361

T his cha pter iss ued wit h A .L . No. 50 A.P.16 61B, Vol. I, Sect. 9
Ja nu ar y. 1943
T his le af iss ue d wit h A .L . No . 74
M ar ch , 1944

CHAPTER 4

BOMB, H.E. , AIRCRAFT, H.C., 4,0 00 lb., Mk. H

LIST OF CONTENTS
Para.
Int rod uc tio n . ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1
Lea ding pa rti cu lar s ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 2
Gene ral desc ript ion
Bom b bod y ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 3
Filli ng ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 10
Nose at ta ch m en t ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 14
T a il .................................................................................................................................................................. 15
Ide nti fic ati on colo urin g an d mar king s
Colouri ng ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 16
Mark ings on th e bo mb bo dy ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 17
Mar kings on th e tr an si t plug s ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 21
Mar kings on th e nose at ta ch m en t ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 22
Mar kings on th e ta il ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 23
Fu nct ion ing ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 25
In str uc tio ns for use
Asse mblin g th e susp ensi on lug and ho isti ng bra cke ts ... ... ... ... ... ... 28
Fi tti ng th e nose at ta ch m en t ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 29
Fi tti ng th e tail ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 31
Fuz ing the bom b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 32
Loa ding th e bom b on to th e air cra ft ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 33
Unlo adin g th e bom b from th e air cra ft ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 34
Unf uzin g th e bom b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 35
Su ppl y and stor age
Sup ply ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 36
Sto rag e ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 38

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Pig.
1. Bom b, H. E., air cra ft, H.C., 4,000 lb., Mk. II
2. Kn uck le jo in t ass emb ly of nose at ta ch m en t
362

CHAPTER 4

BOMB, H.E. , AIRCRAFT, H.C., 4, 000 lb., Mk. H


Introduction
1. This bomb is a high -cap acity blas t bomb, havi ng a th in case and a charge /weigh t rat io of
app roxi mat ely 75 pe r ce nt., and is fitte d with a nose att ac hm en t and a ta il to stabili ze its flight. It
is pr ovide d with five fuzing p ositions , thr ee in th e nose and two in th e side near the rea r end of t he
body.
Leading particulars
2. Body, bomb, H. E. , aircraft, H.C. , 4,000 lb., Mk. I I
Stores Ref. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 12A/931
Len gth ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 6 ft. 9-75 in., approx .
Maximum diam eter ... ... ... ... ... ... 2 ft. 6 in., appro x.
Weigh t and nat ure of filling ... ... ... ... 2,954 lb. ama tol 60/40
Attachment, nose, aircraft bomb, No. 3, Mk . I I
Stores Ref................................................................................... 12A/932
Diam eter ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 2 ft. 6-2 in., appro x.
Len gth ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 4-5 in., approx .
Tail, bomb, aircraft, No. 24, Mk. I
Stores Ref................................................................................... 12A/791
Diam eter ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 2 ft. 5-25 in., appro x.
Len gth ... ... ... ... ... ... . . . " ... 2 ft. 3 in., appro x.
Plug, aircraft bomb, No. 34, Mk. I
Stores Ref................................................................................... 12A/800

GE NER AL DES CRI PTI ON


Bomb body
3. The bomb body, see fig. 1, consists of a cylin drical shell with a domed pla te welded to the
nose end and a closing pla te bolte d to an angle ring welded in positio n at a sho rt dist ance with in
th e ta il end.
4. A T-section stre ngt hen ing beam is welded to the inte rio r surface of the cylind rical shell.
Steel blocks welded in the angles of the beam con stit ute pad s for a suspensio n lug and hoisti ng
brac kets , and are prov ided with tap ped holes, which pas s thr oug h th e shell int o these blocks.
Duri ng tr an sit and stora ge thes e holes are covered b y pro tect ing s hields, each held in pos ition by a
single securing screw.
Note.—Ea rly issues of thi s bomb were suppli ed with t he tap ped h oles pl ugged by tr an sit screws,
as illu stra ted in fig. 1.
5. A series of equi-spaced cou nter sunk holes, to receive tai l securin g screws, is provi ded in
the rea r end of the cylind rical shell beyo nd th e angle ring, whilst cru tch pads are welded to the
exte rior of the shell towa rds the fro nt and rear ends.
6. The domed nose pla te has welded in it thr ee ada pte rs for explode r con taine rs which are
secured in positio n by locking screws. One of these explod er con tain ers exte nds axial ly int o the
bomb b ody, and has fitte d over and cemen ted to its stem a cen tral t ub e which exte nds thro ugh the
bomb body almos t to the closing plate . The oth er explod er con tain ers in th e domed nose plat e
are locate d, one at each side of the cen tral explode r cont aine r, and pap er tub es ceme nted to the
stems of these two explode r cont aine rs exte nd into +he bomb body almo st int o con tac t with the
cen tral tube.
7. The closing pl ate has a cen tral ad apt er for a scre w-in plug, and two drop handle s are fitted ,
one at each side of the ada pte r, on the rear of the closing plate.
8. Two fur the r explode r contai ners, simila r to those in the nose, and hav ing waxed pap er
tub es ceme nted to the ir stems, are secured by locking screws in ada pte rs welded int o th e shell near
the r ear end , so t ha t the y pro ject in to th e bom b body a t 45 deg. to the stre ngt hen ing b eam and t he
closed inne r ends of the waxed pap er tube s are close to the cen tral tube .
9. The five explod er conta iners are each fitte d with a de ton ato r holde r which is secure d in
positi on by a loc king screw, and a re closed by a t ra ns it plug. A boxcl oth wash er is secured by shellac
in the inne r end of eac h of the five d eto nat or holders.
363
364

A.P.1 661 B, Vol. I, Sect. 9, Chap. 4


Filling
10. The main filling consists of am ato l 60/40, which occupies the inte rna l space arou nd the
cen tral tub e and is sealed at the rea r end by a laye r of appro ved composition .
' 11. The cen tral tub e houses a column of six T.N.T. explode rs held in positi on by a wooden
dista nce piece reta ine d in the rea r end of the cen tral t ube by the plug in the closing plat e ada pte r;
a felt disc, and millbo ard discs, as necessary, are employed between the d ista nce piece and the rear
explode r to pre ven t' mov emen t of the exploders in the tube .
12. Eac h of th e five ex ploder con taine rs houses an explod er consis ting of one solid C.E. pellet
and two p erfo rated C.E. pellets, covered by a felt wash er an d held in positio n b y th e d eto nat or ho lder.
I
13. Two solid T.N.T. exploder s, sepa rate d by a felt disc, are housed in each of th e pap er tube s
on the stems of the explode r cont aine rs in the side fuzing positions , and also in each of the pap er
tube s o n the st ems of th e explode r c onta iners at e ithe r side of the cen tral fuzin g p osition in the nose.

Nose attachme nt
14. The nose att ac hm en t is a cylinde r, made from a str ip of light-gau ge plate , which fits over
the forward end of th e cylin drical shell of t he bomb body and proje cts beyon d it for a sh ort distan ce
so as to surro und the domed nose. The ends of th e str ip have port ions ben t over and secured upon
themselves to form bearin gs for tru nn ion b ars of a knuckle j oin t assembly, see fig. 2, -with a cl ampin g
bolt for tigh teni ng the nose att ac hm en t on the bomb body. The remai ning porti ons of t he ends of
the stri p are overlap ped and conne cted by a screw passed thro ugh a slo tjin the out er port ion and
engaged with a nu t fixed to the inne r port ion. Stop pieces are punch ed out of the str ip at equi-
spaced positio ns and ben t inwa rds to dete rmin e the location of the nose att ac hm en t on the bomb
body.
nvrry m i it

^TRUNNION BARS-I
Fig. 2.—Knuckle join t assembly of nose atta chm ent
Tail
15. The tai l consists of a cylin der of light-gau ge plate , closed at its rear end by a diap hrag m
plate welded in position . The diam eter of t he tai l cy linder is sli ghtly less th an t ha t of the cy lindrical
shell of th e bomb body, and the forward port ion is wea kened by a series of equi-s paced slots so t ha t
it can be sp rung in to the r ear end of th e body shell. A series of equ i-spaced screw c learance holes is
drilled thr oug h the forward port ion of the tai l cylin der to corresp ond with the coun tersu nk screw
holes in th e r ear end of the bomb body, see para . 5, and nut s a re fixed on t he inside of the t ail c ylind er
to receive the ta il securing screws.

Identification colouring and markings


Colouring
16. The bomb bod y is pain ted dar k green , a nd has a light green band , 2 in. wide, p ain ted r ound
it 2 ft. from the nose e nd, and a A in. red ban d pain ted round it 3 in. from th at end. The tai l and
the nose att ac hm en t are also pai nte d dar k green.

Markin gs on the bomb body


17. The rat io figures 60/40 are stencill ed in black on the top of the bomb body imme diate ly
to the rea r of the light green band .
18. The following mar king s are s tencilled i n bla ck on th e bo mb bo dy to the rea r of the s uspension
lug pos ition :—
(i) H.C. 4,000 LB.
(ii) “I I" , den otin g the ma rk number .
(iii) The monogr am of the filling sta tion , or the initials or recognized tra de mar k of th e filling
con trac tor.
(iv) The da te of filling, m ont h and year.
(v) The lot num ber of the filling.
365

19. The design num ber of the meth od of filling is stencille d in black on the undersid e of the
bom b body towa rd its rear end.

20. The following markin gs are stam ped on the bomb body in front of the suspension lug
positio n
w H.C. 4,000 LB.
(ii) " I I ”, d enot ing the ma rk number.
(iii) The ma nuf act ure r’s initial s or recognized tra de mark.
(iv) The dat e of man ufac ture, mon th and year.

Markin gs on the transit plugs ' t


21. The following markin gs are stam ped on the head of each tra ns it plug :—
(i) No. 34. I.
(ii) The ma nuf act ure r’s initi als or recognized tra de mark.
(iii) The dat e of man ufac ture, mon th and year.

Mark ings on the nose attachment


22. The following marki ngs are stam ped on the side of the nose att ac hm en t:—
(i) No. 3. II.
(ii) The ma nu fac tur er’s initia ls or recognized tra de mark .
(iii) The dat e of man ufac ture, mon th and year.

Markin gs on the tail


23. The tail has the mark ing "No. 24. I. ” st encilled on it in yellow.
24. The following markin gs are stam ped on the ta il: —
(i) No. 24. I.
(ii) H.C. 4000 LB.
(iii) The ma nuf act ure r’s initia ls or recognized tra de mark.
(iv) The dat e of man ufac ture, mo nth and year.

Function ing
25. Upon release of th e fuzed bomb from the airc raft , the safe ty clips a re with draw n from the
pistols in the nose fuzing po sitions by th e fu ze-se tting c ontro l links, a nd t he arm ing va nes ar e expend ed
to arm the pistols duri ng the fall of the bomb. The flight of the bomb is stabili zed by the effect
of the nose att ac hm en t and the tail.
26. Upon imp act of the bomb with the tar get , at least one of the pistols in the nose fuzing
positio ns fires its det ona tor which in tu rn fires the exploders in the nose explod er con taine rs and
cent ral tub e so as to ensure deto natio n of the main filling as a whole.
Note.—The minim um safe heig ht of release for thi s bomb is 1,500 feet. Owing to the
light stru ctu re of the bomb the nose will cr ush when the bomb is dropp ed “sa fe” on any thin g
othe r tha n wate r or very soft ground, resul ting in deto nati on. It is there fore essen tial th at
enforced jett iso nin g should be d one well away from frien dly buil t-up a reas and with the airc raft
at a heigh t of at least 1,500 feet.
27. The ter mi nal velocit y of the bomb is app roxi mate ly 750 ft. per sec., and heigh t scale for
the 100 lb. A.S. bom b is to be used (No. 3 or 4 for t he Mk. IX course set tin g bomb sig ht).

INSTR UCTIO NS FOR USE


Assembling the suspension lug and hoistin g brackets
28. Remove the t ra ns it screws fro m t he bomb body and a tta ch t he suspension lug an d hoisti ng
brack ets in the app rop riat e positions, using the bolts provide d. These bolts hav e fibre inse rts and
gre at care must be tak en to ensure th at the fittings are securely assembled to the bomb body.
366

A.P. 1661B, Vol. I, Sect. 9, Chap. 4

Fitting the nose attachment


29. Assemble t he c ylind er knuckle j oin t tru nni on bars and clamp ing bolt, leaving the c lamping
bolt and also the securing screw for the overlap ped end porti ons slackened off.
30. Pass the rea r porti on of t he att ac hm en t over the nose of t he bomb to the limit perm itted
by the punc hed-o ut stop pieces on the att ach me nt. Ensu re th at the clampi ng bolt is positione d
on th e u ndersid e of th e b omb, th at is, on t he side oppos ite t o t he suspension lug and hoisting brac kets,
and tigh ten up the clampin g bolt unti l the nose atta ch me nt is rigid on the bomb. Fina lly align
th e overla pping end portio ns of th e nose atta ch me nt cylinder, if neces sary, and tigh ten the securing
screw.

Fittin g the tail


31. Pres ent the forward end of the tail to the rear end of the bomb body,»so th at the screw
cleara nce holes and fixed nuts will r egiste r with the coun tersu nk screw holes, press the tai l into t he
rea r end of t he bomb body and secure it in positio n with the screws provide d. To facil itate fitti ng
the tail, th e bomb should be supp orte d on plank s so th at it can be rolled as necessary, the planks
being of sufficient thickn ess to provide ground clearan ce fo r th e suspension lug an d hoist ing bracket s.

Fuzin g the bomb


32. Pend ing fur the r instr uctio ns, the bombs are to be f uzed in the thre e nose-fuzing positions
only, as follow s:—
(i) Ensu re th at the tra ns it plugs in the side fuzing positio ns are screwed tig htl y home.
(ii) Remove the tra ns it plugs from the thre e nose-fuzing positions.
(iii) Ensu re th at the thr ee det onato r cavitie s in the nose are clear, using the gauge, cavi ty,
deto nato r, No. 2, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/349) for this purpose. Bombs which fail to pass
this gauge tes t are to be set aside for A.I.D. inspectio n.
(iv) Ins ert th e requi red deto nato rs one in each of the thr ee nose-fuzing positions.
(v) Ins ert an app ropr iate nose pistol in each of th e thr ee det onato r holders i n t he nose-fuzing
positions, screwing the pistols home by hand unti l the y are well seate d on the ir washers
and locked in position.

Loading the bomb on to the aircraft


33. Load the bomb on to the airc raft as described in the app rop riat e cha pte r of A.P. 1664,
Vol. I, or in the Air Publ icati on rele van t to the aircr aft, finally conne cting the safe ty clips of the
nose pistols to fuze-s etting contr ol links, and removing the safet y pins from the pistols. Han d the
safe ty pins to the pilot o r bomb aimer, or place the m in the airc raft .

Unloading the bomb from the aircraft


34. Replace the pistol safe ty pins, disconn ect the fuze-s etting contro l links from the safet y
clips of the nose pistols, and unload the bomb as described in the app rop riat e cha pte r of A.P. 1664,
Vol. I, or in the Air Publ icati on rele van t to the aircra ft.

Unfuzi ng the bomb


35. If it is necessa ry to unfuze the bomb, first remove one of the nose pistols by han d, and
ext rac t the deto nato r, using ext rac tor, deto nato r, No. 2, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/348). Replac e
the pistol or the tra ns it plug. Rep eat these oper ation s at the othe r two nose-fuzing positio ns in
tur n, comp leting the oper ation s at one positio n before dealing with the oth er position.

SUP PLY AND STORAGE


Supply
36. The filled bomb bodies are supplied unboxed, with the five fuzing positions fitted with
tra ns it plugs.
37. The No. 24, Mk. I tai l is supplied with the nose att ac hm en t No. 3, Mk. II , inside it, and
with the suspensio n and hoisti ng fittings , conta ined in a bag, also pack ed inside it, the whole being
secured in a wooden prot ecti ve frame work which has "Mk. I I ” stencilled on its exte rna l ba tte ns for
identi ficati on purposes.

Storage
38. The filled bomb bodies are classified, for storag e purposes, in Group VII.
367
368

Th is lea f issu ed with A .L . No. 115 A.P .16 61 B, Vol. I, Sect. 9


M ay , 1945

CHAPTER 5

BOMBS, H.E ., AIRCRAFT, H.C., 4,00 0 lb., Mk. m , IV, V, and VI

LIST OF CONTENTS
Para.
In tr o d u ct io n ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1
BO MB , H .E ., A IR C R A FT , H. C., 4,0 00 lb. , Mk . IV
Le ad in g p ar ti cu la rs ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 2
Ge ne ra l de sc rip tio n
Bo m b bo dy ... ... ..; ... ... ... ... ... ... 3
Fi lli ng . ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 9
Nos e a tt a ch m en t ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 12
T ra n si t fi tti ng s ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 13
T a il .. . ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 15
Id en tif ic at io n co lou rin g an d m ar ki ng s
Co lou rin g .. . ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 16
M ar ki ng s on th e b om b bo dy ... ... ... ... ... ... 17
M ar kin gs on th e t ra n s it pl ug s ... ... ... ... ... ... 20
M ar kin gs on th e n os e a tt a ch m en t ... ... ... ... ... ... 21
M ar ki ng s on th e ta il ... ... ... ... ... .. . ... 22
Fu nc tio ni ng ... ... ... ... ... ... .. . ... ... 24
In st ru ct io ns fo r use
Re m ov in g th e tr a n s it fi tti ng s ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 27
As se mb lin g th e su sp en sio n lug an d ho is tin g bra ck et s ... ... ... ... 28
F it ti n g th e nos e a tt a ch m en t ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 29
F it ti n g th e ta il ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 31
Fu zi ng th e bo m b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 32
Lo ad in g th e bo m b on to th e ai rc ra ft ... ... ... ... ... ... 33
U nl oa di ng th e bo m b fro m th e ai rc ra ft ... ... ... ... ... ... 34
U nf uz in g th e bo m b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 35
Su pp ly an d st or ag e
Su pp ly ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 36
St or ag e ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 38
BO MB , H .E ., A IR C R A FT , H.C ., 4,0 00 lb. , Mk. I l l
Co m pa ris on w ith th e Mk. IV bo m b ... ... ... ... ... ... 39
BO MB , H .E ., A IR C R A FT , H.C ., 4,0 00 lb ., Mk. V
Co mp ari so n w it h th e Mk. IV bo m b ... ... ... ... ... ... 40
BO MB , H .E ., A IR C R A FT , H. C., 4,0 00 lb „ Mk. V I
Co mp ari so n w ith th e Mk. IV bo m b ... ... ... ... ... ... 43

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Fig.
1. Bo mb , H .E ., ai rc ra ft , H. C., 4,0 00 lb. , Mk. I l l or IV , w ith tr a n s it fi tti ng s
2. Bo mb , H .E ., ai rc ra ft , H.C ., 4,0 00 lb. , Mk. I l l or IV
3. K nu ck le jo in t as se m bl y of no se a tt a ch m en t
369

Fig . 1.— Bom b, H. E. , aircr aft, H.C., 4,0 00 lb., Mk. n i or IV, wit h tran sit fittin gs
370

A P I66 IB, Vol I , Se ct 9, Chap 5

TAIL n LOC ATI NG PADS

LOC ATI NG PAD x-T RAN SIT SCREWS ANGLE RING'EWS r PAPER TUBE

ADAPTE R
DET ONA TOR HOL DER

EXP LOD ER CONTAIN ER

TRA NSI T PLUG

TRA NSIT P L U G S -^ LO CA TI NG PAD NOSE PL AT E-


371
372

This leaf issued with A. L. No. 115 A .P .1 66 1B , Vo l. I, Sect . 9


Ma y, 1945

CHA PTER 5

BOMB S, H .E ., AIR CRA FT, H.C. , 4,0 00 lb., Mk. I ll , IV, V, and VI
Int rod uct ion
1. These bombs are thin- cased bla st bombs havin g a char ge/we ight rat io of appr oxim ately
75 per cent. The y hav e thr ee fuzing positio ns in the nose, and are fitte d wit h a tai l and a nose
att ac hm en t which stabi lize the bomb in its flight.
BOMB, H. E. , AIR CRA FT, H.C. , 4,0 00 lb., Mk. IV
Lea din g part icul ars
2. Body, bomb, H. E. , aircraft, H.C. , 4,000 lb., Mk . IV
Len gth 6 ft. 9-75 in., appro x.
Maximu m diam eter 2 ft. 6 in., approx .
Weigh t and nat ure of filling 2,900 lb. appr ox., ama tol 60/40 or
50/50 or 3,070 l b. appr ox.,
R.D .X./ T.N .T.6 0/40 or
3,187 lb. Minol 2
Attachment, nose, aircraft bomb, No. 3, Mk. 11
Dia me ter ... ... ... ... 2 ft. 6 in., appro x.
Len gth ... ... ... ... 4-5 in., appr ox.
Tail, bomb, aircraft, No. 24, Mk . 1
Dia met er ... ... ... ... 2 ft. 5'25 in., appro x.
Len gth ... ... ... ... 2 ft. 3 in., appro x.

GEN ERA L DE SCR IPT ION


Bom b body
3.. The bomb body, see fig. 1 and 2, is a cylin drical shell with a domed nose pla te welded to
one e nd, and a closing p lat e bolted to an angle ring welded in p ositio n at a s hor t dista nce with in the
oth er end.
4 Steel blocks, con stitu ting pads for a suspensio n lug and hois ting brack ets, are welded to
the i nner Surface of the bom b body. Holes drilled and tap ped int o the steel blocks receive th e
suspen sion lug and hois ting bra cke t secur ing screws. Dur ing tr an sit and stora ge thes e holes are
covered by pro tec ting shields, each held in posi tion by a single screw.
Note.— Ea rly issues of thi s bom b were supplie d wit h the tapp ed holes plugge d by tr an si t’
screws, as illu str ate d in fig. 1 and 2.
5. Equi- space d c oun tersu nk holes ar e provid ed at the re ar end of the cy lindr ical shell to receive
tail securin g screws, whils t four locati ng pads for the att ac hm en t of tr an sit fittin gs are welded to
the cylin drical shell, at equi-sp aced positio ns arou nd the circumfe rence, nea r each end.
6. The domed nose pla te is fi tted with t hree a dap ter s for e xplo der cont ainer s. These ada pter s
are welded in positio n on the sa me diam etric al plane, one cen tral ly and th e othe rs one on each side
of the cen tral ada pte r. The explod er cont aine rs are secure d in the ada pte rs by locking screws.
A ce ntra l t ube is f itted over and ce mente d to the stem of the c ent ral explod er cont aine r and ex tends
thro ugh the bom b bod y alm ost to the closing plate .
7. Eac h of the ex plode r co ntain ers in th e n ose is f itte d wit h a de ton ato r h older which is secured
in posit ion by a locking screw and closed by a No. 34 tra ns it plug.
8. The closing pla te has a cen tral ad ap ter with a screw-in plug, and two drop hand les are
fitte d to the rea r of the closing pla te one at each side of the ada pte r.
Fil lin g
9. The main filling of the bomb consists of Amato l 60/40 or 50/50, R.D .X. /T.N .T. 60/40, or
Minol 2, which occupies the space arou nd the cen tral tub e and is sealed by a layer of appr oved
composi tion at the rear e nd. Bombs filled R.D .X./ T.N .T. 60/40 also have a l ayer of T. N.T. at e ach
end of th e main filling.
Note.— Bombs filled Minol 2 have a rest rict ed service life of one year from the dat e of filling.
These bombs are identifie d by a 3 in. diam eter w hite circle enclosing the exp iry dat e sten cille d
on the nose of the bomb. Bombs bearin g this mark ing are not supplie d to Overseas Units.
373

10. A col umn of T .N .l . explod ers is held in positi on in the c ent ral tub e by a wooden dis tanc e
piece which is re taine d in the r ear en d of th e tub e by the plug in the closing pla te ada pte r, and axial
mov eme nt of th e explode rs in the tu be is p reve nted by a felt di sc and millb oard discs, as necessary ,
inter pose d betwe en the rea r of the column and the wooden dist ance piece.
11. An exploder, consis ting of one solid C.E. pellet and two per for ate d C.E. pellet s covered
by a f elt washer, is held in p osition in each of t he explo der con taine rs by the d eto nat or holder. Ea ch
det ona tor hold er has a boxc loth wash er secure d in its inne r end by shellac. The two explod er
conta iners wh ich are inclined tow ard t he axis of th e bom b hav e t he ir stem s enclosed in waxed p ape r
tube s, and each of thes e waxed pap er tub es houses an expl oder consi sting of two T.N. T. pellets
sep arat ed by a felt washer.

Nose attachm ent


12. The nose att ach me nt, see fig. 2 and 3, is a cylin der which fits roun d the forw ard end of
the bomb. It is con stru cted from a light-g auge me tal strip , 4-5 in. wide, the ends of which hav e
porti ons which overl ap and . are inter conn ected by a screw passed thr oug h a slot in the out er one
into e ngagem ent with a fixed nu t on the in ner one. The str ip ends are ben t over to afford bearing s
for the trun nio n bars of a knuck le joi nt assem bly with a clamp ing bolt for tigh teni ng th e nose
att ac hm en t on to the body. Stop pieces are punc hed inwar dly from the str ip at equi-spac ed
positions arou nd it for locatin g the nose att ac hm en t agai nst the nose of the bomb.

Pig. 3.—Kn uck le joi nt assem bly of nose atta ch me nt

Transit fittings
13. The filled bombs, when consigned overseas, are suppl ied with tra ns it fittin gs assemb led
one at each end, see fig. 1. These fittings , which are ident ical, serve as pro tect ing band s, and as
bases when the bomb is placed on end, and the y are also ada pte d for conne ction to the hook of a
lifting chain when the bomb is to be hoiste d and tra nsp ort ed by a crane or oth er liftin g gear.
14. Eac h tra ns it fittin g consists of an inne r and an out er ring conne cted by an inte rme diat e
ring with rad ial stre ngth enin g webs, all the pa rts being welded toge ther . The inne r ring has slots
for accom modat ing the locati ng pads on the bomb body, and welded-on coverin g pad s fitte d with
securing screws for screwing into the tap ped holes in the loca ting pads when the tra ns it fittin g is
assembled to the bomb body. The out er ring has holes for the engag emen t of liftin g hooks.
Tail
15. The tai l is a cy linder of light-g auge shee t metal, hav ing it s rea r end closed by a diap hrag m
pla te which is welded in position. Nea r the forwa rd edge of the ta il cyli nder are screw clear ance
holes spaced to corres pond wit h the secur ing screw holes at the rea r end of the bom b body, and a
nu t is riv eted to the inne r face of th e cyli nder to r egist er ove r each screw cle aranc e hole. The forwar d
port ion of t he cylind er has saw cut s betwe en adj ace nt screw cleara nce holes, so t ha t the tai l can be
sprun g into the rea r end of the bom b body.

Identification colouring and markings


Colouring
16. The bomb body is pa int ed da rk green, and has a ligh t green ban d, 2 in. wide, pai nte d
round it 2 ft. from the nose end, and a red band , | in. wide, 8 in. from the nose end. The nose
att ac hm en t and the. tai l are also pai nte d da rk green.

Markin gs on the bomb body


17. If the bomb is filled A matol, the rati o figures 60/40 or 50/50, as applica ble, are stenc illed
in black b ehind the l ight green band . If the filling is R.D .X. /T.N .T. 60/40 or Minol 2, the mar king
‘‘R.D .X. /T. N.T .” or "MI N 2” is applie d in thr ee places on the ligh t green ban d. Bombs filled
Minol 2 hav e an addi tion al mark ing deno ting rest rict ed life, see para . 9.
374

This leaf issued with A. L. No. 115 A. P. 1661 B, Vol. I, Sect. 9, Chap. 5
May , 1945
18. The following mark ings are stencill ed in black to the rea r of th e suspe nsion lug position
on the upp er side of the bomb bo dy :—
(i) The type , weight, and ma rk of th e bomb.
(ii) The design num ber of the met hod of filling.
(iiij The monogr am of t he filling sta tion , or the initia ls or recognized tra de ma rk of the filling
con trac tor.
(iv) The dat e of filling, mo nth and year.
(v) The lot num ber of the filling.
19. The following mark ings are stam ped on the uppe r side of the bom b body in fro nt of the
suspen sion lug pos itio n:—
(i) The type , weight, and ma rk of the bomb.
(ii) The ma nuf act ure r's initi als or recognized tra de mar k.
(iii) The dat e of man ufac ture , mo nth and year.
Markin gs on the transit plugs
20. The head s of the tr an sit plug s in the d eto nat or holders ar e s tam ped e ach with t he following
ma rki ng s:—
(i) No. 34. I.
(ii) The ma nu fac tur er’s initi als or recognized tra de mark .
(iii) The da te of man ufa ctur e, mo nth and year.
Markin gs on the nose attachment
21. The following marki ngs are stam ped on the nose at ta ch m en t:—
(i) .No. 3. II .
(ii) The ma nu fac tur er’s initial s, or recognized tra de mark .
(iii) The dat e of man ufac ture , mo nth and year.
Mark ings on the tail
22. The tai l has the mark ing “No. 24. I ” stencill ed on it in yellow.
23. The following mark ings are stam ped on the ta il :—
(i) No. 24. I.
(ii) H.C. 4,000 lb.
(iii) The ma nu fac tur er’s initi als or recognized tra de mark .
(iv) The dat e of man ufac ture, mo nth and year.
Func tioni ng
24. When the fuzed bom b is released from the airc raft , the saf ety clips of the pistols in the
thre e nose f uzing positio ns are with dra wn by the ir fuze -sett ing cont rol links, and durin g the fall of
the bomb t he arm ing vane s on t he pisto ls ro tat e and are expen ded so as t o arm t he pis tols.
25. Upon imp act of the bom b wi th the tar ge t, one at lea st of the pisto ls is ope rate d to fire
its det ona tor. The de ton ato r fires its asso ciate d explod ers which, in conj unct ion with the cent ral
tub e exploders, det on ate the mai n filling as a whole.
Note.—The m inimu m safe he ight of release for this bom b is 1,500 ft. Owing to t he light st ruc tur e
of th e body the hose will crus h in when the b omb is dr oppe d “sa fe" on t o any t ar ge t oth er th an
wat er or very soft ground, and thi s may resu lt in deto nati on. I t is, therefo re, essential th at
enforced jetti son ing should be done well away from bui lt-u p areas in frien dly ter rit or y and
with the air cra ft at a safe heigh t.
26. The term inal veloc ity of the bomb is app rox ima tely 750 ft. per sec., and when using the
Course Sett ing Bomb Sight a He igh t Scifle app rop riat e to the 100 lb. A.S.. bo mb is to be employe d
(No. 3 or 4 for the Mk. IX Course Set ting Bomb Sight).

INST RUC TION S FO R USE


Removing the tra nsi t fittings
27. Slacken the four securi ng screws on the inne r ring of each tr an sit fitting , sufficiently to
disengag e them from the locat ion pad s on the bomb body, and with dra w the fittin gs from the ends
of the bom b body.
Assembling the suspensio n lug and hoisti ng bracke ts
28. Remo ve the prot ecti ng shields or, as applica ble, the tra ns it screws from the bomb body
375

and att ac h the suspension lug and hoisti ng brac kets in the ir app rop ria te posit ions using the screws
suppl ied in Assembly No. 5 and detai led as follows:—
(i) The four screws to be used for affixing the Brit ish suspensio n lug are | in. B.S.W. high
tensile steel screws.
(ii) The eight screws to be used for affixing the two hois ting bra cke ts are -jfe in, B.S.F . steel
screws.
Note.— Care mus t be tak en to ensure th at the corre ct screws are used in each instanc e,
and as the screws have fibre inser ts the y mus t be screwed down tig htl y so t ha t the fitting s
are securely assembled to the bomb body.
Fitti ng the nose attachm ent
29. Assemble th e nose att ac hm en t cylinder, knuc kle joi nt trun nio n bars and clamp ing bolt,
leav ing the b olt and also th e securing screw for t he overl appe d port ions of the cylind er s lackene d off.
30. Pas s the nose att ac hm en t on to the nose of the bomb unt il the stop pieces engage the
shou lder of the dome. Ens ure t h a t the clamp ing bolt is on th e under side of the bomb, th a t is on the
side opposite to the suspensio n lug. . Tig hten the clampi ng bol t unt il the nose att ac hm en t grips
the bom b body tig htly , alignin g t he overla pped end port ions of the cy linder if necessar y, and tighte n
th e securing screw.
Fitting the tail
31. Offer up the forwar d end of th e tai l cylind er to the rea r end of t he bomb body so th at t he
screw cleara nce holes in the tai l will regis ter wit h the cou nter sunk s ecurin g sc rew holes in the bomb
body. Press the tai l into t he rea r end of the bomb body, and secure it in posi tion with the screws
provid ed. To fac ilita te fitti ng the tail , the bom b should be supp orte d on plan ks of sufficient
thick ness to provid e clearan ce for t he suspens ion lug and hoisti ng bra cke ts when the bomb is rolled.
Fuzing the bomb
32. The bomb is to be fuzed in the thre e nose-fuzing positi ons as follows:—
(i) Remove the tra ns it plugs from the thr ee nose fuzing positio ns.
(ii) Ensu re th at the det ona tor cavit ies are clear, using the gauge, cavi ty, det ona tor . No. 2,
Mk. I for thi s purpose. Bombs which fail to pass thi s gauge tes t are to be set aside for
A.I.D ./A.I .S. inspectio n.
(iii) Ins ert the requ ired det ona tors one in each of the thre e nose fuzing posit ions
(iv) Ins ert an a ppr opr iate nose pist ol in e ach of th e thre e d eto nat or h olders, screwing t he pis tols
home by han d unt il the y are well seat ed on the ir washers and locked.
Loading the bomb on to the aircraft
33. Load the bomb on to the air cra ft as describ ed in the app rop riat e cha pte r of A.P. 1664,
Vol. I, or in the Air Pub lica tion rele van t to the airc raft , finally conne cting the nose pisto l safe ty
clips to the fuze -settin g cont rol links and removin g the saf ety pins. Ha nd the saf ety pins to the
pilot or air bomber.
Unloading the bomb from the aircraft
34. Replace the safe ty pins, disconn ect th e fuze -sett ing contr ol links from the pisto l safe ty
clips, and unload the bomb in the norma l ma nne r.
Unfuz ing the bomb
35. If it is necess ary to unfuze the bomb, first remo ve any one of the nose pistols by h and ,
and ex tra ct the deto nato r, using ext rac tor, det ona tor, No. 2, Mk. I. Then replace the pistol or the
tra ns it plug. Re pea t the se oper ation s on th e oth er two nose fuzing posi tion s in tur n, comp leting the
oper ation s on one positio n before dealin g wi th th e oth er.

S u p p ly • SUP PLY AND STORA GE '


36. The filled bomb bodies are supplied, unboxe d, with each det ona tor holder closed by a
No. 34 tra ns it plug. When the bomb is consigned overseas, it is supplied with tra ns it fitti ngs
assembled.
37. The No. 24 M k.’I t ail is supplied with t he nose at tac hm en t No. 3, Mk. I I inside it, the w hole
being se cured in a st rong woode n prot ecti ve fram ework whic h has “ Mk. I I ’’ stenc illed on its ext ern al
ba tte ns for identi ficati on purposes . Addi tiona l comp onen ts are suppl ied in Box B.449, Mk. I,
conta ining five Assemblies No. 5, Mk. I. Each assemb ly consists of one lug, suspension, No. 4,
Mk. I with four screws, t wo brac kets , hoistin g, No. 1, Mk. I , wit h eight screws, two screws, secu ring
nose att ac hm en t No. 3, Mk. II, and twelve screws, securin g tail uni t No. 24.
Storage
38. The filled bombs are classified, for the purpose of storage, in Group 7, Catego ry Z, see
A.P.2608A, Chap. 7.
376

This leaf issued with A.L . No. 115 A.P.166 1B, Vol. I, Sect ..9, Chap. 5
Ma y, 1945
BOMB , H .E ., AIR CRA FT, H.C., 4,0 00 lb., Mk . I ll

Com paris on wi th the Mk. IV bomb


39. The Mk. I l l bomb is simil ar to the Mk. IV bomb, only differing from it in ce rta in con­
stru ctio nal details. The info rmat ion given for the Mk. IV bomb in para. 2 to 38, t here fore , applies
equal ly to the Mk. I l l bomb, excep t t h a t the Mk. I l l bomb body h as a T-sect ion steel bea m welded
to its inner surface and the pads for the suspens ion lug and hoisti ng brac ket screws are weld ed in
the angles of thi s beam.
Note.— A l imite d num ber of Mk. I l l bombs have been issued wit hou t locati ng pads for tra ns it
fittings , see par a. 5, and with welded-on cru tch pads, tow ard t he f ron t a nd rea r ends, for e ngage-
pien t by the cru tch arms on the b omb c arrier.

BOM B, H .E ., AIR CRA FT, H.C. , 4, 00 0 lb., Mk. V


Com paris on wi th the Mk. IV bomb
40. The Mk. V bomb is of Am erican man ufac ture a nd differs from the Mk. IV bomb, describ ed
in para. 2 to 26, in th at t he Mk. V bomb body is drilled and tap ped to accom moda te two Amer ican
typ e suspensio n lugs so th at the bomb may also be carri ed in Americ an airc raft . Durin g tra ns it
and storag e these holes are covered by pro tec ting shields. In addi tion , the following differences
should be no te d:—
(i) The bomb body is filled w ith T.N.T . or Trito nal, the weight of the filling being 2,903 lb.
or 3,144 lb., respecti vely. Toj indi cate the nat ure of the filling, the lett ers T.N’.T. or
TRI TON AL, as app rop riat e, are stencille d on the ligh t green ban d in thr ee places,
equi-spaced .
(ii) A blue band pai nte d roun d the cent re of t he bomb body serves to distin guish these bomb s
from those of Briti sh manu factu re.
41. The infor mati on given in para. 27 to 35 and para . 38 applies equall y to this bomb. If
it is re quired to fit America n typ e suspen sion lugs, hoisti ng brac kets need not be fitte d and the lugs
are to be secured to the bomb body, afte r remov al of the prot ecti ng shields, by using the hoisti ng
bra cke t screws.
Note.— The | in. B.S.W. high tensile steel screws used for att ach ing t he Brit ish typ e suspe nsion
lug and the in. B.S.F. steel screws used for securin g the Americ an typ e suspensi on lugs,
or h oistin g b rack ets, are of Am erican man ufa ctur e and do not bear Brit ish ident ificat ion mark s.
Special care must , therefo re, be tak en no t to confuse the two type s of screws.
42. The filled bomb body is suppl ied similar ly to the Mk. IV bomb body, see para . 36. I n
add itio n the following comp onen ts are requ ired and are sepa rate ly sup pli ed:—
(i) Assembly No. 5 Mk. II, consis ting of one Brit ish typ e suspensio n lug No. 4 Mk. I, with
four screws, two America n typ e suspensio n lugs, two hoist ing brac kets No. 1 Mk. I, with
eight screws, a nd twelve screws for sec uring tail u nit No. 24. Five No. 5 Mk. I I assemblies
are supplie d in Box B.449 Mk. I.'
(ii) Assembly No. 6 Mk. II , consistin g of one No. 24 Mk. I tail uni t and one No. 3 Mk. II nose
att ac hm en t (with two screws) which is fitte d inside the tail unit.

BOMB , H .E ., AIR CRA FT, H.C., 4,0 00 lb. , Mk. VI


Comp ariso n wi th the Mk. IV bomb
43. The Mk. VI bomb is of Ame rican man ufac ture an d differs from the Mk. IV bom b, described
in para. 2 to 26, in t ha t the Mk. VI bomb body is drilled and tap ped to acco mmo date t wo American
typ e suspension lugs so th at th e bomb may also be carrie d in America n airc raft . Durin g tra ns it
and stora ge thes e holes are covered by pro tecti ng shields. In addi tion, the following differences
should be no ted :—
(i) The bomb body is filled with T.N.T . or Trito nal, the weight of the filling being 2,903 lb.
or 3,144 lb., respecti vely. To indi cate the na tur e of the filling, the lett ers T.N .T. or
TRI TON AL, as app ropr iate , are stencille d on the light green ban d in thr ee places,
equi-spaced.
(ii) A b lue band pain ted round the cent re of t he bomb body serves to disting uish thes e bombs
from those of Brit ish man ufac ture.
377

44. The infor mati on giv en in para . 27 to 35 and para. 38 applies equal ly to thi s bomb. If
it is requir ed to fit American typ e suspensio n lugs, hoisti ng brac kets need not be fitte d and t he lugs
are to be secured to the bomb body, afte r remova l of the prot ecti ng shields, by using the hoistin g
bra cke t screws.
Note.—The j in. B.S.W. high tensile steel screws used for att ac hin g the Brit ish typ e
suspensio n lug and the in. B.S.F. steel screws used for securing the Americ an typ e
suspensio n lugs, or hoist ing brack ets, are of American man ufa ctu re an d do not bear
Brit ish identi ficati on marks. Special care mus t, theref ore, be tak en not to confuse the
two type s of screws.

45. The filled bomb body is s upplie d s imilarl y t o the Mk. IV bomb body, see pa ra. 36, t oge ther
with one set of comp onent s (as supplie d for the Mk. V bomb in Assembly No. 5 Mk. II) which is
packe d in a meta l con tain er secured to the closing pla te of the bomb body. These comp onen ts
are one Brit ish typ e suspens ion lug No. 4 Mk. I, with four screws, two Americ an typ e suspens ion
lugs, two hoist ing brac kets No. 1 Mk. I, with eight screws, and twelve screws for securin g tail uni t
No. 24. Also requir ed, and suppli ed sep arat ely from the bomb body, is Assembly No. 6 Mk. II,
consistin g of one No. 24 Mk. I tai l uni t and one No. 3 Mk. II nose att ac hm en t (with two screws)
which is fitte d inside the tai l unit.
378

Thi s leaf is sued with A .L . No. 96 A.P .10 61B , Vol. I, Sect. 9
September, 1944

Ci CHAP TER 6

BOMBS, H. E., AIRCR AFT, H.C., SECTIONAL, 8,00 0 lb., Mk. I and II

LIST OF CONTENTS
<S) Para.
Introdu ction ... 1
BOMB, H.E., AIRCRAFT, H.C., SECTIONAL, 8,000 lb., Mk. II
Leading parti culars ... 3
General description
Bomb body
Fron t section 4
Rear section ... .. ... ... ... ... 8
Filling
05 Bomb body front section 12
Bomb body rear section 17
o03 Nose attac hme nt 20
w Tail .............................................................................................................................. 21
Protectin g rings 22
Identification colouring and markings
Colouring ... 23
Markings on the bomb body front section 24
Markings on the bomb body re ar section 25
Markings on th e nose a ttach men t 26
Markings on the tail 27
Markings on th e No. 6 Mk. I protec ting ring ... ... ... - ... 29
Markings on the No. 34 Mk. I tran sit plugs ... 30
Functioning 31
Instruct ions for use
Removing th e protecti ng rings 34
Assembling the bomb sections 35
Fitt ing th e hoisting brackets and suspension lug 41
Fitt ing the tail unit an d nose atta chm ent 43
Fuzing t he bomb 46
Loading t he bomb on to the bomb c arrier 47
Unloading th e bomb from the bomb c arrier ... ... ... ... ". .. 51
Unfuzing th e bomb ... 53
Removing th e tail unit an d nose at tach men t 54
Removing th e hoisting b rackets and suspension lug 56
Dismantling the bomb body 57
Fitt ing th e protec ting rings 58
Supply and storage
Supply ... 59
Storage ... 62
BOMB, H .E., AIRCRAFT, H.C., SECTIONAL, 8,000 lb., Mk. I ............................................... 63
Leading par ticular s ... 64
General desc ription ... ... ... ... ... 65
Instru ctions for u se... 66
Supply an d st orage
Supply ... 67
Storage ... 70

LIST OF ILLUS TRATI ONS


Q Fig.
y 1. Mk. II b omb b ody f ront section fitted with protecting ring
o 2. Mk. II bomb body re ar section fitted with pr otecting ring
® S 3. Bomb, H .E., aircraft, H.C., sectional, 8,000 lb., Mk. II
34 O O
Ih <u
H O w
7) (H 3
^4

ARM AME NT
379

CHA PTE R 6

BOMBS , H .E ., AIR CRA FT, H.C. , SECTIONA L, 8,0 00 lb. , Mk. I and II
Int rod uct ion
1. These bombs are high cap acit y bla st bombs consis ting of section s which requi re to be
con nect ed tog eth er end to end and the assembled bomb bodies fitte d with nose att ach me nts and
tai ls prio r to loadin g o n t o the a ircra ft.
2. The bomb bod y sections, each of which is fitte d duri ng tra ns it an d stora ge with a No. 6
Mk. I pro tecti ng ring at i ts rea r end, are th in cas ed and t he b ombs hav e a hig h charg e/we ight ratio .
The fro nt secti on is prov ided with thr ee nose fuzing position s. The tail, the nose att ach me nt, the
suspen sion lug, th e hoisti ng brack ets, and the ir screws, are issued sepa rate ly from the bom b body
sections.
Note.— Ea rly issues of these bombs and supplies for Overseas Comman ds are fitte d with No. 3
Mk. I or No. 4 Mk. I pro tec ting ring s at the fro nt and rear ends of each body section. These
bomb s also have h oistin g brac kets re ady fi tte d.

BOMB , H .E ., AIR CRA FT, H.C ., SECTIONA L, 8,0 00 lb., Mk. H


Lea ding par ticu lars
3. Body, bomb, H .E ., aircraft, H .C., sectional, 8,000 lb., Mk . I I
Stores Ref. of f ron t sec tion ... 12A/1236
Stores Ref. of r ear secti on ... 12A/1237
Len gth of fr ont sec tion 3 ft . 11-15 in., appro x.
Len gth of rea r se ction 3 ft . 11-75 in., appro x.
Dia met er of ea ch section 3 f t. 2 in., appr ox.
Weig ht and n atu re of filling :—
Fr on t section 2,635 lb., Ama tex 51/40/9
Re ar section 2,726 lb., Ama tex 51/40/9
Plug, aircraft bomb, No. 34, Mk . I
Stores Ref. 12A/800
Attachment, nose, aircraft bomb, No. 6, M k. I
Stores Ref. 12A/1151
Diam eter 3 ft . 2-13 in., appro x.
Leng th 5-75 in., appro x.
Tail, aircraft bomb, No. 33, Mk . I
Stores Ref. 12A/1150
Diam eter 3 f t. 1-85 in., appro x.
Leng th 3 ft . 0-5 in., appro x.
Ring, protecting, aircraft bomb, No. 6, M k. I
Stores Ref. 12S/613
Diam eter 3 ft . 2 in., appro x.
Len gth 2-5 i n., appro x.
Lug, suspension, No. 5, Mk . I, with securing screws
Store s Ref. 12A/1152
Bracket, hoisting, No. 2, Mk . I, with securing screws
Stores Ref. 12A/1642

GE NE RA L DE SCR IPT ION


Bo mb body
Front section, fig. 1
4. The fro nt section of t he bomb body consist s of a cylin drica l stee l casing hav ing i ts forwar d
end closed b y a domed nose plate , welded in position, and its rea r end closed by a fla t closing plat e
which is bolted to a buil t-up end ring. The end ring is welded to the cylind rical shell and is fitt ed
with assem bly bolt s for conne cting the fro nt and rea r bomb body sections toge ther .
5. The domed nose pla te is fitt ed wi th thr ee ada pte rs for explo der cont ainer s, one locat ed
cen trall y and one at each side of the cen tral ada pte r, inclined as shown in fig. 1. The explod er
conta iners screw into the ada pte rs and are secure d in positi on by locking screws. A det ona tor
holder is screwed int o each explo der con tain er and secure d by a locking screw. Eac h of the thre e
det ona tor holders is closed durin g tra ns it and stor age by a No. 34, Mk. I plug.
September, 1944
Th is lea f issu ed with A .L. No. 96
No. 6 PROTECTING RING

-A SS EM BL Y BOLT

-EN D RING

ADA PTE R
-CL OS ING PLATE
PLUG

A.P .16 61B , Vol. T. Sect. 9, Chap.


DETON ATOR
HO LDE R

Fig. 1.—Mk. II bomb body front section fitted with protecting ring

380
381

6. The rea r end closing pla te is fitte d with a cen tral bus h for a fur the r explo der con tain er
which is closed by a screw-in plug. Two drop hand les are fitte d to the closing plate , one at each
side of the cen tral bu sh.
7. This section of t he bomb bod y is provid ed with tap ped holes to receive the screws for the
att ac hm en t of two hoist ing brac kets . These holes, which pass into steel blocks, are covered duri ng
tra ns it and stora ge by pro tecti ng shields, each held in posit ion by a single screw.
Rear section, fig . 2
8. The rea r section of the bom b body consists of a cylind rical steel shell closed at bot h ends
by flat plate s. The forwar d closing pla te is welded to a chann el ring which is welded to the shell,
and the r ear closing plat e is bo lted to a bui lt-u p e nd ring which is welde d to the shell and f itte d with
assembl y bolts, for connec ting the tail to the bomb body. The rea r closing pla te is fitt ed with d rop
handles , one a t each side of a c ent ral ad ap ter wh ich is closed by a plug.
9. The ch annel ring is pr ovid ed w ith holes to tak e t he ass embly b olts on th e fro nt s ection, a nd is
stre ngt hen ed by gussets, welded in positi on across the channel , the recesses betw een these gussets
giving access to the assembl y bolt s used for assemb ling tog eth er the fro nt and rea r section s of the
bomb bo dy.
10. The fo rward closing pla te is fi tted wit h a c entr al b ush t o acc omm odat e an e xplo der co ntai ner
which is closed by a screw-in plug.
11. The re ar sectio n of the b omb body is provided with thre e posit ions to which hoi sting brack ets
may be atta che d. The forwa rd hoist ing bra cke t when assembled is secured by four screws which
pass into s teel blocks, welded in positio n, one in the chan nel ring and t he oth er imm edia tely behind
it, and thes e blocks also have tap ped holes for the suspens ion lug securin g screws. An alte rna tiv e
mou ntin g for a hoisti ng bra cke t is provid ed fur the r back by a steel pad, welded to the cylin drica l
shell and havin g tap pe d securin g screw holes. The rea r hoist ing bra cke t is mou nted still fur the r
back, and on assem bly is secured by screws which pass thr oug h the shell and into tap pe d holes in
ano the r steel pa d welded t o th e int erna l surf ace of th e shell. The t ap pe d holes which receive th e screws
securing t he suspensio n lug and hoist ing bra cke ts to the bomb body are covered durin g tra ns it and
storag e by pro tecti ng shields, each h eld in posit ion by a single screw.
Note.— Ea rly issues of th e bom b have the tap pe d holes for the screws securi ng th e suspensio n
lug and cent re hoisti ng bra cke t plugged by tra ns it screws.

Filling
Bomb body front section, fig. 1
12. The thr ee explo der conta iners in the nose each con tain a 9 oz. 3 dr. explo der consistin g
of a solid C.E. pelle t and two perf orat ed C.E. pellets, covered by a felt wash er and reta ined by the
det ona tor hold er.
13. A pap er cen tra l tub e exte nds thr oug h the fro nt section and is cement ed, a t its ends, to
the stem s of the cen tra l explo der con tain er in the nose and the explo der cont aine r on the r ear end
closing plate . This cen tral tub e conta ins thr ee 3 3 | oz. C.E. exploder s, wit h clot h discs at the rea r
end of the column, and a felt disc and millbo ard discs, as necessa ry, betwe en th e second and thi rd
explod ers to mak e up th e leng th and p rev ent d ispla ceme nt of t he exploders.
14. The explo der con tain er on the rea r end closing pla te cont ains two 7 oz. C.E. explode rs
which are reta ine d by th e closing p lug and hav e a felt disc b etween t hem.
15. The tw o nose e xplod er con taine rs which are inclined to the a xis of th e bomb body have
the ir stem s enclosed in pap er tub es which ext end a lmo st to th e cen tral t ube, and ea ch of the se pap er
tube s houses two 3 3 | oz. C.E. explod ers sep ara ted by a felt disc and covered by cloth discs.
16. The main filling consists of A mat ex 51/40/9 which, exce pt for a laye r of app rov ed sealing
composi tion at the rea r end and pad s of s imil ar compo sition sealing the ends of the pap er tube s to
the nose ada pte rs, occupies the whole inte rior s pace aro und th e cen tral tube .
Bomb body rear section, fig. 2
17. The explo der cont aine r houses two 7 oz. C.E. exploder s, with a felt disc betwee n them ,
covered by a cloth disc a nd re tain ed by th e closing plu g.
18. A p ape r cen tral tub e has its forwa rd end ceme nted to the e xplo der con tain er and ext end s
thr oug h th e re ar sect ion al mos t to t he rea r closing plat e. This t ub e houses thre e 33£ oz. C.E. e xploder s
and one 10 oz. C.E. explo der covered by millb oard discs and a felt disc, the column of explode rs
being reta ined in positi on by a wooden dista nce piece which fits in the rea r end of th e tub e and is
held in by th e plug in th e cen tral a dap ter.
-PR OT EC TIN G SHIE LDS

itember, 1944
is lea f issue d with A .L . No . 96
-A S SE M B LY BOLT

CL O SI NG P LA TE -

- CLO SIN G PLAT E

APPRO VED
CO MP O SI TI O N - -AP PR OV ED
CO M PO SI TI O N

A.P .16 61B , Vol. I, Sect. 9, Chap,


-E N D RING

-C H A N N E L RING
- GUSSE T

Pig. 2.—Mk. n bomb body rear section fitted with protecting ring

382
383

19. The main filling consists of Am atex 51/40/9 and fills the whole interior space around the
central tube with t he exception of that taken up by layers of approved sealing composition at th e ends.

Nose atta chm ent , fig. 3


20. The nose a ttach men t consists of a metal strip formed into a cylinder with its ends over­
lapped and connected by a guide screw passed thr ough a slot in th e outer end a nd into engagement
with a nu t fixed to the inner end near the forward edge. Portions of the o verlapped ends are curled
back to form bearings for the trunnion bars of a knuckle joint assembly, the trunn ion bars being
connected by a clamping bolt for tightening the a ttac hme nt on to th e nose end of the bomb. Locating
stops are punched inwardly from the strip for locating the atta chm ent correctly on the bomb.

Tail, fig. 3
21. The tail consists of a steel plate cylinder with an angle ring welded or rivete d in its forward
end. The angle ring is drilled to take the assembly bolts carried by the end ring of the rear section
of the bomb body. Hand holes give access to the assembly bolts when assembling the tail to th e bomb.

Prot ectin g rings


22. The No. 6 Mk. I protecting ring, which is fitted to th e rear end of each section of the bomb
body du ring tra nsit and storage, is of the same diameter as the bomb body sections, and has an inner
rim drilled to take the assembly bolts on these sections.
Note.—Early issues of these bombs have a No. 3 Mk. I protecting ring fitted to the forward end
of the front section of the bomb body, and a No. 4 Mk. I protecting ring fitted to th e re ar end of th at
section and to both ends of the rear section of the bomb body. The No. 3 Mk. I ring is secured by
screws to locating pads at the forward end of t he front section, and the No. 4 Mk. I rings to the
rear end of each section by the assembly bolts and to the forward end of the rear section by ring
securing bolts. Both types of rings have holes for lifting purposes when fitting the rings to or removing
them from the bomb body sections.

Identific ation colouring and ma rkin gs


Colouring
23. The bomb body sections, the nose attach men t and the tail a re paint ed da rk green. A light
green band, 2 in. wide, and a bright red band, 1 in. wide, are painted round each of the bomb body
sections.
Markings on the bomb body front section
24. The following markings a re stencilled, in yellow, on th e bomb body fron t se ction:—
(i) "AMATEX 51/40/9”, in three equi-spaced positions round the body and immediately to
the rear of the light green band.
(ii) "H.C. SECTIONAL II NOSE” .
(iii) The monogram of the filling statio n, or t he initials or recognized tr ade mark of th e filling
contractor .
(iv) The d ate of filling, m onth and year.
(v) The lot number of the filled store.
(vi) The design number of the metho d of filling.
Items (ii) to (vi) are behind the rear hoisting brack et position.
Markings on the bomb body rear section
25. The following markings are stencilled, in yellow, on the bomb body rear secti on:—
(i) "AMATEX 51/40/9”, in three equi-spaced positions round the body and immediately
to the rear of the light green band.
(ii) "H.C. SECTIONAL II REA R".
(iii) The monogram of the filling statio n, or t he initials or recognized tra de mark of the filling
contrac tor.
(iv) The d ate of filling, month and year.
(v) The lot number of the filled store.
(vi) The design number of the met hod of filling.
Items (ii) to (vi) are behind the rear hoisting bracket position.
384
385

This leaf issued with A.L , No. 96 ■i. P.l Wl Lt, Vol. I, Sect. (I. Chap. 6
September, 1944
Markings on the nose attachment
26. The following markings are sta mped on the nose attac hme nt:—
(i) "No. 6. I ”.
(ii) The m anufa cturer ’s initials, or recognized trad e mark.
(iii) The date of manufacture, month and year.
Markings on the tail
27. The ta il has th e m arking “No. 33. I ” stencilled on it in yellow.
28. The following markings are s tamped on the t ail :—
(i) "No. 33. I ”.
(ii) “H.C. SECTIONAL”.
(iii) The m anufa cturer ’s initials, or recognized trade mark.
(iv) The d ate of manufacture, month and year.
Markings on the No. 6 Mk. I protecting ring
29. The following markings are stencilled on the inside of the rim:—-
(i) R.P. No. 6-1.
(ii) The manuf acture r’s initials or recognized trade mark.
(iii) The date of man ufacture, month and year.
Note.—The No. 3 Mk. I and No. 4 Mk. I protecting rings ha ve similar markings stencilled or
stamped on the ir rims.
Markings on the No. 34 M k. I transit plugs
30. The heads of the tran sit plugs are stamped with the following mar kings:—
(i) The ty pe number and the m ark of the plug.
(ii) The m anufa cturer ’s initials, or recognized trad e mark .
(iii) The da te of manu facture, month and year.
Funct ionin g
31. When the bomb is released from th e a ircraft, the safety forks or safety wires, as applicable,
of the pistols in the three nose fuzing positions are withdrawn by t he fuze-setting control links, and
during t he fall of t he bomb th e pistols become armed.
32. The nose attac hme nt and the tail stabilize the bomb in its flight, and upon i mpact of the
bomb with the target the pistols are operated and fire the detonators. The detonators fire the associated
exploders which detonate the main filling of the front section, whilst the main filling in the rear
section is detonate d through the firing of the associated exploders by s ympathe tic detonation.
Note.—The minimum height of release for this bomb as regards airc raft safe ty is 5,000 ft. Owing
to t he light st ructu re of the body t he nose will crush if the bomb is dropped “safe” on any thing
other than water or very soft ground, resulting in detonation. It is, therefore, essential th at
enforced jett isoning should be done well away from built- up area s and with the aircra ft at a safe
height.
33. The te rmi nal v elocit y o f th e bom b is 850 ft. pe r sec.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE


Removing the protec ting rings
34. Remove the nuts from the assembly bolts, or securing bolts, or slacken back t he securing
screws, as appropria te, depending on whether the No. 6 Mk. I or both the No. 3 Mk. I and No. 4
Mk. I protecting rings a re fitted. Then withdraw the protectin g rings from the bomb sections.

Assembling the bomb sections


35. The bomb sections are normally stor ed on two rows of batt ens of sufficient de pth to allow
ground clearance for the hoisting brackets, if already fitted. The assembly of the bomb body is
to be done on an assembly platfor m, the method being detailed in the following para . 36 to 40.
386

36. Hav ing remov ed the prot ecti ng rings from bot h the fro nt and rea r sections, roll the fro nt
section on t o the ro ller co nveyor, the n push it along the roll er co nvey or on t o the as sembl y p latfo rm.
The cent re of th e fro nt section should be p osition ed app rox im ate ly above the c entr e of th e assemb ly
plat form .
37. Similarl y roll the re ar s ection on to th e r oller co nvey or an d push it al ong th e r oller c onveyo r
unt il it nea rly comes into con tac t with the rea r end of the fro nt section.
38. Hav ing thu s positi oned the two sections of t he bomb read y for assembly, lower the roller
port ion of the assemb ly plat form from unde r the fro nt section so th at the weight of t his sectio n is
now ta ke n by t he screw jac ks a nd th e s err ate d r ollers. Ope rate the screw ja cks un til the f ron t se ction
of th e bomb is bro ugh t t o the sam e level as t he rea r sect ion, and b y using the ra tch et hand les, which
ro ta te the ser rate d rollers, ro ta te the fro nt section of the bom b unt il the positio ns for the hoist ing
bra cke ts on t he two section s a re in line and so t ha t the as sembly bolts on t he f ron t s ection alig n with
th e corres ponding holes in t he c hann el ring of th e rea r section.
39. W ith th e a id-of a crow-bar, push the re ar se ction of the bom b on to the fr ont sectio n, tak ing
care no t to damag e the. thr ead s of t he assem bly bolts. Replac e the nut s on the assem bly bolt s and
tig hte n using a suit able span ner (a r ing s pann er, for preferenc e).
Note.—When tigh teni ng these assemb ly bolts do no t work in rot ati on roun d the circumf erence
of the bom b, bu t t igh ten , in tu rn, each pa ir of diam etric ally opposed nuts . This is to ens ure th at
the two sections pull up tog eth er satisf actor ily.
40. Ens ure th at all the assem bly bolts have been tigh tene d, the n lower the screw jack s and
roll th e assemble d bom b bod y off t he assembly plat form on to thre e rows of ba tte ns of suff icien t
dep th to allow grou nd cleara nce for th e hoisti ng brack ets, if th ese are alre ady fitted .

Fittin g the hoisti ng brackets and suspens ion lug


41. It will be necess ary to fi t the h oisti ng brack ets, where requ ired (see sub-p ara, (i) and (ii) ),
to all bombs exce pt those of early issue, which are suppl ied wit h bra cke ts alre ady assemble d. The
locatio n of the b rac ket s on t he bomb b ody depen ds on th e typ e of ai rcra ft into w hich t he b omb is t o
be loaded, as follows:—
(i) If th e bomb is to be loaded on to a Hali fax airc raft , hoist ing bra cke ts are not t o be fitte d.
Note.— The hoisti ng brac kets are to be remov ed from bombs suppl ied with hoist ing
bra cke ts fitted .
(ii) If t he bo mb is t o be load ed on t o a La nca ster ai rcra ft, at ta ch a hois ting bra cke t t o the re ar
positi on on t he fro nt sect ion of th e bo mb b ody and to t he cen tre positi on on t he rea r sect ion.
Note.— Make the necessar y ad jus tm ent s in posi tion wh ere ho istin g bra cke ts are supplie d
fitte d to th e bomb b ody.
To fit a hoisti ng bra cke t, first remove the pro tect ing shield from the app rop ria te positi on on the
bomb body . Ensu re th at th e hoisti ng bra cke t holes and th e thr ead s on t he securin g screws are cle an ,
and the n securely at ta ch the hoist ing bra cke t in position.
42. To fit the suspen sion lug, first r emove the pro tect ing shield or tr an sit screws, a s a ppr opr iate ,
from the suspen sion lug holes. Check th at these holes and the thr ead s on the securin g screws are
clean, the n att ac h the suspensio n lug, ensur ing th at the s ecuring screws are effectivel y tigh tene d.

Fitti ng the tail unit and nose attach ment


43. Offer up the ta il uni t so th at th e clearan ce holes i n t he t ail re giste r with the as sembl y b olts
in the rea r of the bom b body. Push the tai l uni t on to the rea r of the bomb body and replace t he
nut s, tigh teni ng t he m w ith a s uita ble spa nne r used t hro ugh th e h and holes in th e s ide of the ta il unit .
44. The nose at tac hm en t is to be fitte d to the bomb by passing it over t he nose of the bomb
unt il the stop s ab ut t he n ose pla te and so t ha t the ,kn uck le joi nt assem bly is positi oned at an angle
of 45 deg. to th e suspens ion lug. Then secure th e nose att ac hm en t in positi on by tigh teni ng the
clam ping bo lt and guide screw.
45. Afte r fitti ng the hoisti ng brac kets , suspensi on lug, tai l uni t and nose att ach me nt, load the
bomb o n to a Type E or Type F bomb trolle y, as describe d in the rele van t cha pte rs of A.P.1664D,
Vol. I (to be issued later), for conveya nce to the fuzing shed and lat er to the airc raft .

Fuzi ng the bomb


46. The bom b is t o be fuzed at e ach of t he t hre e nose fuzing posit ions with e ithe r a No. 27 or
No. 42 pisto l o r wi th a No. 55 pistol . The ar min g of th e No. 27 and No. 42 pist ols is ini tia ted by the
387

This leaf issued with A .L . No. 96 A.P.1661 B, Vol. I, Sect. 9, Chap. 6


September, 1944 4

vert ical with draw al of the safe ty fork, whereas the design of the No. 55 pistol is such th at the
"ho riz on tal ” syste m of fuzing is utilized , this syste m employin g the pull-off of a saf ety wire to
init iate armin g of the pistol. The proce dure for fuzing at each nose position is as follows:—
(i) Unscrew and remove the No. 34 t ra ns it plug.
(ii) Gauge the det ona tor cav ity in the norm al way, using a gauge, cavi ty, deto nato r. No. 2,
Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12G/1001). The engr aved line for the 250/500 lb. bombs is a pplic able.
Bomb s which fail to pass this te st mu st be set aside for A.I. D./A .I.S. inspecti on.
(iii) If a No. 55 pistol is to be used, fit the small conical sprin g suppl ied with this pistol over
the stem of the app rop riat e sensiti ve typ e de ton ato r so th at the small end of the spring
abu ts the under side of the det ona tor head. This spring must always be fitted when using
a No. 55 pistol, as it ensures th at the det ona tor is in con tac t with the end of the stri ker
guide when the pistol is screwed into the bomb.
(iv) Ins ert th e app rop riat e s ensitiv e t ype d eto nat or (for use w ith t he No. 55 and No. 42 pistols)
or anvil typ e det ona tor (for use with the No. 27 pistol) into t he de ton ato r cav ity.
(v) Screw a No. 27 o r No. 42 pistol, by hand , into each nose fuzing positio n unt il it is well
seat ed on its washer and locked in position . When using a No. 55 pis tol, screw the pistol
locking nu t forward a few t urn s, the n screw the p istol b y han d into the nose of t he bomb
as far as it will go a nd lock it in thi s positio n by screwing the locking n ut har d on to the
bomb body.

Loading the bomb on to the bomb carrier


47. The fuzed bomb is t o be loaded from a Typ e E or Type F bomb troll ey on to the bom b
carr ier as describ ed in the cha pte r of A.P. 1664, Vol. I rele van t to the carri er used.
48. Whe n the bomb is securely loaded on the bomb carrie r, the subs eque nt proced ure to be
followed at each nose fuzing positio n is described in the following para . 49 and 50, depen ding on
the typ e of pi stol fitted .
49. Nose po sition f uzed with pisto l No. 27 or No. 42. Proceed as follows:—
(i) Att ach the necessary fuze -sett ing cont rol link(s) to the safe ty fork of the pistol. Ins ert
the loop end of the link into the app rop riat e E.M. fuzing un it in the norm al manne r.
(ii) Imm edia tely before the a ircr aft tak es off, remove the sa fety pi n f rom the nose p istol.
Note.— The safet y pin is to be hand ed to the pilot o r air bomber.
50. Nose position fuzed with pistol No. 55. Procee d as follows:—-
(i) Remove the safet y pin from the p istol and r ota te the s afet y cap assem bly ju st sufficien tly
to align the hole in one of the lugs proje cting from the safe ty cap with the hole in the
uppermost lug of the pisto l locking nut.
Note.— The saf ety pin is to b e hand ed to the p ilot o r air bomber.
(ii) Ins ert t he plain end of a No. 1 Mk. I safe ty wire first thro ugh t he hole in the locking nu t
and the n thr oug h th e hole in the proje cting lug unt il the end prot rud es app roxi mat ely
3 in. Slip tw o No. 1 Mk. I saf ety clips over the en d of t he wire so t ha t the i nner clip is in
ligh t co nta ct with the safet y cap lug.
Note.— It is no t essen tial th at the pull-off of the safe ty wire should be e xac tly in line
with t he b omb su spensio n lug.
(iii) Att ach the requ ired fuze -sett ing cont rol link(s) to the lo op end of t he s afet y wire an d the n
inse rt the loop end of th e link into th e app rop riat e E.M. fu zing uni t in the norma l m anne r.
Note.— As a sat isfa cto ry pull on the safe ty wire is o btai ned in this inst ance with the
E.M. fuzing uni ts in the ir norm al vert ical positio ns above th e nose pistols, the y are
not to be moved inwa rd towa rds the bomb suspension lug.

Unload ing the bomb from the bomb carrier


51. Before unloa ding the bom b from the bomb carrier , replace the safe ty pins in the safe ty
forks of the No. 27 and No. 42 pistols, if fitted . Discon nect the fuze -settin g contr ol links from the
E.M. fuzing uni ts and from the saf ety forks or safe ty wires of t he pistols. Then unlo ad the bomb
on to a Type E o r Ty pe F bomb troll ey as describ ed in the c ha pte r of A .P. 1664, Vol. I, rele van t to
the bo mb carri er used.
52. Hav ing unl oade d the bom b, where a No. 55 pistol is fitt ed proceed to remo ve th e t wo safet y
clips from t he end of the sa fety wire a nd th en with dra w th is wire from the pistol. Screw up t he safe ty
388

cap a ssembl y unt il the sto p pins are engaged and the n unscrew the cap jus t sufficiently to bring its
safe ty pin hole into line wit h the groove in the pistol body. Re-fit the safe ty pin.
Note.— Should the safe ty wire be kinked, bent, or otherw ise dis tor ted or dama ged, it mus t not
be u sed again.

Unfuzing the bomb


53. To unfuze the bomb, proceed at each nose fuzing positi on in tu rn as follows:—•
(i) Unscrew and remove the pistol by hand , havin g first slack ened back the locking nu t of
a No. 55 pistol.
(ii) Ex tra ct t he det ona tor using an ext rac tor , deto nato r, No. 2, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12G/998).
Where a conical sprin g has been fitted , in conj unct ion with t he No. 55 pist ol, remo ve this
spring from the det ona tor stem, or from the bomb, and ret urn it to its linen bag.
(iii) Replace the No. 34 tra ns it plug.

Removing the tail un it and nose atta chm ent


54. Deta ch th e tai l un it by remo ving the nut s on the assemb ly bolts secur ing the tai l to the
bomb body. Replace the nut s on the bolts.
55. Remove the nose att ac hm en t by slacken ing its clamp ing bolt and guide screw and with ­
drawin g it from the nose of th e bomb.
Removin g the hoistin g bracke ts and suspension lug
56. Ex cep t where the bomb is supplie d with No. 3 and No. 4 pro tect ing rings, remove all
hoisti ng b rack ets and re tur n them to th e box provid ed (see p ara. 61). Replace the pr otec ting shields.
Also remove th e suspension lug and ret urn i t to its box (see p ara. 61) replaci ng the prot ecti ng shield
or tra ns it screws, as app ropr iate, to close th e suspensio n lug holes.
Disma ntling the bomb body
57. If it is ne cessary t o dism antle the assembled bomb body, the oper ation is t o be done on a
Typ e E bomb trolley , the proced ure being as follows:—
(i) Remove the nu ts from the assem bly bolts securing the fron t and rea r sections toge ther .
(ii) F it t he rope complete with f itting s to one of th e bear er bases and by pulling the complet e
assembly, th at is, jocke y saddle, bear er base and bearer s, sepa rate the two sections.
(iii) Unload each section from the troll ey as described in the rele van t cha pte r of A.P. 1664D,
Vol. I (to be issued later) on to two rows of ba tte ns of sufficient dep th to allow clearance
room for th e hoisti ng bra cke ts if these are to rema in fitted .

Pitti ng the protecti ng rings


58. To fit a No. 6 Mk. I p rote ctin g r ing to the rea r end of e ithe r sect ion, push the ri ng o n to the
assem bly bolts, and replace and tigh ten the nu ts on these bolts. To fit a No. 3 Mk. I pro tecti ng
ring to th e forwa rd end of the fro nt section, pass the ring on to the nose of the bomb unti l the
locat ing pads on the bomb body eng age the locati ng slots in the ri ng and the n screw up th e securing
screws to engage the holes in the p ads. To fit a No. 4 Mk. I prot ecti ng ring to t he rea r end of eit her
bomb b ody section , push the ri ng on t o the a ssembl y b olts and re place and ti ghten th e nut s on these
bolts. A simila r proce dure is used to assemble a No. 4 Mk. I prot ecti ng ring to the forwar d end of
the rea r section exce pt th a t the ring securing bolts are employed.

SUP PLY AND STORAG E


Supply
59. The bo dy, bomb, H.E ., airc raft , H .C., 8,000 ]£., Mk. II , fro nt se ction (Stores Ref. 12A/1638),
is supp lied fitte d with a ring, prote cting , air cra ft bomb, No. 6, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12S/613) at it s rear
end. Whe n the sectio n is supplie d fitte d with No. 3 and No. 4 p rot ect ing rings, see p ara. 2, it is
issued und er Store s Ref. 12A/1236.

60. The body, bomb, H.E ., airc raft, H.C., 8,000 lb., Mk. I I, rea r sect ion (Stores Ref. 12A/1640),
is also supp lied fitte d with a ring, prot ectin g, air cra ft bomb, No. 6, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12S/613) at
its rea r end. Whe n th e s ection is su pplie d fitt ed w ith No. 4 p rot ect ing rings, see par a. 2, i t is issu ed
und er Stores Ref. 12A/1237.

61. The tail, airc raft bomb, No. 33, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/1150) is suppl ied sepa rate ly from
the bomb. Ten atta chm ent s, nose, air cra ft bomb, No. 6, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/1151) are supp lied
389

This leaf issued with A .L . No. 96 A.P.1661 B, Vol. I, Sect. 9, Chap. 6


September, 1944
in Box B.461 Mk. I. Five lugs, suspensio n, No. 5, Mk. I, tog ethe r with tw ent y securing screws
(Stores Ref. 12A/1152), ar e p rovisi oned in Box B.458 Mk. I, and ten b rack ets, hoisting , No. 2, Mk. I ,
with for ty securing screws (Stores Ref. 12A/1642), are packe d in Box B.457 Mk. I.

Stora ge
62. The filled bo mb body sections are classified, for stora ge p urposes , in Gr oup 7, see A.P.2608A,
Chap. 7.

BOMB , H .E ., AIR CRA FT, H.C., SECTIONA L, 8,0 00 lb., Mb. I


63. Atte ntio n is direct ed to para. 1 and 2.

Lea din g part icul ars


64. Body, bomb, H. E. , aircraft, H.C., sectional, 8,000 lb., Mk . I
Stores R ef. of f ron t s ection ... ... 12A/1148
Stores Ref. of re ar section ... ... 12A/1149
Ring, protecting, aircraft bomb, No. 3, Mk. I
Stores Ref. ... ... ... ... 12A/1153
Maximum diam eter ... ... ... 3 ft. 9-375 in., appro x.
Len gth ... ... ... ... ... 11-5 in., approx.
Ring, protecting, aircraft bomb, No. 4, Mk . I
Stores Ref. ... ... ... ... 12A/1154
Maximum diam eter ... ... ... 3 ft. 9-375 in., appro x.
Leng th ... ... ... ... ... 3 in., approx .
The oth er leading par ticu lars ar e the sam e as for the Mk. II bomb, see pa ra. 3.

GEN ERA L DES CR IPT ION


65. The Mk. I bomb is simila r t o the Mk. II bomb describ ed in para. 4 to 33, e xcep t th at cast
steel end rings are provid ed, inst ead of the buil t-up end rings of the Mk. II con stru ction , and the
rea r section has in its rea r end a cen tral explo der con tain er housi ng an expl oder consis ting of two
solid C.E. pellets, and exten ding into the rea r end of the cen tral tub e, which is ceme nted to it.

INST RUC TION S FOR USE


66. The inst ruct ions for use given in p ara. 34 to 58 for th e Mk. I I bomb app ly also to the Mk. I
bomb.

SUP PLY AND STORA GE


Supply
67. The body , bomb, H .E., ai rcra ft, H.C., 8,000 lb., Mk. I, fr on t sectio n (Stores Ref. 12A/1148), is
supplie d fitte d with tvzo hoist ing bra cke ts and a ri ng, pro tect ing, airc raf t bomb, No. 3, Mk. I (Stores
Ref. 12A/1153) at its forwa rd end and a ring, prot ectin g, airc raf t bomb, No. 4, Mk. I (Stores Ref.
12A/1154) at its rea r end.
68. The body, bomb, H.E ., airc raft , H.C., 8,000 lb., Mk. I, rea r section (Stores Ref. 12A/1149),
is suppl ied fitte d with two hoisti ng brac kets and a ring, pro tect ing, air cra ft bomb, No. 4, Mk. I
(Stores Ref. 12A/1154) at each end.
69. The t ail, air cra ft bo mb, No. 33, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/1150), th e a ttac hm ent s, nose, ai rcra ft
bomb, No. 6, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/1151), in boxes of ten , and the s uspensi on lugs, in boxes of six,
with securing screws, are suppl ied sep arat ely from the bomb body sections.

Stor age
70. The filled bomb body sections are classified, for stora ge purposes, in Group 7, see A.P.2608A,
Chap. 7.
P5717 M /G241 7 1/45 790 0 C&P Gp. 1
390
391

Tt ys chapter issu ed with A .L . No. 63 A.P.166 1B, Vol. I, Sect. 9


Ju ly , 1943
Relev ant amen dmen ts up to A .L . 72
incorporated in this repr int
Ja nu ar y, 1944

CHAPTER 7

BOMBS, H.E ., AIRCRAFT, H.C., 2,000 lb., Mk. II and HI

LIST OF CONTENTS
Para.
In tr oduct io n ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1
Bo mb , H .E ., ai rc ra ft , H. C., 2,00 0 lb. , Mk. I l l
Le ad in g p ar ti cu la rs ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 2
Ge ner al de sc rip tio n
Bo m b bo dy ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 3
Fi lli ng ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 8
No se a tt a ch m en t ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 10
Ta il ............................. .......................................................................................................................... 11
P ro te ct in g rin gs ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 12
Id en tif ic at io n co lou rin g an d m ar ki ng s
Co lou rin g ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 13
M ar kin gs ... ... ... ... ... .. . ... ... ... ... ... ... 14
Fu nc tio ni ng ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 17
In st ru ct io ns fo r use
Re m ov in g th e pr ote ct in g rin gs ... ... ... ... ................ ... ... ... 19
As se mb lin g th e l oc at in g pl at e ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 20
F it ti n g th e ta il ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 21
F it ti n g th e nose a tt a c h m e n t ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .. . ... 22
Fu zi ng th e bo m b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 23
Lo ad in g th e bo m b on to th e ai rc ra ft ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 25
Un lo ad in g th e bo m b fro m th e ai rc ra ft ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 26
Un fu zi ng th e bo m b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 27
Re m ov in g th e ta il fro m th e bo m b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 28
Re m ov in g th e nose a tt a c h m e n t fro m th e bo m b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 29-
F it ti n g th e pr ot ec tin g rin gs ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 30
Re m ov in g th e lo ca tin g pl at e ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 31
Su pp ly an d st or ag e
Su pp ly ... ... .. . ... ... .. . ... ... ... ... ... ... .... 32
St or ag e ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 34
Bo mb , H .E ., ai rc ra ft , H. C., 2,00 0 lb. , M k. ,11
Co mp ari so n w ith th e Mk. I l l bo m b ... .. . ... ... ... ... ... ... 36

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Fig.
1. Bo mb , H .E ., ai rc ra ft , H.C ., 2,00 0 lb. , Mk. « I
2. Mk. I l l bo m b, w ith nose a tt a ch m en t fit te d, sho wi ng fu zin g de ta il
3. No . 39 Mk. I ta il as se m ble d to bo m b bo dy .
392

CHAPTER 7

BOMBS, H.E ., AIRCRAFT, H.C., 2,000 lb., Mk. II and m


Introduction
1, The 2,000 lb. Mk. II and II I H.C. bombs are thin-c ased bla st bombs havin g a ch arge/w eight
rat io of app roxi mate ly 70 per cent. They are fuzed at the nose only, and are fitted with a nose
at tac hm en t and a tail to stabili ze the flight of t he bomb afte r release from the aircr aft.

BOMB, H.E ., AIRCRAFT, H.C., 2,000 lb., Mk. HI


Leading particulars
2. Bod y, bomb, H .E ., aircraft, H.C ., 2,000 lb., M k. I l l
Stores Ref. 12A/1388
Leng th 7 ft. 5-25 in., appro x.
Maximum diam eter 1 ft. 6-5 in., appr ox.
Wei ght and nat ure of filling 1210 lb., appro x.,
ama tol 60/40 or 50/50
Term inal velocit y of bomb fitted w ith nose a tta ch me nt
and No. 39 Mk. I tail 800 ft. per sec. (estimated )
Atta chm ent, nose, aircr aft bomb, N o. 8, M k. I -
Stores Ref. 12A/1123
Diam eter ... 1 ft. 6-7 i n., appr ox.
Leng th 3-5 i n., appro x.
Ta il, bomb, aircr aft, No . 39, M k. I
Stores Ref. 12A/1124
Diam eter ... 1 ft. 5-5 in., appr ox.
Leng th 3 f t. 4 in. , approx .
Rin g, protectin g, aircr aft bomb, N o. I , M k. I
Stores Ref. 12A/1072
Ri ng , protecti ng, aircr aft bomb, No. 1, M k. I I
Stores Ref. 12A/1389
Rin g, protectin g, aircr aft bomb, No . 1, M k. I l l
Stores Ref. 12A/1390
Plu g, airc raft bomb, N o. 34, M k. I
Stores Ref. 12A/800

GEN ERA L DE SC RIP TIO N


Bomb body, fig. 1 and 2
3. The bomb body is a fabr icat ed cylin der hav ing a dome- shape d nose and closed by a flat
pla te bolte d to a flange a s ho rt dista nce with in the r ear end.
4. The dome-s haped nose is fitte d with thr ee ada pte rs housin g explod er cont ainer s, each fitted
with a det ona tor h older closed by a tra ns it plug.
5. The flange is fitte d wit h locati ng pins for th e tail, and holes to receive tai l secur ing bolts
are drilled thro ugh t he flange and t app ed into blocks secured to it.
6. Holes closed by tra ns it screws are provid ed in the bomb body for the att ac hm en t of a
locatin g plate .
7. A cen tral tub e is cemen ted to the stem of the cen tral explod er con tain er in the nose and
exte nds thro ugh t he bomb body alm ost to th e closing p late.

Fillin g
8. A C.E. explo der is hous ed in each of th e thr ee explo der cont aine rs in the nose, and a colum n
of C.E. explode rs is conta ined in t h e cen tral tube . Eac h of the two out er explo der cont aine rs has
a small solid C.E. explod er held in posit ion by an enclosing pap er tube .
393

A.P. 1661 B, Vol. I, Sect. 9, Chap. 1

-9. The mai n filling of the bomb consists of app rox ima tely 1,210 lb. of ama tol 60/40 or 50/50,
which occupies the inte rior space arou nd the cen tral tube .

Nose attachment, fig. 2


10. The No. 8 Mk. I nose att ac hm en t is a lig ht-gaug e met al cylinde r made f rom a str ip 3J in.
wide, the ends of th e str ip being connec ted by a knuck le joi nt assemb ly for securing t he a tta chm ent
to tlje bomb body. Port ions of the ends are overla pped and inter conn ected by securing screws,
and stops punc hed inwa rdly from the str ip are provid ed to locate the nose a tta ch me nt on the bomb
body.

Tail, fig. 3
11. The No. 39 Mk, I tail is a me tal cylinde r, havi ng an angle ring secured in each end. The
angle ring in the forwar d end has holes to engage the locatin g pins, see para. 5, and tap ped bosses
fitte d wi th bolts for-securing the tail to the b omb body. . H and holes i n the t ail cylin der give access
to the t ail securing' bo lts, and fur the r holes in the t ail cy linder are provid ed to give b allistic s tab ilit y
in flight.

Protecting rings, fig. 1


12. For pro tect ing the bomb body durin g tra ns it and storag e, it is fitted with a No. 1 Mk. I
prot ecti ng ring at each end. The No. 1 Mk. I pro tecti ng ring is of U-sha ped cross-section and made
in two halves with lugs at the ends for securing bolts. When assemble d to the bomb and bolted
tog eth er tig htly , th e two halves of the ri ng encircle t he bomb b ody a nd g rip it to p rev ent displacem ent,
and the rings serve as rolling hoops. Alte rnat ive typ es of pro tect ing rings which may be fitted are
the No. 1 Mk. II, which is of fabri cated latt ice cons tructio n, and the No. 1 Mk. I l l which is of
tub ula r form.

Identification colouring and markings


Colourin g ' >
13. The b omb body, the nose a ttac hm ent , and the t ail are pain ted dar k green. A light green
ban d 2 in. wide is pa inte d round the bomb body 1 ft. 4 in. from the nose e nd, and a red band, j in.
wide, is p aint ed round the bomb body 6 in. from the no se end.

Ma rki ng s
14. The rat io “60 /40” or “50 /50” , as app ropr iate, is stencilled, in yellow, imme diatel y to the
rea r of t he ligh t green band on the bomb body.

15. The following marki ngs are stencilled , in yellow, on the bomb body to the rea r of the
i locatin g pla te pos ition :—
(i) The type , nomin al weight, and ma rk of th e bomb.
"(ii) The design num ber of th e meth od of filling.
(iii) The mono gram of t he filling st atio n, or the initia ls or recognized tra de m ark of t he filling
cont racto r.
(iv) The dat e of filling, m on th and year.
(v) The lot nu mb er of th e filling.

16. The mark ing “No. 39 MARK I ” is st encilled, in black, on t he ta il cy linder ne ar its rear end.

Functioning
17. Upon release of t he bomb from the airc raft, the s afet y clips are with draw n from the nose
pisto ls by the fu ze-se tting contr ol links, and the pist ol armi ng vanes ar e u nscrewed by the ai r st ream
and fall off so as to leave the p istols armed.

18. On im pac t of the bomb with t he tar get , one a t leas t of the pist ols fires: its d eton ator . The
det ona tor fires its ass ociate d exp loder which, in co njunc tion w ith t he cent ral t ub e explode rs, d eton ates
the m ain filling as a whole. ;
V (1661 B )
394

INSTR UCTI ONS FO R USE


Remo ving the protecting rings
19. Slacken off the securing bolts a nd with draw t he prot ecti ng rings from the en ds of the bom b
• body. To faci litate this oper ation the bomb body should be supp orte d on plan ks of sufficient
thickn ess to afford ground clearance.

Assemblin g the locatin g plate


20. Remove the tra ns it screws from the bomb body and at ta ch the locatin g pla,te with the
bolts provide d. These bolts have fibre inser ts, and gre at care mu st be tak en to ensure th at the y
are tigh tene d down fully so as t o secure the locati ng pla te firmly to the bomb body.

Fittin g th e tail
21. Pas s the forward end of the tail into the rea r end of the bomb body so th at the locating
holes and pins on these par ts engage, and secure the tai l in positi on by fully tigh tenin g up the tail
securing bolts.

Fitting the nose attachme nt


22. Assemble the nose a tta ch me nt and pass it over the nose of th e bomb so t ha t the c lamping
bolt of the nose atta ch me nt is on the undersi de. Ensu re th at t he s tops on t he n ose att ac hm en t are
engaged wit h the domed nose of the bomb, secure the nose att ac hm en t in positi on by tight ening
the clampi ng bolt of the knuck le joi nt assembly , and finally tigh ten the screws on the overlapp ed
portio ns.

Faz ing the bomb


23. Remove the tra ns it plugs from the nose of the bomb, and ensure th at the det ona tor
cavitie s are clear, using the gauge, cavi ty, deto nato r, No. 2, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/349) for this
purpose. Bombs which fail to pass thi s gauge tes t are to be set aside for A.-I.D. inspectio n.
24. Ins ert the requi red det on ato r into each det ona tor holde r and inse rt a No. 27 Mk. .1* or II
or oth er pistol, screwing it home by han d unt il it is well s eate d on its washer«and locked.

Loading the bomb on to the aircraft


25. Load the bomb on to the air cra ft as ins truc ted in the Air Pub licat ion rele van t to the
airc raft, or in the cha pte r of A .P. 1664, Vol. I, dealing w ith the 2,000 lb. Bomb Carriers, Type A, B,
or Special, as app rop riat e, using two Slings (Stores Ref. 11A/992) with the Typ e A or the Special
carrier , or two Slings (Stores Ref. 11A/994) wit h th e Typ e B carrier . Fina lly conne ct the safet y
clip of each nose pistol to a fuze- settin g cont rol link on the carrier , remove the pisto l safe ty pins
and han d ‘them to the pilot or the bomb aimer, or place th e safe ty pins in the airc raft.

Unloading the bomb f rom the aircraft


26. Replac e the pistol safe ty pins, disconn ect the fuze -settin g contr ol finks from the safet y
clips of t he pistol s, and u nload th e b omb as ins truc ted in the Air Pub licat ion rele van t t o t he ai rcraf t,
or in t he a ppr opr iate c hap ter of A.P. 1664, Vol. I.

Unfuzi ng the bomb


27. Remove one of the pistols by hand , ex tra ct the deto nato r, using ext rac tor, deto nato r,
No. 2, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/348), and the n replace the pisto l or inse rt the tra ns it plug. Rep eat
these opera tions on the o the r two fuzing positio ns i n t urn .

Remo ving the tail from the bomb


28. Unscrew the tail securing bolts to free the tail, and then with draw the tai l from th e rear
end of t he bomb b ody.

Remo ving the nos e attachm ent from the bomb


29. Slacken the securin g screws in the overl appe d port ions of the att ach me nt, slacken the
clamp ing bol t of the knuck le joi nt assembly , and with draw the att ac hm en t from the nose end of
the bo mb body.
395

A.P .16 61B , Vol. I, Sect. 9, Chap. Z

Fitting the protecting rings


30. Pas s the pro tecti ng rings on to the oppos ite ends of the bomb body and secure them in
positio n by tigh tenin g the ir securin g bolts unti l the rings grip the bomb body.

Remo ving the locatin g plate


31. Remove the bolts which secure the locatin g plat e to the bomb body, remove the locating
plate, and inse rt the tra ns it screws into the bolt holes in the bomb body.

SUP PLY AND STORAG E „


Supply
32. The filled body, bomb, H.E ., airc raft, H.C., 2,000 lb., Mk. I l l is suppl ied unde r Stores
Ref. 12A/1388, fitte d with tra ns it screws in the bol t holes for the locatio n plate , a plug, ai rcra ft
bomb, No. 34, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/800) in each of the thre e nose fuzing position s, and a ring,
prote cting, airc raft bomb, No. 1, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/1072), Mk. II (Stores Ref. 12A/1389), or
Mk. I l l (Stores Ref. 12A/1390) on each end.
33. The tail, bomb, airc raft, No. 39, Mk. I is s upplied sepa rate ly unde r Stores Ref. 12A/1124,
and ten atta chm ent s, nose, air cra ft bomb, No. 8, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/1123) a nd ten locati ng plate s
(Stores Ref. 12A/1385), with securing bolts are supplied a s Assembly No. 2 (Stores Ref. 12A/1387),
packed toge ther in a box.

Storage
34. The filled bombi bodies are classified, for s torag e p urpose s, in Group V II.
35. The No. 39 Mk. I tails m ay be st ored i n t he same expl osives storeh ouse as the filled bombs
bu t the y mu st be st acke d well aw ay from the filled stores.

BOMB, H.E ., AIRCRAFT, H.C., 2,000 lb., Mk. n


Comparison with the Mk. I ll bomb
36. The Mk. II bomb (Stores Ref. 12A/1122) is ident ical with the Mk. I l l bomb excep t th at
only the cent ral nose fuzing positio n can be used, the two oute r ones being sealed by welded plugs
or plate s, the ir exp loder c ontain ers le ft em pty, and the ir pa per t ube s an d end explode rs being omitt ed.
Ex cep t for obvious alte rati ons entai led by this limi tati on to only one effective nose fuzing position,
the whole of the foregoing infor matio n relati ng to the Mk. I l l bomb applies equal ly to the Mk. II
bomb.
396
397

Th is lea f issu ed with A .L . No. 102 A.P.1 661B , Vol. I, Sect. 9


Ja nu ar y, 1945

CHAPTER 8

BOMB, H.E., AIRCRAFT, H.C., SECTIONAL, 12,00 0 lb., Mk, II

LIST OF CONTENTS
Para.
In tro du cti on ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1
Lea ding pa rti cu lar s
Bom b bod y ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 4
Tai l un it, No. 52, Mk. I ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 5
Pr ot ec tin g ring, No. 6, Mk. I ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 6
Gene ral des crip tion
Bom b bod y
Fr on t sec tio n.. . ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 7
Mid sect ion ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 13
Re ar sect ion ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 17
Tai l un it ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 21
Pr ot ec tin g ring s ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 22
Ide nti fic atio n colo uring an d ma rki ng s.. . ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 23
Fu nct ion ing ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 26
In str uc tio ns for use
Asse mbly of bom b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 28
Assem bling th e bom b sect ions ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 29
Fi tti ng th e hoi stin g bra ck ets an d susp ensi on lug ... ... ... ... ... ... 36
Fi tti ng th e tai l un it ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 39
Fuz ing th e bom b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 41
Lo adi ng th e bom b on to th e bom b c a r r ie r ............... ....................................... ............... 42
Un load ing an d unfu zing a bom b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 46
Di sm ant lin g th e bom b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 49
Su ppl y an d sto rag e
Sup ply ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 53
Stor age ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 55

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Fig.
1. Secti on thr ou gh nose fuzi ng posi tion
2. Bro ken per spe ctiv e view show ing at ta ch m en t of cru tch pa d to ch ann el ring
3. Sec tion al view of Mk. II bom b, rea dy for use
4. Bo mb bod y secti ons, pre pa red for tr an si t ,
398

CHAPTER 8

BOMB, H.E. , AIRCRAFT, H.C., SECTIONAL, 12,000 lb., Mk. II


Introduc tion
1. This bomb is a high capa city blas t bomb c onsistin g of t hre e thin- cased b ody sections which
requir e t o be co nnect ed end to end. The bomb body, afte r assembly , is fitt ed with a susp ension lug,
hoist ing brack ets, and tail unit.
2. The fron t a nd rear secti ons of the bo mb body are identi cal with those comprisi ng the Mk. I I
8,000 lb. H.C. sectio nal bomb body, and in add ition ther e is a m id-secti on interp osed. The bomb
is fuzed at the nose o nly, the nose section of the bomb body being provi ded wit h thr ee nose fuzing
position s. Ex cep t for bombs issued to Overseas Commands, each section is fitte d durin g tra ns it
and s torag e with a No. 6.Mk. I prot ecti ng ring at its rea r end.
Note.—Supplies of thes e bombs for O verseas Comma nds a re f itted with No. 3 Mk. I or No. 4
Mk. I prot ectin g rings at the fro nt and rear ends of e ach body section.
0
3. The term inal velocity of the bomb is 1,850 ft. per sec.

Leading particulars
Bomb body
4. Stores Ref. of fron t section ... 12A/1638
Stores Ref. of mid section 12A/1693
Stores Ref. of rear section 12A/1640
Len gth of fro nt section (excluding prote cting ring) 3 ft. 11 in., appro x.
Len gth of mid section (excluding prot ectin g ring) 3 ft. 11-75 in., appr ox.
Len gth of rea r section (excluding prot ectin g ring) 3 ft. 11-75 in., appro x.
Dia mete r of each section 3 ft. 2 in., appr ox.
Weig ht and nat ure of filling—
Fr on t section ... ... ... 2,793 lb. Minol 2
Mid section 2,840 lb. Minol 2
Re ar section 2,890 lb. Minol 2
Charge/ weight ratio 68 per cent.

Tai l unit, No. 52, M k. I


5. Stores Ref. .......................... 12A/1695
Len gth ... 5 ft. 4 in.
Wei ght ... .......................... 250 lb.

Protecting ring, No. 6, M k. I


6. Stores Ref. .......................... 12S/613
Len gth ... 2-5 in., appr ox
Diam eter 3 ft. 2 in., app

GE NE RA L DE SCR IPT ION


Bomb body
Front section
7. The fro nt section of the bomb body con sists of a cylind rical steel casing closed a t its forwa rd
end by a domed nose p late a nd at i ts rea r end by a c losing p late bolte d to a buil t-up e nd ring. This
end ring is pro vided with as sembly b olts for c onnec ting tog eth er the f ron t a nd mid body section s.
8. This sectio n of the bomb body is provi ded with tap ped holes to receive the screws for the
att ac hm en t of two hoisti ng brack ets. These holes, Avhich pass into steel blocks, are covered durin g
tra ns it and s torag e by pro tecti ng shields, each held in positi on by a single screw.
9. The domed nose p late is fit ted with th ree ada pte rs each of whic h a ccomm odates a n e xplod er
cont aine r and its de ton ato r holder. The explo der cont aine rs an d de ton ato r holders are locked in
positi on by set-screws. Loca ted in each explod er cont aine r is a 9 oz. 3 dr. C.E. explod er covered
by a felt washer. Eac h of th e th ree de ton ato r holde rs is closed du ring tr an sit and stora ge b y a No. 34
Mk. I plug (Stores Ref. 12S/592).
10. The closing pla te is f itte d wit h two drop handles and a cen tra l bush which accom modate s
a fur the r explod er con tain er closed by a screw-in plug. This explod er con taine r houses two 7 oz.
C.E. exploders, sep ara ted by a felt disc.
399

This leaf isszted with A. L. No. 102 A.P.16 61B, Vol. I, Sect. 9, Chap. 8
Jan uar y, 1945
11. Pap er tube s, which fit over the side explod er conta iners, and a pap er cen tral tube, which
exten ds along the a xis of th e bomb body section, cont ain 33£ oz. C.E. exploders with felt and cloth
discs position ed between them , as shown in fig. 3.
12. The main filling of high explosive occupies the remain ing space withi n this sectio n of the
bomb body a nd is sealed at the rear end by a laye r of ap prov ed composit ion. Pad s of sim ilar com­
positio n seal the ends of the pap er tube s to the nose adap ters.

C.E . EXPLODER

Fig. 1.—Section through nose fuzing position

M id section
13. The mid section of the bomb bo dy consists of a cyl indric al steel shell closed a t both end s by
flat plat es, the forw ard plat e being welded to a chann el ring a nd the rea r pla te bolte d to a built -up
end r ing. The chann el ring is stren gth ene d by gusse ts an d is pro vided with holes to ta ke the assembl y
bolts on th e fr ont section. Assembly bolts are fitt ed t o t he end r ing for use in con nectin g to get her the
mid and rea r sections.
14. Tap ped holes are provi ded in the body casing for the att ac hm en t of one suspen sion lug
and two hoisti ng brac kets . These holes, covered durin g tra ns it and storag e by pro tecti ng shields,
pass into steel blocks and the s uspensi on lug positio n is fur the r stre ngt hen ed by a steel pad. Two
cru tch pads are fitte d to the forwar d end of t his bomb body section and cover pa rts of the channel
ring; the y are atta ch ed by screws to bra cke ts carri ed by tran sve rse plate s in the cha nne l ring.
400

^Benefijth each cru tch pa d is a wooden plug which blocks one of the holes in t he cha nnel ring int end ed
toTeeeiv e an assembly bolt. Nea r one end of the wooden p lug is in serte d a spli t pin, with cord beck et
att ach ed, this pin prev enti ng with draw al of the plug thr ough the bol t hole. Unti l the wooden
plug is remove d, the mid and nose sections of the bomb body can not be fitte d toge ther.
15. The rear closing pla te is fitte d wit h two drop handle s. The fro nt and rea r plate s are
each prov ided with a cen tral bush which accom modat es an explod er conta iner, per man entl y closed
by a flat-t oppe d plug. Loca ted in each explod er con tain er are two 7 oz. C.E. exploders.

Fig. 2.—Broken perspective view showing attachme nt of crutch pad to channel ring

16. Three 33J oz, C.E. exploders, tog eth er wi th fel t discs, as shown in fig. 3, are conta ined
in a pap er cent ral tub e which exte nds axia lly along thi s section. The remai ning space is filled by
high explosive which is sealed at the ends by appr oved composit ion.

Rea r section
17. The rea r sectio n of th e bomb body has a simil ar con stru ction to th at of the mid section,
as descr ibed in para . 13, the eight assem bly bolts provi ded being used for secur ing the tai l un it to
the bomb body.
18. This section of th e b omb body has t hre e se ts of tap ped holes to receive scre ws for at tac hin g
hoist ing brac kets , the fo rward bra cke t p ositio n also h avin g a n alte rna tiv e s et of holes for t he at ta ch ­
me nt of a suspensio n lug. These holes p ass into st eel blocks or pads , and are covered duri ng tra ns it
and storag e by prot ecti ng shields, each held in posit ion by a single screw.
19. The forwar d closing pla te is fitte d with a centr al bush to accom modat e an explode r
cont aine r, which hou ses two 7 oz. C.E. exploders and is closed by a screw-in plug. The rea r closing
pla te is f itte d wit h t wo drop ha ndles, one a t each side of a cen tral ad ap ter w hich is closed by a plug.
20. A p ape r cen tral t ub e is cem ented a t its f orwa rd end to t he explod er cont aine r a nd exte nds
alm ost to th e rea r closing plat e. This tub e Infuses thre e 33J oz. explode rs and one 10 oz. C. E.
explod er covered at th e rea r end by millbo ard discs and a felt disc, and reta ined in posi tion by a
wooden dista nce piece seate d und er th e rea r plug. The main filling of high explosive is sealed at
the ends by appr oved composit ion.

Tail unit
21. The No. 52 Mk. I tai l un it consists of a tai l cone with a cy lindric al vane att ach ed to it by
six v ane su ppo rts. A r ing, drilled t o tak e the a ssemb ly bolts on the r ear sect ion of th e bomb b ody,
is w elded to the forwar d end of the tai l cone. Han d holes give access to the assem bly bolts when
assembling the ta il un it to th e bom b body.
401

This leaf issued with A. L. No. 102 A.P .lGf ilB, Vol. f , Sect. 9, Chap. 8
Jan uar y, 1945
Protect ing rings
22. The No. 6 Mk. I pro tecti ng ring, which, exce pt for bom bs issued to Overseas Commands,
is fit ted to the r ear end of e ach section of t he bomb body duri ng tra ns it and storag e, is of the s ame
diam eter a s th e bom b body se ctions ; it has an inne r r im drilled t o tak e th e assem bly bolts o n these
sections.
Note.— Supplies of th ese bombs f or Overseas Comman ds h ave a No. 3 Mk. I p rote cting r ing
fitte d to th e forwa rd end of the fro nt section of t he bomb body, and a No. 4 Mk. I prote cting
ring fitt ed to the rea r end of t ha t section and to bot h ends of the m id and rea r sections of t he
bomb body. The No. 3 Mk. I ring is sec ured by screws to locat ing pad s at t he forward end of
the fr ont section , a nd the No. 4 Mk. I rin gs t o t he rea r en d of e ach sec tion b y t he asse mbly bolts,
and to th e forwa rd end of the mid and rea r sections by ring securing bolts. Bot h typ es of
rings have ho les for lifting purpos es when fitti ng th e rings to or remov ing them from the bomb
body sections.

Identific ation colourin g and markings


23. The section s of the bomb body, and the tail unit , are pai nte d dar k green. A l ight green
ban d, 2 in . wide, and a bri gh t red band , 1 in. wide, are pai nte d rou nd each of t he b ody sections.
24. Eac h section bear s one of the following mark ings, deno ting th e nat ure of the filling,
stencilled in thr ee places behin d the ligh t green ban d, th us :— "MI N 2", "AM ATE X 51/40/9” ,
"R .D .X ./T .N .T. ” or "T OR PE X 2” .
Notes.— (i) Only early supplie s of bomb sections are filled Ama tex 51/40/9, R.D .X. /T. N.T ., and
Torp ex 2.
(ii) Cert ain sections filled Minol 2 bear, in addi tion to th e above mark ing, a white circle,
enclosing th e stora ge expi ry dat e, stencil led on the forwa rd end of t he section. Such
sections mu st be expe nded before the expi ry date , which is one yea r from th e dat e of
filling. ,
In add itio n, the following info rmat ion is also stencille d on each section of the bomb bod y:—
(i) H.C. SECT IONA L, II , NOSE, MID, or RE AR , as appr opri ate.
(ii) The monogr am of the filling stat ion , or the initia ls, or recognized tra de ma rk of the
filling cont racto r.
(iii) The da te of filling, m ont h and year.
(iv) The Lo t numb er.
(v) The design num ber of the met hod of filling.
25. The num ber and mar k, tog ethe r with the ma nufac tur er’s marki ngs are indi cate d on the
tail uni t, pro tec ting rings, and tra ns it plugs.

Funct ioning
26. Whe n th e bom b is released "li ve ” from an airc raft , th e safe ty forks or safe ty wires, as
applica ble, of th e pistols in t he thre e nose fuzing positio ns are wit hdra wn by the fuze- setting c ontro l
links, and duri ng the fall of the bomb the pistols become armed.
27. On i mp act of the bo mb with t he t ar ge t one, at le ast, of th e pistols is o pera ted and fires its
det ona tor. The de ton ato r fires the associ ated explode rs w hich det ona te the m ain filling of t he f ron t
section , th e explod ering syste m ensuri ng uniform det ona tion th rou gho ut the filling. Det ona tion of
the main filling in the mid and rea r sections is induc ed thro ugh the firing of the explod ers by
sym pat het ic deto natio n.
Note.— The minim um heig ht of relea se for thi s bomb, as regar ds air cra ft safet y, is 5,500 ft.
Owing to the ligh t str uct ure of the body, the nose will crush if the bomb is d ropp ed "sa fe” on
any thin g o the r th an w ater or very sof t gro und, resu lting in deto nati on. I t is, the refor e, essentia l
th at enforced jett ison ing sh ould be done well a way fr om bui lt-u p areas and w ith the air cra ft at
a safe height.
INST RUC TION S FO R USE
Assembly of bomb
28. The bomb bod y sections , which are norm ally stor ed in the bomb dum p on two rows of
bat ten s, are to be assem bled toge ther , and have the hois ting brack ets, suspen sion lug and tail un it
fitte d prio r t o fuzing. Assembly of th e bomb b ody is t o be done on an assem bly platf orm, which is
norm ally positi oned adj ace nt to the en d of the batt en s on wh ich t he secti ons a re stor ed. The met hod
of assemb ly of the bomb section s is deta iled in th e following par a. 29 to 35.
402

Assembli ng the bomb sections


29. Before tran sfer ring the bomb sections to the assembl y plat form , remove the prote cting
rings from the nose and mid sections afte r havi ng unscrewed the nut s from the assem bly bolts.
Note.-—If the la rger No. 3 or No. 4 pro tect ing rin gs are fitte d, thes e are to be r emoved fro m
all thr ee bomb sections, before assem bly, by remov ing th e nut s from the assem bly bolts, or
securing bolts , or unscrew ing the securing screws, as app rop ria te.
30. Hav ing removed the prote ctin g rings from the app rop ria te sections of the bomb body, roll
the m id section on to the roller convey or and push it along th e convey or on to th e rollers of the assembly
plat form . The cen tre of the bom b section should be positio ned app roxi mat ely above the centre
of the assem bly pla tfo rm with the rear end facing the end of the roller conveyor .
31. Similarl y roll the rear section on to the roller convey or and push it along unt il it nea rly
comes in con tac t with the rea r end of th e mid section.
32. Hav ing positio ned the mid and rea r sections of the bomb read y for assemb ly, lower the
roller port ion of th e assemb ly plat form from unde r t he m id section so t ha t the weight of th is section
is now tak en by the screw jack s and the serr ated rollers. Ope rate the screw jack s unti l th e mid
sect ion of th e bomb is bro ugh t t o exac tly the s ame level as t he rea r se ction, and by using the r atc he t
handle s, which ope rate the serr ated rollers, rot ate the mid sectio n of the bomb unt il the positio ns
for the hoisti ng bra cke ts on the two sections are in line and so th at the assemb ly bolts on the mid
section align with the corres ponding holes in the chann el ring of the rea r section.
33. Wit h the aid of a crowba r, push the rea r section of t he bomb body on to the mid section ,
care being t ak en n ot to dam age the th rea ds of the ass embly bolts. Replac e t he nu ts on t he assembl y
bolts to secure the two sections tog eth er and tigh ten, using a suit able span ner (a ring span ner, for
preference).
Note.— When tigh tenin g, do not work in rot ati on roun d th e circumf erence of the bomb
section, bu t tigh ten, in tur n, each pai r of diam etric ally opposi te nuts . This ensures th at the
sections pull up tog eth er satisf actor ily.
34. Raise the roller port ion of the assem bly platf orm and lower the screw jack s so th at the
pa rtl y assemble d bom b may the n be moved along the roller conve yor well clear of the assem bly
platf orm. Then, using the roller conveyo r, tra nsf er the nose section from its stora ge ba tte ns on to
the roller porti on of th e assembl y plat form , as de scribed in para . 30 for the m id section . Bring b ack
the assembled mid and rear section s unti l the forwar d end of the mid section is nea rly in con tac t
with the rear end of the nose section. Remo ve the two cru tch pads from the chann el ring by un­
screwing the securin g screws. Wit hdr aw the split pins and remove the wooden plugs ; replace the
split pins in th e wooden plugs to pre ven t loss of the pins. Then, using the pro cedur e a lrea dy detaile d
for the mid and rea r sections in pa ra. 32 a nd 33, bolt the nose section to the mid section. Replac e
the two cru tch pads.
35. When all the nut s on the assembl y bolts have been tigh tene d, raise the roller port ion of
the a ssembly platf orm and lower the screw jacks . Then roll th e assemb led bom b body off the as sembly
platf orm on to thre e rows of ba tte ns for the subs eque nt fitti ng of h oisting brac kets , suspensio n lug
and tail unit.

Fittin g the hoisting brackets and suspension lug


36. For loading into the Lan cas ter airc raft , the bomb body is to be fitte d with a suspension
lug and two hoisti ng brack ets. Att ach the suspensio n lug to the c entr e positio n on the mid section
and a hoistin g bra cke t to the forward positio n on the mid and rear sections.
37. To fit a hoistin g bra cke t, first remove the pro tecti ng shield from the app rop ria te position
en the bomb body. Ens ure th at the hoisti ng bra cke t holes and the thre ads on the securing screws
are clear, and the n securely att ac h the hoisti ng bra cke t in position.
38. To fit the suspens ion lug, first remove the pro tecti ng shield from the suspension lug holes.
Check th at these holes and the thre ads on the securing sc rews are clear, then at ta ch the suspension
lug, ensuri ng th at the securing screws are effectively tight ened .

Fillin g the tail unit


39. To fit the tail unit , where app rop riat e remove the n uts fro m the a ssembly bol ts at the rear
end of the bomb body and then with draw the prot ecti ng ring. Offer up the tail un it so th at the
cleara nce holes in the tail cone ring regis ter with the assembl y bolt s on th e rea r of the bomb body.
Push the ta il un it on to the rea r of th e bomb body a nd replace the n uts, tigh teni ng th em wit h a s uit ­
able span ner used thro ugh the han d holes in the side of the tail unit .
403

Thi s leaf issued with A. L. No. 102 A.P.16 61B, Vol. I, Sect. 9, Chap. 8
Jan uar y, 1945
40. Tran sfer the comp letely assemble d bomb on to a Type E or Type F bomb trolley , as
described in the re lev ant ch apt er of A.P.1 664D, Vol. I {to be issued later), fo r c onveya nce t o t he fuzing
shed and, afte r fuzing oper ation s are comp leted, to the airc raft .

Fuzi ng the bomb


41. The bomb is to be fuzed, whils t on the trolle y, at each of the thr ee nose fuzing position s.
Pistols No. 27, No. 42, or pistol s No. 55 ar e to be used; in no circum stanc es is a No. 55 pist ol to be
used in conj unct ion wit h a No. 27 or No. 42 pist ol. The design of th e No. 55 pist ol is su ch th at th e
“ho rizo ntal ” syste m of fuzing is requ ired, wher eby the pull-off of a safe ty wire init iate s arm ing of
the pist ol. The No. 27 and No. 42 pisto ls a re not a dap ted to t ak e a s afety wire and the “ hor izo nta l”
syste m of fuzing can not be employe d with these pistols. The proce dure for fuzing at each nose
fuzing positi on is as follow s:—
(i) Unscrew and remov e the No. 34 tra ns it plug.
(ii) Gauge the de ton ato r cav ity in the norm al way, using a gauge, cav ity, det ona tor, No. 2,
Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12G/1001). The engra ved line for 250/500 lb. bombs is applica ble.
Bombs which fail to pass thi s tes t mu st be set aside for A.I .D./ A.I. S. inspecti on.
(iii) If a No. 55 p istol is to be used, fit the small conical sprin g suppli ed with this pistol over
the stem of the app rop riat e sensi tive typ e de ton ato r so th a t the small end of the spring
ab uts the under side of t he det ona tor head . This spring must always be fitted when using
a No. 55 pis tol as it ensures t ha t th e d eto nat or is in c ont act wit h th e e nd of th e str ike r guide
when th e pistol is screwed into the bomb.
(iv) Ins ert t he ap pro pria te sensi tive typ e det onato r (for use w ith the No. 55 and No. 42 pistols)
or anvil typ e de ton ato r (for use wit h th e No. 27 pisto l) into the de ton ato r cavi ty.
Note.— Ins tan tan eou s det ona tors only mu st be used.
(v) If us ing a No. 27 or No. 42 pistol, screw the p istol, by han d, into t he det onato r hold er until
it is well seate d on its washe r and locked in position . Whe n using a No. 55 pist ol, screw
the pis tol lo cking n ut forw ard a few t urn s, the n scre w th e pi stol by han d into th e d eto nat or
hold er as far as it will go, tak ing care not to dis tor t the armi ng vane , and lock it in this
posit ion by screwing the loc king nu t har d on to the bomb body.
Loading the bomb on to the bomb carrier
42. The fuzed bomb is to be loaded from a Type E or Type F bomb troll ey on to the bomb
carrie r, as describ ed in the rele van t cha pte r of A.P. 1664, Vol. I.
43. The proced ure to be followed at each nose fuzing positio n, aft er the bo mb is secure ly load ed
on the carrie r, is de scribed in the following par a. 44 o r 45, d epend ing on the typ e of pi stol fitted .
44. Pistol No. 27 or No. 42. Proceed as follows:—
(i) At tac h one or more flexible fuze -sett ing cont rol links, as requi red, to the safet y fork of
the pistol. Ins ert the loop end of the link into the app rop ria te E.M. fuzing un it in the
norm al mann er.
(ii) Imm edia tely before the air cra ft take s off, r emove th e saf ety pin from the safe ty fork.
Note.— The safe ty pin is to be han ded to the pilot or air bomber.
45. Pistol No. 55. Pro cee d as follows:—
(i) Remo ve the s afety pin from the p istol and rot ate t he s afety c ap assem bly j us t sufficien tly
to align the hole in one of the lugs proj ectin g from the safe ty cap with the hole in the
upp erm ost lug of the pistol locking nut .
Note.— The safet y pin is to b e han ded t o the pilot or air bom ber.
(ii) Ins ert the plain end of a No. 1 Mk. I safe ty wire first thro ugh the hole in the locking nu t
and the n thr oug h the hole in the lug unt il the end pro trud es app rox ima tely 3 in. Slip
two No. 1 Mk. I safet y clips over th e e nd of th e wire so th at the inne r clip is in lig ht con tact
wit h the safe ty cap lug.
Note.— It is no t essentia l th at the pull-off of t he safe ty wire should be exa ctly in line
with the bomb suspension lug.
(iii) Att ach one or more flexible fuze-s etting contr ol links, as requ ired, to the loop end of the
safe ty wire and the n inse rt the loop end of the l ink into the app rop riat e E.M. fuzing unit
in the norm al mann er.
Note.— As a sati sfac tory pull on the safe ty wire is obta ined in this insta nce with the
E.M. fuzing unit s in the ir norm al vertic al positio ns above the nose pistols, the y are not
to be moved inwa rd towa rds the bomb suspension lug.
C (AL102)
404

Unloadin g and unfuz ing a bomb


46. Before unloa ding the bomb from the bomb carrie r, replace the safe ty pins in the safe ty
forks of the No. 27 or No. 42 pistols, if fitte d. Discon nect th e fuze -sett ing cont rol links fro m the
E.M. fuzing unit s and from the safe ty forks or safe ty wires of the pistols . Then unloa d the bomb
from the carr ier on to a Typ e E or Typ e F bomb trolle y, as describe d in the rele van t cha pte r of
A.P.1664, Vol. I.
47. Hav ing unlo aded the bomb, where a No. 55 pistol is fitte d, remove the two safe ty clips
from the end of the safe ty wire and the n with draw this wire from the pistol. Screw up the safe ty
cap assem bly unt il the stop pins pre ven t fur the r move ment , the n engage the U-shap ed end of the
safe ty pin wit h the armi ng vane hole, which is oppos ite to the hole in th e safe ty cap. In se rt the
plain end of the safet y pin in its hole in the safe ty cap and the n slowly unscrew th e cap un til this
end of th e pin drops into the groove in the pistol body.
Notes.— (i) Should the safe ty wire be kinked , ben t, or otherw ise dis tort ed or dama ged, it should
be discar ded, as it mu st no t be used again.
(ii) If the pistol safe ty pin does not engage with the groove in the pistol body with in one
comp lete revo lutio n of th e safe ty cap, the cause mu st be ascer taine d, for exampl e, the
plain end of the safe ty pin may be burr ed or bent.
48. To unfuze the bomb, proceed at each nose fuzing positi on in tu rn as follow s:—
(i) Unscrew and remove the pistol by han d, havi ng first slacken ed back the locking nu t
of a No. 55 pistol.
(ii) Ex tra ct the det ona tor, usi ng an ext rac tor , d eto nat or, No. 2, Mk. I (Stor es Ref. 12G/998).
Wher e a conical sp ring h as be en fit ted, in c onju nctio n w ith the No. 55 pistol, remove the
spring from the det on ato r stem , or from the bomb, and ret urn it to its linen bag.
(iii) Replace the No. 34 tra ns it plug.

Disma ntling the bomb


49. Hav ing unfuze d the bomb , unscrew the nut s securin g the tai l un it to the bomb body, and
then deta ch the tai l unit . Repla ce the nut s on the assemb ly bolts.
50. Remo ve all hoist ing bra cke ts and the suspensio n lug and ret urn them to the ir respect ive
boxes (see par a. 54). Replace the pro tect ing shields.
51. If it is necessa ry to dism antl e th e assemb led bomb body, this is to be done on a Typ e E
bomb trolle y, the proce dure being as follow s:—
(i) To sep ara te the fro nt and mid sections, first remove the two cru tch pad s from the
chann el ring of the mid section by unscrewin g the s ecuring screws. The n remove the
nu ts from th e assem bly bol ts which conn ect the two section s toget her.
(ii) Fi t the rope, compl ete with fitti ngs, to one of th e bea rer bases, and by pullin g the
complet e assemb ly, th at is, jo cke y saddle, bear er base, and beare rs, sep arat e the f ron t
and m id sections. Re-fit the woo den plugs, tog eth er wit h th e spl it pins, in the a ppr o­
pri ate posit ions of the chann el ring of the mid section so th at the spli t pins pre ven t
with draw al of the plugs thr oug h the assem bly bol t holes. Repl ace th e cru tch pads.
Then unlo ad th e fro nt section from the t rolle y,, as des cribed in the r ele van t ch apt er of
A.P.16 64D, Vol. I (to be issued later), on to two rows of bat ten s.
(iii) To sep ara te th e mid and rea r sections , remove the nut s from th e assem bly bolts con­
nect ing the two section s and the n, procee ding as describ ed in sub- para , (ii), sep arat e
and unlo ad the mid and rea r sections.
52. Afte r t ran sfe rrin g t he bo mb sectio ns on to the st orage b att ens , fit a No. 6 Mk. I pro tect ing
ring to the rea r end of each section. To do this (having first remo ved th e nu ts from the assem bly
bolts) , push t he ri ng on t o the assembl y bolts , and r eplace a nd tigh ten t he n uts on these bolts.
Notes.— (i) To fit a No. 3 Mk. I prot ecti ng r ing to th e forwar d e nd of th e f ron t se ction, pas s th e rin g
on to the nose of th e bo mb unt il the locati ng pa ds on th e b omb body engage t he loca ting
slots in t he ri ng and the n screw up th e securin g screws to engage the holes in the pa ds.
(ii) To fit a No. 4 Mk. I pro tect ing ring to the rea r end of eac h b omb section , pus h t he ri ng
on to the assembly bolts and replace and tig hte n the nut s on thes e bolts. A simil ar
proce dure is used to assemble a No. 4 Mk. I pro tect ing rin g t o the f ron t e nd of t he m id
and rea r section s excep t th at the ring securing bolt s are employed .
405

Th is lea f issu ed with A .L . No. 102 A.P .16 61 B, Vol. I, Sect. 9, Chap. S
Ja nu ar y, 1945

SUP PLY AND STORAG E


Supply
53. The bodies, bomb, H. E., airc raft , H.C., sectio nal 12,000 lb., Mk. II , fron t, mid, and rea r
sectio ns (Stores Ref. 12A/1638, 12A/1693, 12A/1640, respec tively) are e ach s upplied fi tted wit h a ring,
pro tec ting , airc raf t bomb, No. 6, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12S/613), at the rea r end. When supplie d to
Overseas Command s the sections a re fitte d with No. 3 and No. 4 pro tecti ng rings an d issued res pective ly
und er Stores Ref. 12A/1236, 12A/1694, and 12A/1237.
54. The t ail, bomb, airc raft , No. 52, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/1695), is supplie d packe d in Crate
B.467, Mk. I (wooden). Five lugs, suspensio n, No. 5, Mk. I, tog eth er with tw ent y securing screws
(Stores Ref. 12A/1152), are provision ed in Box B.458, Mk. I, an d te n b rack ets, hoisting, No. 2, Mk. I,
with for ty securing sc rews (Stores Ref. 12A/1642) a re packe d in Box B.457, Mk. I.

Storag e
55. The filled bomb body sections are classified, for the purpos e of stora ge, in Group 7, see
A.P.2608A, Chap. 7.
406
407

Th is app end ix issue d with A .L . No. 69 A. P.1 66 1B , Vol. I, Sec t. 9


.Aug ust, 1943
Relevan t amen dmen ts up to 'A .L. 72
incorporated in this repri nt
Ja nu ar y, 1944

AP PE ND IX 1

COMPONENTS USE D WI TH H.C. BOMBS

L IS T O F C O N TE N TS
Tabl e
Bomb, H. E. , air cra ft, H.C., 2,000 lb., Mk. I an d II 1
Bomb, H. E. , air cra ft, H.C., 2, 000 }b„ Mk. Il l ... 2
Bom b, H. E. , air cra ft, H.C., 4, 000 lb., Mk. I 3
Bombs , H. E. , air cra ft, H.C., 4,000 lb., Mk. II , II I, and IV 4
Bombs , H. E. , air cra ft, H.C., secti onal, 8,000 lb., Mk. I and II ...' 5
408

AP PE ND IX 1

COMPONENTS US ED WI TH H.C. BO M BS «

TABLE 1
BOMB S, H. E. , AIR CRA FT, H.C ., 2,0 00 lb. , Mk. I and £

Nose fu zin g

Pistol Detonator Explod er


One No. 27, Mk. I* or II No. 43, Mk. I (inst.)
Specia l, supp lied in pos itio n
One No. 42, Mk. I or II No. 52, Mk. I or II (inst.)

TABLE 2
BOM B, H .E ., AIR CRA FT, H.C ., 2,0 00 lb. , Mk. H I
Nose fu zin g

Pist ol Detonator Explod er


Th ree No. 27, Mk. I* or II No. 43, Mk. I (inst.)
Special, sup plie d in posi tion
Th ree No. 42, Mk. I or II No. 52, Mk. I or II (inst.)

TABLE 3
BOM B, H .E ., AIR CRA FT, H.C ., 4, 00 0 lb. , Mk. I

Nose fu zi ng

Pistol Detonator Explod er


One No. 27, Mk. I* or II No. 43, Mk. I (inst.)
Speci al, supp lied in posi tion
One No. 42, Mk. I or II No. 52, Mk. I or II (inst.)

TABLE 4
BOMB S, H .E ., AIR CRA FT, H.C ., 4,0 00 lb. , Mk. H , HI , arid IV

Nose fu zin g

Pistol Detonator Explo der


Th ree No. 27, Mk. I* or II No. 43, Mk. I (inst.)
Special, sup plie d in posi tion
Th ree No. 42, Mk. I or II No. 52, Mk. I or II (inst.)

TABLE $
BOMB S, H .E ., AIR CRA FT, H.C ., SECTIONAL, 8,0 00 lb. , Mk. I and H

Nose fu zi ng
z !
'P ist ol Detonator Explo der
Thr ee No. 27, Mk. I* or II No. 43, Mk. I (inst.)
Special, sup plie d in posi tion
Th ree No. 42, Mk. I or II No. 52, Mk. I or II (inst.)
409

A IR PUBLICAT ION 16 61B


Vol um e I

Section 10

x • t
M.C. BOMBS
410
411

This leaf issued with A .L . No. 110 A .P .1 66 1B , Vo l. I


Ap ril, 1045

SECTION 10

• M.C. BOM BS
Ob
L IS T O F C H A P T E R S
M &
s N ot e. — A li st of c o n te n ts a p p e a rs a t th e be g in n in g of ea ch c h ap te r.

CH A PTER 1— G en er al n ot es on M.C . bo m bs
CHA PTER 2— B om bs , H .E ., a ir c ra ft , M.C ., 250 lb ., Mk. I a n d II
CHA PTER 3—
CHA PTER 4— B om b, H .E ., a ir c ra ft , M.C. , 500 lb ., Mk. I
CHA PTER 5— B om b, H .E ., ai rc ra ft , M.C ., 500 lb „ Mk. II
>3
<$ CHA PTER 6— B om b, H .E ., a ir c ra ft , M.C ., 500 lb ., Mk. I I I
6
rt CHA PTER 7— B om b, H .E ., a ir c ra ft , M.C ., 500 lb ., Mk. IV
CHA PTER 8— B om b, H .E ., ai rc ra ft , M.C ., 500 lb ., Mk . V
Jj 7>-1< CHA PTER 9— B om b, H .E ., a ir c ra ft , M.C ., 500 lb ., Mk. V I
; po
<
> 'cl C H A P T E R 10— B om b, H .E ., a ir c ra ft , M.C ., 500 lb ., Mk. V II
£ C H A P T E R 11— B om b, H .E ., a ir c ra ft , M.C ., 500 lb ., Mk. V II I
cl
<O
A
U C H A P T E R 12— B om b, H .E ., ai rc ra ft , M.C ., 500 lb ., Mk. IX
m W> C H A P T E R 13— B om b, H .E ., a ir c ra ft , M.C ., 500 lb ., Mk. X
C H A P T E R 14— B om b, H .E ., a ir c ra ft , M.C ., 500 lb ., Mk. X I (Tonite Arstts^THler)
■, *>u 0 C H A P T E R 15— B om b, H .E ., a ir cr af t, M.C ., 500 lb ., Mk.
• D4-, 43
.
[J 44 M^ CO C H A P T E R 16— B om b, H .E ., ' a ir c ra ft . M.C ., 500 lb ., Mk .
34 «4M ft '-OfX
X
.? X C H A P T E R 17— B om b, H .E ., ai rc ra ft , M.C ., 500 lb ., Mk. XI V (To-be issued letter)
o s.
< <o> <He
■f-fc-S t r n i> > C H A P T E R 18— B om bs , H .E ., a ir c ra ft , M.C ., 1,0 00 lb ., M k. I a n d II
<2 «-S
£<1) X! <D
' '3 3 "2 C H A P T E R 19— B om b, H .E ., a ir c ra ft , M.C ., 1,00 0 lb ., Mk . I l l (7j> h ^ " ,„ > d ia (f .r \
5 a xi rtg oa s C ja
j. os cyd 1T)d O O
J « -JJ !>. C H A P T E R 20 — B om b, H .E ., a ir c ra ft , M. C., 1,0 00 lb ., Mk . IV ('E a~he is su ed la ter}
■ 5 4 fi ri
4 O 4 c»’TJ “3 uO
T3

0S to 5 Ij3 [?S uO C H A P T E R 21— B om bs , H .E ., a ir c ra ft , M.C ., 4,0 00 lb ., Mk . I a n d I I Vcc./^z7 'n(fr)

C H A P T E R 22— Bo m bs , H .E ., a ir c ra ft , M.C ., 12,0 00 lb ., Mk.


I an d II
C H A P T E R 23— Bo m bs , H .E ., a ir c ra ft , M.C ., 22 ,00 0 lb ., Mk.
I an d II (T n -Z iz ; -irtued Idler)
(a . l .129

Q <
<zD
>
W 3
H
O
1—(
ft C
H o o
cn u
£ o
ft ARM AME NT
412
413

This leaj issued with A. L. No. 127 A.P.16 61B, Vol. I, Sect. 10
November, 1945

CHAPTER 1

General notes on M.C. bombs

LIS T OF CONTE NTS


Para.
In tr od uc ti on ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1
Id en tif ic at io n co lou rin g an d m ar ki ng s ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 3
Ge ner al pr ec au tio ns wh en fu zin g or un fu zin g an M.C. bo m b ... ... ... ... ... ... 9
Fu nc tio ni ng ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 10
E xa m in at io n an d re pa ir ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 12
Supply ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 14
St or ag e ... ... ....... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 16

LIS T OF APP END ICE S

Note.— A list of cont ents appe ars at the beginni ng of each Appendix .

AP PE ND IX 1—Compone nts used with M.C. bombs


AP PE ND IX 2—Inst ruc tion s for use—using the No. 27 and No. 42nose pistols
AP PE ND IX 3—In stru ctio ns for use—using the No. 44 nose pistol
AP PE ND IX 4—Ins truc tion s for use—using the No. 28 and No. 30 tail pistols
AP PE ND IX 5—Inst ruc tion s for use—using the No. 28 a nd No. 30 tail pistols in conj unct ion with
the "ho rizo nta l” syste m of fuzing
AP PE ND IX 6— Ins truc tion s for use—using the No. 47 pistol
AP PE ND IX 7—Inst ruc tio ns for use—using the No. 58 tail pistol
414

CHAPTER 1

General notes on M.C. bombs

Introduction
1. These bombs hav e a simila r charg e/wei ght rati o thro ugh out the ir range, the gener al ratio
being high er tha n th at of G.P. bombs. Generally speaking , M.C. bom bs are for gener al oper ation al
use as alte rna tive s to the corres pondi ng G.P. bombs, bu t cer tain bomb s are designed for special
ope ratio nal use agai nst res ista nt targ ets where deep pe net rat ion into sub-soil st ra ta is requir ed.
Some bombs are provid ed with nose and tai l fuzing, othe rs with nose or tail fuzing only.
2. A ge neral descr iption of eac h weight and mar k of M.C. bomb, and any instr ucti ons specific
to th at bomb, are given in the ch apt er of th is section releva nt to the par ticu lar bomb. The fuzing
comp onen ts for use .with M.C. bombs and the instr uctio ns for fuzing them with the app rop riat e
comp onent s are given in the append ices to this chap ter.

Identificati on colourin g and markings


3. The bomb b ody, tail, and tra ns it fitting s .of all M.C. bombs are pain ted dark green. A red
band is pain ted round the bomb body, near the nose, to deno te th at the bomb is filled, and a light
green ban d is also pain ted roun d the body, towa rds the nose end, to denot e th at the bomb is an
H.E . bomb.
. 4. The nat ure of the filling is indic ated on the b omb body b y ste ncilled m arkings , as follows:—
(i) If the bomb is filled R.D .X. /T.N .T., 60/40, the mark ing “R .D .X ./T .N .T. ” is applie d at
thr ee places on the light green band, with the rati o figures below the letter s.
(ii) If the filling is T.N. T., the mark ing "T .N .T .” is applied in thre e places on the ligh t green
band.
(iii) If the filling is Amato l 60/40 or 50/50, the app rop riat e rati o figures are applied at thre e
places b ehind th e light green band . If t he bom b is filled Amato l 80/20, no ma rkings a ppe ar
on or near the ligh t green band.
(iv) If the bomb is filled Ama tex 51/40/9, the mark ing "AM ATE X” appe ars at one place on
the light green band with the rati o figures below it.
(v) If the filling is Desensitised Pent olite , Grade I, the mark ing “P E N ./D .l” is stencill ed in
thr ee places on the ligh t green band .
(vi) If the bomb is filled with Torp ex 2, the mark ing “T OR PE X 2” is applie d in thr ee places
on the light green band.
(vii) If the bom b is filled with America n R .D. X./ T.N .T. havi ng a residu al ac idit y co nte nt b etween
0-035 per cent and 0-1 per cent, the red band near the nose of t he bom b is barre d, and a
red circle enclosing the expi ry dat e is stencille d near the nose end of the bomb.
(viii) If the filling is ei the r 70/30 hot m ixed Amato l, or 60/40, or 70/30, cold milled Amatol, each
filling in corp orat ing Grade 3 T. N. T., the red ban d near the nose end is barre d in red.
Note.—The fillings listed in sub-p ara, (vii) and (viii) are not suita ble for supp ly to,
and use in, hot climates.
5. The following markin gs are also stencilled on the bomb bod y:—
(i) The design num ber of the meth od of filling.
(ii) The monogr am of the filling s tati on, or the initia ls or recognized tra de mar k of the filling
cont racto r.
(iii) The dat e of filling, mon th and year.
(iv) The lot num ber of the filling.
(v) The type , nomina l weight, and mark num ber of the bomb, for examp le “M.C. 500 lb . I ” .
6. If a tai l pistol is suppl ied fitte d in the bomb body, norma lly the num ber and ma rk of the
pistol are stencill ed on the bomb body near the tai l end, for example , “P IST OL No. 65 I ” would
indi cate th at a No. 65 Mk. I pist ol has been fitte d to the bomb.
Note.— Bombs fitte d w ith earl y m arks of No. 30 pis tol a re sten cilled “P IST OL No. 30 ", the m ark
num ber of t he pistol not being specified.
7. The num ber and ma rk of M.C. bomb tails are stencille d on the cylin drical vane, or on one
vane suppo rt.
8. Tra nsi t bases and pro tecti ng rings for M.C. bombs bear the following stencil mar kin gs:—
(i) The num ber and mar k of the tra ns it base or prot ecti ng rings, for example, "No. 29,
MARK I ”.
(ii) The typ e and weight of the b omb to which the t ra ns it base or rings are fitted , for e xample,
“M.C. 500 lb.” .
415

Th is lea f iss ued with A .L . No. 127 A.P .166 1 B, Vol. I, Sect. 10, Chap. 1
November, 1945

General precaution s whe n fuzing or unfuz ing an M.C. bomb


9. The following prec autio ns mus t be tak en when fuzing and unfuzi ng M.C. bom bs:—
(i) Only the smalle st num ber of bomb s comp atibl e with the circum stanc es mu st be worked
. on at one time in the fuzing area. Bombs, whe ther plugged or fuzed, are not t o be store d
in fuzing area s w hen fuzing is in progress.
(ii) Comp onents mus t not be insert ed in, or wit hdra wn from, bombs whilst the y are loaded
in or on aircr aft.
(iii) Fuzin g or unfuzing m ust not be don e within 75 yds. of an y aircr aft, petro l sto re, or bu ilding
oth er tha n one which has been specially erecte d and /or sited for the purpose, nor mus t
fuzing or unfuzing be done in the ope n to the r ear of a n air cra ft havin g its engines runnin g,
owing t o th e'd us t dist urb ed by the s lipstre am.
(iv) Bombs mu st not be fuzed or unfuzed in or near a n explosives storeho use or a bomb dump.
(v) Bombs, when being fuzed or unfuzed in the open, mu st always be worked on over soft
ground.
(vi) The screw -threa ds of explo der conta iners, det ona tor holders, pistols and fuzes, mu st be
clean and dry.
(vii) Fuzin g comp onen ts mus t not be left exposed to the sun.
(viii) When a bomb has been fuzed with a dire ct actio n pist ol,-t he bomb body is to be stencilled
"F ZD ” tog eth er with the num ber of the det ona tor used. Whe n a bomb has been fuzed
wit h a long delay pistol, .special identi ficati on markin gs, detai ls of which are given in the
app rop riat e appe ndix to thi s chap ter, are stencilled on the bomb body. If a bomb, fuzed
dir ect actio n or long delay, is subs eque ntly unfuzed, the mark ings are to be deleted .
(ix) If a bo mb is to be fuzed a t t he tail only, the nose t ra ns it plug, if fitte d, is no t t o be removed.
When a bom b is to be fuzed a t th e nose onl y, t he t ail uni t is to be fitte d in th e no rmal mann er.
Func tionin g
10. On "li ve” release of a fuzed bomb from its bomb carri er or shackle, the safe ty device or
safe ty wire is w ithd raw n from the nose pistol and /or from the tai l armi ng mecha nism or tai l pistol,
thu s allowing the fu zing comp onen ts to become armed.
Note.— Where a cartr idge, delaye d armin g, air cra ft bomb, Mk. I is utiliz ed to provid e a delay
perio d before rot ati on of the tail arm ing mecha nism can commence, it is fitte d to the bomb
tail unit. In thi s insta nce, the s afet y wire is thr ead ed thr oug h the car trid ge; on "li ve” release
of the fuzed bomb, the wire is with draw n thu s ini tiat ing funct ionin g of the cart ridg e which,
aft er the delay period has elapsed, allows the tail arm ing vanes to rot ate with conse quent
arm ing of the tail pistol.
11. On imp act of the bomb with the tar get , the nose and /or tail pistol init iate s the explosive
tra in in the bomb, thu s det ona ting the main filling.
■ Note.— If t he bomb is fuzed with ins tan tan eou s det ona tors in both the nose and tai l positions,
the nose assem bly will func tion first.
Exa min ation and repair
12. Only such exa min atio n and repa ir of bombs as is specified in Sect. 20, Chap. 1, is to be
done by arm am ent personnel. Any bombs found to have ma jor damag e or defects are to be set
aside for A.I. D./A .I.S. inspectio n.
13. Fuze d bombs, whe ther loaded on to airc raft , or store d in the fuzed bomb area, mu st be
exam ined at t he i nter vals sta ted in Sect. 20, Chap. 2.
Supply
14. MiC. bom b bodies are suppl ied plugged at the nose and /or tail, as app ropr iate , a tra ns it
plug being fitte d in the nose positi on and eith er a pisto l or tra ns it plug at the tail. Where a tail
pisto l is suppli ed in positio n to serve as a tra ns it plug durin g tra ns it and storag e, a tra ns it base is
norm ally fitte d to the bom b body. Pro tec tin g rings may be fitte d aro und the bom b bod y to
pro tec t the suspens ion lugs.
15. The tai l uni ts used with these bomb s are norm ally supplie d in card boa rd contai ners, one
tai l pe r con taine r, or in wooden c rates . A fairing, which is a c ompo nent of cert ain bombs, is supp lied
pack ed with th e app rop riat e t ail u nit. One No. 1 Mk. I s afet y wire an d two No. 1 Mk. I s afet y clips
are secure d by adhesi ve tap e to those tai l uni ts used in conj unct ion with the "ho rizo nta l” syste m
of fuzing.
Storage
16. For the pur pose of stor age M.C. bom bs ar e classified in Grou p 7. The re gulat ions governi ng
the stora ge of all H.E . bomb s are given in A.P.2608A. Tail unit s and p istols may be store d in the
same explosive storeh ouse as the filled bombs, bu t packag es cont ainin g the m mu st be stac ked
well clear of the filled stores.
416
417

Th is lea f issu ed with A .L . No . 127 A.P.1 661B, Vol. I, Sect. 10, Chap. 1
Novem ber, 1945

AP PE ND IX 6

INSTRUC TIONS FOR USE — USING TH E No. 47 PISTOL

LIS T OF CONTEN TS
Pa ra.
In tr oduct io n 1
Ge ne ra l pr ec au tio ns 4
As se mb lin g a bo mb 6
Pr ep ar in g th e bo m b b o d y .. . 7
P re pa ri ng th e ta il un it an d fa iri ng 8
F it ti n g th e ta il u nit an d fa iri ng ... 10
Fu zi ng a bo mb 11
Lo ad in g a fu zed bo m b ... 16
19
AP PE ND IX 6—Inst ruc tion s for fittin g a No 2 3 Mk' IT t .......
8 25
°- 2 3 ’ M k - 1 1 tra cer to tail No. 37

LIS T OF ILL UST RAT IONS


Fig-
1. F it ti n g th e ta il as se m bly st ud s
2. Vie w sho wi ng fa iri ng in po sit io n on bo m b bo dy pr io r to fit tin g ta il un it
3. Vie w sho wi ng re ar en d of bo mb bo dy af te r co m pl etio n of fuz ing op er at io ns

Introdu ction
1. The No. 47 pistol is a long delay pistol for use in 12,000 lb. and 22,000 lb. M.C. bomb s;
these b ombs have thr ee fuzing posit ions in the ta il, all of whic h ar e to be used. The pistol, which is
fully describe d in A.P.1661C, Vol. I, Sect. 1, pr ovides a nominal delay time of { h r. (the No. 47 pistol)
or 1 hr. (the No. 47A pistol).
' Warnin g.— The No. 47 Mk. I and II pistols are not to be used.

2. A No. 78 tail un it is to be fitted to t he 12,000 lb. bom b body, and a No. 82 ta il to the 22,000 lb.
bomb body, prio r to fuzing. A fairing, supplie d wit h the tai l unit, is also requi red. .

3. The fuzing oper ation s mus t only be und erta ken by selected and fully ins truc ted arm ame nt
personnel working und er the su pervisi on of a q ualified arm am ent N.C.O. conv ersa nt with t he design
and h andl ing of thes e pis tols. The att en tio n of th e fu zing pa rty m ust be di recte d to the in stru ctio ns
on the label fixed to the under side of the lid of the box in which the pistols are supplied.

General precautions
4. If a No. 47 pis tol is dr opp ed from a h eigh t o f 12 in. or more on to a h ard sur face, or is ac ci­
den tall y knocked , the pistol mus t be tre ate d as if arm ed (due to possible frac ture of the ampoule),
and mu st be set aside for A.I. D./A .I.S. inspecti on.

5. Gre at care mu st be tak en when loading, unload ing and tra nsp ort ing the fuzed bombs not
to subj ect the m to rough tre atm en t which migh t cause break age of t he ampoule. If a bomb fitted
with No. 47 pistols be dropp ed accide ntall y or receive a severe shock in any othe r way, the thr ee
pistols mus t be remove d immed iately.

Assemb ling a bomb


6. The t ail uni t an d fairing are norm ally t o be fitte d to the bomb bo dy a t th e bo mb s torag e area.
The bomb bod y mu st be positio ned on ba tte ns or on a cradle so t ha t the dowel hole is upperm os
and so th at the tail end of the bom b body overh angs the end ba tte n or the rea r of the cradle by
app rox ima tely two feet. The meth od of assem bly is detai led in the following para. 7 to 10.
418

Fig. 1.—Fit ting the tai l assemb ly studs

Fig. 2.—View show ing fair ing in posit ion on bomb body prior to fitting tai l unit
419

This leaf issued with A. L. No. 127 A.P.1661 B, Vol. I, Sect. 10, Chap. 1, Ap p. 6
November, 1945
Preparing the bomb body
7. Before f ittin g the t ail assemb ly stud s, which are supplie d in a s mall box bui lt into th e bomb
tra ns it cra dle, exam ine t he assem bly st ud holes in the re ar of th e bo mb body an d rem ove a ny p articl es
of d irt and grease. Also ex amine the stu ds to ensure th at the thr ead s at each end of the stud s are
clear and t h a t a nu t is scre wed on to the lo nger thr ead ed end of e ach stud . Then sc rew t he sh orte r
thr ead ed e nd of a stu d in to a hole in the rea r of the bomb body, see fig. 1, and when th e stu d is secur ely
in posit ion remove the nu t from the oppos ite end. Continu e rou nd the circumfe rence of the bomb
bod y unt il twelve stud s have b een fitted .
Note.— The flange on thes e tai l assemb ly stud s when corre ctly positi oned mu st be well seate d
in the cou nter sun k stu d hole and mu st not be sta ndi ng pro ud of the rea r surface of the bomb
body.

Preparing the tail un it and fair ing


8. Carefully remove the tail un it and f airing from the wooden cra te in which the y are supplie d
and exami ne for damage.

9. Before fittin g the t ail uni t to the bomb body, the assem bly han d holes are to be uncovered
as follows:—
(i) Remove four of th e five securing screws f rom each of th e a ssemb ly ha nd hole pa nels, leaving
the fifth screw slacken ed bu t in position .
(ii) Swing the panel s clear of the assem bly han d holes.
(iii) Replac e the four securing screws to pre ven t the ir loss.
Note.— The assem bly han d hole panels are not replac ed unt il aft er the fuzed bomb has
been loaded on to the air cra ft and prio r to “Tak e-dff” .

Fitti ng the tail un it and fai rin g „


10. Procee d as follows:—
(i) Slacken the thre e turn buc kles on the fairing and loosely posit ion the fairin g over the rear
end of th e bomb body so as not t o obs tru ct the fitti ng of th e tail unit, see fig. 2.
(ii) Offer up the tail un it to the bom b body so th a t the arrow pai nte d on the base of the tai l
cone is in al ignm ent w ith t he dowel hole on t he bom b body, a nd e nsure th at the ta il ass embly
stud s proje cting from the rea r end of t he bomb body r egis ter with the corres pondi ng holes
in the att ac hm en t ring of th e tai l uni t.
(iii) Posi tion a fu ze-se tting contr ol lin k shiel d on ,the to p tw o ta il a ssembl y stu ds a nd the n rep lace
the nut s on all the stud s. Using a suit able span ner thr oug h the assemb ly han d holes in
the tai l unit , tig hte n each of the nut s unt il thre e thr ead s of the stu d pro trud e.
Note.—When tight enin g, do not work in rot ati on rou nd the circumfe rence of the bomb
bu t tigh ten, in tur n, each pai r of diam etric ally opposi te nut s. This is to ensure th at the
tail uni t is pulle d evenly on to the rea r of the bomb body.
(iv) The fairing, which is alre ady loosely resti ng on the rear of the bom b body, is now to be
moved bac k t ill it ab uts a gain st the edge of the p lati ng at t he b ase of th e tail cone. Using
a small tom my bar, secure the fairin g by tigh teni ng the thre e turnb uckl es.

Fuzin g a bomb
11. The bomb, with tai l un it assembled, is to be fuzed while on a troll ey in the long delay
fuzing shed. The act ual fuzing oper ation s ar» to be comp leted thr oug h the assem bly han d holes
prov ided in the tail unit.

12. Remove thre e No. 47 pi stols from the packin g box and examin e each as follows:—
(i) Exa min e th e armin g screw thr ead s a dja cen t to th e pistol head for signs of co loured aceton e
stain s which will be green for a No. 47 p istol or violet for a No. 47A pist ol. These stains,
if prese nt, indic ate break age of the ampoule . In add itio n to thi s visua l exam inati on, the
presence of aceto ne can sometim es be dete cted by its cha ract eris tic odour. If a broke n
ampoul e is suspect ed, the pistol mus t not be used, bu t mu st be s et aside for A.I. D./A .I.S.
inspect ion.
(ii) Ens ure th at th e s afet y c lip a nd s afety pi n are corre ctly positi oned and t ha t the lin en thr ead
has not unwo und from the p ulley.
420

(iii) En su re th a t th e bo dy th re ad s of the pis tol are free fro m di rt an d greas e.


(iv) Chec k th a t th e le ath er w ash er is fit ted to th e pis tol bo dy an d th a t th e ta b is pr es en t on th e
loc kin g spri ng.
(v) Che ck th a t th e po in t of th e str ik er is no t dam age d.
Not e.— If a p isto l is s usp ec ted o f b ein g dam age d or def ect ive i n an y way, it is n ot to be us ed,
bu t is to be set" as ide for A. I.D ./A .I.S . ins pec tio n.
13. Che ck th a t th e ass em bly ha nd hole s ha ve been un cov ere d as des crib ed in pa ra . 9 an d th en
pro cee d as foll ows :—
(i) Re mo ve th e th re e tr an si t plu gs.
(ii) Gau ge ea ch de to na to r caivit y in th e no rm al wa y, usi ng a No. 2 Mk. I de to na to r ca vi ty
gaug e. Th e eng ra ve d line for 250/50 0 lb. bom bs is app lica ble . A b om b whi ch fails to pa ss
th is te st mu st no t be use d b u t m us t be se t asid e for A. I.D ./A .I.S . insp ect ion .
Note .— Th e follo wing op era tio ns des crib ed in sub -p ara , (iii) t o (v) ar e to be co mp let ed for
eac h fuz ing po sit ion befo re pas sin g on to th e ne xt.
(iii) In se rt th e ap pr op ria te sen siti ve ty pe de to na to r int o th e de to na to r ca vit y.

Fig. 3.—View showing rear end of bomb body after completion of fuzing operations

(iv) Screw a pis to l (pre vio usly exa mi ne d as des crib ed in pa ra . 12), by ha nd , int o th e bo mb
un ti l it is well se ate d on its wa she r an d lock ed in po siti on.
(v) A tta ch th e hoo k en d of a fu ze -se ttin g co ntr ol link to one ar m of th e pis tol sa fe ty clip.
Not es.— (i) Wh en p re pa rin g a 12,000 lb. bom b, a single f uz e-s ett ing c on tro l lin k is s uffic ient
to rea ch fro m th e up pe rm os t pis tol to th e E.M. fuz ing un it, b u t tw o link s,
at ta ch ed en d to end, are req uir ed for th e two low er pist ols. Wh en pr ep ari ng
a 22,000 lb. bom b, tw o lin ks att ac he d' end to end are req uir ed for ea ch of th e
th re e pist ols.
(ii) Th e end of th e pis to l s af et y clip m us t be ins ert ed , by r ot at in g th e clip, in to th e
hole in th e pis tol h ea d wh ich will give t he m os t d ire ct pull-o ff of t he f uz e-s ett ing
co ntr ol lin k wh en th e lin k is con ne cte d to th e E.M. fuz ing un it.
421

Th is lea f issue d with A .L . No. 127 A.P .16 61B , Vol. I, Sect. 10, Chap. 1, A pp . 6
Novemb er, 1945
14. After comple ting the foregoing opera tions for each of t he thre e fuzing positions, see fig. 3,
collect the looped ends of the thre e fuze- setting cont rol links and pass the m up thr oug h the fuzing
link hole in the top of the tail unit . Then inse rt a suit able piece of wood (6 in. xi | in., app rox i­
matel y) thro ugh the t hre e loo ps t o pre ven t t hem fallin g b ack into t he tail un it durin g tran spo rta tio n
of the bomb to the airc raft and bombin g-up.
15. The fuzed bomb is to be stencilled , in red dope, "L. D.4 7” , “L .D.47A ” , as app ropr iate,
tog eth er with the num ber of th e det on ato r used.

Loading a fuzed bomb


16. Load the fuzed bomb on to the air cra ft as ’describe d in A.P.2852A, Vol. I, Sect. 14.
17. When the bo mb is secur ely in positi on in the air cra ft, with draw t he piece of wood from the
thre e end f uze-s etting cont rol links and inse rt the lo oped end of e ach link into t he app rop ria te E.M.
fuzing unit in the norma l manne r.
18. Imm edia tely before the air cra ft tak es off, remove the coppe r wire from the safe ty pin
and withd raw the pin from the safe ty clip of each of the thr ee pistols. Place the safe ty pins and
coppe r wires in a conspi cuous p osition a t th e Air Bo mbe r’s stat ion . The panels a re now t o be replaced
over the assembly han d holes. To do this, first remove t he screws, w hich were t em por aril y screwed
back into the tai l unit , and the n swing the panel s to cover the assem bly han d holes. Screw the
pane l s ecuring screws firmly in the ir original position.

Unloading and unfuz ing a bomb


19. Disconn ect t he thre e end fuze -settin g contro l links from the E .M. fuzing units . Before the
bomb is unloaded from the airc raft, the assemb ly han d holes in the tai l uni t are to be uncov ered as
describ ed in para . 9.
Note.—The assembl y h and hole panel s are no rmal ly re place d af ter unfuzin g the bomb , b ut should
it be n ecessar y to remove the tail un it and fairing, the panels are not repla ced unt il afte r this
operati on has been completed.
20. Due to t he p ossib ility of a br oken ampoule, coupled with t he sho rt dela y ti me provid ed by
a No. 47 oistol, imm edia tely the oper ation s referre d to in par a. 19 have been complet ed, examin e
the t hre e No. 47 pist ols to check w heth er the s afet y c lip is securely in positi on and w het her th e linen
thr ea d at tach ed to it h as unw ound from the armin g pulley. If the sa fety clip is not sec urely in posi tion
or the linen thr ea d is un wound, or if th ere is any sig n of green or violet a ceton e stain s on t he armin g
screw thre ads t he ampoul e m ay h ave been broken. Should brea kage of th e a mpou le of a ny one pis tol
be suspected, the bomb mu st be unfuze d imme diate ly. Set the pistol s aside pendi ng A.I.D ./A.I .S.
inspecti on.
21. Il a broke n ampoul e is no t suspec ted, replace the safe ty pin in the safe ty clip of each of
the thre e pistols and secure the end of t he pin with coppe r wire. Then unlo ad the bomb from the
air cra ft as described in A.P.2852A, Vol. I, Sect. 15.
22. Imm ediate ly on arr iva l of a fuzed bomb at the long dela y fuzing shed, again examin e for
a br oken ampoule, and if such be suspe cted proceed as alre ady described in para . 20. If ther e is no
sign of a bro ken a mpou le unfuze the b omb as soon a s prac ticab le accord ing to the in stru ctio ns given
in para. 23.
Note.— Bombs shoul d not be store d with a No. 47 pisto l in position.
23. The bomb is to be unfuze d while on a troll ey in the long dela y fuzing shed. Using the
assembl y h and holes in t he tai l unit, proceed i s follows:—
(i) Remove the fuze-s etting cont rol link or links from the safe ty clip of each of the thre e
pistols.
Note.— The following opera tions described in sub- para , (ii) to (iv) are to be comp leted for each
fuzing positi on before passing on to the next.
(ii) Unscrew the pistol, by hand , and ret urn it to its box.
(iii) Using a No. 2 Mk. I de ton ato r ext ract or, remove the de ton ato r and ret urn it to its tin.
(iv) Replace the iran sit plug.
24. Afte r comp leting the foreg oing oper ation s for each of th e thr ee fuzing positions, the s tencil
mark ings referre d t o in para. 15 de notin g t ha t t he b omb has bee n fu zed w ith a No. 47 pisto l ar e t o be
oblit erate d.
422

Rem ovin g the tail unit and fairing


25. Wher e it is necess ary to remove the tail uni t and fairin g the ope ratio n is norm ally to be
done at t he bomb st orage ar ea. The bom b mu st be po sition ed on b att en s or on a cradle so t ha t only
the bom b body rest s on the ba tte ns or cradle. Then proceed as follows:—
(i) Slacken t he thre e turn buc kles o n the fairing and move it ju st clear of the tail unit.
(ii) W ith a suit abl e spa nne r used thr oug h the assem bly han d holes in the tai l un it remove the
nu ts from the tai l assem bly stud s. Wit hdr aw the f uze- setti ng cont rol link shield from the
top two studs .
(iii) Det ach the tail uni t from the bomb body and remove the fairing.
(iv) Replac e t he n uts on th e tail a ssemb ly stud s and unscrew the s tud s from the rea r end of the
bomb body.

26. Hav ing remov ed the tai l unit, replace the panel s over the assem bly han d holes. To do
this, first remove the screws, which were t emp ora rily screw ed b ack i nto t he t ail unit, and t hen swing
the pa nels to cover the as sembly ha nd holes. Screw th e panel securing screws firmly in th eir original
position .

27. Re tur n the tail un it and fairing to the wooden crat e in which the y were supplied.
423

Th is lea f issu ed with A .L . No. 127 A. P.1 66 1B , Vol . I, Sec t. 10 , Chap. 1


Novembe r, 1945

AP PE ND IX 7

INSTRUC TIONS FOR USE — USING TH E No. 58 TAI L PISTOL

LIS T OF CONTEN TS
Pa ra.
In tr odu ct io n ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1
As se mb lin g a bo mb ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 3
P re pa ri ng th e bo m b b o d y .. . ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 4
Pr ep ar in g th e ta il u nit an d ta iri ng ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 5
F it ti n g th e ta il u nit an d fa iri ng ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 7
Fu zi ng a bo m b ... ... .. : ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 8
Lo ad in g a fuz ed bo m b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 12
Un lo ad in g an d un fu zing a bo m b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 15
Re m ov in g th e tai ! un it an d fa iri ng ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 18

LIS T OF ILL UST RAT IONS


Fig.
1. . F it ti n g th e ta il as se m bl y st u d s.
2. Vie w sho wi ng fa iri ng in po sit ion on bo m b bo dy pr io r to fi tti ng ta il un it
3. Vie w sho wi ng re ar en d of bo m b bo dy af te r co m pl et io n of fu zi n g o p er at io n s

Intr odu ctio n


1. The No. 58 p istol is a tail pis tol for use in 12,000 lb. and 22,000 lb.-.M.C. b ombs ; these bombs
have thre e fuzing positio ns in the tail, all of which are to be used. The pistol is fully describe d in
A.P.1661C, Vol. I, Sect. 1.

2. A No. 78 tail un it is to be fitte d to the 12,000 lb. bom b body, and a No. 82 tai l to the 22,000 lb.
bomb body, prior to fuzing. A f airing, supplied with the tail unit, is also required .
As sem bli ng a bomb
3. The tail uni t and fairing are norm ally to be fitted to the bomb body at the bomb storag e
area. The bomb body mu st be positio ned on ba tte ns or on a cradle so th at t he dowel hole is u ppe r­
most and so t ha t the tai l end of the bomb body overha ngs the end ba tte n or the rea r of the cradle
by app roxi mate ly two fe et .. The meth od of a ssembl y is d etail ed in the following para. 4 t o 7.
Preparing the bomb body
4. Before fitt ing the ta il assembl y st uds, which are suppl ied in a small box bui lt into th e bomb
tra ns it c radle, e xamine the ass embly stu d holes in the r ear of the bo mb body an d remove an y partic le,
of di rt an d grease. Also exam ine the stud s to ensure th at the thre ads at each end of t he stud s are
clear and t ha t a nu t is screwed on to the longer thre ade d end of each s tud . Then screw the s hor ter
thre ade d end of a stu d into a hole in the rear of the bomb body, see fig. 1, and when the s tud is
securely in position remove the nu t from the opposi te end. Continu e rou nd the circumfe rence of
the bomb body unti l twelve stud s hav e been fitted.
Note.— The flange on these tail assemb ly stud s when corre ctly positi oned mus t be well seate d
in the coun tersu nk stud hole and mus t not tft sta ndi ng proud of the rea r surface of the bomb
body.

Preparing the tail unit and fair ing


5. Carefully remove the tail uni t and fairing from the wooden cra te in which the y are supplie d
and examin e for damage.

6. Before fittin g the tail uni t to the bomb body, the assemb ly han d holes are to be uncove red
as follows:—
(i) Remove four of th e five securing screws from each of th e a ssembl y han d ho le pan els, leaving
the fifth screw slackened bu t in positio n.
424

Fig. 1.—Fitt ing the tail assemb ly studs

Fig. 2.—View showin g fair ing in positio n on bomb body prior to fittin g tail uni t
425

This leaf issued with A. L. No. 127 A .P.1661B, Vol. 1, Sect. 10, Chap. 1, Ap p. 7
November, 1941
(ii) Swing the panels clear of the assem bly han d holes.
(iii) Replace the four securing screws to prev ent the ir loss.
Note.— The assem bly han d hole p anels are not r eplace d until afte r the f uzed bomb has been
loaded on to the a ircr aft and prior t o "Tak e-of f”.
Fit ting the tail uni t and fair ing
7. Procee d as follows:—
(i) Slacken the thre e turn buc kles on the fairing and loosely positio n the fairing over the rea r
end of th e bomb body so as not to obs tru ct the fittin g of th e tai l unit, see fig. 2.
(ii) Offer u p the tail uni t to the bomb body so th at the arrow pain ted on the base of the tail
cone is in al ignm ent w ith th e dowel hole on th e bom b bod y, and ensure th at th e tail assem bly
stud s proje cting from th e rear end of t he bomb body registe r with the corres ponding holes
in the a tta ch me nt ring of the t ail unit.
(iii) Posi tion a fuze -settin g contr ol link shield on the top two tail assem bly stu ds and the n
replace t he nut s on all the studs . Using a s uitab le sp anne r thr oug h the assembl y han d holes
in the tail uni t tigh ten each of the nut s unti l thre e thr ead s of t he stud protr ude.
Note.—When tight enin g, do not work in rot atio n round the circumfe rence of the bomb
bu t tigh ten, in tur n, each pai r of diam etric ally opposi te nuts. This is to ensu re th at the
tail uni t is pu lled evenly on to the rear of t he bomb body.
(iv) The fair ing, w hich is alr eady loosely re sting on the re ar of th e bo mb b ody, is now to be moved
back till it ab uts a gain st the edge of th e plat ing at the base of th e tail cone. Using a small
tom my bar, secure the fairing by tigh teni ng the thre e turnb uckle s.
Fuzin g a bomb
8. The bomb, with tail unit assembled, is to be fuzed while on a trolle y in the fuzing shed.
The act ual fuzing oper ation s are to be complet ed thr oug h the assembl y han d holes provi ded in the
tail unit.
9. Remove thre e No. 58 pistols from the packin g box and exam ine each as follows:—
(i) Verify th at the safe ty pin is in posit ion and th at the overseal and press-cap have not been
removed.
Note.— The overseal and press-cap mus t never be remove d from the pistol.
(ii) Ensu re th at the body thr ead s of the pistol are free from di rt and grease.
(iii) Check t ha t the l eath er .washer is fitte d to the pistol body and th at t he ta b is p rese nt on the
locking spring.
(iv) Check th at the poin t of the stri ker is not damage d.
Note.— If a p istol is suspec ted of being damag ed or de fective in any way, it is not to be used,
bu t is to be set aside for A.I. D./A .I.S. inspection.
10. Check t ha t the assembl y h and ho les h ave been uncovere d as describe d in phra. 6, and t hen
proceed as follows:—
(i) Remove the thre e tra ns it plugs.
(ii) Gauge e ach d eto nat or cav ity in th e norma l way, using a No. 2 Mk. I det onato r ca vity gauge.
The engrav ed line for 250/500 lb. bombs is appli cable. A bom b which fails t o pass thi s tes t
mus t not be used, bu t mus t be set aside for A.I. D./A .I.S. inspectio n.
Note.— The following oper ation s described in sub-p ara, (iii) to (v) are to be comp leted for each
' fuzing positio n before passing on to the next.
(iii) Ins ert the app rop riat e sensiti ve typ e de ton ato r into the de ton ato r cavit y.
(iv) Screw a pistol (previously exami ned as describ ed in para. 9), by hand , into the bomb unt il
it is well seate d on its washer and locked in position.
(v) Thr ead the plain end of a No. 10 flexible safe ty wire thr oug h one of the two holes in the
pistol head not occupied by the safe ty pin. Adj ust the safe ty wire to pro tru de app rox i­
mat ely 3 in., where practi cable, and the n slip two No. I Mk. I safe ty clips over the end of
the wire so t ha t the inne r clip is in light con tac t with the pistol head.
Note.— The wire mus t be insert ed thro ugh the hole in the pistol head which will give the
more dire ct pull-off of the wire when the lat te r is c onnect ed to the E.M. fuzing unit.
426

11. Afte r comp leting the foregoing oper ation s for each of the thre e fuzing position s, see fig. 3,
collec t th e looped ends of the thre e safe ty wires and pass them up thro ugh the fuzing link hole in
the t op of th e t ail u nit. Then inser t a s uitab le piece of wood (6 in. x | in., appr oxim ately ) thr oug h
the thr ee loops to pre ven t t hem falling back into the tail uni t durin g tra nsp ort ati on of th e bomb t o
the air cra ft and bombing -up.

Fig. 3.—View showin g rea r end of bomb body aft er compl etion of fuzi ng oper ation s

Loading a fuzed bomb


12. Load the fuzed bomb on to the air cra ft as described in A.P.2852A, Vol. I, Sect. 14.

13. When the bo mb is secur ely in p osition in the airc raft, with draw t he piece of woo d fr om the
thre e safe ty wires and inser t the looped end of each wire into the app rop riat e E.M. fuzing un it in
the norm al manne r.

14. Imm edia tely before the air cra ft take s off, remove the safe ty pin- from each of the thr ee
pistols a nd pla ce t he pins in a conspicuou s positio n at t he Air B omb er’s sta tion . The pa nels ar e now
to be re placed over the assem bly h and holes. To do this, first r emove the screws, whic h were te mp or­
ari ly screwed bac k into the tai l unit, and the n swing the panels to cover the assem bly han d holes.
Screw the panel securing screws firmly in the ir original position.

Unloadin g and unfuzin g a bomb


15. Disconn ect t he thre e sa fety wires fr om t he E.M. fu zing units. Before t he bomb is u nloade d
from t he ai rcra ft, the ass embly han d holes in the t ail uni t a re to be u ncovere d as de scribed in pa ra. 6.
Note.—The assembl y han d hole panels are horm ally replaced aft er unfuzi ng the bomb, bu t
should it be necessa ry to remove the tail uni t and fairing, the panels are not replace d unti l
aft er thi s oper ation has been complete d.
16. Replace the safe ty pin in each of t he thre e pistols a nd the n unloa d the bo mb from the a ir­
cra ft as describ ed in A.P.2852A, Vol. I, Sect. 15.
427

This lea f issu ed with A .L . No . 127 A.P .16 61B , Vol. I, Sect. 10, Chap. 1, A p p. 7
November, 1946

17. The bom b is to be unfuzed whilst on a troll ey in the fuzing shed. Using the assembl y
han d holes in the t ail uni t, proceed as follows:—
(i) Check t ha t t he sa fety pin is securel y in po sition. Then, aft er removin g t he two sai ety clips,
with dra w the safe ty wire from each of the thr ee pistols.
Not e.— Should the s afety wire be k inked, fraye d, or otherwis e d amag ed, it mu st not be used
again . Such a wire is to be discar ded and no t ret urn ed to its box.
Note .— The following opera tions described in sub- para , (ii) to (iv) are to be compl eted for each
fuzing posit ion before passi ng on to the next.
(ii) Unscrew the pistol, by han d, and ret urn it to its box. .
(iii) Using a No. 2 Mk. I det ona tor e xtr act or, remove the det onato r and retu rn it to its tin.
(iv) Replace the tra ns it plug.

Removing the tail unit and fairing


18. Where it is necessary to remove the tai l uni t and fairing the oper ation is norma lly to be
done a t the bom b st orage are a. The bom b m ust be p osition ed on b att en s or on a cradle so t h at onl y
the bom b bod y rests on the ba tte ns or cradle. Then proceed as follows:—
(i) Slacken the thre e turn buc kles on the fairing and move it j us t clear of the tai l unit.
(ii) Wi th a suit able span ner used thr oug h the assem bly han d holes in the t ail unit , remov e t he
nut s from the tai l assembl y stud s. Wit hdr aw t he fuze -settin g contr ol link shield from the
to p two studs.
(iii) Det ach the tai l un it from the bom b body and remove the fairing.
(iv) Replac e t he nut s on t he tai l assem bly stud s and unscrew the s tud s f rom the r ear en d of the
bomb body.

19. Hav ing remov ed the tai l unit , replace the panels over the assemb ly han d holes. To do
this, first remove t he screws, w hich w ere tem por aril y scr ewed back in to the t ail u nit, and th en swing
the pan els to cover the as sembly h and holes. Screw th e panel securin g screws fi rmly in th eir origina l
position.

20. Re tur n the tail uni t and fairing to the wooden cra te in which the y were supplied.
428
429

Th is lea f issu ed with A .L , 'No. 84 A .P .1 66 1B , Vol. I, S ec t 10


Ju ly , 1944 ■

CHAPTER 2

BOMBS, H.E ., AIRCRAFT , M.C., 250 lb., Mb. I and H

LIST OF CONTENTS
Para.
In tr o d u ct io n . .. . ... ... .. . .. . j.. .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . 1
BO MB , B .E ., A IR C R A F T , M.C ., 2501b ., Mk. I
L ea di ng par ti cu la rs ... .. . .. . ., . .. . .. . . ... 5
Ge ne ra l de sc rip tio n
■ c a t; B om b bo dy .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . 6
9 bJDHJ Ta il un its
S : sa 11
I s a
BO MB , H .E ., A IR C R A F T , M.C ., 2501 b., Mk. I I . C om pa ris on w it h th e Mk. I bo m b ... 15
£ a

09 O
Sg «> .S • LI ST O F IL LU ST R A TI O N S
a ->- .g
o a
d •" Fig.
b 1. Se ct io na l vi ew of Mk . I bo m b fi tt ed w it h No . 8 tr a n s it ba se an d No . 24 no se pl ug
*5 4-> 2. Mk . I bo m b fi tt ed w it h no se pi st ol an d No . 2 Mk . I l l ta il u n it
a co a
* ®
• -9<! a
®
.(J ■» 5
09 *- S
Wo §
w.23 9 °s
' <u: . <u

2 s 3^
Ki ri'S§.23°
3
• ja
° «-2 +J
. r -} Vi
ssj r t**-
• O co

< ■$>
q> C <X>
.2 <r> L
m
;w
+>^ ^3 cnCO
3g o O t. 'F
H'S O
+L ~4-> O
H h Ow

Q
W
H a
O
1-1 a
& £
H °
60 j_i
W ,°
ARM AME NT
430

arming vane

jx l
7 / T J AV
TA IL C O N E ------------ ------A R M IN G W IR E GLHOE

SCR AP VIEW O F REAR PORT ION OF TAIL


ARM ING MECHANISM

N O S E PLU G

EX PL OD ER CO NT AI NE R

FE LT WA SH ER

RAPER TUBE

0E5N lOiSkl
I
fll O SO W
si * * /i fa
8S99I FAIN TED
BOMB BOD Y dark GR EE N

SUSPENSION LUG

?— U G H T G RE EN
BA ND

LO CA TI NG P IN

FIL LIN G PLUG

TRANSIT BASE

TAIL PISTOL

Fi g. 1.— Sec tion al vie w oi Mk. I bomb fitted wit h Fig . 2.— Mk. I bomb fitted wit h nos e
No. 8 tra nsit bas e and No. 24 nos e ping pisto l and No. 2 Mk. i n tai l nnit
431

Th is le af issued w ith A .L . No . 84 A. P.1 661 B, Vol. I , S ec t 10


Ju ly , 1944

CHAPTER 2

BOMBS, H.E ., AIRCRAFT, M.C., 250 lb., Mk. I and II


Introduction
1. These bombs are for general operational use as an alt ernativ e to the 250 lb. Mk. IV G.P.
bomb.
2. The' bomb s are supplied with a No. 30 pistol in position in the tail and Eire fitted with a No. 8
tran sit base ‘which is secured to the bomb body by two wing b olts. The nose end of th e bomb
body is plugged for tr ansi t and storage by a No. 24 tra nsi t plug, the threade d portion of which is
provided with a fibre insert for locking it in position.
3. The No. 2 Mk. I, II, and II I tail units are for use with these bombs, b ut the No. 2 Mk. I
tail is n ot to be fitted when th e bombs are to be carried in fighter-bomber aircraft. The No. 2
Mk. I l l tail unit is only to be used in conjunction with the “h orizonta l” system of fuzing which
utilizes a “horizo ntal” pull-off of a safety wire th reade d through the tail arming mechanism.
4. Attenti on is directed to Chapter 1 of this Section which contains general information
including particu lars of markings, functioning, supply and storage of the bombs. Appendix 1 to
Chapter 1 of this Section gives particu lars of the components to be used with these bombs. The
succeeding Appendices to Chapter 1 contain instructio ns for fuzing, loading, unloading an d unfuzing
appropria te to the type of pis tol and system of fuzing.
BOMB, H. E. , AIRCRAFT , M.C., 2501b., Mk. I
Leading particulars
5. The Stores Reference numbers of th e bomb body are as follows:—

M k. I I M k. I l l M k. I l l * or I V M k. V
Fille d Pist ol
Am ato l No. 30 12A/1517 12A/1519 12A/1521 12A/1523
M k. I I M k. I l l M k. I l l * or I V ' M k. V
Fill ed Pist ol
Pentolite D .l No. 30 12A/1518 12A/1520 12A/1522 12A/1524

Stores Ref. of ta il No. 2, Mk. I ... ... ... ... 12A/288


Stores Ref. of tail No. 2, Mk. II ..................................... 12A/902
Stores Ref. of tail No. 2, Mk. I l l .................................... 12A/1654
Length of bomb with tail and nose pistol fitte d ... ... 4 ft. 7-6 in., approx.
Maximum diameter of bomb, excluding suspension lugs 10-2 in.
Weight and nature of filling .................................... 82J lb. amatol 50/50 or 60/40
of 79J lb. pentolite D.l
Charge/weight ra tio ... ... ... ... ... ... 42-44 pe r cent.
Terminal velocity ... ... ... ... ... ... 1,330 ft. per sec.
General description
Bom b body
6. The 250 lb. Mk. I M.C. bomb body is ^f cast steel construct ion, open a t both the nose and
tail ends. The nose opening is thread ed interna lly to house an exploder container. The tail
opening is closed by a filling plug, which carries an exploder con tainer. The filling plug is provided
with two tappe d holes t o receive the securing bolts of the tran sit base.
7. A suspension lug is welded to th e bomb body. The ta il end of the body is shaped t o take
the tail cone, and is provided with four equ ally spaced slots which receive the spring clips securing
the tail. A locating pin is also fitted to the rear end of th e body to engage with a notch in the
forward end of the tail cone to position th e t ail on its assembly to th e bomb body.
432

8. Th e nose an d ta il ex plo der co nta ine rs, whi ch are loc ked in po sit ion by loc kin g screw s, are
in te rn al ly scre w th re ad ed to ta ke res pe cti ve ly a nose plu g or nose pi sto l, an d a ta il pis tol .
9: Th e b om b bo dy is filled wi th hig h exp losi ve as specif ied in pa ra . 5. Th e fillin g is se aled i nt o
th e bo dy a t nos e an d ta il end s wi th gla ze db oa rd wa she rs an d pa ds of ap pr ov ed com pos itio n.
10. Ea ch exp lod er co nt ain er is pr ot ec te d ag ai ns t th e fillin g by a pa pe r tu be an d loc ate d in
eac h co nt ain er , by a wax ed fel t wa she r, is a 4 oz. 6 dr. C.E. exp lod er.

T ail un its
11. Th e No. 2 Mk. I, II , an d I II ta il un its co ns ist of a ta il con e w ith a cy lin dri cal va ne
at ta ch ed t o it b y fou r v an e su pp or ts. Th e for wa rd end of t he t ai l cone is no tch ed t o eng age w ith t he
loc ati ng pin in th e bo mb bod y. Fo ur sp rin g clip s, pro vid ed w ith ro ta ta bl e lock ing clips , are
at ta ch ed to th e for wa rd end of th e ta il con e to eng age w ith th e slo ts on th e bo mb bod y.
Note .— E ar ly issue s of t he No. 2 Mk. II ta il are fit ted wi th tw o loc kin g clip s onl y. Th e
No. 2 Mk. I ta il un its are no t pro vid ed w ith loc kin g clip s fit ted , b ut clips , loc kin g (Sto res
Ref. 12A/842) are issu ed se pa ra te ly for use w ith th is ta il.
12. Th e No. 2 Mk. I an d II are sa fe ty clip ty pe ta il un its an d as suc h m us t no t be ass em ble d
to th e bom b bo dy wh en th e “ ho riz on ta l” sys tem of fuzi ng is req uir ed . Th e No. 2 Mk. I l l ta il
un it, as st at ed in pa ra . 3, m us t alw ay s be use d in co nj un cti on w ith th is sys tem of fuzin g. Th e
res pec tiv e arm ing m ech ani sm s of t he se tw o ty pe s of t ai l un it are d esc rib ed in pa ra . 13 and 14.
Note .— If th e “h or iz on ta l” sys tem of fuz ing is req uir ed an d on ly th e No. 2 Mk. I or II
ta il un it is av ail ab le it ma y be co nv er ted for use as des cri bed in Sec t. 10, Cha p. 1, App . 5.
13. Ar m in g mec hani sm of the No. 2 M k. I or I I tail un it (no t ill us tr at ed in th e figu res) .—Th is
me cha nis m inc orp or ate s an arm ing spi ndl e w hich is mo un ted ax ia lly in th e ta il con e an d car ries an
arm ing for k a t th e forw ard end an d a tw o-b lad ed arm ing van e a t th e re ar en d. A sa fe ty clip is
pro vid ed on a cone bu sh a t th e ap ex of th e ta il con e to pr ev en t ro ta tio n of th e ar m in g me cha nis m
un til th e bo mb is rele ase d "l iv e” .
14. Ar m in g mech anism of the No. 2 M k. I l l t ail un it (see fig. 2).— Th is me cha nis m inc or po rat es
an a rm ing sp ind le whic h is mo un ted a xi all y in th e ta il cone a nd c arr ies an arm ing f ork a t th e for wa rd
end an d a tw o-b lad ed arm ing van e at th e rea r. Ea ch bla de of th e ar m in g va ne has a sm all hol e
dri lled thr ou gh it. A sma ll arm ing wire guid e, ha vin g tw o tu b ul ar ch an nel s, is fit ted to th e ta il
cone bu sh. Th e ap pr op ria te tu bu la r cha nne l an d th e hol e in on e of th e arm ing va ne bla des ca rry
th e sa fe ty wire whe n th e bo mb is tai l fuzed .

BOMB, H.E ., AIRCRAFT, M.C., 250 lb., Mk. II


Comparison wit h the Mk. I bomb
15. Th e Mk. I I bo mb diffe rs fro m th e Mk. I bo mb chie fly in th a t th e Mk. II bo mb bo dy is
pro vid ed wi th tw o ad di tio na l sus pen sion lugs so th a t th e bo mb can be ca rri ed in Am eri can ai rc ra ft.
Th e inf orm ati on co nt ain ed in. the pre ced ing pa ra . 1 to 14 app lie s eq ua lly to th is bo mb ex ce pt in th e
follo wing resp ect s:
(i) Th ree sus pen sion l ugs are wel ded to th e bo mb bod y, tw o of wh ich a re di am et ric al ly op pos ite
th e th ird .
(ii) A fillin g plu g ad ap te r is fit te d bet we en th e ex plo der co nt ai ne r an d th e filling plug .
(iii) Th e Sto res Ref ere nce nu mb er of th e Mk. II bo mb bo dy filled Am ato l an d fit ted w ith ta il
pis tol No. 30 Mk. IV is 12A/1781.
433

Th is le af is sue d with A .L . No . 85 A.P .16 61B , VoL I , Sect. 10


Ju ly , 1944

CHAPTE R 4
P4 305
"H
BOMB, H. E. , AIRCRA FT, M.C., 500 lb., Mk. I
S
LIST OF CONTENTS
Para.
In tr o d u ct io n .. . I
L ea di ng p a rt ic u la rs 5
G en er al de sc ri pt io n
B om b b o d y ... 6
Ta il u n it s 11

LIST OF* ILLUST RATION S


Fig.
1. Se ct io na l vi ew of Mk . I bo m b fi tt ed w it h No . 29 tr a n s it ba se an d No . 36 no se pl ug
2. Mk . I bo m b fi tt ed w it h no se pi st ol a n d No . 25 Mk . I I ta il u n it

fi <u

4<>
«W »
n
H
o 1 5;
« S3 a ARMA MENT
H o o
434

SCRAP VIEW OF REAR PORTION


OF TAIL ARMING MECHANISM .

NO SE PLUG

EXPLODER
CON TAIN ER

FELT WASHER

! C. E. EXPLO DER
I i. ;
' F E U WASHER

EXPLO DER
CON TAIN ER
LOC ATI NG PIN

FIL LIN G PLUG


TAIL PIS TO L
TRA NSI T BASE'

Pig. 1.—S ectio nal view o£ Mk. I bomb fitted Fig. 2.— Mk. I bomb fitted with nos e pistol
wi th N o. 29 trans it base and No. 36 nos e plug and N o. 25 Mk. n t ail uni t
435

This leaf issued with A. L. No. I l l A.P.16 61B, Vol. I , Sect. 10


Apr il, 1945

CHAPTER 4

BOMB, H.E., AIRCRAFT, M.C., 500 lb., Mk. I

Introduction
1. This bomb is for general opera tiona l use as an alte rna tive to the 500 Jb. G.P. bomb.

2. The bomb is s upplie d with a No. 36 t ra ns it plug in the nose and a No. 28 or No. 30 pisto l
in the tail, and fitted with a No. 29 t ra ns it base, which is secured to the bomb bod y by two wing
bolts.

3. The tail un its 'to be used with thi s bomb are the No. 25 Mk. I, II, and II I, and t he shor ter
No. 28 Mk. I a nd II. The No. 28 Mk. I a nd II ta il unit s a re for use wh en th e bombs are to be c arried
exte rnal ly on high-spee d airc raft. The No. 25 Mk. I l l tail uni t is of s tren gthe ned cons truct ion and
shoul d be used for exte rnal carriage when sufficient clearance is availa ble for the longer typ e tail.
The No. 25 Mk. II, No. 25 Mk. I ll and No. 28 Mk. II tai l units require the "ho riz ontal ” s ystem of
fuzing.

4. Att enti on is direct ed to Chap ter 1 of thi s Section in which general inform ation , including
details of markin gs, function ing, supp ly and stora ge of M.C. bombs, is given. In Append ix 1 to
Chap ter 1 of this Section are given part icula rs of the fuzing compo nents which may be used with
thi s bomb. The succeeding Appendices to Chap ter 1 cont ain instr ucti ons for fuzing, loading,
unloa ding and unfuzi ng app rop riat e to the typ e of pisto l and syste m of fuzing.

Leadi ng particulars
5. Leng th of bomb , with No. 25 tai l and nose p istol fitted 5 ft. 101 in., approx.
Leng th of bomb, with No. 28 tail a nd nose pist ol fitted 4 ft. 9 in., appro x.
Maximum diam eter of bomb , excludin g suspens ion lug 12-9 in.
Weigh t and nat ure of filling ... ' 224 lb. Amatol 50/50 or 60/40
or 226 lb. Amat ex 51/40/ 9
or 237 lb. R.D .X./ T.N .T. 60/40
Charge/w eight ratio 50 per cent., approx .
Term inal velocity, with No. 25 tail 1,460 ft. per sec.
Term inal velocity, with No. 28 tail 1,390 ft. per sec.

General description, fig. 1 and 2


Bomb body
6. The 500 lb. Mk. I M.C. bomb body is of steel fabr icat ed cons tructio n. The nose end is
thre ade d inte rnal ly to receive an explo der conta iner. At the tai l end is ano the r explod er contai ner,
carrie d by a filling plug, which is thre ade d exte rnal ly for screwing into the bomb body and h as two
tap ped holes for the tr an sit base securing bolts.
7. A su spension lug is welde d to the bomb body. The rea r end of t he bomb body is provid ed
with f our s lots to receiv e t he sprin g clips which secure t he tai l, and a lo cating pin is fi tted to t his end
of the body to en gage with a no tch i n the forwa rd end of the tail cone to posi tion th e ta il uni t corr ectly.
8. The nose and tai l explo der conta iners are thr ead ed inte rnal ly to take , respecti vely, the
nose pisto l or tra ns it plug, and the tai l pistol.
9. The bomb body is filled with high explosive as specified in para . 5. The filling is sealed
into the body at the nose and tai l ends’ by a pad of appr oved composition.
Note.— The in terio rs o f some 500 lb. Mk. I M.C. bombs are c oated wi th air dry ing varn ish inst ead
of stove d copal varni sh, and these bombs have a rest rict ed service life of two years from the
dat e of filling. If the bombs are no t expend ed with in thi s period, arra ngem ents mus t be made
for the ir inspect ion with a view to exte ndin g the ir service life. Bombs inte rna lly coate d with
air dryin g varn ish are identifie d by the let ter "A ” stencille d in fro nt of the dat e of filling.
B (A L ll l) f
436

10. Loca ted in each explod er cont aine r is a 4 oz. 6 dr. C.E. exploder, covered by a waxed felt
washer.

Tai l units
11. The No. 25 an d No. 28 ta il units are simila r in constr uction , each consis ting of a tail cone
with a cy lindrica l vane att ach ed to it by four vane supp orts. The forwar d end of th e tail cone ha s a
notc h fo r eng agemen t w ith the loca ting p in o n th e bomb body. Fou r sprin g clips, backe d b y a second
leaf in the No. 25 Mk. I l l tai l unit , are also prov ided at the forwar d end of t he tai l cone to engage
with t he slots on t he bomb body. These clips are secured in position, when the t ail is assemble d to
the bomb body, by locking clips which are rot ata ble abo ut rivets.
Note.— Ear ly issues of the No. 25 Mk. I tails are provid ed with only two locking clips.

12. The No. 25 Mk. I and No. 28 Mk. I tai l unit s are of the safe ty clip typ e and may be used
only for “ve rtic al” fuzing, unless modified (see Note below). The No. 25 Mk. II and II I or No. 28
Mk. II tail units, as sta ted in-pa ra. 3, are to be used if "ho rizo nta l” fuzing is to be employed. The
armi ng mechan isms of thes e two typ es of ta il uni t are described in p ara. 13 a nd 14.
Note.— If the “hor izon tal” syste m of fuzin g is requ ired and the No. 25 Mk. II and II I or No. 28
Mk. II t ail unit s are not available , the s afety clip typ e of ta il can be c onve rted for use w ith this
system as described in Sect. 10, Chap. 1, App. 5.

13. Arm ing mechanism o f No. 25 Mk . I and No. 28 M k. I tail un its (not illu stra ted in th e figures).
An armi ng spind le is m ount ed axiall y in the tai l cone a nd carries an armi ng fork at t he f orward end
and a two- blad ed armin g vane at the rear end. The armin g fork on the spindle engages with the
armi ng fork of th e tai l pistol. A s afety clip, carrie d on a bush in the apex of th e tail cone, is fitted
with a pilla r which prot rude s between the blades of the armi ng vane, thu s prev entin g rota tion .
Note.— Ear ly issues of the No. 25 Mk. I tails are fitte d with a four-b laded armin g vane.

14. Arm ing mechanism of No. 25 M k. I I , No. 25 Mk. I l l , and No. 28 M k. I I tail un its, see fig. 2.
An armin g spindle is m ount ed axial ly in the tai l cone a nd carries an armin g fork at t he f orward e nd
and a two-bl aded armi ng vane at the rea r end. Eac h blade of the armi ng vane has a small hole
drilled thro ugh it. A b ush at the apex of the t ail cone is fitte d with an armi ng wire guide, which is
provid ed with two small tub ula r channels. The armi ng wire guide carries a safe ty wire, which pro ­
tru des thro ugh one of t he holes in the armi ng vane, when the bomb is tail fuzed.
437

Th is lea f issue d with A .L . No. 86 A.P.1 661B, Vol. I, Sect. 10


Ju ly , 1944

CHAPTER 5
►s
BOMB, H.E ., AIRCRAFT, M.C., 500 lb., Mk. II
S

L IS T O F C O N T E N T S
Para.
In tr od uc ti on 1
Le ad in g pa rt ic ul ar s 5
Ge ne ral de sc rip tio n
Bo mb bo dy .. 6
Ta il un its 11
m"2
u a
O rt
ro a>
X +-> L IS T O F IL L U S T R A T IO N S
O
Fi £.
°- g 1. Se cti on al vie w of Mk. II bo m b fi tte d w ith No . 29 tr a n si t ba se an d No. 36 nos e plu g
-4->
2. Mk. II bo m b fi tte d w ith nos e pi sto l an d No. 25 Mk. II ta il u ni t
-M
X
+-> K
J
*r--• £ <u
a>

o xj o

S -S -g
-i-> fco <t>
4S-> dg Tj
6
*i a
d «<
o


» p
<D
i

S3
Bp
/

Q <0
W 3
H ."s
o>—
1 ’o
£ "S.
H o o
V) 5-<
W O
& fa

ARMAMENT
438

CY LIN DR ICA L
VANE
0 0

SCR AP VIEW OF REAR POR TION


O F TAIL AR MIN G ME CH AN ISM

NO SE PL UG
NO SE AD AP TER
EXPLODE R CON TAIN ER
FELT WASHER

I,
BO MB BOD Y
9"l OOS D IAI
6 W /l 9 3
ecse i

PAIN TED
DARK GREEN

O t/ O 9

TAIL LOCAT ING


RING
LOCA TING PIN
FI LL IN G PLUG
TA IL PIS TO L
TR AN SIT BASE

Fig. 1.—Sectional view of Mk. II bomb fitted Fig. 2.—Mk. n bomb fitted with nose pistol
with No. SO transit base and No. 36 ho se ping and No. 25 Mk. II tail unit
439

This leaf issued with A. L. No. I l l A.P. 1661 B, Vol. I, Sect. 10


Apr il, 1945

CHAPTER 5

BOMB, H.E. , AIRCRAFT, M.C., 500 lb., Mk. I I

Introduction
1. This bomb is inten ded for use agai nst res ista nt targe ts, including shipping.

2. The bomb is su pplied with a No. 36 t ra ns it plug in th e nose, an d a No. 28 or No. 30 pisto l in
the t ail, and fitted with a No. 29 tra ns it base, which is secured to the b omb body by two wing bolts.

3. The tail units to be used with thi s bomb are the No. 25 Mk. I, II, and III , and the s hort er
No. 28 Mk._ I and II. The No. 28 Mk. I and II ta il units are for use when t he bombs are to be ca rried
exte rnal ly on high-speed aircra ft. The No. 25 Mk. I l l tail unit is of s tren gthe ned cons truct ion and
should be used for exte rnal carriag e when sufficient clearan ce is avail able for the longer typ e tail.
The No. 25 Mk. II, No. 25 Mk. I l l and No. 28 Mk. II tai l units requir e the “h oriz onta l" system of
fuzing.

4. Atte ntio n is direct ed to Chap ter 1 of thi s Section in which general inform ation, including
detail s of markin gs, function ing, supp ly and storag e of M.C. bombs, is given. In Appendi x 1 to
Chap ter 1 of thi s Section are given par ticu lars of the fuzin g c ompone nts which may be used with thi s
bomb. The succeeding Appendices to Cha pter 1 cont ain inst ruct ions for fuzing, loading, unloading
and unfuzing app rop riat e to the typ e of pisto l and syste m of fuzing.

Leading particulars
5. Leng th of bomb , with No. 25 tai l and nose pistol fitted 5 ft. 10£ in., appro x.
Leng th of bomb, with No. 28 tail and nose p istol fitted 4 ft. 9 in., approx .
Maximum diam eter of bomb, excluding suspensio n lug 12-9 in.
Weigh t and nat ure of filling 224 lb. Amato l 50/50 or 60/40
or 226 lb. Ama tex 51/40/9
or 237 lb. R.D .X. /T. N.T . 60/40
Charge/w eight ratio 50 per cent., appro x.
Term inal velocity, with No. 25 tail 1,460 ft. per sec.
Term inal velocity, with No. 28 tail 1,390 ft. per sec.

General description, fig. 1 and 2


Note.— The Mk .II bomb differs fro m the Mk. I in th at t he Mk. II bomb body is ma nuf act ure d
from forged steel, the tai l locatin g ring being welded on.

Bomb body
6. The 500 lb. Mk. II M.C. b omb body is of forged steel constr uction , with a tai l locat ing ring
welded on. The nose end is thre ade d inte rna lly to receive an explode r conta iner. At the tai l end
is an oth er explod er contain er, carrie d b y a filling plug, which is th read ed exte rnal ly for s crewing i nto
the bomb body and has two tap ped holes for the tra ns it base securing bolts.
7. A sus pension lug is welded to the fio m b body. The rear end of th e bomb body is provid ed
with four slots to receive t he sprin g clips which sec ure the ta il, and a locati ng p in is fitte d to t his en d
of the bo dy to engage wi th a notc h in th e forw ard end of the ta il cone to positio n th e ta il u nit correc tly.
8. The nose and tai l explo der conta iners are thre ade d inte rnal ly to take , respectiv ely, the
nose pistol or tra ns it plug, and the tail pistol.
9. The bomb body is filled with high explosive as specified in para. 5. The filling is sealed
into the body at the nose and tail ends by a pad of appro ved composition.
10. Locat ed in each explod er con taine r is a 4 oz. 6 dr. C.E. exploder, covered by a waxed felt
washer.
440

Ta il units
11. The No. 25 an d No. 28 ta il unit s are simil ar in constr uction , each consistin g of a t ail cone
with a cylin drical vane att ach ed to it by four v ane supp orts. The forwar d end of th e tai l cone has
a notc h for engag emen t with the locati ng pin on the bomb body. Fou r sprin g clips, backe d by a
second leaf in the No. 25 Mk. I l l tai l unit, are also provi ded at the forwa rd end of the tai l cone to
engage wi th th e slo ts on th e bom b body. These clips ar e secured in pos ition, when the tail is assembled
to the bomb body, by locking clips which are rot ata ble abo ut rivets.
Note.— Ea rly issues of t he No. 25 Mk. I tails are provid ed with only two locking clips.

12. The No. 25 Mk. I and No. 28 Mk. I tail units are of t he safe ty clip typ e and may be used
only for "ve rti ca l” fuzing, unless modified (see Note below). The No. 25 Mk. II and II I or No. 28
Mk. II tai l units , as sta ted in para. 3, are to be used if "ho rizo nta l” fuzing is to be employed. The
arm ing mechan isms of these tw o t yp e s ° f ta il u n it are described in p ara. 13 a nd 14.
Note.— If the "ho rizo nta l” syste m of fuz ing is requ ired and th e No. 25 Mk. II and II I or No. 28
Mk. II tai l unit s are not-av ailabl e, the s afet y clip t ype of tail can be c onve rted for use w ith this
syste m as described in Sect. 10, Chap. 1, A pp. 5.

13. Arm ing mechanism of No. 25 Mk . I and No. 28 Mk . I tail units (not illus trat ed in the
figures).—An armi ng spindle is mou nted axia lly in the tai l cone and carries an armi ng fork at the
forwa rd end and a t wo-b laded a rming vane a t the r ear end. The ar ming f ork on the sp indle engages
with t he a rming f ork of th e tail pistol. A s afet y clip, carrie d on a bush in the a pex of th e tail cone,
is fitt ed w ith a pill ar whic h pro trud es b etween th e bla des of th e ar ming vane, thu s pr even ting rota tion .
Note.— Ear ly issues of th e No. 25 Mk. I tails are fitte d wit h a four-bla ded armin g vane.

14. Arm ing mechanism of No. 25 Mk . I I , No. 25 Mk . I l l , and No. 28 Mk . I I tail units, see
fig. 2.—An a rming spindle is mou nted axia lly in the tail cone a nd carries an armin g fork and a two-
bladed armi ng vane at its forwar d and rear ends, respectiv ely. Each blade of t he armin g vane has
a small hole drilled thr oug h it. At the apex of the tai l cone is a bush fitte d with an armin g wire
guide which is provi ded with two small tub ula r channels. The armin g wire guide carries a safety
wire, whic h pro trud es thr oug h one of t he holes in the armin g vane, when the bomb is tail fuzed.
441

Th is le af is sue d with A .L . No. 87 A-P. 1661 B, Vol. I, Sect. 10


Ju ly , 1944

CHAP TEE 6

BOMB, BLE., AIRCRAFT , M.C., 50 0 lb., Mk. H I

LIST OF CONTENTS
Par a.
Int rod uct ion ... ............... ... ... .............. 1
Lead ing part icu lars ...................................... ... ............. 5
General descri ption
Bomb b ody ... ............... ... ... .............. 6
Tail unit s ... ... .............. ..." ... .............. 11

L IS T O F IL LU ST R A TI O N S
1. Sectiona l view of Mk. I l l bomb fi tted w ith No. 29 tra ns it base and No . 36 nose plug
2. Mk. I l l b omb fitte d wit h nos e pi stol and No. 28 Mk. II t ail u nit

nH m
W 3
H
a • s ’K
« sfifl
H o O
tn
W Ph
« fe.

ARM AME NT
442

AR MIN G VANE

AR MI NG WIRE GUIDE -

TA IL C O N E -------

SCR AP VIEW O F REAR PO RT ION


OF TAI L AR MI NG ME CH AN ISM

NO SE PLUG

C. E.E XP LO DE R

LO CA TI NG PIN

FILL ING PLUG


TA IL PIS TO L

TRA NS IT BASE

Fig. 1.—Sectional view oi Mk. HI bomb fitted Fig. 2.—Mk. H I bomb fitted w ith nose pistol and
with No. 29 transit base and No. 36 nose ping No. 2 8 Mk. H tail unit
443

This leaf issued with A. L. No. I l l A.P.16 61B, Vol. I, Sect. 10


Apri l, 1945

CHAPTER 6

BOMB, H.E., AIRCRAFT, M.C., 500 lb., Mk. I ll

Introduction
1. This bomb is for general opera tiona l use as an alte rna tive to the 500 lb. G.P. bomb.

2. The bom b is supplie d with a No. 36 tra ns it plug in the nose and a No. 28 or No. 30 pistol in
the tail, and fitted with a No. 29 tra ns it base, which is secured to the bomb body by two wing
bolts.

3. The tail unit's to be used with thi s bomb are the No. 25 Mk. I, II, and II I, and t he s hor ter
No. 28 Mk. I an d. II . The No. 28 Mk. I a nd II ta il unit s a re fo r use w hen th e bombs are to be c arried
exte rnal ly on high-spee d aircr aft. The No. 25 Mk. I l l t ail uni t is of stre ngth ened c onstr uctio n and
should be used f or exte rnal ca rriage when s ufficient clearan ce is availa ble f or th e longer ty pe tail. The
No. 25 Mk. I I, No. 25 Mk. I l l and No. 28 Mk. II t ail unit s requi re t he “ho rizo nta l” sy stem of fuzing.

4'. Att ent ion is dire cted to Cha pter 1 of thi s Section in which general inform ation, including
detail s of markin gs, functi oning, supp ly and storag e of M.C. bombs, is given. In Appen dix 1 to
Cha pter 1 of thi s Section are given par ticu lars of the fuzing compo nents which may be used with
thi s bomb. The succeeding Appendices to Cha pter 1 cont ain inst ruct ions for fuzing, loading,
unloading and unfuzing app rop riat e to the typ e of pistol and syste m of fuzing.

Leading particulars '


5. Leng th of bom b, with No. 25 ta il and nose p isto l fitted 5 ft. 10j in., appro x.
Leng th of bom b, with No. 28 tai l and nose p istol f itted 4 ft. 9 in., appro x.
Maximum dia me ter of bo mb, excludi ng suspensio n lug 12-9 in.
Weigh t and nat ure of filling 210 lb. Amato l 50/50 or 60/40
or 212 lb. Am atex 51/40/9
or 223 lb. R.D .X. /T.N .T. 60/40
Charge/w eight ratio 42 per cent.
Term inal velocity, wit h No. 25 tail 1,460 ft. per sec.
Termi nal velocity, w it h No. 28 tail 1,390 ft. per sec.

General description, fig. 1 and 2


Note.—The Mk. I l l bomb differs fr om the Mk. I in th at t he Mk. I l l bomb body is of one piece
cast steel constr uction , resu ltin g in a sligh tly increased wall thickne ss.

Bomb body
6. The 500 lb. Mk. I l l M.C. bomb body is a hollow steel casting. The nose end is thre ade d
inter nally to receive an explod er contai ner. At the tail end is' anot her explode r contai ner, carrie d
by a filling plug, which is t hre ade d exte rnal ly for screwing into the bomb body and has two tap ped
holes for th e tra ns it base securing bolts.
7. A susp ension lug is welded to the bomb body. The rea r end of th e bomb body is provi ded
with f our sl ots t o receive t he spring clips which secure the ta il, and a locatin g p in is fi tted to thi s end
of the body t o engage w ith a n otch in the forw ard end of the t ail cone to pos ition th e ta il u nit c orrec tly.
8. The nose an d tail explo der conta iners are thre ade d inte rnal ly to take , respecti vely, the nose
pistol or tra ns it plug, and the tail pistol.
9. The bomb body is filled w ith high explosive as specified in para. 5. The filling is sealed into
the body at the nose and tail ends by a pad of appr oved composition .

10. Locat ed in each explod er con taine r is a 4 oz. 6 d r. C.E. explod er, covered by a waxed felt
washer.
444

Ta il units
11. The No. 25 an d No. 28 ta il units are simil ar in cons tructio n, each consis ting of a t ail cone
with a cylindri cal vane att ach ed to it by four vane supp orts. The forwa rd end of th e tai l cone has
a notc h for engage ment with the locati ng pin on the bomb body. Fo ur sprin g clips, backed by a
second leaf in the No. 25 Mk. I l l tail unit, are also provi ded at the forwar d end of t he tai l cone to
engage wi th th e slots on the bomb b ody. These clips are se cured in positio n, w hen the tail is assembled
to the bomb body, by locking clips which are rot ata ble ab out rivets.
Note.— Ea rly issues of the No. 25 Mk. I tails are provi ded with only two locking clips.

12. The No. 25 Mk. I and No. 28 Mk. I tail unit s are of th e safe ty clip typ e and may be used
only for "v ert ica l” fuzing, unless modified (see Note below). The No. 25 Mk. II and II I or No. 28
Mk. II tai l units, as sta ted in para . 3, are to be used if “ho rizo ntal ” fuzing is to be employed. The
armin g mechanis ms of the se two typ es of tail uni t are describ ed in para. 13 and 14.
Note.— If the "ho rizo nta l” syste m of fuzin g is requ ired and th e No. 25 Mk. II and II I or No. 28
Mk. II t ail unit s are not availab le, the sa fety clip typ e of ta il can be c onve rted for use w ith this
syste m as described in Sect. 10, Chap. 1, App. 5.

13. Arm ing mechanism of No. 25 Mk . I and No. 28 Mk . 1 tail units (not illu stra ted in the
figures).—An armin g spindle is mou nted axial ly in the tai l cone and carries an armi ng fork at the
forwa rd e nd and a tw o-bla ded armi ng vane at t he re ar end. The armi ng fork on t he spin dle engages
with the arm ing fork of t he tail pistol. A saf ety clip, carri ed on a bu sh in th e apex of the ta il cone, is
fitte d with a p illar which prot rude s between the blades of th e armi ng vane, thu s prev entin g r ota tion .
Note.— Ear ly issues of the No. 25 Mk. I ta ils are fitte d with a four-b laded armi ng vane.

14. Arm ing mechanism of No. 25 M k. I I , No. 25 Mk . Il l, ,a n d No. 28 M k. I I tail units , see fig. 2.
An armi ng spindle is mou nted axial ly in the tail cone and carries an armi ng fork and a two-b laded
arm ing vane at its forwar d and rea r ends, respect ively. Each blade of th e armi ng vane has a small
hole dril led th rou gh it. A bus h a t t he apex of th e t ail cone is fit ted with an armin g w ire guide, which
is provid ed with two small tu bu la r channels. The armi ng wire guide carries a safe ty wire, which
pro trud es thro ugh one of the holes in the arm ing vane, when the bomb is tail fuzed.
445

Th is lea f issue d with A .L . No . 103 A. P. 16 61 B, Vol. I, Sect. 10


Ja nu ar y, 1945

CHAPTER 7
BOMB, H.E ., AIRCRAFT, M.C., 500 lb., Mk. IV
Introduction
1. This bomb is for general oper ation al use as an alte rna tiv e to the 500 lb. G.P. bomb.
2. The bomb, as supplie d, is p lugged with a No. 24 tr an sit plug at t he nose end an d a No 28
or No. 30 pis tol at t he t ail end, and is fi tted \vith a No. 7 tra ns it base which is sec ured to the b omb
body by two wing bolts.
3. The tail unit s used with this bomb are th e No. 2 Mk. I, th e No. 77 Mk. I, and the sho rter
No. 26 Mk. I, II , or II I. The No. 26 Mk. I, I I, o r II I tai l u nits ar e for use w hen t he bom bs a re t o be
carri ed exte rnal ly on high-spee d airc raft , or when the ir use will enable a gre ate r num ber of bombs
to be carrie d inte rna lly on oth er typ es of air cra ft. The No. 77 Mk. I tail un it is of stre ngth ene d
cons truc tion and replaces th e No. 26 tails for use on exte rna l stowage when sufficient clearan ce is
avail able for t he lon ger t yp e tail . Fo r oth er purpose s, th e No. 2 Mk. I tail is to be used unt il stocks
are exha uste d, when No. 77 t ail uni ts are to be sub stit ute d. The design of th e No. 26 Mk. I l l a nd
No. 77 Mk. I tai l uni ts is such th at the “ho rizo ntal ” syste m of fuzing, employ ing a “ho rizo ntal ”
pull-off of a safe ty wire, is requir ed.
4. Att ent ion is direc ted to Cha pter 1 of this Section in which general infor mati on, includi ng
detai ls of mark ings, functi oning , sup ply a nd stora ge of thi s bo mb is given. In Appe ndix 1t o C hap ter 1
of this Section are given par ticu lars of the com ponen ts to be used with this bomb. The succeeding
Appendi ces t o Cha pter 1 con tain in stru ctio ns for fuz ing, loading, unloa ding and un fuzing a ppr opr iate
to th e typ e of pistol and syst em of fuzing.
Leading particulars
5. The Stores Reference, numb ers of the bomb bod y are as follows:—■

Pistol Mk. I Mk. I I Mk. II * or I I I Mk. IV


Filled No. 28
Amatol 12A/1139 12A/1318 12A/1319 12A/1321
or
Awatex /9 Pistol Mk . I I Mk. I l l Mk. I l l * or I V Mk. V
No. 30 12A/1322 12A/1323 12A/1324 12A/1326

Pistol Mk. I Mk. I I Mk. II * or I I I Mk. IV


No. 28
Filled 12A/1327 12A/1328 12A/1329 12A/1331
R .D .X .I
T.N .T. Pistol Mk . I I Mk . I l l Mk I II * or IV Mk. V
No. 30 12A/1332 12A/1333 12A/1334 12A/1336

Pistol Mk. I Mk. I I Mk. II * or I I I Mk. IV


Filled No. 28 12A/1337 12A/1338 12A/1341
12A/1339
Pentolite
D. l Pistol Mk. I I Mk. I l l Mk. I ll * or I V Mk. V
No. 30 12A/1342 12A/1343 12A/1344 12A/1346

1
1

Stores Ref. of ta il, G.P., 500 lb., No. 2, Mk. I 12A/290


Stores Ref. of ta il, No. 77, Mk. I 12A/1727
Stores Ref. of tai l, No. 26, Mk. I 12A/984
Stores Ref. of ta il, No. 26, Mk. II 12A/1116
Stores Ref. of tai l, No. 26, Mk. I l l 12A/1656
Len gth of bom b, with N o. 2 ta il and nose p istol fitted 5 ft. 10 in., appro x.
Len gth of bo mb, with No. 77 ta il and nose pis tol fitted 5 ft. 9j in., appro x.
446

Len gth of bom b, with No. 26 tai l and nose pistol fitted 4 ft. 8j in., appr ox.
Maxim um diam eter of bo mb, excludin g s uspension l ugs 12-9 in.
Weig ht and nat ure of filling 174 lb. Ama tol 50/50 or 60/40
or 175 lb. Ama tex 51/40/9
or 184 lb. R. D.X ./T .N. T.60/40
or 168 lb. Pen tol ite D. l
Charge/w eight ratio 40 pe r c ent.
Term inal velocit y, wit h No. 2 tai l 1,520 ft . per sec.
Term inal velocity, with No. 77 ta il 1,520 f t. per sec.
Term inal velocity , with No. 26 tai l 1,670 ft . per sec.
General description, fig. 1 and 2
Note.— The only difference in body con stru ction between the Mk. I and IV bombs is th at
the Mk. IV bomb body is a steel casti ng and is app roxi mat ely 5 in. sho rte r t ha n th e Mk. I b omb
body.
Bomb body
6. The 500 lb. Mk. IV M.C. bomb body is of cas t steel con stru ction a nd is a pp rox im ate ly 5 in.
sho rter in overall leng th th an th e 500 lb. Mk. I M.C. bomb . The nose end of th e bo mb b ody is thre ade d
inte rna lly to accom moda te an explo der conta iner. At the tail end, ano the r explod er con tain er is
carri ed by a filling plug , which is th rea ded exte rnal ly for screwing into the bomb body and has two
tap ped holes for the tra ns it base securing bolts.
7. A susp ension lug is att ach ed to the bomb body. The rea r end of th e bomb b ody is pro vided
with four slots to receive the s pring clips s ecuring t he tail, and a locati ng pin is fi tted to the s ide of
the body to engage w ith a n otch in the for ward end of the ta il cone to positi on the ta il uni t wh en it is
assembled to the bomb body.
8. The nose an d tail explode r conta iners are thre ade d inte rnal ly to take , respect ively, the nose
pistol or tra nsi t plug, and the tail pistol.
9. The bomb b ody is filled wit h h igh explosive as specified in pa ra. 5. The filling is sealed into
the body at the nose and tail ends by a pad of appr oved composition.
10. Locat ed in each explo der con tain er is a 4 oz. 6 d r. C.E. exploder, covered by a waxed felt
washer.
Tai l units
11. The No. 2 Mk. I, No. 77 Mk. I, and No. 26 Mk. I, II, and II I tail units are simil ar in
cons truct ion, each co nsisting of a tail cone with a cylind rical vane a tta che d t o it by fo ur vane supp orts.
The forwar d en d of the ta il cone ha s a notc h fo r eng agem ent with th e locatin g p in on t he bomb body .
Fou r spring clips, backe d by a second leaf in the No. 77 Mk. I tai l unit , are also prov ided at the
forwa rd end of th e tai l cone to engage with the slots on the bomb body. These clips are secured
by locking clips which are rot ata ble ab out rivets.
Note.— Ea rly issues of some of the above named tai l uni ts were supplie d with out , or with
only two, rot ata ble locking clips in position , and in these instan ces, four addi tion al small
V-shape d locking clips (Stores Ref. 12A/842) are to be fitted . The use of addi tion al V-shaped
locking clips is optio nal with tail unit s havi ng four rotata ble, locking clips, exce pt for early
issues of No. 77 Mk. I tails, the spring clips of which are no t backed by a second leaf, and to
which add ition al locking clips mus t be fitte d; these clips are packed in the cont aine r with the
tail unit.
12. The No. 26 Mk. I and II and the No. 2 Mk. I tail unit s are of the safe ty clip typ e and
mu st no t be used when the "ho rizo nta l’' syste m of fuzing is requir ed. As sta ted in par a. 3 the
No. 26 Mk. I l l and No. 77 Mk. I tail unit s are designed to utilize this meth od of fuzing. The
respec tive armi ng mechanis ms of th ese two type s of t ail un it are described in par a. 13 and 14.
Note.—The safe ty clip typ e of tail uni t can be conv erted for use in conj unct ion with the
"ho rizo nta l” syste m of fuzing , as described in Sect. 10, Chap. 1, App. 5.
13. Arm ing mechanism of the No. 26 Mk . I and I I and No. 2 M k. I tail unit s (not illu stra ted
in the figures).—An armi ng spindle is m ount ed axial ly in th e tail cone and carries an armi ng fork at
the f orward end and a two-b laded a rming vane at t he rear. The armi ng fork on the spindle engages
with the a rming f ork of th e tai l pistol. A sa fety clip is pr ovid ed on the b ush at the apex of th e tail
cone to prev ent rot atio n of the armi ng mechanism .
14. Arm ing mechanism of the No. 26 M k. I l l and No. 77 Mk . I tail units, see fig. 2.—An armin g
spindle is moun ted axiall y in the tail cone and carries an armin g fork and two-b laded armi ng vane
a t its forwar d and rea r ends, respec tively. Eac h blade of the armi ng vane has a small hole drilled
thro ugh it. A bush at th e ap ex of th e t ail cone is fitte d w ith an a rming wire guide , whic h is prov ided
with two small t ubu lar chann els. The app rop riat e ch annel and hole in one of the arm ing vane blades
carr y the safe ty wire when the bomb is tai l fuzed.
447

This leaf issued with A. L. No. I l l A.P.1 661B, Vol. I, Sect. 10


Ap ril, 1945

CHAPTER 8

BOMB, H.E ., AIRCRAFT, M.C., 5 00 lb., Mk. V

Introduction
1. This bomb is for general opera tiona l use as an alte rna tiv e to the 500 lb. G.P. bomb.

2. The bomb is supplie d with a' No. 36 t ra ns it plug in the nose and a No. 28 or No. 30 pistol
in the tail, and fitte d with a No. 29 tra ns it base, secured to the bomb body by two wing bolts.

3. Due to the special ballist ic char acter istic s of t his bomb, only the No. 25 Mk. I, II, and II I
tail units are to be used with it. The No. 28 Mk. I a nd II ta il u nits, which are sh orte r th an th e No. 25
tails, are not to be used. The No. 25 Mk. II and II I tail units require the "ho rizo nta l'' system of
fuzing. The No. 25 Mk. I l l tail uni t is of s tren gthe ned const ructi on for exte rnal carriag e on high ­
speed aircra ft.

, 4. Att ent ion is direct ed to Chap ter 1 of this Section in which general informa tion, including
details of marking s, functionin g, supp ly and storag e of M.C. bombs, is given. In Appen dix 1 to
Cha pter 1 of this Section are given part icula rs of the fuzing comp onent s which may be used wit h
this bomb. The succeeding Appendices to Chap ter 1 cont ain inst ruct ions for fuzing, loading,
unloadi ng and unfuzing app rop riat e to the typ e of pistol and syste m of fuzing.

Leading particulars
5. Leng th of bom b, with No. 25 tail and nose pi stol fitted 5 ft. 10j in., approx .
Maximum diam eter of bomb, excludin g suspension lug 12-9 in.
Weig ht and nat ure of filling ... ... ... ... 210 lb. Amato l 50/50 or 60/40
or 212 lb. Amat ex 51/40/9
Charge/w eight rati o ... .... ... ... ... 42 per cent.
Term inal velocity, with No. 25 tail ... ... ... 1,460 ft. per sec.

General description, fig. 1 and 2


Note.—The Mk. V bo mb differs from the Mk. I in t ha t the Mk. V bom b body is of one piece cast
steel cons tructio n, resul ting in a sligh tly increase d wall thickn ess.

Bomb body
6. The 500 lb. Mk. V M.C. bomb body consists of a hollow steel ca sting. The nose end is th read ed
inte rnal ly to receive an exp lode r conta iner. At the tail end is ano the r explod er conta iner, carrie d
by a filling plug, which is t hre ade d ex ter nal ly for screwing into the bomb body and has "two ta ppe d •
holes for the tra ns it base securing bolts.
7. A suspens ion lug is welded to the bomb body. The rear end of th e bomb body is provided
with fo ur slots to receive t he sprin g clips which secure the ta il, and a locating pin is f itte d to thi s end
of the bod y to engage wi th a notc h in th e for ward e nd of the ta il cone to pos ition th e ta il u nit co rrectly .

8. The nose an d tail explo der conta iners are thre ade d int ern all y to take, respecti vely, the nose
pistol or tra ns it plug, and the tail pistol.
9. The bomb body is filled with high explosive as specified in para. 5. The filling is sealed
into the body at the nose a nd tail ends by a pad of appro ved composition.

10. Loca ted in each explode r cont aine r is a 4 oz. 6 d r. C.E. exploder, covered by a waxed felt
washer.

Tail units
11. The No. 25 t ail unit s consist of a tail cone with a cylindri cal vane atta che d to it by four
vane supp orts. The forward end of the tail cone has a notc h for engag emen t with the locati ng pin
448

on the bomb body. Fou r spring clips, backe d by a second leaf in the No. 25 Mk. I l l tail unit, are
also provid ed at the forwar d e nd of th e tail cone t o engage w ith the slots on t he bomb body. These
clips are secured in position, when the tail is assembled to the bomb body, by locking clips which
are rot ata ble abo ut rivets.
Note.— Ear ly issues of the No. 25 Mk. I tail s are provid ed with only two locking clips.
12. The No. 25 Mk. I tai l uni t is of the safet y clip typ e and may be used only for “ve rtic al”
fuzing, unless modified (see Note below). The No. 25 Mk. II and II I tail units, as sta ted i n para. 3,
are to be used if “ho rizo ntal” fuzing is to be e mployed. The armin g mechan isms of thes e t wo type s
of tai l un it are described in para . 13 and 14.
Note.— If the "ho rizo nta l” system of fuzing is r equire d and t he No. 25 Mk. II and II I tail units
are n ot a vailable, the saf ety clip typ e of ta il c an be co nverte'd for use with thi s sys tem as described
in Sect. 10, Chap. 1, App . 5.

13. Arm ing mechanism of No. 25 Mk . I tail uni t (not illu stra ted in the figures).—An armin g
spindle is moun ted axial ly in the t ail cone a nd carries an armin g fork at t he forward end and a t wo-
blade d a rming va ne a t the rea r end. The armin g fo rk on the spin dle eng ages w ith the a rming fork of
the tai l pistol. A s afety clip, carrie d on a bush in the apex of the tail cone, is fitted with a pillar
which prot rude s between the blades of the arming vane, thu s preve nting rotat ion.
Note.— Ear ly issues of t he No. 25 Mk. I tail s are fitte d with a four-b laded armi ng vane.

14. Arm ing mechanism of No. 25 Mk . I I and I I I tail units, see fig. 2.—An armin g spindle is
mou nted axia lly in th e ta il cone an d carrie s an ar ming fork and a two-bl aded armi ng van e at its forw ard
and rea r ends, respecti vely. Each blade of t he arming vane has a small hole drilled thro ugh it. A
bush at th e apex of the tail cone is fitted with an armi ng wire guide, which is prov ided with two small
tub ula r channels. The armin g wire guide carries a safet y wire, which prot rude s thro ugh one of t he
holes in the armin g vane, when the bomb is tail fuzed.
449

Th is lea f issue d w ith A .L . No. 90 A.P.1 661B , Vol. I, Se ct 10


Ju ly , 1944

CHAPTER 9
a
BOMB, H E ., AIRCRAFT, M.C., 500 lb., Mk. VI

LI ST O F CO NT EN TS
Para .
Intr odu ctio n ..................................." .............. .......................... ... ... .............. 1
Leading parti cula rs ... ... ... .;. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 5
General des cription
Bomb b o d y ................................................. ... ... ... ... ... .......................... 6
Tail unit s ............................................................. ........................................................................ 11

LI ST OF IL LU ST RA TI ON S
Fig.
1. Sectional view of Mk. VI bomb f itted w ith No. 29 tra ns it base and No. 36 nose plug
2. Mk. VI bomb fit ted with nose pistol and No. 25 Mk. II t ail unit
450

CYLINDRICAL
VANE

ARMING VANE ARMI NG VANE

AR MI NG WIRE GUIDE ARM ING WIRE


GUIDE
TAIL CO NE

SCRA P VIEW O F REAR PO RT IO N


VANE SUP POR T
OF TAIL ARM ING ME CH AN ISM .
TAIL CO NE
NOS E PLUG
LO CKI NG C U P
EXPLODER CO NTA INE R -
SPRIN G CU P
F E U WA SH ER -

ai oo so iA i
oz H/e-A-n
BOM B BO DY - eesei

-P AI NT ED
DARK GREEN

Ot /O 9
U G H T GREEN
C.E .EXP LOD ER - BAND
FILLIN G PLUG
ADAPTER

LO CA TIN G PIN

FIL LIN G PLUG


RED BAND
TAI L PIST OL

TRA NSIT BASE NO SE PI ST OL

F ig . 1 .— S e c ti o n a l v ie w o f M k . V I b o m b fi tt e d w it h F ig . 2 .— M k . V I b o m b fi tt e d w it h n o s e p is to l
N o. 2 9 t r a n s i t b a s e a n d N o . 3 6 n o s e p in g a n d N o . 2 5 M k . I I t a il u n i t .
451

This le af issued with A .L. No. 90 A.P.1 661B, VoL I, Se ct 1 0


July, 1944

CHAPTER 9

BOM B, R E ., AIR CR AF T, M.C., 60 0 lb. , Mk. VI

Introdu ction
1. This bomb is for general operational use as an altern ative to the 500 lb. G.P. bomb.
2. The bomb is supplied w ith a No. 36 tran sit plug in position in the nose and a No. 30 pistol
in p osition in th e tail, and fitted with a No. 29 tran sit base which is secured t o the bomb b ody by
two wing bolts.
3. The stan dard tail units for use with th is bomb are the No. 25 Mk. I and II, but for carriage
in fighter-bomber aircraf t th e No. 28 Mk. I and II tai l u nits are to be uied, these being shorter tha n
the No. 25 tails. The design of the No. 25 Mk. II and No. 28 Mk. II tail units is such tha t the
"hori zontal ” system of fuzing, employing a "horiz ontal” pull-off of a safety wire, is utilized to
initia te t he action of the tail arming mechanism.
4. Atten tion is di rected to Chapter 1 of thi s Section in which general information, including
details of markings, functioning, supply and storage of this bomb, is given. In Appendix 1 to
Chapter 1 o’f this Section are given parti culars of the components t o be used with this bomb. The
succeeding Appendices to Chapter 1 contain i nstructions for fuzing, loading, un loading and unfuzing
appropriate to th e ty pe of pistol an d system of fuzing.

Leading particulars
5. The Stores Reference numbers of th e bomb body are as follows:—

Filled M k. I I M k. I l l M k. I l l * or I V
Ama tol or Pist ol
A matex/9 No. 30 12A/1559 12A/1561 12A/1563
M k. I I M k. I l l ' M k. I l l * or I V
Fille d Pist ol
R. D. X .j T .N .T . No. 30 12A/1560 12A/1562 12A/1564
M k. I I M k. I l l Mk . I l l * or I V
Filled Pist ol
: Mi no l I I No. 30 12A/1746 12A/1747 12A/1748

Stores Ref. of tail No. 25, Mk. I 12A/970


Stores Ref. of tail No. 25, Mk. II ... 12A/1655
Stores Ref. of tail No 28, Mk. I ... .............. 12A/1111
Stores Ref. of tail No 28, Mk. I I ......................... 12A/1658
Length of bomb, with No. 25 tail and nose pistol fitted 5 ft? lOj in., approx.
Length of bomb, with No. 28 tail a nd nose pis tol fitte< 4 ft. 9 in., approx.
Maximum diam eter of bomb, excluding suspension lugs 12-9 in.
Weight and nature of filling ... *. ... 224 lb. Amatol 50/50 or 60/40
or 237 lb. R.D .X./T.N.T. 60/40
or 240 lb. Minol I I
Charge/weight rati o ... 50 per cent.
Terminal velocity, wit h No. 25 tail 1,460 ft. per sec.
Terminal velocity, with No. 28 tail 1,390 ft. per sec.
General description, fig. 1 and 2
Note.—The Mk. VI bomb differs from the Mk. I in th at th e Mk. VI bomb is provide d with
two addition al suspension lugs so th at i t may be carri ed in American a ircraft.
452

Bomb body
6. The 500 lb. Mk. VI M.-C. bomb body is of steel fabricated construction . The nose end
of the body is th readed interna lly to accommodate an exploder con tainer. At the tai l end is a nother
exploder container carried by a filling plug adapter . A filling plug is housed between the adap ter
and the bomb body and has two tappe d holes for the tran sit base securing bolts .
7. The bomb body is provided with three suspension lugs, two of which are diametric ally
opposite the thi rd. The rea r end of the b omb bb dy is provided with four slots t o receive th e spring
clips securing the tail, and a locati ng pin is fitte d t o the side of th e body to engage wi th a notch in
the forward end of the tail cone to position the tail unit when it is assembled to th e bomb body.
8. The nose and tail exploder containers are thread ed intern ally to take, respectively, the
nose pistol or t ran sit plug, and the ta il pistol.
9. The bomb body is filled with high explosive as specified in para. 5. The filling is sealed
into t he body a t th e nose and t ail ends by pa ds of appr oved composition.
• 10. Located in each exploder contai ner is a 4 oz. 6 dr. C.E. exploder, covered by a waxed f elt
washer.
Tail units
11. The No. 25 and No. 28 tail units are similar in construc tion, each consisting of a tail cone
with a cylindrical vane a ttach ed to it by fou r vane supports. The forward end of th e t ail cone has
a notch for engagement with the locati ng pin on the bomb body. Four spring clips are also provided
at the forward end of th e tail cone t o engage with the slots on the bomb body. These clips a re
secured by locking clips which are ro tata ble about rivets.
12. The No. 25 Mk. I and No. 28 Mk. I tail un its are of t he safety clip typ e and must not be
used when the “horiz ontal” system of fuzing is required; the No. 25 Mk. II and No. 28 Mk. II ta il
units, as state d in para. 3, are for use in conjunction with this system of fuzing. The arming
mechanisms of these two t ypes of tail u nit are described in para. 13 an d 14.
Note.—If the "horiz ontal " system of fuzing is required and the No. 25 Mk. II and No.
28 Mk. II tail uni ts are not available, the safety clip type of tail can be converted as described
in Sect. 10, Chap. 1, App. 5.
13. Arming mechanism of No. 25 Mk. I and No. 28 M k. I tail units (not illustr ated in the
figures).—An arming spindle is mou nted axially in the tail cone an d carries an arming fork at t he
forward end an d a two-blade d arming vane at the rear end. The arming fork on the spindle engages
with t he arming fork of th e ta il pist ol. A safety clip, carried on a bu sh in t he apex of th e ta il cone,
is fitted with a pillar which protrudes between the blades of the arming vane, thu s preventing rota tion.
Note.—Earl y issues of t he No. 25 Mk. I tails are fitted with a four-bladed arming vane
and on ly two locking clips.
14. Arming mechanism of No. 25 Mk. I I and No. 28 Mk. I I tail units, see fig. 2.—An armi ng
spindle is mounted axially in the tail cone and carries an arming fork at the forward end and a
two-bladed arming vane at the rear end. Each blade of th e arming vane has a small hole drilled
through it. A bush at the apex of the ta il cone is fitted with an arming wire guide, which is provided
with two small tub ular channels. The appropri ate channel and hole in one of the arming vane blades
carry the safety wire when the bomb is t ail fuzed.
453

Thi s leaf issued with A .L . No . 91 A.P.1661B , Vol. I, Sect. 10


Ju ly , 1944

<
M IN IS T R Y
J u ly , -1044
A IR

CHAPTER 10

BOMB, H.E. , AIRCRAFT, M.C., 500 lb., Mk. VII

LIST OF CONTENTS
Para .
In tr od uc tio n ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1
Le ad ing pa rti cu la rs ... ■ ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 5
Gen eral de scr ipt ion
Bo mb bo dy ... • ... ... ... .............. ... ... ... ... ... ’ ... ... 6
Ta il un its ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...■ ... ... 11
De lete "( to be is su ed la ter)" a ft e r ti tl e o f C ha p. 10 i n t h e L is t of C hap te rs ,
wr ite “A .L .91 ” in th e ou te r m ar gi n of th e list, in se rt th is ch ap te r, an d
Th is is A. L. No. 91 to A .P .1 66 1B , Vol . I an d co nc er ns Se ct. 10

LIST OF ILLUS TRAT IONS


Pig .
1. Sec tio nal view o f Mk . V II bo mb f itt ed wi th No. 29 tr an si t ba se an d No. 36 nose plu g
2. Mk. V II bo mb fit te d w ith nose pis tol an d No. 25 Mk. II ta il un it
ma ke an en tr y in th e Am en dm en t Re co rd Sh eet .
(F or offi cial use
R E S T R IC T E D

i \ n

ARM AME NT
454

CYLI NDR ICAL


VANE

ARM ING VANE

AR MIN G WIRE GUIDE ARM ING VANE


ARM ING WIRE
TAIL CON E
GUIDE

SCRAP VIEW OF REAR POR TION


OF TAIL ARMING MECH ANISM . VANE SUPPORT

TAIL CO NE

NOSE PLUG LOC KIN G CL IP


EXPLODER CONTAINER -
SPRING CU P
FELT WASHER -

]]£
a'loos o iai

BO MB BODY -
v w/v a a

-PA INTE D
DARK GREEN

os/os
LIGHT GREEN
BAND

RED BAND
TAIL PIST OL —

TRAN SIT BASE NOS E PIST OL

Fig. 1.—Section al view ol Mk. VII bomb fitted Fig. 2.—Mk. VII bomb fitted with nose pistol and
with No. 29 transit base and No. 36 n ose plug No. 25 Mk. II tail unit
455

This leaf issued with A .L . No. I l l A.P.1 661B , Vol. I, Sect. 10


Apr il, 1945

CHAPTER 10

BOMB, H.E ., AIRCRAFT, M.C., 500 lb., Mk. VII

Introduction
1. This bomb is inten ded for use again st res ista nt targ ets, includi ng shipping.

2. The bomb is supplie d with a No. 36 tr an sit plug in the nose and a No. 30 pi stol in the tail,
and fitte d with a No. 29 t ran sit base which is secured to the bomb body by two wing bolts

3. The tai l uni ts to be used with t his bomb are the No. 25 Mk. I, II, and II I, and the shor ter
No. 28 Mk. I a nd II. The No. 28 Mk. I and II ta il unit s a re for use when t he bombs are to be ca rried
exte rnal ly on high-speed aircr aft. The No. 25 Mk. I l l tai l uni t is of s tren gthe ned const ructi on an d
should be used for exte rna l carria ge when sufficient clearance is availa ble for the longer ty pe tail.
The No. 25 Mk. II, No. 25 Mk. I l l and No. 28 Mk. II tai l units requi re the ''ho riz ontal ” syst em of
fuzing.

4. Att ent ion is direc ted to Chap ter 1 of thi s Section in which general inform ation, including
detai ls of markin gs, function ing, supp ly and storag e of M.C. bombs, is given. In Appen dix 1 to
Cha pter 1 of th is Section are given part icul ars of the fuz ing co mpon ents which may be used with th is
bomb. The succeeding Appendices to Chap ter 1 cont ain inst ruct ions for fuzing, loading, unload ing
and unfuzing app rop riat e to the typ e of pistol and syste m of fuzing.

Leading particulars
5. Len gth of bomb , with No. 25 tai l and nose pisto l fitted 5 ft. lOj in., app rox .
Len gth of bom b, with No. 28 tai l and nose p istol f itted 4 ft. 9 in., appro x.
Maximum diam eter of bomb, excludin g sus pension lugs 12-9 in.
Weigh t and nat ure of filling 224 lb. Ama tol 50/50 or 60/40
or 226 lb. Ama tex 51/40/9
or 237 lb. R.D .X. /T.N .T. 60/40
or 240 lb. Minol 2
Charg e/weig ht rati o 50 per cent., appro x.
Term inal velocity, wit h No. 25 tail 1,460 ft. per sec.
Term inal velocity, with No. 28 tail 1,390 ft. per sec.

General description, fig. 1 and 2


Note.— The Mk. V II bomb differs from th e Mk. I in t ha t t he Mk. V II bomb bod y is man ufac ture d
from forged steel, the tai l locat ing ring being welded on, and in the provis ion of two addi tion al
suspension lugs so th at the bomb can be carrie d in Americ an airc raft .

Bomb body
6. The 500 lb. Mk. VI I M.C. bomb b ody is of forged steel cons tructio n, with a tai l locati ng ring
welded on. The n ose end is th rea de d int ern all y to receive a n exp lode r con tain er. At the t ail end
is ano the r expl oder con taine r, carrie d by a filling plug ada pter . The filling plug has two tap ped
holes for the tra ns it base securin g bolts.
7. The bomb body is prov ided wit h thr ee suspensio n lugs, two of which are dia me tric ally
oppos ite t he t hird . The rea r end of th e bomb body is provi ded with f our slots to receive the s pring
clips which se cure th e ta il, and a locatin g pi n is fi tted to thi s en d of th e b ody to engage w ith a n otc h in
the forwa rd end of t he tai l cone to positi on the tai l un it correc tly.
8. The nose and tail explode r conta iners are thre ade d inte rna lly to take , respe ctivel y, the nose
pisto l or tra ns it plug, and the tai l pistol.

9. The bomb bo dy is filled wi th high explosive as specified in p ara. 5. The filling is sealed into
the body at the nose and tai l ends by pads of appr oved composition .
456

10. Locate d in each exploder cont aine r is a 4 oz. 6 dr. C.E. exploder, covered by a waxed felt
washer.

Ta il units
11. The No. 25 and No. 28 ta il units are simila r in cons tructio n, each consis ting of a tail cone
with a cylindrica l vane att ach ed to it by four vane supp orts. The forwar d end of the tail cone has
a no tch for engagem ent w ith th e locat ing pin on the bomb body. Fou r spring clips, b acked by a second
leaf in th e No. 25 Mk. I l l ta il unit, are also provid ed a t th e f orward end of t he tail cone to engage with
the slots on the bomb body. These clips are secured in position, when the tail is assemble d to the
bomb body, by locking clips which are rot ata ble abo ut rivets.
Note.— Ear ly issues of t he No. 25 Mk. I tails are provid ed with o nly two locking clips.

12. The No. 25 Mk. I and No. 28 Mk. I tai l uni ts are of t he safet y clip typ e and may be used
only for “v erti cal” fuzing, unless modified (see Note below). The No. 25 Mk. II and II I or No. 28
Mk. II tail units, as sta ted in para . 3, are to be used if “h oriz onta l” fuzing is t o be e mployed. The
armin g mechanism s of these two type s of tail unit are described in para. 13 and 14.
Note.—:If the “h oriz onta l” system of fuzing is requir ed and the No. 25 Mk. II and II I or No. 28
Mk. II tail units are not available , the safet y clip typ e of ta il can be conve rted for use w ith this
system as described in Sect. 10, Chap. 1, App. 5.

13. Arm ing mechanism of No. 25 Mk . I and. No. 28 Mk . I tail units (not illu stra ted in the
figures).—An armi ng spindle is moun ted axiall y in the tail cone and carrie s an armi ng fork at the
forward end and a two-bl aded armi ng vane at t he rear end. The armin g fork on th e spindle engages
with the armi ng fork of th e tail pistol. A saf ety clip, carrie d on a bush in the apex of t he tail cone,
is fitted with a pilla r which p rotru des between the blades of the armin g vane, thu s p reven ting rota tion .
Note.— Ear ly issues of the No. 25 Mk. I tails are fitted with a four-b laded armin g vane.

14. Arm ing mechanism of No. 25 Mk. I I , No. 25 M k. I l l , and No. 28 M k. I I tail units, see
fig. 2.—An a rmin g spindle is moun ted axial ly in the tai l cone a nd carries an armin g fork and a two-
bladed arm ing va ne at i ts forwar d and rear ends, respectiv ely. Each blade of the a rmin g vane has a
small hole dril led thro ugh it. At the a pex of th e tail cone is a b ush fitted w ith an armin g w ire guide
which is provid ed with two small tub ula r chann els. The armin g wire guide carries a safe ty wire,
which protr udes thro ugh one of the holes in th e arm ing vane, when the bomb is tail fuzed.
457

This leaf issued with A.L . No. 92 A. P. 16 61 B, V o l. I, Sect. 10


Ju ly, 1944

H
05
!/) CHA PTER 11
J—<
zM
g BOMB, H. E., AIRCRA FT, M.C., 500 lb., Mk. VIII

LIST OF CONTENTS
Pa ra .
Intr odu ctio n 1
Leadin g par ticu lars 5
General descri ption
Bomb body .. 6
Tail unit s 11

LIST OF ILLUS TRATI ONS


Fig.
1. Sectional view of Mk. V II I bomb fitte d wit h No. 29 t ra ns it base and No. 36 nose plug
2. Mk. V III bomb fitte d with nose pistol and No. 28 Mk. II tai l uni t

<D
<S)
3
'u Z?
t£ a
o o
o
fa

ARM AME NT
458

ARM ING VANE

AR MIN G WIRE

TAIL CO NE —

SCRAP VIEW O F REAR PO RTI ON


OF TAIL ARM ING ME CH AN ISM .

NOSE PLUG
EXPLODER CONTAINER
NOS E ADAPTER
FELT WASHER

m s
8'ioos o n
BO MB BODY 61 w /e a x

TWIN PAINT ED
SUSPENSION (M
SUSPENS ION DARK GREEN
LUG LU G S/

MA IN FILLING

LIGH T GREEN
C.E.E XPLO DER
BAN D
FILLING PLUG
ADAPTER

LOC ATI NG PIN

FIL LIN G PLUG

TAI L PISTO L — RED BAN D

TRA NS IT BASE NOS E PI ST OL

Fig. 1.—Sect ional view of Mk. VI II bomb fitted Fig. 2.—Mk. VI II bomb fitted wi th nose pistol
Bwith No. 29 tra ns it base and No. 36 nose plug an d No. 28 Mk. II tai l un it
459

This leaf issued with A. L. No. I l l A.P.16 61B, Vol. I, Sect. 10


Apr il, 1945

CHAPTER 11

BOMB, H.E ., AIRCRAFT, M.C., 500 lb., Mk. VIII

Introduction
1. This bomb is for general opera tiona l use as an alte rna tiv e to the 500 lb. G.P. bomb.

2. The bomb is supplie d with a No. 36 tr an sit p lug in the nose and a No. 30 pi stol in the tail,
and f itte d with a No. 29 tr an sit base, which is sec ured to the bomb body b y two wing bolts.

3. The tai l units to be u sed with t his bomb are the No. 25 Mk. I, II, and II I, and the s hort er
No. 28 Mk. I a nd II. The No. 28 Mk. I and II ta il unit s ar e fo r use wh en th e bombs are to be ca rried
exte rnal ly on high-speed airc raft. The No. 25 Mk. I l l tai l uni t is of s tren gthe ned cons truc tion a nd
should be used for exte rnal carriag e when sufficient clearance is availa ble for the longer typ e tail.
The No. 25 Mk. II, No. 25 Mk. I l l and No. 28 Mk. II tai l uni ts require the “ho rizo ntal” syste m of
fuzing.

4. Att ent ion is direct ed to Cha pter 1 of this Section in which general inform ation, including
detai ls of markin gs, functioni ng, supp ly and stora ge of M.C. bombs, is given. In Appen dix 1 to
Cha pter 1 of thi s Section are given part icul ars of the fuzin g com ponents wh ich may be used w ith this
bomb. The succeeding Appendices to Cha pter 1 conta in instr uctio ns for fuzing, loading, unloading
and unfuzing app rop riat e to the typ e of pisto l and system of fuzing.

Leading particulars
5. Len gth of bom b, with No. 25 ta il and nose pisto l fitted 5 ft. I0 | in., approx .
Leng th of bom b, wit h No. 28 tai l and nose pistol fitted 4 ft. 9 in., appro x.
Maximum diam eter of bomb , excludin g sus pension lugs 12-9 in.
Weig ht and nat ure of filling 210 lb. Amato l 50/50 or 60/40
or 223 lb. R.D .X./ T.N .T. 60/40
or 225 lb. Minol 2
Charge/w eight ratio 42 per cent.
Term inal velocity, wit h No. 25 tail 1,460 ft. per sec.
Term inal velocity, with No. 28 tail 1,390 ft. per sec.

General description, fig. 1 and 2


Note.-—The Mk. V II I bomb differs from t he Mk. I in th at the Mk. V II I bomb body is of one piece
cast steel cons tructio n, resul ting in a sli ghtly increased wall thick ness, and in t he provisi on of two
addi tiona l suspension lugs so th at the bomb can be carrie d in America n aircra ft.

Bomb body
6. The 500 lb. Mk. V II I M.C. bomb b ody is a hollow ste el casting. The nose e nd of th e body,
or alte rna tive ly a nose ada pter , is thre ade d inte rnal ly to receive an explod er contai ner. At the tail
end is a not her explo der c ontain er, carrie d by a filling pl ug ada pter . The filling plug has two tap ped
holes for the tra ns it base securing bolts.

7. The bom b body is provid ed with thr ee suspensio n lugs, two of which are diam etric ally
opposi te the t hir d. The rea r end of th e bomb body is p rovid ed with f our slots to receive the s pring
clips which secure th e ta il, and a l ocating pin is fitte d to thi s en d of th e b ody to engage wit h a notc h i n
the forward end of t he tai l cone to positi on the tail un it correctly .
8. The nose and tail explode r conta iners are thre ade d int ern ally to take, respecti vely, the
nose pistol or tra ns it plug, and the tai l pistol.

9. The bomb body is filled w ith high explosive as specified in p ara. 5. The filling is sealed into
the body at the nose and t ail ends by a pad of a ppro ved composition.
460

10. Locat ed in each exploder cont aine r is a 4 oz. 6 d r. C.E. exploder, covered by a waxed felt
washer.

Tai l units
11. The No. 25 a nd No. 28 ta il units are simila r in constru ction, each consistin g of a tai l cone
wit h a cylindri cal vane atta che d to it by four vane suppo rts. The forwar d end of t he tai l cone has
a notc h for engage ment with the locatin g pin on the bomb body. Fou r spring clips, backe d by a
second leaf in the No. 25 Mk. I l l tai l unit, are also provid ed at the forwar d end of t he tai l cone to
engage with the slots on th e bom b body. These clips are secu red in positio n, w hen the tail is assemble d
to the bomb body, by locking clips which are rot ata ble abo ut rivets.
Note.— Ear ly issues of th e No. 25 Mk. I tails a re provi ded with o nly two locking clips.

12. The No. 25 Mk. I an d No. 28 Mk. I tai l u nits are of th e sa fety clip typ e a nd m ay be used only
for "ve rtic al'' fuzing, unless modified (see Note below). The No. 25 Mk. I I and II I or No. 28 Mk. I I
tai l units, as sta ted in para . 3, a re to be used if "ho rizo nta l” fuzing is to be e mployed. The arming
mechan isms of the se two typ es of ta il unit are described in para . 13 and 14.
Note.— If th e "ho rizo nta l” system of fuzing is requi red and t he No. 25 Mk. II and II I or No. 28
Mk. II t ail unit s are not a vailable, the s afety clip typ e of ta il can be conv erted f or use w ith this
system as described in Sect. 10, Chap. 1, App. 5.

13. Arm ing mechanism of No. 25 Mk. I and No. 28 Mk . I tail units (not illu stra ted in the
figures).—An armin g spindle is mou nted axial ly in the tai l cone and carries an armi ng fork at the
forwar d e nd and a t wo-bl aded arm ing vane at t he r ear end. The armi ng fork on th e spindle engages
with t he armin g fork of th e tai l pistol. A sa fety clip, carrie d on a bush in the apex of th e tail cone,
is fitte d w ith a pilla r which prot rude s be tween t he blades of th e a rmin g vane, thu s preve nting rota tion .
Note.— Ear ly issues of th e No. 25 Mk. I tails are fitted with a four-b laded armi ng vane.

14. Arm ing mechanism of No. 25 Mk . I I , No. 25 Mk . I l l , and No. 28 Mk . I I tail units, see
fig. 2.—An arm ing spindle is mou nted a xiall y in the t ail cone and carries an armi ng fork and a two-
bladed armin g v ane at it s f orward a nd rea r ends, respecti vely. Eac h blade of th e arm ing vane has a
small hole drill ed th roug h it. A bus h a t t he ap ex of the ta il cone is fitte d with a n armi ng wir e guide,
which is provid ed with' t wo small tub ula r channels . The armi ng wire guide carries a safe ty wire,
which prot rude s thr oug h one of th e holes in the armi ng vane, when the bomb is tail fuzed.
461

Thi s lea f issued with A .L . No. 93 A. P.1 661 B, Vol. I, Sect. 10


Ju ly , 194d

CHAP TER 12

BOMB, H. E., AIRCR AFT, M.C., 5 00 lb., Mk. IX

LIS T OF CONTENTS
Para.
In tr od uc tio n ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1
Le ad ing pa rti cu la rs ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 5
Ge ner al de sc rip tio n.
Bo mb bo dy ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 6
Ta il un its ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 11

LIST OF ILLUS TRAT IONS


Fig.
1. Se cti ona l view of Mk. IX bo mb fit te d wi th No. 7 tr an si t bas e an d No. 24 nose plu g
2.. Mk. IX bo mb fit te d wi th nos e pis tol an d No. 26 Mk. I l l tai l un it

ARM AME NT
462

AR MIN G VANE

AR MIN G WIRE

TAIL CO NE —

SCRAP VIEW OF REAR PO RT IO N


O F TAIL ARM ING ME CH AN ISM ,

NO SE PLUG

EXPLODER CONTAINER

FELT WASHER

'C YV/'C d Cl
BO MB BODY
ezs ei
PAIN TED
DARK GREEN

TWIN
SUSPENSION
UJ GS -

FILLIN G PLUG
ADAPTER
I
LOC ATI NG PIN

FILL ING PLUG

TAIL PIST OL

TRANS IT BASE

Fig. 1.—Sec tional view of Mk. IX bomb fitt ed with Fig. 2.—Mk. IX bomb fitted wit h nose pisto l a nd
No. 7 tra ns it base and No. 24 nose plug No. 26 Mk. H I tail u nit
463

Th is lea f issue d with A .L . No. 103 A. P.1 66 1B , VoL I, Sect. 10


Ja nu ar y, 1945

CHAPTER 12

BOMB, H.E ., AIRCRAFT, M.C., 500 lb., Mk. IX


Introduc tion
1. This bomb is for general ope ratio nal use as an alt ern ati ve to the 500 lb. G.P. bomb.
2. The b omb, as suppli ed, is fitte d wit h a No. 24 tr an sit p lug at t he nose end, a No. 30 pistol
a t the t ail e nd, and a No. 7 t ra ns it base which is sec ured to th e bom b b ody b y two wing bolts.
3. The tai l uni ts used wit h this bomb a re the No. 2 Mk. I, the No. 77 Mk. I, and the sho rte r
No. 26 Mk. I , II , or II I. The No. 26 Mk. I, II , or II I tai l uni ts are for u se when th e b ombs are to be
carr ied exte rnal ly on high-spe ed airc raft , or when the ir use will enable a gre ater num ber of bombs
to be carri ed inte rna lly on oth er typ es of airc raft . The No. 77 Mk. I tai l un it is of stre ngt hen ed
con stru ctio n and replaces the No. 26 tail s for use on ext ern al stowage when sufficient cleara nce is
avai lable for the lon ger t yp e tail. Fo r oth er p urpose s, th e No. 2 Mk. I tail is to be used unt il stocks
are exh aust ed, when No. 77 t ail uni ts are to be sub stit ute d. The design of t he No. 26 Mk. I l l and
No. 77 Mk. I tai l un its is such th at the "ho rizo nta l” syste m of fuzing, employin g a “ho rizo ntal ”
pull-off of a sa fety wire, is re quired .
4. Att ent ion is direc ted to Cha pter 1 of thi s Section in which general inform ation , includ ing
detai ls of mark ings, functi oning , supp ly and stora ge of thi s bom b, is given. In Appe ndix 1 to
Cha pter 1 of this Section are given par ticu lars of the comp onen ts to be used with thi s bomb. The
succeeding Appendi ces to Cha pter 1 con tain inst ruc tion s f or fuzing, loading, unloa ding and u nfuzing
app rop ria te to the typ e of pisto l .an d syste m of fuzing.
Leading particulars
5. The Stores Referenc e num bers of the bom b body are as follows:—

Filled Pist ol M k. I I M k. I l l M k. I l l * or I V
Am alo l or
No. 30
Ama texJ ) V2A./1577 12A/1580 12A/1583

Filled Pisto l M k. I I M k. I l l M k. I l l * or I V
R.D . X ./ T .N .T . No. 30
12A/1578 12A/1581 12A/1584

Fill ed Pisto l M k. I I M k. I l l M k. I l l * or I V
Pentolite D .l No. 30 12A/1582
12A/1579 12A/1585

Pist ol M k. I I M k. I l l M k. I l l * or I V
Filled No. 30
Mi no l IJ 12A/1755 l2X jl75 Q 12A/1757

Stores Ref. of ta il, G.P., 500 lb., No. 2, Mk. I 12A/290


Stores Ref. of tai l, No. 77, Mk. I 12A/1727
Stores Ref. of tai l, No. 26, Mk. I 12A/984
Stores Ref. of ta il, No. 26, Mk. II 12A/1116
Stores Ref. of tai l, No. 26, Mk. I l l ... <r ... 12A/1656
Len gth of bomb, w ith No. 2 ta il and nose p istol f itted 5 ft. 10 i n., appr ox.
Len gth of bom b, wit h No. 77 ta il and n ose pistol f itted 5 ft . 9 | in., appr ox.
Len gth of bom b, with No. 26 ta il and nose p istol fitte d 4 ft . 8J in., appr ox.
Maximum diam eter of b omb, exclud ing suspens ion lugs 12-9 in.
Wei ght and n atu re of filling ... 174 lb. Ama tol 50/50 or 60/40
or 184 lb. R.D .X/ T.N .T. 60/40
or 168 lb. Pen toli te D. l
or 195 lb. Minol I I
Charg e/weig ht ratio 40 p er cent.
Term inal velocity , wit h No. 2 tai l 1,520 f t. per sec.
Term inal veloci ty, with No. 77 ta il 1,520 f t. per sec.
Term inal veloci ty, with No. 26 tai l 1,670 ft . per sec.
464

General description, fig. 1 and 2


Note.— The Mk. IX bomb differs from the Mk. I in th at the Mk. IX bom b body is a steel
casti ng and is app roxi mat ely 5 in. sho rter tha n the Mk. I bomb body. The Mk. IX bomb
also differs from the Mk. I in th at it is prov ided wit h two addi tion al suspensi on lugs which
enable it to be carrie d in American airc raft.
Bomb body
6. As sta ted above , the 500 lb. Mk. IX M.C. bomb body is of cas t steel cons truc tion and is
app rox ima tely 5 in. sho rter in overall leng th th an the 500 lb. Mk. I M.C. bom b body. The nose
nd is thre ade d inte rna lly to accom moda te an explo der conta iner. At the tai l end is ano the r
explo der cont aine r carri ed by a filling plug ada pte r. A filling plug is housed betwee n the ad apt er
and the bomb body and has two tap ped holes for th e tra ns it base securin g bolts.
7. The bom b body is provi ded with thre e suspensio n lugs, two of which are diam etrica lly
opposi te the t hir d. The re ar end of th e bom b b ody is provi ded with four slots to receive the spring
clips securing the tail, and a locat ing pin is f itte d to the s ide of t he body to engage with a notc h in
the forward end of the tail cone to positi on the tail uni t when it is assemble d to the bomb body.
8. The nose and tai l explod er conta iners are thre ade d inte rnal ly to take , respect ively, the
nose pistol or tra ns it plug, and the tai l pistol.
9. The bo mb body is filled w ith high explosive as specified in p ara. 5. The filling is sealed into
the body a t the nose a nd ta il ends by pads of appr oved co mposition.
10. Loca ted in each explo der con tain er is a 4 oz. 6 dr. C.E. explod er, covered by a waxed
felt washer.
Tai l units
11. The No. 2 Mk. I, No. 77 Mk. I, and No. 26 Mk. I, II , and II I tail unit s are simil ar in
con stru ction , eac h consis ting of a ta il cone wi th a cylind rical va ne a tta ch ed to i t by four v ane s upports.
The forwar d en d of the ta il c one ha s a no tch for en gagem ent w ith the loc ating pin on th e bomb body.
Fo ur spring clips, backe d by a second leaf in the No. 77 Mk. I tail unit , are also provi ded at the
forwar d end of th e tail cone t o engage with t he slots on the b omb body. These clips are secured by
locking clips which are rot ata ble abo ut rivets.
Note.-—Earl y issues of some of the above name d tail unit s were suppl ied wit hou t, or with
only two, ro tat abl e locking clips in p ositio n, a nd i n the se ins tance s, f our ad diti ona l smal l V-shap ed
locking clips (Stores Ref. 12A/842) are to be fitte d. The use of addi tion al V-shape d locking
clips is optio nal with tail uni ts havin g four rot ata ble locking clips, exce pt for early issues of
No. 77 Mk. I tails, the sprin g clips of which are no t backed by a second leaf, and to which
add ition al locking cl ips m ust be fitt ed; thes e clips are pa cked in t he co ntai ner with th e tail unit.
12. The No. 26 Mk. I and II , and the No. 2 Mk. I tail uni ts are of the safe ty clip typ e and
mu st no t b e us ed w hen the “ hori zon tal” syste m of fuzing is requ ired; as s tat ed in para . 3, the No. 26
Mk. I l l and No. 77 Mk. I tai l uni ts are designed to utilize this meth od of fuzing. The arming
mechan isms of these two typ es of tai l un it are describe d in par a. 13 and 14.
Note.— The safe ty clip typ e of tail uni t can be con vert ed for use in conj unct ion with the
“ho rizo ntal ” syste m of fuzing as described in Sect. 10, Chap. 1, App. 5.
13. Arm ing mechanism of the No. 26 Mk . I and I I , and No. 2 Mk . I tail units (not
illu stra ted in the figures).—An arm ing spindle is mou nted axial ly in the tai l cone and carries an
armi ng fork at the forwa rd end and a two-b laded armi ng vane at the rea r end. The armi ng fork
on the sp indle engages wit h t he a rmin g f ork of th e tai l pistol. A sa fety clip is pro vided on the cone
bush at the apex of the tai l cone to pre ven t rot ati on of the armin g mechanis m.
14. Arm ing mechanism of the No. 26 Mk . I l l and No. 77 Mk . I tail un its (see fig. 2).—An a rming
spindle is m ount ed axial ly in the tai l cone a nd carries an armin g fork and a two-b laded a rmin g vane
at its forwar d and rea r ends, respec tively. Eac h blade of t he armi ng vane has a small hole drilled
thro ugh it . A bush a t the ape x of the ta il cone is fit ted with an armin g wire guide, which is prov ided
with two small tu bu lar chann els. The ap pro pria te chann el a nd hole in one of th e a rmin g va ne blades
carr y the safet y wire when the bomb is tail fuzed.

P65 96 M /G390 2 2/45 7250 C&P G p. 1


465

Thi s leaf issued with A .L . No. 104 A. P. 16 61 B, Vol. I, Sect. 10


Jan ua ry, 1945

e CHAPTER 13
s
8
e

BOMB, H. E., AIRCRAF T, M.C., 500 lb., Mk. X

LIST OF CONTENTS
Para .
In tr o d u ct io n 1
L ea di ng par ti cu la rs 5
G en er al de sc ri pt io n
B om b bo dy 6
Ta il u n it s ... 10

L I S T O F IL L U S T R A T I O N S
Fl £.
1. Se ct io na l vie w of Mk. X bo m b fi tt ed w it h No . 36 tr a n s it ba se
2. Mk. X bo m b fi tt ed w it h No . 25 Mk. I I ta il u n it

Q
W
H 'o
O
I—I
O O
H uO <wu
in
W
&

ARM AME NT
466

CYLINDRIC AL
VA NE ------------

AR M IN G VANE

ARM INC WIRE GUIDE

TAIL CONE ARMINC VANE

SCR AP VIEW OF
REAR PO RT IO N OF
.TAIL AR MI NG ME CHA NIS M

BOMB BODY

2:

’9TO OS o n
MAIN FILLING
SI frV /9 AX
CZSCI
PAINTED
DARK CREEN

SUSPENSION
LUC
TWIN
SUSPENSION
LUCS

6 /O f r /lS

EXPLODER LIGHT GREEN BAND


CONTAINER

CE.EXPLO DER FELT WASHER

LOCATINC PIN
FILLING PLUC
ADAPTER

FILUNC PLUC RED BAND


TAIL PISTOL

TRA NSI T BASE

Fig . 1.— Sectional view of M k. X bomb Fig . 2.— M k. X bomb fitted wi th


fitted wi th No. 36 tran sit base No. 25 M k. n tai l uni t
467

This leaf issued with A. L. No. 104 A.P.1 661B , Vol. I, Sect. 10
Jan uar y, 1945

CHAPTER 13

BOMB, H.E ., AIRCRAFT, M.C., 500 lb., Mk. X


Introdu ction
1. This bomb is for at ta ck aga ins t res ista nt targ ets. I t can be fuzed only at the tail , and is
norm ally to be fuzed with a long delay pistol.
2. The bomb is suppl ied with a No. 30 pisto l in positi on in the tail, and fitte d with a No. 36,
Mk. I or II t ra ns it base (Stores Ref. 12S/806 a nd 12S/807, re spectiv ely), which is secured to th e b omb
bod y by two wing bolts.
3. The No. 25 Mk. I and II tail uni ts are to be used with this bomb exce pt when it is to be
carrie d on fighter -bomb er airc raft , when the No. 28 Mk. I and II tai l unit s are to be used. The
design of th e No. 25 Mk. II and No. 28 Mk. I I tail unit s requir es the use of th e "ho riz ont al” syste m
of fuzing, utiliz ing a "ho riz ont al” pull-off of a safe ty wire to ini tiat e the actio n of the tai l armin g
mechan ism.
4. Att ent ion is direc ted to Cha pter 1 of thi s Section in which general info rma tion including
deta ils of mark ings, functi oning , supp ly and stora ge of M.C. bombs, is given. In Appe ndix 1 to
Cha pter 1 of th is Section are given par ticu lars o f the fuzing comp onen ts to be used with thi s bomb.
The succeedin g Appendi ces to Cha pter 1 con tain instr ucti ons for fuzing, loading, unloa ding and
unfuz ing app rop riat e to the typ e of pistol and syste m of fuzing.

Leading particulars
5. The Stores Reference numb ers of the bomb body are as follows:—

Filled Pistol Mk. I l l * or I V Mk . IV* * or V I


R .D .X .jT .N .T . No. 30
12A/1780 12A/1828
Filled Pistol Mk . I l l * or I V Mk. IV ** or V I
Minol 2 No. 30
12A/1772 12A/1827

Stores Ref. of tai l No. 25, Mk. I 12A/970


Stores Ref. of tai l No. 25, Mk. II 12A/1655
Stores Ref. of tai l No. 28, Mk. I 12A/1111
Stores Ref. of tai l No. 28, Mk. II 12A/1658
Len gth of bomb, with No. 25 tail fitte d 5 ft. 10J in., appr ox.
Len gth of bomb, with No. 28 tai l fitte d 4 ft. 9 in., appro x.
Maxim um diam eter, excludin g suspensio n lugg 12J in.
Wei ght and nat ure of filling 223 lb. R.D .X. /T.N .T. 60/40
228 lb. Minol 2
Charge/ weight ratio 45 per cent.
Term inal velocity , with No. 25 tai l ... 1,550 ft. per sec.
Term inal veloci ty, with No. 28 tail 1,440 ft. per sec.

General description, fig. 1 and 2


Note.— The Mk. X bomb differs from the Mk. I bomb in th at t he Mk. X b omb body is of forged
steel con stru ction , wit h a solid nose, and also in the provisi on of two addi tion al suspension
lugs so th at the bomb may be carri ed in Americ an airc raft.
468

Bomb body
6. The 500 lb . Mk. X M.C. bom b bod y is made of forged steel and has a solid nose app rox ­
ima tely 3-5 in. long. At the tai l end is an explod er con tain er screwed into a filling plug ad apt er
and closed b y the tai l pistol. A filling p lug is screwed into the rea r end of t he b omb b ody and has
two tap pe d holes for the tra ns it base securing bolts.
7. The bomb body is provi ded with thre e suspens ion lugs, two of which are diam etric ally
oppos ite the t hir d. The rea r end of th e bomb b ody is pr ovid ed wit h four slots to receive the sp ring
clips securing th e tail , and a locat ing pin is fitte d to the side of t he body t o engage with a n otch in
the forwa rd end of the tai l cone to posit ion the tail un it corre ctly on assembl y to the bomb body.
8. The bomb bod y is filled wit h high explosive as specified in par a. 5. The filling is sealed
into the body at the tai l end by a pa d of appr oved composit ion.
9. Loca ted in the tai l explode r con tain er is a 4 oz. 6 d r. C.E. explod er, which is covered by a
waxed felt washer.

Tai l units
10. The No. 25 an d No. 28 ta il uni ts are simila r in cons truct ion, each consist ing of a tail cone
with a c ylindric al vane att ach ed to it by four vane supp orts. The forwar d end of th e tail cone has
a n otch for e ngage ment with th e lo catin g pi n on the bom b bo dy. Fou r sp ring clips ar e also provid ed
at the forward end of the tail cone to engage with the slots in the bomb body. These clips are
secured in position , when the tai l is assemble d to th e bom b body , by locking clips which are
rot ata ble abo ut rivets.
Note.— Ea rly issues of the No. 25 Mk. I tai ls are fitte d with only two locking clips.
11. The No. 25 Mk. I and No. 28 Mk. I tail uni ts are of th e safe ty clip typ e and may be used
only for "v ert ica l” fuzing, unless modified (see Note below). The No. 25 Mk. II and No. 28 Mk. II
tail unit s, as sta ted in par a. 3, are for use in conj unct ion with th e "ho rizo nta l” syste m of fuzing.
The armin g mecha nism of these two typ es of tail uni t are described in para . 12 and 13.
Note.— If the "ho rizo nta l” syste m of fuzi ng is requ ired and t he No. 25 Mk. II or No. 28 Mk. II
tai l unit s are no t availa ble, the s afet y clip ty pe of tail can be c onver ted as described i n Sect. 10,
Chap. 1, Ap p. 5.
12. Arm ing mechanism of No. 25 Mk . I and No. 28 Mk . I tail units (not illu stra ted
in the figures).-—An a rming spindle is mou nted axial ly in the tail cone and carries an armi ng fork
at th e forwar d end and a two-b laded armi ng vane a t the r ear end. The arm ing fork on t he spind le
engages with the armi ng fork of th e tai l pistol when the tail is a ssembled to the fuzed bomb body.
A s afet y clip, carrie d on a bush in the apex of the tail cone, is fitte d with a pillar which prot rude s
betwee n the blades of the armi ng vane , th us prev enti ng rota tion .
Note.— Ea rly issues of the No. 25 Mk. I tails are fitte d with a four-b laded armin g vane.
13. 'Arm ing mechanism of No. 25 M k. I I and No. 28 M k. I I tail units, see fig. 2.— An armin g
spindle is mou nted axial ly in the tail cone and carrie s an armin g fork and a two-b laded armin g
vane a t i ts forwar d and rea r ends, respec tively. Eac h blade of the armi ng vane has a small hole
drilled th rou gh it. A bus h a t t he ape x of t he ta il con e is fitt ed with an armi ng wire guide, which is
provi ded with two small tub ula r channels . The app rop riat e chann el and hole in one of the
arm ing vane blades car ry the safe ty wire when the bomb is fuzed.
469

T hi s le a f iss ue d ivi th A . L. N o. 79 A. P. 16 61 B, Vol. I, Sect. 10


A p ri l, 1944

CHAPTE R 14

Ci BOMB, H. E., AIRCRA FT, M.C., 1,0 00 lb., Mk. I

I L IS T O F CO NT EN TS
Paw .
In tr o d u ct io n 1
Leadin g part icul ars 2
G en er al de sc ri pt io n
B om b b o d y ................ 3
Tail units ... ... - 5
T ra n si t fi tt in gs ... ... ... ‘ ... 8

LI ST O F IL LU ST R A TI O N S
Fi£.
1. Bomb, H.E ., airc raft, M.C., 1,000 lb., Mk. I, with tai l No. 37, Mk. I, and nose and tail pistols
2. Mk. I, 1,000 lb. M.C. bomb fitte d wi th No. 34 tra ns it base, No. 29 tr an sit plug, and No. 5 Mk. I pro tect ing
- 5 rings

Intro duct ion


1. Th e 1,000 lb. M.C. bo m b is use d fo r ge ne ral bo m ba rd m en t pu rp os es , as an al te rn at iv e to
th e 1,000 lb. G.P . bo mb . A tte nt io n, is di re ct ed to C ha pt er 1 of th is Se cti on in wh ich ge ne ra l
inf orm ati oft , in clu din g de ta ils of m ar ki ng s, fu nc tio ni ng , su pp ly an d sto ra ge of th is bo mb is giv en.
c Th e Ap pe nd ice s to C ha pt er 1 of th is Se cti on (to be i ssu ed later) giv e pa rt ic ul ar s of th e co m po ne nt s
ou "O
o to b e use d w ith th is b om b an d th e in st ru ct io ns fo r f uzi ng, loa din g, un lo ad in g an d un fu zin g ap pr op ri at e
0, <U to th e ty pe of pi st ol an d sy ste m of fuz ing .
cj >
.e
O •*=
Leadi ng particula rs
L en gt h w ith ta il an d nos e pis tol 6 ft ., ap pr ox .
M ax im um d ia m et er ... 1 ft. 5 | in. , ap pr ox .
r: .is W ei gh t of fillin g ... ... - ... 475 lb. am at ol 6 0/4 0 or 50/5 0,
£ cn 477 lb. am at ex 51/4 0/9 ,
T3 or 502 lb. R D X /T N T 60/ 40
Te rm in al ve lo cit y .... 1,600 ft. pe r sec.
Ta il, No . 37, Mk. I .......................................... St or es Re f. 12A/ 1128
8 Ct B Ta il,- No . 37, Mk. I I .......................................... ................ St ore s Ref. 12A/1 659
I
>l Sto res -Re f. of bomb bo dy. —
"2 £ S Fi lle d ama tol 60140 or 50150 or wit h am ate x 51140/9—
§ * E W it h pi st ol No. 28 Mk. I ................ 12A/11 25
<0 TJ
4) < W ith pi sto l No. 28 Mk. I I ... ’ ... 12A/1 367
$£■ T
OOX-FJ W ith pi st ol No. 28 Mk. II* ................ 12A/1 368
nJ W it h pi sto l No. 28 Mk. I l l ................ 12A/ 1369
W it h pi st ol No. 30 Mk. II 12A/13 70
W ith pi st ol No. 30 Mk. I l l ................ 12A/137 1
W ith pi sto l No . 30 Mk. I ll * ................ 12A/13 72
W ith pi sto l No. 30 Mk. IV ................ 12A/13 73

Fi lle d R D X / T N T 60/40—
W ith pi sto l No. 28 Mk. I ................ 12A/137 4
W it h pi sto l No. 28 Mk. II» ................ 12A/1 375
Q W it h pi sto l No . 28 Mk. II* ................ 12A/ 1376 .
W W ith pi st ol No . 28 Mk. Ill ................ -12A/1377
b id
F-< o to W it h pi sto l No. 30 Mk. II 12A/1 378
to Sfifl W ith pi st ol N o. 30 Mk. Ill ................ 12A/ 1379
o o W ith pi sto l No. 30 Mk. Il l* ................ 12A/ 1380
I
w o
m
W ith pi sto l No. 30 Mk. IV ................ 12A/13 81 .
K to

ARMAMENT
470

- arm ing va ne
safety CLI P

C Y L IN D R IC A L vane

WANE S U P P O R T

-AR MIN G SPINDLE

TAIL CO NE

---- — WING BOLT


------ TAIL RING
-------- DE TO NA TO R H O L D E R
-L OC AT IN G PIN
-AP PRO VED SEALING
---------FELT WA SHE R

-DETO NATO R
-EXPLODER CONTAINER
— EXPLODERS

M AI N FI LL IN G

STO P PLAT E

SU SPE NS ION LUG

■SUPPLEMENTA RY
SU SP EN SIO N LUG S

--------BOMB BODY

EX PLO DE R CO NT AIN ER

— DETO NA TO R
— FELT WASHER
AP PR OV ED SE AL ING

DE TO NA TO R H O LD ER

SAF ETY CL IP

N O 5E PIS TO L

Fig. 1.—Bomb, H.E ., air cra ft, M.C„ 1,000 lb., Mk. I, with tail No. 37, Mk. I, and nose and tail pistols
471

T hi s le af iss ued with A .L . No . 79 A .P .lf iO l B , Vol. I, Sect. 10, Cha p. 14


A p ri l, 1944

General description, fig . 1 a n d 2


Bo mb body
3. T he Mk. I 1,000 lb. M.C. bo m b bo dy co ns is ts of a ho llo w st ee l ca st in g fille d w ith hi gh
ex pl os iv e an d pr ov id ed w ith a d et ac h ab le ta il . A b ou t ha lf -w ay al on g th e bo dy a re a s us pe ns io n
lug an d tw o st o p p la te s, we lde d in po si tio n, an d di am et ri ca ll y op po si te ar e tw o we lde d- on
su pp le m en ta ry su sp en sio n lu gs fo r A m er ic an do ub le -p oi nt su sp en sio n.

4. Th e no se of th e bo dy is pr ov id ed w ith an ex pl od er c o n ta in er an d a d e to n a to r ho ld er , an d
in th e bo m b as s up pl ie d th e d e to n a to r ho ld er is c los ed by a No . 29 tr a n s it p lu g (S to re s Re f. 12A /547 ).
An ex pl od er c o n ta in er an d d e to n a to r ho ld er a re s im il ar ly pr ov id ed a t th e ta il en d of th e bo m b bo dy ,
th e d e to n a to r ho ld er be in g th re a d e d to re ce iv e a No . 28 or 3 0 ta il pi st ol w hi ch i s su pp li ed in po si tio n.
T he re a r fa ce of th e .b o m b bo dy ha s fo ur ta p p e d ho les fo r a tt a c h in g ei th er a N o. -37 Mk . I ta il or a
No . 34 tr a n s it ba se .

T ai l un it s
5. T he No . 37 Mk. I an d I I ta il un it s ar e to be us ed w it h th is bo m b. T he y ar e se cu re d to th e
bo m b bo dy b y fo ur wi ng bo lt s. T he No . 37 Mk. I ta il u n it is of th e sa fe ty cli p ty p e an d as su ch
m us t no t be as se m bl ed to a bo m b w he n th e “ h o ri zo n ta l” sy st em of f uz in g is re qu ir ed . T he No . 37
Mk. I I ta il u n it is de si gn ed fo r us e in co nj un ct io n w it h th e “ h o ri z o n ta l” sy st em of fu zin g. B ot h
ta il un it s co m pr is e a ta il co ne , a cy li nd ri ca l va ne a tt a c h e d to th e co ne by fo ur va ne su p p o rt s, an d
a ta il ar m in g m ec ha ni sm . T hi s ar m in g m ec ha ni sm dif fer s in th e Mk. I an d I I ta il s an d is se pa ra te ly
de sc rib ed in th e fol low ing p ar a. 6 an d 7.
No te. -W h er e ne ce ss ar y th e No. 37 Mk. I ta il u n it m ay be co nv er te d fo r us e in co nj un ct io n
wi th “ h o ri zo n ta l” fuz in g as de sc rib ed in Se ct. 10, Ch ap . 1, Ap p. 5 (to be iss ue d later) .

6. A rm in g me ch an ism o f the No . 37 M k . I ta il un it , see fig. 1 — T he a rm in g m ec ha ni sm co m pr ise s


an ar m in g sp in dl e ha vi ng an ar m in g va n e a t th e re ar en d an d an ar m in g fo rk a t th e fr o n t en d. Th e
ar m in g sp in dl e is ca rr ie d in a bu sh a t th e ap ex of th e ta il co ne a n d in a be ar in g a t th e fo rw ar d en d.
A sa fe ty cl ip is pr ov id ed on th e co ne bu sh to p re v e n t ro ta ti o n of th e ar m in g m ec ha ni sm u nt il th e
bo m b is rel ea se d "l iv e ” .

7. A rm in g me ch an ism o f the No . 37 M k . I l tai l u n it (n ot il lu st ra te d in th e fig ur es ).— Th e ar m in g


m ec ha ni sm in co rp or at es an ar m in g sp in dl e h av in g an ar m in g va ne a t th e re ar en d an d an ar m in g
fo rk a t th e fr o n t en d. T he ar m in g sp in dl e is ca rr ie d in a bu sh a t th e ap ex of th e ta il co ne an d in
a* be ar in g a t th e fo rw ar d en d. E ac h bl ad e of th e ar m in g va ne ha s a sm al l ho le dr ill ed th ro u g h it.
An ar m in g w ire gu ide , h av in g tw o sm al l tu b u la r ch an ne ls , is fi tt ed ov er th e co ne bu sh . Th e
ap p ro p ri at e tu b u la r ch an ne l an d th e ho le in on e of th e ar m in g va ne bl ad es ca rr y th e sa fe ty wir e
wh en th e bo m b is ta il fuz ed .

T ra ns it f it ti ng s, fig._2
8. To giv e p ro te ct io n to th e ta il pi st ol , a No . 34 tr a n si t ba se (S to res Re f. 12 A/ 1127) is pr ov id ed ,
an d to p ro te c t th e su sp en si on lug s, tw o No . 5 Mk . I (S to re s Re f. 12A /112 6) or No . 5 Mk. I I (St or es
Re f. 12A /124 9) p ro te ct in g r in gs ar.e us ed . T he t r a n s it b as e is of pr es se d st ee l an d ha s fo ur w eld ed -o n
ta p p e d bo ss es to re ce iv e th e se cu ri ng sc re ws by w hic h it is a tt a c h e d to th e bo m b bo dy . » T he No . 5
Mk . I an d Mk . I I p ro te ct in g rin gs ar e ea ch m ad e of tw o pr es se d- st ee l se gm en ts w'hich ar e jo in ed
to g et h er a n d cl am pe d on to th e bo m b bo dy b y fo ur b ol ts w it h n u ts an d sp ri ng w as he rs. T he c or re ct
po si tio n fo r th e p ro te ct in g rin gs is ov er th e su p p le m en ta ry su sp en si on lug s.
No te. — A lim it ed n um b er of th e 1,000 lb . M.C. bo m b fille d w it h A m er ic an R .D .X ./ T .N .T . an d
ha vi ng a re st ri ct ed se rv ic e life ar e sp ec ia lly m ar ke d. T he re d b an d n ea r th e nos e is ba rr ed , an d
a red cir cle en clo sin g th e ex pi ry d a te is st en ci lle d n ea r th e nos e.

[P.T.O.
472

TR A NS IT P L U G .N o .2 9

RE D BAND

LI G HT GR EEN BAND
AMATIZX
51 /40 /9

PROTECTING RINGS.
No .5,M k.I

y
M

PAINTED DARK GREEN

154 58
MARKINGS <
FS 12/42 15
M.C. 1000 L.B.

LOCATING PIN

TRANSIT BA SE. No. 34

Fig 2.—Mk. I, 1,000 lb. M.C. bomb fitted with No. 34 tra nsi t base, No. 29 tra nsi t plug,
and No. 5 Mk. I prot ecti qg rings
*P4295 M >194 (4,4-J 7900 C&P G p .l
473

Thi s lea/ i ssued with A. L. No. 112 A.P .166 1B, Vo l. I, Sect. 10
Ap ril, 1945

>1 >o
fej Os
ft H
W *■<?
< i-t
2 ■ft.
s

CHAPTER 16

BOMB, H.E ., AIRCRA FT, M.C., 500 lb., Mk. XI II

LIST OF CONTENTS
Para.
I n tr o d u c ti o n .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . 1
L e a d in g p a r ti c u la rs .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . 5
G en er al d e s c ri p ti o n

O Ci
Bom b body
T a il u n it s .. .

§ -a-a " LIST OF ILLUSTRA TIONS


oa o ZT <D 1 Fig.
-U +-» 1. S e c ti o n a l vi ew of M k. X I I I b o m b f it te d w it h N o. 29 t r a n s i t b as e a n d N o . 36 n o se p lu g
d 5 -p 2. M k. X I I I b o m b fi tt e d w it h n o se p is to l a n d N o. 25 M k. I I ta il u n i t
« ‘3 •§ rt
fij CD .4->
W4w-> Q)
u • 1>
>— i nJ D If )

SP M-J o
h .2. 2 ca
<a So_J
® ** a n
""i £ g 4J
0j I sa
- 4-J C
o x s 2
° t o a
2 3 .s <
H s
, £
£ $ - ci
i-§ ~ £
! S

I 4$
'£ nJ
0 3 S

Q
W
-d
O .2rt ,_ ,
a 'a
o o
l-l
o
pd

ARM AME NT
474

C Y LI N D R IC A L VANE

VA NE SU P P O R T

T A IL CONE

NO SE P L U G ----- LO C K IN G C LI P

EX PL OD ER C O N T A IN E R
S P R IN G C L IP .
FELT WASHER

C.E EX PL OD ER

5 S P /I XIAJ
DESIG N NU MB ER OF
METHOD OF FILLING
^ 8 /J 0 /w z e i)p a

BOMB BO DY P AI N TE D DARK
GRE EN -----------------

TWIN SUS PEN SIO N LU GS


SUSP ENSIO N LUG

M A IN F IL LI N G

L IG H T GR EEN
BAN D.

LO C A T IN G P IN ­

FI LL IN G PLU G
RED BAND-
TRA NS IT BASE
NO SE PIS TO L

Fig. 1 .- -S ection al view of Mk. XI II bomb fitted with Fig. 2.—Mk. XI II bomb fitted with nose pistol
No. 29 tra ns it base and No. 36 nose plug and No. 25 Mk. n tail un it
475

This leaf issued with A. L. No. 112 A.P. 1661 B, V ol. I, Sect. 10
Apri l, 1945

CHAPTER 16

BOMB, H.E ., AIRCRAFT, M.C., 5 00 lb., Mk. XII I

Introduction
1. This bomb is for use as an alt ern ativ e to the 500 lb. G.P. bomb when nose fuzing only is
required .
2. The bomb is supplie d with a No. 36 tra ns it plug in positi on in the nose and fitte d with a
No. 29 tra ns it base which is secured to the bomb body by two wing bolts.
3. The tail uni ts to be used wit h this bomb are the No. 25 Mk. I, II, and III , .and the shor ter
No. 28 Mk. I a nd II . The No. 28 Mk. I a nd II ta il uni ts are for use when t he bombs are to be ca rried
exte rnal ly on high-speed airc raft . The No. 25 Mk. I l l tail un it is of stren gthe ned cons truc tion and
should be used for ext ern al carria ge when sufficient clearan ce is avail able for the longer typ e tail.
4. Att ent ion is direct ed to Chap ter 1 of this Section in which general inform ation, includin g
detail s of marki ngs, functio ning, supp ly and stora ge of M.C. bombs, is given. In Appe ndix 1 to
Cha pter 1 of thi s Section are given par ticu lars of the fuz ing c ompo nents which may be used wit h t his
bomb. The succeeding Appendices to Chap ter 1 cont ain instr ucti ons for fuzing, loading, unloading,
and unfuzin g app rop riat e to the typ e of pistol and syste m of fuzing.

Leading particulars
5. Len gth of bomb, with No. 25 tai l and nose pistol fitte d 5 ft. 10J in., approx .
Len gth of bomb, wit h No. 28 tai l and nose pistol fitte d 4 ft. 9 in., appro x.
Maximum diam eter of bomb, excludin g suspensio n lugs 12-9 in.
Weigh t and nat ure of filling 223 lb. Ama tol 50/50
or 219 lb. Am atol 60/40
or 181 lb. A mato l 80/20
or 223 lb. Ama tex 51/40/9
or 236 lb. R.D .X./ T.N .T. 60/40
or 242 lb. Minol 2
or 217 lb. Pen toli te D. l
or 250 lb. T orpe x 2
or 227 lb. T.N.T.
Charge/w eight rati o ... 50 per cent.
Term inal velocity, wit h No. 25 tail 1,460 ft. per sec.
Termi nal velocity , wit h No. 28 tail 1,380 ft. per sec.

General description, fig. 1 and 2


Note.— The Mk. X II I bomb differs fro m the Mk. I 500 lb. M.C. bomb in th at t he Mk. X II I
bomb can be fuzed only at t he nose, the t ail en d of the b omb body bein g co mplet ely closed b y a
filling plug. The Mk. X II I bomb also differs from the Mk. I in the provisi on of tw o add ition al
suspension lugs so th at it may be carrie d in Americ an aircr aft.

Bomb body
6. The 500 lb. Mk, X II I M.C. bomb body is of steel fabr icat ed cons tructio n. The nose end of
the body is thr ead ed inte rna lly to accom moda te an explod er cont aine r which is itself thr ead ed to
tak e the nose pistol or tra ns it plug. The tail end is closed by a filling plug which has two tap ped
holes for the tra ns it base securin g bolts.
7. The bomb body is prov ided wit h thr ee suspensio n lugs, two of which are diam etrica lly
opposit e the t hir d. The rea r end of th e bomb body is prov ided w ith f our slots to receive the spring
clips whic h secure t he ta il, and a l ocatin g p in is fi tted to this e nd of th e body to engage with a n otch
in the forwar d end of the tai l cone to positio n the tail uni t correctl y.
8. The bomb body is filled wit h high explosive, as specified in para . 5. The filling is sealed
into the body at the nose and tail ends by pads of app rove d composition .
9. Locat ed in the nose explo der cont aine r is a 4 oz. 6 dr. C.E. exploder, covered by a waxed
felt washer. •
476

Tai l w it s
10. The No. 25 an d No. 28 tai l units are simila r in constr uction , each consisti ng of a tai l cone
wit h a cylindr ical vane att ach ed to it by four vane suppo rts. The forwar d end of t he t ail cone h as
a notc h for engag emen t with the locatin g pin on the bomb body. Fou r spring clips, backed by a
second leaf in the No. 25 Mk. I l l tai l unit , are also provi ded at the forwar d end of t he tai l cone to
engage w ith the slots on th e bom b body. These clips are secure d in pos ition, w hen the tail is assembled
to the bomb body, by locking clips which are rot ata ble abo ut rivets.
Note.— Ea rly issues of th e No. 25 Mk. I tails are fitte d with only two locking clips.

M tl M /G70 0 -7 /4 5 7900 C& 'P Gp. 1


477

Th is lea f issu ed with A .L . No. 110 A.P.16 61B, Vol. I, Sect. 10


Ap ril , 1945

CHAPTER 18

BOMBS, H.E ., AIRCRAFT, M.C., 1,00 0 lb., Mk. I and II

LIST OF CONTENTS
Para.
Introd uctio n ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1
BOMB, H.E. , AIRCRAF T, M.C., 1,000 lb., Mk. I
Leading parti culars ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 4
General description
Bomb body ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 5
Tail units .... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 7
Tran sit fittings ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 11
BOMB, H.E. , AIRCRAF T, M.C., 1,000 lb., Mk. II
Comparison with the Mk. I bomb ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 12

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Tig.
1. 1,000 lb. Mk. I M.C. bomb, fitted with tail No. 37 Mk. I, and nose an d tail pistols
2. 1,000 lb. Mk. I M.C. bomb, fitted with No. 34 tr ans it base, No. 29 tran sit plug, an d No. 5 Mk. I protec ting
rings
478

a r m in g vane

SAF ETY CL IP

C Y LI N D R IC AL VANE

VANE SUP POR T

A R M IN G SPINDLE

■TAIL PISTOL

DE TO NA TO R HO LD ER
-LO CA TI NG PIN
AP P R O V E D SE AL ING

FELT WAS HER

DE TO NA TO R

■EXP LOD ER CO NT AIN ER

EXP LO DE RS

M AI N FI LL IN G

ST OP PLAT E

SU SP EN SIO N LUG

UP PL EM EN TA RY
US PE NS ION LUG S

B O M B BO DY

EXP LOO ERS

EX PLO DE R CO NTA INE R

DE TO NA TO R
FELT WASHER
AP PR OV ED SE AL ING

DET ON ATO R H O LD ER

SAFE TY C LI P

NO SE PIS TO L

Fig. 1.—1,000 lb. Mk. I M.C. bomb, fitted with tail No. 37 Mk. I, and nose and tail pistols
479

This leaf issued with A. L. No. 110 A.P.16 61B, Vol. I, Sect. 10
April , 1945

CHAPTER 18

BOMBS, H.E ., AIRCRAFT, M.C., 1,00 0 lb., Mk. I and II


Introduction
1. The 1,000 lb. Mk. I and II M.C. bombs are used for gene ral bom bard men t purposes as
alte rna tive s to the 1,000 lb. G.P. bombs. The bombs can be nose and tai l fuzed and differ only
in th at the Mk. II bomb is fitte d wit h stro nger sup plem enta ry suspension lugs (for carriage in
America n aircra ft) tha n the Mk. I bomb.
2. The No. 37 Mk. I or II tail uni t can be used with these bombs bu t the Mk. I tai l mu st be
modified (see para . 7).
3. Atte ntio n is direct ed to Cha pter 1 of thi s Section in which general inform ation, including
details of markin gs, function ing, supp ly and storage of these bombs, is given. The Appendices to
Cha pter 1 of thi s Section give par ticul ars of the fuzing compo nents which may be used with these
bombs, and the Instr uction s for, fuzing, loading, unloadi ng and unfuzi ng app rop riat e to the typ e of
pisto l and system of fuzing to be used.

BOMB, H.E. , AIRCRAFT, M.C., 1,000 lb. Mk. I


Leading particulars
4. Len gth of bomb, with tai l and nose pistol fitted 6 ft., approx .
Maximum diam ete r of bomb , excluding suspensio n lugs. .. 1 ft. 5J in., approx .
Weigh t and nat ure of filling 475 lb. Amato l 60/40 or 50/50
or 477 lb. Ama tex 51/40/9
or 502 lb. R.D .X./ T.N .T. 60/40
Term inal velocity 1,600 ft. per sec.

General description, fig. 1 and 2


Bomb body
5. The 1,000 lb. Mk. I M.C. bomb body consists of a hollow steel castin g filled with high
explosive. A suspension lug an d tw o st op plates are welded to one si de of th e b ody and diam etrica lly
opposi te are two welded-on supp leme ntar y suspensi on lugs for American doubl e-poin t suspension.
6. The nose is provi ded with an explode r cont aine r and a det ona tor holder, the deto nato r
holder being closed by a No. 29 t ran sit plug. An explod er cont aine r and deto nato r holder are also
provid ed at th e ta il end of th e b omb body, the de ton ato r holde r being t hre ade d to receive a tai l pis tol,
a No. 30 pistol being supplied in position. The rea r end of the bomb body has four tap ped holes
for atta chi ng eith er a No. 37 tail or a No. 34 tra ns it base.
Tail units
7. The No. 37 Mk. I a nd II t ail unit s a re f or use with the se bombs but, before f ittin g t o a bomb
the Mk. I tai l mus t be modified using eith er of the following met hod s:—
Ei the r (i) Carefully stra igh ten the ta b of the ta b washe r which secures the locking -nut, unscrew
and remove the nu t and ta b washer. Then remove one pair of armin g vane blades
and replace the ta b washe r and lockin g-nut. Bend up the ta b of the tab washer to
secure the locki ng-nu t in position.
or (ii) Cut off two diam etric ally opposi te blades of the armi ng vane.
The No. 37 Mk. I tai l uni t is of the safe ty clip typ e and is for use when the “ve rtic al” syste m of
fuzing is requir ed. The No. 37 Mk. II tail uni t is designed for the “hor izon tal” syste m of fuzing.
Note.—Where necessa ry the No. 37 Mk. I tai l uni t may be conv erted for use with “ho rizo ntal ”
fuzing as described in Sect. 10, Chap. 1, Agp. 5.
8. The Mk. I and II tai l unit s are secured to th e bomb body by four wing bolts. Both tails
comprise a tai l cone, a cylin drical vane att ach ed to the cone by four vane suppo rts, and an armin g ’
mechanis m. This armi ng m echanis m differs in th e Mk. I and I I tai ls a nd is descri bed in the following
para. 9 and 10.
9. Arm ing mechanism o f the No. 37 Mk. I tail u nit, see fig. 1.—The arm ing mechanis m co mprises
an armin g spindle havin g a four-bla ded armi ng vane at t he rea r end and a n armin g fork at t he front
end. The armi ng spindle is carri ed in a bush at th e apex of the tail cone and in a bearing at the
forwa rd end. A safe ty clip is provi ded on the bus h to pre ven t rota tion of the armin g mechani sm
unti l the bomb is released “live ”.
480

154 58
MA RKI NG S <
FS 12/42 15
M.C. 1000 LB .
I

LO CA TIN G P IN ------------

TR AN SIT B A S E .N o. 34

Fig. 2.—1,000 lb. Mk. 1 M.C. bomb, fitted w ith No. 34 t ra ns it base, No. 29 tra nsi t plug, and No. 5 Mk. I
prot ecti ng rings
481

This leaf issued with A.L . No. 110 A.P.16 61 B, Vol. I, Sect. 10, Chap. 18
April, 1945

10. Arming mechanism of the No. 37 Mk. I I tail unit (not illustrated in the figures).— The
arming mechanism comprises an arming spindle having a two-bladed arming vane at the rear end
and an arming fork at the front end. The arming spindle is carried in a bush at the apex of the
tail cone and in a bearing at the forward end. Each blade of the arming vane has a small hole drilled
through it. An arming wire guide, having two small tubular channels, is fitted over the cone bush.
The arming wire guide and one of the holes in the arming vane blades c arry a safety wire when the
bomb is tail fuzed.

Transit fittings, fig. 2


11. To give protection to the tail pistol, a No. 34 transit base is provided, and to protect the
suspension lugs, two No. 5 Mk. I or No. 5 Mk. II protecting rings are used. The transit base is of
pressed steel and is attached to the bomb body by four bolts. The No. 5 Mk. I and II protecting
rings are each made of two pressed steel segments which are joined together and clamped on to the
bomb body by four bolts with nuts and spring washers. The correct position for the protecting
rings is over the supplementary suspension lugs.

BOMB, H.E ., AIRCRAFT, M.C., 1,00 0 lb., Mk. II


Comparison with the Mk. I bomb
12. As stated in para. 1, the Mk. II bomb is identical with the Mk. I bomb excep t that the two
supplementary suspension lugs fitted to the Mk. II bomb body are of stronger construction. The
information in para. 4 to 11 applies equally to this bomb.

P7479 M /G234 6/45 7900 C&P G p. 1


482
483

Th is le af i ssue d with A .L . No. 118 A.P .16 61 B, Vol. I , S ec t 10


Ju ne , 1945

ft OS
H 1-1 CHA PTER 10
w
z
'—I
BOMB, H. E. , AIRC RAF T, M.C., 1,0 00 lb., Mk . m

LIST OF CONTENTS
Para.
In tr o d u ct io n . . ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1
Le ad in g pa rt ic ul ar s ... ... ... . . . . ... I ... ... ... 4
Ge ne ral de sc rip tio n

QOCn
Bo m b bo dy
Ta il unit s
o
rt

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Fig-
1. Se cti on al vie w of Mk. I l l bo m b fi tte d w it h ta il pi st ol an d No . 2 9 ’Mk. I I ta il u nit
2. Mk. I l l bo m b pr ep ar ed fo r tr an si t

O
>
4
H
0
0
H

n'

o
1
3
5
J

.a

0
w
H q
1U
— 1S a
ft o o
H M V)<D
(/)
W ft
ft
ARMAM ENT
484

ARM ING VANE

-AR MIN G WIRE


GUIDE

TAI L CONE

-ST OP PLATE.

-SU SP EN SI ON
LUG

-BO MB BOD Y

K g . ’L.—Sect iona l view of Mk. HI bomb fitted wit h tail pisto l and No. 29 Mk. n tail unit
485

Th is lea f issue d with A .L . No. 118 A.P .16 61 B, VoL I, Sect. 10


Ju ne , 1945

CHA PTE R 19

BOMB , H. E. AIR CRA FT, M.C., 1,0 00 lb., Mk. H I


Introduction
1. This bomb is prim arily designed for att ac k agai nst res ista nt tar ge ts and for use wit h long
dela y fuzing. The bomb c an be fuzed only at t he ta il.
2. The No. 29 Mk. I or IT tai l un it is to be used with thi s bomb bu t the Mk. I tai l mu st be
modified, as detai led in para. 8.
3. Att enti on is, directed to Cha pter 1 of this Section in which general inform ation, including
deta ils of markin gs, function ing, suppl y and stora ge of M.C. bomb s is given. The Appendi ces to
Cha pter 1 of this Section give part icul ars of the fuzing comp onent s which may be used wit h this
bomb, and the inst ruct ions for fuzing, loading, unload ing and unfuzi ng app rop riat e to the typ e of
pistol a nd system of fuzing used. .• ,

Leading particulars
4. Len gth of bomb, wit h tail uni t fitted ... ... ... 5 ft . 11 in., appro x.
Maximum d iam eter of bom b, excl uding suspension lugs ... 1 ft. 4-15 in.
Weig ht and nat ure of filling .......................... .. ... 401 lb. R.D .X. /T. N.T . 60/40
or 366 lb. Pen toli te D. l
or 430 lb. Torp ex 2
Term inal velocity ... ... ... ... ... ... 1,600 ft. per sec.

General description, fig. 1 and 2


Bomb body
5. The bomb body is of forged steel con stru ction and has a solid nose. The tail end of the
bomb body is closed by a filling plug screwed in position. In to thi s plug is screwed an explod er
cont aine r wh ich houses two C.E. exploders a nd a d eto nat or holder. The det onato r h older is thr ead ed
to receive a tail pistol, a No. 30 pistol being supplie d in positi on to serve as a plug durin g tra ns it
and storage. Fou r tap ped holes i n the filling plug are provid ed to receive eith er the four wing bolts
or the four screws used, respective ly, for atta chi ng eith er a No. 29 ta il uni t or a No. 34 t ra ns it base
to the b omb body. A loc ating pin at t he r ear end of th e bomb b ody en sures corre ct assemb ly of th e
tail unit.
Note,—The No. 30 pisto l will, in due course, be replace d by the No. 65 pistol.
6. A suspensio n lug and two stop plat es are welded to the bomb body and diam etrica lly
opposi te are welded two suspension lugs for Americ an twi n-po int suspension. Durin g tra ns it and
storag e, these lugs are prot ecte d agai nst damag e by two No. 9 pro tecti ng rings. Ea ch ring consis ts
of two steel segment s which are joine d tog ethe r and clamp ed on to the bomb body by four bolts
with nut s and sprin g washers.
7. The bomb body is filled wit h a main filling of h igh explosiv e as specified in par a. 4; with a
pad of T.N. T. at the nose end and a laye r of T.N. T., tog ethe r with a sealing layer of appro ved
composit ion, at t he tail end.
Tail units
8. The No. 29 Mk. I and II tail uni ts are for use with th is bomb b ut, before fittin g to a bomb,
the Mk. I tail mus t be modified using eith er of»the following m etho ds:—
Ei the r (i) Carefully stra igh ten th e ta b of th e t ab-w ashe r which secures th e lockin g-nut, unscrew
and remove the nu t and tab-w ashe r. Then remove one pa ir of armin g vane blade s and
replace the tab- was her and lockin g-nut. Bend up the t ab of t he t ab-w ashe r to secure the
lockin g-nut in position.
or (ii) Cut off two diam etric ally opposi te blades of t he armin g vane.
The No. 29 Mk. I t ail uni t is of th e s afety clip t ype an d is fo r use when th e "ve rtic al” syste m of fuzing
is requ ired . The No. 29 Mk. II tai l un it is designed for the "ho rizo ntal ” syste m of fuzing.
Note.— Where necessary, the No. 29 Mk. I t ail un it m ay be con vert ed for use for "ho rizo nta l”
fuzing, as described in Sect. 10, Chap. 1, App. 5.
486

RED BA ND

LI G H T GR EEN
BA ND

60/40

-------- PAINT ED
DARK GREEN

20506
A.B. 3/45 6
I.C.I000LB.

ST0LM2302V
TR AN SIT BASE
lL ^ ~ " jp i'

F ig . 2 .— M k . IH b o m b p r e p a re d f o r t r a n s it
487

This leaf issued with A. L. No. 118 A.P. 1661B, Vol. I , Seel. 10, Chap. 19
Jun e, 1945
9. The Mk. I and II tail units are secured to the bomb body by four wing bolts, access to
which is given by hand holes in the tai l cone. Both tails comprise a tai l cone, a cylind rical vane
att ach ed to the cone by four vane suppo rts, and an arming mechanis m. The armin g mechani sm
differs in the Mk. I and II tails and is described in the following par a. 10 and 11.
10.Armi ng mechanism of the No. 29 Mk . I tail uni t (not illu stra ted in the figures). This
x mechanis m
comprises an armin g spindle havin g a four-b laded armin g vane at the rea r end and an
arming fork at the fron t end. The armin g spindle is carrie d in a bush at the apex of th e tai l cone,
and in a bearin g at the forward end. A safet y clip is provid ed on the bush to pre ven t rot ati on of
the arming mechan ism unti l the bomb is released “liv e” .
11. Armi ng mechanism of the No. 29 Mh. I I tail unit, see fig. 1.—-This mecha nism comprises
an a rming spindle hav ing a two-bla ded armin g v ane at t he rear end and an armin g fork a t the f ron t
end. The armin g spindle is carried in a bush at the apex of the tai l cone, and in a beari ng at th e
forwar d end. Eac h-b lade of the arming vane has a small hole drilled thr oug h it. An armin g wire
guide, havi ng two small tub ula r channels, is fitte d over the cone bush. The arming wire guide and
one of the holes in the armin g vane blades car ry a safe ty wire when the bomb is fuzed.

P819 2 M /G1281 9/4 5 790 0 C & P 'G p . 1


488
489

Th is le af issu ed with A .L . No . 114 A.P .100 1B, Vol. I, Sect . 10


M ay , 1945

CHAPTE R 21
■o
Ml BOMBS, H.E ., AIRCRAF T, M.C., 4,0 00 lb., Mk. I and II
*"1

LIST OF CONTENTS
Par a.
Intro duc tion 1
BOMB, H.E ., AIRC RAF T, M.C., 4,000 lb., Mk. I
Leadin g par ticu lars 5
General descript ion
Bomb body 6
Tail uni t 11
Ins truc tion s for use 14
Suppl y 15
BOMB, H.E ., AIRC RAF T, M.C., 4,000 lb. , Mk. II
Comparison with the Mk. I bomb 16
Ins truc tion s for use ... ... ... ... ... ... ./. 18

■LIST OF ILLUST RATION S


Ffg.
1. Mk. I bomb prep ared for tran sit
2. Sectional view of Mk. I bomb fitted with No. 38 Mk. I tail unit

0 « Tf

Q
W
H o 2?
O
o o
H O U< D
V) “rf)
to

ARM AME NT
490

CHAPTER 21

BOMBS, H.E. , AIRCRAFT, M.C., 4,000 lb., Mk. I and II

Introduc tion
1. The 4,000 lb. Mk. I and II M.C. bombs are prim arily inte nded for low alt itu de bombing
operati ons. Both Mk. I and II bombs are to be fuzed only at the tail using a delay deto nato r. •
2. The bombs a re drilled to enable eithe r a s ingle Brit ish typ e suspension l ug or two American
typ e lugs to be fitted. As, however, ther e is no curr ent requ irem ent for America n lugs, thes e are
no t provided.
3. The t ail for use w ith these bombs is the No. 38 Mk. I. The d esign of th is t ail is such th at th e
"ho rizo ntal ” sy stem of fuzing, utilizi ng a "ho rizo ntal ” pull-off of a sa fety wire, is r equir ed to ini tia te
the actio n of t he tail arm ing mechanism .
4. General inform ation, including part icul ars of id entifica tion colouring and marki ngs, supply,
and storag e of M.C. bombs, is c ontain ed in Chap. 1 of th is Section. Att enti on is, t herefor e, direct ed
to th at Chap ter and to the Appendices following it. The la tte r conta in details of the compo nents
which may be used with the bombs, and t he a ppr opr iate instr uctio ns for fuzing, loading, unloadin g,
and unfuzin g according to the typ e of pis tol and system of fu zing used.

BOMB, H.E., AIRCRAFT, M.C., 4,00 0 lb ., Mk. I


Leading particulars
5. Leng th of bomb, with t ail and nose plu g f itte d ... ... 9 ft . 2 in., appro x.
Maximu m diame ter, with out sus pension lugs ... ... ... 2 ft. 6 in.
Weig ht and na tur e of filling ... ... ... ... ... 2,218 lb. Ama tol 50/50
or 60/40
or 2,347 lb. R.D .X./T .N.T .*
or 2,430 lb. Minol 2
Charge/w eight rati o ... ... ... ... ... ... 55 per cent, appro x.
Term inal velocity ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 2,100 ft. per sec.

General description
Bomb body
6. The bomb body is a fabri cated steel casing, the nose end of which is stre ngth ene d by six
equi-spac ed webs. Tap ped holes, covered durin g tra ns it and stora ge by pro tect ing shields, each
secured by one screw, a re prov ided in the body c asing for the att ach me nt of one suspen sion lug and
two hoisti ng brack ets, or twin lugs, as appr opria te.
7. The rear end of the casing is closed by a closing plat e secured by sixte en nut s and spring
washers. This end of the bomb body is prov ided wit h four locating pins to positi on the tai l uni t
correctly , and with four tap ped holes to receive the tra ns it base, or tail, securing bolts on assembly
of t he base or tai l uni t to the bomb body.
8. The closing plat e is fitte d w ith two drop hand les an d an ad ap ter which houses t he tail explo der
cont ainer and det ona tor holder. A second ada pte r, welded to the nose end of the casing, houses
the nose exploder cont aine r and det ona tor holder. The explod er conta iners and det ona tor holders
are locked in positio n by set-screws. Loca ted in the tail explod er con tain er is a 9 oz. 3 dr. pape r
wrap ped C.E. exploder, retai ned in positio n by a felt washer. There may or may not be a C.E.
explod er cont aine d in the nose explod er contai ner. The nose det ona tor holder is closed durin g
tra ns it and storage by a tra ns it plug and the ta il det ona tor holder by the tail pistol, as detail ed in
para. 15.
9. A cent ral tube , conta ining a column of five 33£ oz., and one 16 oz. 11 dr., C.E. exploders,
exten ds along the axis of the bomb body and fits arou nd the end of bot h nose and tai l exploder
contain ers. Washer s in the tub e prev ent move ment of the exploders.
10. The main filling of high explosive, specified in p ara. 5, occupies the r emain ing space with in
the bomb body and is sealed at the nose and tail ends by pads of appr oved composition.
Note.—The in teri or of c ertai n 4,000 lb. Mk. I M.C. bombs are pai nte d wi th an air dryin g varn ish
(in place of sto ved copal varnish) and h ave, therefo re, a rest ricte d service life of two years f rom
the dat e of filling. If the bombs are not expend ed withi n thi s period, arra ngm ents mus t be
491

This leaf issued with A .L. No. 114 A.P.1 661B , Vol. I, Sect. 10, Chap. 21
May, 1945
made for inspection with a view to extending their service life. Such bombs are identified by
the letter “ A ” stencilled in front of the date of filling. It should be noted, however, that all
4,000 lb. Mk. I M.C. bombs which were filled prior to August 1943 were in ternally coated with
air drying varnish but do not bear the identification mark. For these bombs, therefore, Units
must ensure that the letter "A ” is clearly stencilled in front of the date of filling.
Tail unit
11. The No. 38 Mk. I tail unit consists of a tail cone wi th a cylindrical vane attached to it by
four vane supports. The base of the tail cone is fitted with a tail cone attachm ent ring. This
ring has four holes for engagement with the four locating pins at the rear end of the bomb body,
thus ensuring that the tail unit is c orrec tly fitted to the bomb body. Four bolts, accessible through
hand holes, secure the tail unit in position.
12. An arming mechanism is fitted into the tail unit. It consists of an arming spindle, which
is supported by a cone bush and spider, and which has an arming fork at its forward end and a four-
bladed arming va ne attached a t its rear end. Each blade of the arming va ne has a small hole drilled
through it.
13. On the side of the tail cone, at the rear end, is fitted a channel bracket which constitutes
the arming wire guide. In the ends of the bracket are two holes directly opposite to each other,
and these, together with one of the arming vane holes carry the safety wire when the bomb is
fuzed.

Instruc tions for use


14. . Atten tion is directed to the Appendices to Chapter 1 of this Section for the instructions
for fuzing, loading, unloading, and unfuzing, appropriate to the type of pistol and the method of
fuzing which is required. In addition, the following points must be noted:—
(i) The bombs are to be fuzed only at the tail, using a delay detonator. In addition to the
normal fuzing operations, Units must ensure that the nose exploder pellets, if present, are
removed under A.I.D ./A.I .S. inspection before the bombs are used.
(ii) If the suspension fittings are not already assembled to the bomb, they are to be fitted
before fuzing. To do this remove, as necessary, t he pr otecting shields from the bomb body.
Then attac h the suspension lug(s) and hoisting brackets to the appropriate positions,
using the screws (with fibre inserts) provided. Great care must be ta ken to ensure that the
fittings are securely assembled to the bomb body.

Supply
15. The general information on the supply of M.C. bombs contained in Chapter 1 of this
Section is applicable to this bomb, together with the following parti cular s:—
(i) The bomb is supplied with a No. 40 transit plug in position in the nose and a No. 30 Mk.
IV* * or VI pistol in position in the tail. The tail pistol is protected during transit and
storage by a No. 33 transi t base which is attached to the bomb body by four bolts.
Note.— Early issues of this bomb have a transit plug in position in the tail instead of a tail
pistol, in which instance, a transit base is not fitted.
(ii) The suspension fittings are supplied separately from the bomb body and tail unit, in
Box B.449 Mk. I, which contains five Assemblies No. 5 Mk. I. Each assembly consists
of one lug, suspension, No. 4, Mk. I with four screws, two brackets, hoisting, No. 1, Mk. I
with eight screws, two screws, securing, nose attachme nt No. 3 Mk. II, and tw elve screws,
securing, tail unit No. 24.
Notes.— (i) Ear ly issues of t his bomb were made with suspension lugs and hoisting brackets
fitted to the bomb body?
(ii) The screws, securing, nose attachmen t No. 3 Mk. II, and the screws, securing,
tail unit No. 24 are provisioned for use with H.C. bombs and are not required
for this bomb. They are, therefore, to be returned in the box for re-issue.

BOMB, H.E ., AIRCRAFT, M.C., 4,00 0 lb., Mk. II


Comparison with the Mk. I bomb
16. The Mk. II bomb has a similar construction to the Mk. I bomb, as described in para. 6 to
13, ex cept that only a t ail fuzing position is provided, the nose end of the Mk. II bomb being closed
492

by a plug welded in position. The Mk. II bomb body also differs from th at of the Mk. I by the
inco rpor ation of the following feat ure s:—■
(i) The nose port ion of the bod y casing is stren gthen ed, being man ufa ctur ed from a one-piece
spinning.
(ii) The closing pla te is concave towa rds its cen tre; the num ber of bolts used for securing
it to the bomb bod y is increas ed to thi rty .
17. The Mk. II bomb body is su pplied fi tted w ith a No. 30 Mk. IV** o r V I pisto l and a No. 33
tra ns it base. The susp ension fitting s a re alw ays sup plied sepa rate ly from the bom b body as described
in para . 15 (ii).

Instru ctions tor use


18. Att ent ion is directe d to th e Appendices to Cha pter 1 of this Section for the instr uctio ns
for fuzing, loading, unload ing and unfuzin g app rop riat e to th e typ e of pistol and meth od of fuzing
which is requir ed. In addi tion, instr uctio ns for assembl ing suspension fitting s to the bomb body
are given in para . 14 (ii).

F7782 M /G760 7/45 7900 C & P Gp. 1


493

T hi s le af iss ue d wi th A .L . No . 129 A.P .16 61 B, Vol. I, Sect. 10


Dece mber , 1945

CHAPTER 22

BOMBS, H.E ., AIRCRAFT, M.C., 12,00 0 lb., Mk. I and U

LI ST OF CO NT EN TS
P a ra .
In tr od uc ti on ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1
BOM B, H .E ., A IR C R A FT , M.C., 12,000 lb., Mk. I
Le ad in g pa rti cu la rs
Bo m b bo dy ...

vj t o a s ] oi cz a
Ta il un it
Fa iri ng
Ge ner al de sc rip tio n
Bo m b bo dy ... ... ... ... ’ ...
Tai l un it
Fa iri ng
BOM B, H .E ., A IR C R A FT , M.C., 12,000 lb., Mk. II
Co mp ari son wi th th e Mk. I bo mb ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 19

LI ST OF IL LU ST RA TI ON S
FT?.
1. Th e 12,000 lb. Mk. I M.C. bo mb
2. View sho wi ng ins ide of fa iri ng an d tail con e
3. Sc ra p vie w of ins ide of fa iri ng sho wi ng tu rn bu ck le
4. Se cti on al view of Mk. 1 bomb , pr ep ar ed for use
494

CHAPTER 22

BOMBS, H.E ., AIRCRAFT, M.C., 12,000 lb., Mk. I and II

Intro ducti on
1. These bombs are designed for the at ta ck of special tar get s where deep pen etra tion into
sub-soil str at a is requi red.

2. The bombs, when prep ared for use, have a strea mlin e cont our.
They can be fuzed only at th e tail, using eith er thre e No. 58 pisto ls
or thre e No. 47 long delay pistols. The deta iled ins truc tion s for
fuzing a bom b wit h thes e compo nents, tog eth er wit h the proced ure
for assembling, loading, unloa ding and unfuzing a bomb, are given
in the Appendices to Cha pter 1 of thi s Section.
3. General infor mati on, includ ing detai ls of markin gs, funct ionin g,
supply , and storag e of M.C. bombs, is given in Cha pter 1 of this
Section.

BOMB, H.E. , AIRCRAFT, M.C., 12,000 lb., Mk. I


Leading particulars
Bomb body
4. Leng th 10 ft. 4 in.
Maxim um di am et er ... 3 ft. 2 in.
Weig ht and nat ure of filling ... 5,200 lb. Torp ex D. 1
Tota l we igh t... ... 11,855 lb.

Tail uni t
5. Leng th 11 ft., appro x.
Maxim um wid th across tail fins ... ... 3 f t. 8-3 in., approx .
Weigh t ... ... . ... 150 lb.
Fa irin g.
6. Len gth ... 1 ft. 1 in.
Weigh t ... 25 lb.
The overall leng th of the compl ete bomb is 21 ft.

General description, fig. 4


7. The bomb consist s of a bomb body, filled with high
explosive and pro vided w ith three ta il fuzing positions , and a No. 78 tail
unit , which is secure d to the bo mb body b y twelve assem bly stud s and
Simmonds nuts . A fairing, held in positio n on the bomb by three
turn buck les, is fitte d to main tain con tinuo us strea mlin ing of the
assemble d bomb.

Bomb body
8. The bomb body is man ufa ctur ed of cas t steel with a solid
nose formed by a conical nose piece which is screw ed and sealed into
the nose of the bomb. The tail opening is covere d by a closing plat e
which has thre e tap pe d holes for lifting purpose s and which is
att ach ed to the bomb body by twe nty stu ds with nut s and spring
washers. The rear end of the bomb body has twelve tap ped holes
to receive the tail assemb ly studs . These stu ds are thre ade d at each
end and are provi ded with flanges which seat in the cou nter sun k
stud holes.
Note.—The twelve tail assem bly stud s and Simmon ds nut s are
norma lly suppl ied sepa rate ly from the bomb body in a small box Fig . 1.— The 12, 000 lb. Mk. I
buil t into the bomb tra nsi t cradle. M.C. bomb
495

Th is lea f iss ued with A .L . No. 129 A. P. 16 61 B, V o l. I, Sect. 10, Chap. 22


December, 1945

9. Int o the closing plat e are screwed thre e explod er cont aine rs each of which houses an
R.D. X./B eesw ax exploder, and a C.E. explode r, covered by glazed board discs and a felt washer,
respecti vely. A det ona tor holder is screwed into each explo der con tain er and is closed, duri ng
tra ns it and storage , by a No. 34 tra ns it plug. Eac h explod er con tain er is ins et in an R. D. X. /
Beeswax explod er which is itself cont aine d in a bakel ised pap er or car dbo ard tube . A felt washer
is p ositio ned at one end of the tube while t he oppos ite end is closed by a millb oard disc secur ed by
grey paper.

10. The bomb body is filled with Torpe x D .l and is sealed at the nose end with a laye r of
R.D. compos ition and T.N.T ., and at the rea r end by R.D. compo sition or woodmeal wax and
T.N.T. A la min ated b lock compose d of a lte rna te layers of ply wood and felt, or a plywood washe r,
is recessed in the sealing compositio n.

.11. A recessed dowel hole is locat ed almo st midwa y along the leng th of the bomb bod y and
serves to position the bomb corr ectly in the aircr aft.

Ta il un it
12. The tail uni t consists of a tail cone to which f our fins of aerofoil sectio n are atta che d, the
fins being inclined at 5 deg. to the axis of the cone so as to im pa rt a spin to the bomb duri ng its
traj ecto ry.

13. The tai l cone has a framew ork of s ix hoops covere d by a met al plati ng made in sections.
Adjoini ng sections of plat ing are rive ted eith er to a hoop or to a bu tt stra p, which is a conne cting
str ip of meta l between two adj ace nt hoops.

14. Towards the apex of the cone are four proje cting sup por t arm s set at righ t angles, the
cone casing being stre ngt hen ed by a met al pla te where each arm passes thro ugh it. These
proje cting arm s c arr y t he four fins. Eac h fin con sists essen tially of a s kin of meta l plati ng s upp orte d
by four elliptic al plate s ben t over at the edges to form ribs, to which the plati ng is rivet ed. The
pla te nea rest the tai l cone is drille d wit h a large hole fitt ed wit h a flanged meta l collar, which is
carr ied by two p lates ca st inte gral w ith the collar and r ivet ed to the sk in meta l platin g. A securing
bolt, which passes thro ugh the collar and sup por t arm, is reta ined in position by two nuts, one at
each end.

15. At t he base of th e tail cone is an at ta ch ­


men t ring drilled wi th twelve holes to tak e the
twelve tail assem bly stud s on assem bly of the tail
uni t to the bomb body. Two han d holes in the
tail cone give access to the assem bly stud s and
to the f uzing position s aft er the tai l uni t has been
fitted. Whe n not in use, each han d hole is cove red
by a panel which is secured to the tail cone by
five screws. The tai l'co ne is also provi ded with
a fuzing link hole thro ugh which pass the fuze­
setti ng contr ol links or safe ty wires, for insert ion
in th e a ppr opr iate E.M. fuzing uni ts in the aircr aft.

16. An arrow is pain ted on the base of the


tai l cone in line with the fuzing link hole and is
to f acil itate align men t of th e fuzing link hole and
dowel hole on assemb ly of the tail uni t to the
bomb body.

Fig. 2.—View sho win g inside of fair ing and tail cone
496

F ai ri ng
17. Th e fa ir in g is fo rm ed by th re e ad jo in in g
cu rv ed se ct io ns of m et al p la ti n g (see fig. 2). T he
se ct io ns ov er la p sl ig ht ly , an d on th e ins ide of ea ch
ru ns a ch an ne l ri ng co nn ec te d to th e ch an ne l ri ng
of th e o th e r tw o se ct io ns b y tu rn b u ck le s. E ac h
tu rn b u c k le (see fig. 3) co m pr is es a st u d th re ad ed
a t b o th e nd s an d on w hi ch a k nu rl ed n u t, pr ov id ed
w it h fo ur to m m y b a r ho les , is m ou nt ed . Th e
th re ad ed en ds of th e st u d ar e of op po si te ha nd
to ea ch o th er an d scr ew in to tr un n io n s, ea ch
tr u n n io n be in g fi tt ed in a co up lin g lin k pi nn ed
to on e en d of a ch an ne l rin g.

18. Th e fa ir in g is st re ng th en ed b y we dge -
sh ap ed pie ce s of m et al we ld ed to th e ch an ne l rin g
an d ri v et ed to th e in sid e of th e fa iri ng , wh ich is
se cu re d in po si tio n on th e -b o m b b y ro ta ti n g th e
kn ur le d n u t of ea ch of th e th re e tu rn bu ck le s, an d
th is se rv es to dr aw th e se ct io ns of ch an ne l ri ng
(an d th u s th e se ct io ns of fai rin g) to ge th er .

BOMB, H. E. , AIRC RAF T, M.C., 12 ,00 0 lb.,


Mk. II
Comp arison wi th the Mk. I bomb
19. Th e Mk . II bo m b is of es se nt ia ll y th e Fig. 3.—Scra p view of insi de of fa irin g showing
sa m e co n st ru ct io n as th e Mk. I bo m b, a di ff er en t turn buc kle
m ar k nu m b er be in g al lo ca te d to in di ca te th a t th e
bo m b is of A m er ic an m an u fa ct ur e. A tt en ti o n is, th er ef or e, di re ct ed to p ar a. 1 to 18, w hi ch ap pl y
eq ua ll y to th e Mk. I I bo m b.
No te. — Th e ta il as se m bl y st u d s su pp li ed w it h th e Mk. I I bo m b ar e no t in te rc ha ng ea bl e w ith
th e st u d s pr ov is io ne d for use w ith th e Mk. I bo m b.

P9S70 M /G3771 3/46 7900 C&P G p. I


497

This, l eaf i ssued with A .L . No. 132 A.P.1 661B, Vol. I, Sect. 10
Jan uary , 1946

CHAPTER 23
BOMBS, H.E ., AIRCRAFT, M.C., 22,000 lb., Mk. I and II

LIST OF CONTENTS
Par a,
In tr od uc ti on ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1

BO MB , H .E ., A IR C R A FT , M.C., 22,0 00 lb., Mk. I


Le ad in g pa rt ic ul ar s
Bo m b bo dy ... ... ... ... ... ... . . ... 4
Ta il u n it ... ... ... ... ... ... .. ... 5
Fa ir in g ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 6
Ge ner al de sc rip tio n ... ... ... ... ... ... 7
Bo m b bo dy ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 8
Ta il u n it ... ... ... ... ... ... .. ... 12
F a i r i n g ................ ... ... ............................. ... 17

BO MB , H .E ., A IR C R A FT , M.C., 22, 000 lb. , Mk . II


Co mp ari so n w ith th e Mk. I bo m b ... ... ... ... ... 19

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Fig.
1. Th e 22,00 01 b. Mk. I M.C. bo m b
2. Sc ra p vie w of ins ide of fa iri ng sho wi ng tu rn bu ck le
3. Se cti on al view of Mk. I bo m b, pr ep ar ed fo r use
498

CHAPTER 23
BOMBS, H.E ., AIRCRAFT, M.C., 22,000 lb., Mk. I and U

Introduct ion
1. These bombs are designed for the at ta ck of special targ ets
where deep pen etra tion into sub-soil st ra ta is required .
2. The bombs, when prep ared for use, have a strea mlin e con­
tour . The y can be fuzed only at the tail, using eith er thre e No. 58
pistols or thr ee No. 47 long-del ay pistols. The deta iled instr uctio ns
for fuzing a bomb wit h these compo nents, toge ther with the pro cedure
for assemblin g, loading, unloa ding an d unfuzing a bomb, are given in
the Appendices to Chap ter 1 of thi s Section.
3. General inform ation, includi ng detai ls of markings', fun ctio n­
ing, suppl y and storag e of M.C. bombs is given in Cha pter 1 of this
Section.

BOMB, H.E ., AIRC RAF T, M.C., 22,000 lb., Mk. I


Leading particulars
Bomb body
4. L en gt h. .. ... ... ... ... 12 ft. 6 in.
Maximum diam eter ... ... ... 3 ft. 10 in.
Weigh t and nat ure of filling ... 9,135 1b. Torpex D. l
Tot al wei ght. .. ... ... ... 21,500 1b.
Tai l unit
5. L en gt h. .. ... ... ... ... 13 ft. 3-9 in., approx .
Maximu m width across tail fins ... 4 ft. 5-6 in., approx .
W ei gh t.............. 1601b.
Fairing
6. Le ng th. .. ...................................... 1 ft. 4 in.
Weigh t ...................................... 28 lb.
The .ove rall leng th of the compl ete bom b is 25 ft. Sin .
General description, fig. 3
7. The bomb consis ts of a bomb body, filled with high explosive
and provi ded wit h thr ee tai l fuzing positions, and a No. 82 tail unit,
which is secure d to the bomb body by twelve assem bly stu ds and
Simmonds nuts . A fairing, held in position on the bomb by three
turnb uckle s, is fitte d to mai ntai n conti nuou s stream linin g of the
assembled bomb.
Bomb body
8. The bomb body is man ufac tured of cast steel with a solid
nose formed by a conical nose piece which is s crewed and sealed into
the nose of the bomb. The tail- ope ning is covered by a closing plate
which has two tap ped holes for lifting purposes and which is a tta che d
to the bomb body by tw ent y stu ds with nuts and spring washers.
The r ear end of the bo mb body has twelve tap ped holes to recei ve the
tail assemb ly s tuds. These stud s are thr ead ed at each end and pro ­
vided w ith a flange which seats in the cou nter sunk stud hole.
Note.— The twelve tail assem bly stud s and Simmonds nut s are
norm ally supplie d sep arat ely from the bomb body in a
small box bui lt into the bomb tra nsi t cradle.
9. Int o the closing plat e are screwed thr ee explo der conta iners
each of which houses an R.D .X./B eesw ax explode r, and a C.E.
exploder, covered by glazed board discs and a felt washer, respecti vely.
A det ona tor holder is screwed into each explod er cont aine r and is Fig. 1.— The 22, 000 lb.
closed, durin g tra ns it and storage , by a No. 34 tra ns it plug. Each Mk. I M.C. bomb
499

Th is lea f is sued with A .L . No. 132 A.P. 1661 B, Vol. I, Sect. 10, Chap. 23
Ja nu ar y, 1946

expl cder con tain er is inset in an R.D. X./B eesw ax explod er wh ich is itse lf co ntain ed in a bakelised
pape r o r a c ard boa rd tube . A felt washe r is posit ioned at one end of the tube while the opposit e
end is closed by a millb oard disc secured by grey paper.
10. The bomb body is filled with Torp ex D. l and is sealed at the nose end with a laye r of
appr oved compos ition and T.N.T ., and at th e rear end by app rove d compos ition or woodmeal wax
and T.N.T . A lam inat ed block composed of alt ern ate layers of plywood and felt, or a plywood
washer, is recessed in the sealing compositio n.
11. A recessed dowel hole is locate d almo st midway along the leng th of th e bomb body and
serves to position the bomb corr ectly in the airc raft .
Ta il un it
12. The tail uni t consist s of a tai l cone to which four fins of ae rofoil section are atta che d, the
fins being inclined at 5 deg. to the axis of the cone so as to imp art a spin to the bomb duri ng its
traj ect ory .
13. The tail cone has a framew ork of si x hoops covered by a metal plat ing made in sections.
Adjoinin g section s of pla ting are rive ted eith er to a hoop or to a bu tt str ap, which is a conne cting
stri p of met al betwee n two adj ace nt hoops.
14. Toward s th e apex of the cone ar e four proj ectin g sup por t arms se t at r ight a ngles, the cone
casing being stre ngt hen ed by a meta l plat e where each arm passes thro ugh it. These proje cting
arm s car ry the four fins. Eac h fin con sists esse ntial ly of a skin of meta l plat ing sup por ted by four
ellipti cal plat es ben t over at the edges t o form ribs, to which the pla ting is rivete d. The trans verse
pla te nea rest the tai l cone is drilled wit h a large hole fitte d wit h a flanged meta l collar, which is
carri ed by two pla tes cast integ ral with the colla r and rive ted to the skin metal platin g. A
securing bolt, which passes thr ou gh t he collar and s upp ort arm, is retai ned in position by two nuts,
one at each end.
15. At the base of th e tail cone is an att ac hm en t ring drille d with t wen ty-f our holes, alte rna te
holes being*used to ta ke the twelve ta il as sembl y st uds on assem bly of the tai l uni t t o t he bom b body .
Three han d holes in the tai l cone give access to t he assem bly stu ds and to the fuzing posit ions aft er
the ta il uni t has been f itted. When not in use, each h and hole is co vered by a panel which is secu red
to the t ail cone by five screws. The tai l con e is also prov ided w ith a f uzing link hole t hro ugh which
pass the fuze-s etting contr ol links or saf ety wires for
insert ion in the app rop riat e E.M. fuzing units in
the aircr aft.
16. An a rrow is p aint ed on the base of the tail
cone in line with th e f uzing link h ole an d is to faci litate
align ment of t he fuzing link hole and dowel hole on
assemb ly of th e tai l uni t to the bomb body.

Fa irin g
17. The fairing is formed by three adjoin ing
curv ed sections of m etal plati ng. The section s ove r­
lap slightly , and on the inside of ea ch run s a channel
ring, conne cted to the chann el ring of the othe r two
sections by tu rnbu ckle s. Eac h turn buc kle (see fig. 2)
comprises a stu d thr ead ed at both e nds and on which
a knurl ed nut , provid ed with four tom my bar holes,
is mou nted . The thre ade d ends of the stu d are of
oppos ite ha nd t o ea ch othe r and sc rew into titin nion s,
each trun nio n being fitte d in a coupling link pinned
to one end of a chann el ring.
18. The fairing is str eng the ned by wedge-
shape d pieces of met al welded to the channe l ring
and rive ted to the inside of th e fairing, which is
secure d in posi tion on the bomb by rot ati ng the
knur led nu t of each of the thre e turn buc kles , and
this serves to draw the section s of chan nel ring (and Fig. 2.—Scrap view of inside of f airin g showing
thu s the sections of fairing) toge ther . turn buc kle
500

BOMB, H.E ., AIRCRAFT, M.C., 22,000 lb. , Mk. II

Comparison with the Mk. I bomb


19. The Mk. II bom b is of essen tially the saipe con stru ctio n as the Mk. I bomb, a different
ma rk num ber being alloc ated to indic ate th at the bomb is of Americ an man ufac ture . Att ent ion
is, there fore, direc ted to para. 1 to 18, which app ly equa lly to the Mk. II bomb.

Note.—The tail assem bly stud s suppli ed with the Mk. II bomb are not inter chang eable
with t he stud s provis ioned for use with the Mk. I bomb.

P9763 M /G4118 3/46 7900 C&P Gp. 1


501

Th is app end ix issu ed with A .L . No . 70 A. P. 16 61 B, V ol. I, Sec t. 10


Au gus t, 1943
Releva nt amen dmen ts up to A .L . 72
incorporated in this repri nt
Jan ua ry , 1944

AP PE ND IX 1 ‘

COMPONENTS USE D WIT H M.C. BOMBS

LI ST OF CO NT EN TS
1 Table
Bomb, H .E., aircra ft, M.C., 250 lb., Mk. I ... ... ... ... ... ... (to be issued later} 1
Bombs, H .E., aircraft , M.C., 500 lb., Mk. I, III , IV, and V ............................................................. 2
Bomb, H .E., aircra ft, M.C., 500 lb., Mk. I I. .. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 3
Bomb, H.E., aircraft , M.C., 1,000 lb., Mk. I ... ... • ... ... ... ... ... ... 4

Bomb, H .E., aircra ft, M.C., 4,000 lb., Mk. I 5


502

AP PE ND IX 1
COMPONENTS USE D WI TH M.C^ BOMBS

TABLE 2

BOMB S, H. E. , AIR CRA FT, M.C., 500 lb., Mk. I, H I, IV, and V

No se fu zi n g T ai l fu zi ng

Pis tol Deto nato r Ex plo der Pis tol Deto nato r Ex plo de r

No. 27, . No. 43, No. 28, No. 43, Mk. I (inst.)
Mk. I* or I I Mk. I (inst.) Mk. I, II, No. 49, Mk. I or II I (0-025 sec.)
II*, II I, or No. 47, Mk. I or II I (0-12 sec.)
IV No. 44, Mk. I, II , or II I (1 sec.)
No. 35, Mk. II , II I, or V (11 sec.)
Special, Special,
supp lied supp lied
No. 42, No. 52, in No. 30, No. 52, Mk. I or II (inst.) in
Mk. I or II Mk. 'I or II posi tion Mk. II, II I, No. 51, Mk. I (0-025 sec.) posi tion
(inst.) III *, IV, No. 50, Mk. I (0-14 sec.)
or V No. 54, Mk. I (3 sec.)
No. 55, Mk. I (11 sec.)
No. 44, No. 52,
Mk. I Mk. II
(inst.)
503

A.P .16 61B , Vol. I, Sect. 10. Ap p. 1

TABLE 3

BOMB , H .E ., AIR CRA FT, M.C., 50 0 lb., Mk. II

Nos e fu zi n g T ai l fu zi n g

Pis tol Deto nator Ex plo der Pis tol Deto nato r Ex plo de r

No. 27,- No. 43, 1 No.- 28, No. 43, Mk. I (inst.)
Mk. I* or I I Mk.I (inst.) Mk. I, II , No. 49, Mk. I or II I (0-025 sec.)
II*, or II I No. 47, Mk. I or II I (0-12 sec.)
No. 44, Mk. I, II, or II I (1 sec.)
. Special, No. 35, Mk. II , II I, or V (11 sec.) Special,
supp lied 1
supp lied
in m
posi tion posi tion
No. 42, No. 52, No. 30 , No. 52, Mk. I or II (inst.)
Mk. I or II Mk. I or II Mk. II , II I, No. 51, Mk. I (0-025 sec.)
(inst.) III *, or IV No. 50, Mk. I (0-14 sec.)
No. 54, Mk. I (3 sec.)
No. 44, No. 52,
Mk. I Mk. II
(inst.) -

TABLE 4

BOM B, H .E ., AIRC RAF T, M.C., 1,0 00 lb ., Mk. I

No se fu zi ng T ai l fu zi ng

Pis tol Deto nator Ex plo der Pis tol Deton ator Ex pl od er

No. 42, No. 52, No. 28, No. 43, Mk. I (inst.)
M k, I or II Mk. I or II Mk. I, II, No. 49, Mk. I or I I I (0-025 sec.)
(inst.) II*, or II I No. 47, Mk. I or II I (0-12 sec.)
No. 44, Mk. I, II , or I I I (1 sec.)
Special, No. 35, Mk. II , II I, or V (11 sec., Special ,
supp lied supp lied
in in
posi tion posi tion
No. 44, No. 52, No. 30, No. 52, Mk. I or II (inst.)
Mk. I Mk. II Mk. I I, II I, No. 51, Mk. I (0-025 sec.)
(inst.) II I* , o r I V No. 50, Mk. I (0-14 sec.)
No. 55, Mk. I (11 sec.) .
*

TABLE 5

BOM B, H .E ., AIRC RAF T, M.C., 4, 00 0 lb. , Mk. I

Nos e fu zi ng Td il fu zi ng

Pis tol Deto nato r Pis tol Det ona tor .

No. 42, No. 52, No. 30, No. 52, Mk. I or II (inst.)
Mk. I or II Mk. I or II Mk. II , II I, No. 51, Mk. I (0-025 sec.)
III *, or IV No. 50, Mk. I (0-14 sec.)
No. 55, Mk. I (11 sec.)
504
505

AI R PUBLICAT ION 166 1B


Vol ume I

Section 11

A.T. BOMBS

(8662) T10 978/2 716 2500 4/41 M48142 C & P 7S2


506

Relevant amendments up to A. L. 72 A. P.1 66 1B , Vol. I


incorporated in this reprint
Janu ary, 1944

SECTION 11

A.T . BOMBS

GE NER AL CONTENTS LIS T

. Note.— A detai led con tent s list appe ars at the beginning of each cha pter .

CHA PTE R 1—General notes on A.T. bombs


CHA PTE R 2—Bomb, H.E ., airc raft , A.T., 9 lb., Mk. I
507
508

Th is chapter issue d with A .L . No. 39 A.P.16 61B, Vol. I, Sect. 11


September, 1942
Releva nt amen dmen ts up to A .L . 72
incorporated in this repri nt
Ja nu ar y, 1944

CHAPTER 1

General notes on A.T. bombs

LI ST OF CO NT ENT S
Para.
Intro duct ion ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .1
Precaut ions to be observed when fuzing or unfuzing bombs
Repair and examina tion ...

co cor*
Supply ... ... ” ... ... ...
Storage ...
509

CHA PTER 1

Gene ral no tes on A.T . bombs


Intr oduc tion
1. Only o ne type of A.T. bomb is at pre sent in genera l use in the Service, namely, th e 9 lb. A.T.
bomb. This bomb, which is for use agai nst tan ks and armo ured fighting vehicles, has a very thi n
case, g iving a charge /weigh t rat io of appro x. 80 per cent. It is fuzed at the tai l only.

Pre cau tio ns to be obser ved wh en fuz ing or un fuz ing bombs
2. Att ent ion is d irect ed to the p reca ution s d etaile d i n S ect. 1, Chap. 1, which appl y also t o A.T.
bombs. The armin g tap e on the fuze is to be kep t dry so as to pre ven t freezing and conse quent
failure to arm the fuze when the bomb is dropped .

Rep air and exa mi nat ion


3. Only such repa ir and e xam inati on of bom bs as is de tailed i n Sect. 20, Chap. 1, is to he d one
by arm am ent personnel. Any bomb found hav ing maj or damag e or defects is to be set aside for
A.I.D. inspection .
<■ 4. Bombs he ld in store ar e to be exami ned for ex udat ion of the filling ever y six mo nths at home
Statio ns, and every thre e mon ths at Stat ion s overseas. Ex uda tion is to be dealt with as described
in Sect. 20, Chap. 1. ‘ .
5. Fuzed bombs, whe ther loaded on to aircr aft, or stor ed in the fuzed bomb area, mu st be
examin ed at the inter vals sta ted in Sect. 20, Chap 2.

Supply
6. A.T. bombs are supplied in boxes, toge ther wit h the necessar y reta rde r plate s and safety
tubes.

Stor age
7. The regula tions governi ng the storag e of A.T. bombs are given in A.P.1245, Chap. 3.
510

Issued, with A .L . No. 3 A.P.16 61B, Vol. I, Sect. 11


Februar y, 1942
Relev ant amen dmen ts up to A .L . 72 •
incorporat ed in this repr int
Jan ua ry , 1944

CHAPTER 2

BOMB, H.E ., AIRCRAFT, A.T., 9 lb., Mk. I

CONTENTS
Pa ra.
Le ad in g pa rt ic ul ar s ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1
In tr od uc ti on ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 2
Ge ner al de sc rip tio n ... .... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 6
Fi lli ng ... . ............................................................................................................ ... ............................. 12
Id en tif ic at io n co lou rin g an d m ar ki ng s
Co lou rin g ... ' ... ... ... ... ... ... . ••• 13
Ma rk ing s ................ ... ... ... ... ..." ... ... ... ... ... ... 14
In st ru ct io ns fo r fuz ing ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 17
L oa di ng th e bo mb s in to th e 250 lb. Sm all Bo m b C on ta in er ... ... ... ... ... ... 23
Pr ec au tio ns ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 24
F un ct io ni ng ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 27
Un lo ad in g un ex pe nd ed bo m bs fro m th e 250 lb. Sm all Bo m b Co nt ai ne r ... ... ... ... 30
U nf uz in g. .. ... ... - ... ... ... ... ... ... • ... ... ... ... „.. 31
In sp ec tio n ... ... ... .. . ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 35
Su pp ly ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 36
S t o r a g e .......................................... ............................. ' .................................................................................. 38

LIS T OF ILLU STRA TIONS


Fig.
1. Bo mb , H .E ., ai rc ra ft , A.T ., 9 lb., Mk. I, w ith fuze , re ta rd er pl at e, an d sa fe ty tu b e in po sit ion
511

-P LA TE OF SA FE TY TU BE
I

-RE TAR DER PL AT E .


(R EA R BOMB ON LY J

SA FE TY TUBE
( RE AR BOMB ON LY )

REAR COVER

FUZE N o. 8 4 7

EXPLODER CONTAINER

F ig . 1.— B o m b , H .E ., a ir c r a f t, A .T ., 9 lb ., M k. I, w it h fu z e , r e t a r d e r p la te
a n d s a f e ty tu b e in p o s it io n
512

A.P.16 61B, Vol. I, Sect. 11

CHAPTER 2

BOMB, H.E. , AIRCRAFT, A.T., 9 lb., Mk. I


Leading particulars.
1. Stores Ref. 12A/882
Overall leng th ... 1 ft. 2 in. approx .
Weig ht of bomb, em pty I f lb. approx .
Weigh t of bomb, filled 8J lb. approx .
Filling Nobel ’s explosive No. 808

Introduction
2. Att ent ion is direc ted to Sect. 11, Chap. 1.
3. The bomb, H.E ., airc raft, A.T., 9 lb., Mk. I, is desig ned for use ag ains t t ank s and armo ured
vehicles. It is tai l fuzed only with a No. 847 fuze, and the minim um heigh t of release to ensure
funct ioning is 250 ft. , altho ugh the bomb m ay funct ion when dropp ed from as low' as 90 ft. with out
causing damag e to the att ack ing aeroplane .
4. One 250 lb. Small Bomb Cont ainer load of 24 bombs, when d roppe d from a heig ht of 250 ft.
at 190 m .p.h., will co ver an are a of app roxi mat ely 60 yds. in range by 30 yds. in line. The bombs
are dropp ed in pairs, the nose of t he rea r bomb being housed in the tai l of t he fro nt bomb.
5. The bomb will blow a hole app roxi mat ely nine inches in diam eter in armo ur plat ing 2 in',
thick , and is effective at angles of stri kin g up to 45 deg.

General description, fig. 1 1

6. The bomb.is ap prox imat ely rect ang ular in s hape and has a sq uare cross-secti on w ith rounded
cor ner s; it tap ers sligh tly from the rear towa rds the nose.
7. The body is made of thi n sheet metal, and the tai l is formed inte gral with it. It is closed
at t he nose en d by a fro nt cover which houses a nose cup which is ta ped a nd ceme nted in. The nose
cup of th e r ear bomb forms t he safe ty device for th e fuze in th e f ron t bo mb of a pa ir. The t ail port ion
of t he body h as a han d cleara nce hole in each face.
8. App roxim ately half-way along the inside of the bomb is att ach ed a rea r cover, the space
between the fro nt and rea r covers forming the charge case of the bomb.
9. Att ach ed at th e c entr e of t he rea r cover is a loca tor whi ch loc ates t he rear end of an exploder
cont aine r. The loca tor is pressed into t he form of a scr ew-th read on to which is screwed a cap which
reta ins the ex ploder con tain er in p osition. The explode r co ntai ner houses the No. 847 fuze when the
bom b is fuzed. -‘ *
10. The rear bomb of a pai r is fitte d with a plate , ret ard er (Stores Ref. I2A/885) and a tube,
safe ty (Stores Ref. 12A/886). The ret ard er plate , which is a squa re flat plat e, has two small s ecuring
strip s at op posite corners integ ral with t he p la te ; these tw o s trip s clip on t o the re ar edges of two of
the han d clearan ce holes in the tai l por tion .of the body. Atta che d to the othe r two corners of the
ret ard er pl ate are t wo long s ecuring st rips which are c lipped ov er th e edge of th e t ail when th e re tar der
plat e is assemble d to .the bomb. A hole at the c entr e of th e ret ard er pla te allows of th e fittin g of t he
safet y tube.
11. The safe ty t ube is a figh t-gauge met al tube, havi ng s ecured on its inside a c ardb oard sleeve,
which when th e bomb is fuzed, fits over the h ead of th e No. 847 fuze. Toward s the rea r end pf th e
safe ty t ube is f itted a pla te which locates the t ube in the ta il of t he bomb . The fron t e nd of the tu be
fits loosely ov er the locator . The safe ty tub e forms*lthe safe ty device for the fuze of t he rea r bomb
of a pair.

Filling
12. The charge case of th e bomb is filled wdth No bel’s explosive No. 808, an d a C.E. pellet is
housed in the bot tom of the explod er conta iner.
I
Identification colouring and markings
Colouring
13. The bo mb is pa inte d d ark green, a nd w hen filled, has a | in. red ba nd p aint ed round the nose.
513

Markin gs
14. On one face of the bomb is stencilled , in black, the following info rma tion :—
(i) 808, de notin g the nat ure of the filling.
(ii) I, A.T., 9 lb., den otin g the ma rk num ber and the typ e of bomb.
(iii) A code deno ting the body man ufa ctu rer and the dat e of man ufac ture.
15. On the same face is stencille d, in white, the following:-—
(i) The filling con tra cto r’s initi als or recognized tra de mark.
(ii) The dat e of filling, mon th and year. >

Instructio ns for fuzing


17. Unp ack the bombs from the ir packages, and remove the ret ard er pla te and safe ty tube
from the rea r bomb of each pair. The ret ard er pla te is not secured to th e rea r bomb.
18. Remove t he cap from the locat or in each bomb, and inse rt a fuze No. 847 in the exploder
con tain er of each bomb. Secure th e fuze fi rmly in positi on by screw ing th e fuze cap on to t he locat or.
Note.— If t he fuze can not be secured firmly i n p ositio n, it is to be remove d and tr ied in ano ther
bomb.
19. Fit a ret ard er pla te in the tai l of each rea r bomb. The two long sec uring strip s mu st pass
up the inside of the tail , and lie flat on the inside face of the tail.
Note.— The bombs fitte d with ret ard er plate s will con stit ute the rea r bombs.
20. Remove the elastic bands, which hold the safe ty tape s of the No. 847 fuzes, and unwind
the safe ty tap es abo ut one tur n. Place the p air of bombs tog eth er so t ha t the nose cup of t he rear
bomb fits over th e head of the fuze of the front bomb.
21. Fi t a safe ty tub e over the fuze of t he rear bomb with the pla te of the safe ty tub e towa rd
th e rear."
22. Check t ha t t he bombs can fall free ly a par t, and th at th e safe ty t ub e is a loose fit in the re ar
bomb.

Loading the bombs *


into the 250 lb. Small Bomb Container
23. Twen ty-fou r bombs are loaded nose forward in the 250 lb. Small Bomb Conta iner, as
described in A.P. 1664, Vol. I, Chap. 3. When the bombs have been loaded into the conta iner, an
exam inati on is to be made to ensure t ha t the dr op bars and expend able platfo rms have not dist orte d
the tails of th e bombs.

Precaut ions . ■
24. If the sa fety tap e and pin of th e fuze a re accid ental ly removed whilst fuzing or loading the
bomb, the bomb is “liv e” a nd mus t be tr eat ed with g reat care. The safe ty pin mus t be imme diate ly
inser ted in the fuze and the tap e re-wound.
25. If the safe ty tap e is allowed to become damp, ther e is a possib ility of it becoming frozen
and failing to unwind when the bomb is dro pped. It is there fore extre mely i mp ort ant t ha t the fuze
be ke pt dry du ring th e fuzing and lo ading of the bomb. It is pref erable t ha t fuzed bombs should not
be kep t in fuzed bomb areas over night, owing to the likelihood of th e fuzes b ecoming damp.
26. Care mu st be tak en not to da mage th e bo mb tai ls, or th e pa irs of bo mbs m ay fail to s epar ate.
If a tai l is ben t and it can not be strai ght ene d at the Unit , the b omb is n ot to be used.

Functio ning
27. When the bombs are released from the c onta iner , the s afet y tub e of th e rea r bomb of each
pai r is removed by the air stre am, and, owing to the actio n of the ret ard er pla te in the rea r bomb,'
the two bombs sepa rate.
28. The safe ty tap e of the fuze unwinds in the air stre am and withd raws the safe ty pin from
the fuze.
29. On imp act of t he bomb with the tar get , the bomb body collapses and allows t he expl osive
to sprea d over the surface of the tar get . At the same tim e th e fuze functio ns, ini tiat es the C.E.
pellet, and det ona tes the filling in close con tac t with the targ et.
514

A.P. 1661B, Vol. I, Sect. 11, Chap. 2

Unloading unexpended bombs from the 250 lb. Small Bomb Container
30. Unload the bombs from the 250 lb. Small Bomb Conta iner as described in A.P. 1664,
Vol. I, Chap. 3.

Unfuzin g
31. Sepa rate the bombs, and remove the fuze from the fron t bomb. Replace the cap on the
locator.
32. Remove the reta rde r plat e and the safet y tub e from the rear bomb, and remove the fuze.
Replace the cap on the locator.
33. Pac k the bombs, ret ard er plates , and safet y tubes in the ir boxes.
34. Rewind the safet y tap e on to each fuze and secure it in positio n with the elastic band.

Inspection
35. Bombs, H.E ., airc raft , A.T., 9 lb., Mk. I, are to be inspe cted for signs of exud ation of t he
filling every six mon ths at home Stati ons, and every thre e mon ths at Stat ions overseas, par ticu lar
att en tio n being paid to the nose cup. Exu dati on of the filling is to be d ealt with as sta ted in Sect.
20, Chap. 1.

Supply
36. Eig ht bombs, four ret ard er plates, and four safe ty tube s, are packed in Box, B.373, Mk. I
(Stores Ref. 12A/887).
37. The drop bars and ex penda ble p latfo rms for l oading the bom bs in to the 250 lb. Small B omb
Cont ainer are pack ed s epar ately in e xpend able card boar d boxes. Fou r dro p bars a nd four ex pendab le
platf orms are packed in each box.

Storage
38. The boxed bombs are classified for stora ge purpos es in Group VII .

X (1661B)
515

AI R PUBLICA TION 166 1B


Vol ume I

Section 16

MISCELLANE OUS BOMBS

(8662) T16978 /2746 2500 4/44 H4S14 2 C & P 752


516

A.P.1661B, VoL I

SEC TION 16

MI SC EL LA NE OU S BOM BS, GR EN AD ES , ETC.

GE NE RA L CONTE NTS LIS T

Note.— A deta iled con ten ts list app ears at the beginn ing of each cha pte r.

CH AP TE R 1— Genera l notes o n mi scellaneou s bomb s, g rena d en) oto ? (to be issued later) |U -
CH APT ER 2—Bomb, H. E., airc raft, 20 lb., Mk. I (te •&» )£.
CH APT ER 3—Bomb, H.E ., airc raf t, I.T. , 6 lb., Mk. I (a .l .72)
■ ..•...... *
. .............. ......................................................................
CH APT ER 4—Bombs, aircr aft, nickle, No. 2, Mk. I and II (a. l .97)

t^ ic U fi r M L{

APPEJ NDIX 1—Comp onents used with miscellaneo us bombs,


517
518

Iss ued with A .L . No. 12 A.P.16 61B, Vol. I , Sect. 16


Ju ne , 1942
Releva nt amen dmen ts up to A .L . 72
incorporat ed in this repr int
Jan ua ry , 1944

CHAPTER 2

BOMB, H.E. , AIRCRAFT, 20 lb., Mk. I

LIS T OF CONTENTS
Para.
Int ro du cti on ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1
Lea ding pa rti cu lar s ... ........................... ... ............... ... ............... ... 2
General desc rip tion ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 3
Bom b bod y ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 4
Filli ng ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 8
T a il ................................................................................................................................................................. 10
Cover, pisto l, bom b, D.A., No. 16, Mk. I ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 13
Ide nti fic atio n colo urin g and mar king s
Colouri ng ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 14
Mar kings ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 15
Fu nct ion ing ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 19
Ins tru cti on s for use
Fuz ing th e bom b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 21
Loa ding th e bom b on th e air cra ft bom b ca rrie r ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 25
Unlo adin g th e bom b from th e ai rc ra ft bom b ca rrie r ... ... ... ... ... ... 26
Unf uzin g th e bom b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 27
Sup ply and stor age
Sup ply ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 28
Stor age ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 29

LIS T OF ILLU STRA TION S


Fig.
1. Bomb, H. E. , air cra ft, 20 lb., Mk. I
519

J T 1 _ ^ - F L A N G E D CA P
FL AN GE D C A P

-T A IL VANES TAIL VANES

TAIL CON E

TAI L ADA PTE R

BODY

EXP LOD ER CO NTA INE R

PAPER TUBE
PAIN TED YELLOW

■SUSPENSIO N
LUG

-L IG H T GRE EN BA ND •

-R E D BA ND DETONATOR .
HO LDE R

FELT WAS HERS


GRU B SCRE W GR UB SCREW
NO SE ADA PTE R NOS E ADA PTER
GL AZ ED BO AR D
WASHERS

PIS TO L
PIS TOL

SEC URIN G WIRE

A RM IN G VANE A RM IN G VANE

PIS TO L CO VE R

Fig. 1.—Bomb, H.E., aircraft , 20 lb., Mk. I


520

A. P.1 66 1B , Vol. I, Sect. 16

CHA PTER 2

BOMB, H. E. , AIRC RAF T, 20 lb., Mk. I


Int rod uct ion
1. The 20 lb. H.E . bomb, which is inte nde d for atta cki ng personnel, aerodrom es, and road
tra nsp ort , is explodere d for fuzing at the nose only, and is issued assembled with tai l and pistol,
bomb, D.A., No. 16, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12G/37), th e pistol being pro tect ed by a cover.

Lea din g parti cular s


2. Stores Ref. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 12A/1
Overall length (pistol cover in position) ... ... 2 ft. 1 in., approx .
Maximum diam eter ... ... ... ... ... 5-175 in.
Weigh t of em pty bomb (pistol and cover in pos ition )... 21 lb. 8 oz.
Weig ht and nat ure of filling ... ... ... ... 5 lb. 4 oz., T.N .T.
Term inal velocit y ... ... ... ... ... 855 ft. per sec.

GEN ERA L DES CRI PTI ON


3. The bomb, see fig. 1, consists of th e following main p ar ts :—a steel, semi-steel, or malleable
iron body ; a cas t iron nose ad apt er which supp orts a det onato r holder and an explod er conta iner,
and also carries the No. 16 pistol and its cover; a cas t iron tai l ad ap ter which screws into t he rear
end of the bo mb body an d carries a ta il ro d; and a woode n ta il cone w ith four sheet m etal tai l vanes.

Bom b body
4. The bomb body is hollow and open at both ends, the f orward end being inte rnal ly thre ade d
to receive the nose ada pter , and the rea r end being inte rna lly thre ade d to tak e the tai l ada pter .
The nose ad apt er is secu red agai nst remov al by a grub screw, and the tai l ad ap ter is locked again st
unscrewing, by stabb ing, at its joi nt with th e rea r end of t he bom b body. A w rough t iron or mild
steel suspension lug is rivet ed to the bomb body.
5. The nose ad ap ter is in the form of a flanged plug which is bored thr oug h axiall y and
coun terbo red from both sides, the bore and counte rbore s being thre ade d. The det ona tor holder
is screwed into th e bore from the re ar side, the e xplod er c ont aine r is screwed into t he coun terbo re on
the rea r side so as to enclose the det on ato r holder, and a t hre ade d spigo t on the base of the No. 16
pistol is s crewed into th e coun terbo re on the forwar d side.
6. The spigot port ion of the nose ad ap ter is thre ade d and is screwed into the nose end of the
bomb body, on which the flange se ats; the flange be ing exte rnal ly thr ead ed to receive the screw-on
pistol cover.
7. The tai l ada pte r, the spigot of which screws into the rea r end of the bomb body, has its
rear porti on tap ere d so as to conform to and con stit ute a rearw ard extens ion of the stream lined
bomb body. It is bored thro ugh axiall y and coun terbo red from the rear, the bore being thre ade d
to receive th e t ail rod, which is th rea ded a t b oth ends, a nd the cou nterb ore se rving as a bearing socket
for the wooden tai l cone.

Fil lin g
8. The main filling consist s of T.N .T., and is sealed at t he nose end by two waxed felt washers.
A waxed pap er tub e surro unds the explod er conta iner, and its forward serr ated end is pressed
outw ardl y and seate d between the waxed felt washers, whilst these are warm and plastic , so as to
ensure an efficient seal at thi s end.
9. An exploder, consis ting of thr ee solid C.E. pellets, and one perf orat ed C.E. pellet, covered
by glazedb oard washers, is housed in th e e xplod er c onta iner an d he ld in p osition b y t he nose ada pter .

Tail
10. The wooden tai l cone conforms to the strea mlin ed shape of the bomb body and tail
ada pte r, and is bored thro ugh axiall y to accom moda te the tail rod and the roots of the tai l vanes.
It has, at its forward end, a cylind rical spigot which fits in the socket in the tail ada pte r, and two
diam etric al saw-cut s at rig ht angles exte nd from the rea r end, over a sligh tly gre ate r len gth tha n
th at of the tai l vanes, to accom modat e the four sheet met al tai l vanes which are made in integra l
pairs.
521

11. A flanged cap, with f our slots in the flange to receive the rea r edges o f the tail vanes, fits
on the rear end of the wooden tai l cone, and the tai l assembly as a whole is held in positi on by a
washer and a nu t screwed on to the t hre ade d rea r end of th e tai l rod.
12. The tai l assembly is so positio ned th at the tai l vanes are all at 45 deg. to the plane of t he
suspensio n lug on the bomb body.

Cover, pistol, bomb, D .A., No . 16, Mk. I


13. The cover, pistol, bomb, D.A., No. 16, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/71), which is screwed on
to the nose a dap ter so as to enclose t he No. 16 p istol a nd pro tec t it duri ng tra nsi t, is in the f orm of
a cup which is inte rna lly thre ade d at the rim and has two diam etrica lly opposed bosses on its base
to facil itate screwing up and unscrewing.

Identification colouring and markings


Colouring
14. The bomb body, .pistol cover, tai l ada pte r, and tai l vanes are pai nte d yellow. A red
band , J in. wide, is p ain ted round the b omb body 1J in. from the nose e nd; and a light green band,
.1- in. wide, 2J in. from the nose end.

Markin gs
15. The lette rs T.N.T. are stencilled , in black, in thr ee places equall y spaced arou nd the
green band.
16. To the rea r of t he suspensio n lug are stencilled , in black, the following p art icu lar s:—
(i) 20 lb., 1.
(ii) The monog ram of t he filling st atio n, or the i nitia ls or recognized tra de mar k of t he filling
cont racto r.
(iii) The dat e of filling, mo nth and year.
(iv) The lot num ber of the filling.
(v) The actu al weight of the filled bomb.
(vi) The design numb er of the meth od of filling.
17. Stam ped on the bomb body are the following par ticu lar s:—
(i) 20 lb.
(ii) The ma nuf act ure r’s initia ls or recognized tra de mark.
. (Hi) I-
(iv) The dat e of man ufac ture, mo nth and year.
18. The pisto l cover has the following marki ngs stam ped on it :—
W I-
(ii) The ma nu fac tur er’s initia ls or recognized tra de mark.

Function ing
19. When the bomb is released from the bomb carrie r, the arm ing vane is rot ate d by the air
stre am so as to arm the pistol afte r a pred eterm ined num ber of revolu tions, depen ding upon the
origina l pistol settin g.
20. On imp act with the tar get , the arm ing vane, with its spindle and gear pinion, is forced
inwar ds so as to bre ak the shea r wire, overcome the creep spring, an d cause the stri ker to fire t he
deto nato r. The det ona tor the n fires the explode r which, fli t urn , det ona tes the main filling.

INSTR UCTI ONS FOR USE


Fuzing the bomb
21. Remove the pistol cover by unscrewing it from the nose ada pter , and the n remove the
pisto l by unscrewing it from the nose ada pter .
22. Remove t he s ecuring wire which connect s t he armin g vane of th e pistol to t he pistol body,
tes t the arm ing vane for freedom of move ment, and set the pistol with the num ber “25” visible
thr oug h the C entral hole in the base, as described in A.P.I661C, Vol. I, Sect. 1, C hapt er 4. Replace
the securing wire so as to lock th e armin g vane again st rota tion .
522

A.P .166 1B, Vol. I, Sect. 16, Chap. 2


23. Clean the det ona tor holder with a clean dry cloth, and inse rt a det ona tor, 20 lb., airc raft
bomb, Mk. II or II I in the det ona tor holder.
Note.—If ther e is any deposi t of white or coloured salts or crys tals in or abo ut the det onato r
holder, the bomb is unservicea ble and mus t be set aside for A.I.D. inspec tion.
24. Replace the pistol, screwing it tig htl y home on to the nose ada pter .

Loading the bomb on the aircr aft bomb carr ier


25. The bomb is lo aded on the Ligh t Series bomb carri er as described in the relev ant cha pte r
of A.P. 1664, Vol. I, the No. 1 or 1A att ac hm en t being fitte d and adju sted , with exten sion out, to
hold the armin g vane sta tio na ry before t he vane sec uring wire is finally removed.

Unloadin g the bomb from the aircr aft bomb carrie r


26. Replace the securing wire so as to lock t he armi ng vane agai nst rota tion , and the n unload
the bomb as described in the rele van t cha pte r of A.P. 1664, Vol. I.

Unfuzing the bomb


27. Remove the pistol by unscrewing it from the nose ada pte r, remove the det onato r from
the de ton ate , holder, and replace the pistol and its cover.

SUP PLY AND STORAGE


Supply
28. The bomb is sup plied with the pistol, D.A., No. 16, Mk. I in the nose, and cover, pistol,
bomb, D.A., No. 16, Mk. I in position . It is packe d in Box, B.200, Mk. I or Box, B.8, Mk. II.

Storage
29. The bomb is classified, for storag e purposes, in Group VII.
523
524

Th is chapter issu ed with A .L . No. 72 A.P.1 661B, Vol. I, Sect. 16


Ja nu ar y, 1944
Relev ant amen dmen ts up to A .L . 72
incorpo rated in this rep rint
Ja nu ar y, 1944

CHAPTER 3

BOMB, H.E. , AIRCRAFT, I.T., 6 lb., Mk. I

LIST OF CONTENTS
Para.
Int ro du cti on ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1
Lea ding pa rti cu lar s ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 4
Gene ral desc rip tion
Bom b bod y ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... S
Fill ing ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 7
Ide nti fic ati on colo urin g and mar king s
Colou ring ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 9
Mar kings ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 10
Fu nct ion ing ........................................................................................................................................ 13
Ins tru cti on s for use
Fuz ing th e bom b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 14
Loa ding th e bom b on to th e Li gh t Series bom b car rier ... ... ... ... ... ... 17
Un load ing th e bom b from th e Li gh t Series bom b car rier ... ... ... ... ... 19
Unf uzin g th e bom b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 20
Sup ply an d stor age
Su pp le ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 21
Stor age .................................................................................................................................................... 22

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Fig .
1. Bom b, H. E., air cra ft, I.T ., 6 lb., Mk. I
525

Fig. 1.—Bomb, H.E. , aircra ft, I.T., 6 lb., Mk. I


526

A.P.16 61B, Vol. I, Sect. 16

CHAPTER 3

BOMB, H.E. , AIRCRAFT, I.T., 6 lb., Mk. I

Introduction
1. This bomb is used to provid e realist ic bombing att ack s on infa ntr y undergo ing train ing.
On impa ct, the 'eff ect as regard s noise a nd flash is compa rable with th at p roduc ed by medium sized
bombs used for dive bombing operati ons. The bomb, however, is splinterle ss.
2. The bomb is fuze d at the nose only with a No. 34 pi stol and No. 43 d eto nat or (Stores Ref.
12G/346). It is issued exploder ed and with the pisto l in positio n, the pisto l serving as a nose plug
durin g tra ns it and storag e.
3. The bomb is inten ded for c arriage on the Lig ht Series b omb carrier.

Leading particulars
4. Stores Ref ................................................................................... 12A/1169
Leng th, with pisto l ... ... ... ... ... ... 21J in., approx .
Diam eter ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 3-8 in.
Weig ht and nat ure of fil lin g.................................................. 2 lb. C.E./T.N .T.30/7 0,
or 2 lb. pento lite, desen­
sitised, Grade I

GE NER AL DESCR IPTION *


Bomb body, fig. 1
5. The bomb body consists of a rolled pap er cylind er of uniform diam eter and is shellacked
inte rna lly and exter nally . At the nose end, an ad ap ter is att ach ed to a chamfer ed card boar d w asher
and is thre ade d inte rna lly to receive the pistol. The explod er is conta ined in a pap er tub e which
is held in po sition at the nose end by two felt washers. The main filling is hel d in th e body bet ween
the p ape r cup, which is she llacked to the body in orde r to provide a seal, and the two felt washer s which
positi on the exploder. The shellack ed cup is supp orte d by a card boar d washer, which is in tu rn
supp orte d by a s plit co llar secured to the b ody by four rivets.
6. A suspen sion lug is provi ded on t he bomb b ody.

Filling
7. The filling consists of C.E./ T.N.T . or desensitise d pento lite, Grade I.
8. The 4 oz. 6 d r. C.E. explode r is conta ined in the p ape r tub e and rests on a felt disc, which
rests on a glazed board disc. There are thre e explod er pellets , two of which are perf orat ed to form
a det on ato r cavi ty.

Identific ation colouring and markings


Colouring
9. The bomb body is pain ted da rk green. A red b and, | in. in wid th, is painte d r ound the bom b
body 1 in. from the nose end. A li ght green band , 1 in. wide and 4 in. from the nose end bears in
two places, equi-spa ced arou nd the body, the mark ing C.E./ T.N.T . or PE N. /D .l, as applicab le.

Markin gs
10. Stencille d between the red and light green band s are the following pa rtic ula rs: —
(i) I.T. 6 lb. I, indi catin g the typ e of bomb, weight, and ma rk numbe r.
(ii) The monogr am of t he filling stat ion , or the initia ls or recognized tra de mar k of t he filling
con trac tor.
(iii) The da te of filling, mon th and year.
(iv) The lot num ber of the filling.
11. The design num ber of the meth od of filling is stencill ed app rox ima tely 4-0 in. behin d the
suspensio n lug.
527

12. At the tail end of the bomb body are the body ma nuf act ure r’s mark ings in stencil, as
follows:—
(i) I.T . 6 lb. I.
(ii) Man ufac ture r’s initial s or recognized tra de mark.
(iii) The dat e of man ufac ture, mon th and year.
(iv) The lot numbe r.
Funct ioning
13. When the bomb is released from the carrie r, th e safe ty cap of the pistol is imm ediat ely
remove d by the actio n of the safe ty cap spring. On impa ct, the pisto l fires the det ona tor , the
de ton ato r fires the exploder, and the explo der deto nate s the main filling.

INST RUCT IONS FOR USE


Fuzi ng the bomb
14. Unscrew and remove the p istol by hand . Ens ure th at the det ona tor cav ity is c lear using
a gauge, cavit y, deto nato r, No. 2, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/349); the line for th e 20 lb. and 40 lb.
bombs is applica ble. Bombs which fail to pass this tes t mus t be set aside for A.I.D . inspectio n.
15. Ins ert a No. 43 det ona tor which mu st be used with thi s bomb. Force must not be used
when inserting the detonator.
16. Screw in the pistol by han d unti l it is well seat ed on its washe r and locked in position.
Undue force must not be used when screwing the pistol home.

Loading the bomb on to the Light Series bomb carrier


17. Load the bomb on to the Lig ht Series bomb carr ier as describe d in A. P.1664, Vol. I,
Chap. 2, f or the 20 lb. F. bomb. The No. 1A atta ch me nt mus t be used to reta in the safe ty cap in
position.
Note.— Fro nt and re ar cru tch ada pte rs mu st be fi tted to the L igh t Series carr ier as de scribed
in leaflet A.P.1243/G.41. Crutc h extensio ns, if not alre ady inco rpor ated as in the newer type s
of car rier, mu st be f itte d as described in leaflet A.P.1664 /B.9—W.
18. After the bom b is securely in positi on on the carrie r, remove th e saf ety pin and safe ty
fork. Han d these to the pilo t or bomb aimer.

Unload ing the bomb from the Light Series bomb carrier
19. Before unloa ding an unexp ended bomb, replace th e saf ety fork and the n the safe ty pin
of th e No. 34 pi stol. Unloa d the bomb from the carri er as described in A.P. 1664, Vol. I, Chap. 2.
Unfuzin g the bomb
20. If it is necessa ry to unfuze the bomb, ensure th at the bomb has been rend ered safe as
described in par a. 19. Remove the pisto l by han d and ext rac t th e de ton ato r using extr acto r,
deto nato r. No. 2, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/348). Replace the p istol by hand .

SUP PLY AND STORAG E


Supply
21. Fou r bombs, H.E ., airc raft , I.T. , 6 lb., Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/1169) are supplie d in Box
B.271A (Stores Ref. 12A/1250).

Storage
22. The bomb is classified, for the purp ose of stora ge, in Group 7, Cat. Z, see A.P.2608A,
Chap. 7.
528

Th is lea f issue d with A .T . No. 97 A.P.1 661B, Vol. I, Sect. 16


October, 1944

CHAPTER 4

BOMBS, AIRCRAFT, NICKLE, No. 2, Mk. I and II

LI ST OF CO NT EN TS
Pa ra.
In tr oduct io n ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1
Le ad in g p ar ti cu la rs ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... . ... ... ... 5
G E N E R A L D E SC R IP T IO N
Bo mb , Mk. I or II ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 6
Id en tif ic at io n co lou rin g an d m ar ki ng s ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ,.. 10
A da pt er , fuz e, ai rc ra ft flar e, No. 1, Mk. I ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 11
Id en tif ic at io n co lou rin g an d m ar ki ng s ... ... ... ... ... ... ................ 12
FU N C T IO N IN G .................................................................................................................................................... 13
IN ST R U C TI O N S F O R U S E
Fi lli ng th e bo m b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 14
Fu zi ng th e bo m b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 16
Lo ad in g in to ai rc ra ft
Mk. I bo m b ..................................................................... .............................. ................. 17
Mk. II bo m b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 19
Un lo ad in g an d un fu zi ng th e bo m b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 22
SU P P L Y AN D ST OR AG E
Su pp ly ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ................ ... ... ... 24
St or ag e ................ ............................. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 27

LI ST OF IL LU ST RA TI ON S
Fi £.
1. Se cti on th ro ug h th e Mk. I bo mb
2. No. 2, Mk. I nic kle bo mb
3. No. 2, Mk. I I nic kle bo mb
4. P a rt se ct io n th ro ug h th e No. 1, Mk. I a dap te r
529

BATTEN

BLOCK

NOSE

EJECTION CHARGE

PLAS TIC TRAN SIT PLUG

Fig. 1.—Section throug h the Mk. I homb


530

T hi s le af iss ue d wi th A .L i No . 97 A.P.166 1B, Vol. I, Sect. 16


October, 1944

CHAPTER 4

BOMBS, AIRCRAFT, NICKLE, No. 2, Mk. I and II


Introduction
1. These bombs consist prim arily of American M.26 flare bodies filled with leaflets. They
are s imilar in con stru ction bu t the Mk. I bomb is for carria ge only in airc raft havi ng Ameri can typ e
bomb stowage, and th e Mk. II bomb is f or carria ge only in airc raft using the Unive rsal typ e bomb
carri er. The Mk. I bomb is f itted only with two Ameri can typ e suspen sion lugs to per mit it to be
att ac he d to a B.7 shackle, bu t the Mk. II bomb is fitte d with the two America n typ e suspen sion
lugs and with a Briti sh typ e suspen sion lug. The Mk. II bom b as supplied, can not be fitte d to a

Fig. 2.—No. 2, Mk. I nickle bomb

B.7 shack le because th e America n typ e lugs ar e not in the co rre ct’positions to per mit t his. In the
Mk. II bomb the Ameri can typ e suspensio n band s, carry ing the lugs, are so posit ioned th at when
th e bomb is fitte d to a Briti sh typ e bomb carri er the y are ben eat h the carri er cru tchi ng forks and
so a ct as s tren gthe ning bands. This is neces sary becaus e the bomb body is made of very th in gauge
steel and will de nt very easily.

2. The purpos e of these bomb s is to sprea d leaflets so t ha t as many persons as possible ma y


obt ain a copy and to make it difficult for the enemy'- auth oriti es to collect and des troy the leaflets .
Because of the thinn ess of the bomb body gre at care must be exercised when hand ling the bomb ,
and if it is aM k. II bomb, when crutc hing down, to avoid den ting t he bomb body. Should the bod y
be seriously dente d the den ts may interfe re with the corre ct ejection of the leaflets and so rend er
ineffective the purpose of the bomb.
3. Some of the bombs will be suppli ed to Unit s filled with leaflets, other s will be suppl ied
em pty and will requi re to be filled d uring the ir pre par atio n for use. Fir st issues of th e bombs will
not have ejection charges fitted . In such instanc es the ejecti on charges will be suppli ed sepa rate ly
and will be fitte d during the pre para tion of the bomb.
531

4. Eac h of the bo mbs is to be fuzed wit h a No. 860, Mk. II fuze, sett ing A, (Stores Ref. 12G/801).
Whe n fuzing a bomb, an ada pte r, fuze, aircraf t flare, No.l .M k. I (S tores Ref. 12G/675) is required because
th e fuze can not be screwed dire ctly into the nose of the bomb due to the bomb body being an
Americ an stor e and designed to tak e a fuze smalle r th an the Briti sh fuze which is to be used.

Leading particulars
5. Stores Ref.,. Mk. I bomb ... ... ... 12D/966
Stores Ref., Mk. II bomb ... ... 12D/967
Len gth overall, unfuze d 47 in., appro x.
Maximum diam eter, exclud ing suspens ion lugs 8 in., approx .
. Weight, filled ... .... ... ... • 64 lb., approx .
Term inal velocity 600 ft. per sec., appro x

GEN ERA L DES CRI PTI ON


Bomb, Mk. I or II, fig. 1 to 3
6.' Ap art from the differences menti oned in para. 1, th e bom bs are simila r and the following
descr iptio n applies to bot h bombs.
7. The nose of t he bomb bod}' is closed by a plas tic tra ns it plug and the tail end is closed by
a lid. When the bomb is filled, re ady for use, th is lid is held in po sition by f our soft steel tab s w hich
are secured at one end to the bom b body a nd have the ir free ends ben t over aga ins t the lid. These
ta bs a re not ben t over if the bomb is sup plied emp ty, bu t in suc h circum stance s the y are to be bent
ov er afte r the bomb has been filled. Undue bendi ng and stra igh teni ng of t he tab s is to be avoided
or the y may snap off. Fou r tai l fins are secured to the tai l end of th e bomb body.
■8. Inside the bomb body is a wooden frame consi sting of a block which fits snugl y into the
nose of the bomb body bu t does no t fill it, and thre e equi-sp aced ba tte ns each of which is secu red
a t one end to the block. These bat ten s exte nd the f ull lengt h of th e bomb body betwe en the block
an d the lid. The leaflets are conta ined in the wooden frame betwee n the batt ens .
9. The oute r end of the block is recessed to locate an ejection charge consist ing of 400 grains
of G.12 gunpo wder in a muslin bag. In lat er issues of th e bombs this cha rge will be suppli ed secured
in po sition bu t in fir st issues t he char ge is to be s ecured, durin g pre par atio n of the bomb, as des cribed
in para . 15.
Iden tific atio n colouring and mar king s
10. The bomb is pa inte d g rev all o ver a nd on i ts side, stencill ed in wh ite lette rs, is the following
inf orm ati on :—
(i) The full nom encl atur e of the bomb.
(if) The dat e of filling, mon th and yea r (when th e ejectio n charge is suppl ied fitted).
(iii) The initia ls or recognized tra de ma rk of th e man ufac ture r.
(iv) The filled lot num ber (when th e eject ion charge is suppli ed fitted).
532

Th is lea f issue d with A .L . No. 97 A.P.1 661 B, Vol. I, Sect. 16, Chap. 4
October, 1944

Adapter, fuze, airc raft flare, No. 1, Mk. I, fig. 4


11. This adapter is made of brass and at one end has external threads to permit it to be
screwed into the nose of the bomb. At its other end it has internal threads to receive the No. 860,
Mk. II fuze. A central hole through the adapte r houses a quan tity of gunpowder and the hole is
sealed at each end by a waterproof seal.
Iden tific atio n colour ing and mar kin gs
12. The adapter is natural unpainted brass and stamped on it is the following information: —
(i) The number and mark of the adapter.
(ii) The date of filling, month and year.
(iii) The initials or recognized trade mark of the filling contractor.
(iv) The filled lot number.
FUN CTI ON ING
13. When the fuzed bomb is released “ liv e” from an aircraf t it falls freely until the fuze
functions and the magazine charge of the fuze ignites the gunpowder in the No. 1 adapter. The
flash from t he gunpowder fires the ejection charge and the gases formed b y the burning of the ejection
charge force the wooden frame containing the leaflets towards the tail end of the bomb body, thus
forcing off the lid so tha t the frame is ejected from the bomb body. After being ejected, the wooden
frame falls end over end and the leaflets fall out of the frame to become scattered over the target.

INS TRU CTI ON S FO R USE


Filling the bomb
14. In all instances when filling th e bomb th e wooden frame must be removed from the bomb
body either to check th at the ejection charge is secured t o t he wooden block or to secure it in position
if it has been supplied separat ely from the bomb body. If desired the leaflets can be packed into
the frame while it is removed from the bomb body, but if this is done and the leaflets are not neatly
packed, it may be difficult to return the filled frame into the bomb body. It is, therefore, recom­
mended that the procedure stated in para. 15 be adopted when filling the bomb. This procedure
includes instructions for securing th e ejection charge in position in the wooden frame but if the bomb
to be filled should be supplied r eady fitted with an eject ion charge it will only be necessary t o check
that the charge is, in fact, in position and then to proceed wi th the filling as st ated in para. 15.

15. To fill the bomb, proceed as follows: —


(i) Remove the lid from the tail end of the bomb body.
(ii) Remov e the wooden frame from the bomb body.
(iii) If an ejection charge is not secured to the block of the wooden frame, secure a charge,
ejection, aircraf t bomb, No. 3, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12G/1118) in the recess in the block.
Preferably, shellac adhesive should be used for this purpose, but if this is not availab le
adhesive tape ma y be used.
(iv) Carefully insert the frame, block first, into the bomb body. To facili tate packing the
leaflets into the frame, it may be found desirable only to insert the frame into the bomb
body for about half its length until the frame is about one-half filled with leaflets.
(v) Pack the leaflets into the wooden frame, stacking them between the wooden battens.
(vi) When the leaflets have been inserted into the frame, ensure tha t the frame is pushed
comple tely home into the bomb body and then fit the lid over the tail end of the bomb
body.
(vii) Ensure tha t the lid is properly seated against the end of the bomb body and then bend
down each of the upstanding tabs s® tha t the y engage the lid and hold it securely in
position.

Faz ing the bomb


16. The bomb is to be fuzed while lying on its side in a fuz ing shed. Proceed as fo llows: —
(i) Remove the plastic nose transit plug from the bomb.
(ii) Screw an adapter, fuze, aircraft flare, No. 1, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12G/675), by hand, firmly
into the nose of the bomb.
(iii) Screw a No. 860, Mk. II fuze, “ A ” setting, by hand, firmly into the No. 1 adapter. Grip
the fuze round the fuze body, not round its thin outer cover.
533

(iv) If necessary, careful ly move the fuzing clip on th e shea r wire of th e fuze along the she ar
wire until it is app rox ima tely aligned with th e app rop riat e suspen sion lug or lugs on the
bomb.
(v) Clearly chalk the lett ers “F .D .” on the bomb near the nose.
Loading into aircraft
Mk . I bomb
17. The B.7 shackle is to be fitted to th e bomb and the bomb the n loaded into the airc raft
in the norm al manne r. When this has been done, conne ct the hook of a link, fuze- settin g control ,
flexible, sho rt (Stores Ref. 11A/2570) to the fuzing clip on the fuze and conn ect the hook of a link,
fuze -settin g control, flexible, fixed leng th (Stores Ref, 11A/683) to the loop of t he sho rt fuzing link
and to the lug on th e armin g vane cover of th e fuze. Connect add itio nal fuzing links end to end,
as ne cessary, to the long fuzin g l ink to p erm it prop er conne ction to be mad e t o the E.M. fuzing unit.
18. Ju st before the airc raft ta kes off, remov e the white t ap e from arou nd the fuze to uncover
the ven t holes in th e oute r cover of th e fuze.
Mk. I I bomb
19. The Universal typ e bomb carr ier is to be fitte d to th e bomb in the norm al mann er, but
care must be t ak en when crutc hing d own to avoid appl ying un due press ure such as to den t the t hi n
body of the bomb.
20. Load the bomb into the air cra ft in the norm al man ner and th en conn ect the hook of a
link, fuze- settin g control , flexible, sho rt (Stores Ref. 11A/2570) to the fuzing clip on the fuze and
conne ct th e hook of a link, fuze -settin g contro l, flexible, fixed lengt h (Stores Ref. 11A/683) to the
loop of the sho rt fuzing link and to the lug on th e arm ing vane cover of th e fuze. Ins ert th e loop
of t he long fuzing link into th e E.M. fuzing uni t of the bomb carrier .
21. Ju st before the airc raft tak es off, remove the white tap e from th e fuze to unco ver the
ven t holes in the oute r cover of the fuze.
Unloadin g and unfuz ing the bomb
22. If the bomb is to be unloa ded from the airc raft , ensure th at the air cra ft fuze-s etting
switches are set at SAFE, the n disco nnect the fuze -sett ing cont rol link from the E.M. fuzing unit.
Unload the bomb in the norm al man ner, remov e the fuzing links from the fuze, and remove the
bomb carr ier or the B.7 shackl e from the bomb.
23. Convey the fuzed bomb to a fuzing shed and proceed as follow s:—
(i) Unscrew and remov e the fuze, by han d, from th e No. 1 ada pte r. Grip the fuze round
the fuze body, not round its t/t in outer cover.
(ii) Unscrew and remove the No. 1 ada pte r, by han d, from th e nose of the bomb.
(iii) Screw a plast ic nose tra ns it plug firmly into the nose of th e bomb.
(iv) Delete the lett ers “F .D .” from th e bomb.
(v) Secure a piece of adhesive tap e, white if av ailab le, round the fuz e to cover the vent holes
in the out er cover.
(vi) Re tur n the fuze to its No. 407 cylinder , seal the cylin der with adhes ive tap e, and clearly
mar k the cylind er “F OR FI RS T ISS UE ”.
(vii) Retu rn the No. 1 ad ap ter to its No. 308 cylind er, seal th e cylind er with adhesiv e tape,
and clearly ma rk the cylin der “F OR FI RS T ISS UE ” .
(viii) Re tur n the plugged bomb, the fuze and the No. 1 ad apt er to stora ge for use at the first
opp ortu nity .
SUP PLY AND STORAGE
Supply
24. Bomb, airc raft, nickle, No. 2, Mk. I or II is suppl ied pack ed one in a wooden box.
25. Adap ters, fuze, airc raft flare, No. 1, Mk. I are suppl ied unde r Stores Ref. 12G/675 packed
five in Cylinder No. 308, Mk. I. Th irty -tw o filled cylinde rs are pack ed in Box B.444, Mk. I.
26. Charges, ejectio n, airc raft bomb , No. 3, Mk. I are suppl ied und er Stores Ref. 12G/1118
pack ed ten in Cylinder No. 289, Mk. I. Ten filled cylind ers are pack ed in Box B.267, Mk. I.

Storage
27. When filled, or when suppl ied fitted with eject ion charges, the No. 2 nickle bombs are
provis ional ly classified, for stora ge purposes , in Group 6, Categ ory X. When emp ty, and not fitted
with ejectio n charges, th e bombs ma y be store d in any dry storehouse .
28. The No. 1, Mk. I ada pte rs are classified, for stora ge purposes , in Group 1, Categor y Z.
29. The No. 3 eject ion charge s are classified, for storag e purposes, in Group 1, Catego ry Z.
P6 0J5 M ,'G287» 1/45 79l)fi C&P Gp. 1
534

Th is lea f issu ed with A .L . No. 116 A.P. 1661 B, Vol. I, Sect. 16


Ju ne , 1945

CHAPTER 5

BOMB, AIRCRAFT, NICKEL, No. 1, Mk. I

LIST OF CONTENTS
Pa ra.
In tr oduct io n ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1
Le ad in g p ar ti cu la rs ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 4
G E N E R A L D E S C R IP T IO N
No . 1, Mk . I bo m b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 5
Id en tif ic at io n co lou rin g an d m ar ki ng s ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 7
No . 43, Mk. I tr a n s it ba se ... ... ■... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 8
No. 75, Mk. I ta il u n it ‘ ... ... ... ... ... ... ................ ... ... ... 9
Noi 75, Mk. II ta il un it ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 12
IN ST R U C TI O N S F O R US e ' '
Fi lli ng th e bo m b ... ... ... ... ... ... .... ... :.. ... ... ... 13
F it ti n g th e No. 75 ta il u n it ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 14
Fu zi ng th e bo m b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 15
O pe ra tio ns af te r lo ad in g th e fu zed bom b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 19
U nl oa di ng th e bo m b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 20
Un fu zi ng th e bo m b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 21
S U P P L Y AN D ST OR AG E
Su pp ly ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 22
St or ag e ........................................................ ... ... !• ........................................................ ... 23

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
1. Vie w of bo m b— No. 43, Mk. I tr a n s it ba se fi tte d
2. F ir st la ye r of lea fle ts pa ck ed
3. Pa ck in g se co nd la ye r of lea fle ts
4. Le af let pa ck in g co mp le ted
5. Ta il pl at e fi tte d
6. F it ti n g ru bber ba nd ‘
7. No. 75, Mk. I ta il u nit
8. Bo m b w ith No. 75, Mk. I ta il u n it fi tte d

B (A LU 6)
535

TR AN SIT
BASE
ANGLE -IRONS
WELDED TO
EJECTOR PLATE

SCREW

BLOCK

TYPE
SUSPENSION

BAND

F ig . 1 .— V ie w o f b om b— N o. 4 3 , M k. I tr a n si t b a se fi tt ed F ig . 2 .— F ir st la y e r o f le a fl e ts p ac k ed

F ig . 3 .— P a c k in g se c o n d la y e r o f le a fl e ts F ig . 4 .- —L ea fl e t p a c k in g co m p le te d
536

Th is lea f issu ed with A .L . No. 116 A.P. 1661B , Vol. I, Sect. 16


Ju ne , 1945

CHAPTER 5

BOMB, AIRCRAFT, NICKEL, No. 1, Mk. I


Introduc tion
1. This bomb is a light-ca se bomb inten ded to spre ad leaflets so th at as man y persons as
possible may obta in a copy. When fitte d with a No. 75, Mk. I or II tai l uni t it is an aimabl e
projecti le, and i t is in itia ted by a fuze and a 5 oz. bur ste r cha rge whic h causes the leaf lets t o be eject ed
'from t he bomb appr oxim ately a t a pred eterm ined heigh t a bove the groun d so th at t he leaflets sca tte r
adeq uatel y.
2. When the bomb is f unctio ned, the bomb body, a steel eject or pla te fitte d with angle-i rons,
and the tail pla te tog eth er with the tail unit, fall sep arat ely and are danger ous missiles. It is not,
theref ore, to be released over land areas in friendl y ter rito ry wit hou t Air Minist ry permission.
3. Durin g t ran sit a nd storage , the t ail pla te of the bo mb is pro tect ed by a No. 43, Mk. I tra nsi t
base.
Leading particulars
4. Length , wit hou t fuze, tail, or tra ns it base 34-25 in., appro x.
Diam eter, excludin g suspension lug(s) ... 12 in., appro x.
Weig ht of bomb, emp ty ... 199 lb., appro x.
Weig ht of bomb, filled 271 lb., appro x.
Term inal veloc ity ... ... , 1,100 ft. per sec., ap pr ox .’

GE NE RA L DES CR IPT ION


No. 1, Mk. I bomb, fig. 1 to 6 and 8
5. The bomb consists of a cylind rical body t o one e nd of which is welded a hemis pheri cal nose.
The oth er end of th e body is closed by a tail p late held in positio n by Dzus faste ners and loca ted by
two pegs whic h fit into U-slo ts in the bom b, see fig. 4 and 5. A rub ber b and (known as ba nd, sealing,
Mk. I) seals the joi nt between the body and the tail pla te and the tai l plat e has two bay one t slots
and a hole to be engage d by t he securing screws of a No. 75, Mk. I or II t ail un it. The bomb is f itte d
with a Britis h Univ ersal -type suspension lug and, diam etric ally oppos ite -to thi s lug, with two
Ame rican- type suspension lugs for att ac hm en t to a B.7 shackle. Two steel blocks, with which the
tra ns it base engages, are welded to the outsid e of the body near the tail end.

TA IL PL AT E HO LE

BAYONET
SL OT

DZ US
FASTEN!

Fig. 5.—Tai l pla te fitted Fig. 6.—Fi tti ng rub ber band

6. A b urs ter cont aine r is welded inside th e hemisph erical nose and is seal ed by a tra ns it plug
and leat her w asher. Inside the bomb is an ejec tor plate, in the form of a steel disc, to w hich thre e
equi-sp aced leng ths of angle-i ron are welded. Whe n the bomb is funct ioned , the gases formed by
the burn ing of th e bu rst er charge force the e jecto r pla te towa rds th e tai l end of th e bomb, the angle-
irons force off th e t ail plat e, tog ethe r wi th t he tail un it a nd the eje cto r pla te, and leaflets ar e forced out
of the bomb.
537

Identificatio n colouring and markings


7. The b omb is pa inte d bl ack all over, excep t th e suspen sion lugs, and on it, in white, is stencilled
the n ome nclat ure of the bo mb and detai ls rele van t t o t he man ufa ctur er and the d ate of man ufac ture .
No. 43, Mk. I transit base, fig. 1
8. The tra ns it base consists of a sho rt steel tub e to the inside of whic h is welded a ring. Fou r
equi-sp aced wing-screws are thr ead ed thr oug h the ring and at the inne r end of each screw is a
swivelling pad to engage the tail plat e of the bomb. Two hook- shaped members are welded to
the lower edge of the tra ns it base and engage with the steel blocks on the bomb body.
No. 75, Mk. I tail unit, fig. 7
9. This tail uni t is a short ened cone and drum typ e tail fitted with an armi ng vane, arm ing
spindl e, and armin g fork. As t he bomb is to be nose fuze d the armin g mechan ism is to be ignored,
bu t it is not necessary to remove the mechan ism from the tail.
10. At the base of the tai l cone is a ski rt to fit over the tail pla te of the bomb. Three equi -
spaced securing p late s are rivet ed to the inside of th e tail cone, each securing plat e havi ng a j oggled
porti on so th at, when the tail un it is fitte d to a bomb, the rim of the tail pla te is locate d betwee n
th e joggled porti ons of the securing plate s and the ski rt of the tai l cone.

Fig. 7 —No. 75, Mk. I tail unit


11. Inse rted thr oug h the ski rt of the tai l cone are thre e roun d-hea ded | in. B.S.F. screws,
one f or eac h securing pla te, each screw hav ing a single-coil spring w asher b enea th its he ad. A locating
pin is rive ted to the ski rt of t he tail cone and is to engage a V-slot in the rim of the tail pla te of
the bomb.
No, 75, Mk. II tail unit
12. This tail un it is similar to the Mk. I tail un it'e xc ep t th at the armi ng vane of the Mk. II
tai l un it is below the out er edge of t he tail drum , whereas the armi ng vane of t he Mk. I tail sta nd s
prou d of th e drum , see fig. 8.

INST RUC TIO NS FOR USE


Filling the bomb
13. To fill the bomb with leaflets, sta nd it on its nose and proceed as foll ows :—
(i) Unscrew each of the screws in th e t ra ns it base, tu rn t he tra ns it base t hro ugh abo ut 90 deg.
to disengage its hooks from the steel blocks on the side of the bomb,’ and lift the tra nsi t
base from the bomb.
538

Thi s leaf issued with A. L. No. 116 A.P.1661 B, Vol. I, Sect. 16, Chap. 5
Jun e, 1945
(ii) Remove the rubb er ban d from the bomb.
(iii) Release each of the Dzus fasten ers and lift the tail pla te from the bomb.
(iv) Grip the angle-ir ons and raise th e ejecto r pla te unt il it is a bout 6 in. from the open end
of the bomb,' see fig. 2. Pack the first layer of leaflets aga inst the ejec tor plat e. The
leaflets are to be packe d edgewise, see fig. 3, as four layers are to be cont aine d in the
bomb. Pac k as many leaflets as possible into the layer bu t do not pack the m so tig htl y
th at they may jam in the bomb when it functions.
Note.— Before packi ng the leaflets, remove the pape r strip s from roun d the bundles.
(v) Lower the ejecto r pla te abo ut 6 in. and pack the second layer simil arly to the first, see
fig. 3. Proceed simila rly for layer s three and four bu t when packin g the fou rth layer,
ensure th at t he leaflets do not exte nd above the tops of the angle-irons, see fig. 4.
(vi) Fi t the tail plat e into the bomb, locatin g the two pins on the tail pla te in the slots in the
top of th e bomb, and secure it in positi on with the Dzus fasten ers, see fig. 5.
(vii) Str etch the r ubb er ban d over the tail plate, see fig. 6, and position it so t ha t it covers the
join t betwee n the bomb body and the t ail plate.

Fitting the No. 75 tail unit


14. To fit the No. 75, Mk. I or I I tail unit, lay th e bom b on its sid e on a bomb trolle y and proceed
as follows:—
(i) Tur n down the edge of the rub ber ban d to expose the tail plate.
(ii) Remove the thre e J in. B.S.F. screws from the ski rt of the tail cone, tak ing care not to
lose the spring washers.
(iii) Place the ski rt of t he tail uni t over the rim of the tail plate, with the joggled port ions of
the securing plates inside the rim and fit the locati ng pin in the V-slot in the rim of the
tai l pla te of th e bomb.
(iv) Ins ert a J in. B.S.F. screw thro ugh each of the sets of aligned holes, aft er ensurin g th at
each screw has a sprin g wash er fitted be nea th its head, and screw the m firmly home.
(v) Tur n up the down -turn ed portio n of th e rub be r band t o cover the j oin t betwee n the b omb
body and the tail plat e, see fig. 8.

Fig. 8.—Bomb with No. 75, Mk. I tail unit fitted

Fuzing the bomb


15. When fu zing the bomb, the No. 1 bur ster a nd one of the following fuzes will be require d
w Burs ter, 5 oz., airc raft bomb, No. 1, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12G/1156).
(ii) Fuze No. 860A, Mk. I I (Stores Ref. 12G/801). •
(iii) Fuze No. 896A2, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12G/1084).
(iv) Fuze No. 896A3, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12G/1085).
(v) Fuze No. 896A4, Mk.. I (Stores Ref. 12G/1086).
The No. 1 bur ste r is describe d in A.P.1661H , Vol. I, Sect. 2 and the fuzes in A.P.2560A , Vol. I,
Sect. 1.
16. . The fuze to be used m ust be chosen in t he lig ht of experie nce and w ith reg ard t o the heigh t
from which the bomb is to be released and the heigh t of the tar ge t abov e sea levei. For release
from low al titu des aga inst a t ar ge t app rox ima tely a t sea level, fuze No. 896A2 has been found to be
satis facto ry.
539

17. The following prec autio ns mu st be obse rved :—


(i) When hand ling the fuze always hold it with the magazin e end dire cted away from
personnel.
(ii) Always be careful not to brea k the shea r wire which reta ins the safe ty pin in posit ion.
(iii) Never dislodge the armi ng vane cover or ro tat e the armi ng vane.
(iv) When lifting the fuzed bomb, do not hold it by the fuze.
18. To fuze th e bomb, proceed as follows:—
(i) Remove the tra ns it plug from the bur ste r cont aine r of t he bomb, and remove the lea the r
washe r from the plug.
(ii) Ins ert the No. 1, Mk. I bur ster into the bur ster con tain er of the bomb.
(iii) Place the leat her wash er over the thr ead s on the body of th e fuze, serve the thr ead s with
■ luting , thin , Mk. V (Stores Ref. 12F/41), and screw the fuze, by hand , firmly into the
bur ste r con tain er of the bomb, gripp ing the fuze roun d the fuze body (not round its thin
outer cover) and tak ing care not to brea k the shea r wire.
(iv) Using white dope, clearly ma rk th e lett ers "F ZD ” on the bomb near t he nose to ind icat e
th at the bomb is fuzed.
Operations after loading the fuzed bomb
19. When the fuzed bomb has been loade d on to th e app rop riat e bomb carr ier or shackle,
proc eed as follows:—
(i) Carefully move the clip on the shea r wire which reta ins the fuze safe ty pin in position ,
unt il the clip is aligned with the suspensio n lug (or lugs) by which the bomb is att ac he d
to the bomb carri er or shackle.
(ii) Afte r exa min ation to ensure th at the link is not fray ed or damag ed, at ta ch the hook of
a link, fuze -settin g control, flexible, fixed length , sho rt (Stores Ref. 11A/2570) to the clip
on the shea r w ire of th e fuze.
(iii) Afte r exa min ation to ensure th at the link is no t fraye d or dama ged, at ta ch the hook of
a link, fuze- setting control , flexible, fixed leng th (Stores Ref. 11A/683) to the loop of the
sho rt fuzing link and also to the lug on the arm ing vane cover of the fuze.
Warnin g.— At no time is the armi ng vane cover to be removed by personnel.
(iv) Ins ert the loop of t he long fuzing link into the E.M. fuzing uni t of th e bomb carrier .
Note.— Should the bomb be att ac he d to a B.7 shackle, it may be necess ary to at ta ch
fur the r fuzing links, end to end, to perm it pro per connec tion to be made to the fuzing
unit.
(v) Remove t he whit e tap e from the fuze and att ac h it to the bomb b ody ne ar the nose. The
tap e will be requ ired again shou ld it be necessa ry to unfuze the bomb.
Note.— Pa rtic ula r care is t o be t ake n to ensure th at i t is th e white tap e and not the red one
which is removed.
Unloadin g the bomb
20. If the bomb is to be unloa ded from the airc raft, proceed as follows:—
(i) Ens ure th at the air cra ft fuze- settin g switches are set to the SAFE position.
(ii) Det ach the fuzing link from the E.M. fuzing unit.
(iii) Det ach the fuzing links from the fuze, tak ing par tic ula r care no t to brea k the she ar wire.
(iv) Unlo ad the bomb from the air cra ft in the norm al manner .
(v) Re tur n the fuzin g links to storage .
Unfu zing the bomb
21. When unfuzi ng the bomb, proceed as follows:—
(i) Unscrew and remove the fuze, by hand, from the bo mb, tak ing car e to grip the f uze ro und
the fuze body (not round the thin outer cover), and to avoid brea king the shea r wire.
(ii) Carefully ext rac t the No. 1, Mk. I bur ster from the bu rst er con tain er and ret urn it to its
cylin der for storag e.
(iii) Remo ve the l eat her w asher from the f uze, place the washe r o ver th e thr ead s of th e tra ns it
plug, serve the th rea ds of the plug with luting, thin , Mk. V (Stores Ref. 12F/41), a nd sc rew
the plug firmly into the bur ste r cont aine r of the bomb.
540

This leaf issued with A. L. No. 116 A.P.1 661B , Vol. I, Sect. 16, Chap.
Jun e, 1915
(iv) Remove the white tap e from the bomb a nd secure it round the fu ze to seal the v ent holes
in the out er cover. Should the white tap e not be availa ble, use any suit able adhes ive
tape .
(v) Re tur n the fuze to its cylind er and seal the cylinder . Mark the cylin der "F OR FI RS T
ISS UE ".
(vi) Delete the lett ers "F ZD " on the bomb.
(vii) Re tur n the bomb, the fuze, and the No. 1 burs ter, to storage.

SUP PLY AND STORAG E


Supply
22. Bomb, airc raft, nickel, No. 1, Mk. I is suppli ed unboxed , em pty and wit hou t a bur ster ,
and fitted with a No. 43, Mk. I tra ns it base.

Storage
, 23.. The em pty No. 1, Mk. I nickel bomb may be store d in any dry place.

P81 00 M /G1162 7/ 45 J7 90 0 C&P G p. 1


541

Th is page issue d with A .L . No . 71


November, 1943
Relev ant amend ments up tp A .L .72
incorporated in th is repr int
Ja nu ar y, 1944

Section 17

AM ER IC AN BOMBS
542

This l eaf issued with A .L . No. 99 A. P.1 66 1B , Vol. I


February, 1945

SECTION 17

AMER ICAN BOMBS

LIST OF CHA PTE RS


Note.— A lis t of c onte nts app ears at t he beginn ing of each chap ter.

CHA PTE R 1—General notes on American bombs (To be issued later)

CHA PTE R 2—Bombs, G.P., 250 lb., AN-M57 and AN-M57A1

CHA PTE R 3—Bombs, G.P., 500 lb., AN-M43, AN-M64, and AN-M64A1

CHA PTE R 4—Bombs, G.P., 1,000 l b., AN-M44, AN-M65, and AN-M65A1

CHA PTE R 5— Bombs, S.A.P., 500 lb., AN-M58, AN-M58A1, and AN-M58A2 (To be issued later)

CH APT ER 6—Bombs, S.A.P., 1,000 lb., AN-M59 and AN-M59A1 (To be issued later)

CHA PTE R 7—Bomb, incendiary, 500 lb., AN-M76


(A.L. 126)
r nser t ■'

-I

B (AL99)
543
544

This leaf issued with A.L . No. 99 A.P.1 661B, Vol. I, Sect. 17
February, 194!)

CHAPTER 2

BOMBS, G.P., 250 lb., AN-M 57 and AN-M57 A1

LI ST OF CO NT EN TS
P ar a.
In tr o d u ct io n .. . ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1
BO MB , G. P., 250 lb., AN -M 57 •
Le ad in g p ar ti cu la rs
Bo m b bo dy ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 4
Fi n as se m bl y ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 5
Ge ner al des cr ip ti o n ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 6
Bo m b bo dy ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 7
Fi n as se m bl y ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 11
Id en tif ic at io n co lou rin g an d m ar ki ng s ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 12
F u n c ti o n in g .. . ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 14
In st ru ct io ns fo r us e.. . ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 16
Su pp ly ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 17
St or ag e ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 19
BO MB , G. P., 250 lb., AN -M 57 AI
Co mp ari so n w ith th e AN M57 250 lb. G. P. bo m b ... .. ... ... ... ... ... 20

LI ST OF IL LU ST RA TI ON S
Fig.
1. Se cti on al an d sc ra p views of th e AN -M 57 250 lb. G. P. bo mb , re ad y for use
2. View s of bo mb , re ad y for tr an si t

LI ST OF A PP EN DI CE S
Note .— A lis t of co nt en ts ap pe ar s a t th e beg inn ing of eac h Ap pen dix .

A P P E N D IX 1.—I n st ru ct io n s for use —us ing th e No. 52 pis tol

A P P E N D IX 2.— In st ru ct io n s fo r use — usi ng th e AN -M 100 A1 or A N -M I0 0A 2 fuz e

A P P E N D IX 3. — In st ru ct io ns fo r use — usi ng th e Ml 12 or M112A1 fuze

A P P E N D IX 4.— In st ru ct io ns for use— usi ng th e M123 or M123A1 fuz e (to be is su ed later )


545

CHAPTER 2

BOMBS, G.P., 250 lb., AN-M 57 and AN-M57 A1


Introductio n
1. These bombs, which have a char ge/we ight rat io simil ar to th at of the 250 lb. M.C. bombs,
are used for gen eral bom bar dm ent purpose s. They a re s imil ar in th eir ge neral design, cons truc tion al
and functi onin g chara cteri stics , and differ only in th a t the AN-M57A1 is modified to ensure th at ,
when fitte d with a long de lay fuze inco rpor ating a n anti -rem oval device, the fuze can not be r emoved
from the bomb in any circum stance s whatso ever. The bombs are ada pte d for fuzing at both t he
nose an d t he t ail with e ithe r Brit ish or America n fuzing compo nents, as li sted in para. 16. I t should
be note d th at all thes e comp onen ts requ ire the use of the hor izon tal syst em of arming , th at is, on
release of a bo mb from its car rier, arm ing is i niti ate d b y th e h oriz onta l pull-off of safe ty wires thre ade d
thr oug h the armi ng vanes of the app rop riat e nose and /or tai l fuzing compon ents.

2. The bombs are fitte d with twin suspensio n lugs for use with America n shackles or racks
and are, in addit ion, provi ded with a single Brit ish typ e suspen sion lug for use when loadin g on
to sta nd ard Bri tish b omb carriers.

3. The norma l America n fin assembly, modified by the add itio n of a No. 3 Mk. I armi ng wire
guide, is used in all instances.

BOMB, G.P., 250 lb., AN-M57


Leading particulars
Bomb body
4. Leng th (nose an d tai l tra ns it plugs fi tted) ... ... ... 36-9 in.
Maxim um diam eter (excluding suspension lugs) ... ... 10-9 in.
Nat ure and weight of filling ... ... ... ... ... 98-4 lb. Amatol 50/50 with
22-5 lb. T.N.T. surrou nds,
or 129 lb. cast T .N.T.
Tota l weight, filled Am atol ... ... ... ... ... 240-9 lb.
Tot al weight, filled T.N .T. ... ... ... ... ... 247-3 lb.
Term inal velocit y ... ... ... ... ... ... 1,070 ft. per sec.
Fin assembly
5. Len gth ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 12-2 in.
Maximum diagona l wid th across fins ... ... ... 14-9 in.
The overall lengt h of the complet e bomb, when fitte d with a No. 52 nose pistol, is app roxi mate ly
47-3 in.

General description, fig. 1 and 2


6. The bomb consists of a bomb body filled wit h high explosive, and a deta chab le box type
fin asse mbly which is sec ured to the body by a fin lo ck-nut.

Bomb body
7. The bomb body consists of a hollow steel castin g open at bot h ends. The nose opening
is closed by a fuze sea t liner, the inne r end of which engages with an aux ilia ry booste r, set in the
main explosive filling. The tai l opening is closed b y a filling plug screwed and ceme nted in position.
In to thi s plug is screwed an M102 ad ap ter booste r, which houses a solid C.E. pellet. The ad apt er
booste r is in alig nme nt with a second aux ilia ry booste r, set i n th e main filling. Duri ng tra ns it and
stora ge th e fuze se at line r and the ada pte r boo ster ar e closed by tra ns it plu gs sea ted o n lea the r washers.

8. The fin lock- nut, for use i n secu ring t he fin assem bly to th e b omb body, is screwed t o ex tern al
thre ads on the filling plug. This lock -nut has four key holes and two sho rt tom my bars, or,
alte rna tive ly, six key holes. Durin g t ra ns it and s tora ge it is wi red to the filling plug to pre ven t loss.
Note.— Some bombs are prov ided wi th a card boa rd dista nce piece (not shown in the
illust ration s) locate d betw een the fin lock -nut and the face of the filling plug. This distan ce
piece pro tect s the exte rna l screw thr ead s on th e filling plug duri ng tr an sit and storage.
546

This leaf issued with A .L . No. 99 A.P.1661 B, Vol. I, Sect. I t, Chap. 2


February, 1945
9. Three suspension lugs are welded to the bomb body, t wo of the lugs being locat ed diam etric ally
oppo site t o th e th ird lug. The single lug is for use when lo ading th e bo mb on to a stan dar d B ritis h bomb
carrie r, the tw in lugs being used with A merica n shackles or racks. Duri ng tra ns it and s torage t hese
lugs are prot ecte d agai nst dama ge by two pro tect ing rings locked roun d the bomb body. These
rings are hinged, and are tigh ten ed on to the bomb body by bolts and nuts , as shown in fig. 2.
10. The bomb body is filled with eith er Amat ol 50/50 or cas t T.N. T. When filled Amatol,
the nose and tai l ends of t he body are sealed wit h thi ck pads of c ast T.N.T.
Fin assembly
11. The fin assembly, see fig. 1, is supplie d sep arat ely from the bomb body, and consists of a
ta il ring to which four fins are atta che d. Exte nsio ns on these fins are rive ted tog ethe r to form the
box portio n of the assembly . A No. 3 Mk. I armin g wire guide is s ecured to a side of this box to
provi de a sup por t for the No. 1 Mk. I safe ty wire, when the bomb is t o be t ail fuzed.
Identifi cation colouring and mark ings
12. The exte rior of the bomb body is pai nte d an olive drab colour. Three yellow bands are
pai nted arou nd the bomb body, locat ed at the nose and tail ends, and at the cent re of gra vit y of
the bomb. The mark ings and info rma tion nor mall y stencill ed on the bomb body are shown in
fig. 2. It sho uld be noted t ha t the mark ings and info rma tion are all Americ an and th at some of the
infor mati on given does not apply when the bomb is issued for loadin g on to Bri tish aircra ft.
13. The fin as sembl y is sim ilarly pai nte d an olive d rab colour.
Functi oning
14. On "li ve '' release of the fuzed bomb from its carrier, the safe ty wire is with draw n from
the nose pisto l and /or tai l fuze by a fuze- setti ng contr ol link, thu s allowing th e fuzing compo nents
to become armed.
15. On imp act of t he fuzed bomb with its targ et, the nose pisto l and /or tail fuze init iate s the
explosive tra in in the bomb, thu s det ona ting t he main filling.
Inst ruct ions tor use
i T’- _ f -n _. . .. j j. i r...... .. . ,i .•x.1. > _ i_- .. -
k ,

Nose
(i) Pistol , bomb, D.A., No. 52, Mk. I } See Appe ndix 1
(ii) Pistol , bomb, D.A., No. 52, Mk. II
(iii) Fuze, bomb, AN-M103A1 (nose) See Appe ndix 4
Tai l
(iv) Fuze, bomb, AN-M100A1 (tail)
(v) Fuze, bomb, AN-M100A 2 (tail) See Appe ndix 2
(vi) Fuze, bomb, Ml 12 (tail)
(vii) Fuze, bomb, M112A1 (tail) See Appe ndix 3 (A.L. 120)

These fuzing comp onen ts are fully describ ed in A.P. 1661C, Vol. I, Sect. 5. The deta iled instr uctio ns
for fuzing a bomb with th ese compo nents, tog eth er with t he inst ruct ions for loading, unloading, and
unfuzing th e fuzed bomb, are given in the A ppendices to thi s Chapter .
Supply|
17. The AN-M57 250 lb. G.P. bomb body is suppl ied plugged at bot h the nose and the tail
with tra ns it plugs, and fitt ed with two prot ecti ng rings arou nd the body to pro tec t the suspension
lugs. The stowage dime nsions of th e bomb bod y are 36-9 in. length, and 14-75 in. max imum di ame ter
across the prot ecti ng rings. The stowage weigh t of t he bomb is 255-9 lb. when filled A mato l 50/50,
and 262-3 lb. when filled ca st T.N.T.
Note.— Some b omb bodies may be suppl ied fitt ed with a c ard boa rd dista nce piece t o pro tec t
the ext ern al thr ead s on the filling plug.
18. One fin assembl y, fitte d with a No. 3 Mk. I armi ng wire guide, and complet e with one
No. 1 Mk. I saf ety wire and two No. 1 Mk. I safe ty clips, is supplie d pack ed in a met al crat e, the
wire and clips being secured t o the fin a ssemb ly wit h adhes ive tap e. The fin as sembl y may also be
supp lied wit hou t the arm ing wire guide, saf ety wire, or clips, in which insta nce these items will be
issued sep arate ly. The stowag e dimensio ns of the cra te are 11 | in. x 11J in. x 12j in.; its filled
weigh t is 10 lb.
547

Storage
19. Th e bo m b bo die s ar e cla ssi fie d, lo r th e pu rp os e of st or ag e, in G ro up 7, see A. P. 26 08 A,
Ch ap . 7. Th e fin as se mb lie s, in th e ir cr at es , m ay be st or ed to g et h er w ith th e bo m b bo di es b u t
sh ou ld be st ac ke d well cl ea r of th e fille d sto re s.

BO MB , G. P. , 250 lb., AN -M 57 A1

Comparison with the AN-M57 250 lb. G.P. bomb


20. As st a te d in p ar a. 1, th e AN -M 57 A1 bo m b is si m il ar to th e AN -M57 bo m b. A tt en ti o n is
di re ct ed , th er ef or e, to p ar a. 1 to 19, as th e in fo rm at io n gi ve n in th es e p ar ag ra p h s fo r th e A N- M 57
bo m b ap pl ie s eq ua ll y to th e AN -M 57 A1 , wit h the ex ce pti on of the f ol lo wi ng diff ere nce s :—
(i) Th e fill ing pl ug is po si ti ve ly loc ke d in po si tio n a t th e re ar en d of th e bo m b bo dy by tw o
lon g st u d s scr ew ed in to th e un de rs id e of th e fill ing pl ug an d " s e t” in th e m ai n fillin g.
(ii) T he M10 2 a d a p te r bo os te r ha s a ho le dr ill ed th ro u g h it s wa ll to al ig n w it h a bl in d ho le
lo ca te d in th e w all -o f th e filli ng plu g. Th es e ho les ar e pr ov id ed so th a t w he n a bo m b is
to be fu ze d w it h a lon g de la y fuz e in co rp or at in g an an ti -r em o v al de vi ce , th e a d a p te r
bo os te r, in to w hi ch th e fuz e wi ll be loc ke d, ma }' its el f be lo ck ed to th e filli ng pl ug b y a
loc k p in in se rt ed th ro u g h th e a d a p te r bo os te r ho le to en ga ge w it h th e bl in d ho le in th e
filli ng plu g.
548

This leaf issued with A .L . No. 99 A. P.1 66 1B , Vol. I, Sect . 17, Chap. 2
February, 1945

AP PE ND IX 1
INSTRUC TIONS FOR US E— USING THE No. 52 PISTOL
LIS T OF CONTENTS
Pa ra .
In tr o d u ct io n ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1
Fu zi ng a bo m b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 2
F it ti n g th e fin as se m bl y. .. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 8
L oa di ng a fuz ed bo m b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 9
Un lo ad in g an d un fu zing a bo mb , an d re m ov in g th e fin as se m bl y ... ... ... ... ... ... 13

Int rod uct ion


1. The- No. 52 Mk. I or II pistol, when used for the nose fuzing of eith er the AN-M57 or
AN-M57A1 250 lb. G.P. bomb, is to be used in conju nctio n with a No. 1 Mk. I explo der ada pter ,
and eith er a No. 52 Mk. II or II I deto nato r. A No. 1 Mk. I safe ty wire and two No. 1 Mk. I
safe ty clips, which are suppl ied with the pistol, are also required .
Note.— The pistols and explod er ad apt er are described in Sect. 5 of A.P.1661C, Vol. I.
Fu zin g a bomb >
2. Before fuzing a bomb with a No. 52 pisto l, exam ine the pap er disc at the base of th e pistol
stri ker guide to check th at this disc has not been pierced by the stri ker needle. If it is suspec ted
th at the disc has been pun ctur ed, the p istol must not be used, bu t is to be s et aside for A.I.D ./A.I .S.
inspectio n. Also ensure th at the pistol screw -threa ds are clear and th at the leat her washer is
in position.
3. Unscrew and remove the nose tra ns it plug from the bomb. Exa min e the thre ads of the
fuze sea t liner and clean where necessary.
4. Remove the No. 46 tra ns it plug from a No. 1 Mk. I explod er ad apt er and gauge the
det ona tor c avi ty of the ex ploder a dap ter using a No. 2 Mk. I det onato r c avi ty gauge. The engra ved
line for 20/40 lb. bombs is applicab le. Expl oder ada pte rs which fail to pass thi s tes t are not to be
used, bu t are to be s et aside for A.I. D./A .I.S. inspection.
5. Ins ert the explod er ad apt er into the fuze sea t liner and screw home using a 1^ in. Whit,
span ner, C-spanner, or othe r suita ble tool. Ensu re th at the explod er ad apt er is securely locked in
position by its fibre inserts.
6. Fi t the small conical spring, suppli ed with the pistol, over the stem of a No. 52 Mk. II
or II I deto nato r, so th at the small end of the spring abu ts the under side of the det ona tor head.
Then inse rt the det ona tor into the det onato r cav ity of the explod er ada pter .
Note.— The conical spring must always be fitted, a s it ensures th at the det ona tor is in con tac t
with the end of t he stri ker guide when the pistol is screwed into the explode r ada pter .
7. Wit h the pistol locking nu t screwed forwar d a few tur ns, screw t he pistol, by hand , into the
explod er ad apt er until it is well seate d on its washer. Lock the pistol in positio n by screwing its
locking nu t har d on to the top of th e explod er ada pter .
Fit tin g the fin asse mb ly
8. If the bomb is to be used nose fuzed only, the fin a ssemb ly is to be att ach ed to the bomb
body as follows:—
(i) Remove the tra ns it wires securing the fin lock- nut to the tail end of the bomb body.
Unscrew and remove the fin lock- nut and also remove the card boar d dista nce piece, if
fitted.
(ii) Offer up the fin ass embly to the re ar end of th e bomb body, so th at t he fins are at 45 deg.
to the pl ane of the susp ension lugs. This is requ ired to ensure ease of stow age of the bomb
in Briti sh aircr aft.
(iii) Secure th e fin assembl y in position by replacin g and screwing down the fin lo ck-nut. The
lock- nut is to be tigh tene d using a suita ble sho rt tom my bar.
Loa ding a fuz ed bomb
9. Wi th the single su spension lu g of the bomb upper most, load the fuzed bomb on to i ts carri er
in t he norma l manne r, as describ ed in the Chap ter of A.P . 1664, Vol. I, rele van t to the carr ier used.
549

10. When the bomb is securely atta ch ed to its carrie r, remove the safe ty pin from the pistol
and rot ate t he safe ty cap ju st sufficien tly t o brin g th e hole in one of th e armi ng vanes into line with
the hole in t he uppermost lu g of th e pistol l ocking nut.
Note.— The safe ty pin is t o be h and ed to th e pilo t or air bomber.
11. Ins ert the plain end of a No. 1 Mk. I safe ty wire first thr oug h the hole in the lug of t he
locking nu t and the n thr oug h the a rmin g vane ho le unt il the end prot rud es app roxi mat ely 3 in., as
shown in fig. 1 of Chap. 2. Slip t wo No. 1 Mk. I safe ty clips over the pro trud ing end of th e safe ty
wire, so th at the inne r clip is in light con tac t with the pistol armi ng vane, see fig. 1 of Chap. 2.
Note.— It is no t essent ial th a t the pull-off of the safe ty wire should be exac tly in line with
the bomb suspensi on lug.
12. Att ach the hook end of a s tan da rd flexible fuze -settin g contro l link to the loop e nd of the
safe ty wire, and t hen inse rt the loop end of th e link into t he E.M. fuzing un it in t he n orma l manner.
As a “ho rizo ntal ’' pull on the safe ty wire is require d, the E.M. fuzing un it mu st not be position ed
vertically above the nose pistol, bu t mus t be moved inwa rd towa rds the bomb suspensi on lug a
min imu m dista nce of 3 in., measu red from the drilled lug on the pisto l locking nut, as shown in
fig. 1 of Chap. 2. Prefe rably, however, the fuzing un it shoul d be moved inwa rd towa rds the bomb
suspensio n lug to th e lim it per mi tte d by the con tour of the bomb.
Note.— Depen ding on th e typ e of car rier and on t he positio n of th e E.M. fuzing unit, two or
more fuze-s etting cont rol links, att ac he d end to end, may be require d.

Unloadin g and unfuz ing a bomb, and removing the fin assembly
13. Discon nect the fuze- settin g contro l link from the E.M. fuzing uni t and the n unload the
bomb from its carri er in the norm al manner.
14. Hav ing unloade d the bomb, remove the two safe ty clips from the end of the safe ty wire,,
and the n with draw th is wire from the p istol.
15. Screw up the safe ty cap until the stop pins are engaged. With a Mk. I pistol screw back
the cap jus t sufficiently to bring it s two safe ty pin holes into line w ith the slo'ts c ut in t he t op of th e
pistol body ; then inse rt the safe ty pin. W ith a Mk. II pistol, the safe ty cap is to be screwed up
unt il the stop pins pre ven t fur the r movem ent. Then engage the U-shap ed end of the safe ty pin
with the hole in the armi ng vane which is opposi te to the hole in th e safe ty cap. Ins ert the plain
end of the safet y pin in th e hole in the safe ty cap and the n slowly unscrew the cap unt il thi s end
of the safet y pin drops into the groove in the pistol body.
Note.— If the safe ty pin does not engage with the groove in the pistol body with in one
complet e r evolu tion of th e c ap, the cau se m ust be a sce rtain ed; for exa mple, the plain end of the
safe ty pin may be burr ed or disto rted.
16. Disconn ect the fuze-s etting control link (or links) from the safe ty wire, and ret urn the wire
to its box.
Note.— Should the safe ty wire be kinked, ben t or otherw ise dis tort ed or damage d, it mu st
not be used again. Such a wire is to be discar ded and not retu rne d to its box.
17. To unfuze the bomb, proceed as follows:—•
(i)Slacken back the p istol locking nut.
(ii)Unscrew and r emove the pistol by hand.
(iii)Ex tra ct the d eto nat or using an extr acto r, deto nato r, No. 2, Mk. I.
(iv) Remov e th e conical spring from the det onato r stem, or from the explod er ada pte r, an d
ret urn it to its linen bag.
(v) Seal the explod er ad ap ter with its No. 46 t ra ns it plug.
18. Hav ing unfuzed the bomb, remove the fin assemb ly as follows:—
(i)Unscrew and remove the fin lock- nut from the rea r end of the bomb body.
(ii)Deta ch the fin assem bly from the bomb body.
(iii)If origina lly fitted , replace the card boa rd dist ance piece and the n replace the fin lo ck- nut
and wire it in positi on to pre ven t loss.
(iv) Re tur n the fin assem bly to its me tal crate.
19. Suita bly mar k the bomb a t its nose e nd as “E XP LO DE RE D” and t he n ret urn it to stor e,
where it should be segre gated for use as soon as possible.
550

This leaf issued with A .L . No. 99 A.P.1 661B, Vol. I, Sect. 17, Chap. 2
February, 1945

APPEN DIX 2

INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE—USING THE AN-M100A1 or AN-M100A2 FUZE

LIS T OF CONTENTS
P ar a.
In tr oduct io n ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1
F it ti n g th e fin as se m bl y. .. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 4
Fu zi ng a bo m b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 9
Lo ad in g a fu zed bo m b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 15
Un lo ad in g an d un fu zi ng an un ex pe nd ed bo m b, an d re m ov al of fin as se m bl y ... ... ... ... 17

Introduction
1. Bot h the AN-M57 and A N-M57A1 250 lb. G.P. bomb s ma y be fuzed at t he tai l with e ither
the AN-M100A1 or AN-M100A2 ta il fuze. These fuzes (which are fully describe d in A.P. 1661C,
Vol. I, Sect. 5) are f itte d with the M14 series of p rim er det ona tors , which are interc hange able, and
may thu s be used to provid e a non-d elay, 0-01 sec., 0-025 sec., or 0-1 sec. dela y acti on as require d.
2. As these fuzes also inco rpor ate a mecha nical arm ing delay , the y requi re cert ain minimu m
heights of bomb release to ensur e th at the y are fully arme d prio r to imp act wit h the tar ge t. These
minirqu m heig hts of release are pro mul gate d to the Uni ts concerned thr oug h th e norm al channels.
Note.—The AN-M100A1 fuze may, if auth oriz ed, be par tia lly pre- arm ed before take-off.
Partial pr e-arming of the AN -M 10 0A 2 fuze is not to be under taken in any circumstances whatsoever.
3. A sta nd ard AN-M57 fin assembly, modified by the addi tion of a No. 3 Mk. I arm ing wire
guide, is to be used. In a dditi on, one No. 1 Mk. I safe ty wire and two No. 1 Mk. I safe ty clips are
requ ired when fuzing a bomb with eith er of these fuzes. The arm ing wire guide, safe ty wire, and
safe ty clips ma y be supplie d with t he fin as sembly, or as sep arat e items.
Fittin g the fin assembly
4. The fin assembl y is to be atta ch ed to the bomb body before fuzing is commenc ed. The
proce dure to be ado pted is detai led in the following para . 5 t o 8.
5. Remove the fin assem bly from its cra te and asce rtai n whe ther or no t a No. 3 Mk. I
armi ng wire guide is fitted . Where th e wire guide is no t fitt ed proceed as follows:—
(i) Hook the two halves of t he arm ing wire guide to one of th e four sides of th e box porti on
of the fin assemb ly so th at the bra cke t of the guide proje cts into th e fin assembly, as
illu stra ted in fig. 1 of Chap. 2.
(ii) Rigi dly secure the wire guide to the fin assem bly by tigh teni ng the nu t on the coupling
screw.
6. Remove t he t ra ns it wires securing t he fin lock -nut to t he ta il end of th e bomb body. Then
unscrew and remove the nu t and also, if fitted , the card boa rd dista nce piece.
7. Pa rtia lly unscrew the t ail t ra ns it plug from the bomb b ody.
8. Check th at the arm ing wire guide is securely att ac he d to the fin assem bly and the n offer
up the fin assem bly to th e rea r end of the bomb body so that the arming wire guide is in line with
the single sus pension lug of the bomb, as shown in fig. 1 of Chap. 2. Secure the fin assemb ly in this
positi on with the fin lock-n ut, which is t o be tigh tene d using a sho rt tom my bar.
Fuzi ng a bomb
9. Wit h the fin assem bly fitte d to the bomb body, compl etely unscrew the tai l tra ns it plug
and examin e the screw t hre ads of t he M102 ad ap ter booste r. Clean t hese thr ead s where necessary.
Ens ure th at the ad ap ter boos ter is securely positi oned in the bomb body.
C (AL99 )
551

10. Remove the fuze from its sealed con taine r and examin e and te st the fuze as follows:—
(i) Exam ine the fuze to asce rtai n th at it is not par tial ly or fully armed , as describ ed in
A.P.1661C, Vol. I, Sect. 5, Cha p. 2.
(ii) Exa min e the fuze for signs of ext ern al damage , corrosion (appea ring as a white depo sit
on the fuze), or for trac es of m oistu re on the armi ng stem cup which houses the redu ction
gear trai n.
(iii) Test t he fuze to ensure th at t he sta tio nar y gear in the redu ction gear tra in is locked . To
do thi s grip the top of th e fuze (th at is, the lock- nut and adj usti ng nut) and, using finger
pressu re only, rot ate the arm ing stem. A mov eme nt up to in. is norm ally possible,
due to man ufa ctur ing toleran ces, bu t should the arm ing stem rot ate thr oug h 90 deg. or
more the sta tio na ry gear is not locked and th e fuze mu st not be used.
Hav ing exam ined and tes ted the fuze, change the M14 prim er det ona tor if necessary. I t should
be note d th at the fuzes are norm ally suppl ied fitte d with the 0-025 sec. delay version of the M14
prim er deto nato r. If it is re quire d to change the prim er det ona tor, unscrew i t from the base of th e
fuze, by hand , and the n screw in the app rop riat e M14 prim er de ton ato r giving the delay selected.
Force mus t not be used in these opera tions , and shoul d a prim er det ona tor show signs of exte rnal
corrosion or othe r damage , or should its prim er be a loose fit, it must not be used.
Notes.— (i) The prime r det ona tor giving the requ ired delay may be identifie d by its delay time
which is stam ped on the head of th e prim er det ona tor body. In addi tion, the h ead
of th e non-d elay prim er det ona tor is p ain ted white, th at of th e 0-1 sec. delay, black,
whilst the 0-01 sec. and 0-025 sec. delay versions have, respec tively, a -J- and a |
sector of th e hea d pain ted black.
(ii) Long delay prim er det ona tors of t he M16 series can not be used with these fuzes.
Warni ngs.— (i) Care m ust be tak en when hand ling eith er a prim er deto nato r, or a fuze conta ining a
prim er deto nato r, as the prim er comp onen t is par tia lly exposed in the top of the
prim er det ona tor body.
(ii) Should a fuze be dropp ed or accid ental ly knocked, it mu st be careful ly examin ed
exte rnal ly to ensure th at no dama ge has been susta ined.
11. Wit hdr aw the split pin from the body of th e fuze and then screw the fuze (less its armi ng
vane) by han d into the r ear en d of th e bomb body.
12. Thre ad the plain end of a No. 1 Mk. I safe ty wire first thro ugh the armi ng wire guide on
the fin assembl y and the n thro ugh the uppe rmo st pai r of adja cen t holes in the fuze armi ng stem
cup and eyelet stra p, on the lines indi cate d in fig. 1 of Chap. 2. The safe ty wire holes in the fuze
need not be exac tly in line with the armi ng wire guide.
Note.— Should the upp erm ost pai r of ad jac ent holes be occ upied by the f uze sa fety pin, this
pin is to be removed, to allow inser tion of th e safe ty wire, but only after a se cond safe ty pin has
first been secured thr oug h the second pair of adj ace nt holes in the armi ng stem cup and eyelet
str ap of th e fuze.
13. Hav ing inser ted the safe ty wire, cu t the sealing wire thre ade d thr oug h the safe ty pin and
the n remove the pin? Thre ad the pl ain end of the sa fety wire thro ugh one of t he holes in t he armi ng
vane blades and at t he same tim e slip the armi ng vane over the end of th e fuze so t ha t the grooves
in the armi ng vane assemb ly engage with the t wo locati ng pins on t he fuze. Lock the armi ng vane
to the fuze by screwing down th e vane nut , han d tigh t.
Note.—The safe ty pin and its sealing wire, tog eth er with th e spli t pin (see para . 11) are
to be h and ed to the pilo t or air bomber.
14. Adj ust the safe ty wire to pro tru de app rox ima tely 3 in. beyond the fuze armi ng vane, as
indic ated in fig. 1 of Chap. 2, and the n slip two No. 1 Mk. I safe ty clips over the end of t he wire so
th at the inner clip is in ligh t con tac t with t he a rming»vane blade.

Loading a fuzed bomb


15. Wi th the single suspensio n lug upper most, load the fuzed bomb on to its carr ier in the
norm al manne r, as described in the cha pte r of A.P. 1664, Vol. I, rele van t to the car rier used.
16. When the bom b is secu rely a tta ch ed to its carr ier, at ta ch th e ho ok e nd of a link, fuze- settin g
control, Type E.M., flexible, adju stab le, to the loop end of the safe ty wire thr ead ed thr oug h the
fuze. Ins ert the loop end of the fuze -sett ing cont rol link into the E.M. fuzing uni t in the norm al
mann er. As a "ho riz ont al” pull on the safe ty wire is requi red, the E.M. fuzing uni t mu st not be
locate d vertically above the head of th e tai l fuze, bu t is to be moved inwa rd towa rds the bomb
552

This leaf issued with A .L . No. 99 A.P.166 1B, Vol. I, Sect. 17, Chap. 2, A pp . 2
February ,1945
suspens ion lug a min imu m dista nce of 3 in., measu red from the armin g wire guide on the fin
assembly , as shown in fig. 1 of Chap. 2. Prefe rably , however, the fuzing uni t should be moved
inwa rd tow ards the suspensio n lug to the limi t per mi tte d by the con tour of t he bomb.
Note.— Depe ndin g on t he typ e of ca rrier an d on th e positi on of th e E.M. fuzing unit, two or
more fuze- settin g cont rol links, atta ch ed end to end, ma y be require d.

Unload ing and unfuz ing an unexpended bomb, and remova l of fin assembly
Warn ing.— Before unloa ding and unfuzin g a n unexp ende d bomb, examin e t he fuze to m ake
cert ain th at it is n ot pa rti all y or fully armed , as detai led in A.P.1661C, Vol. I, Sect. 5, Chap. 2.
17. Discon nect the fuze -settin g contr ol link from the carr ier E.M. fuzing uni t and unloa d the
bomb from the carri er in the norm al manne r.
18. Hav ing unloa ded the bomb from its carrier , remove the two safe ty clips from the safet y
wire, but do not wi thdraw this wire from the fuze. Unscrew the va ne nu t from the en d of the f uze an d
remove the a rmin g vane.
19. In se rt the safe ty pin thr oug h the second pai r of adj ace nt holes in the armin g stem cup
and eyele t str ap of the fuze, and secure it in positio n with its sealing wire. Then with draw the
safe ty wire from the fuze and armi ng wire guide. Unho ok the fuze-s etting contr ol link(s) from the
safe ty wire.
Note.— Should the safe ty wire be kinked , ben t, or otherwi se dist orte d or damage d, it mus t
be discard ed and no t used again.
20. Unscrew and remove the fuze, by hand , from the rea r end of the bomb body and
immediately replace the sp lit pin thro ugh t he body of the fuze. Re tur n the fuz e t o its con taine r a nd
seal with adhesi ve tape .
21. Hav ing remov ed the fuze from the bomb, unscrew the fin lock- nut and remove the fin
assembly . Fi t the card boa rd dista nce piece, if origina lly provide d, rou nd th e exte rnal screw
thr ead s of the bomb filling plug and the n replace the fin lock-nu t. Re-wire the nu t to the filling
plug t o pre ven t loss.
22. Close t he r ear end of th e bomb body w ith its tra ns it plug.

D (AL99)
553

This leaj issued with A .L . No. 99 A. P.1 66 1B , Vol. I, Sec t. 17 , Chap. 2


February, 1945
AP PE ND IX 3
INSTRUCTIO NS FOR USE— USIN G TH E M11 2 or M1 12A 1 FUZ E
LIS T OF CONTEN TS Para.
In tr oduct io n ... ... ... .. . ... ... ... ... ... ... 1
F it ti n g th e fin as se m bl y ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 3
Fu zi ng a bo m b ... ... ... ... ... ... .. . .. . ... 8
L oa di ng a fu zed bo m b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .. . ... 16
U nl oa di ng an d un fu zi ng an un ex pe nd ed bo m b, an d re m ov al of fin as se m bl y ... .. . ... 18

Int rod uct ion


1. Ei the r th e M l 12 or th e M112A1 fuze (which are fully described in A.P.1661C, Vol. I, Sect. 5)
can be used for the tail fuzing of bot h the AN-M57 and AN-M57A1 250 lb. G.P. bombs. These
fuzes do no t inc orp ora te.a mecha nical delay in the ir armi ng mechan ism, bu t are fitte d with prim er
det ona tors of the M16 series which provi de eithe r a 4 to 5 sec. or 8 t o 11 sec. delay.
2. A sta nd ard AN-M57 fin assembly, modified by the addi tion of a No. 3 Mk. I arm ing wire
guide, is to be used. In addi tion, one No. 1 Mk. I safe ty wire and two No. 1 Mk. I safe ty clips are
requ ired when fuzing a bomb with eith er of these fuzes. The armi ng wire guide, safe ty wire, and
safe ty clips may be suppli ed wit h the fin assembly , or as sepa rate items.
Fit tin g the fin ass emb ly
3. The fin assembl y is to be atta ch ed to the bomb body before fuzing is commenced. The
procedu re to be ado pted is detai led in the following p ara. 4 to 7.
4. Remove the fin assem bly from its cra te and asce rtain whe ther or no t a No. 3 Mk. I arm ing
wire gu ide is fi tted. Where the wire gui de is n ot fitted , proceed as fo llows:—
(i) Hoo k the two halves of th e armi ng wire guide to one of t he four sides of t he box porti on
of the fin assembl y so th at the bra cke t of the arm ing wire guide proj ects into the fin
assembly , as illus trat ed in fig. 1 of Chap. 2.
(ii) Rigid ly secure the wire guide to the fin assembl y by tigh tenin g the nu t on th e couplin g
screw.
5. Remove the tra ns it wires se curing the fin lock -nut t o the t ail end of the b omb body. The n
unscrew and remove the lock -nut and also, if fitte d, the card boar d dista nce piece.
6. Pa rtia lly unscrew the tail tra ns it plug from the bom b body.
7. Offer u p the fin as sembly to the rea r end of t he bomb body so that the arming wire guide is
in line with the single suspensio n lug o f the bomb, as shown in fig. 1 of Chap. 2. Secure t he fin a ssemb ly
in this positi on with the fin lock- nut, which is to be tigh tene d using a suit able tom my bar.
Fu zin g a bomb
8. Wit h the fin assembl y fitte d to the bomb body, compl etely unscrew the tail tra ns it plug
and examin e the screw t hre ads of t he M102 ad apt er booste r. Clean t hese thr ead s where necessa ry,
and check th at t he ad ap ter b ooste r is sec urely positi oned in the bom b body.
9. Remove the fuze from its sealed cont aine r and exam ine it for exte rna l dama ge and for
corrosion (appea ring as a white deposit). Check th at the fuze is not par tia lly or fully arme d, as
detail ed in A.P.1661C, Vol. I, Sect. 5, Chap. 3.
10. Carefully unscrew and remove the prim er det ona tor from th e base of th e fuze, and the n
te st the fuze t o ensure th at i t is n ot par tial ly uncocked, using a gauge, str ike r dep th, No. 16, Mk. I.
To do t his, inser t the s tem of th e gauge into the b ase of th e fuze; the h ead of th e gauge shoul d ab ut
the base of th e fuze. If thi s does no t o btai n and it is possible to "ro ck '' the ga uge w hilst in th e fuze,
the fuze plun ger and firing pin are par tial ly uncocke d and the fuze mu st not be used. In such
circum stance s t he p rime r det ona tor mu st not be sc rewed bac k i nt o the fuze.
W arn ing .— Gre at care mu st alway s be exercise d when han dlin g a pri me r de ton ato r (or a
fuze contai ning a prim er det ona tor ), par tic ula rly as th e prim er com pone nt is p art ial ly expose d
in th e to p of t he prim er de ton ato r body.
11. Hav ing exam ined and g auged the f uze, fit the p rim er det onato r giving the d elay req ui re d;
thi s may or ma y no t be the one supp lied wi th the fuze. Force mu st not be used in thi s opera tion,
and should a prim er det ona tor show signs of ext ern al corrosion or damage , or should its pri me r be
a loose fit, it must not be used.
Notes.— (i) The M112 and M112A1 fuzes are norm ally supplie d fitte d with the 8 to 11 sec.
delay version of the M16 or M16A1 prim er deto nato r.
(ii) The M16 and M16A1 prim er det ona tors a re identif iable by the ir milled and grooved he ads .
554

The 4 to 5 sec. and 8 to 11 sec. del ay v ersion s of th ese p rime r de ton ato rs a re d istingu ishable
by the delay times which are mar ked in two places on the ir heads. The delay times are
also clearly mark ed on the cylinde rs in which the prim er deto nato rs are packed.
(iii) The M16 prim er det on ato r may be used with eith er the Ml 12 or M112A1 fuze. The
M16A1 pr imer deto nat or is for use only with the M1 12Al fuze. Sh ort de lay primer deton ator s
of the M14 series can not be used with eith er of these fuzes.
(iv) Should -the fuze be drop ped or acci dent ally knock ed at any time, it mu st be carefully
exami ned exte rnal ly to ensure th at no damag e has been susta ined.
12. Hav ing fitted the requi red prim er det ona tor, remove the “special ins truc tion s” ta bl et
from the fuze armin g st em tub e and screw t he fuze (less it s armi ng vane), by han d, into t he re ar end
of th e bomb b ody.
13. Thr ead the plai n end of a No. 1 Mk. I safe ty wire first thr oug h the armi ng wire guide
on the fin assembl y and the n thr oug h the upp erm ost pai r of adj ace nt holes in the stem cup and
circu lar pla te of th e fuze, as shown in fig. 1 of Chap . 2. I t is no t essen tial for the s afet y wire holes
in the f uze t o be e xac tly in line with t he a rmin g wire guide.
Note.— Should- the upp erm ost pai r of adj ace nt holes be occupied by the fuze safe ty pin,
the p in is t o be remove d, t o allow inser tion of th e safe ty wire, but only after a second safe ty pin
has first been inser ted thr oug h the s econd pai r of a dja cen t holes.
14. Hav ing inser ted the safe ty wire, cut the sealing wire thre ade d thr oug h the safe ty pin and
remove t he pin. Thr ead the pl ain end of th e safe ty wire thr oug h the hole in one of th e arm ing vane
blades, and at the same time slip the armi ng vane over the head of the fuze so t h at t he grooves in
th e armin g van e assemb ly engage with the two locati ng pins on the fuze. Lock the armin g vane
to the fuze by screwing down the knur led vane nu t, han d tigh t.
15. Ad jus t the s afety wire to pro trud e app roxi mat ely 3 in. beyon d the armi ng vane, as shown
in fig. 1 of Chap. 2, a nd the n slip two No. 1 Mk. I safe ty clips over the end of the w ire so th at t he
inne r clip is in light con tac t with the armin g van e blade.
Note.— The safe ty pin and its sealing wire are to be han ded to the pilot or air bomber.
Loading a fuzed bomb
16. Wi th the single suspen sion lug upp erm ost, load the fuzed bomb on to its carri er in the
norm al hian ner, as described in the Cha pter of A.P. 1664, Vol. I rele van t to the carri er used.
17. When the bom b is secure ly att ac he d to its carrier , at ta ch the hook end of a link,
fuze- settin g control , Type E.M., flexible, adju stab le, to the loop end of the safe ty wire
thre ade d thr oug h th e fuze. Ins ert the loop end of the fuze -settin g cont rol link into the E.M.
fuzing un it in the norm al manne r. As a “ho rizo ntal ” pull on the safe ty wire is requir ed, the E.M.
fuzing uni t mu st not be locate d vertically above the h ead of th e tail fuze, bu t is to be moved inward
towa rds the b omb suspensio n lug a min imu m dista nce of 3 in., measu red from the a rmin g w ire guide
on the fin assembly , as shown in fig. 1 of Chap. 2. Pref erab ly, however, the fuzing uni t should be
moved inwar d towa rds the bomb su spension lu g t o the limit per mi tted by the con tour of the bomb .
Note.— Depend ing on the typ e of carrie r, and on the posit ion of the E.M. fuzing uni t, two
or more fuze-s etting contr ol links, atta che d end to end, may be requir ed.
Unload ing and unfu zing an unexpended bomb, and remova l of fin assembly
Warnin g.— Before unload ing and unfuzi ng an unexp ende d bomb, exam ine the f uze to m ake
cert ain th at i t is n ot par tia lly or fully arme d, as detai led in A.P.1661C, Vol. I, Sect. 5, Chap. 3.
18. Disconn ect the fuze -settin g contro l link from the carri er E.M. fuzing uni t and unloa d the
bom b from the carr ier in the norm al manne r.
19. Hav ing unloade d the bomb from its carrie r, remove the two safe ty clips from, the safe ty
wire, but do not withdraw the wire from the fuze . Unscrew the k nurl ed vane nu t from the h ead of the
fuze and remove the armi ng vane.
20. In se rt the s afety pi n th rou gh the second pai r of adj ace nt holes in t he stem cu p a nd circul ar
pla te of th e fuze a nd secure it in posit ion with th e sail ing wire. Then with draw t he safe ty wire from
the fuze and arm ing wire guide. Unhoo k the fuze-s etting contr ol link(s) from the safe ty wire.
Note.— Should the safe ty wire be kinked , bent, or otherwis e dis tort ed or dama ged, it must
be d iscarde d and not u sed again.
21. Unscrew and remove the fuze, by han d, from the rear end of th e bom b body, ret urn the
fuze to its cont aine r and re-seal the cont aine r with adhesiv e tape.
22. Hav ing remove d th e fuze from the bomb, unscrew the fin lock -nut and remove the fin
assembly . Fi t the card boar d dista nce piece, if ori ginally provid ed, roun d the exte rnal screw t hrea ds
of the b omb filling plug and repla ce the fin lock-nu t. Re-wire t he n ut to the filling plug to pr eve nt loss.
23. Close the rea r end of the bomb body with its tra ns it plug.
F64I4 M /G3639 4/45 7900 C & P Gp . 1
555

Th is lea f issue d with A .L . No. 120 A. P. 16 61 B, Vol . I, Sec t. 17, Chap. 2


Au gus t, 1945

AP PE ND IX 4

INSTRUCTIO NS FOR USE — USING TH E AN -M 10 3A 1 FU ZE

LI ST OF CON TEN TS
Pa ya.
In tr o d u ct io n ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1
Fu zi ng a bo m b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 4
F it ti n g th e fin as se m bl y. .. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 11
Lo ad in g a fu ze d bo m b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 12
Un lo ad in g an d un fu zing an- un ex pe nd ed bo m b, an d re m ov in g fin as se m bl y ... ... ... ... 15

Int rod uct ion


1. The AN-M 103A1 fuze (which is fully described in A.P . 1661C, Vol. I, Sect. 5, Chap. 11}
may be used for the nose fuzing of either the AN-M 57, or AN- M57 A1 250 lb. G.P. bomb.
As the fuze is selective, giving either an instantaneous or 0T sec. delay action, it may be used to
provide a 0T sec. delay action “ insurance” fuze when a bomb is t ail fuzed with an AN-M100 series
fuze or, when necessary, as an alterna tive to the No. 52 nose pistol (with the exploder adapter,
No. 1, Mk. I); the fuze, in this instance, being set for instantaneous action.

2. As the fuze incorporates a mechanical delay in its arming mechanism, it requires certain
minimum heights of bomb release to ensure tha t the fuze is ful ly armed prior to impact of the fuzed
bomb with its target. These minimum heights of bomb release are promulgated to the Units concerned
through the normal channels.
Note.— Partial pre-arming of the fu ze is not to be undertaken in any circumstances whatsoever.

3. One No. 1 Mk. I safety wire and tw o No. 1 Mk. I safety clips are required for use with the
fuze. ,

Fu zin g a bomb
4. Unscrew and remove the nose transi t plug of the bomb and examine the fuze seat liner
and its threads. Clean, where necessary, using a short length of wood st ick.

5. Remove the fuze from its sealed conta iner and check tha t the fuze is not part ially or fully
armed, as described in A.P.1661 C, V ol. I, S ect. 5, Chap. 11. Also examine the fuze for signs of damage
or corrosion (appearing as a white deposit), or for traces of moisture on the vane cup which houses
the reduction gear train.

6. Cut and remove t he sealing wire threaded through the fuze van e and eyelet straps, and vane
holder. Ensure tha t the split pin is threaded through the vane and eyelet straps, and then screw
the fuze (less its arming vane), by hand, into the fuz e se at liner of the bomb.
Note.— No tools are to be used when screwing home the fuze.

7. Insert the plain end of a No. 1 Mk. I safet y wire t hrough th e a djacent holes in the uppermost
pair of vane and eyelet straps, that is, through the pair of straps nearest in line with the single
suspension lug of the bomb. The end of the wire should project about 3 in. beyond the straps.
It is not essential tha t the pull-off of the safety wire be exa ctly in line with the suspension lug.
Note.— Should the holes in the uppermost pair of straps be occupied b y the split pin, it is to be
withdrawn, to allow for the insertion of the safety wire, but only after a second split pin has
first been inserted through the second pair of holes in the straps.

8. Slip two No. 1 Mk. I safety clips over the end of the safe ty wire so that the inner clip is
in light contac t w ith the vane strap.

9. Fit the arming vane over th e to p of the fuze vane holder so tha t its two locating pins engage
with the two holes in the vane holder. Ensure that the spring ring in the arming vane snaps into
the circular groove in the top of the vane holder.
556

10. Set the fuze for ins tan tan eou s or 0-1 sec. delay action , as requi red. To do th is, pull the
sett ing pin out wa rds a gai nst t he actio n of it s sprin g and ro tat e th e pin so th a t its peg engages wit h
eit he r th e deep o r sha llow p air of slots, as a ppr opr iate . Fo r instantaneous a ctio n t he peg is to engage
wit h th e shallow s lots, and fo r delay action , wit h the deep slots. A su mm ary of th ese inst ruc tion s is
stam ped o n the f uze arou nd th e sett ing pin.
Note.— As supplie d, the fuze is norm ally set’ for delay action.
Fitt ing the fin assembly
11. If the bomb is to be used nose fuzed only, the fin assembl y is to be atta che d to the
bom b body as follows:—
(i) Rem ove the tra ns it wires securin g the fin loc k-n ut to th e ta il end of th e bom b body.
Unscrew and remov e th e fin lock -nut an d also remo ve th e card boa rd dista nce piece, if
fitted .
(ii) Offer up the fin assem bly to th e rea r end of the bom b body so t h a t th e fins ar e a t 45 deg.
to the pla ne of th e su spensio n lugs. Thi s i s requ ired t o ensure eas e of stowa ge of th e bom b
in Brit ish airc raft.
(iii) Secure the fin assem bly in positi on by replac ing and screwing down the fin lock- nut.
The lock -nu t is to be tigh tene d, using a suit able tom my bar.
Loading a fuzed bomb
12. W ith th e single suspen sion lug of th e bom b uppe rmos t, load th e fuzed bom b on to its
carr ier in th e norm al ma nner, as described in the chap ter of A.P. 1664, Vol. I, releva nt to the ca rrie r used.
13. Wh en th e bom b is securely att ac he d to its carrier , at ta ch th e hook end of a sta ndard
flexible f uze- setti ng cont rol link to th e lo op e nd bf th e safet y wi re th rea ded th rou gh the fuze. Ins ert
th e loop end of th e fuze -settin g contr ol link into th e E.M. fuzing un it in th e norm al mann er. As
a " ho riz on tal '' pull on the safe ty wire is r equir ed, th e E.M. fuzing uni t mu st not be positi oned vertically
abov e the fuze, bu t is to be move d inwa rd tow ards t he b omb s uspens ion lug a dista nce of
3 in. mea sure d from t he st rap s on th e fuze, o n si mila r lines to fig. 1 of Chap. 2. Prefe rably , however,
th e fuzing un it shou ld be moved inwa rd tow ards th e bom b suspensio n lug to the lim it per mi tted
by the con tou r of the bomb.
Note.— Depen ding on th e t yp e of carr ier and on the pos ition of th e E.M. fuzing un it, two or m ore
fuze -set ting con trol links, att ach ed end to end, may be required .
14. Finall y, with dra w th e spl it pin from th e van e and eyelet str aps and han d it[ to the pilo t
or air bomber.
Tin loading and unfuz ing an unexpended bomb, and removing fin assembly
Warn ing.— Before unloa ding and unfuz ing' an une xpen ded bomb , examin e the fuze to make
cert ain th a t it is no t p art ial ly or ful ly ar med, as des cribed in A.P.1661C, Vol. I, Sect. 5, Chap. 11.
15. To obt ain add itio nal safe ty while unloa ding a bomb from its carrier , first inser t, whereve r
possible, the sp lit pin into th e second p air of a dja cen t holes in th e fuze van e a nd eyele t str aps . Then
disco nnec t th e fuze- settin g c ontro l link(s) from the E.M. fuzing uni t and unlo ad the bomb from the
car rier in the norma l manner .
16. Hav ing unloa ded the bom b from the carrier , disco nnec t the fuze-s etting cont rol link(s)
fro m th e safe ty wire, but do not withdraw the wire from the fuze . Remov e t he a rmin g vane from the
fuze, ensure th a t th e spli t pin is securely thre ade d thr oug h th e van e and eyele t stra ps, and the n
unscrew an d rem ove th e fuze f rom th e bo mb b y han d. Seal the nose of the b omb with its t ra ns it plug.
17. Rem ove th e two safe ty clips from the safe ty wire and the n with draw the wire from the
fuze. Ins pe ct th e fuze for dama ge and set i t for delay a ction, as necessary. Re tur n th e fuze to it s
con tain er an d seal wi th adhes ive tap e. Mark the con tain er for “F IR ST ISS UE ” .
Note.-—Should th e safe ty wire be kinke d, ben t, or otherw ise dis tort ed or damage d, it mu st be
disca rded and no t used again.
18. Hav ing remo ved the fuze from th e bomb, unscrew the fin lock -nut and remove the fin
assembly . F it the card boa rd dista nce piece, if origin ally provi ded, rou nd th e exte rna l screw
thr ead s of th e bom b filling plug, and the n replace the fin lock-n ut. Re-wire the lock -nut to the
filling plug to pre ven t loss.

P87 30 M /G2151 11/45 7900 C&P Gp. 1


557

Thi s leaf issued with A .L . No. 100 A.P .16 61B , Vol. I, Sect. 17
February, 1045

CHAPTER 3

Ci BOMBS, G.P., 500 lb., AN- M43 , AN- M6 4, and AN-M 64A1
>1
L IS T O F CO NT EN TS
$ Pa ra.
In tr o d u ct io n 1
BO M B, G .P ., 500 lb ., AN -M 64
L ea di ng p a rt ic u la rs
B om b bod y ... 4
T ai l, No . 54, Mk . 1 .............................. 5
F in as se m bl y, AN -M 64 6
Ge ne ra l de sc ri pt io n 7
B om b bod y ... 8
Ta il u n it an d fin as se m bl y 12
Id en ti fi ca ti o n co lo ur in g an d m ar k in g s. .. 13
F un ct io n in g 15
~ £ In st ru c ti o n s fo r use 17
<n
4) O Su pp ly 18
Q S to ra ge 20
’• 3 'S
G XJ
BO MB , G .P ., 500 lb ., AN -M 64 A1
0 C om pa ri so n w it h th e AN -M 64 500 lb. G .P . bo m b 21
_§*£ BO MB , G .P ., 500 lb ., A N -M 43
< c3 e C om pa ris on w it h th e A N -M 64 500 lb. G. P. bo m b 22
T3
"0 0 Cl
a x4 4>
rt a
CO X5
M s
<
0 TO
+■> _
ftCO
TO
0
0-< £>
fcOnJ
, G XI
43 0
tn L IS T OF IL LU ST R A TI O N S
'X £
a) a> F ig -
4> a 1. Se ct io na l an d sc ra p vie ws of th e AN -M 64 500 lb. G. P. bo m b, re ad y fo r use
43 “J 2. Vi ew s of th e bo m b, re ad y fo r tr a n s it
*2 ■
CO
■XT3 .24 °
8~ “
, ^ s |
■5 S .0 (3

"2
S T3
c in
O<>U-O
94

.■O 43
; cq 4)
£ * * L IS T OF A PP E N D IC E S
f t ) r t <1 13 -u
4) 4) No te.— A lis t of c o n te n ts a p p ea rs a t th e be gi nn in g of ea ch A pp en di x.

A P P E N D IX 1.— In st ru c ti o n s fo r us e— us in g th e No . 52 pi st ol
A P P E N D IX 2. — In st ru c ti o n s fo r us e— us in g th e AN -M 10 1A 1 or A N -M 10 1A 2 fu ze
A P P E N D IX 3.— In st ru c ti o n s fo r us e— us in g th e M l 13 or M11 3A1 fu ze
A P P E N D IX 4. — In st ru c ti o n s fo r us e— us in g th e M12 4 or M12 4A1 fu ze (T o be iss ue d later)

Q 003
W
H
o
w O
£ 'S
H o o
co k
W o
&
ARM AME NT
I
A (AL100)
558

CHAPTER 3

BOMBS, G.P., 500 lb., AN-M4 3, AN-M6 4, and AN-M6 4A1


Introductio n
1. These bombs, which have a charg e/we ight rati o simi lar to th at of the 500 lb. M.C. bombs,
are used for gene ral bom bard men t pu rposes. They are si milar in the ir general design, cons truc tion al
and functi onin g char acter istic s, th e AN-M43 differing in th at it is no t provi ded with a tai l fuze
ad ap ter a nd the AN-M64A1 in th at i t is modified to ensure th at, when fitte d wit h a long d elay fuze
inco rpor ating an an ti-re mov al device, t he fuze ca nno t be rem oved from th e bo mb in any circum stances
whats oever. The bombs are ada pte d for fuzing at bot h the nose and the tail, and are fitt ed with
twi n suspensio n lugs for carri age on Americ an shackles and racks. In addi tion, a single Brit ish
typ e susp ension lug is pro vided so t ha t t he bombs can be loaded on t o s tan da rd Bri tish bo mb c arriers.
2. A Bri tish dru m-t ype tai l unit, the No. 54 Mk. I tai l unit , which is fitte d wit h an armi ng
wire guide, is n orma lly to be u sed with th ese bomb s a s i t enables the bo mbs to be mo re economical ly
stowed on Bri tish aircr aft: Where, however, thi s tai l uni t is no t availa ble, the sta nd ard box typ e
Amer ican fin as sembly A N-M64, modified by th e addi tion of a No. 4 Mk. J arm ing wire guide, ma y
be used, except with the AN-M43 bomb.
Note.— When f ittin g a No. 54 Mk. I tail uni t to an AN-M43 bomb, a No. 1 Mk. I ad ap ter
ring, fitte d to the tail ring of the tai l unit, is requ ired to form a sea ting for the fin lock -nut of
the bomb.
3. The bombs may be fuzed with bot h Bri tish and Americ an fuzing compo nents, as listed in
para . 17. These com pone nts all re quire th e use of th e h oriz onta l sy stem of a rmi ng; th at is, o n release
of a bomb from its carrie r, armi ng is ini tia ted by the hor izon tal pull-off of a safe ty wire thr ead ed
thro ugh the armi ng vane of the nose or tai l fuzing compo nent.

BOMB, G.P., 500 lb., AN-M64


Leading particulars
Bom b body
4. Len gth (nose and tai l tra ns it plugs fitted) 47-2 in.
Maximu m diam eter (excluding suspensio n lugs) 14-1 in.
Nat ure and weight of filling ... 236 lb. Amatol
50/50 with 24-4 lb
T.N.T. surro unds
or 267 lb. cast T.N.T.
Tota l weight, fitte d Amato l 50/50 494 lb.
Tot al weight, filled T.N.T . 499 lb.
Term inal velocit y 1,310 ft. per sec.
Ta il, No. 54, M k. I
5. Len gth ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 14 in.
Maximum diam ete r ... ... ... ... ... ... 14-2 in.
F in assembly, A N -M 64
6. Len gth ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 13-7 in.
Maximum diagon al width ac ross fins ... ... ... 18-9 in.
The leng th of t he bomb is a ppr oxi mat ely 58-8 in. when fitted with the No. 54 Mk. I tai l un it and a
No. 52 nose pistol.
General description, fig. 1 and 2
7. The bomb consists of a bomb body filled with high explos ive and a deta chab le tai l unit ,
or fin ass embly, secured to the bod y by a fin lock- nut
Bomb body
8. The bomb body consists of a hollow steel casti ng open at bo th ends. The nose opening
is closed by a fuze se at liner, th e inne r end of whi ch engag es w ith an aux ilia ry booster, set in t he main
explosive filling. The tai l opening is closed by a filling plug screwed and ceme nted in position.
In to thi s plug is screwed an Ml 15 ad ap ter boos ter which aligns with a second aux ilia ry booster.
The ad ap ter boo ster conta ins a solid C.E. pelle t and is also provi ded with a fuze ada pte r. During
tra ns it and stora ge the fuze sea t liner and fu ze ad ap ter a re sealed by tra ns it plugs seat ed on leat her
washers.
Note.— The fuze ad ap ter may be unscrewed and remo ved from the Ml 15 ad ap ter booster,
and is provi ded to enable cer tain alte rna tiv e tai l fuzes to be used with thi s bomb.
559

This leaj issued with A. L. No. 100 A.P.1661 B, Vol. I, Sect. 17, Chap. 5
February, 1945
9. The fin lock-n ut, for use in securin g th e t ail u nit or fin a ssemb ly to the bom b body, is screwed
to ext ern al thr ead s on the filling plug. This lock -nut has fou r key holes a nd two sho rt tom my ba rs or,
alte rna tive ly, six key holes. Durin g t ra ns it and stora ge it is wired to the filling plug t o pre ven t loss.
Note.— Some bo m bs ' are prov ided with a card boa rd dista nce piece (not shown in the
illust ration s) locate d be tween th e fin lock -nut an d th e face of t he filling plug. This dista nce piece
pro tect s the exte rnal screw thr ead s on the filling plug durin g tra ns it and storage.
10. Three suspens ion lugs are welded to the bomb body, two of the lugs being loca ted dia ­
met rica lly opposi te to the th ird lug. The single lug is fo r use wh en load ing th e bo mb o n to a s tan dar d
Brit ish bomb carrie r, the twin lugs being used with Americ an shackles or racks. Duri ng tra ns it
and st orag e these lugs a re pro tect ed aga ins t d ama ge by two prot ecti ng rings locked rou nd th e bomb
body. These rings are hinged, and are tigh ten ed on to the b omb body by bolts and n uts, as shown
in fig. 2.
11. The bomb b ody is filled with eith er Amato l 50/50 or cas t T .N.T. When filled with A matol,
the nose and t ail end s of the body are sealed with t hic k pads of cas t T.N.T.
Tai l uni t and fin assembly
12. The No. 54 Mk. I tai l unit, which is suppli ed sepa rate ly from the b omb b ody, consists of a
tai l ring to which a dru m typ e cylin drica l vane is atta ch ed by four vane supp orts . Ext ensi ons on
these vane sup por ts are rive ted tog eth er to form a box sup por t i nside the t ail unit . An armi ng wire
guide is s ecured to a side of t his box to prov ide a sup port for the No. 1 Mk. I safe ty wire which is
used when the bomb is tai l fuzed. The AN-M64 fin assemb ly is of simil ar cons truct ion, hav ing a
tai l ring to which four fins a re att ach ed. Exte nsio ns on thes e fins are rive ted tog eth er to form the
box port ion of th e assembly . A de tach able No. 4 Mk. I armi ng wire guide is secu red to a s ide of th is
box to provid e a sup por t for the safe ty wire.

Identific ation colouring and markings


13. The exte rior of the bomb body is pai nte d an olive dra b colour. Thre e yellow ban ds are
pai nte d aro und t he bomb b ody, locate d at t he nose and tai l ends, and a t the cent re of g rav ity of the
bomb. The mark ings and info rma tion norm ally stencil led on th e bomb body are shown in fig. 2.
It s hould be note d th at the mark ings and info rma tion given are all Amer ican and th at some of t he
info rma tion does not a ppl y when the bomb is iss ued for loadi ng on to B riti sh airc raft.
14. The tai l un it and fin assem bly are simi larly pain ted an olive dra b colour, the tail uni t
hav ing stencil led on it the following :—"No. 54 Mk. I ’’.
Funct ioning
15. On "liv e" release of th e fuzed bomb from its carrie r, the sa fety wire is w ithd raw n from the
nose pist ol and /or tai l fuze by a fuze- settin g cont rol link, thu s allowing the fuzing comp onen ts to
become armed . ,
16. On imp act of t he fuzed bomb with its tar get , the nose pistol and /or t ail fuze init iat es the
explosive tra in in the bomb, thu s det ona ting the main filling.
Instru ctions for use
17. The following alte rna tiv e pistol s and fuzes are used with thi s bom b:—
Nose
(i) Pisto l, bomb, D.A., No. 52, Mk. I
(ii) Pistol, bomb, D.A., No. 52, Mk. II , see Appen dix 1

Tai l
(iii) Fuze, bomb, AN-M101A1 (tail) d
(iv) Fuze, bomb, AN-M 101A2 (tail) J ’ see Appen dix 2
(v) Fuze, bomb, Ml 13 (tail) 5
(vi) Fuze, bomb, M113A1 (tail) J ’ see Appe ndix 3
(vii) Fuze, bomb, M124 (tail) \
(viii) Fuze, bomb, M124A1 (tail) f ’ see Appe ndix 4 (To be issued later)
These fuzing comp onen ts are fully describe d in A.P.1661C, Vol. I, Sect. 5. The deta iled ins truc tion s
for fuzing a bomb with these compo nents, tog eth er wit h the instr ucti ons for loading, unload ing,
and unfuzin g the fuzed bomb, are given in the Appendic es to thi s Chapt er.
560

Supply
18. The AN-M64 500 lb. G.P. bomb body is suppl ied plugge d at bot h the nose and the tai l
wi th tr an sit plugs, and fitte d with two pro tect ing rings arou nd the body to pro tec t the suspensio n
lugs. The st owage dimensi ons of th e bo mb bo dy a re 47-2 in. le ngth, and 19-25 in. max imu m diam eter
across the prot ecti ng rings. The stowage w eight of the body is 510 lb. when filled Ama tol 50/50 or
515 lb. when filled cast T.N.T.
Note.— Some bom b bo dies may be suppli ed fitte d with a c ard boa rd dist anc e p iece t o pro tec t
th e ext ern al thr ead s on the filling plug.
19. Two No. 54 Mk. I tail units, each complet e with one wire, safe ty, No. 1, Mk. I, and two
clips, safe ty, No. 1, Mk. I, are suppl ied in Cont ainer B.471, Mk. I. The wire and clips are secure d
to th e tai l w ith adhesi ve t ape . The stowa ge dim ensions of the c onta iner are 29 in. le ngth an d 14 | in.
diam ete r; its filled weigh t is 30 lb. The AN-M64 fin assembly , fitte d wit h a No. 4 Mk. I armi ng
wire guide, and complet e w ith one No. 1 Mk. I sa fety wire a nd t wo No. 1 Mk. I safe ty clips, is supplie d
packe d singly in a me tal crat e. The fin assem bly ma y also be suppli ed wit hou t the arm ing wire
guide, safe ty wire, or clips, in which insta nce thes e items will be sep arat ely suppli ed. The stowage
dimensio ns of the cra te are 14 in. x 14 | in. x 14{- in.; its filled weight is 22 | lb.
Storage
20. The bomb bodies are classified, for the purpo se of storag e, in Group 7, see A.P.2608A,
Chap. 7. The tails or fin assemblies in th eir conta iners or crate s, ma y be stor ed tog eth er wit h th e
bom b bodies bu t should be stac ked well clear of the filled stores.

BOMB, G.P., 500 lb., AN-M64A1


Comparison with the AN-M 64 500 lb. G.P. bomb
21. As sta ted in par a. 1, the AN-M64A1 bomb is simil ar to th e AN-M64 bomb. At ten tio n
is direc ted, theref ore, to para . 1 to 20, as the in form atio n given in those par agr aph s for t he A N-M64
bomb appli es equal ly to the AN-M64A1 bomb, with the exception of the following differences'.—
(i) The filling plug is posit ively locked in positi on at the rea r end of the bomb body by two
long stud s screwed into the under side of the filling plug and “s et ” in the main filling.
. (ii) The fuze ad ap ter and Ml 15 ad ap ter boost er each hav e a hole drilled thr ough its wall,
these holes a ligning wi th a bli nd hole in the wall of t he filling plug . The holes a re pro vided
so t h a t when a bomb is to be fuzed with a long delay fuze inco rpor atin g an anti -rem ova l
device, the ad ap ter boos ter and fuze ada pte r, into which the fuze will be locked, may
them selves be locked to the filling plug by a lock pin inse rted thr oug h the hole in the
fuze ad ap ter and ad ap ter boos ter to engage wit h the blind hole in the filling plug.

BOMB, G.P., 500 lb., AN-M43


Comparison with the AN-M 64 500 lb. G.P. bomb
22. As sta fed in para . 1, the AN-M43 bomb is simil ar to th e AN-M64 bomb. At ten tio n is
direc ted, theref ore, to para . 1 to 20, as the info rma tion given in thes e para gra phs for th e AN-M64
bom b appli es equal ly to th e AN-M43 bomb, with the exception of the following differences'.—
(i) An M102 ad apt er boos ter is screwed into the filling plug of the AN-M43 bomb. This
ad ap ter boos ter has a small er diam ete r th an the M il 5 ad ap ter boos ter fitt ed into the
AN-M64 bomb, and is not prov ided with a fuze ada pte r.
(ii) The diam ete r of the fin lock- nut is less th an th at of the AN-M64 bom b and, theref ore,
a No. 1 Mk. I a da pte r ring , f itte d t o t he ta il ring of the No. 54 Mk. I tai l unit , is req uire d to
provid e a seat ing for th e fin lock -nut when assemb ling th e tai l uni t to the bomb body.
This ring is norm ally suppl ied secure d to the bom b filling plug by the fin lock-nu t.
(iii) An AN-M64 fin assemb ly can not be fitted* to the bomb body.
561

This leaf issued with A.L . No. 100 A. P.1 66 1B , Vol . I, Sec t. 17, Chap. 3
February, 1945
AP PE ND IX 1

INSTRUC TIONS FOR USE — USING TH E No. 52 PISTOL

LI ST OF CON TEN TS
Pa ra .
In tr oduct io n ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1
Fu zi ng a bo m b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 2
F it ti n g th e ta il u nit or fin as se m bl y ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 8
L oa di ng a fu zed bo m b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 9
Un lo ad in g an d un fu zing an un ex pe nd ed bo m b, an d re m ov in g ta il u nit or fin as se m bl y ... ... 13

Introductio n
1. The No. 52 Mk. I or II pistol, when used l or t he nose fuzing of either the AN-M4 3, AN-M64
or AN -M64A 1 500 lb. G.P. bomb, is to be used in conjunction with a No. 1 Mk. I exploder adapter,
and either a No. 52 Mk. II or I II detonator. A No. 1 Mk. I safety wire and tw o No. 1 Mk. I safe ty
clips, which are supplied with the pistol, are also required.
Nole.— The pistols and exploder adapter are described in Sect. 5 of A.P. 1661 C, Vol. I.

Fuzin g a bomb
2. Before fuzing a bomb with a No. 52 pistol, examine the paper disc at the base of the pistol
striker guide to check that this disc has not been pierced b y t he s triker needle. If it is suspected that
the disc has been punctured, the -pistol must not be used, but is to be set aside for A.I.D ./A.I .S.
inspection. Also ensure tha t the pistol screw-threads are clear and tha t the leather washer is in
position.
3. Unscrew and remove the nose tra nsit plug from the bomb. Examin e t he threa ds of the fuze
seat liner and clean where necessary.
4. Remove the No. 46 transit plug from a No. 1 Mk. I exploder ad apter a nd gauge the detonator
cav ity of the exploder adapter using a No. 2 Mk. I detonator ca vit y gauge. The engraved line for
20/40 lb. bombs is applicable. Explode r adapters which fail to pass this test are not t o be used, but
are to be set aside for A.I.D ./A. I.S. inspection.
5. Insert the exploder adapter into the fuze seat liner and screw home using a 1J in. Whit,
spanner, C-spanner, or other suitable tool. Ensure tha t the exploder adapter is securely locked
in position by its fibre inserts.
6. Fit the small conical spring, supplied with the pistol, over the stem of a No. 52 Mk. II or
III detonator, so t hat the small end of the spring abuts the underside of the detonator head. Then
insert th e detonator into the detonator cav ity of the exploder adapter.
Note.— The conical spring must always be fitted, as it ensures tha t the detonator is in conta ct
with the end of the striker guide when the pistol is screwed into the exploder adapter.
7. With the pistol locking nut screwed forward a few turns, screw the pistol, by hand, into the
exploder adapter until it is well seated on its washer. Lock the pistol in position by screwing its
locking nut hard on to the top of the exploder adapter.

Fittin g the tail unit or fin assembly


8. If the bomb is to be used nose fuzed only, the tail unit, or fin assembly, is to be attac hed
to the bomb body as follows:—
(i) Remove the transi t wires securing the fin lock-nut to the tail end of the bomb body.
Unscrew and remove the fin lock-nut and also remove the cardboard distance piece and
adapter ring if fitted.
(ii) Offer up the tail unit, or fin assembly, to the rear end of the bomb body. Wit h the fin
assembly, the fins are to be at 45 deg. to the plane of the suspension lugs; this ensures
ease of stowage of the bomb in British aircraft.
(iii) Secure the tail unit, or fin assembly, in position by replacing and screwing down the fin
lock-nut. The lock-nut is to be tightened using a suitable short tomm y bar.
Notes.— (i) The AN-M64 fin assembly cannot be fitted to the AN-M 43 bomb hody.
(ii) When fitting a No. 54 t ail unit to an AN-M43 bomb, a No. 1 Mk. I adapter
ring must be placed over the tail ring of the tail unit, to provide a seating
for the fin lock-nut, before this nut is replaced to secure the tai l unit in position.
562

Loading a fuzed bomb


9. W ith th e sing le sus pen sio n lug of th e bo mb up pe rm ost , loa d th e fuz ed bo mb on its ca rri er
in th e nor ma l ma nn er, as des crib ed in th e ch ap te r of A. P. 1664, Vol. I, re le va nt to th e ca rri er used .
10. W he n th e bom b is sec ure ly at ta ch ed to its car rie r, rem ove th e sa fe ty pin fro m th e pis tol
an d ro ta te th e sa fe ty c ap ju st suf fici ent ly to br ing t he h ole in one of th e ar mi ng v an es i nt o line w ith
th e hole in th e uppe rmo st lug of th e pis tol lock ing nu t.
Note .— The sa fe ty pin is to be ha nd ed to th e pi lo t or ai r bo mb er.
11. In se rt th e pla in en d of a No. 1 Mk. I sa fe ty wir e fir st th ro ug h th e hole in th e lug of th e
loc kin g n u t an d th en th ro ug h th e arm ing van e hole un til th e end pr ot ru de s ap pr ox im at el y 3 in.,
as sho wn in fig. 1 of C hap . 3. Slip tw o No. 1 Mk. I sa fe ty c lips ove r th e pr ot ru di ng e nd of t he sa fe ty
wire, so th a t th e inn er clip is in lig ht co nt ac t w ith th e pis tol ar mi ng van e, see fig. 1 of Cha p. 3.
No te.— I t is no t ess ent ial th a t th e pull- off of th e sa fe ty wire sho uld be ex ac tly in line w ith th e
bom b sus pen sion lug.
12. A tta ch th e hoo k end of a st an da rd flexi ble fuz e-s ett ing co ntr ol lin k to th e loop end of th e
sa fe ty w ire, an d th en in se rt th e loop end of t he lin k int o th e E.M. fuz ing un it in th e no rm al ma nn er.
As a “h or iz on ta l” pul l on th e sa fe ty wir e is req uir ed, th e E.M. fuz ing un it m us t not be pos itio ned
vertic ally ab ov e th e nose pis tol , bu t m us t be mo ved inw ard tow ar ds th e bo mb sus pen sio n lug a
m in im um d ist an ce of 3 in ., me asu red f rom th e dri lled lug on th e pis tol loc kin g nu t, as sho wn i n fig. 1
of Cha p. 3. Pr efe rab ly, h owe ver, t he fuz ing u ni t s ho uld be mo ve d in wa rd to w ar ds th e bom b su spe nsi on
lug to th e lim it pe rm itt ed by th e co nt ou r of th e bomb .
Not e.— De pe nd ing on th e ty pe of ca rri er an d on th e po sit ion of th e E.M. fuz ing un it, tw o or
mo re fuz e-s ett ing co ntr ol links , at ta ch ed en d to end , ma y be req uir ed.

Unload ing and unfuz ing an unexpended bomb, and removi ng tail unit or fin assembly
13. Dis co nn ect th e fuz e-s ett ing con tro l lin k fro m th e E.M . fuz ing un it an d th en un loa d th e
bo mb fro m its ca rri er in th e no rm al ma nn er.
14. H av ing un loa ded th e bom b, rem ove th e tw o sa fe ty clip s fro m th e en d of th e sa fe ty wire,
an d th en w ith dr aw th is wire fro m th e pist ol.
15. Scre w up th e sa fe ty ca p un til th e sto p pin s are eng age d. W ith a Mk. I pis tol, scre w bac k
th e ca p ju st s uffi cie ntly t o br ing its t wo sa fe ty pi n holes i nt o line w ith t he slo ts cu t in th e to p of th e
pis tol bo dy ; th en in se rt th e sa fe ty pin . W ith a Mk. II pis tol , th e sa fe ty ca p is to be scre wed up
un til t he s top pin s pr ev en t fu rth er mo ve me nt. Th en eng age th e U- sha ped en d of th e sa fe ty p in w ith
th e hole in th e ar mi ng va ne wh ich is op po sit e to th e hol e in th e sa fe ty cap . In se rt th e pla in end
of t he s af et y pin i nt o th e hole i n th e sa fe ty c ap a nd t he n slow ly un scr ew t h e ca p un til t hi s en d of t he
sa fe ty pi n dr op s in to t he gro ove in th e pis tol bod y.
Note .— If th e sa fe ty pin does no t eng age w ith th e gro ove in th e pis tol bo dy w ith in one com ple te
rev olu tio n of th e cap , th e cau se m us t be as ce rta in ed ; for exa mp le, th e pl ai n en d of th e sa fe ty
pin m ay be bu rr ed or di sto rte d.
16. Di sco nne ct th e fuz e-s ett ing co ntr ol lin k (or links) fro m th e sa fe ty wire, an d re tu rn th e
wire to its box.
Note .— Sho uld th e sa fe ty wire be kin ke d, be nt or oth erw ise di st or te d or dam age d, it m us t not
be used aga in. Suc h a wir e is to be di sc ard ed an d no t re tu rn ed to its box.

17. To un fuz e th e bom b, pro cee d as foll ows :—


(i) Sla cke n ba ck th e pis tol lock ing nu t.
(ii) Un scr ew an d rem ove th e pis tol by han d.
(iii) E xt ra ct th e de to na to r usin g an ex tra ct or , de to na to r, No. 2, Mk. I.
(iv) Re mo ve th e con ical spr ing from th e de to na to r ste m, or fro m th e exp lod er ad ap te r, an d
re tu rn it to its line n bag.
(v) Seal th e exp lod er ad ap te r w ith its No. 46"tr an si t plug .

18. H av ing un fuz ed th e bom b, rem ov e th e ta il un it, or fin ass em bly , as foll ow s:— »
(i) Un scre w an d rem ove th e fin lo ck -n ut fro m th e re ar en d of th e bo mb bod y.
(ii) D et ac h th e ta il un it, or fin ass em bly , fro m th e bo mb bod y.
(iii) If o rig ina lly fit te d, rep lac e th e ca rd bo ar d di sta nc e piec e an d ad ap te r ring , an d th en r epl ace
th e fin lo ck nu t an d wir e it in po sit ion to pr ev en t loss.
(iv) R et ur n th e ta il un it, or fin ass em bly , to its co nt ain er or cr ate , as app lic abl e.
19. Su ita bl y m ar k th e bo mb a t its nos e en d as "E X P L O D E R E D ” an d th en re tu rn it to stor e,
wh ere it sho uld be seg reg ate d for use as soon as poss ible.
563

This leaf issued with A. L. No. 100 A. P.1 66 1B , Vol . I, Sect . 17, Chap. 3
February, 1945

AP PE ND IX 2

INSTRUC TIONS FOR USE — USING TH E AN -M 10 1A 1 or AN -M 10 1A 2 FUZ E

LIS T OF CONTEN TS
Pa ra.
In tr odu ct io n ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1
F it ti n g th e ta il u n it or fin as se m bl y ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 5
Fu zi ng a bo m b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 10
L oa di ng a fu ze d bo m b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 16
Un lo ad in g an d un fu zing an un ex pe nd ed bo m b, an d re m ov al of tai l u nit or fin as se m bl y ... 18

Int rod uct ion


1. The AN-M43, AN-M64, and AN-M64A1 500 lb. G.P. bombs ma y be fuzed at t he tai l with
eith er the AN-M101A1 or AN-M101A2 tai l fuze. These fuzes (which are fully describe d in
A.P.1661C, Vol. I, Sect. 5) are fitte d with the M14 series of prim er deto nato rs, which are int er­
changea ble, and m ay t hu s b e used to prov ide a non -delay, 0-01 sec., 0-025 sec., o r 0-1 sec. dela y a ction
as require d.
2. As these fuzes also inco rpor ate a mechan ical armi ng delay, the y requ ire cert ain minim um
heigh ts of bomb release to ensure th at the y are fully arme d prior to imp act with the t arg et. These
minim um heigh ts of release are pro mul gate d to the Uni ts concern ed thro ugh the norm al channel s.
Note.— The AN-M101A1 fuze m ay, if au thori zed, be pa rtia lly pr e-ar med b efore ta ke-off. Partial
pre-arming of the A N -M 101A2 f uze is not to be undertaken in any circumstances whatsoever.
3. A No. 54 Mk. I tai l unit, inco rpor ating an armi ng wire guide, is norm ally to be used with
these bombs. Where, however, thi s tai l un it is not avail able , a sta nd ard fin assem bly AN-M64,
modified by the a ddit ion of a No. 4 Mk. I armi ng wire guide, may be used, exce pt wit h th e AN-M43
bomb, to which the fin assembl y can not be fitted.
Note.— When the tai l un it is fitte d to an AN-M43 bomb, a No. 1 Mk. I ad ap ter r ing is re quired
to form a seatin g for the fin lo ck-n ut of th e bomb.
4. A No. 1 Mk. I safe ty w ire a nd two No. 1 Mk. I s afet y clips ar e r equi red when fuzing a bomb
wit h e ithe r of thes e fuzes. The wire and clips ar e n orma lly su pplied wit h th e t ail un it o r fin assem bly,
bu t may also be issued as sepa rate items.

Fi tti ng th e tai l un it or fin ass emb ly


5. The t ail un it, or fin assembly, is to be at tac he d to the bom b b ody before fuzin g is commenced.
The proce dure to be adop ted is de tailed in t he following pa ra. 6 to 9.
6. Remove the tail unit, or fin assembly, from its cont aine r or crate . If a fin assemb ly is
being used, asce rtai n whe ther or not a No. 4 Mk. I arm ing wire guide is fitted . Where the armi ng
wire guide is not fitted , proceed as follows:—
(i) Hook the two halves of th e arm ing wire guide to one of t he four sides of t he box porti on
of the fin assem bly so th at the bra cke t of the armi ng wire guide proj ects into the fin
assembly.
(ii) Rigidl y secure the armin g wire guide to the fin assem bly by tigh ten ing the nu t on the
coupling screw.
7. Remove the tra ns it wires securing t he fin lock- nut to the t ai l end of t he bomb body. Then
unscrew and remove the nu t and also, if fi tted, the card boa rd dist ance piece and ad ap ter ring.
8. Pa rtia lly unscrew the tai l tra ns it plug from the bomb body.
9. Offer u p the tail unit , or fin ass embly, to the rea r end of t he bomb body so that the arming
wire guide is in line with the single su spension lug o f the bomb, as shown in fig. 1 of Chap. 3. Secure
th e tail unit , or fin assembly, in thi s positio n with the fin lock -nut, which is to be tig hten ed using a
sho rt tom my bar.
Note.— When fittin g the tai l uni t to an AN-M43 bomb, the No. 1 Mk. I ad ap ter ring mu st be
placed over the t ail ring of th e tail uni t to provid e a seatin g for the fin lo ck-n ut before thi s nu t
is screwed down to secure the tail uni t in position.
564

Fuzin g a bomb
10. W it h th e ta il un it, or fin ass em bly , fit ted to th e bo mb bod y, com ple tel y uns cre w th e ta il
tr an si t p lug a nd ex am ine th e scre w t hr ea ds of t he fuz e a da pt er or, as ap pr op ria te , of th e M 102 a da pt er
boo ste r. Clea n the se th re ad s wher e nec essa ry. En su re th a t th e fuze ad ap te r or, as app lica ble ,
th e M l02 ad ap te r bo os ter is sec ure ly po sit ion ed in th e bo mb bod y.
11. Re mo ve th e fuze fro m its sea led co nta ine r, an d ex am ine an d te st th e fuze as foll ow s:—
(i) Ex am in e th e fuze to as ce rta in th a t it is no t pa rt ia lly or ful ly arm ed , as des crib ed in
A.P . 1661C, Vol. I, Sect . 5, Cha p. 2.
(ii) Ex am in e th e fuze for si gns of ex te rn al dam age , cor ros ion (ap pea rin g as a wh ite de po sit on
th e fuze), or for tra ce s of mo ist ure on th e ar mi ng ste m cu p whi ch hou ses th e red uc tio n
ge ar tra in .
(iii) Te st th e fuze to ens ure th a t th e st at io na ry gear , in th e re du cti on gea r tra in , is lock ed.
To do th is gri p th e to p of th e fuz e (t ha t is, th e loc k- nu t an d ad ju sti ng nu t) an d, usin g
finge r pre ssu re only , ro ta te th e arm ing ste m. A mo ve me nt up to in. is no rm all y
pos sibl e du e to m an uf ac tu rin g tole ran ces , b u t sho uld th e arm ing ste m ro ta te thr ou gh
90 deg. or mor e th e st at io na ry ge ar is not loc ked an d th e fuze m us t not be used .
H av in g exa mi ne d an d te ste d th e fuze, cha nge th e M14 pr im er de to na to r if nec essa ry. It sho uld
be no ted th a t th e fuzes are no rm all y sup pli ed fit te d w ith th e 0-025 sec. de lay ver sion of th e M14
pr im er de to na to r. If it is req uir ed to cha nge th e pr im er de to na to r, uns cre w it fro m th e bas e of
th e fuze, by h an d, an d th en s crew i n th e ap pr op ria te M14 p rim er de to na to r giv ing t he d ela y sele cted .
Fo rce m us t not be used in the se op era tio ns, an d sho uld a pri me r de to na to r show signs of ex ter na l
cor ros ion or ot he r dam age , or sho uld its pri me r be a loose fit, it mu st not be used.
Not es.— (i) Th e pr im er de to na to r givi ng th e req uir ed de lay m ay be ide nti fie d by its del ay
tim e wh ich is sta m pe d on th e hea d of th e pr im er de to na to r bo dy. In ad dit ion , th e hea d
of th e no n-d ela y pr im er de to na to r is pa in te d whi te, th a t of th e 0-1 sec. del ay, blac k,
wh ils t th e 0-01 sec. an d 0-025 sec. de lay ver sio ns hav e, res pec tiv ely , a | an d a J sec tor
of th e hea d pa in te d blac k.
(ii) Lo ng de lay pr im er de to na to rs of th e M16 seri es ca nn ot be use d wi th the se fuzes.
Warnings.—(i) Care m us t be ta ke n wh en ha nd lin g ei th er a pr im er de to na to r, or a fuze
co nt ain in g a pr im er de to na to r, as th e pr im er co mp on en t is pa rt ia lly exp ose d in th e to p
of th e pr im er de to na to r bod y.
(ii) Sho uld a fuz e be dro pp ed o r a cc id en tal ly kno cke d, it m us t be ca ref ull y ex am ine d ex ter na lly
to en sur e th a t no da ma ge ha s bee n sus tai ne d.

12. W ith dr aw th e sp lit p in fro m th e bo dy of th e fuze an d th en scre w th e fuze (less its arm ing
vane ) by ha nd in to th e re ar end of th e bo mb bod y.
13. Th re ad th e pla in end of a No. 1 Mk. I sa fe ty wire fir st th ro ug h th e ar mi ng wir e guid e on
th e ta il un it, or fin ass emb ly, an d th en th ro ug h th e up pe rm os t pa ir of ad ja ce nt hole s in th e fuze
ar mi ng s tem cu p an d eye let str ap , on th e lines ind ica ted in fig. 1 of Cha p. 3. Th e sa fe ty w ire holes
in th e fuze nee d no t be ex ac tly in line wi th th e arm ing wir e guide .
Not e.— Sho uld th e up pe rm os t pa ir of ad ja ce nt hole s be occ upi ed by th e fuze sa fe ty pin, thi s
pi n is to be rem ove d, to allo w for ins ert ion of th e sa fe ty wire, but only after a sec ond sa fe ty pin
ha s fir st bee n ins er ted th ro ug h th e sec ond pa ir of ad ja ce nt hole s in th e ar mi ng ste m cu p an d
ey ele t st ra p of th e fuze.'

14. Ha vi ng ins er ted th e sa fe ty wire, cu t th e sea ling wir e th re ad ed th ro ug h th e sa fe ty pin an d


th en r em ove t he p in. Th re ad t he pla in en d of t he s af et y wir e th ro ug h one of th e hole s in th e arm ing
va ne bla des an d a t th e sam e tim e slip th e ar mi ng va ne ov er th e en d of th e fuze so th a t th e groo ves
in th e ar mi ng va ne ass em bly eng age w ith t he tw o loc ati ng pin s on th e fuze. Lo ck th e ar mi ng van e
to th e fuze by scre win g dow n th e va ne nu t, ha nd Ligh t.
Note .— Th e sa fe ty pin an d its sea ling wire, to ge th er wi th th e sp lit pin (see pa ra . 12), are to be
ha nd ed to th e pi lot or ai r bom ber .

15. A dj us t th e sa fe ty wire to pr ot ru de ap pr ox im at el y 3 in. bey on d th e fuze arm ing van e, on


th e line s in di ca te d in fig. 1 of C hap. 3, an d th en slip t wo No. 1 Mk. I sa fe ty c lips ov er th e en d of th e
wir e so th a t th e inn er c lip is in lig ht co nt ac t w ith t he arm ing v an e bla de.

Loading a fuzed bomb


16. W ith th e sing le sus pen sio n lug up pe rm os t, load th e fuz ed bo mb on to its ca rri er in th e
no rm al m an ne r as des cri bed in th e ch ap te r of A.P . 1664, Vol. I, re le va nt to th e ca rr ie r used .
565

This leap issued with A. L. No. 100 A.P.16 61B, Vol. I, Sect. 17, Chap. 3, Ap p. 2
February, 1945
17. When the bom b is secur ely at tac he d t o its ca rrier, at ta ch th e hoo k end of a link, fuze -set ting
control, Type E.M., flexible, adju stab le, to the loop end of the safe ty wire thre ade d thr oug h th e
fuze. Ins ert the loop end of the fuze- settin g cont rol link into the E.M. fuzing uni t in the norm al
manner . As a “ho rizo ntal ” pull on the safe ty wire is requi red, the E.M. fuzing uni t mus t not be
located vertically above the head of the tai l fuze, bu t is to be positi oned inwa rd tow ards the bomb
suspension lug a min imu m distan ce of 3 in., measu red from the armi ng wire guide on the tai l uni t
or fin assem bly, as shown in fig. 1, Chap. 3. Prefe rably , however, the fuzing uni t shoul d be moved
inwar d towa rds the bomb s uspension lug to the limi t pe rm itte d by the con tour of t he bomb.
Note.— Depen ding on the typ e of carri er and on the positi on of the E.M. fuzing unit, two or
more fuze- settin g contr ol links, att ac he d end to end, may be required .

Unload ing and unfuz ing an unexpended bomb, and removal of tail unit or fin assembly
Warnin g.— Before unloa ding and unfuzi ng an unexp ended bomb, examin e the fuze to make
cert ain th at it is n ot par tia lly or fully armed , as deta iled in A.P.1661C, Vol. I, Sect. 5, Chap. 2.
18. Disconn ect the fuze -settin g contr ol link from the car rier E.M. fuzing uni t and unload the
bomb from the carri er in the norma l manne r.
19. Hav ing unload ed the bomb from its carrier , remove the two safe ty clips from the safe ty
wire, but do not withdraw this wire from the fuze. Unscrew th e vane n ut fro m t he end of th e fuze a nd
remove the armin g vane.
20. Ins ert the safe ty pin thr oug h the second pair of adj ace nt holes in the armi ng stem cup
and eyele t str ap of the fuze, and secure it in positi on with its sealing 'wire. Then with draw the
safet y wire from the fuze and armi ng wire guide. Unhoo k the fuze- setting cont rol link(s) from
the safe ty wire.
Note.— Should the safe ty wire be kinked, bent, or otherw ise dist orte d or damag ed, it mu st be
discar ded and not used again.
21. Unscrew a nd remove t he fuze, b y han d, from t he rea r end of the bomb body and immediately
replace the split pin thro ugh the body of the fuze. Re tur n the fuze to its con taine r and seal with
adhesiv e tape .
22. Hav ing remove d the fuze from the bomb, unscrew the fin lock -nut and remove the tail,
or fin assembly. Fi t the card boar d distan ce piece, if origina lly provid ed, roun d the exte rna l screw
thr ead s of the filling pl ug and the n replace the fin lock- nut and, where applicab le, the No. 1 Mk. I
ad ap ter ring. Re-wire the nu t to the filling plug to pre ven t loss.
23. Close the rea r end of t he bomb body with its tra ns it plug.

B (AL10 0)
566
567

This leaf issued with A .L . No. 100 A.P.1 661B , Vol. I, Sect. 17, Chap. S
February, 1945

APPEN DIX 3

INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE—USING THE M113 or M113A1 FUZE

LIS T OF CONTEN TS
Para.
In tr o d u ct io n ... .. . ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1
F it ti n g th e ta il u n it or fin as se m bl y ... ... .. . ... ... ... ... ... .. . 4
Fu zi ng a bo m b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 9
L oa di ng a fu ze d bo m b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .. . ... ... .. . 17
U nl oa di ng an d un fu zi ng an un ex pe nd ed bo m b, an d re m ov al of ta il u n it or fin as se m bl y ... 19

Introduction
1. Ei the r the M113 or the M113A1 fuze (which are fully describe d in A.P.1661C, Vol. I,
Sect. 5) can be used for the tai l fuzing of th e AN-M43, AN-M64, or AN-M64A1 500 lb. G.P. bomb.
These fuzes, w hich do n ot inco rpor ate a mecha nical delay in th eir a rmin g mechan ism, are fitt ed with
prim er det ona tors of th e M16 series, which provid e eith er a 4. to 5 sec. or 8 to 11 sec. delay.
2. A Brit ish No. 54 Mk. I tai l unit , which inco rpora tes an arm ing wire guide, is norm ally to
be used with these bombs when the y are loaded on to s tan da rd Bri tish typ e bomb carrie rs. When
th is tai l uni t is fi tted to the AN-M43 bomb, a No. 1 Mk. I ad ap ter rin g is requ ired to form a seati ng
for the fin lock- nut of the bomb.
Note.— If a No. 54 tail un it is no t av ailable , a st and ard Am erican fin assem bly AN-M64, modified
by t he ad diti on of a No. 4 Mk. I ar ming wire guid e m ay b e used w ith the AN-M64 or AN-M64A1
bomb. The fin assem bly can not be used with the AN-M43 bomb.
3. A No. 1 Mk. I s afet y wi re a nd two No. 1 Mk. I s afe ty clips a re requ ired when fu zing a b omb
wit h eith er of th ese fuzes. The safe ty wire and safe ty clips, and where appli cable the arm ing wire
guide, are norm ally supplie d wit h the tai l un it or fin assembly. Where thi s is not so, th e safe ty
wires, clips, and guides are suppl ied as sepa rate items.

Fittin g the tail unit or fin assembly


4. " T he t ail uni t, o r fin assembly , is to be a tta ch ed to the bom b bo dy befor e fuzi ng is commence d.
The proce dure to be ado pted is deta iled in the following para . 5 to 8.
5. Remo ve the tai l uni t, or fin assemb ly, from its con tain er or crate . If a fin assem bly is
being used, asc erta in whe ther or no t a No. 4 Mk. I arm ing w ire guide is f itted. Where th e armi ng
wire guide is no t fitte d, proceed as follows:—
(i) Hook t he t wo halves of t he armi ng wire guide to one of t he four sides of t he box por tion
of the fin assemb ly so th at the bra cke t of the armi ng wire guide proj ects int o the fin
assembly.
(ii) Rigid ly secure the armin g wire guide to the fin assem bly by tigh ten ing the nu t on the
coupling screw.
6. Remov e th e tra ns it wires securing th«r fin lock -nut to the rea r end of the bom b body , and
the n unscrew and r emove th e nu t and also, if fi tted, the card boa rd dista nce piece and ad ap ter r ing.
7. Pa rtia lly unscrew the tai l tra ns it plug from the bomb body.
8. Offer up t he tai l un it (or fin assembly) to the r ear e nd of th e bomb body, so that the arming
wire guide is in line with the single suspe nsion lug o f the bomb, as shown in fig. 1 of C hap. 3. Secure
the tai l un it (or fin assembly) in this positi on wit h the fin lock -nut, which is t o be tigh tene d, using
a suit able tom my bar.
Note.—Whe n fitti ng the No. 54 ta il un it to an AN-M43 bomb, a No. 1, Mk. I ad ap ter ring
mu st be p laced over the t ail ring of th e tai l un it to provid e a seat ing for the fin lock -nut, before
thi s nu t is replace d to secure the tai l un it in position.
C (A L100)
568

Fuzi ng a bomb
9. Wi th the tail un it (or fin assemb ly) fitte d to the bo mb body , c omple tely unscrew and remove
the tai l tra ns it plug and exami ne the screw -threa ds of the fuze ad ap ter or, as app rop riat e, of the
M l02 ad ap ter booster. Clean these thr ead s where necess ary, and ensure th at the fuze ad ap ter ,
or M102 ad ap ter booster, is secure ly positio ned in the bomb body.
10. Remov e the fuze from its sealed con tain er and examin e it for exte rna l dama ge and for
corrosion (appea ring as a white deposit). Check th at the fuze is not par tia lly or fully armed , as
deta iled in A.P.1661C, Vol. I, Sect. 5, Chap. 3.
11. Carefully unscrew and remove the prim er det ona tor from the base of the fuze, and the n
te st the fuze to ensure th at it is no t par tial ly uncocked, using a gauge, stri ker d ep tl s No. 16, Mk. I.
To do this , inse rt the stem of the gauge into the base of th e fuze; the head of the gauge should
ab ut t he base of the fuze. If thi s does not obt ain and it is possible to "ro ck ” the gauge whils t in
the fuze, the fuze plun ger and firing pin are par tia lly uncock ed and t he fuze mu st not be used. In
such circum stanc es th e prim er det on ato r mus t not be screwed back into the fuze.
Warning.—Gre at care mu st always be exercised when hand ling a prim er de ton ato r (or a fuze
conta ining a prim er deto nat or) , par ticu larl y as the prim er com pone nt is par tial ly exposed in
the top of the prim er det ona tor body.
12. Hav ing examin ed and g auged the fuze, fit the prim er det ona tor g iving the delay requ ired ;
this may o r m ay not b e t he o ne s uppli ed in the f uze. Forc e mu st not be used in this o pera tion, and
should a prim er de ton ato r show signs of exte rna l corrosion or damag e, or should its prim er be a
loose fit, it must not be used.
Notes.-—(i) The Ml 13 and M113A1 fuzes are norm ally supplie d fitte d with the 8 to 11 sec. delay
version of the M16 or M16A1 prim er deto nato r.
(ii) The M16 and M16A1 prim er det ona tors are identif iable by the ir milled and grooved
heads. The 4 to 5 sec. and 8 to 11 sec. delay version s of these prim er det ona tors
are distin guish able by the delay times w hich are mark ed in two places on the ir heads.
The delay tim es a re also cl early mar ked on th e c ylinde rs in which th e prim er d eto nat ors
are packed.
(iii) The M16 p rime r det ona tor may be used wit h eith er the Ml 13 or M113A1 fuze. The
M16A1 prim er det on ato r is for use only with the Ml 13A1 fuze. Sho rt delay prim er
det ona tors of the M14 series can not be used wit h eith er of thes e fuzes.
(iv) Should the fuz e be drop ped or acci dent ally knock ed at any time, it mus t be c arefu lly
examine d exte rnal ly to ensure th at no dam age has been susta ined.
13. Hav ing fitte d the requ ired prim er det ona tor, remove the "speci al ins truc tion s” tab let
from the fuze armi ng stem tub e and screw the fuze (less its armi ng vane), by han d, into the rea r
end of the bomb body.
14. Thre ad the plain end of a No. 1 Mk. I safe ty wire first thr oug h the arm ing wire guide on
the tai l un it (or fin assembly) and the n thro ugh the upp erm ost pai r of adj ace nt holes in the stem
cup and circu lar pla te of the fuze, as shown in fig. 1 of Chap. 3. It is no t essen tial for the safe ty
wire holes in the fuze to be exac tly in line with t he a rmin g wire guide,
Note.— Should the upp erm ost pai r of a dja cen t holes be occupied by the fuze s afet y pin, the pin
is to be removed , to allow inser tion of the safe ty wire, but only after a second safe ty pin has
first been inse rted thr oug h the second pai r of adj ace nt holes.
15. Hav ing inse rted the safe ty wire, cut the sealing wire thre ade d thro ugh the safe ty pin
and remove the p in. Thr ead the plain end of th e safe ty wire thr oug h the hole in one of th e armi ng
vane blades, and at t he same time sli p t he a rmin g vane o ver the head of th e fuze so th at t he grooves
in the armi ng vane assemb ly engage with the two locat ing pijps o n the fuze. Lock the a rmin g vane
to the fuze by screwing down the knu rled van e nu t, han d tig ht.
16. Ad jus t the saf ety wire to pro tru de app rox ima tely 3 in. beyo nd the fuze armi ng vane ,
as shown in fig. 1 of Chap. 3, and the n slip two No. 1, Mk. I safe ty clips over the end of th e wire so
th at the inne r clip is in light con tac t with the armi ng vane blade.
Note.—The saf ety pin and its sealing wire are to be hand ed to the pilo t or air bomber.

Loading a fuzed bomb


17. W ith the single suspens ion lug upp erm ost, load the fuzed bom b on to its carri er in the
norm al ma nne r, as described in the Cha pter of A.P. 1664, Vol. I, rele van t to the carri er used.
569

This l eaf issued with A .L . No. 100 A.P.16 61B, Vol. I, Sect. 17, Chap. 3, Ap p. 3
February, 1945
18. When the bomb is securely atta ch ed to the carri er, at ta ch the hook end of a link, fuze-
sett ing control , Type E.M., flexible, adju stab le, to the loop end of t he s afet y wire thr ead ed thr ough
the fuze. Ins ert th e loop en d of the fu ze-se tting co ntro l l ink into t he E.M. fuzing uni t in t he no rmal
mann er. As a “ho rizo ntal ” pull on the saf ety wire is requi red, the E.M. fuzing un it mu st not be
locate d vertically above the head of the tai l fuze, bu t is to be moved inwa rd tow ards th e bomb
suspensio n lug a min imu m dist anc e of 3 in., mea sure d from the arm ing wire guide on the tai l uni t
(or fin assembly) as shown in fig. 1 of Chap. 3. Prefe rably , however, the fu zing u nit shou ld be moved
inwa rd towa rds the bomb suspen sion lug to the lim it per mi tte d by the con tour of th e bomb.
Note.— Depe nding on the typ e of carri er, and on the positi on of the E.M. fuzing uni t, two or
more fuze -sett ing contr ol links, atta ch ed end to end, ma y be require d.

Unload ing and unfuz ing an unexpended bomb, and removal of tail unit or fin assembly
Warning.—Before unloa ding and unfuzin g an unex pend ed bomb, exam ine the fuze to make
cert ain th at it is n ot par tia lly o r fu lly armed , as deta iled in A.P.1661C, Vol. I, Sect. 5, Chap. 3.
19. Disconn ect the fuze -sett ing cont rol link from the carr ier E.M. fuzing uni t and unload
the bomb from the carr ier in the norm al manne r.
20. Hav ing unload ed the bomb from its carrie r, remove the two safe ty clips from the safe ty
wire, but do not withdraw this wire from the fu ze. Unscre w the knur led vane nu t from the head of
the fuze and remove the armin g vane.
21. Ins ert t he safe ty p in thr oug h the second pai r of ad jac ent holes in t he ste m cup and circul ar
pla te of the fuze and secure it in positi on with the sealing wire. Then wit hdr aw the safe ty wire
from the fuz e and armin g wire guide. Unh ook the fuze- settin g cont rol link(s) from the safe ty wire.
Note.— Should the safe ty wire be kink ed, ben t, or otherw ise dis tort ed or dama ged, it mu st be
discar ded and not used again.
22. Unscrew and remove the fuze, by han d, from the rea r end of the bomb body, ret urn th e
fuze to its con tain er and re-seal the con tain er with adhesi ve tape.
23. Hav ing remove d the fuze from the bomb, unscrew the fin lock- nut and remove the tail
un it (or fin assembly) . F it th e card boa rd dista nce piece and ad ap ter ring, if origin ally provid ed,
rou nd the e xte rna l s crew thr ead s of th e bomb filling plu g a nd replace the fin lo ck-nu t. Re-wire t he
nu t to th e filling plug to pre ven t loss.
24. Close the rear end of the bomb body with its tra ns it plug.

P6435 M /G364 9 4/4 5 790 0 C&P G p. I


570
571

This leaf issued with A. L. No. 121 A.P.1 661B , Vol. I, Sect. 17, Chap. 3
Augu st, 1945
APPE NDIX 4

(a.l .121)
Inst ruct ions for use using the AN-M103A1 fuze

LIS T OF CONTEN TS
Para.
Intro duc tion ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1
Fuzing a bomb 4
Fitt ing the tail uni t or fin assembly ... 11
Loading a fuzed bomb ... 12
Unloading and unfuzing an unexpen ded bomb, and removing tail unit or fin assembly 15

Intro duct ion


1. The AN-M103A1 fuze (which is fully describ ed in A.P.1661C, Vol. I, Sect. 5, Chap. 11)
may b e used for th e nose fuz ing of ei the r the AN-M43, AN-M64 or AN-M64A1 500 lb. G.P. bom b.
As the fuze is selective, giving eith er an ins tan tan eou s or 0-1 sec. dela y actio n, it ma y be used to
provid e a 0T sec. delay acti on "in sur anc e” fuze when a bomb is t ail f uzed wit h an AN-M101 series
fuze or, when necessary, as an alte rna tiv e to the No. 52 nose pisto l (with th e explo der ad ap ter ,
No. 1, Mk. I); the fuze, in thi s insta nce, being set for inst ant ane ous actio n.
2. As the fuze inco rpora tes a mecha nical delay in its armi ng mechan ism, it requi res cer tain
minim um heigh ts of bom b release to ensure th at t he fuze is fully ar med p rior to im pac t of th e fuzed
bomb with its targe t. These min imum height s of bomb release are prom ulg ated to the Uni ts con cer ned ,
thro ugh th e norm al channel s.
Note.— Parti al pre-arming of the fuze is not to be undertaken in any circumstances whatsoever.
3. One No. 1 Mk. I safe ty wire and two No. 1 Mk. I safe ty clips are re quire d for use wit h the
fuze.

Fuzin g a bomb
4. Unscrew an d remove th e nose tra ns it plug of th e bomb and exam ine the fuze sea t liner
and its thre ads . Clean, where necessa ry, using a sho rt len gth of wood stick .
5. Remov e the fuze from its s ealed con tain er and check th at the fuze is no t par tia lly or fully
armed, as describe d in A.P. 1661C, Vol. I, Sect . 5, Chap. 11. Also examine the fuze for signs of damag e
or corrosion (appe aring as a whit e deposit) , or for trac es of m oistu re on th e vane cup which houses
the redu ction gear t rai n.
6. Cut an d r emove th e sealing wire t hre ade d t hro ugh th e f uze va ne an d ey elet stra ps, and va ne
holder. Ensu re th at th e spl it pin is thr ead ed thr ough th e vane and eyele t str ap s, and th en screw
the fuze (less its arm ing vane ), by han d, into th e fuze s eat lin er of the bom b.
Note.— No to ols are to be used when screwing home th e fuze.
7. In se rt t he pl ain end of a No. 1 Mk. I safe ty wire th rou gh the ad jac ent holes in th e uppermo st
pai r of van e and eyele t stra ps, th at is, thr oug h the pair of str aps nea rest in line with the single
suspens ion lug of the bomb. The end of the “wire should pro ject ab out 3 in. beyon d the str aps .
I t is no t ess ential th at th e pull-off of the saf ety w ire be exac tly i n line wit h th e su spensio n lug.
Note.— Should the holes in the upp erm ost pai r of str aps be occupied by the sp lit pin, it is to be
with draw n, to allow for th e inser tion of th e safe ty wire, but only after a second spl it pin has
first been inse rted t hro ug h the se cond pai r of holes in the s trap s.
8. Slip two No. 1 Mk. I safe ty clips over the end of the safe ty wire so th at th e inne r clip is
in ligh t c on tac t w ith th e van e stra p.
9. Fi t t he arm ing vane ove r th e t op of t he fuze vane hol der so th at its tw o lo catin g pi ns enga ge
wit h the two holes in the van e holder . Ens ure th at the sprin g ring i n -the armi ng van e snap s int o
the c ircul ar groove in the to p of th e van e holder.
572

10. Se t th e fuze for in st an ta ne ou s or 0-1 sec. de lay act ion , as req uir ed. To do thi s, pul l th e
se tti ng pi n ou tw ar ds ag ain st th e ac tio n of its sp rin g an d ro ta te th e pin so th a t its peg enga ges wi th
ei th er t he d eep o r shal low p ai r of slo ts, as ap pr op ria te . Fo r inst ant ane ous a cti on th e peg is to e ngag e
w ith th e shallow slot s, an d for delay act ion , w ith th e deep slot s. A su m m ar y of the se ins tru cti on s is
st am pe d on th e fuze aro un d th e se tti ng pin.
Note .— As sup plie d, th e fuze is nor ma lly se t for del ay act ion .
Fitti ng the tail unit or fin assembly
11. If th e bo mb is to be used nose fuze d only , th e ta il un it, or fin asse mbl y, is to be at ta ch ed
to th e bo mb bod y as foll ows :—
(i) Re mo ve th e tr an si t wire s sec uri ng th e fin loc k-n ut to th e ta il end of th e bo mb bod y.
Un scre w an d rem ove th e fin loc k-n ut an d also rem ove th e ca rd bo ar d dis tan ce piece, if
fitt ed.
(ii) Offer up th e ta il un it, or fin ass em bly , to th e re ar end of th e borftb bod y. W ith th e fin
ass em bly , th e fins are t o b e a t 45 deg. to t he p lan e of t he s usp ens ion l ugs ; th is en sur es ease
of s tow age o f th e bom b in Br iti sh air cra ft.
(iii) Sec ure th e ta il un it, or fin ass emb ly, in po sit ion by rep lac ing an d scre win g dow n th e fin -
loc k-n ut. Th e loc k-n ut is to be tig ht en ed , usin g a su ita ble to m m y bar .
Not es.— (i) Th e AN -M6 4 fin ass em bly ca nn ot be fit te d to th e AN -M4 3 bo mb bod y.
(ii) W he n fit tin g a No. 54 ta il un it to an AN -M4 3 bom b, a No. 1 Mk. I ad ap te r
rin g m us t be pla ced ove r th e ta il rin g of th e ta il un it, to pro vid e a sea tin g
for th e fin loc k-n ut, bef ore th is n ut is rep lac ed to sec ure th e ta il un it in
posi tion .
Loading a fuzed bomb
12. W ith th e sing le sus pen sio n lug of th e bo mb up pe rm os t, loa d th e fuze d bo mb on to its
ca rri er in th e no rm al ma nn er, as des crib ed in th e ch ap te r of A-P-1664, Vol. I, re le va nt t o th e ca rri er
used.
13. W he n th e bo mb is sec ure ly at ta ch ed to its car rie r, at ta ch th e hoo k end of a st an da rd
flexi ble fuz e-s ett ing c on tro l lin k to t he l oop end o f t he s af ety w ire th re ad ed t hr ou gh t he f uze. In se rt
th e loop end of th e fuz e-s ett ing co ntr ol lin k in to th e E.M. fuz ing un it in th e no rm al ma nn er. As
a "h or iz on ta l” pul l o n t he sa fe ty wire is r equ ire d, th e E.M . fuz ing u ni t m us t not be po sit ion ed verticall y
‘ab ov e th e fuze, b u t is to be mov ed inw ard tow ard s th e bo mb sus pen sio n lug a m ini m um dis tan ce of
3 in. me asu red fro m th e st ra ps o n th e fuze , on sim ila r li nes to fig. 1 of C hap. 3. Pr efe rab ly, how ever,
th e fuz ing un it sho uld be mov ed inw ard tow ard s th e bo mb susp ens ion lug to th e lim it pe rm itt ed
by th e co nt ou r of th e bom b.
Not e.— De pen din g on th e ty pe of ca rri er a nd o n t he p os itio n of t he E.M. fuz ing un it, tw o or more
fuz e-s ett ing co ntr ol link s, at ta ch ed end to end, ma y be req uir ed.
14. Fin all y, w ith dr aw th e sp lit pin fro m th e va ne an d eye let st ra ps an d ha nd it to th e pil ot
or ai r bom ber .
Unloa ding and unfuz ing an unexpended bomb, and removin g tail unit or fin assembly
Warning .—Bef ore unl oa din g an d unf uzi ng an un ex pe nd ed bo mb , ex am ine th e fuze to mak e
ce rta in t h a t it is no t p ar tia lly o r f ully a rm ed, as de scr ibe d i n A.P .166 1C, Vol. I, Sect. 5, C hap. 11.
15. To ob ta in ad di tio na l sa fe ty whi le un loa din g a bo mb fro m its car rie r, firs t ins ert , wh ere ver
poss ible, th e sp lit p in in to t he s eco nd pa ir of a dj ac en t holes in t he fu ze va ne a nd e ye let s tra ps . Th en
dis co nn ec t th e fuz e-s ett ing co ntr ol link(s ) fro m th e E.M. fuzi ng un it an d un loa d th e bo mb frofn th e ■
ca rri er in th e nor ma l ma nne r.
16. Ha vin g un loa ded th e bo mb from th e ca rrie r, dis co nn ect th e fuz e-s ett ing co ntr ol link(s)
fro m th e sa fe ty w ire, but do n ot withd raw the wire fr om the fuze . Re mo ve th e arm ing va ne from th e
fuze , ens ure th a t th e sp lit pin is sec ure ly th re ad ed th ro ug h th e va ne an d ey ele t str ap s, and th en
uns cre w an d rem ove th e fuze fro m th e bo mb by ha nd . Seal th e nose of th e bo mb wi th its tr an si t
plug .
17. Re mo ve th e tw o sa fe ty clip s fro m th e sa fe ty wir e an d th en wi th dr aw th e wire from th e
fuze . In sp ec t th e fuze for dam ag e an d se t it for de lay act ion , as nec ess ary . R et ur n th e fuze to its
co nt ai ne r an d sea l w ith adh esi ve ta pe . Ma rk th e co nt ai ne r for “ F IR S T IS SU E ” .
Not e.— Sho uld th e' sa fe ty wir e be kin ke d, be nt , or oth erw ise di st or te d or dam age d, it m us t be
di sc ard ed an d no t use d aga in.
18. Ha vi ng rem ove d th e fuze fro m th e bom b, un scr ew th e fin lo ck -n ut an d rem ove th e ta il
un it, or fin ass emb ly, as ap pr op ria te . F it th e ca rd bo ar d dis tan ce piece, if ori gin all y prov ided )
ro un d th e ex te rn al sc rew th re ad s of t he bo mb fil ling plu g, an d th en rep lac e th e fin loc k-n ut. Re- wir e
th e lo ck -n ut to th e filling plu g to pr ev en t loss.
PS7 26 M /G214 9 11/45 7900 C&P C&. 1
573

Th is leaf issued with A .L . No. 101 A.P.166 1B, Vol. I, Sect. 17


Februar y, 1945

CHAPTER 4

BOMBS, G.P., 1,000 lb., AN-M44, AN-M65, and AN-M65A1

LIS T OF CONTENTS
P a ra .
In tr o d u c ti o n 1
BO M B, G .P ., 1,00 0 lb ., A N -M 65
L ea din g p a rt ic u la rs
B om b bod y 4
Ta il, No . 55, Mk . I .......................................................... 5
F in as se m bl y, A N -M 65 6
G en er al des cr ip ti on 7
B om b b o d y ... 8
T ai l u n it an d fin as se m bl y 12
Id e n ti fi ca ti o n co lo ur in g an d m ar k in g s. .. 13
TJ F u n c ti o n in g 15
In st ru c ti o n s fo r us e 17
<D
S up p ly 18
4-> S to ra ge 20
a
o
£ BO M B, G .P ., 1,00 0 lb ., AN -M 65 A1
TJ C om pa ri so n w it h th e A N -M 65 1,00 0 lb. G .P . bo m b 21
C
<u
£ BO M B, G .P ., 1,00 0 lb ., A N -M 44
<
C om pa ri so n w it h th e A N -M 65 1,00 0 lb. G .P . bo m b 22
<D
43

>1
4u-J
a
<d .
a° §
LIST OF ILLUS TRAT IONS
<D43 F ig .
44
rf 1. Se ct io na l a n d sc ra p vi ew s of A N -M 65 1,00 0 lb. G .P . bo m b, re a d y fo r use
. £
2. Vi ew s of th e bo m b, re ad y fo r tr a n s it
j .S3 o
5"5 tuO
l <U.£
‘ a a
-o a LIST OF APP END ICES
* ’So
i a> <!•>
!■I Cw Note.—A list of cont ents appe ars at the beginning of each Appendix.

>
4 3*
o +"-> A P P E N D IX 1.— In st ru c ti o n s fo r use — us in g th e N o. 52 pi st ol
it rt
* a +-> A P P E N D IX 2.— In st ru c ti o n s fo r use — us in g th e A N -M 10 2A 1 o r A N -M 10 2A 2 fu ze
<t> <D
£
in A P P E N D IX 3. — In st ru c ti o n s fo r us e— us in g th e M l 14 o r M1 14A 1 fu ze
A P P E N D IX 4.— In st ru c ti o n s fo r us e— us in g th e M1 25 or M1 25A 1 fu ze (T o be is su e d late r}

Arma men t
A (AL1 01)
574

CHAPTER 4

BOMBS, G.P., 1,000 lb., AN-M 44, AN-M 65, and AN-M65 A1
Introduction
1. These bombs, which have a charg e/wei ght rati o simil ar to th at of the 1,000 lb. M.C. bombs,
are used for gen eral bom bar dm ent purposes . They are si milar in the ir general design, cons truc tion al
and funct ionin g chara cteris tics, the AN-M44 differing in th at it is not provid ed with a tail fuze
ad ap ter a nd the AN-M65A1 in th at it is m odified to ensure th at, when fitte d with a long delay fuze
inco rpor ating an an ti-re mov al device, the fuze can not be rem oved fr om th e bomb in any circum stances
whats oever. The bombs are ada pte d for fuzing at both the nose and the tail, and are fitte d with
twin suspension lugs for carria ge on America n shackles and racks. In addit ion, a single Briti sh
typ e su spension lug is prov ided so th at th e b ombs can be loaded on to stan dar d Brit ish bomb carriers.
2. A Br itish d rum -typ e tai l unit , th e No. 55 Mk. I tail unit, which incor porat es an arm ing wire
guide, is norma lly to be f itte d to the AN-M65 and AN-M65A1 bomb bodies. Where, however, this
tail uni t is not availa ble, the sta nd ard America n box typ e fin assemb ly AN-M65, modified by the
add ition of a No. 5 Mk. I armi ng wire guide, may be used as an alte rnat ive. Wit h the AN-M44
bomb body the fin assem bly AN-M44, modified by the addi tion of a No. 5 Mk. I arm ing wire guide,
is norm ally to b e used, bu t in an emergenc y th e No. 55 tai l u nit m ay be sub stit ute d. Whe n using thi s
tail uni t w ith the AN-M44 bomb body a No. 1 Mk. I ad apt er ring is req uire d t o f orm a se atin g fo r the
fin lock- nut of the bomb.
Note.—The AN-M44 and AN-M65 fin assemblies are not interc hange able.
3. The bombs may be fuzed with both Briti sh and American fuzing compo nents, as listed in
para . 17. These comp onent s all requi re the use of the horiz onta l syste m of arm ing ; th at is, on
release of a bom b from it s carr ier, armi ng is init iat ed by th e ho rizo ntal pull-off of a sa fety wire thre ade d
thro ugh th e armin g vane of the nose or tail fuzing compon ent.

BOMB, G.P., 1,000 lb., AN-M65


Leading particulars
Bomb body
4. Len gth (nose and tail tra ns it plugs fitted) 53-3 in.
Maxim um diam ete r (excluding suspensi on lugs) 18-6 in.
Nat ure and weigh t of filling 489 lb. Amato l 50/50, with
39 lb. T.N.T . surro unds
or 558-3 lb. cast T.N.T.
Tot al weight, filled Ama tol 50/50 970 lb.
Tota l weight, filled T.N.T. 998 lb.
Term inal velocit y 1,385 ft. per sec.

Tail, No. 55, Mk . I


5. Le ng th. .. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 18-5 in.
Maxim um diam eter ... ... ... ... ... ... 18-8 in.

Fi n assembly, AN -M 65
6. Le ngt h.. . ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 18-8 in.
Maximu m diagona l wid th across fins ... ... ... 25-4 in.
The leng th of the bomb is app rox ima tely 69 in. when fitte d wit h the No. 55 Mk. I tai l uni t and a
No. 52 nose pistol.

General description, fig. 1 and 2


7. The bomb consists of a bomb body filled with high explosive and a deta chab le tai l unit,
or fin assembly, secured to the body by a fin loc k-nut.

Bomb body
8. The bomb body consists of a hollow steel castin g, open at bot h ends. The nose opening is
closed by a fuze seat lin er, the inne r e nd of whic h engages with a n aux ilia ry booster, set in the main
explosive filling. The tai l opening is closed by a filling plug screwed and ceme nted in position.
Int o thi s plug is screwed an M115 ad apt er booste r, which aligns with a second aux ilia ry booster.
575

This leaf issued with A. L. No. 101 A.P.1601B, Vol. I, Sect. 17, Chap. 4
February, 1945
The ad ap ter booste r conta ins a solid C.E. pellet, and is also provi ded with a fuze ada pte r. During
tra ns it and stor age the fuze seat liner and fuze ad apt er are sealed by tra ns it plugs seat ed on leat her
washers.
Note.— The fuze ad ap ter m ay be unscrewed and removed from the Ml 15 ad ap ter booste r, and is
provid ed to enable cert ain alt ern ati ve tail fuzes to be used with this bomb.
9. The fin lock -nut, for use in se curing t he tail unit, or fin assembly, to th e b omb body, is screwed
to exte rnal thre ads on the filling plug. This lock- nut has four key holes and two shor t tom my bars,
or alte rna tive ly, six key holes. During tra ns it and stora ge it is wired to the filling plug to prev ent
loss.
Note.— Some bom bs ar e p rovide d w ith a ca rdbo ard distan ce pi ece (not sho wn in th e illust ratio ns)
located between the fin lock-n ut and the face of the filling plug. This dista nce piece prot ects
the exte rna l screw thre ads on the filling plug durin g tra ns it and storage.
10. Three suspensi on lugs are welded to the bomb body, two of th e lugs being locate d d iam etr i­
cally opposi te to the thi rd lug. The single lug is for use when loading the bomb on to a sta nd ard
Briti sh bomb carrier , the twin lugs being used with American shackle s or racks. Durin g tra ns it
and stora ge these lugs a re prot ecte d agai nst dama ge by two prot ecti ng rings locked roun d the bomb
body. These rings are hinged, and are tigh tene d on to the bomb body by bolts and nuts, as shown
in fig. 2.
11. The bomb body is filled w ith eithe r Amatol 50/50 o r cast T .N.T. When filled Amatol, the
nose and tail ends of t he body are sealed with thic k pads of c ast T.N.T.
Tai l unit and fin assembly
12. The No. 55 Mk. I tail unit, which is supplie d sep arate ly from the bomb body, consis ts of
a tail ring to which a drum -typ e cylindr ical vane is att ach ed by four vane sup por ts. Exte nsion s
on these vane supp orts are riveted tog eth er to form a box sup por t inside the tai l unit . An armin g
wire guide is secured to a side of t his box to provide a su ppo rt for th e No. 1 Mk. I safe ty wire, which is
used when the bomb is tail fuzed. The AN-M65 fin assembl y is of simila r con struc tion, hav ing a t ail ring
to which f our fins are at tac hed . Exte nsion s on these fins are rive ted toge ther to form th e box p ort ion
of the a ssembly. A detach able No. 5 Mk. I ar min g wire guide is secured to a side of thi s box to pr ovi de
a su ppo rt for th e safe ty wire.
Identific ation colourin g and markings
13. The exte rior of the bomb body is pain ted an olive dra b colour. Three yellow ban ds are
pain ted round the bomb body, located at the nose a nd tail ends, and at the centr e of g rav ity of the
bomb. The marki ngs and infor matio n norm ally stencill ed on the bomb body are shown in fig. 2.
It sho uld be n oted th at th e marki ngs and info rmat ion are all A merican and th at some of th e info rma ­
tion does not appl y when the bomb is su pplied for loading on to Brit ish airc raft.
14. The tail uni t and fin assembl y are simil arly pain ted an olive dra b colour, the tai l uni t
havin g stencill ed on it the following:— “ No. 55 Mk. I ”.
Funct ioning
15. On “li ve’’ release of th e fuzed bomb from its carrier , the s afety wire is wit hdra wn from the
nose pistol and /or tail fuze by a fuze-s etting contro l link, thu s allowing the fuzing comp onent s to
become armed.
16. On imp act of the fuzed bomb with its targ et, the nose pistol and /or tail fuze init iate s the
explosive tra in in the bomb, thu s deto nati ng the main filling.
Instruct ions for use
17. The following alte rna tiv e pistols and fuzes are used with thi s bom b:—
Nose
(i) Pistol, bomb, D.A., No. 52, Mk. I }
(ii) Pisto l, bomb, D.A., No. 52, Mk. II See Appe ndix 1
(iii) Fuze, bomb, AN-M103A1 (nose) See Appe ndix 4
Tail
(iv) Fuze, bomb, AN-M102A1 (tail)
(v) Fuze, bomb, AN-M102 A2 (tail) See Appen dix 2
(vi) Fuze, bomb, Ml 14 (tail)
(vli) Fuze, bomb, M114A1 (tail) See Appe ndix 3
(a.l. 122)
576

These fuzing comp onent s a re fully describe d in A.P. 1661C, Vol. I, Sect. 5. The d etail ed instr ucti ons
for fuzing a bomb wit h these compon ents, tog eth er with the instr ucti ons for loading, unload ing,
and unfuzi ng the fuzed bomb, are given in the Appendices to thi s Chapte r.
Supply
18. The AN-M65 1,000 lb. G.P. bomb body is supp lied plugged at bot h the nose and the tail
with tra ns it plugs, and fitte d with two prot ecti ng rings arou nd the body to pro tec t the suspe nsion
lugs. The stowage dimensio ns of th e bomb body a re 53-3 in. length , and 23-9 in. max imu m diam eter
across the pro tecti ng rings. The stowag e weigh t of the body is 994 lb. when filled Ama tol 50/50,
and 1,022 lb. when filled wit h cas t T .N.T.
Note.— Some bomb bodies may be suppl ied fitte d with a card boa rd dist anc e piece to pro tec t
the e xter nal thre ads on t he filling plug.
19. One No. 55, Mk. I tai l unit , compl ete with one wire, safe ty, No. 1, Mk. I, and two clips,
safety , No. .1, Mk. I, is supplie d in Conta iner B.490, Mk. I. The wire and clips are secured to the
tail with adhe sive ta pe. .The stowage dimen sions of the cont aine r are 21 in. len gth a nd 20 in. diam eter;
its filled w eight is 40 lb. The AN-M65 fin assemb ly, fitte d w ith a No. 5, Mk. I armi ng wire guide and
complete w ith one No. 1, Mk. I safe ty w ire and two No. 1, Mk. I safet y clips, is suppli ed packe d in
a meta l crate . The fin as sembly may also be s upplie d wit hou t an armi ng wire guide, safe ty wire or
clips, in which inst ance thes e items will be sepa rate ly supplied. The stowage dimensions of t he crat e
are 18j in. x 18J in. x 19 | in. Its filled w eight is 45 | lb.
Storage
20. The bomb bodies are classified, for the purpos e of storage, in Group 7, see A.P.2608A,
Chap. 7. The tai l units, or fin assemblie s, in the ir conta iners or crates , may be stor ed toge ther with
the bomb bodies, bu t should be s tacke d well cle ar of the filled stores.

BOMB, G.P., 1,000 lb., AN-M65A1


Comparison with the AN-M 65 1,000 lb. G.P. bomb
21. As sta ted in para. 1, the AN-M65A1 bomb is simil ar to the AN-M65 bomb. At ten tion
is direc ted, therefor e, to para. 1 to 20, as t he info rma tion given in those par agr aph s for t he AN-M65
bomb applies equall y to th e AN-M65A1 bomb, with the exception o f the followin g differences'.—
(i) The filling pl ug is posit ively locked in positi on at the rea r end of t he bomb body by two
long s tud s screwed into t he under side of th e filling plug and “se t” in the main filling.
(ii) The fuze ad ap ter and Ml 15 ad ap ter boost er each hav e a hole drilled thr oug h its wall,
these holes alig ning with a b lind hole in th e w all of th e filling plug. The holes ar e pr ovide d
so t ha t when a bomb is to be fitte d with a long delay fuze inco rpor ating an anti -rem oval
device, t he ad ap ter boo ster and fuze ad apte r, into which th e fuze will be locked, may th em ­
selves be locked to the filling plug by a lock pin inse rted thr oug h the hole in the fuze
ad ap ter a nd ad ap ter booste r to engage wit h the b lind hole in t he filling plug.

BOMB, G.P., 1,000 lb., AN-M44


Comparison with the AN-M6 5 1,000 lb. G.P. bomb
22. As sta ted in para . 1, th e AN-M44 bomb is simil ar to the AN-M65 bomb. Att ent ion is
directed , therefo re, to para . 1 to 20, as the info rma tion given in thos e par agr aph s for the AN-M65
bomb applies equall y to the AN-M44 bomb, with the exception of the following differences'.—
(i) An M102 ad apt er booste r is screwed into the filling plug of the AN-M44 bomb. This
ad apt er boost er has a smalle r diam eter tha n the Ml 15 ad ap ter booste r fitte d into the
AN-M65 bomb, and is not prov ided with a fuze adap ter.
(ii) The diam eter of th e fin lock- nut is less tha n th at of the AN-M65 bomb, and there fore a
No. 1, Mk. I ad ap ter ring, fitt ed to the t ail ring of t he No. 55 Mk. I tai l unit, is require d
to provid e a seat ing for the fin lock- nut when assemblin g the t ail un it to th e bomb body.
Note.—This ring is n orma lly suppl ied secured to the b omb filling plug by the fin lo ck-nut.
(iii) An AN-M65 fin assem bly can not be fitte d to the bomb body.
577

Thi s leaf issued with A. L. No. 101 A.P.1 661B, Vol. I, Sect. 17, Chap. 4
February, 1945

AP PE ND IX 1

INSTRUCTIO NS FOR USE — USING TH E No. 6 2 PISTOL

LIS T OF CONTENTS
P ar a.
In tr oduct io n ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1
Fu zi ng a bo m b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 2
F it ti n g th e ta il u nit or fin as se m bl y ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 8
L oa di ng a fuz ed bo m b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 9
Un lo ad ing an d un fu zing an un ex pe nd ed bo mb , an d re mo va l of ta il u nit or fin as se m bl y ... 13
Introductio n
1. The No. 52 Mk. I or I I pistol, when used f or th e nose fuzin g of e ithe r th e AN-M44, AN-M65,
or AN-M65A1 1,000 lb. G.P. bomb, is to be used in conju nctio n w ith a No. 1 Mk. I explo der ada pte r
and eithe r a No. 52 Mk. II or Mk. I l l det ona tor. A No. 1 Mk. I safe ty wire and two No. 1 Mk. I
safe ty clips, which are suppl ied with the pistol, are also required .
Note.— The pistols^an d^explode r adap ter[ar e£de scrib ed in[Sect. 5 of'A .P.1661C, Vol. I.
Fuzin g a bomb
2. Before fuzing a bomb with a No. 52 pistol, examin e the pap er disc at the base of t he pistol
stri ker guide to check th at thi s disc has not been pierced by the strik er needle. If it is suspec ted
th at the disc has been pun ctur ed, the pistol must not be used, bu t is t o be set aside for A.I. D./A .I.S.
inspect ion. Also ensure th at the pistol screw -threa ds are clear and th at the leath er washer is in
position.
3. Unscrew and remove the nose t ra ns it plug from the bom b. Exa min e the th rea ds of the fuze
seat liner and clean where necessary.
4. Remove th e No. 46 tra ns it plug fro m a No. 1 Mk. I exp loder ad apt er and gauge th e d eto nat or
cav ity of t he explod er ad ap ter using a No. 2 Mk. I det ona tor cav ity gauge. The engra ved line for
20/40 lb. bombs is applicab le. Exp lode r ada pte rs which fail to pass thi s te st are not to be used,
bu t are to be set aside for A.I. D./A .I.S. inspection.
5. Ins ert the explod er ad apt er into th e fuze sea t liner and screw home, using a 1.) in. Whit,
span ner, C-spanner, or othe r suit able tool. Ensu re th at the explod er ad ap ter is secure ly locked in
positio n by its fibre inserts.
6. Fi t t he small conical s pring, suppl ied with th e pistol, over the ste m of a No. 52 Mk. I I or II I
det ona tor, so th at the small end of the sprin g abu ts the under side of the de ton ato r head. Then
inse rt the det ona tor into the det ona tor cav ity of the explod er ada pter .
Note.— The conical spring must always be fitted, as i t ensures th at th e det ona tor is in con tact w ith
the end of th e stri ker guide when t he p istol is screwed into t he explod er adap ter.
7. Wit h the pistol locking nu t screwed forwar d a few tur ns, screw t he pistol, by hand , into the
expl oder ad apt er unti l it is well seate d on its washer. Lock the pistol in position by screwing its
locking nu t har d on to the top of the explod er adap ter.
Fittin g the tail unit or fin assembly
8. If the bomb is to be used nose fuzed only, the tail unit, or fin assembly , is to be att ach ed
to the bomb bod y as follows:—
(i) Remove the tra ns it wires securing the fin lock- nut to the rea r end of the bomb body.
Unscrew and remove the fin lo£k-n ut and also remove the car dboar d dist ance piece and
ad ap ter ring, if fitted.
(ii) Offer up the tail unit , or fin assembly , to the rea r end of the bomb body. Wit h the fin
assembly, the fins ar e t o be s et at 45 deg. to th e plane of th e suspen sion lugs; this ensures
ease of st owage of t he bomb in Bri tish aircr aft.
(iii) Secure the tail unit , or fin as sembly , in this positio n by replac ing and screwing down the
fin lock-n ut. The lock- nut is to be tigh tene d, using a suit able sho rt tom my bar.
Notes.— (i) The AN-M65 fin assembl y can not be fitte d to an AN-M44 bomb body.
(ii) Wh en fittin g a No. 55 tail uni t t o an AN-M44 bomb bod y, a No. 1 Mk. I ad ap ter ring
mus t be placed over the ta il rin g o f th e t ail unit, to provid e a seati ng for t he fin lock­
nut, before t his nu t is repla ced to secure the t ail u nit in position.
578

Loading a fuzed bomb


9. Wit h the single suspens ion lug of the bomb uppe rmos t, load the fuzed bomb on t o its car rie r
in the norma l manne r, as described in the cha pte r of A.P. 1664, Vol. I, rele van t to the carr ier used.
10. When the bomb is securely att ach ed to its carrie r, remove the safet y pin from the pistol
and rot ate the safe ty cap jus t sufficiently to bring t he hole in one of the a rmin g vanes into line w ith
the hole in the uppermost lug of the pi stol locking nut.
Note.— The safe ty pin is to be hand ed to the pilot or air bomber.
11. Ins ert the plain end of a No. 1 Mk. I safe ty wire first thro ugh the hole in the lug of the
locking nu t and the n thro ugh the armin g vane hole, unti l the end pro trud es app rox ima tely 3 in.,
as shown in fig. 1 of Chap. 4. Slip two No. 1 Mk. I s afet y clips over the p rotr udi ng end of th e saf ety
wire, so t ha t the inner clip is in light con tac t with t he pistol armi ng vane, see fig. 1 of Chap. 4.
Note.—It is n ot essentia l th at the pull-off of the safe ty wire should be exac tly in line with the
bomb suspension lug.
12. Att ach the hook end of a stan dar d flexible f uze-s ettjng contro l link to the loop end of the
safe ty wire, and the n inser t the l oop e nd of th e link into the E.M. fuzing unit in t he norma l manner .
As a "ho rizo nta l” pu ll on the safet y wire is required , the E.M. fuzing uni t mus t not be position ed
vertically above the nose pistol, bu t mus t be moved inwar d towa rds the bomb suspens ion lug a
min imu m distan ce of 3 in., measur ed from the drilled lug on the pistol locking nut, as sho wn in fig. 1
of Chap. 4. Prefe rably, however, the fuzing unit should be moved inwar d towa rds the bomb sus­
pension lug to the limi t per mit ted by the cont our of the bomb.
Nole.— Dependin g on the typ e of carri er and on the position of the E.M. fuzing unit, two or
more fuze-s etting contro l links, att ach ed end to end, may be require d.

Unloadin g and u nfuzin g an unexpended bomb, and rem oval of tail unit or fin assembly
13. Disconn ect th e fu ze-sett ing c ontrol link from th e E.M. fuzing uni t an d t hen un load the bomb
from its carrie r in the norm al manner .
14. Hav ing unloade d the bomb, remove the two safe ty clips from the end of the safe ty wire,
and the n with draw this wire from the pistol.
15. Screw up the safe ty cap until th e st op pins are engaged . W ith a Mk. I pi stol, screw b ack the
cap j ust suffic iently to b ring its two safe ty pi n holes into line wit h th e s lots c ut in the to p of the pisto l
bod y; then inser t the safe ty pin. Wi th a Mk. II pistol, the safe ty cap is to be screwed up until
the stop pins pre ven t fur the r movem ent. Then engage the U-shap ed end of th e safe ty pin with the
hole in the armi ng vane which is oppos ite to the hole in t he safe ty cap. Ins ert t he plain end of th e
safe ty pin into th e hole in th e safe ty cap and then slowly unscrew t he cap until t his end of th e safe ty
pin drops into t he groove in the pistol body.
Note.— If the safe ty pin does not engage with t he groove in t he pistol body w ithin one complete
revolu tion of the cap, th e cause mus t be asce rtain ed; for example , the plain end of the safet y
pin may be burr ed or disto rted .
16. Disconn ect the fuze-s etting contro l link (or links) from the sa fety wire, and retu rn the wire
to its box.
Note.— Should the saf ety wire be kinked , bent, or oth erwise di stor ted or da maged, it mus t not be
used again. Such a wire is to be discard ed and not r etur ned to its box.
17. To unfuze the bomb, proceed as follows:—
(i) Slacken back the pistol locking nut.
(ii) Unscrew and remove the pistol by hand.
(iii) Ex tra ct the det ona tor using an ext ract or, det ona tor. No. 2, Mk. I.
(iv) Remove the conical spring from the det ona tor stem, or from the exp loder ada pte r, and
retu rn it to its linen bag.
(v) Seal the explod er ad apt er with its No. 46 tra ns it plug. •
18. Hav ing unfuzed the bomb, remove the tail unit , or fin assembly, asfollows;—
(i) Unscrew and remove the fin lock- nut from the rear end of the bomb body.
(ii) Deta ch the tail unit, or fin assembly, from the bomb body.
(iii) If originall y fitted, replace the c ard boa rd dista nce piece a nd ad apt er ring, and then replace
the fin lock- nut and wire it in positio n to pre ven t loss.
(iv) Re tur n the tail unit, or fin assembly, to its con taine r or crate , as applicab le.
19. Suit ably m ark t he b omb at its nose end as "E XP LO DE RE D” and the n ret urn it to store ,
where it should be se gregate d for use as soon a s possible.
579

Th is leaf issued with A. L. No. 101 A. P.1 66 1B , Vol . I, Sect . 17, Chap. 4
February, 1945
AP PE ND IX 2

INSTRUCTI ONS FOR USE — USING TH E AN -M 10 2A 1 or AN -M 10 2A 2 FUZ E

LIS T OF CONTENTS
Pa ra.
In tr od uc ti on
F it ti n g th e ta il un it or fin as se m bl y 5
Fu zi ng a bo mb 10
Lo ad in g a fu zed bo mb 16
Un lo ad in g an d un fu zing an un ex pe nd ed bomb , an d re mo va l of tail un it or fin as se m bly 18

Int rod uc tio n


1. The AN-M44, AN-M65, and AN-M65A1 1,000 lb. G.P. bombs may be fuzed at the tail
with eithe r the AN-M102A1 or AN-M102A2 tail fuze. These fuzes (which are fully described in
A.P. 1661C, Vol. I, Sect. 5) are fitte d with th e M14 series of prim er det ona tors , which are inte rcha nge­
able, and may thu s be used to provide a non-dela y, 0-01 sec., 0-025 sec., or 0-1 sec. delay actio n as
required.
2. As these fuzes also incor porate a mechan ical armi ng delay, the y requi re cert ain minim um
heights of bomb release to ensure th at the y are fully arme d prior t o imp act with the targ et. These
min imu m heigh ts of release are prom ulgat ed to the Units concerned thr oug h the norm al channels .
Note.— The AN-M102A1 fuze may, if autho rized , be p arti ally p re-arm ed before take -off. Partial
pre-arming of the AN -M 102 A2 fu ze is not to be undertaken in any circumstances whatsoever.
3. A No. 55 Mk. I tail unit, which incor porat es an armin g wire guide, is norm ally to be fitted
to the AN-M65 and AN-M65A1 bomb bodies. Where, however, this tai l uni t is not availab le,
th e fin assem bly AN-M 65, modified by t he add ition of a No. 5 Mk. I arm ing wire guide, may be fitted
as an alte rnat ive. With the AN-M44 bomb body, the fin assem bly AN-M44, modified b y th e ad ditio n
of a No. 5 Mk. I armin g wire guide, is norma lly to be f itted , bu t in an emerg ency the No. 55 Mk. I
tai l uni t may be su bst itut ed. When using th is tail uni t with the AN-M44 bomb body, a No. 1 Mk. I
ad ap ter ring is requ ired to form a seatin g for the fin lo ck-nu t of t he bomb.
Note.— The AN-M44 and AN-M65 fin assemblies are not interc hange able.
4. A No. 1 Mk. I safet y wire a nd two No. 1 Mk. I safe ty clips are requ ired when fuzing a bomb
with eith er the AN-M102A1 or AN-M102A2 fuze. The safe ty wire and clips and, where applica ble,
th e No. 5 Mk. I armi ng wire guide, are norm ally issued with the t ail uni t or fin assemb lies. Where
this is not so, the safe ty wires, clips and guides will be issued as sep ara te items.

Fi tt in g the tai l un it or fin asse mb ly


5. The t ail un it, or fin assembly, is to be atta che d to t he bomb body before fuzin g is commen ced.
The proced ure to be ado pted is detail ed in the following para. 6 to 9.
6. Remove th e tail unit, or fin as sembly, from its con tain er or c rate. If a fin assemb ly is being
used, -ascerta in whe ther or not a No. 5 Mk. I armi ng wire guide is fitted . Where the armi ng wire
guide is no t fitted , proceed as follows:—
(i) Hook the two halves of the armi ng wire guide to the box port ion of the fin assem bly so
th at t he bra cke t of t he armi ng wire guide proje cts into the fin ass embly.
(ii) Rigid ly secure the armin g wire guide to the fin assem bly by tigh teni ng the nu t on the
coupling screw.
7. Remove the t ra ns it wires s ecuring the fin lock -nut to the t ail end of th e bomb body. Then
unscrew and remove the nu t and also, if fitted, the card boa rd dista nce piece and ad apt er ring.
8. Pa rtia lly unscrew the tai l tra ns it plug from the bomb body.
580

9. Offer up the tail unit, or fin ass embly, to the rea r end of t he bomb body so that the arming
wire guide is in line with the single suspe nsion lug of the bomb, as shown in fig. 1 of Chap. 4. Secure
the t ail u nit, or fin assembly, in thi s positi on with the fin lock-nu t, which is to be tigh ten ed using a
sho rt tom my bar.
Note.— When fitti ng the tail uni t to an AN-M44 bomb a No. 1 Mk. I ad ap ter ring m ust be p laced
over th e t ail ring of the tai l u nit to prov ide a sea ting for th e fin loc k-nu t before thi s n ut is screwed
down to secure the t ail un it in position .

Fuzing a bomb
10. Wi th the tail unit, or fin assembly , fitte d to th e bomb body, comp letely unscrew the tail
tr an sit plug and exa mine t he screw thre ads of th e fuz e ad ap ter or, as app rop riat e, of the M102 ad ap ter
booster. Clean th ese thr ead s where necessary. Ens ure th at t he fuze ad ap ter or, as applic able, the
M l02 a dap ter booster is secu rely positio ned in the bomb body.
11. Remove the fuze from its sealed conta iner, and examin e and tes t the fuze as follows:—
(i) Exam ine the fuze to asce rtain th at it is not par tial ly or fully arme d, as describ ed in
A.P.1661C, V.ol. I, Sect. 5, Chap. 2.
(ii) Exam ine the f uze fo r signs of e xte rna l damag e, corrosion (appea ring as a white d epos it on
the fuze), or for trace s of mois ture on th e armin g st em cup which houses t he redu ction ge ar
train .
(iii) Test the fuze to ensure th at the sta tio na ry gear, in the redu ction gear tra in, is locked.
To do t his grip t he top of th e fuze (th at is, the lo ck-nu t an d a dju stin g n ut) and, using finger
pressure only, rot ate the armi ng stem . A mov eme nt up to in. is norm ally possible,
due to man ufac turin g toleranc es, bu t should the arm ing stem rot ate thro ugh 90 deg. or
more the s tat ion ary gear is not l ocked^and the fuze mu st not be used.
Hav ing exam ined and test ed the fuze, chang e the M14 prim er det ona tor if ne cessary. It s hould be
noted th at t he fuzes are norma lly supp lied fitte d wit h the 0-025 sec. delay version of th e M14 prim er
deto nato r. If it is requi red to change the prim er deto nato r, unscrew it from the base of the fuze,
by hand , and the n screw in the app rop riat e M14 p rime r det ona tor g iving the delay selected. Force
mu st not be used in th ese operat ions, and should a prim er det onato r show signs of ex tern al corrosion
or oth er damage, or should its prim er be a loose fit, ii must not be used.
Notes.— (i) The prim er det ona tor giv ing the r equir ed delay may be identifie d by its delay t ime
which is sta mpe d on th e head of th e prim er de ton ato r body. In a dditi on, the h ead of th e
non-de lay prim er det ona tor is pain ted white, th at of the 0-1 sec. delay, black, whi lst the
0-01 sec. and 0-025 sec. delay versions have, respectiv ely, a | and a | secto r of the head
pain ted black.
(ii) Long d elay prim er deto nato rs of th e M l6 series can not be used wit h th ese fuzes.
Warnings.—(i) Care mu st be ta ken when ha ndling eith er a pr imer det ona tor, or a fuze conta ining
a prim er deto nato r, as the prim er comp onen t is pa rtia lly exposed in jthe top of the prim er
det ona tor body.
(ii) Should a fuze be dro pped or a ccide ntall y k nocked, i t mu st b e c arefully exam ined exte rnal ly
to ensure th at no damag e has been sustain ed.
12. Wit hdr aw the s plit pin from the b ody of t he fuze and the n screw the fuze (less its arm ing
vane) by han d into t he rea r end of th e bomb body.
13. Thr ead the pla in e nd of a No. 1 Mk. I safe ty wire first th rou gh the a rmin g wire guide on th e
tai l unit, or fin assembl y, and t he n thr oug h the upp erm ost pai r of ad jac ent holes in the fuze armi ng
stem cup and eye let s trap , on th e lines indi cate d in fig. 1 of Chap. 4. The s afet y wire holes in the fuze
need not be exac tly in line with t he arm ing wire guide.
Note.—Should the upp erm ost pai r of adj ace nt holes be occupied by the fuze safe ty pin, thi s
pin is to be removed, to allow for inse rtion of the* safe ty wire, but only after a second saf ety
pin has first been inser ted thr oug h the second pai r of adj ace nt holes in the arm ing stem cup
and eyelet stra p of the fuze.
14. Hav ing inser ted the safe ty wire, cut the sealing wire thre ade d thr oug h the safe ty pin and
the n remove the pin. Thr ead the pla in end of th e s afet y w ire th rou gh one of t he holes in t he arm ing
vane b lades and at t he same tim e slip the armi ng vane over the end of th e fuze so th at t he grooves
in t he a rmin g vane assemb ly engage with t he t wo locatin g pins on the fuze. Lock the arm ing v ane
to the fuz e by screwing down the vane nut , han d tigh t.
Note.-—The s afety pin and its sealing wire, tog eth er wit h the split pin (see para. 12), are to be
han ded to th e pilo t or air bombe r.
581

This leaf issued with A.L . No. 101 A.P.1661B, Vol. I, Sect. 17, Chap. 4, App . 2
February, 1945
15. Adjust the safety wire to protrud e approximate ly 3 in. beyond the fuze arming vane, on
the lines indicated in fig. 1 of Chap. 4, and t hen slip two No. 1 Mk. I safet y clips over th e end of the
wire so t ha t the inner clip is in light contact with the arming vane blade.
Loading a fuzed bomb
16. With the single suspension lug uppermost, load the fuzed bomb on to its carrier in the
normal manner as described in the chapter of A.P. 1664, Vol. I, relevant to t he carrier used.
17. When the bomb is securely attache d to its carrier, atta ch th e hook end of a link, fuze-setting
control, Type E.M., flexible, adj ustable, to th e loop end of the safety wire thread ed thro ugh th e fuze.
Inser t t he loop end of th e fuze-setting control link into the E.M. fuzing unit in th e normal manner.
As a ''hor izontal” pull on the safety wire is required, the E.M. fuzing unit must not be located vertically
above the head of the tail fuze, but is to be positioned inward towards the bomb suspension lug a
minimum, distance of 3 in., measured from th e arming wire guide on th e tail unit, or fin assembly,
as shown in fig. 1 of Chap. 4. Preferably, however, the fuzing un it should be moved inward towards
the bomb suspension lug to the limit permi tted by t he contour of the bomb.
Note.—Depending on the type of carrier and on the position of the E.M. fuzing unit, two or more
fuze-setting control links, at tache d end 'to end, may be required.
Unloadin g and unfuz ing an unexpended bomb, and removal of tail unit or f in assembly
Warning.—Before unloading and unfuzing an unexpended bomb, examine the fuze to make
certain tha t it is not partiall y or fully armed, as deta iled in A.P.1661C, Vol. I, Sect. 5, Chap. 2.
18. Disconnect th e fuze-setting control link from the carrier E.M. fuzing u nit .and unload the
bomb from the carrier in th e normal manner.
19. Having unloaded t he bomb from its carrier, remove t he two safety clips from the safety
wire, but do not withdraw this wire from the fuze. Unscrew the vane nut from the end of the fuze
and remove the arming vane.
20. Inse rt t he sa fety pin through the second pair of adjacent holes in t he arming stem cup and
eyelet s trap of the fuze, and secure it in position with its sealing wire. Then withdraw the safety
wire from th e fuze and arming wire guide. Unhook the fuze-setting control link(s) from the safety
wire.
Note.—Should th e safety wire be kinked, bent, or otherwise d istorted or damaged, it must be
discarded and not used again.
21. Unscrew and remove the fuze, by hand, from th e rear end of the bomb body and immediately
replace th e split pin through the body of the fuze. Retur n the fuze to its container and seal with
adhesive tape.
22. Having removed the fuze from the bomb, unscrew t he fin loc k-nut and remove the tail
unit, or fin assembly. Fit the cardboard distance piece, if originally provided, round the external
screw threads of the bomb filling plug and then replace the fin lock-nut and, where applicable, the
No. 1 Mk. I adap ter ring. Re-wire t he nut to the filling plug to prevent loss.
23. Close the rear end of the bomb body with its tran sit plug.

B (AL101)
582
583

This l eaf issued with A .L. No. 101 A. P.1 68 1B , Vol . I, Sec t. 17 , Chap. 4
February, 1945
AP PE ND IX 3

INSTRUCTIO NS FOR USE — USING TH E M11 4 or M11 4A1 FUZ E

LIS T OF CONTENTS
Para.
In tro du cti on ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1
Fi tt in g th e tai l un it or fin asse mbl y ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 4
Fu zin g a bom b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 9
Loa ding a fuze d bom b ... ............... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 17
Unl oad ing and unfu zing an une xpe nde d bom b, an d rem oval of tai l un it or fin asse mbl y ... 19

Int rod uct ion


1. Ei the r t he M114 or the M114A1 fuze (which are fully described in A.P.1661C, Vol. I, Sect. 5)
can be u sed for th e tai l fu zing of th e AN-M44, AN-M65, or AN-M65A1 1,000 lb. G.P. bomb. These
fuzes, whic h do no t in corp orat e a me chanica l del ay in th eir arm ing mech anism , ar e fi tted wi th prime r
det ona tors of t he M16 series which prov ide eith er a 4 t o 5 sec. or 8 t o 11 sec. delay.
2. The AN-M65 and AN-M65A1 bomb bodies are norm ally to be fitte d only wit h th e No. 55
Mk. I tai l unit , which inco rpor ates an armi ng wire guide. If, however, thi s tai l uni t is no t availa ble
a sta nda rd America n fin assem bly AN-M65 may be used as an alte rna tive . The AN-M44 bomb is
norm ally to be fitte d only wit h t he A merican fin asse mbly AN-M44, bu t in an emergenc y t he No. 55
tai l un it ma y be used. The two fin assem blies, which are no t interc hang eable , requi re the addi tion
of a No. 5 Mk. I arm ing wire guide.
Note.—Whe n fittin g a No. 55 t ail uni t to an AN-M44 bomb body, a No. 1, Mk. I ad ap ter ring
is requ ired to form a seatin g for the fin lock- nut of the bomb.
3. A No. 1 Mk. I s afety wire and two No. 1 Mk. I s afety clips are requ ired when fuzin g a bom b
with e ithe r t he Ml 14 or M114A1 fuze. The safe ty wire and clips and, where applica ble, the armin g
wire guid e, are norm ally issued with the t ail u nit o r fin assemblies. Where thi s is n ot so, t he s afety
wires, clips, and guides are suppli ed as sep ara te items.

Fi tti ng the ta il un it or fin asse mbl y


4. The tai l un it, or fin assembly, is to be atta ch ed to the bomb body before fuzin g is commenced.
The proce dure to be ado pted is detail ed in the following para . 5 to 8.
5. Remo ve the tail unit , or fin assembly, from its con taine r or crate. If a fin assembl y is
being used, asce rtai n whe ther or not a No. 5 Mk. I arm ing wire guide is fitted . Where t he armin g
wire guide is no t fitted , proceed as follows:—
(i) Hoo k the t wo halves of th e armin g wire guide to one of the four sides of t he box port ion
of the fin assem bly so th at the bra cke t of the armi ng wire guide proje cts into the fin
assembly.
(ii) Rigi dly secure the armin g wire guide to the fin assembl y by tigh teni ng the nu t on the
couplin g screw.
6. Remove th e tra ns it wires securing the fin lock -nut to the rea r end of the bomb body, and
the n unscrew a nd remove the lock- nut and also, if f itted, the card boa rd dista nce piece, and ad ap ter
ring.
7. Pa rtia lly unscrew the tai l tra nsi t plug from the bomb body.
8. Offer up t he tai l un it (or fin assembly) to the rear end of th e bomb body, so that the arming
wire guide is in line with the single suspension lug of the bomb, as shown in fig. 1 of Chap. 4. Secure t he
tail un it (or fin assembly) in th is p osition with the fin lock -nut, which is to be ti ghte ned, usin g a suitabl e
tom my bar.
Note.-—-When fi tting t he No. 55 tai l uni t to an AN-M44 bomb, a No. 1 Mk. I ad ap ter ri ng mus t
be place d over the tai l ring of t he t ail uni t to provid e a seati ng for the fin lock-nut , before thi s nu t
is replac ed to secure the t ail uni t in position.
C (AL101)
584

Fuzin g a bomb
9. Wit h the tail uni t (or fin assembly) fitted t o t he b omb body, comple tely unscrew an d remove
the tail tra ns it plug and exa min e the screw -threa ds of the fuze ad apt er or, as app rop riat e, of the
M102 ad ap ter booster. Clean these thre ads where necessary, and check th at the fuze ada pte r, or
M102 ad apt er booster, is sec urely positio ned in the bomb body.
10. Remove the fuze from its sealed cont aine r and examine it for exte rna l damag e and for
corrosion (appeari ng as a white deposit ). Check th at the fuze is not par tial ly or fully armed, as
detai led in A.P.1661C, Vol. I, Sect. 5, Chap. 3.

11. Carefully unscrew and remove the prim er det ona tor from the base of the fuze, and the n
te st the fuze t o ensure th at i t is n ot par tial ly uncocked, using a gauge, stri ker dep th, No. 16, Mk. I .
To do t his, inse rt the st em of th e gauge int o t he b ase of th e fuze; the head of th e gauge should a bu t
the bas e of t he fuze. If t his does not ob tain a nd it is possible to "ro ck ” th e g auge whilst in the fuze,
the fuze plung er and firing pin are par tial ly uncocked and the fuze mu st -not be used. In such
circum stance s the prim er det on ato r mu st not b e screwed back into the fuze.
W ar n in g — Grea t
care mu st always be exercised when hand ling a prim er det ona tor (or a fuze
contai ning a prime r deto nato r), par ticu larl y as the prim er comp onent is par tial ly exposed in
the top of the prim er det ona tor body.

12. Hav ing examine d and gauged the fuze, fit the prime r det ona tor giving the delay r equi red;
this m ay or may not be t he one su pplied in the fuze. Force mus t not b e used in this o pera tion, and
-should a prim er det on ato r show signs of exte rnal corrosion or damage, or should its prim er be a
loose fit, it must not be used.
Notes.— (i) The Ml 14 and M114A1 fuzes are norm ally suppl ied fitte d with the 8 to 11 sec.
delay version of the M16 or M16A1 prim er deto nato r.
(ii) The M16 a nd M16A1 prim er det ona tors a re identif iable by the ir milled and grooved heads.
The 4 to 5 sec. and 8 to 11 sec. delay versions of the se pr ime r de ton ator s a re d isting uisha ble
by the delay times which are mark ed in two places on the ir heads. The delay times are
also clearly mar ked on the cylind ers in which the prim er det ona tors are packed.
(iii) The M16 prim er det ona tor may be used with eith er the Ml 14 or M114A1 fuze. The
M16A1 prim er det ona tor is for use only with the M114A1 fuze. Sho rt delay prim er
deto nato rs of the M14 series can not be used with eith er of these fuzes.
(iv) Should the fuze be dropp ed or accide ntall y knock ed a t any time, it mu st be carefull y
examin ed exte rnal ly to ensure th at no damag e has been sustain ed.
13. Hav ing fitte d the require d prim er deto nato r, remove the "specia l ins truc tion s” ta bl et
from the fuze armi ng stem tub e and screw the fuze (less its armi ng vane), by hand , into the rea r
end of the bomb body.
14. Thr ead the plain end of a No. 1 Mk. I safet y wire first thr oug h the arm ing wire guide on
the tail uni t (or fin assembly) and the n thro ugh the uppe rmo st pair of adj ace nt holes in the stem
cup and circu lar pla te of the fuze, as shown in fig. 1 of Chap. 4. It is not essentia l for the saf ety
wire holes in the fuze to be exac tly in line with the arm ing wire guide.
Note.— Should the upp erm ost pai r of a dja cen t holes be occupied by the fuze safe ty pin, the pin
is to b e re moved, to allow inser tion of th e safet y wire, but only after a second safet y pin has first
been inser ted thro ugh the second pai r of adj ace nt holes.
15. Afte r inser ting the safe ty wire, cut the sealing wire thre ade d thr oug h the safe ty pin and
then remove the p in. Thr ead the plain end of th e safe ty wire thro ugh th e hole in one of th e armi ng
vane blade s, and at th e same tim e slip th e armi ng vane ove r the he ad of th e fuze so th at th e grooves
in the a rmin g vane assem bly engage with t he two locati ng pins on the fuze. Lock the a rmin g vane
to the fuze by screwing down the knu rled vane nul, han d tigh t.
16. Ad jus t the safet y wire to pro trud e app roxi mat ely 3 in. beyon d the fuze armi ng vane,
as shown in fig. 1 of Chap . 4, and the n slip two No. 1 Mk. I safe ty clips over the end of t he wire so
th at the inne r clip is in ligh t con tac t with the armi ng vane blade.
Note.—The safet y pin and i ts sealing wire are to be hand ed to the p ilot or air bomber.

Loading a fuzed bomb


17. Wit h the single suspensio n lug uppe rmos t, load the fuzed bomb on to its carri er in the
norma l man ner, as described in the Cha pter of A.P. 1664, Vol. I, rele van t to the carr ier used.
585

Thi s leaf issued with A .L . No. 101 A.P. 1661 B, Vol. I, Sect. 17, Chap. 4, Ap p. 5
February, 1945
18. When the bom b is securely atta che d to t he c arrie r, a tta ch the hook end of a lin k, fu ze-se tting
contro l, Type E.M., flexible, a djus tabl e, to the loop end of th e safe ty wire th rea ded th rou gh the fuze.
Ins ert the loop end of th e fuze- setting con trol link into the E.M. fuzing uni t in the norm al manner.
As a " hor izo nta l” pul l on th e s afety wire is req uired , t he E.M. fu zing u nit mu st not be loc ated vertically
above t he head of the t ail fuze, b ut is to be move d inw ard t ow ard s the bomb suspen sion lug a mini mum
dista nce of 3 i n., measu red from the a rmin g wire guide on t he t ail u nit (or fin assembl y), as sh own in
fig. 1 of Chap. 4. Prefe rably, however, the fuzing uni t should be moved inwa rd tow ards the bomb
suspension lug to the limit per mi tted by the con tour of the bomb.
Note.— Depend ing on the typ e of carri er, and on the positi on of the E.M. fuzing unit , two or
more fuze- settin g contr ol links, atta ch ed end to end, may be required .
Unloadin g and unfuz ing an unexpended bomb, and removal of tail unit or f in assembly
Warning .— Before' unloa ding and unfuz ing an unex pend ed bomb, exam ine the fuze to make
cert ain th at it is not par tia lly o r fully armed , as detai led in A.P. 1661C, Vol. I, Sect. 5, Chap. 3.
19. Discon nect the fuze-s etting cont rol link from the carri er E.M. fuzing uni t and unload
the bomb from the carri er in the norm al mann er.
20. Hav ing unload ed the bomb from its carrie r, remove the two safet y clips from th e safe ty
wire, but do not withdraw this wire from the fu ze. Unscrew the knurle d vane nu t from the head of
the fuze and remove the armin g vane.
21. In se rt the s afety pin t hro ugh t he second pai r of ad jac ent holes in the ste m cup and circul ar
pla te of the fuze and secure it in positio n with the sealing wire. Then wit hdr aw the safe ty wire
from the f uze and arm ing wire guide. Unhoo k the fuze -settin g contr ol link(s) from the safe ty wire.
Note.— Should the safe ty wire be kinke d, ben t, or otherwi se dist orte d or dama ged, it mu st be
discard ed and not used again.
22. Unscrew and remove the fuze, by hand , from the rea r end of the bomb body, retu rn the
fuze to its con tain er and re-seal the con tain er with adhesiv e tape.
23. Hav ing removed the fuze from the bomb body, unscrew the fin lock -nut and remove the
tai l uni t (or fin assembl y). Fi t the c ard boa rd distan ce piece a nd ad ap ter ring, if origi nally provided ,
roun d the exte rna l screw -threa ds of the bomb filling plug and replace the fin lock-n ut. Re-wire
the nu t to the filling plug to pre ven t loss.
24. Close the rear end of t he bomb body with its tra ns it plug.
586
587

This leaf issued with A .L. No. 122 A.P.1 661B, Vol. 1, Sect. 17, Chap. 4
August , 1915

APPEND IX 4
use—us ing th e AN-M1 03A1 fuze
In str uc tio ns for

LIS T OF CONTE NTS


Par a.
Int rod uc tio n ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1
Fuz ing a bom b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 4
Fi tti ng th e tai l un it or fin asse mbly ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 11
Loa ding a fuzed bom b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 12
Unl oad ing and -unfuzing an une xpe nde d bomb , and remo ving tai l un it or fin asse mbly ... ... 15

Introduc tion
1. The AN-M103A1 fuze (which is fully describ ed in A.P.1661C, Vol. I, Sect. 5, Chap. 11)
may be used for th e nose fu zing of eith er the AN-M44, AN-M65 or AN-M65A1 1,000 lb. G.P. bomb.
As the fuze is selective, giving eith er an ins tan tan eou s or 04 sec. delay action, it may be used to
provi de a 0-1 sec. delay actio n “ins ura nce ” fuze when a bom b is tail fuzed with an AN-M102 series
fuze or, when necessary, as an alte rna tiv e to the No. 52 nose pistol (with the explo der ada pter ,
No. 1, Mk. I); the fuze, in thi s insta nce, being set for ins tan tan eou s action.
2. As the fuze incor porat es a mechan ical delay in its armin g mechan ism, it require s cert ain
minim um heig hts of bo mb release to ensure th a t the fuze is ful ly arme d prior to imp act of th e fuzed
bomb with its targ et. These min imum height s of bomb release are prom ulga ted t o the Unit s concern ed
thr oug h th e norma l channels.
Note.— Partia l pre-arming of the fuze is not to be undertaken in any circumstances whatsoever.
3. One No. 1 Mk. I safet y wire and two No. 1 Mk. I safet y clips are requi red for use with t he
fuze.

Fuzi ng a bomb
4. Unscrew and remove the nose tra ns it plug of the bom b and exam ine the fuze seat liner
and its thre ads . Clean, where necessary, using a sho rt leng th of wood stick.
5. Remove the fuze from its sealed con tain er and check th at the fuze is not par tial ly or fully
armed, as described in A.P.1661C, Vol. I, Sect . 5, Chap. 11. Also examine the fuze for signs of damage,
or corrosion (appe aring as a white deposit), or for trace s of mois ture on the vane cup which houses
th e redu ction gear train .
6.- Cut and remove the sealing wire th rea ded t hro ugh th e fuze v ane and eyelet strap s, and v ane
holder. Ensu re th at the spli t pin is thre ade d thr oug h the vane and eyelet strap s, and the n screw
the f uze (less it s a rming v ane), by hand , into the f uze se at liner of th e bomb.
Note.— No t ools are to be used when screwing home the fuze.
7. Ins ert th e plain end of a No. 1 Mk. I safet y wir e thro ugh t he adj ace nt holes in the uppermost
pai r of vane and eyele t stra ps, th at is, thro ugh the pai r of stra ps near est in line with the single
suspensio n lug of the bomb. The end of the wire should pro ject abo ut 3 in. beyond the strap s.
I t is no t es sential th at th e pull-off of the sa fety wire be ex actly in line wi th the suspen sion lug.
Note.— Should the holes in the upp erm ost pair of st rap s be occupied by the split pin, it is to be
withd rawn , to allow for the inser tion of the safe ty wire, but only after a second split pin has
first been inserte d thr oug h the second pai r of holes in the strap s.
8. Slip two No. 1 Mk. I safety clips over the end of the safet y wire so th at the inne r clip is
in ligh t c ont act w ith the vane st rap.
9. Fi t the arm ing vane over the top of the fuze vane ho lder so t ha t its two l ocating pi ns en gage
wit h the two holes in the vane holder. Ensu re th at the spring ring in the arming vane snaps into
the c ircul ar groove in the top of the vane holder.
588

10. Set the fuze for instant aneous or 0-1 sec. delay action, as required. To do this, pull t he
setting pin outwards against the action of its spring and rota te the pin so tha t its peg engages wi th
either th e deep or shallow pair of slots, as appro priate. For instantaneous action the peg is to engage
with the shallow slots, and for delay action, with the deep slots. A summary of these in structions is
stamped on the fuze around the setting pin.
Note.—As supplied, the fuze is normally set for delay action.
Fitti ng the tail unit or fin assembly
11. If the bomb is to be used nose fuzed only, the tail unit, or fin assembly, is t o be a ttache d
to the bomb body as follows:—
(i) Remove the tran sit wires securing the fin lock-nut to the tail end of the bomb body.
Unscrew and remove the fin l ock-nut and also remove the cardboard distance piece, if
fitted.
(ii) Offer up the tai l uni t, or fin assembly, to the r ear of the bomb body. With the fin assembly,
the fins are to be at 45 deg. to the plane of the suspension lugs; this ensures ease of stowage
of the bomb in British aircraft.
(iii) Secure th e tail unit, or fin assembly, in p osition by replacing and screwing down t he fin
lock-nut. The lock-nut is to be tightened, using a suitable tommy bar.
Notes.— (i) The AN-M65 fin assembly cannot be fitted to the AN-M44 bomb body.
(ii) When fitting a No. 55 tail unit to an AN-M44 bomb body, a No. 1 Mk. I adap ter
ring m ust be placed over the tail ring of the tail unit, to provide a seating
for the fin lock-nut, before this nut is replaced to secure the tail unit in
position.
Loading a fuzed bomb
12. With the single suspension lug of the bomb uppermost, load the fuzed bomb on to its
carrier in th e norm al mariner, as described in the chap ter of A.P .1664, Vol. I, relevant to the carrier
used.
13. When the bomb is securely attac hed to the carrier, atta ch the hook end of a standa rd
flexible fuze-setting control link to t he loop end of the safe ty wire thread ed thro ugh th e fuze. Inser t
the loop end of th e fuze-setting control link into the E.M. fuzing unit in the normal manner. As
a "ho rizontal ” pull on the saf ety wire is required, the E.M. fuzing unit mus t not be positioned vertically
above th e fuze, but is to be moved inward towards the bomb suspension lug a minimu m distance of
3 in. measured from the str aps on the fuze, on sim ilar lines to fig. 1 of Chap. 4. Preferably, however,
the fuzing unit should be moved inward towards the bomb suspension lug to the limit permitted
by the contour of the bomb.
Note.—Depending on the type of carrier and on th e position of the E.M. fuzing unit, two or more
fuze-setting control links, attac hed end to end, may be required.
14. Finally, withdraw the split pin from the vane and eyelet straps and hand it to the pilot
or air bomber.
Unloadin g and unfuz ing an unexpended bomb, and removin g tail unit or fin assembly
Warning .— Before unloading and unfuzing an unexpended bomb, examine the fuze to make
certain th at it is n ot pa rtiall y or fully armed, as described in A.P. 1661C, Vol. I, Sect. 5, Chap. 11.
15. To obt ain additiona l safety while unloading a bomb from its carrier, first insert, wherever
possible, th e spl it pin into th e second pair of adjacen t holes in the fuze vane and eyelet str aps. Then
disconnect th e fuze-setting control link(s) from th e E.M. fuzing u nit and unload the bomb from the
carrier in the normal manner.
16. Having unloaded the bomb from the carrier, disconnect the fuze-setting control link(s)
from the saf ety wire, but do not withdraw the wire from the fuze. Remove the arming vane from the
fuze, ensure th at the split pin is securely thread ed throug h the vane and eyelet straps, and then
unscrew an d r emove the fuze from the bomb by hand. Seal the nose of th e bomb w ith its trans it
Plug-
17. Remove the two safety clips from the safety wire and then withdraw the wire from the
fuze. Inspect the fuze for damage a nd set i t for delay action, as necessary. Return th e fuze to i ts
container and seal wit h adhesive tape. Mark th e container for "FI RST ISSUE” .
Note.—Should t he safety wire be kinked, bent, or otherwise d istorted or damaged, it must be
discarded and not used again.
18. Having 'remove d the fuze from the bomb, unscrew th e fin l oclpnut and remove the tail
unit, or fin assembly, as appropriate. Fit the cardboard distance piece, if originally provided,
round th e extern al screw threads of th e bomb filling plug, and t hen replace the'fin lock-nut. Re-wire
the lock-nut to the filling plug to prevent loss.
P8727 M /G2150 11/45 7900 C & P Gp . t
589

Th is lea f issue d with A .L . No . 106 A.P .16 61B, Vol. I, Sect. 17


Februa ry, 1945

Oi
CHAPTER 6
<3
BOMBS, S.A.P ., 1,000 lb., AN-M5 9 and AN-M59A1

LIST OF CONTENTS
Para.
In tr od uc ti on ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1
BOM B, S.A .P ., 1,000 lb. , AN -M 59
Le ad in g pa rt ic ul ar s
Bo mb bo dy ...

bOOOC OCi^O CD<ia>


Fi n as se mb ly
Ge ne ral de sc rip tio n
Bo mb bo dy
2 31 3 Fi n as sem bly
3 's « Id en tif ic at io n co lou rin g an d m ar ki ng s
K 8
1 <D Fu nc tio ni ng
ftr -S co In st ru ct io ns fo r use
d ft Su pp ly .........................................
■+■» o g St or ag e
.23 w BOM B, S.A .P ., 1,000 lb. , AN- M59 A1
8 ^
Co mp ari son wi th th e AN -M 59 1,000 lb. S.A .P. bo m b ... ... ... ... ... ... 23
2 x a

•S S s
CD XJ
. -M a
a
d ^ LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
4-> O Fig .
O XJ 1. Se cti on al vie w of AN -M 59 bo mb , re ad y for use
<U ° 2. View s of AN -M 59 bo mb , re ad y for tr a n si t
a a
&•
ctf
<U
V
ui O d/ LIST OF APPENDICES
3_§f
^3 s N ot e. — A lis t of co nt en ts ap pe ar s a t th e be gin ni ng of ea ch Ap pe nd ix.
.s ’
to •2> XJ
a
'
A P P E N D IX 1— In st ru ct io ns for use —u sin g th e No. 52 pis tol
'** <D rt
o
co■
h w , A P P E N D IX 2— In st ru ct io ns for use —u sin g th e AN -M1 02A 1 or AN -M 102 A2 fuze
2 " 2 ’i
a <
i 0-i A P P E N D IX 3— In st ru ct io ns for use —u sin g th e M l 14 or M114A1 fuze
I S P .!
'Q SCj
A P P E N D IX 4— In st ru ct io ns fo r use —u sin g th e MI 25 or M125A1 fuz e (T o be is su ed later)

Q 4)W
W a
H
□ 13
'3 >>
B 'a
H Oo
w ts

K
AR MA ME NT
590

CHAPTER 6

BOMBS, S.A.P ., 1,000 lb., AN-M5 9 and AN-M59A 1


Introduction
1. These bombs, alth oug h desig nated s emi-a rmou r p iercing , are inte nde d t o supp lem ent stocks
of th e AN-M65 1,000 lb. G.P. bom b (described in Chap. 4 of th is Section), and a re for u se fo r gen eral
bom bar dm ent purposes . Norm ally th ey are not to be used as semi- armo ur piercin g bombs but ,
due to the ir more rob ust con stru ctio n (as com pared wi th th e AN-M65), the y shoul d be segrega ted
for use aga inst special tar ge ts of a more res ista nt nat ure .
2. The bombs, which hav e a char ge/we ight rat io of app rox ima tely 30-5 per cent. , are simil ar
in the ir general design, cons truc tion al and funct ionin g cha ract eris tics and differ only in th at the
AN-M59A1 bomb is modified to ensure th at , when fitte d wit h a long delay fuze inco rpor atin g an
anti -rem oval device, the fuze can not be remov ed from the bomb in any circu msta nces whats oever.
The bomb s are ada pte d for fuzing at bo th the nose and the tail, using Brit ish and Americ an fuzing
comp onent s as liste d in par a. 19. These fuzing comp onent s all requi re the use of the "h ori zon tal ”
syste jn of arming , th a t is, on "li ve” release of a bomb armin g is init iat ed by the "ho riz ont al”
pull-off of a safe ty wire thre ade d thro ugh the arm ing mechanis m.
3. The norm al Americ an box typ e fin assemb ly, modified by the addi tion of a No. 6 Mk. I
armi ng wire guide, is to be used with t hese bombs in all instanc es.
4. The bombs a re fitte d for bo th single and twi n poi nt suspens ion and may thu s be loaded on
to the app rop ria te sta nd ard Bri tish bomb carri ers or on to America n shackle s or racks.
5. The term ina l veloc ity of the bomb s is app rox ima tely 1,600 ft. per sec.

BOMB, S.A.P., 1,000 lb., AN-M59


Leading particulars
Bomb body
6. Le ngt h (nose an d ta il tr an sit pl ugs fitte d) ... 57.3 in.
Maxim um diam eter (excluding suspen sion lugs) 15 in.
We ight and nat ure of filling ... ... ... 292 lb. Am atol 50/50, with 10-7 lb.
T.N.T . sur roun d
or 313-5 lb. cast T.N.T.
To tal weight, filled Ama tol 50/50 ... ... 971 lb.
To tal weight, filled T.N.T . .......................... 991 lb.
Fi n assembly
7. Le ng th. .. ... ... ... ... ... ... 16-8 in.
Maxim um diago nal wid th across fins ... ... 20-7 in.
Weig ht ... ... ... ... ... ... 17 lb. appr ox.
8. The overall leng th of the bom b is app rox ima tely 70-4 in. when fitte d with its nose plug
and fin assembly , and 71-2 in. when fitte d at th e nose with a No. 52 pisto l. The all-up weight of the
compl ete bomb, fuzed nose and t ail, is 993 lb. when filled A matol and 1,112 lb. when filled T. N.T.
General description, fig. 1 and 2
9. The bomb comprises a bom b body filled w ith high explosive and a deta cha ble fin assembl y
secure d to th e body by a fin lock-n ut.
Bomb body *
10. The bomb b ody consists of a hollow ste el c astin g closed a t th e nose end by a fuze se at liner
surro unde d by a thic k pad of wax, and at t he tai l end by a filling plug, screwed and cem ente d in
positio n. This plug is cen tral ly tap ped to tak e an M102 ad ap ter boost er which houses a small
boost er lead-in and a C.E. pellet. An aux ilia ry booste r, consis ting of eleven C.E. pellets, is set in
the main filling, a nd is aligned with th e ad ap ter booste r. Dur ing tra ns it and stora ge the fuze sea t
liner and ad ap ter boost er are closed by tra ns it plugs.
11. The fin lock- nut, for use in securing the fin assem bly to the bomb body, is screwed to
exte rna l thr ead s on the filling plug . The lock -nut is prov ided w ith two sho rt tom my bars and four
key-holes and, duri ng tra ns it and storag e, is wired to the filling plug to pre ven t loss.
591

This leaf issued with A. L. No. 106 A.P .166 1B, Vol. I , Sect. 17, Chap. 6
February, 1045

Note.— Some bomb s are provid ed wit h a card boa rd dista nce piece (not shown in the illus ­
trat ion s) locate d betwe en the fin lock -nut and the face of th e filling pl ug. This dista nce piece
prot ects the exte rna l screw -thre ads on the filling plug duri ng tr an sit and storage.
12. Three suspensio n lugs are welded to the bomb body, two of the lugs being positio ned
diam etric ally oppos ite to the thi rd. Duri ng tr an sit an d st orage the lugs ar e pr ote cte d ag ains t dam age
by two pro tecti ng rings locked roun d the bomb body. These rings are hinged and are tigh ten ed on
to the bomb body by bolts and nuts .
13. The bomb body is filled with ei ther Ama tol 50/50 or ca st T .N.T. When filled Am atol 50/50,
the tai l end of t he body is sealed by a thi ck pad of cas t T.N.T .
Fi n assembly
14. The box typ e fin assemb ly, see fig. 1, is suppl ied sep arat ely from the bom b body, an d
consists o f a t ail r ing to which four fins ar e atta che d. Exte nsio ns on t hese fins ar e rive ted tog eth er
to form the box port ion of the assembly.
15. Whe n a bom b is t o be fuzed a t t he tail, a d etac hab le No. 6 Mk. I armi ng wir e guide, as il lus ­
tra te d in fig. 1, is to be fitte d to the box port ion of the fin assem bly to prov ide a sup port for th e
safe ty wire which is use d when th e bomb is tai l fuzed.

Identific ation colour ing and markings


16. The ext erio r of the bomb body is pai nte d an olive dra b colour. Three yellow band s are
pai nte d rou nd the bomb b ody and are locate d at t he nose a nd ta il ends, and a t the c entr e of g rav ity
of th e bomb. The mark ings and o the r in form ation n orm ally stencil led on t he bomb b ody are shown
in fig. 2. These are all of Americ an origin and do not app ly in. all par ticu lars when th e bomb is
suppli ed for loadin g on to Brit ish airc raft.
17. The fin assem bly is simila rly pai nte d an olive dra b colour.

Funct ioning
18. On "li ve” release of the fuzed bomb from its carrie r, the safe ty wire is wit hdra wn from
the nose pist ol and /or tai l fuze, by the a ppr opr iate f uze-s ettin g contr ol link, thu s allowing the fu zing
compo nents to become armed. On imp act of t he fuzed bomb w ith its tar ge t, the nose p istol a nd/ or
tai l fuze init iate s the explosive tra in in the bomb, th us det ona ting th e main filling.
Instruc tions lor use
19. The following alte rna tiv e nistols and fuzes are used wiith thi s bom b:-
Nose
(i) Pisto l, bomb, D.A., No. 52, Mk. I 1 Appen dix 1
(fi) Pistol, bomb, D.A., No. 52, Mk. II
(iii) Fuze, bomb, AN-M103A1 (nose) Appendi x 4

Tail
(iv) Fuze, bomb, AN-M102A1 (tail) Append ix 2
(v) Fuze, bomb, AN-M102A2 (tail)
(vi) Fuze, bomb, Ml 14 (tail)
(vii) Fuze, bcmb, M114A1 (tail) Appen dix 3

A full descr iptio n of thes e fuzing comp onent s is given in S'.P.1661C, Vol. I, Sect. 5. The detail ed
ins truc tion s f or fuzin g a bom b w ith t hese pi stols and fuzes, t oge the r w ith the ins truc tion s fo r loading,
unload ing, and unfuz ing th e fuzed bomb are given in the Appendi ces to thi s Chapte r.

Supply
20. The AN-M59, 1,000 lb. S.A.P. bomb body is suppl ied plugged at bot h the nose and the
tai l w ith t ra ns it plu gs, and f itte d w ith two pro tect ing ring s a roun d th e body to pr ote ct t he suspension
lugs. The sto wage di mensio ns of the bom b bo dy a re 57-3 in. leng th, and 20-25 in. ma ximu m d iam eter
across the prot ecti ng rings. The stowage weigh t of th e body is 992 lb. when filled Ama tol 50/50
and 1,012 lb. when filled cas t T.N.T.
Note.— Some bo mb bodies may be suppl ied fitte d w ith a card boa rd distan ce piece to p ro tec t
th e exte rna l screw thr ead s on the filling plug.
592

21. One fin assem bly is suppli ed packe d in a met al crate . A No. 6 Mk. I arm ing wire guide,
one No. 1 Mk. I sa fety wire, a nd tw o No. 1 Mk. I sa fety clips are r equir ed for use w ith th e fin ass embl y.
These item s ma y eit her be suppl ied wit h th e fin assembly , or as a sep ara te issue. The stowage
dimensio ns of the me tal cra te are 16-^ in. x 16-^ in. x 17 in. It s filled weight is 40 lb. appr ox.
Storage
22. The bomb bodies are classified, for th e purpo se of stora ge, in Group 7, see A.P.2608A,
Chap. 7. The fin assemblies, in the ir crates , may be store d tog eth er wi th th e bomb bodies, bu t
shoul d be stac ked well clear of th e filled stores.

BOMB, S.A.P ., 1,000 lb., AN-M59A1


Comparison with the AN-M5 9 1,000 lb. S.A.P . bomb
23. As sta ted in para . 2, t he AN-M59A1 bomb is simila r to the AN-M59 bomb. Att ent ion is
directe d, theref ore, to para . 1 to 22, as th e info rmat ion given in thes e par agr aph s for th e AN-M59
bom b applies equally" t o th e AN-M59A1, with the exception of the following differences:—
(i) The filling plug is posit ively locked in posi tion at th e rea r end of t he bomb body by two
long stu ds screwed into the under side of the filling plug and “s et" in th e main explosive
filling.
(ii) The M l02 ad ap ter boos ter has a hole drilled thr ough its wall to align with a blind hole
locat ed in the wall of t he filling plu g. The holes are prov ided so t h a t when th e bomb is
to be fuzed wit h a long delay fuze inco rpor ating an anti -rem oval device, the ad ap ter
boost er, into which th e fuze will be locked, ma y itself be locked to the filling plug by a
lock pin inse rted thr oug h the ad apt er boo ster hole to engage with the blind hole in the
filling plug.
594
595

This leaf issued with A. L. No. 106 A.P. 1661B, Vol. I, Sect. 17, Chap. 6
February, 1015
APPE NDIX 1

INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE—U SING THE No. 52 PISTOL

LIS T OF CONTEN TS
Pa ra .
Int ro du cti on ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1
Fuz ing a bom b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 2
Fi tti ng th e fin ass em bly ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 8
Lo adi ng a fuzed bom b ... ... ............... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 9
Un load ing an d unf uzi ng an un exp end ed bom b, and rem ov al of fin ass emb ly ... ... ... 13

Intro duct ion


1. The No. 52 Mk. I or II pistol, when used for th e nose fuzing of eith er the AN-M59 or
AN-M59A1 bomb, is to be used in conj unct ion with a No. 1 Mk. I explod er ada pte r, and eith er a
No. 52 Mk. II or II I deto nato r. A No. 1 Mk. I safe ty wire and tw o No. 1 Mk. I saf ety clips, which
are suppl ied with th e pistol, are also require d.
Note.— The pisto ls and explo der ad ap ter a re fully describe d in Sect. 5 of A.P. 1661C, Vol. I.
Fuzi ng a bomb
2. Before fuzing a bomb with a No. 52 pisto l, exam ine the p ape r disc a t the b ase of th e stri ker
guide. If i t is su spect ed th at t he disc has been pun ctu red by th e stri ker n eedle, th e pisto l mu st not
be used bu t is to be s et aside for A.I. D./A .I.S. inspecti on. Also check t ha t the pistol screw -threa ds
are clear and th a t the lea the r wash er is in position.
3. Unscrew and remove th e nose tr an sit plug from the bomb. Ins pec t th e thr ead s of th e
fuze sea t liner and clean where necessary.
4. Remov e th e No. 46 tra ns it plug from a No. 1 Mk. I ex ploder ad ap ter an d ga uge i ts det onato r
cav ity using a No. 2 Mk. I de ton ato r cav ity ga uge. The e ngrav ed line for 20/40 lb. bom bs is applicable.
Exp lode r a dap ter s w hich fail t o pass thi s t es t are to be s et aside for A.I. D./A .I.S. inspectio n.
5. Ins ert the explo der ad ap ter into th e fuze sea t liner and screw home, using a 1J in. Whit,
spann er, C-spanner, or oth er suit able tool. Ens ure th at the explo der ad ap ter is secure ly locked in
posit ion by its fibre inserts .
6. Fi t t he sm all conical spring, s uppli ed with t he pi stol, over the st em of th e det ona tor so th at
the small end of the sprin g ab uts th e under side of th e de ton ato r head. Then carefu lly ins ert the
de ton ato r int o th e explo der ad ap ter cav ity.
Note.— The conical spri ng m ust always befitt ed, as it ensu res th at th e det onato r is in con tac t
wit h the end of th e stri ker guide when t he pist ol is screwed into th e expl oder ada pter .
7. W ith the pist ol locking nu t screwed forwa rd a few tur ns, screw the pistol, by hand , into
th e explo der ad ap ter un til well seat ed on its washer. Lock the pis tol in posi tion by screwing its
locking nu t har d down on to the to p of the explo der ada pte r.
Fit ting the fin assembly
8. If t he bomb is to be used nose fuzed only, th e fin assem bly is to be att ac he d to t he bom b
body as follows:—
(i) Remo ve the tr an sit wires securing th £ fin lock -nut to th e tai l end of the bomb body.
Unscrew and remove th e fin lock -nut and also th e card boa rd dista nce piece, if fitted.
(ii) Offer up t he fin assemb ly t o th e rea r e nd of t he bomb b ody so th a t the fins are at 45 deg.
to the plane of the suspen sion lugs; th is ensures ease of stowag e of the bomb in Brit ish
aircr aft.
(iii) Secure the fin assem bly in posit ion by rep lacing a nd screwing down th e fin loc k-nut. The
lock -nu t is to be tigh tene d, using a suit able sho rt tom my- bar.
Loading a fuzed bomb
9. Wi th the single suspensio n lug of th e bomb uppe rmos t, load th e fuzed bomb on to its c arrier
in th e norm al mann er, as describ ed in th e Cha pter of A.P. 1664, Vol. I, rele van t t o the carr ier used.
596

10. When the bomb is securely attach ed to its carrier, remove the safety pin from th e pistol
and rotat e th e safety cap ju st sufficiently to bring th e hole in one of the arming vanes into line with
the uppermost lug of the pistol locking nut.
Note.—The safety pin is to be h anded to the pilot or a ir bomber.
11. Inser t the plain end of a No. 1 Mk. I safety wire first through the hole in the lug of the locking
nut and then through the arming vane hole, until the end protrudes approxim ately 3 in., as shown
in fig. 1 of Chap. 6. Slip two No. 1 Mk. I safety clips over the protrudin g end of the safety wire, so
th at the inner clip is in light contac t with the pistol arming vane.
Note.—It is nqt essential th at t he pull-off of t he safety wire should be exa ctly in line with
the bomb suspension lug.
12. Attach th e hook end of a stand ard flexible fuze-setting control link to the loop end of the
safety wire, and t hen insert th e loop end of the link into t he E.M. fuzing unit in the normal manner.
As a “' horizontal ” pull-off of the safety wire is required, the E.M. fuzing un it must not be positioned
vertically above t he nose pistol, but is to be positioned inward towards the bomb suspension lug a
minimum distance of 3 in. measured from the drilled lug on t he pistol locking nut, as shown in fig. 1
of Chap. 6. Preferably, however, the fuzing u nit should be moved inward towards the suspension
lug to the limit permitt ed by the contour of the bomb.
Note.—Depending on the t ype of carrier an d on th e position of the E.M. fuzing unit, two or
more fuze-setting control links, attach ed end to end, ma y be required.
Unloading and unfuz ing an unexpended bomb, and remo val of fin assembly
13. Disconnect the fuze-setting control link from the E.M. fuzing unit and then unload the
bomb from its carrier in the normal manner.
14. Having unloaded th e bomb, remove the two safety clips from the end of the safety wire,
and then withdraw this wire from the pistol.
15. Screw up the safety cap until the stop pins are engaged. With a Mk. I pistol, screw back
the safety cap just sufficiently to bring its two safety pin holes into line with th e slots cut in the top
of the pistol body; then insert the safety pin. With a Mk. I I pistol, the safety cap is to be screwed
up until the stop p ins pr event furth er movement. Then engage th e U-shaped end of the safety pin
with the hole in t he arming vane, which is opposite to the hole in the safety cap. Inse rt the plain
end of t he safety pin into the hole in the safety cap and then slowly unscrew the cap un til this end
of the safety pin drops into the groove in the pistol body.
Note.—If the safety pin does not engage with the groove in the pistol body within one
revolution of the cap, t he cause must be ascertained, for example, the end of the safety pin may
be burred or distorted.
16. Disconnect the fuze-setting control link (or links) from th e sa fety wire, and retur n th e wire
to its box. Should, however, the wire be kinked, bent or otherwise d istorted or damaged, it must
not be used again and is t o be discarded.
17. To unfuze the bomb proceed as follows:—
(i)Slacken back the pistol locking nut.
(ii)Unscrew and remove the pistol by hand.
(iii)Ext rac t the detonator , using an extractor , detonator, No. 2, Mk. I.
(iv) Remove the conical spring from th e detona tor stem, or exploder a dapter, and retur n it to
its linen bag.
(v) Seal the exploder adap ter with its No. 46 tran sit plug.
18. Having unfuzed the bomb, remove the fin assembly as follows:—
(i)Unscrew and remove the fin lock-nut from t he re ar end of the bomb body.
(ii)Detach the fin assembly from the bomb body.
(iii)If originally fitted, replace the cardboard distance piece and then replace the fin lock-nut
on the bomb body and wire it in position to prevent loss.
(iv) Retu rn the fin assembly to its metal crate.
19. Suitably mark t he bomb body, at its nose end, as “ EXPL ODE RED ” and then retur n it to
store, where it should be set aside for use as soon as possible.
597

Th is lea f issu ed with A .L . No. 106 A. P. 166 1B , VoL I, Sec t. 17 , Chap. 6


Febr uary , 1945

AP PE ND IX 2

INSTRUC TIONS FOR USE — USING TH E AN -M 10 2A 1 or AN -M 10 2A 2 FUZ E

LIS T OF CONTEN TS
Pa ra.
In tro du cti on ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1
Fi tti ng th e fin ass emb ly ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 4
Fuz ing a bom b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 9
Lo adi ng a fuzed bom b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 16
Unl oad ing an d unf uzi ng an une xpe nd ed bom b, and rem ova l of fin asse mbl y ... ... ... 18

Intr odu ctio n


1. Bot h the AN-M59 and AN-M59A1 bombs may be fuzed at the tail, using eith er the
AN-MI02A1 or AN-M10 2A2 fuze. The fuzes (which are fully describe d in A.P.1661C, Vol. I, Sect. 5)
are fitte d with a prim er det ona tor of th e M14 series. The prim er det ona tors of th is series are int er­
chang eable and may be used to provi de a non-d elay action , or a dela y of 0-01 sec., 0-025 sec., or 0-1
sec., as require d.
2. The fuzes also inco rpor ate a mecha nical armi ng delay, and hence requ ire cert ain minim um
heigh ts of b omb release to ensure th a t th ey a re fully arme d prio r to imp act wit h the tar ge t. These
minim um heigh ts of release are pro mul gate d to th e Uni ts concer ned thr oug h the norm al channels.
Note.— The AN-M102A1 fuze may, if autho rized , be par tial ly pre-a rmed before take-off.
Partia l pre-arming of the A N-M10 2A 2 fuze is not to be unde rtaken i n any circumstances whatsoever.
3. A No. 6 Mk. I arm ing wire guide, fitt ed to th e box port ion of the sta nd ard America n fin
assem bly AN-M59, a No. 1 Mk, I safe ty wire, and two No. 1 Mk. I safe ty clips are requ ired when
fuzing a bomb wit h eith er of these fuzes.
Note.— The guide, wire, and clips may be suppli ed tog eth er with the fin assemb ly, or as
sep ara te items.
Fit tin g th e fin ass em bly
4. The fin assem bly is to be fitt ed to the bomb body before fuzing is commenced. To fit the
fin assemb ly the proced ure deta iled in the following para. 5 to 8 is t o be adop ted.
5. Remov e the fin assemb ly from its cra te and asce rtai n whe ther or not a No. 6 Mk. I armi ng
wire guide is fitted . If the g uide is n ot fitte d proceed as follows:—
(i) Hook th e t wo halves of th e armi ng wire guide to one of t he fo ur sides of th e box port ion of
th e fin assem bly so t ha t th e bra cke t of t he armi ng w ire guide pro ject s in to t he fin assembly,
as illu stra ted in fig. 1 of Chap. 6.
(ii) Rigidl y secure th e arm ing wire guide to the fin assem bly by tigh teni ng the nu t on the
coupling screw.
6. Remove th e t ra ns it wires secur ing t he fin loc k-nu t to th e t ail end of th e bomb bo dy and th en
unscrew and remove the lock- nut, and also, if fitted , th e card boa rd dista nce piece.
7. Par tia lly unscrew the tai l tra ns it plug from the bomb body.
8. Offer up the fin assem bly t o the r ear end of the bo mb body so that the ar ming wire guide is i n
line with the single su spension bug of the bomb, as show n in fig. 1 of Chap 6. Secure th e fin assemb ly in
thi s positi on with the fin lock- nut, which is t o be tigh tene d, using a sho rt tom my bar.
Fu zin g a bomb
9. Wi th th e’ fin assemb ly fitte d to the bomb body, comp letely unscrew the tai l tr an sit plug
and exami ne the s crew -threa ds of t he M l02 a da pte r boost er. Wher e necessary , clean thes e thre ads ,
using a shor t le ngth of wood st ick. Check th at th e a da pte r bo oster is secure ly po sitione d in t he bo mb
body.
598

10. Remove the fuze from its sealed container, and examine a nd test it as follows:—
(i) Examine the fuze to ascertain th at i t is n ot partia lly or fully armed, as detailed in A.P.
1661C, Vol. I, Sect. 5, Chap. 2.
(ii) Examine the fuze for signs of ex ternal damage, corrosion (appearing as a white deposit),
or trac es of moisture on the armi ng stem cup which houses the reduction gear train.
(iii) Test th e fuze to ensure th at the sta tiona ry gear, in t he reduction gear train, is locked. To
do this grip the top of the fuze (tha t is, the lock-nut and adjusting nut) and, using finger
pressure only, rot ate the arming stem. A movement up to -fe in. is normally possible due
to manufacturing tolerances, b ut should t he arming stem rota te throug h 90 deg. or more
the stati onary gear is not locked and the fuze must be rejected.
Note.—If, when handling a fuze, i t is dropped or accidentally knocked, it must be carefully
examined ex ternally to ensure t ha t no damage has been sustained.
11. Having examined and tested the fuze, change the M14 primer detonator, if necessary,
bearing in mind t ha t the fuzes ar e normally supplied fitted with the 0-025 sec. delay version of this
primer detona tor. To change the p rimer deton ator, unscrew the one supplied in the base of the fuze,
by hand, and then screw in. an M14 primer deton ator giving th e delay selected. Force must not
be used in these operations, and should a primer d etonat or show signs of ext ernal corrosion or other
damage, or should its primer be a loose fit, it must not be used.
Notes.— (i) The primer detonator s have their delay time stamped on their heads. In addition,
the head of the non-delay pri mer detona tor is pa inted White, and th at of the 0-1 sec.
delay black, whilst the 0-01 sec. and 0-025 sec. delay versions have, respectively, a
| and a J sector of the head painted black.
(ii) Long delay primer detonators of the M16 series cannot be used wit h these fuzes.
Warning.—Care must be ta ken when h andling a primer deton ator (or a fuze containing a
primer detonator) as the primer component is partiall y exposed in the to p of the primer det onator
body.
12. Withdraw the split pi n from th e body of th e fuze a nd screw the fuze (less its arming vane)
by hand into the adap ter booster at the rear end of the bomb body.
13. Thread th e plain end of a No. 1 Mk. I safety wire first through t he arming wire guide on the
fin assembly and then through the uppermost pair of a djacen t holes in t he fuze armi ng stem cup
and eyelet strap, as illustr ated in fig. 1 of Chap. 6. These holes need not be exactly in line with the
arming wire guide.
Note.—Should the uppermost pair of holes be occupied by the fuze safety pin, this pin is to
be removed, to allow for insertion of the safety wire, but only after a second safety pin has
first been inse rted th rough the second pair of adjace nt holes in the arming stem cup an d eyelet
strap.
14. After inserting the safety wire, c ut the sealing wire threade d through the safety pin and
remove the pin. Thread t he plain end of the s afety wire thro ugh th e hole in one of th e arm ing vane
blades, a nd at th e same time slip th e arming vane over th e head of the fuze so th at the grooves in
the arming vane assembly engage with th e two locating pins on t he fuze. Lock the arming vane to
the fuze by screwing down the vane nut, hand tight .
Note.—The safet y pin and its sealing wire, to gether with t he split pin (see para. 12), are to
be handed to the pilot or air bomber.
15. Adjust the safety wire to protrude approxima tely 3 in. beyond the fuze arming vane, as
illustrated in fig. 1 of Chap. 6, and then slip two No. 1 Mk. I safety clips over t he end of the wire so
tha t t he inner clip is in light contact with th e arming vane.
Loading a fuzed bomb
16. With the single suspension lug uppermost, load the fuzed bomb on to the carrier in the
normal manner, as described in the Chapter of A.P. 1664, Vok I, relevant to the carrier used.
17. When the bomb is securely attach ed to the carrier, atta ch the hook end of a link, fuze­
setting control, type E.M., flexible, adjustable to the loop end of the safety wire threa ded through
the fuze. Inser t th e loop end of the fuze-setting control link into the E.M. fuzing unit in the normal
manner. As a “horizon tal” pull on the safety wire is required, the E.M. fuzing unit must not be
located vertically above the head of the tai l fuze, bu t is to be moved inward towards t he bomb suspen­
sion lug a minimu m dista nce of 3 in., measured from the arming wire guide on the fin assembly, as
shown in fig. 1 of Chap. 6. Preferably, however, the fuzing un it should be moved inward towards
the bomb suspension lug to the limit perm itted by the contour of th e bomb.
Note.—Depending on the type of carrie r and on th e position of the E.M. fuzing unit, two
or more fuze-setting control links, attach ed end t o end, may be required.
599

This leaf issued with A. L. No. 106 A.P.166 1B, Vol. I, Sect. 17, Chap. 6, A pp . 2
February, 1945

Unloadin g and unfuz ing an unexpended bomb, and removal of fin assembly
Warning.—Before unloa ding an d unfuzing a n unexp ende d bomb, exam ine th e fuze t o make
cert ain t h a t i t is not pa rtia lly or fully armed, as de tailed in A.P.1661B, Vol. I, Sect. 5, Chap. 2.
18. Disconn ect the fuze- settin g contr ol link(s) from the carri er E.M. fuzing uni t and unload
the bomb from the carr ier in the norma l manne r.
19. Afte r unload ing the bomb from its carrier , remove the two safe ty clips from the safe ty
wire, but do not withdraw the wire from the fuze. Unscrew the va ne nu t from the hea d of th e fuze and
remove the arm ing vane.
20. In se rt the s afety pi n t hro ugh th e unoccup ied pai r of adj ace nt holes in th e arm ing stem cu p
and eyelet str ap of the fuze, a nd se cure it in pos ition wit h th e seali ng wire. The n wi thdr aw th e s afety
wire from the fuze and armi ng wire guide. Unhoo k th e fuze -settin g contr ol link(s) from the wire.
Note.—Shou ld the safet y wire be kinked , ben t, or otherw ise dis tort ed or damag ed, it m ust
be discar ded and not used again.
21. Unscrew a nd remove t he fuze, by hand , fro m th e re ar en d of the bom b bod y an d immediately
replace th e split pin thr oug h the body of th e fuze. Re tur n the fuze to its con tain er and seal wit h
adhesiv e tape .
22. Hav ing remo ved the fuze from th e bomb, unscrew the fin lock -nut and remove the fin
assembly . Fi t the card boa rd dista nce piece, if origin ally provide d, rou nd th e thr ead s of t he filling
plug and the n replac e th e fin lo ck-n ut and re-wire to pre ven t loss.
23. Close the rea r end of the bomb body with the tai l tr an sit plug.
600
601

Th ts leaf issued with A. L. No. 106 A .P .1 66 1B , Vol. I, Sect. 17 , Chap. 6


February, 1945

AP PE ND IX 3

INSTRUCTIO NS FOR USE — USIN G TH E M1 14 or BDL14A1 FU ZE

LIST OF CONTEN TS
Pa ra .
In tr o d u ct io n ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1
F it ti n g th e fin as se m bl y ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 3
Fu zi ng a bo m b ... ... ... ... .. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 8
Lo ad in g a fu ze d bo m b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 16
U nl oa di ng an d un fu zi ng an un ex pe nd ed bo m b, an d re m ov al of fin as se m bl y ... ... .. 18

Intr odu ctio n


1. Ei the r th e M114 or M114A1 tai l fuze (which are fully des cribed in A.P.1661C, Vol. I, Sect. 5)
can be used for th e tai l fuzing of bo th th e AN-M59 and AN-M59A1 bombs. These fuzes, which
do no t inco rpor ate a mecha nical dela y in the ir arm ing m echanis m, are fitt ed wit h prim er deto nato rs
of th e M16 series, which prov ide eith er a 4 t o 5 sec., or 8 t o 11 sec. delay.
)!
2. Whe n fuzin g a bomb with eith er of th ese fuzes, a No. 6 Mk. I a rmi ng wir e guide, fitte d t o t he
box p orti on of the sta nd ard Amer ican fin assem bly AN-M59, a No. 1 Mk. I safe ty wire, and two No. 1
Mk. I saf ety clips, are require d.
Note.—The armi ng wire guide, safe ty wire, an d safe ty clips ma y be suppl ied tog eth er witjh
th e fin assembly, or as sepa rate items.
Fit tin g the fin ass emb ly
3. The fin assem bly is to be att ac he d to th e bomb body before fuzing is commence d. The
proce dure to be ado pte d is deta iled in th e following par a. 4 to 7.
4. Remov e t he fin asse mbly from its cra te and a scer tain whe ther o r no t a No. 6 Mk. I armi ng
wire guide is fitte d. Where th e wire guide is not fitte d, proceed as follows:—
(i) Hook the two halves of th e armi ng wire guide to one of the four sides of the box portio ns
of the fin assembl y so th a t th e bra cke t of th e arm ing wire guide proje cts int o th e fin
assembly, as illu stra ted in fig. 1 of Chap. 6.
(ii) Rigidl y secure the armin g wire guide to the fin assem bly by tigh teni ng the nu t on the
coupling screw.
5. Remove the tr an si t wires securin g th e fin lock -nut to the rea r end of t he bomb body , and
the n unscrew and remov e the lock-n ut, and also, if fitted , the card boa rd dista nce piece.
6. Pa rtia lly unscrew the tai l tra ns it plug from th e bomb body . ’1
7. Offer up t he fin assembl y to th e r ear end of th e bomb bo dy, so that the arming wire guide i? ip
line with the single suspens ion lug o f the bomb, as shown in fig. 1 of Chap. 6. Secure th e fin as semb ly in
thi s positio n, using the fin lock-n ut, which is to be tigh tene d, using a suit able tom my ba r.
Fu zin g a bomb
8. Wi th the fin assemb ly fitte d to the Bomb body, comp letely unscrew and remove the tai l
tra ns it plug and exa mine th e screw -threa ds of the M l02 a da pte r bo oster. Clean the se th read s, where
necess ary, and check th at the ad ap ter boos ter is securely positi oned in th e bomb body.
9. Remove the fuze from its sealed cont aine r, and exam ine it for dam age and for corrosion
(appea ring as a white deposit) . Check t h at the fuze is not part iall y or fully arme d, as detai led in
A.P.1661C, Vol. I, Sect. 5, Chap. 3.
10. Carefully unscrew and remove the prim er det ona tor from th e base of the fuze, and the n
tes t th e fuze to ensure t h a t it is n ot par tia lly u ncocked, using a gauge, stri ker d epth , No. 16, Mk. ;I.
To do th is, inse rt th e st em of the gauge into th e base of th e fuz e; the he ad of th e g auge should a bu t
the bas e of th e fuze. If this does not o btain , a nd i t is possible t o "ro ck” the gauge whils t in t he fuze.
C (ALlOli)
602

th e fuze plung er and firing pin are par tia lly uncocke d and the fuze mu st not be used. In such
circum stance s the prim er det ona tor mu st not be screwed back into th e fuze.
Warnin g.— Care mu st always be tak en when hand ling a prim er det ona tor (or a fuze con­
tain ing a prim er deto nato r) as t he p rime r comp onen t is pa rtl y exposed in the t op of th e prim er
det on ato r body.
11. Havin g exam ined a nd gauged th e fuze, fit the prim er det onato r giving the delay requ ired;
thi s may or may n ot be t he one su pplie d i n t he fuze. Force mu st not be used in t hi s opera tion, and
should a prim er det ona tor show signs of exte rnal corrosion or damage , or should its prim er be a
loose fit, it must -not be used.
Notes.— (i) The Ml 14 and M114A1 fuzes are normal ly suppl ied fitte d wit h the S to 11 sec. dela y
version of the M16 or M16A1 prim er deto nato r, as app ropr iate.
(ii) The M16 and M16A1 prim er deto nato rs are identif iable by the ir milled and grooved
heads. The 4 t o 5 sec. and 8 t o 11 sec. delay versions of th ese prim er det ona tors are
distin guish able by the d elay tim es which are mar ked in t wo places on t he h eads. The
delay times are also clearly mark ed on the cylinde rs in which the prim er det ona tors
are packed.
(iii) The M16 p rime r det ona tor may be used with eith er the Ml 14 or M114A1 fuze. The
M16A1 prime r det on ato r is for use only with the M114A1 fuze. Shor t delay prime r
det ona tors of the M14 series can not be used with eith er of the fuzes.
(iv) Should a fuze be dropp ed or accid ental ly knocked at any time, it mu st be carefull y
exam ined exte rna lly to ensure th at no damag e has been sustain ed.
12. Hav ing fitte d th e requ ired prim er deto nato r, remove t he “spec ial i nst ruc tio ns” ta bl et fr om
the fuze a rmin g st em tub e a nd screw th e fuz e (less it s a rming van e), by hand , int o th e rea r end of t he
bom b body.
13. Thr ead the plain end of a No. 1 Mk. I safet y wire first t hro ugh the armin g wire guide on
the fin ass embly and t hen t hro ugh th e upp erm ost pai r of ad jac ent holes in t he st em cup and c ircul ar
pla te of th e fuze, as shown in fig. 1 of Chap. 6. It is not essentia l for th e holes in t he fuze t o be exac tly
in line wi th the armin g wire guide.
Note.— Should the upp erm ost pai r of a dja cen t holes be occupied by the fuz e safet y pin, the
pin is t o be r emoved, to allow inser tion of th e safe ty wire, but only after a sec ond s afet y pin has
first been inse rted t hro ug h the second pair of adj ace nt holes.
14. After inser ting the safe ty wire, cu t the sealing wire thre ade d thro ugh the safe ty pin and
then r emove the pi n. Thr ead th e plain end of th e safet y wire t hro ugh the hol e in one of the arming
vane blades, and at th e same time slip the a rmin g vane over the h ead of t he fuze so th a t the grooves
in the armi ng van e assembl y engage wit h the t wo locati ng pins on the fuze. Lock t he armi ng vane
to t he fuze by screwing down the knur led vane nut , han d tig ht.
15. Adj ust the safet y wire to pro trud e app roxi mat ely 3 in. beyon d the fuze arming vane, as
shown in fig. 1 of Chap. 6, a nd the n slip t wo No. 1 Mk. I safe ty clips over the en d of th e wire so t ha t
the inner clip is in light con tact with th e armi ng vane blade.
Note.—The safe ty pin and its sealing wire are to be han ded to the pilot or air bomber.

Loading a laze d bomb


16. Wi th th e single suspe nsion lug uppe rmos t, load the fuzed bomb on t o it s car rier in the nor mal
manne r, as described in t he Chap ter of A.P.1664, Vol. I, rele van t t o th e carr ier used.
17. When the bom b is securely a tta ch ed to th e ca rrier, at ta ch the hook en d of a link, fuze-s etting
control , typ e E.M., flexible, adju stab le, to the l oop e nd of th e safet y wire thre ade d thr ough th e fuze.
Ins ert the loop end of th e fuze-s etting contr ol link into t he E.M. fuzing un it in the norm al maimer.
As a “ hor izon tal” pull on t he safe ty wire is re quired , th e E.M. fuzing u ni t fhu st not be loca ted vertically
above the head of the ta il fuze, bu t is to be moved in ward towa rds th e bo mb suspe nsion lug'a min imu m
distan ce of 3 in. me asure d from th e arm ing wire guide on th e fin assemb ly, a s shown in fig. 1of Chap. 6.
Prefe rably, however, the fuzing uni t should be moved inwa rd towa rds the bomb suspens ion lug to
the limi t per mi tte d by th e con tour of the bomb.
Note.— Depend ing on th e typ e of ca rrier a nd on th e positi on of th e E.M. fuzing unit, two or
more fuze-s etting contro l links, atta ch ed end to end, may be require d.

Unloading aad unfuzi ng an unexpended bomb, and remova l of fin assembly


Warning.— Before u nload ing and unfuzi ng an u nexp ende d b omb, exami ne the fuze to make
certa in th at it is not pa rtia lly or fully a rmed, as d etaile d in A.P. 1661C, Vol. I, Sect. 5, Chap. 3.
603

This leaf issued with A. L. No. 106 A. P. 16 61 B, V ol .I , Sect. 17, Chap. 6, Ap p. 3


February, 1945

18. D is co nn ec t th e fu ze -s et ti ng co nt ro l lin k fr om th e ca rr ie r E. M . fu zi ng u n it an d un lo ad th e
bo m b fro m th e ca rr ie r in th e no rm al m an ne r.
19. H av in g un lo ad ed th e bo m b fro m it s ca rr ie r, re m ov e th e tw o sa fe ty cli ps fr om th e sa fe ty
wi re, but do not withd raw this wire f rom the fuz e. U ns cr ew th e kn u rl ed va n e n u t fr om th e he ad of
th e fuz e an d re m ov e th e ar m in g va ne .
20. In s e rt th e sa fe ty pi n th ro u g h t h e se co nd p ai r of ad ja c e n t ho les in th e st em cu p a n d ci rc ul ar
p la te of th e fuz e an d se cu re it in po si ti on w ith th e se al in g wir e. T he n w it h d ra w th e sa fe ty w ire
fr om th e fuz e an d ar m in g wi re gu id e. U nh oo k th e fu ze -s et ti ng co nt ro l li nk (or lin ks) fr om th e
sa fe ty wire .
Note .— Sh ou ld th e sa fe ty wi re be ki nk ed , be nt , o r ot he rw is e d is to rt ed or da m ag ed , it m u st
be di sc ar de d an d n o t us ed ag ain .
21. U ns cr ew an d re m ov e th e fuz e, b y h an d, fr om th e re ar en d of th e bo m b bo dy , re tu rn th e
fuz e to it s co nt ai ne r an d re -s ea l th e co nt ai ne r w it h ad he si ve ta pe .
22. H av in g re m ov ed th e fuz e fr om th e bo m b, un sc re w th e fin lo ck -n u t an d re m ov e th e fin
as se m bl y. F it th e ca rd bo ar d d is ta nc e pie ce, if or ig in al ly pr ov id ed , ro un d th e th re a d s of th e filli ng
pl ug , an d th e n re pl ac e th e fin lo ck -n ut on th e re ar en d of th e bo m b bo dy . Re -w ire th e n u t to th e
fill ing p lu g to p re v en t loss .
23. Clos e th e re ar en d of th e bo m b bo dy w ith it s tr a n s it pl ug .
604
605

This leaf issued with A. L. No. 12,1 A.P. 1661 B, Vol. I, Sect. 17, Chap. 6
Augu st, 194!)
APPEN DIX 4

] Ins tru cti on s for use—us ing th e AN-M103A1 fuze FUZE

LIST OF CONTENT S
Para..
In tro du cti on ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1
Fu zin g a bom b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 4
Fi tti ng th e fin ass emb ly ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 11
Lo adi ng a fuzed bom b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 12
Unl oad ing and unf uzi ng an une xpe nde d bomb, and rem ovin g fin asse mbl y ... ... ... IS

Introduction
1. The AN-M103A1 fuze (which is fully described in A.P.1661C, Vol. I, Sect. 5, Chap. 11)
ma y be used for the nose fuzing of eith er the AN-M59 or AN-M59A1 1,000 lb. S.A.P. bomb. As
the fuze is selective, giving eith er an inst anta neo us or 0T sec. del ay action, it may be used t o provi de
a 0T sec. delay action “in sura nce” fuze when a bomb is tai l fuzed with an AN-M102 series fuze
or, when necessar y, as an alte rna tive to the No. 52 nose pistol (with th e explod er ada pte r. No. 1,
Mk. I ) ; the fuze, in thi s instan ce, being set for inst anta neo us action. ’
2. As the fuze incor porat es a mechanic al delay in its armi ng mechan ism, it require s certa in
minimu m heigh ts of bomb release t o ensure t ha t the fuze is fu lly armed prior t o imp act of t he fuzed
bomb with its targ et. These minim um heig hts, of bom b release are prom ulgat ed to the Units
concerne d thro ugh the normal channels.
Note.— Partial pre-arming of the fuze is not to be undertaken in an y. circumstances
whatsoever.
3. One No. 1 Mk. I safe ty wire and two No. 1 Mk. I safet y clips are requi red for use with
the fuze.

Fuzin g a bomb
4. Unscrew and remove the nose tra ns it plug o ft h e bomb and exami ne the fuze sea t liner
and its thre ads . Clean, where necessary, using a shor t leng th of wood stick.
5. Remov e the fuze from its sealed con taine r and check th at the fuze is not par tia lly or fully
armed, as described in A.P.1661C, Vol. I, Sect. 6, Chap. 11. Also exami ne the fuze for signs of
damag e or corrosion (appear ing as a w hite deposit), or for trace s of m oistu re on the vane cup which
houses, th e reduc tion gear train .
6. Cut and remove the sealing wire thre ade d thro ugh the fuze vane and eyelet stra ps, and
vane holder. Ensu re th at the spli t pin is thre aded thro ugh the vane and eyelet str aps and the n
screw the fuze (less its armin g vane), by hand , into the fuze seat liner of the bomb.
Note.— No tools are to be used when screwing home the fuze.
7. Ins ert th e plain end of a No. 1 Mk. I sa fety wire t hro ugh t he adj ace nt holes in t he upperm ost
pai r of vane and eyelet stra ps, th at is, thro ugh the pair of stra ps nea rest in line with the single
suspension lug of the bomb. The end of tire wire should proj ect abo ut 3 in. beyond the str aps .
It is not essential th at the pull-off of the safe ty wire be exa ctly in line with the suspension lug.
Note.— Should the holes in the uppe rmos t pair of stra ps be occupied by the split pin, it
is to b e w ithdr awn, to allow for the i nsertio n of t he safe ty wire, but-only after a second spl it pin
has first been insert ed thro ugh the second pair of holes in the strap s.
8. Slip tw o No. 1 Mk. I safet y clips over the end of th e safe ty wire so t ha t the inner clip is in
ligh t con tac t with the vane strap .
9. Fi t the armi ng vane over the top of the fuze vane holde r so th at its two locatin g pins
engage with t he two holes in t he van e ho lder. Ensu re th at th e spring r ing in t he ar ming v ane sna ps
into the circu lar groove in the top of the vane holder.
606

10. Set the fuze for insta ntan eou s or 0-1 sec. delay action, as required . To do this, pull the
sett ing pin outw ards agai nst the action of its spring and rot ate the pin so t ha t its peg engages with ,
eith er the deep or shallow pai r of slots, as app rop riat e. For instantaneous action the peg is to
engage wit h the shallow slots, and for delay action, with the deep slots. A sum mar y of these
inst ruct ions is stam ped on the fuze aroun d the sett ing pin.
Note.— As supplied, the fuze is norm ally set for delay action.

Fittin g the fin assembly


11. If the b omb is t o be used nose fuzed only, the fin as sembly is t o be att ach ed to the bomb
body as follows:—
(i) Remove the tra ns it wires securing the fin lock -nut to the tail end of the bomb body.
Unscrew and remove - the fin lock -nut and also remov e the card boa rd dista nce piece,
if fitted .
(ii) Offer up t he fin assembl y to the rea r end of th e bom b body so t ha t the fins are at 45 deg.
to the plane of the suspension lugs; thi s ensures ease of sto wage of the bomb on Briti sh
aircr aft. .
(iii) Secure the fin assembl y in positio n by replacin g and screwing c|own the fin lock -nut.
The lock -nut is to be tight ened using a suita ble tom my bar.
Loading a fuzed bomb
12. Wit h the single suspension lug of the bomb upperm ost, load the fuzed bomb on to its
carr ier in t he norma l manne r, as described in th e'C hap ter of A.P. 1664, Vol. I, relev ant to the carr ier
used.
13. When the bomb is securely att ach ed to its carrier , att ac h the hook end of a sta ndard
flexible fuze-s etting control link to the loop end of the safet y wire thre ade d thr oug h the fuze.
Ins ert the loop end of t he fuze-s etting contro l link into the E.M. fuzing uni t in the norma l man ner.
As a “hor izon tal” pull on the safet y wire is require d, the E.M. fuzing uni t mus t not be positioned
vertically above the fuze, bu t is to be moved inward towa rds the bomb suspens ion lug a mini mum
dista nce of 3 in. me asured from t he stra ps on th e fuze, on simil ar lines t o fig. 1 of Chap. 6. Pre fera bly,
however, the fuzing uni t should be moved inw ard towa rds the bomb suspension lug to the limit
perm itted by the cont our of the bomb.
Note.— Dependin g on the typ e of carr ier and on the positi on of the E.M. fuzing unit , two
or more fuze-s etting contro l links, att ach ed end to end, may be required.
14. Finall y, with draw the spli t pin from the vane and eyelet stra ps and han d it to the pilot
or air bomber.
Unloading and unfuzi ng an unexpended bomb, and removing fin assembly
Warning.—Before unloadi ng and unfuzing an unexpe nded bomb, examin e the fuze- t o
make cert ain th at it is no t par tial ly or fully armed, as described in A.P. 1661C, Vol. I, Sect. 51
Chap. 11.
15. To obta in add ition al safet y while unloadi ng a bomb from its carrier , first insert, wherever
possible, t he split pin i nto the second pair of adj ace nt hole's in the fuze v ane and ey elet stra ps. /Then
disconn ect the fuze-set ting contro l link(s) from the E.M. fuzing uni t and unload the bomb from the
carri er in the norma l manner.
16. Hav ing unloade d the bomb from the carrier , disconn ect the fuze-s etting contr ol link(s)
from the safet y wire, but do not .withdraw the wire from the fuz e. Remove the arm ing vane from the
fuze, ensure th at the split pin is securely threa ded thro ugh the vane and eyelet stra ps, and then
unscrew and remove the fuze from the bomb by hand. Seal the nose of t he bomb with its tra nsi t
Plug.
17. Remove the two safet y clips from the safe ty wire and then with draw the wire from the
fuze. Ins pec t the fuze for damage and set it for delay action, as necessary. Re tur n the fuze to
its con tain er and seal wit h adhesiv e tape . Mark the con taine r for "F IR ST ISS UE ”.
Note.— Should the safet y wire be kinked, bent, or otherwis e dist orte d or damage d, it mus t
be discard ed and not used again.
18. Hav ing remo ved the fuze from the bomb, unscrew the fin lock- nut and remove the fin
assembly. Fi t the card boar d distan ce piece, if originall y provid ed, rou nd th e exte rnal scre w
thr ead s of the bomb filling plug, and the n replace the fin lock-n ut. Re*wire the lock- nut to the
filling plug to pre ven t loss.
P8713 M /G2 136 11/45 7900 C&P Gp . 1
607

This leaf issued with A.L . No. 126 A.P.1 661B, Vol. I, Sect. 17
October, 1945

CHAPTER 7

BOMB, INCENDIARY, 500 lb., AN-M 76

LIST OF CONTENTS
Par a.
In tr o d u ct io n ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1
Le ad in g pa rt ic ul ar s ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 5
Ge ne ral de sc rip tio n
Bo m b bo dy ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 6
Fi lli ng ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 9
Ta il u n it ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .. .. 10
P ro te ct iv e ba nd s ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 11
Id en tif ic at io n co lou rin g an d m ar ki ng s. .. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 13
Fu nc tio ni ng ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 14
In st ru ct io ns fo r use ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 16
Su pp ly .............................................................................................................................................................................. 17
St or ag e ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 19

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Ffg.
1. Se cti on th ro ug h AN -M 76 bo mb
2. AN -M 76 bo m b co m pl et e w ith pr ot ec tiv e ba nd s
3. No . 54, Mk. I ta il u nit

LIST OF APPENDICE S
Note.—A list of contents appears at the beginning of each appendix
A P P E N D IX 1— In st ru ct io ns fo r use — usi ng th e AN -M 10 1A 2 (tai l) fuz e
A P P E N D IX 2— In st ru ct io ns fo r use —us ing th e No . 52 pi sto l
A P P E N D IX 3— In st ru ct io ns fo r us e— us in g th e AN -M I0 3A 1 (nose ) fuz e (to be iss ue d later)
608

TAIL LOCKING NUT-


ADAPTE R BOOSTER
HOLDE R
TRANS IT PLUG

BUSH

CENTRAL TUBE
BOMB BODY

BRIT ISH TYPE


AMERICAN SUSPEN SION
TYP E LUG
SUSPENSION
LUGS

GEL. FILL ING

FUSE SEAT
LINER

TRANSIT PLUG

Pig , L —Se ctio n thro ugh AN -M7 6 bomb


609

T hi s le af iss ue d wi th A .L . No . 126 A.P. 1661 B, Vol. I, Sect. 17


October, 1945

CHAPTER 7

BOMB, INCENDIARY, 500 lb., AN-M76


Introduction
1. This is an Americ an bom b hav ing hig h pe net rati ve power an d good ball istics. Whe n release d
from a hei ght of 25,000 ft. it will pe net rate 30 in. of concr ete b ut, for rea sons of s afety, i t mu st not be
released from less th an 300 ft.
2. When the bomb is to b e loaded into B ritish a ircr aft t he Bri tish No. 54 Mk. I tail un it mus t
be used, as the bomb fitte d with its American tail will not fit into a Bri tish 500 lb. bomb stowage.
3. The bomb is t o be nose and tail fuzed. I t is fuzed with eith er Bri tish o r Americ an fuzing
compon ents, as liste d in para . 16. These comp onen ts all requir e the use of the horiz ontal s ystem o f
arming, th at is, on release of a bomb irom its carri er, armi ng is init iate d by the horiz ontal pull-off
of s afety wires thr ead ed thro ugh t he armi ng vane of t he nose or tail fuzing compo nent.
4. The following com ponents , each of whic h is des cribed in A.P. 1661C, Vol. I, Sect. 5, a re also
necessary for use with the bom b:—
(i) W.P . igniter, AN-M5
(ii) M14 bur ster
(iii) Ada pter booster, Ml 15
Leading particulars
5. Len gth of bomb ... 59-2 in.
Diam eter of bomb body 14 in.
Weig ht of filled bomb .......................... 473 lb.
Weig ht of bomb fuzed and tail fitted 530 lb. appr ox.
Term inal velocity (release from 25,000 ft.) ... ... 1,070 ft. per sec. appro x.

Fig. 2.—AN-M76 bomb comp lete with prote ctive bands


General description
Bomb body, fig. 1 and 2
6. The bomb b ody is m ade of ste el and has a cen tral tub e welded to a bus h at t he t ail end of
the bomb and to the. inne r end of an ex plod er conta iner. The explod er co ntain er is weld ed'to the nose
610

and is closed by a tra ns it plug. Insid e the explod er cont aine r is screwed a fuze seat liner. This
liner consists of an alum inium cup 4j in. long, closed at its inner end. In some inst ance s the fuze
seat liner may b e suppl ied sepa rate ly from the b omb, when this is so t hey will be suppl ied as sta ted
in para. 18.

7. At the tail end of the bomb is a removab le ad ap ter boos ter holde r which is screwed into
the b ush. The ad apt er boost er holder is closed by a tra ns it plug and has a tail locking nu t screwed
on to it.

8. The bomb is fitte d wit h twin America n suspension lugs and, diam etric ally opposite
these, wit h a B ritis h typ e suspensio n lug.

Fillin g
9. The incen diary filling is a petr ol gel consistin g of 180 lb. of a mix ture of finely di vided
magnesium , petrol, and IM polym er to form a paste. This fills the whole of the bomb body excep t
the c entr al tu be. When t he bomb is pr epar ed for use a W. P. igni ter and an M14 bu rst er are insert ed
into the cen tral tube .

Tail unit, fig. 3


10. The No. 54 Mk. I tai l unit, which is
supplied sep arate ly from the bomb body, consists
of a tail ring to which a drum typ e cylindri cal
van e is att ach ed by four van e supp orts. Rei n­
forcing plate s ar e ri vete d t o th e vane supp orts to
increase the rigid ity of the ta il unit . An arming
wire guide is secured to one of the reinforcing
plates t o receive a No. 1 Mk. I safe ty wire when
the bomb is fuzed. The No. 1 safe ty wire,
toge ther wit h two No. 1 Mk. I safety clips, is
secured to one of the reinforci ng plate s by
adhesiv e tape .
f
Protective bands, fig. 2
11. Eac h AN-M76 bomb is fitte d with two
prot ecti ve band s to pre ven t damag e during tran sit REINFORCING
and storage . In one form the band s are made of VANE PLATE TAIL RING
compressed pape r consistin g of a ban d app roxi ­
mat ely 1 | in. thic k held in place by a steel clamp Fig . 3.— No. 54, Mk. I tail uni t
secu red by a bolt a nd spli t pin.

12. Alte rnati vely, the ban ds may be made of meta l and each consist s of two semi-circu lar
steel band s p assing roun d t he b ody of the bo mb. They ar e h inge d to geth er on one side by means of
a bolt and split pin and on the oth er side are held tog eth er by a bolt and two nuts.

Identificat ion colouri ng and markings


13. The exte rior of the bomb is pai nte d olive drab, bu t a purpl e ban d 1 in. wide is pain ted
rou nd th e cen tral diam eter of the bomb. Stencille d on th e bomb is the following inf orm ati on :—
Nome nclatu re, lot number , dat e (mon th and year) of m anuf actu re, ma nu fac tur er’s i nitia ls and cubic
capa city. Typica l marki ngs are shown in fig. 2.

Functi oning
14. When the b omb is rele ased "liv e" from an airc raft, the s afe ty wire is with draw n from the
nose pisto l or fuze and /or from the tail fuze by a fuze- settin g contro l link, thu s allowing the fuzing
com ponen ts to become arfned.

15. On im pac t o f the fuzed bomb with its ta rg et the nose pisto l or fuze a nd th e t ail fuze initi ate
the explosive tra in in th e bomb, thu s deto nati ng the M14 burs ter. This rup tur es th e W.P . ignite r
and t he bomb body, sca tter ing t he con ten ts and mixin g th e white phosp horou s with the incen diary
gel filling. The whit e phosp horou s ignites the ince ndia ry gel.
611

This leaf issued with A. L. No. 126 A.P. 1661 B, Vol. I, Sect. 17, Chap. 7
October, 1945
Instruc tions for use
16. The following alte rna tiv e fuzes and pistols are used wit h thi s bom b:—
Tail
(i) Fuze, bomb, AN-M101A2 (tail) (see Appe ndix 1).

Nose
(ii) Pistol, bomb, D.A., No. 52, Mk. I (see Appe ndix 2).
(iii) Fuze, bomb, AN-M103A1 (nose) (see Appe ndix 3).

These fuzing comp onent s are fully describ ed in A.P.1661C, Vol. I, Sect. 5. The detai led inst ruct ion,
for fuzing a bomb with these compo nents, toge ther wit h the ins tru cti ons for loading, unloadi ng
and unfuzing the fuzed bomb, are given in the a ppend ices to thi s chap ter.

Supply
17. The bomb, incendi ary, 500 lb., AN-M76, is su pplied plu gged at th e nose a nd tail, unboxed,
and fitte d with two prot ectiv e band s as described. The weight of the bomb fitte d with ban ds is
appr oxim ately 455 lb. The stora ge dimensions of the bomb fitte d with pro tec tive ban ds are
app roxi mat ely 60 in. x 20 in.
18. If t he fuze sea t li ners ar e sup plied sep arat ely the y are supplied pack ed 145 in a wo oden box.
The stowage dimensions of the box are 24 in. x 15| in. x 12 | in. and its filled we ight is 85 lb.

Storage
19. The AN-M76 incen diar y bomb is classified, fo r s tora ge purpose s, in Group 15, categ ory Y.
20. If the fuze sea t liners are sup plied sepa rate ly the y can be store d in any dry storeho use,
bu t if store d in an explosives storeho use mu st be kep t well aw ay from fuzed stores.
612
613

T his le af iss ue d wi th A .L . No . 126 A.P.1 661B, Vol. I, Sect. 17, Chap. 7


October, 1945

APPE NDIX 1

INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE—USING THE AN-M 101A2 (TAIL) FUZE

LIS T OF CONTEN TS
Para.
In tr od uc ti on .. . ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .. . ... ... ... 1
Re m ov in g th e pr ot ec tiv e ba nd s ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 2
Ex pl od er in g th e bo m b an d fi tti ng th e ta il u n it ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 3
Fu zi ng a bo m b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 4
L oa di ng a fuz ed bo m b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 10
U nl oa di ng an d un fu zi ng a bo m b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 12

LI ST -O F ILL UST RAT IONS


Ex pl od er in g th e bo m b an d fi tti ng th e ta il un it
Ta il fuz ing
Ta il fu zin g co m pl eted

Introduction
1. The A merican fuze AN-M10 1A2 is used for t he t ail fuzin g of the AN -M76 ince ndia ry bomb.
This fuze is desc ribed in A.P. 1661C, Vol. I, Sect. 5. A No. 1 Mk. I safe ty wire and tw o No. 1 Mk. I
safe ty clips are requ ired when fu zing a bomb wit h th is fuze. The wir e and clips are suppl ied w ith t he
tai l unit.

Remo ving the protective hands


2. If th e bomb is fitte d with c ompressed pap er ban ds the y are remov ed by tak ing o ut the sp lit
pins and bolts from the me tal clamps and eas ing th e b and s off the ta il e nd of t he bomb . If, however,
metal band s a re fitted , the y a re remove d by unscrewin g th e nut s fr om t he b olt which ho lds the sem i­
circu lar band s on the bomb.

Explodering the bomb and fitting the tail unit, fig. 1


3. To expl oder th e bomb and fit the t ail u nit, proceed as follows:—
(i) Remove the ad ap ter boos ter holde r compl ete wit h its tr an sit plug and the tai l securing
nut.
(ii) Remov e the tai l securing nu t and the tr an sit plug from the ad ap ter boos ter holder.
(iii) Ins ert a W.P . igniter , AN-M5, into the cen tral tub e of the bomb, thr oug h the opening
in the tail end of the bomb. 5

Note.— The pipe plugs on the ign iter are to be at the tai l end of the bomb.
(iv) Ins ert an M14 bur ste r int o the W.P. ignite r.
(v) Screw t he ad ap ter boost er holde r securely int o the tai l end of the bomb.
(vi) Screw an M1'15 ad ap ter boos ter into the ad ap ter boos ter holder, using a suit able wrench
to obta in a tig ht fit.
(vii) Remove the tra ns it plug from the ad ap ter booste r. Clean the thr ead s of the ada pte r
boost er if necessary.
(▼in) Offer up a No. 54 Mk. I tai l un it to the t ail end of th e bomb so t ha t the ar ming wire guide
on the tai l uni t is in line with the single (Briti sh type) suspensio n lug. Screw the tail
securing nu t on to the ad ap ter b ooste r holder to secure the tai l in position. Tigh ten the
nut , using a suita ble tom my bar.
614

Fig. 1.—Explodering the bomb and fitting the tail unit

Fuzing a bomb, fig. 2 and 3


4. The tai l fuze AN-M101A2 must first be ex amine d and test ed as follows:—
(i) Exam ine the fuze to asce rtain th at it is not par tial ly or fully armed, as described in
A.P.1661C, Vol. I, Sect. 5, Chap. 2.
(ii) Exa min e the fuze for signs of exte rnal damage, corrosion (appea ring as a white deposi t
on the fuze), and for trace s of moist ure on the armin g stem cup housing the redu ction
gear tra in.
(iii) Test the fuze to ensure th at the sta tio na ry gear, in the reduc tion gear tra in is locked.
To do th is, grip t he top of the fuze ( tha t is, the lock- nut a nd a dju stin g n ut) and, using finger
pressure only, rot ate the armi ng stem. A move ment up to in. ,tol era nce is norma lly
possible, bu t should the armin g stem rot ate thro ugh 90 degrees or more the sta tio nar y
gear is not locked and the fuze must not be used.

5. Havin g exami ned and test ed the fuze, unscrew, by hand , th e prim er det onato r from the
base of the fuze (normall y a 0-025 sec. delay M14 prim er det ona tor is su pplied in the fuze). Ins ert
a non-delay M14 pr imer d eton ator . Force must not be used durin g these opera tions, and sho uld the
prime r d eto nat or show signs of ex tern al corrosion or o ther da mage, or shou ld its prim er be a loose fit,
it must not be used.
Note.—The head of the non-del ay prim er det ona tor is pain ted white.
Warnings.— (i) Care mu st be tak en when han dlin g eith er a prime r det onato r or a fuze, as the
prim er comp onent of the prim er det ona tor is par tial ly exposed in the to p of
the prime r det ona tor body.
(ii) Should a fuze be d roppe d or a ccide ntall y stru ck, it mu st be carefu lly exami ned
exte rnal ly to ensure th at no damage has been susta ined.

6. Wit hdr aw the spli t pin from the body of the fuze and the n screw the fuze (less its arming
vane) into the open end of the ad apt er booster.
615

T hi s le af iss ue d wit h A .T . No . 126 A .P .1 66 1B , Vol. I, Sect. 17, Cha p. 7, A p p . ‘1


October, 1945

Fig. 2.—Tail fuzing

7. R em ov e th e No . 1 Mk. I sa fe ty wi re fr om it s st ow ag e on th e ta il u n it an d th re a d th e pla in
en d of th e wi re fir st th ro u g h th e ar m in g wi re gu id e on th e ta il u n it an d th e n th ro u g h th e up pe rm os t
p a ir o f a d ja c e n t ho les i n th e fuz e ar m in g st em cu p an d ey el et s tr a p . T he s af et y wi re ho les in th e f uze
ne ed n ot be ex ac tl y in lin e w it h th e ar m in g wi re gu ide .
No te. — Sh ou ld th e up pe rm o st p a ir of ad ja c e n t ho les be oc cu pi ed by th e fu ze sa fe ty pi n, th is pi n
is to be re m ov ed to all ow fo r in se rt io n of th e sa fe ty wi re, but on ly aft er a se co nd sa fe ty pi n ha s
fi rs t be en in se rt ed th ro u g h th e se co nd p ai r of a d ja c e n t ho les in th e ar m in g st em cu p an d ey el et
st ra p of' th e fuze .
8. H av in g in se rt ed th e sa fe ty wir e, c u t th e se al in g wi re th re ad ed th ro u g h th e sa fe ty pi n an d
th en re m ov e th e pi n. T hr ea d th e pl ai n en d of th e sa fe ty wi re th ro u g h on e of th e ho les in th e ar m in g
va ne bl ad es an d a t th e sa m e ti m e sli p th e ar m in g va ne ov er th e en d of th e fuz e so th a t th e gr oo ve s
in th e ar m in g va ne as se m bl y en ga ge w it h th e tw o lo ca ti ng pi ns on th e fuz e. Lo ck th e ar m in g va ne
to th e fuz e by sc re wi ng do w n th e va ne nu t, h an d ti g h t.
No te. — T he s af et y p in a nd it s se al in g' w ire , to g et h er w ith t h e sp li t pin , see p ar a. 6, ar e su bs eq ue nt ly
to be h a n d ed to th e pi lo t or ai r bo m be r of th e a ir c ra ft on to w hi ch th e bo m b is lo ad ed .
9. A d ju st th e No . 1 sa fe ty wi re to p ro tr u d e ap pr ox im at el y 3 in. be yo nd th e fuz e ar m in g va ne ,
an d th e n a tt a c h tw o No . 1 Mk. I sa fe ty cli ps to th e en d of th e wi re so th a t th e in ne r cli p is in lig ht
c o n ta c t w it h th e ar m in g va ne bl ad e (fig. 3).

Loading a fuzed bomb


10. W it h th e sin gle su sp en sio n lug of th e bo m b up pe rm os t (for B ri ti sh ai rc ra ft ) loa d th e fu ze d
bo m b on t o it s ca rr ie r, in th e no rm al m an ne r, as de sc rib ed in th e ch a p te r of A. P. 1664, Vol . I re le v an t
to th e ty p e of bo m b ca rr ie r use d.
616

AR MIN G WIR E SAFET? WIRE


fi u m F ------------- AN D CLIPS

Fig. 3.—Ta il fuzi ng completed

11. W ith th e bom b sec ure ly at ta ch ed to its ca rri er at ta ch th e hoo k end of an ap pr op ria te
flexible f uz e-s ett ing c ont rol link to th e loop end of t he s af ety w ire thr ea de d th ro ug h th e fuze. In se rt
th e loop end of th e fu ze- set tin g co ntr ol lin k int o th e E.M. fuz ing un it in th e no rm al ma nn er. As a
"h or iz on ta l'’ pull on th e sa fe ty wire is req uir ed, th e E.M. fuz ing un it m us t no t be loc ate d ver tic all y
ab ov e th e tai l fuze, bu t is to be pos itio ned inw ard tow ard s th e bo mb sus pen sio n lug by a min im um
dis tan ce of 3 in ., me asu red fr om t he s af ety w ire guid e on th e ta il un it. Pre fer ab ly, how eve r, th e un it
sho uld be mo ved inw ard tow ard s th e bo mb sus pen sion lug to th e lim it pe rm itt ed by th e co nt ou r of
th e bom b.
Note .— De pen din g on th e ty pe of car rier , on th e len gth of th e bom b, an d on th e po siti on of th e
E.M. fuz ing un it, tw o or mor e fuz e-s ett ing co ntr ol link s, at ta ch ed end to end , ma y be req uir ed.

Unload ing and unfu zing a bomb


Warning.—Befor e un loa din g an d unf uzi ng an un ex pe nd ed bom b, ex am ine th e fuze to ma ke
ce rta in th a t it is no t pa rti al ly or ful ly arm ed , as de tai led in A.P.1 661C , Vol. I, Sec t. 5, Chap . 2.
12. Dis con nec t th e fuz e-s ett ing co ntr ol lin k f rom th e E.M. fuz ing u ni t a nd th en un loa d t he bo mb
from its ca rri er in th e no rm al ma nn er, as des cri bed in th e ch ap te r of A.P . 1664, Vol. I, re le va nt to
th e bom b ca rrie r used.
13. Ha vin g un loa ded th e bo mb fro m its car rie r, rem ove th e tw o sa fe ty clip s fro m th e sa fe ty
wire, but do not withd raw this wire fro m the fuz e. Un scre w th e van e, nu t fro m th e end of th e fuze and
rem ove th e arm ing van e.
14. In se rt t he sa fet y pin t hr ou gh th e sec ond pa ir of ad ja ce nt holes i n th e arm ing s tem c up a nd
eye let st ra p of th e fuze, an d sec ure it in po sit ion wi th its sea ling wire. Th en wi thd raw th e saf ety
wire fro m th e fuze an d ar m in g wire gui de on th e tail .
Note .— Sho uld th e sa fe ty wir e be kin ked , be nt or oth erw ise da ma ge d or dis to rte d, it m us t no t
be used aga in. Suc h a wire is to be dis car ded .
617

This leaf issued with A .L . No. 126 A.P.1661 B, Vol. I, Sect. 17, Chap. 7, Ap p. 1
October, 1945
15. Unscrew the fuze, b y h and, f rom th e r ear end of the bom b bo dy a nd immediately replace the
split pin thr oug h the body of th e fuze a nd splay open the e nds of th e spl it pin. Re tur n the fuze to
its cont aine r a nd seal the c onta iner w ith adhesi ve tape.
16. Unscrew and remov e the ta il secu ring nu t, using a sui tabl e tom my bar to loosen it. Remove
the tai l un it from the bomb.
17. Unscrew and remove the M l 15 ad ap ter boost er, using a suita ble wrench t o loosen it. Seal
the ad ap ter wi th its tra ns it plug. ,
18. Unscrew and remove the ad ap ter boo ster holder and careful ly with draw the M14 bur ster
from the W.P . igniter . Carefully with draw the W.P . igni ter from the cen tral tub e of t he bomb.
19. Seal the ad ap ter boost er hold er with its tail tra ns it plug, and screw the tail securing nu t
on to the holde r to pre ven t its loss. Replac e the ad apt er boos ter holder int o the tail end of the
bomb.
20. Re tur n the fuzing compo nents, and the tai l unit, to the ir app rop ria te storage.
618
619

Th is lea f issu ed with A .L . No. 126 A. P.1 66 1B , Vol . I, Sect . 17, Chap. 7
October, 1945

AP PE ND IX 2

INSTRUC TIONS FOR US E— USIN G TH E No. 52 PISTOL

LIST OF CONTEN TS
Para.
In tr oduct io n ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1
Re m ov in g th e pr ot ec tiv e ba nd s ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 2
Fu zi ng a bo m b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 3
L oa di ng a fuz ed bo m b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 9
Un lo ad in g an d un fu zing a bo m b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 13

LIS T OF ILLU STR ATI ONS


1. No se fu zin g
2. Nos e fu zin g co mp leted

Int rod uct ion


1. The No. 52 Mk. I pistol, when used lor the nose fuzing of the AN-M76 incen diary bomb,
is to be used in conj unct ion with a No. 1 Mk. I explod er ada pter , and e ithe r a No. 52 Mk. II or II I
deto nato r. A No. 1 Mk. I safe ty wire and two No. 1 Mk. I safe ty clips, which are supplie d with th e
pistol, are also required .
Note.—The pisto ls and explod er ad ap ter are describ ed in A.P.1661C, Vol. I, Sect. 5.
Alte rnat ively , the America n fuze AN-MI03A1 (nose fuze) may be used (see App. 3). For ins truc tion s
on explode ring the bomb and fittin g th e tai l uni t, see App. 1, para . 3.

Re mo vin g the pro tect ive hand s


2. If the bomb is fitte d wit h compress ed pap er ban ds th ey are remove d by tak ing ou t the
spli t pins and bolts from the meta l clamp s and easing the band s off the tail end of the bomb. If,
however, meta l band s a re f itted , the y are remove d b y unscrewin g t he nut s from the b olt which holds
the semi-ci rcular band s on the bomb.

FU ZE SEAT EXPL ODER


LINE R AD AP TE R No. 1, Mk. , No. 52 PISTOL

No. 52 DE TO NA TO R

EXP LOD ER ADAPTER


CO NI CA L SPRING TR AN SIT PLUG

NOS E TR AN SIT
PLUG

Fig. 1.—Nose fuzin g


620

Fuzing a bomb, fig. 1


3. Bef ore fuzi ng a bo mb wi th a No. 52 pist ol, exa mi ne th e disc at t he b ase of t he pis tol str ik er
guid e to che ck th a t th is disc ha s no t bee n pie rce d by th e st rik er need le. If it is su spe cte d th a t the
disc h as bee n pu nc tu red , the pi sto l m us t no t be used, b ut is to b e s et asid e for A .I. D. /A .I.S . insp ect ion .
4. Re mo ve th e nose tr an si t plu g an d ens ure th a t a fuze se at lin er is scre wed in to th e nose.
Che ck th e clea nlin ess of th is lin er an d th e th re ad s of th e exp lod er con tai ne r.
5. Re mo ve th e No. 46 t ra nsi t p lug fro m a No. 1 Mk. I exp lod er a da pt er a nd ga uge t he d et on at or
ca vi ty of the exp lod er ad ap te r, usin g a No. 2 Mk. I de to na to r ca vi ty gau ge (Sto res Ref. 12A/349).
Th e en gra ved l ine for 250/5 00 lb. bom bs is a pp lica ble . Ex plo de r a da pt er s wh ich fail to p ass t hi s te st
ar e no t to be used , bu t ar e to be se t asid e for A .I.D ./A .I.S . insp ect ion .
6. In se rt th e ex plo de r ad ap te r in to th e fuze se at lin er an d screw i t hom e, usin g a 1 | in. Wh it,
spa nn er, a C-s pan ner , or ot he r su ita ble tool . En su re th a t th e exp lod er ad ap te r is sec ure ly locke d
in pos itio n.
7. F it th e sma ll coni cal sp rin g (su ppli ed wi th th e pisto l) ov er th e ste m of a No. 52, Mk. II
or I I I de to na to r, so th a t th e sma ll end of th e spr ing ab ut s th e un der sid e of th e de to na to r hea d.
Th en ins er t th e de to na to r in to th e de to na to r ca vi ty of th e exp lod er ad ap ter .
Not e.— The conical spr ing mu st alway s be fi tted , as it ens ure s th a t th e de to na to r is in co nt ac t
wi th th e en d of th e st rik er gui de wh en th e pis tol is scre wed in to th e exp lod er ad ap ter .
8. W ith th e pis tol l ock ing nu t scre wed for wa rd a few t ur ns , scre w th e pist ol, by h an d, in to t he
exp lod er ad ap te r un til it is well se ate d on its was her . Lo ck th e pis tol in po sit ion by scre win g its
lock ing nu t ha rd a ga in st th e en d of th e exp lod er ad ap ter .

Loading a fuzed bomb


9. W ith th e singl e sus pen sio n lug of th e bo mb up pe rm os t (for Br iti sh air cra ft) loa d th e fuse d
bom b on to i ts car rier , in t he n orm al ma nn er, as des cri bed in t he c ha pt er of A .P .1664, V ol. I, re lev an t
to t he ty pe of bo mb c ar rie r used.
10. W ith th e bo mb s ecu rel y a tta ch ed t o its c arr ier , wi th dr aw t he s afe ty pin f rom t he p isto l an d
ro ta te th e sa fe ty c ap j us t suff icie ntly to br ing t he hole in one of th e tw o arm in g va ne bo sses i nt o line
wit h th e hole in th e upp erm ost lug of th e th e pist ol loc kin g nu t.
Not e.— Th e sa fe ty pin is t o be ha nd ed to th e
pil ot or air bo mb er of th e air cr af t on to w hic h
th e bom b is load ed.

11. In se rt th e pla in end of a No. 1 Mk. I


sa fe ty wire firs t t hr ou gh th e hole in th e lug of th e
lock ing nu t an d th en thr ou gh th e arm ing van e
hole un til th e end pr otr ud es ap pr ox im ate ly 3 in.
Slip t wo No. 1 Mk. I sa fe ty clips ove r th e pr o­
tru di ng e nd of th e sa fe ty wire, so th a t th e inn er
clip is in lig ht co nt ac t wi th th e pis tol arm ing
vane , (fig. 2).
Note .— I t is no t ess ent ial th a t th e pull- off of
th e sa fe ty wire sho uld be ex ac tly in l ine wi th
th e bom b sus pen sio n lug.

12. A tta ch th e hoo k end of an ap pr op ria te


flexibl e fuz e-s ett ing co ntr ol link to th e loop end
of th e sa fe ty wire, an d the n ins ert th e loop end of
th e link in to th e E.M. fuzi ng un it in th e no rm al
ma nn er. As a “ ho riz on tal ” pul l on th e sa fet y
wire is req uir ed, th e E.M. fuz ing un it m us t not
be pos itio ned vertically abo ve th e nose pist ol,
bu t m us t be mo ved inw ard tow ard s th e bo mb
sus pen sio n lug by a wiwfwMW dis tan ce of 3 in.,
me asu red from th e dril led lug on th e pis tol lock ing
nu t. Pre fer ab ly, how ever , th e un it sh ou ld be
mov ed inw ard to wa rd s t he bo mb s usp ens ion lug to
th e lim it pe rm itt ed by th e co nt ou r of th e bom b. Fig . 2.— Nose fuz ing comple ted
621

Th is lea f issu ed with A .L . No . 126 A.P .16 61B , Vol. I , Sect. 17, Chap. 7, A p p. 2
October, 1945

Note.— Depen ding on the typ e of c arrier, on the leng th of t he bomb, and on t he positio n of t he
E.M. fuzing unit, two or more fuze -settin g con trol links, att ac he d end to end, may be required.

Unload ing and unfuz ing a bomb


13. Discon nect the fuze -settin g con trol links from the E.M. fuzing unit s and the n unloa d the
bom b from its carr ier in th e norma l mann er, as de scribed in t he cha pte r of A.P. 1664, Vol. I, rele vant
to the bomb carr ier used.
14. Hav ing uploa ded th e bomb, remove the two safe ty clips from the end of the safe ty wire,
and t hen with draw th e wire from the pis tol.
Note.— Should the safe ty wire be kinked , ben t or otherw ise dama ged or dist orte d, it mu st not
be used again. Such a wire is to be discard ed and no t ret urn ed to its box.
15. Screw up the safe ty ca p un til i ts st op p ins a re engage d, the n un screw th e ca p ju st sufficiently
to bring it s safe ty pin holes i nto line w ith the slo ts in the pistol body, and inse rt the sa fety p in.
16. To unfuze the bomb, proceed as follows:—
(i)Slac ken back the pistol locking nut.
- (ii)Unscrew and remove the pistol by hand .
(iii)Ex tra ct the d eton ator , using an Ex tra cto r, deto nato r, No. 2, Mk. I (Stores Ref. 12A/348).
(iv) Remove the conical sprin g from the det ona tor stem, or from the explo der ada pte r, and
ret urn it to its linen bag.
(v) Remov e the explod er ad ap ter from the fuze sea t liner. Screw home the No. 46 tra ns it
plug firmly into the explo der ada pte r.
17. Hay ing remov ed the pistol and the explod er ada pte r, replace the nose tra ns it plug of the
bomb and ret urn the bomb to storag e for use as soon as possible. Re tur n the fuzing comp onent s
to the ir app rop riat e storag e.

/
622
623

This leaf issued with A .L. No. 138 A.P .16 61B , Vol. I, Sect. 17, Chap. 7
January , 1947

APP END IX 3
S
’-I
H INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE USING THE AN-M 103A1 (NOSE) FUZ E
>— C D
I I—I
£I—I 8
S
£ 8 LIST OF CONTENTS
Para .
In tr o d u ct io n ... ... ... ... ... ... • ... 1
R em ov in g th e pro te ct iv e ba nd s ... ... ... ... 5
Fu zi ng a bo m b ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 6
Lo ad in g a fu ze d bo m b ... ... ... ... ... 13
U nl oa di ng an d un fu zi ng a bo m b ... ... ... ... 16

LIST OF ILLUST RATIO NS


SU
Io Fig.
p> < 1. No se fu zing
A 1 2. No se fu zi ng co m pl et ed
o
4- 1 vi ,,

aD.U Intr oduc tion


o < Ph
.9 fim
1. The AN-M103A1 fuze (fully described in A.P.1661C, Vol. I, Sect. 5, Chap. 11) is used for the
P
o
l Ph £
nose fuzing of the AN-M76 incendiary bomb as an a ltern ative to th e No. 52 pistol. The fuze is selective
o
Tj -O Ci bu t must, in th is inst ance, be set for i nstan taneo us action.
aas
<L> <Dc 2. As the fuze incor porates reduc tion gear ing in its ar ming mechanism, i t requires c ertai n m ini­
S °> mum h eights of bomb release to e nsure t ha t t he fuze is fully armed prior to i mpact of the fuzed bom b
o with its targe t. These minimum heights of bomb release are promul gated to the Units concerned
t> c H C thro ugh the normal channels.
M rt .5
Note.—Partial pre-arming of the fu ze is not to be undertaken in any circumstances whatsoever.
co 3. One No. 1, Mk. I safety wire and two No. 1, Mk. I safety clips are required for use wit h the
Ph K
t»T
<—
*>I'
fuze.
■o4J 4. For instruc tions on expl odering the bomb and fitting the tai l unit, see Appe ndix I, para. 3.
00
co
r0
<
pH Rem ovin g the prote ctive bands
6 5. If the bomb is fitted with compressed paper bands they are removed by takin g out the
split pins and bolts from the metal clamps and easing the bands off the tai l end of t he bomb. If,
h4 however, m etal bands are fitted, the y are r emoved by unscrewing th e nuts from th e bolt which holds
< the semi-circular bands on th e bomb.
4>
3 3' Fuz ing a bomb, fig. 1 and 2
6. Remove the nose tr ans it plug of the bomb and ensure tha t a fuze s eat liner is screwed into
the. nose. Check the cleanliness of this li ner and the t hrea ds of the exploder container .
7. Remove the fuze fr om its sealed conta iner and check tha t the fuze is not par tiall y or fully
armed, as described in A.P.1661C, Vol. I, Sect. 5, Chap. 11. Also examine th e fuze for signs of damage
or corrosion (appearing as a white deposit), or for trac es of moisture on the vane cup which houses the
reduc tion gear t rain .
8. Cut and remove the sealing wire threa ded throu gh the fuze vane and eyelet strap s, and
Q vane holder. Ensure th at the split pin is thre ade d throu gh the vane and eyelet straps , and then
W screw th e fuze (less it s arming vane), by hand, into the fuze s eat liner of th e bomb.
H
o-I
H Note.—No tool s are to be used when screwing home the fuze.
9. Inse rt th e pla in end of a No. 1, Mk. I saf ety wire t hroug h the ad jacen t holes in the up perm ost
H pair of vane and eyelet straps , th at is, th roug h t he pair of str aps nearest in line with th e single sus­
tn
W pension lug of th e bomb. The end of th e wire sh ould project abou t 3 in. beyond the strap s. It is
P4 not essential t ha t the pull-off of the safe ty wire be ex actly in line with the suspension lug.
Note.—Should t he holes in the upperm ost pair of s trap s be occupied by the split pin, it is t o be
withdraw n, to allow for the insertio n of a safe ty wire, but only after a second s plit pin has first
been in serted throu gh t he second pa ir of holes in t he straps.
624

A N - M 1 O 3 A I (NO SE ) FUZE

FUZE BODY A R M IN G
VANE

SEA LIN G WIR E

NOSE TR AN SIT PLUG

Fig. 1.—Nose fuzing

10. Sl ip tw o No. 1, Mk . I sa fe ty c lip s ov er t h e 'e n d of th e sa fe ty wi re so th a t th e in ne r cl ip is in


li g h t c o n ta c t w it h th e va ne st ra p.

11. F it t h e a rm in g va ne ov er t h e t o p o f t h e f uz e va ne ho ld er s o th a t it s tw o lo ca ti ng p in s en ga ge
w it h t h e tw o ho les in th e va ne ho ld er . E ns ur e th a t th e sp ri n g ri ng i n th e ar m in g va ne sn ap s in to th e
c ir cu la r gr oo ve in th e to p of th e va ne ho lde r.

12. Se t th e fuz e fo r in st an ta n eo u s ac ti on . To do th is , pu ll th e se tt in g p in o u tw ar ds ag ai n st th e
a c ti o n of its sp ri ng an d ro ta te th e pi n so th a t it s pe g en ga ge s th e sha llow p ai r of sl ot s. A su m m ar y
of th es e in st ru ct io n s is st am p ed on th e fuz e ar ou nd th e se tt in g pin .
N ot e. — As su pp lie d, th e fuz e is no rm al ly s et fo r de la ye d ac ti on , th a t is, w it h t h e pe g en ga gi ng t h e
de ep p ai r of slo ts.

Loading a f uzed bomb


13. W it h th e sin gle su sp en si on lug of
th e bo m b u pp er m os t, lo ad th e fu ze d bo m b on
to it s ca rr ie r in th e no rm al m an ne r, as de s­
cr ib ed in th e c h ap te r of A .P .1664, Vol. I,
re le va nt to th e ca rr ie r use d.
NO,I MK. l
SAFETY WIRE
14. W he n th e bo m b is se cu re ly a tt a c h e d
to its c ar ri er , a tt a c h th e ho ok en d of a st a n d a rd
fle xib le fu ze -s et ti ng c on tr ol lin k to th e lo op en d
of th e sa fe ty wi re th re ad ed th ro u g h th e fuz e.
CUPS
In s e rt th e loo p en d of th e fu ze -s et ti ng co nt ro l
ARMIN G
li nk in to th e E.M . fu zi ng u n it in th e no rm al VANE
m an ne r. As a “ h o ri zo n ta l” pu ll on th e sa fe ty
w ir e is re qu ir ed , th e E .M . fu zi ng u n it m u st not be
po si ti on ed ver tic all y ab ov e th e fuz e, b u t is to be
m ov ed in w ar d to w ar ds th e bo m b su sp en sio n
SAFETY PIN
lu g a m in im u m di st an ce of 3 in . m ea su re d fr om
th e st ra p s on th e fuz e. Pr ef er ab ly , ho we ve r,
th e fu zi ng u n it s ho ul d be mo ve d in w ar d to w ar ds Fig. 2.—Nose fuzing completed
th e bo m b su sp en sio n lu g to th e li m it p er m it te d
b y th e co nt ou r of th e bo m b.

No te. — D ep en di ng on th e ty p e of ca rr ie r an d on th e po si tio n of t h e E.M . fu zi ng un it, tw o or m or e


fu ze -s et ti ng co nt ro l lin ks , a tt ac h ed en d to en d, m ay be re qu ire d.
625

This l eaf issued with A .L . No. 138 A.P.1661 B, Vol. I, Sect. 17, Chap. 7, Ap p. 3
Janu ary, 1947
15. Finall y, with draw the spl it pin from the vane and eyelet stra ps and han d it to the pilot or
air bomb er of th e air cra ft on t o which the bomb is loade d.
Unloadin g and uniu zing a bomb
Warning .— Before unload ing and unfuz ing an unexpe nded bomb, exami ne the fuze to make
cert ain th at it is n ot pa rtia lly or fully armed , as descr ibed in A.P.1661C, Vol. I, Sect. 5, Chap. 11.
16. To obta in add itio nal s afet y while unload ing a bomb from its carrie r, first inser t, whereve r
possible, the spl it pin into the second pai r of ad jac ent holes in th e fuze vane and eyelet stra ps. Then
disco nnect the fuze- settin g cont rol link(s) from the E.M. fuzing uni t and unlo ad the bomb from the
carr ier in the norm al manner .
17. Hav ing unloa ded the bomb from the carrier , disconn ect the fuze -settin g cont rol link(s)
from the safe ty wire, but do not withdraw the wire fro m the fuz e. Remove the armi ng vane from t he
fuze, ensure th at the spl it pin is secure ly thre ade d thr oug h the vane and eyelet stra ps, and the n
unscrew and remove the fuze from the bomb by hand . Seal the nose of the bomb with its tra ns it
plug.
18. Remove the tw o sa fety clips fr om th e safe ty wire and the n w ithd raw the wire from t he fuze.
Exam ine the fuze for damag e and set it for dela y actio n. Re tur n the fuze to its con tain er and seal
wit h a dhesive tap e. Mark th e c onta iner “ FO R FIR ST IS SU E’’, and ret urn th e fuze to its a ppr opr iate
stora ge.
Note.— Should the saf ety wire be kinked , bent, or otherw ise dis tort ed or dama ged, it mus t be
disca rded and not used again.
626
627

Section 19

IMPLEMENTS, AMMUNITION
628
629

Relevant amendments up to A.L . 72 A. P.1 661 B, Vol. I


incorporated in this reprint
Janu ary, 1944

SECTION 19

IMPLE MENT S, AMMUNITION

GEN ERA L CONTENTS LIST

Note.—A detail ed cont ents list appea rs at the beginning of each chap ter.

CHA PTE R 1—Ext ract ors , det ona tor


CHA PTER 2—Gauges, cavit y, det ona tor
CHA PTER 3—Keys (to be issued later}
630
631

CHA PTE R 1

DET ONA TOR EXT RAC TOR S

Introduction
1. Det ona tor ext rac tors are used to rem ove det ona tor s from bombs durin g unfuzing , and in
some instan ces for inser ting det ona tors du rin g fuzing.

2. The following d eto nat or ext ract ors a re at p rese nt in use in the Servi ce:—
(1) Ex tra cto r, det ona tor, No. 1, Mk. I
(2) Ex tra cto r, det ona tor, No. 2, Mk. I
(3) Ex tra cto r, det ona tor, No. 4, Mk. I

EXT RAC TOR, DETO NATO R, No. 1, Mk. I


General description, fig. 1
3. The No. 1, Mk. I det on ato r ex tra cto r is a pai r of sprin g tongs, appr ox. 5 in. long, h avin g the
ends turn ed inwards. It is used for g ripping the h ead of th e No. 28 Det ona tor- bur ster .

Identification markings
4. On the head of the No. 1, Mk. I de ton ato r ex tra cto r is sta mpe d the follow ing:—
(1) E X T r . D ET r .
(2) A/B. No. 1, I

Fig. 1.—The No. 1, Mk. I detonator Fig. 2.—The No. 2, Mk. I detonator
extractor extractor

EXTR ACT OR, DETO NATO R, No. 2, Mk. I .


General description, fig. 2
5. The No. 2, Mk. I det ona tor ex tra cto r is a pair of sp ring tongs, appr ox. 4j in. long, havi ng
the ends tur ned outw ards, to fit into the grooves of all air cra ft bomb det ona tors at pre sen t in use,
with th e except ion of th e No. D.38 deto nato r, for which t he No. 4, Mk. I de ton ato r e xtr ac tor is used,
see par a. 7, an d the No. 28 det ona tor- bur ster , for whichTthe No. 1, Mk. I d eto nat or ex tra cto r is used,
see pa ra. 3.

Identification markings
6. On th e head of th e No. 2, Mk. I d eto nat or ex tra cto r is sta mpe d the followin g:—
(1) E X T r . D E T r .
(2) A/B. No. 2, I
(3) The ma nuf act ure r’s initi als or recognised tra de mark
(4j The mon th and year of m anuf actu re
632

This leaf issued with A. L. No. 139 A. P. 1691B, Vol. I, Sect. 19, Chap. 1
Ap ril , 1947

EX TR AC TO R, DE TO NA TO R, No. 4, Mk. I
General description, fig. 3
7. Th e No. 4, Mk. I de to na to r ex tr ac to r is a pa ir of spr ing t ong s, ap pr ox . 7 in. long, ha vin g the
end s tu rn ed inw ard s and form ed int o a sh ar p knife -edg e. I t is used for gri pp ing the hea d of th e No.
D.38 de to na to r when ins ert ing or ex tra ct in g thi s de to na to r.

Identification markings
8. On t he hea d of the No. 4, Mk. I de to na to r ex tr ac to r is st am pe d th e foll owi ng:—■
(1) E X T r . D E T r .
(2) A/B. No. 4, I
(3) The m an uf ac tu re r's ini tia ls or rec ogn ised tra de ma rk
(4) Th e m on th and ye ar of m an uf ac tur e
633

Th is l ea f issued wi th A .L . No. 140 A.P.1 061B, Vol. I, Seot. 19


M ay , 1947

CHAPTER 2

GAUGES

L IS T O F CO N TE N TS
Pa ra.
In tr od uc ti on 1
Ga uge , ca vi ty , de to na to r, No . 2, Mk . I—
Ge ne ral de sc rip tio n 2
Id en tif ic at io n m ar ki ng s ... 4
Ga ug e, st ri ke r de pt h, No . 16, Mk. I —
Ge ne ral de sc rip tio n 5
Id en tif ic at io n m ar ki ng s ... 7
Ga uge , ca vi ty , de to na to r, No. 17, Mk. I—
Ge ner al de sc rip tio n 8
Id en tif ic at io n m ar ki ng s 9

L IS T O F IL L U S T R A T IO N S
Ft g.
1. Th e No . 2, Mk. I det onat or c av it y ga ug e
2. Th e No . 16, Mk. I st ri ke r d ep th gau ge
3. Th e No. 17, Mk. I det onat or ca vi ty gau ge

nkc I 7 , a v j t y. d et o n a to r, No
ob so le te by A.M .O. (N) 112 9/45 .
be en de cl ar ed
LLTJL28L
634

CHAPTER 2

GAUGES
Introduction
1. Gauges are used durin g the fuzing of bombs, the following being at prese nt in use in the
Service
(1) Gauge, cav ity, deto nato r, No. 2, Mk. I
(2) Gauge, stri ker d epth , No. 16, Mk. I
(3) Gauge, cavi ty, deto nato r, No. 17, Mk. I

Fig. 1—The No. 2, Mk. I deto nat or cavit y gaug e Fig. 2—The No. 16, Mk. I
str ike r depth gaug e

GAUGE, CAVITY, DETON ATOR , No. 2, Mk. I


General description, fig. 1
2. The No. 2, Mk. I det ona tor cav ity gauge is a brass plug gauge, appr ox. 7-8 in. long, and is
used for ensur ing th at the det on ato r ca vit y of any Br itis h bomb is uno bstr ucte d prior to insert ing
the deto nato r. The instr ucti ons for using the gauge are cont aine d in the instr ucti ons for fuzing the
rele van t bombs.

3. The gauge is packed in Case, gauge, Mk. I.

Identif ication markings


4. The following infor mati on is stam ped arou nd the body of the gauge below the knur led
he ad :—
(1) GAUGE, CAVITY, DET r., A/C BOMB, No. 2, Mk. I
(2) The ma nuf act ure r’s i niti als or recognized tra de mark.
(3) The mon th and year of man ufac ture.

GAUGE, ST RI KE R DE PT H, No. 16, Mk. I


General description, fig. 2
5. The No. 16, Mk. I s trik er dep th gauge is a stee l p lug gauge, appro x. 2'45 in. long, a nd is used
to ens ure th at Fuze s, M.112 Al, M.113 Al, M.114, and M.114 A1 are not in the h alf-cocked cond ition
when fuzing a bomb. The inst ruct ions for using t he gauge a re co ntain ed in th e i nstr ucti ons for fuzing
the rele van t bombs.

6. The gauge is packed in Box, B.522, Mk. II.

Identif ication markings


7. The following info rmat ion is stam ped on the head of the gaug e:—
(1) No. 16 — I.
(2) The ma nuf act ure r’s init ials or recognized tra de mark.
(3) The year of m anuf actu re.
635

Thi s leaf issued with A. L. No. 140 A.P.166 1B, Vol. I, Sect. 19, Chap. 2
May, 1947

Fig. 3.—The No. 17, Mk. I detonator cavity gauge

GAU GE, CAV ITY , DE TO NA TO R, No. 17, Mk. I


General description, fig. 3
8. Th e No. 17, Mk. I de to na to r ca vi ty gau ge is used for gau gin g th e de to na to r- bu rs te r ho ld er
of pr ac tic e bom bs an d com pris es a plu g an d a cro ssh ead . Th e plug , ap pr ox im at el y 6 | in. in ov er all
len gth , is a sli ding f it in th e cro sshe ad, whi ch is a bo ut 3 in. in dia me ter . A lo cat ing s crew is pro vid ed
in th e cro ssh ead and eng age s a larg e hole in th e plug , to give a fo re -a nd -a ft mo ve me nt of T0 5 in.
Bri ef in str uc tio ns for use (sho ul de r oe plu g must not pr oj ec t bey on d eace of cr os sh ea d )
are sta m pe d on th e cros she ad. De tai led in str uc tio ns for use are co nt ain ed in th e in str uc tio ns for
fuz ing th e re le va nt bom bs.

Identification markings
9. Th e follo wing inf or m ati on is sta m pe d on th e plug h an d le :—
(1) No. 17, Mk. I.
(2) Th e m an uf ac tu re r’s in iti als or reco gnis ed tr ad e ma rk.
(3) Th e mo nt h an d ye ar of ma nu fac tur e.
636
637

Section 20

EXAM INATI ON OF BOMBS BY UNI T


PERS ONN EL
638
639

Releva nt amendm ents up to A .L . 72 A. P.1 66 1B , Vol. I


incorpora ted in this repri nt
Jan ua ry , 1944

SECTION 20

EXAM INAT ION OF BOMBS BY UNIT PERSO NNEL

GEN ERA L CONTEN TS LIST

Note.—A detai led con tent s list appe ars at the beginni ng of each chap ter.

CHA PTE R 1—General notes on the exa min ation of bombs and explosives package s by Unit
Personnel
CHA PTE R 2—Rout ine exam inati on of fuzed H.E. bombs
640
641

Issu ed with A .L. No. 2 A.P.1 661B , Vol. I , Sect. 20


Februa ry, 1942
Releva nt amend ments up to A. L. 12
incorporated in this repr int
Jan ua ry , 1944

CHA PTE R 1

Gen eral note s on the exa mi nat ion of bomb s and explosiv es pac kag es by Un it Per son nel

CONTENTS
Pa ra.
In tr oduct io n ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1
H .E . bo m bs
Fr eq ue nc y of ex am in at io n ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 3
Ta il un its ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ■■■ ... ... ' ••• 6
Le gi bi lit y of m ar ki ng s ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... • ... 7
P ai nti ng ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 8
E xudat io n of ex plo siv e fi ll in gs ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 10
Ce nt ra l tu be s or ex pl od er ca vi tie s ... ... ... ... ... ... ................ ... 19
Pi sto ls, plu gs, an d ta il uni ts ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 21
Pr ac tic e bo m bs fille d w it h ti ta n iu m te tr ac hl or id e
E xa m in at io n fo r le ak ag e ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 23
Ex pl os iv es pa ck ag es
Ge ne ral ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 25
Se ali ng of pa ck ag es w ith ta p e ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 27
D em an ds fo r lab els ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 32
Affi xing lab els ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ■■ ... 33
Ne w lab els ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 34
Pa ck ag es w ith da m ag ed or mi ssi ng se ali ng lab els ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 35
642

CHAPTER 1

General notes on the exam inatio n of bombs and explosives packages by Unit Personnel
Introduction
1. The exa min ation described in thi s cha pte r is to be made by Uni t personnel, unde r th e
supervis ion of the Arm ame nt Officer, W arr an t Officer, Flig ht Sergea nt or Sergean t fitte r armo urer
or armou rer, at Roya l Air Force Sta tion s oth er tha n Mainten ance Units.
2. On receip t, all unboxed bombs are to be exami ned for damag e in tra nsi t. Boxed bombs,
the packages con taini ng which are damag ed, are also to be examin ed.

H.E . BOMBS
Frequency of examinati on
3. Bombs in store, excep t those menti oned in para . 4, requir e no exam inati on oth er tha n the
ann ual A.I.D, inspecti on, unless t her e is re ason to suspe ct th at t hey are damage d, rust y, or exuding.
4. Bombs of 1917 to 1918 m anuf actu re, whe ther the y are loose or in crates , are to be ex amined
by the Arm ame nt Officer, 25 pe r cent, being exami ned each qu art er of th e year. This exam inati on
is n ot to be made in the storehou se, bu t in the open or in a sep arat e buildin g or te nt provid ed for
the purpose.
5. Bombs which, eithe r on recei pt or subse quen tly, are found to be defective or damage d
to such an ex ten t as to imp air the ir servic eabil ity are to be regard ed as “unc lassified” , an d are to be
segrega ted for inspec tion by th e A.I.D. Insp ecto r of Explosi ves at his nex t visit. If, however, the
num ber found to be defective reduces the servicea ble stock below the minim um estab lishm ent,
appl icati on is to be m ade for a special inspect ion by the A.I.D. Inspec tor.

Tail units
6. All tail uni ts ar e to be exa mined on re ceipt and, if found to be dam aged then , or subseq uentl y,
they are to be repair ed at once. Durin g repair, care is t o be tak en to pre ven t fur the r damage . If
the repa ir is beyond the capa city of the Unit, the y are to be set aside unti l the nex t inspe ction by
the A.I.D. Inspe ctor. If, however, the numb er found to be defectiv e reduces the num ber of
serviceable bombs below the minim um esta blish men t, appl icati on is to be made for a special
inspec tion by the A.I.D. Inspe ctor.

Legibility Of markings
7. All bombs are to be exami ned periodica lly for the legibility of the ir markin gs. If the
marking s are becoming illegible, the y are to be re-stencilled . If the marki ngs are illegible, and
the store can not be identified, it is to be set aside for the att en tio n of the A.I.D. Insp ecto r at his
nex t visit.
Warning.— The use of lead-free pai nt is esse ntial when stencillin g stores filled with picric type
explosives, for exampl e, bomb, H E ., airc raft , A.P., 2,000 lb., filled with shellite.

Painting
8. When defective pain t, or rust, is found, the damage is to be repai red at once. A note
should be made of all markings , and the surface of the bomb is to be cleaned as necessar y wit h an
oily rag, using oil, linseed, boiled (Stores Ref. 12F/9), which is a lead-free oil. Two coats of pai nt
are to be applied, the first being white, and the second green. The bomb is the n to be re-marke d
as necessary. At the conclusion of each period of w&rk, all rags, pain ts, pai nt brushes, etc., are
to be removed from the explosives storehouse.
Warning.—The use of lead-free pain ts, oils, etc., is essent ial when applied to stores filled with
picric typ e explosives, for e xample, shellite,, The y may, if av ailable , be used on stores havi ng othe r
type s of filling.
9. The following is a list of pain ts which are to be used for the mark ing and pai ntin g of
bombs. No. (i) to (vi) are lead-free pain ts, and these pa ints only must be used on bombs filled with
picric type explosives. No. (vii) to (xii) are non-lead-free pai nts and are for use on all bombs not
filled with picric typ e explosives; they mu st not be used on bombs filled with picric type explosives.
Pa int s No. (i) to (vi) mus t be used on all bombs if the corres ponding non-lead-f ree pain ts are not
availab le.
643

A .P .1 66 1B , Vol. I, Sect. 20, Chap. 1

Lead-free pai nts Non-lead-fre e pai nts

Nomenclat ure Stores Ref. Nomenclat ure Stores R ef.


(i) Paint, black, No. 1 12F/10 (vii) Paint, black 12F/109
(ii) Paint, bright red 12F/11 (viii) Paint, red, No. 1 12F/72
(iii) Paint, green, No. 1 12F/13 (ix) Paint, green, No. 5 12F/69
(iv) Paint, white, No. 1 12F/14 (x) Paint, white, No. 2 12F/76
(v) Paint, yellow, No. 1 12F/15 (xi) Paint, yellow ... 12F/110
(vi) Paint, green, No. 6 12F/102 (xii) Paint, green, No. 6 12F/111

Exudatio n of explosive fillings


10. Some bombs, filled w ith T.N.T. or a mato l, are liable t o exude an oily su bsta nce on ex posure
to elevat ed tem pera tures . This oily su bstanc e, which is brown and viscous, may be found on the
ext erio r of bombs, or in the cen tral tubes or explode r cavit ies. The cleaning of exudin g bombs
is to be done unde r "cl ean ” conditi ons, and unde r the supe rvisio n of a qualified officer.

11. If exu dati on is found on the exter ior of a bomb, it is to be carefull y wiped away, using
a cloth damp ed with warm wat er; if ne cessary a wooden scrape r may also be used. As exud ation
ma y cause an explosion if sub jecte d to friction , any found arou nd the nose or tai l plugs, or pistols,
is to be removed before any at te m pt is m ade to remove the plugs or pistols.

12. Afte r any exud ation aroun d the nose and tail plugs, or pistols, has been removed, the
plugs or pistols are to be carefull y removed, and the cen tral tub e or explod er cav ity examine d.
The app rop riat e keys only are to be used to remove the plugs, or pistols , and no undue force is to
be applied, eith er by hamm ering or ex tra leverage. Any exu dati on in the cen tral tub e or exploder
cav ity is to be removed in a man ner similar to th at described in para . 11. The screw -threa ds are
also to be cleaned with a mop dampe d with warm water.

13. If the plugs or pist ols can not be removed wit hou t u ndue force, th e bomb is to be considered
as "unclas sified” and tre ate d as sta ted in para. 5.
14. Filling plugs are not to be removed excep t unde r the superv ision of a n A.I.D. inspecto r.

15. There is an oth er form of e xuda tion which is due to the d eliquescence of am moniu m nitr ate
in the presence of moistu re. This exu datio n take s the form of a yellowish liquid, and its action
on the brass porti ons of a pistol may resu lt in the form ation of blue cry stals which are very sens itive
to blows or friction.
16. If such crysta ls, or any forma tions of blue, white, purple, or green salt s are observed
in the cen tral tub es or explode r cavities, no att em pt at cleaning is to be made, bu t the store is to
be placed ap ar t from serviceable stores and an appli catio n made for a special inspec tion by the
A.I.D. inspecto r.
17. In the absence of a ny such cryst als or salts, the second typ e of e xud atio n may be cleaned
awa y in a man ner simi lar to th at described in para . 11, bu t see, however, para . 19. Owing to the
good p rote ction f rom dam p afforded by the pres ent meth od of sealing bombs afte r filling, this second
form of ex uda tion is n ot likely to occur in bombs of rece nt manu factu re.

18. Bombs which have exuded are to be exami ned every thre e mont hs, and are to be brou ght
to the notice of the .A.I.D. Insp ecto r at his nex t visit.

Central tubes or exploder cavities


19. The cen tral tube s of most bombs filled since April, 1934, are varnis hed inte rna lly; such
tub es are not to be lubri cate d but are to be wiped out with a dr y cloth.
20 The cen tral tube s of bombs othe r th an those covered by para. 19 are to be cleaned with
a dam p cloth and lubri cated with a light film of jelly, mine ral (Stores Ref. 12F/6) all excess jelly
being wiped away.
644

Pisto ls, plugs, and tail units


21. Before pistols or plugs are replaced in bombs, the following actio n mus t be ta ke n: —
(i) The screw -threa ds are to be cleaned.
(ii) The washers on p istols and, where used, o n pl ugs, are to be ex amined , and if unservi ceable,
are to be renewed. The app rop riat e washer s are as follows:—
Nomenclature Stores Ref.
Washers, lea th er :—
T5 in. ext. dia., T01 in. int. di a....................... ... ... 12F/20
T6 in. ext. dia., 1-32 in. int. dia. ... ... ... ... 12F/21
(iii) The thr ead s of pistols or plugs with leath er washers are to be covered with luting , th in,
Mk. V (Stores Ref. 12F/41), excep t th at the thre e thre ads near er the head of the pisto l
or plug, must be left clean, the No. 16 pistol is a n exceptio n, see (iv). A f illet of lutin g,
thick, Mk. IV (Stores Ref. 12F/8), is to be place d un der the flange of plugs wit hou t washe rs.
Pistols havi ng washers, must not be insert ed with out them .
(iv) All thr ead s of the No. 16 pisto l are to be covered with thi n luting .
(v) After the pistols or plugs have been securely screwed into the bomb, any excess luting
mus t be wiped off.
22. Tail pistols and the beari ng of t he a rmin g vane spindle of the tai l uni t are to be e xami ned
for th e presence of miner al jelly or vaseline; where this is found, it should be thor ough ly cleaned
off. The only lub rica nt to be used on tail pistols or the armi ng spindles of tai l uni ts is oil, an ti­
freezing, Type A (Stores Ref. 34A/43 or 46). This oil should be applied sparingly .

PRAC TICE BOMBS FIL LE D WI TH TITA NIUM TET RA CH LOR IDE


Exami nation for leakag e
23. There is litt le risk of leakage of tit an ium te trac hlo ride from a pro perly filled a nd servicea ble
pract ice bomb, but l eakage may occur du e t o a f aul ty plug or was her, a flaw in the m etal, or d ama ge
done to th e bomb body. The presence of a leak is shown by the form ation of smoke at the leak,
or by brown discolou ration in the vici nity of the leak. A leaking bomb is to be disposed of, as it
may in time cause damage to oth er bombs.
24. Pract ice bombs in store are to be exami ned at least once a mon th by an A rmam ent Officer
or W arr an t Officer, leaking bombs being repo rted to the A.I.D. Insp ecto r if the num ber affected
is large; otherwise a leaking bomb should be disposed of. Durin g thi s exam inati on, it should be
asce rtain ed th at the oldest bombs are being used first.

EXP LOS IVE S PACKAGES


General
25. Before any att em pt is made to repa ir explosives packages , all the con tent s are to be
removed . Unless special means are provided , lids of wooden boxes are to be secured with screws.
26. No att em pt is to be made to apply hea t to, or to solder, package s cont ainin g explosives,
excep t und er the dire ct supervisi on of the A.I.D. Inspe ctor.

Sealing of packages with tape


27. Small tin pla te packag es conta ining explosive stores are usually issued herme tically sealed
by a stri p of tin ned sheet metal, soldered round the junc tion of the lid and body. If these strips
are damag ed or broken, allowing a ir to pen etr ate t o the conte nts, the y are to be com pletely re moved
and the package re-sealed by a linen tap e band secured in positi on with shellac cement.
28. The shellac ceme nt used for this purpos e is prep ared by dissolving powdered gum shellac
in me thy late d spir it, indu stri al (Stores Ref. 33C/209), in the*pr opor tion of 1 lb. of shellac to 1 pt.
of spi rit. It is necessary to b oil th e spi rit for a bou t one hour before the shellac comple tely dissolves,
and this shou ld be d one in a wate r bat h, unde r s tric t precau tions , owing to th e inflam mabi lity of the
spirit .
29. The tap e used shoul d be a linen tape, wide enoug h to make a good join t, and long enough
to p rovide an overla p of 2 in. It should be im preg nate d w ith s hellac ce ment and, when i t has become
tack y, is to be wr apped tig htl y round the j oin t, the loose end being turn ed back to form a | in. loop.
When in position , the ban d should be g iven a coat of shellac cement . The loop is to be pain ted red
when sealing yellow or black cylinde rs or boxes, or black when sealing red packages.
30. Some packages are issued with tap e bands in place of t he shee t met al st ri ps ; if such ta pe
bands are loose o r damage d, the y are to be renewed as described in para. 27 to 29.
645

A.P .166 1B, Vol. I, Sect. 20, Chap. 1


31. Some explosives are issued in wooden boxes havin g an inne r lining of t inp late , this lining
being closed by a t inp late lid, the edges of which fit i nto a groove formed in t he lining. This groove
is filled w ith thick luting , thu s makin g t he lining air-t ight . If the lid is removed, the lutin g is to be
examine d and, if it is h ard or cracked , it is t o be s craped away and a fillet of th ick lutin g placed in
the groove. The lid is the n to be pressed down and more lutin g applied to the groove to fill it
completely.

Demands for labels


32. When the labels, oth er th an sealing labels, of packages con taini ng explosives are found
to be damage d or missing, new labels are to be affixed. Labels are supplied in bulk from No. 2
Mainte nance Unit, a nd dema nds are to st ate th e l ette r, number , and descri ption of the labels r equired.
This inform ation can normal ly be obta ined from the old labels.

Affixing labels
33. Labels, bo th inte rior and exterio r, are to be fixed to explosives package s with shellac
varni sh applied with a suita ble brush. The shellac varn ish should be freshly made, by dissolving
| lb. of powdered gum shellac in 1 pt. of met hyl ated spirit , ind ustr ial (Stores Ref. 33C/209). It is
necessary to boil the spir it for a time before the shellac complete ly dissolves, and this should be
done in a wat er bat h, under str ict preca utions , owing to the inflam mabi lity of the spirit . As an
alte rna tive , the following adhesive may be used. Mix j gall, of met hyl ated spirit , minerali zed
(Stores Ref. 33C/211), an d 4 lb. of po wdered gum, copal, manilla, soft, in a galvaniz ed con tain er and
sti r well, remo ving any scum. Place the con tain er in boiling wate r a nd allow th e cont ents t o simmer
for hal f-an-ho ur, again removin g th e scum. Allow to cool for 12 hrs. and the n pour the m ixtu re into
conta iners and rende r the cont ainer s air-t ight . This will make app roxi mate ly 6 lb. of adhesive.

New labels
34. Before fixing new labels, oth er tha n sealing or pack ing labels, grea t care is to be take n
to tran sfer to the new labels all the infor mati on th at is necessary to iden tify the cont ents of the
packages as to qu ant ity , descri ption, etc. If the prin ted label requires ame ndm ent in this respect,
it is t o be amend ed in ink, which should be allowed to become quit e dry before the label is affixed
with varnish. .

Packag es with damaged or missin g sealin g labels


35. All packages conta ining explosives are to be sealed with sta tion monogra m labels, and
in addi tion packages th at have been inspect ed will bear an Inspe ction De par tm ent sealing label.
If these labels are found to be damage d or missing, the package is to be opened. If the re is a
herm etica lly sealed liner to the package, and it is found to be int act , the lid of t he packa ge is t o be
replaced , secured, and sealed, but oth erwise the c ont ents of t he packag e are to be exa mined to ensure
th at the y agree in qu an tit y and descrip tion with the infor mati on given on the descrip tive labels
or with stencillin g on the outside of the package. This labelling or stencillin g is to be amended
as necessary, the lining made air-t ight , and the lid of the packag e replaced, secured, and sealed.
The sealing label used will be L.600, the app rop riat e sta tio n monogra m being mark ed on the label.
646
647

Iss ued with A .L . No. 23 A.P.1661B, Vol. I, Sect. 20


Ju ly , 1942
Relev ant amen dmen ts up to A .L . 12
incorporated in this repr int
Jan ua ry , 1944

CHAPTER 2
Rout ine examin ation of fuzed H.E. bombs

L IS T O F C O N T E N T S
Pa ra.
In tr o d u ct io n ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1
Fr eq ue nc y of ex am in at io n ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 4
R ou tin e e x am in at io n s. .. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 5
E xa m in at io n of bo m b bo di es an d ta ils ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 6
E xa m in at io n of pi st ol s ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 7
E xp os ed life of fuz es an d d e to n a to rs .. . ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 9
E xa m in at io n of d et onat ors an d ex plo de rs ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 10
E xa m in at io n of fuz es ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 11
648

CHAPTER 2

Routine examin ation of fuzed H.E. bombs


Introduction
1. Bombs, H.E ., held rea dy for use in the fuzed condi tion, whet her in storage, or in positio n
on airc raft , are to be examine d periodi cally as described in this chap ter. The exa min ation is to be
und erta ken in a fuzed bomb area or in a fuzing poin t. Bombs on air cra ft are to be removed for
exam inati on, and only one bomb is t o be unde r exa min ation at one time.
2. The objec t of t he exam inati on is to ensure th at the comp onen ts of th e fuzed bomb are in a
serviceable condi tion, and th at dete rior atio n due to exposure has not occurred. The removable
compo nents are to be wit hdra wn for exa min atio n and the exposed port ions of the cen tral tube,
det ona tor holder, or explode r cont aine r exami ned for the presence of moistu re. Force mus t not
be used when ext rac tin g a deto nato r, and the correct tools mu st always be used. If a det ona tor
can not readil y be e xtra cted , the bomb is to be set aside for A .I.D. inspection.
3. If it is considered th at the filling of a bomb, or a built- in paper-c ased explod er is affected
by moist ure the bomb is to be s et aside for A.I.D. inspecti on.

Frequency of examina tion


4. Subje ct to inst ruct ions from a highe r aut hor ity , the Comman ding Officer of a Stat ion is
responsible for deciding the freque ncy of exam inati on, tak ing into accou nt the climat ic condition s,
the situ atio n of the bombs, and all oth er rele van t factors. The following inter vals for par ticu lar
condit ions are not to be exce ede d:—
Ma xim um interval
Situatio n of bombs between
examinations
(i) Loade d on flying bo ats wi th ex tern al bo mb stowage, or on float pla nes; or 1 week
on any airc raft with inte rna l or exte rna l bomb stowage, oper ating in
trop ical climates.
(ii) Loaded on flying boa ts with inte rna l bomb stowage, or on land planes 2 weeks
With int ern al or e xter nal bomb stowag e no t ope ratin g in tro pica l climates.
(iii) Stacke d in the open on bat ten s or unde r tarp auli ns, or stored unde r 2 mont hs
per man ent cover.

Routine examina tions


5. The following oper ation s are specified for general guidance in the exam inati on of fuzed
bomb s; they are not to be regarde d as absolvin g personne l from the respon sibil ity of maki ng such
add itio nal exam inati ons as circum stances may war ran t. These opera tions are addi tion al to any
insp ectio nal w ork called f or by oth er in stru ctio ns in A.P. 1243, A.P. 1245, or the A.P. 1661 series, and do
no t affect th e ro utin e ex amin ation of stored explosives desc ribed in A.P.16 61B, Vol. I, Sect. 20, Ch ap.l.

Exami nation of bomb bodies and tails


6. Exa min e the bomb body generall y for damage and corrosion, and remove any rus t th at
may h ave formed on t he susp ension lug. Exam ine the t ail u nit for d istor tion , and the a rming va ne,
where appli cable, for freedom of rotat ion . Exam ine t he par achu te, where fitt ed, for dampness , mildew,
or othe r d ete rio rat ion ; if affected th e para chu te is t o be ret urn ed to the ap pro pria te m aint enan ce unit.

Exam inati on of pistols


7. Pisto ls are to be exami ned as follows:—
(i) Exam ine the a rmin g vane or armi ng fork for d amage, and for f reedom of ro tati on. If t he
vane is secured by screws, ensure th at the y have not become loose. If the y are loose
the undersid es of th e heads are to be c oated with cement , R.D., No. 1 (Stores Ref. 12F/1),
and the screws replaced and screwed firmly in position . If R.D. ceme nt is n ot available,
varni sh, shellac (Stores Ref. 33A/511, 512, or 513) is to be used.
(ii) Ensu re t ha t t he st rike r is not ben t or corroded . Corrosion m ay be removed from the strik er
by t he appl icati on of oil, lub ricat ing, anti-free zing, Type A (Stores Ref. 34A/43, 46, or 141).
(iii) Check the efficient func tioni ng of any springs.
(iv) Clean th e pistol, remove any corrosion, and coat the scre w-thr eads of the b ody with luting,
thi n, Mk. V (Stores Ref. 12F/41).
649

A.P. 1661B, Vol. I, Sect. 20, Chap. 2


8. If a pistol shows signs of de terio ratio n, which migh t impa ir its efficiency and which can not
be rectifie d by th e Unit, i t is to be se t aside for A .I.D. inspect ion, and a service able p istol sub stit uted .

Exposed life of fu zes and detonators


9. All fuzes and deto nato rs are to be tre ate d as follows:—
(i) All fuzes and deto nato rs, excep t deto nato rs, No. 35, Mk. II, are to be remove d afte r two
mon ths in bombs, and new i tems inser ted. Deto nato rs, No. 35, Mk. II , will no t be f itted
to bombs unti l a ctua lly require d, bu t if fitte d they ar e to be renewed afte r tw o weeks.
(ii) Fuzes removed from bombs aft er two mont hs are to be ret urn ed to the app rop riat e
Mainte nance Unit, mark ed “E xpose d—For re-filling” .
(iii) Det onat ors removed from bombs afte r two mont hs, or two weeks, will be dealt with as
describe d in A. P. 1245, Chap. 3, Sect. XIX , para . 15 (vii).
(iv) Fuzes, No. 32, fitte d to bombs carrie d exte rnal ly on flying boa ts or float planes, are to be
remove d a nd exami ned as des cribed in p ara. 12, if the airc raft ha ve been ta xie d over se a so
rough as to cause the noses of bombs to be pa rtly submerged.

Exam inati on of detonators and exploders


10. Exam ine these compo nents for signs of de terio ratio n, and for the presence of mo isture. If
det ona tors a nd exploders a re corroded, the y are to be se t as ide for A .I.D. inspecti on. No a tte m pt is
to be made to remove corrosion from these component s.

Exam inati on of fu zes


11. All type s of bomb fuzes are to be exami ned as follows:—
(i) Exam ine the armin g vane for damage, and ensure th at the securing screws, if fitted , are
not loose. If the screws are loose, the y are to be tre ate d as described in para . 7 (i).
(ii) Ensu re th at the sprin g safe ty clip is a good fit.
(iii) Clean the outsi de of the fuze body and the exte rnal screw-th reads, and remove any
corrosion prese nt. Coat the screw -threa ds with thi n luting.
12. No. 32, Mk. II* o r II I fuzes which are s uspecte d of hav ing been submerge d, or hav ing become
arm ed by reason of t he absence or the displa cemen t of the safe ty clip, are to be fur the r examine d,
und er the supervisi on of an Arm amen t Officer, as follows:—
(i) Hold the fuze nose upwards, remove the plug located between the fuze sett ing c over, and
inspe ct the shu tter . The shu tte r should be app roxi mate ly half-way along the sh utt er
chambe r. If the sh utt er has moved towa rds the plug, the fuze is to be tre ate d as highly
dangero us. It is t o be kep t nose-up, hand led with gre at care, and demolished as soon as
possible. If the shu tte r is positio ned correct ly, inspec t the sh utt er cham ber for the
presence of corrosion or mo isture. No a tte mp t is to be mad e to remove corrosion from this
par t, and if corrosion has occurred, or if moist ure is prese nt, the fuze is to be set aside
for A.I.D. inspectio n.
(ii) Remove the p lug opposite t o t ha t referred to in para . 12 (i), and inspe ct the sp ring and i ts
housing for the presence of corrosion or moistu re. No att em pt is to be made to remove
corrosion from this par t, and if corrosion has occurred, or if moist ure is p rese nt, the fuze
is to be set aside for A.I.D. inspec tion.
(iii) Coat the thre ads of th e two plugs with R.D., No. 1 ceme nt or shellac varnis h, and replace
them .
(iv) Replace the fuze in the bomb, apply ing thi n luti ng to the thr ead s above and below the
securing ring.
(v) Apply thi n luti ng to the thr ead s of the ballistic cap.
(vi) Ensu re t ha t th e b allistic cap is co rrectl y filled with luting , t hick , Mk. I V (Stores Ref. 12F/8),
addi ng more lutin g if necessar y. Replace the cap, wipe off a ny surpl us luting, and ensure
th at the luti ng does n ot en ter t he clearan ce betw een th e fuze body and the arm ing va ne hub.
(vii) Exam ine t he r ubb er covers of No. 32 fuzes for signs of wear, di stor tion , or dete riora tion , a nd
imme diatel y renew any defective cover.
650
651

This l eaf issued with A. L. No. 139 A.P. 1661 B, Vol. I, Sect. 19
Apr il, 1947

K
H ■<»
cz> O;
I—I
z
2 CHAPTER 1
K
i—i
DETONATOR EXTRACTORS

LIST OF CONTENTS
Pa ra.
In tr oduct io n ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1
E x tr a ct o r, de to nat or, No. 1, Mk. I—
Ge ne ra l de sc rip tio n ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 3
Id en tif ic at io n m ar ki ng s ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 4
E x tr a ct o r, de to na to r, No. 2, Mk. I—
Ge ne ral de sc rip tio n ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 5
Id en tif ic at io n m ar ki ng s ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 6
E x tr ac to r, de to na to r, No. 4, Mk. I—
Ge ne ral de sc rip tio n ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 7
Id en tif ic at io n m ar ki ng s ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 8

o +j
G-Z
k
> 03

M ° L> LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS


£ Fig.
.5
4if-> CD
) < 1. Th e No. 1, Mk. I det onat or ex tr ac to r
'*<u s
< 2. Th e No. 2, Mk. I det o n at o r ex tr ac to r
3. Th e No. 4, Mk. I det o n at o r ex tr ac to r

o
Z
i-j
< c
03
! E o
.53 T3
4=
E-i n3 O

o
w
H
G
5H
t/5
w

A RM AM EN T
652

You might also like