Imperial Japanese Army Explosives
Type 92 15kg High-Explosive Bomb
Fuzes: A-2(b) or A-2(d)
Overall Length: 25 and 1/2 inches
Length of body: 14 and 1/2 inches
Diameter of body: 3 and 7/8 inches
Thickness of wall: 1/2 inch
Material of wall: Steel Rings (26)
Type of suspension: Vertical and Horizontal
Suspension lug: Normal Army suspension lug. Rectangular hinged steel lug on a plate riveted to the body with four rivets. A similar steel hinged lug is fastened to the end of the tail fins.
Color and markings: Black overall with a red band around the nose and a white band and yellow band forward of the suspension lug. (White band may be missing)
Length of tail: 11 inches
Width of tail: 5 and 1/2 inches
Width of tail fins: 2 and 3/4 inches
Dimensions of tail struts:
-Length: 3 and 3/4 inches
-Width: 5/16 inch
-Thickness: 1/16 inch
-Material: 1/16 inch sheet steel
Type of filling: 3 pre-cast blocks of picric acid. TNT is an alternative filling.
Weight of filling: 9lbs 9oz
Total weight of bomb: 33 pounds
Charge/weight ratio: 30%
Construction of body: A cast-steel nose is threaded onto a tubular steel body. Twenty-six steel rings 3/8 inch wide and 3/8 inch thick are fitted around the body. One ring to which the suspension lug is attached is 1 and 3/8 inches wide and 3/8 inch thick. A tail cone is screwed onto the after end of the tubular body.
Construction of tail: Four angular fins are welded to the tail cone and braced by a single set of box-type struts. A suspension lug is secured to the after end of the fins.
Type 99 30kg High-Explosive Bomb
Fuzes: A-2(a), A-2(c); B-1(a), B-1(b); D-5(a)
Overall length: 33 and 1/4 inches
Length of body: 19 and 3/4 inches
Diameter of body: 5 and 7/8 inches
Thickness of wall: 9/32 inch
Material of wall: Tubular Steel
Type of suspension: Horizontal
Suspension lug: Normal army suspension lug
Color and marking: Black overall with a red band around the nose and a yellow band and white band around the body forward of the suspension lug.
Length of tail: 13 and 1/2 inches
Width of tail: 8 and 1/4 inches
Width of tail fins: 3 and 1/4 inches
Dimensions of tail struts:
-Length: 5 and 3/4 inches
-Width: 1 inch
-Thickness: 1/16 inch
-Material: Sheet steel
Type of filling: 3 pre-formed blocks
-Cyclonite: 48%
-TNT: 52%
Weight of filling: 25lbs 12oz
Total weight of bomb: 66 lbs
Charge/weight ratio: 39%
Construction of body: A cast-steel nosepiece is screwed into a tubular steel body. A tail cone is welded to the after end of the steel body.
Construction of tail: Four tail fins are spot welded to the cone, and are braced by a single set of box-type struts.
Remarks: This bomb has been found with sheet steel plates welded to the outer edges of the fins to form a box-like reinforcement for the tail fins. They cover the area from the after end of the fins to a point just forward of the curve in the fins. This is an anti-shipping adaptation using the A-8(a) and B-8(a) fuzes.
Documents report that an anti-penetration device is used on the tail of the Type 99 30kg bomb for minimum altitude bombing.
Type 94 50kg, Type 94 and Type 3 100kg High-Explosive Bombs
Fuzes: A-2(a), A-2(b), A-2(c); B-1(a), B-1(b); D-5(a)
50kg
Overall length: 41 inches
Length of body: 24 and 1/2 inches
Diameter of body: 7 inches
Thickness of wall: 1/4 inch
100kg
Overall length: 53 inches
Length of body: 31 and 1/4 inches
Diameter of body: 9 and 1/2 inches
Thickness of wall: 13/32 inch
Material of wall: Tubular steel
Type of suspension: Horizontal
Suspension lug: Normal Army suspension lug
Color and markings: Black overall with a red band around the nose and a white band and yellow band around the body just forward of the suspension lug.
50kg
Length of tail: 16 and 5/8 inches
Width of tail: 9 and 1/2 inches
Width of tail fins: 3 and 1/2 inches
Dimensions of tail struts: 6 and 7/8 x 1 and 9/16 x 3/32 inches
Material of tail: Sheet steel
Type of filling: 3 blocks of picric acid
Weight of filling: 44 lbs
Total weigh tof bomb: 110 lbs
Charge/weight ratio: 40%
100kg
Length of tail: 21 and 3/4 inches
Width of tail: 13 and 1/4 inches
Width of tail fins: 5 and 7/16 inches
Dimensions of tail struts:
-Forward Struts: 9 and 7/16 x 1 and 3/16 x 3/32 inches
-After Struts: 9 and 7/16 x 1 and 9/16 x 3/32 inches
Material of tail: Sheet steel
Type of filling:
-Type 94: 4 blocks of picric acid
-Type 3: 5 blocks of picric acid
Weight of filling: 97lbs 12oz
Total weigh tof bomb: 220 lbs
Charge/weight ratio: 42.5%
Construction of body:
Type 94, 50kg and 100kg: A cast-steel nose is screwed into a tubular steel body. A tail cone is welded to the after end of the body.
Type 3, 100kg: A cast steel nosepiece is welded to a tubular-steel body. A tail cone is welded to a collar which is screwed into the after end of the body.
Construction of tail: Four tail fins are spot welded to the tail cone and are braced by box type struts. The 50kg bomb has a single set of struts. The 100kg bomb has two sets of struts.
Remarks: The Type 94 100kg bomb may vary in its explosive filling:
Variations include: (1) Picric Acid - 78%; TNT - 22% in 4 pre-formed blocks.
(2) Ammonium nitrate - 78%; RDX - 22% cast into the bomb.
Type 94 Modified and Type 1 50kg and 100kg High-Explosive Bombs
Fuzes:
-Type 94 Modified: C-3(a), B-1(a), B-1(b)
-Type 1: C-3(a), E-1(a)
50kg
Overall length: 40 inches
Length of body: 23 and 1/4 inches
Diameter of body: 7 and 1/8 inches
Thickness of wall: 9/32 inch
100kg
Overall length: 52 inches
Length of body: 30 and 1/4 inches
Diameter of body: 9 and 1/2 inches
Thickness of wall: 13/32 inch
Material of wall: Tubular Steel
Type of suspension: Horizontal
Suspension lug: Normal Army type suspension lug
Color and markings: Black overall and a red band around the nose. One yellow and one white band are forward of the suspension lug.
50kg
Length of tail: 16 and 5/8 inches
Width of tail: 9 and 3/4 inches
Width of tail fins: 3 and 5/16 inches
Dimensions of tail struts: 6 and 7/8 x 1 and 9/16 x 3/32 inches
Material of tail: Sheet steel
Type of filling: 3 blocks of picric acid
Weight of filling: 44 lbs
Total weight of bomb: 110 lbs
Charge/weight ratio: 40%
100kg
Length of tail: 21 and 3/4 inches
Width of tail: 13 and 3/8 inches
Width of tail fins: 5 and 1/8 inches
Dimensions of tail struts:
-Forward: 9 and 7/16 x 1 and 3/16 x 3/32 inches
-After: 9 and 7/16 inches x 1 and 9/16 x 3/32 inches
Material of tail: Sheet steel
Type of filling: 4 blocks of picric acid
Weight of filling: 103 lbs
Total weight of bomb: 237 lbs
Charge/weight ratio: 43.6%
Construction of body: A cast-steel nosepiece is screwed into a tubular-steel body. The orifice in the nose measures 3 inches in diameter. A tail cone is welded to the after end of the body. A fuze adapter is welded onto the apex of the cone.
-Type 94 Modified: The tail fuze pocket is completely threaded
-Type 1: The tail fuze pocket has three threads and then an annular groove.
Construction of tail: Four fins are welded to the tail cone and braced by box-type struts, a single set for 50kg bombs and a double set for 100kg bombs. A tail brake is fitted to the after end of the tail of the bombs.
Type 1 250kg High-Explosive Bomb
Fuzes: C-3(a), E-1(a)
Overall length: 75 and 1/4 inches
Length of body: 45 and 1/4 inches
Diameter of body: 11 and 3/4 inches
Thickness of wall: 1/4 inch
Material of wall: Tubular steel
Type of suspension: Horizontal
Suspension lug: Normal Army type
Color and markings: Black overall. One yellow and one white band (7/8 inch) forward of the suspension lug, 1 inch red band on tip of nose.
Length of tail: 30 inches
Width of tail: 16 and 1/2 inches
Width of tail fins: 8 and 1/4 inches
Dimensions of tail struts:
-Length: 11 inches
-Width: 7/8 inch
-Thickness: 1/16 inch
-Material: Steel
Type of filling: Preformed, paper-wrapped, paraffin sealed picric acid blocks
Weight of filling: 227 lbs
Total weight of bomb: 550 lbs
Charge/weight ratio: 43%
Construction of body: A cast-steel nosepiece is screwed into a tubular-steel body. The tail cone is welded to the after end of the body. The nosepiece has a 3-inch orifice to accommodate the C-3(a) time fuze.
Construction of tail: Four fins are welded to the tail cone and braced by two sets of box-type struts. A fuze adapter is welded at the apex of the tail cone. The tail fuze pocket has three threads and then an annular groove.
Type 92 250kg and 500kg High-Explosive Bombs
Fuzes: A-4(a), B-4(a)
250kg
Overall length: 76 inches
Length of body: 46 inches
Diameter of body: 11 and 3/4 inches
Thickness of wall: 1/4 inch
500kg
Overall length: 99 and 3/4 inches
Length of body: 57 and 1/2 inches
Diameter of body: 15 inches
Thickness of wall: 9/16 inch
Material of wall: Tubular Steel
Type of suspension: Horizontal
Suspension lug: Normal Army type suspension lug
Color
and markings: Black overall with a red tipped nose. One
yellow and one white band forward of the suspension lug.
250kg
Length of tail: 30 inches
Width of tail: 16 and 1/2 inches
Width of tail fins: 8 and 1/4 inches
Dimensions of tail struts: 11 x 7/8 x 1/16 inches
Material of tail: Steel
Type of filling: Preformed blocks of picric acid
Weight of filling: 230 lbs
Total weight of bomb: 550 lbs
Charge/weight ratio: 43%
500kg
Length of tail: 43 and 1/4 inches
Width of tail: 20 and 3/4 inches
Width of tail fins: 10 and 3/8 inches
Dimensions of tail struts: 11 x 7/8 x 1/16 inches
Material of tail: Steel
Type of filling: Preformed blocks of picric acid
Weight of filling: 491 lbs
Total weight of bomb: 1100 lbs
Charge/weight ratio: 46.4%
Construction
of body: A cast-steel nosepiece is threaded into a tubular-steel body.
A tail cone is
welded to the after end of the body.
Construction
of tail: Four fins are welded to the tail cone and braced by two sets of box-type
struts. The tail fins of the 500kg are similar to the Navy bombs in that they are angled on the outer edge, as compared to the characteristic curve on the fins of Army 30kg to 250kg high-explosive bombs.
Next Time: Skipping and thermite bombs
I am looking for images of the two part screwed together, Japanese terra-cotta plague bombs
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, the only images I have are the ones posted in this entry or in this blog.
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