Monday 18 January 2016

Imperial Japanese Army Explosives - Bombs (Part 3)




Imperial Japanese Army Explosives





Type 97 50kg Incendiary Bomb


 
Fuzes: A-2(a) or A-2(b)
Overall Length: 45 inches
Length of body: 1/2 inch  (My book does not include the first number)
Diameter of body: 7 and 1/2 inches
Thickness of wall: 3/16 inch
Material of wall: Steel
 
Type of suspension: Horizontal
Suspension lug: Normal Army type suspension lug.
 
Color and markings: Gray overall.  A yellow and a white band are stenciled just forward of the suspension lug.  There is a red band around the nose.
 
Length of tail: 18 and 1/2 inches
Width of tail: 9 and 3/16 inches
 
Dimensions of tail struts:
-Length: 6 and 3/4 inches
-Diameter: 5/16 inch
Material: Sheet steel
  
 Type of filling: 400-450 rubber bungs (1 inch long by 1 inch diameter) impregnated with phosphorus dissolved in carbon disulphide.  The high-explosive charge in the nose and central burster tube is picric acid.
 
Weight of filling:
-Incendiary Filling: 37 pounds
-Picric Acid: 5.5 pounds
Total weight of bomb: 110 pounds
Charge/weight ratio: 39%
 
Construction of body: A steel nosepiece is held by three grub screws to a steel sealing plate.  The plate is welded to a tubular-steel body by a continuous circumferential weld.  A burster tube threads into the sealing plate and the joint is made airtight by a lead washer.   A tail cone is welded to the after end of the body.
 
Construction of tail:  Four steel fins are welded to the tail cone and are braced by two sets of tubular struts.
 
Remarks:  This bomb case was originally designed to contain gas.



 
 
 
 
 
Type 100 50kg Incendiary Bomb
  
    
Fuzes: A-2(a), A-2(b), or A-2(c)
Overall Length: 40 and 1/2 inches
Length of body: 23 and 3/4 inche
Diameter of body: 7 inches
Thickness of wall: 1/8 inch
Material of wall: Steel
 
Type of suspension: Horizontal
Suspension lug: Normal Army type.
 
Color and markings: Gray overall with a white band forward of the suspension lug and a red band around the nose.
 
Length of tail: 16 and 3/4 inches
Width of tail: 9 and 3/4 inches
Width of tail fins: 4 and 1/2 inches
 
Dimensions of tail struts:
-Length: 5 and 5/16 inches
-Width: 1 and 1/2 inches
-Thickness: 1/16 inch
Material: Steel
  
 Type of filling: 400-450 rubber bungs (1 inch long by 1 inch diameter) impregnated with phosphorus dissolved in carbon disulphide.  The high-explosive charge in the nose and central burster tube is picric acid.
 
Weight of filling:
-Incendiary Filling: 35 pounds
-Picric Acid: 5 pounds
Total weight of bomb: 97 pounds
Charge/weight ratio: 44%
 
Construction of body: A steel nosepiece is held by three grub screws to a steel sealing plate.  The plate is welded to a tubular-steel body by a continuous circumferential weld.  A burster tube threads into the sealing plate and the joint is made airtight by a lead washer.   A tail cone is welded to the after end of the body.
 
Construction of tail:  Four steel fins are welded to the tail cone and are braced by single set of tubular struts.
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
Type 100 50kg Smoke Bomb

 
Fuzes: A-2(a) or A-2(b)
Overall Length: 45 inches
Length of body: 23 and 3/4 inches
Diameter of body: 7 and 1/2 inches
Thickness of wall: 3/16 inch
Material of wall: Steel
 
Type of suspension: Horizontal
Suspension lug: Normal Army type suspension lug.
 
Color and markings: Grey overall with a red band around nose. "50K" and the smoke symbol "ケ" are stenciled in white on the bode.
 
Length of tail: 16 and 3/4 inches
Width of tail: 9 and 3/4 inches
 
Dimensions of tail struts:
-Length: 5 and 5/16 inches
-Width: 1 and 1/2 inches
-Thickness: 1/16 inch
Material: Sheet steel
  
 Type of filling: FS Smoke analyzed to be -
-Chloro-sulfonic acid: 41%
-Sulphur trioxide: 54%
-Sulphuric acid: 5%
 
Weight of filling:
-Chemical filling: 35 pounds
-High-explosive filling: 6 pounds
Total weight of bomb: 117 pounds
Charge/weight ratio: 48%
 
Construction of body: A steel nosepiece is held by three screws to a steel sealing plate.  The nosepiece houses a charge of picric acid.  The sealing plate is welded to a tubular-steel body by a continuous circumferential weld.  A burster tube containing picric acid threads into the sealing plate.  A tail cone is welded to the after end of the body.
 
Construction of tail:  Four steel fins are welded to the tail cone and are braced by a single row of box-type struts.
 
 
 
 
 
 
Type 92 50kg Gas Bomb
   
   

Fuzes: A-2(a), A-2(b), or A-2(c)
Overall Length: 45 inches
Length of body: 26 and 1/2 inches
Diameter of body: 7 and 1/2 inches
Thickness of wall: 3/16 inch
Material of wall: Steel
 
Type of suspension: Horizontal
Suspension lug: Normal Army type suspension lug attached to a carrying band.
 
Color and markings: Grey overall with a red-tipped nose and a blue band aft of the red band.  There is a yellow band and white band forward of the suspension lug and a yellow band aft of the suspension lug.
 
Length of tail: 18 and 1/2 inches
Width of tail: 9 and 3/16 inches
Width of tail fins: 4 and 7/8 inches
 
Dimensions of tail struts:
-Length: 6 and 3/4 inches
-Diameter: 5/16 inch
Material: Sheet steel
  
 Type of filling: 50/50 Lewisite/Mustard Gas mixture.
 
Weight of filling: 50 pounds
Total weight of bomb: 110 pounds
Charge/weight ratio: 46%
 
Construction of body: A steel nosepiece is held by three screws to the bomb body.  The nose contains a picric acid burster charge.  A tail cone is welded to the after end of the body; the body and tail cavity is filled with liquid gas.  A central burster charge container is threaded into the forward end of the body.  It houses a firing pin, detonator, booster and a picric acid burster charge.
 
Construction of tail:  Four steel fins are welded to the tail cone and are braced by two sets of tubular struts.
 

 
 
 
 
Type 90 Small Model Parachute Flare
 
  
 
Overall Length of container: 26 and 1/4 inches
Diameter of container: 2 and 7/8 inches
Overall length of flare body: 14 inches
Diameter of flare body: 2 and 7/16 inches
Material of wall: Sheet steel
 
Type of suspension: Thrown by hand from plane.
 
Color and markings: Container is blue overall.  Flare body is a natural steel color
 

 Type of filling: A black powder ignition charge and a main filling of an illuminating composition of barium chlorate (75.2%) and gum (24.8%).
 
Weight of filling: 4 pounds
Total weight of flare: 8 pounds (approx.)
 
Description: Each flare is packed in a blue-tinned steel container which is opened by a tear off strip.  Housed within the container is a split cardboard cylinder closed at one end with a cap and hinged at the other end.  The cylinder contains a parachute and flare unit.  The flare unit consists of a pull igniter, delay train, ignition charge, and illuminating composition in a sheet-steel tube.  The pull ignite wire is attached to the parachute shrouds.

The flare proper houses a pull-type igniter which is activated by the initial jerk at the opening of the parachute.  The striker is spring loaded.  Two arms pivoted on the striker release grip the eye on the end of the striker.  The flare body is formed from varnished sheet steel rolled and soldered into the form of a cylinder.  The case of the flare (furthest from the parachute) is serrated and the teeth crimped over the perforated disk.  Two fiber washers and a steel cap held on by tape protect the network of powder strips.  The end of the central tube passes through a hole in the center of the perforated disk and is crimped over it. 
 
An aluminum casting fits into the central tube and guides some of the powder strips in the disk through grooves in its face over the strips within the ignition tube.  At the top of the flare is a wooden spacer drilled centrally to accommodate the central tube.  A steel closing disk rests on the spacer and is soldered to the end of the central tube.  The case is crimped over this disk.  A conical cap with a hole in the apex to accommodate the pull wire is fastened to the case and spacer with three wood screws.

The main filling extends from the wooden spacer down to the ignition charge and is pressed into the flare case.  Several coils of copper wire around the central tube prevent the filling from falling out of the base when the flare is burning in the air.  The ignition charge is packed unevenly below the main filling.
 
Operation:  The tear strip is removed and the cardboard cylinder slipped out.  The cap is removed from the cylinder, binding tapes untied and the flare is dropped from the plane.  The resultant tug from the opening of the parachute pulls the igniter wire.  The striker hits the cap which ignites the delay train which fires the ignition charge which in turn ignites the illuminating composition.  Several coils of copper wire in the illuminant prevent the filling from falling out of the base while the flare is burning in the air.

 
Remarks:  The flare burns for 2 minutes and 40 seconds with an intense greenish-white flame.
 
 
 
 
 
  
Type 1 12kg Parachute Flare
  

 
 Fuzes: D-5(a)
Overall Length: 37 inches
Length of body: 37 inches
Diameter of body: 4 and 3/16 inches
Thickness of wall: 1/16 inches
Material of wall: Sheet steel
 
Type of suspension: Horizontal
Suspension lug: Normal Army type suspension lug
 
Color and markings: Black overall

Length of tail: 11 and 3/4 inches
Width of tail: 6 and 1/16 inches

Dimensions of tail struts: None
Material of tail: Steel
 
 Type of filling: Illuminant
-Barium Nitrate: 77%
-Aluminum: 8.8%
-Magnesium: 4.4%
-Sulphur: 2.2%
-Paraffin: 4.5%
 
Weight of filling: 15 pounds
Total weight of flare: 27 pounds
Charge/Weight ratio: 57%
 
Description: The cylindrical external case of sheet steel construction is closed at one end by a conical nose piece and at the after end by a wooden conical nose piece and at the after end by a wooden disk.  The nose, threaded to receive a fuze, is filled by a wooden block.  A black powder ignition charge is just aft of the block.  The central body houses a parachute and a candle unit.  The silk parachute is surrounded by a split cylindrical fiber housing.  The shrouds are attached to a 1/8 inch wire roped 53 inches long which is attached to the candle unit.

The illuminant is contained in a sheet-steel cylinder, open at the forward end and closed at the after end by a steel plate.  The open forward end rests on the black powder charge in the nose.  While carried in the plane a safety wire is passed through two eyelets at the tail end of the external case, preventing the parachute from coming out until the flare has been released from the plane.
 
 
Operation:  When the fuze initiates explosion on the black powder charge, the resultant flash ignites the illuminant.  The expanding gases cause both the parachute and the illuminant container to be expelled out the rear of the flare case.  The parachute housing falls away allowing the parachute to be opened.

 
Remarks:  The illuminant burns for 1 and 1/2 to 3 minutes with a greenish-white flame.



 
Type 3 Parachute Flare
    
  
Fuzes: D-5(a)
Overall Length: 42 and 1/2 inches
Length of body: 39 and 1/2 inches
Diameter of body: 6 and 3/4 inches
Thickness of wall: 3/64 inches
Material of wall: Sheet steel
 
Type of suspension: Horizontal
Suspension lug: Normal Army type suspension lug
 
Color and markings: Dull red overall

Length of tail: 11 and 1/2 inches
Width of tail: 1 and 7/8 inches

Dimensions of tail struts:
-Width: 1 inch
-Thickness: 1/20 inch
-Diameter: 6 and 3/4 inches
Material of tail: Sheet steel

Length of illuminant container: 26 inches
Length of illuminant: 24 and 1/2 inches
Diameter of illuminant: 5 and 1/2 inches
 
 Type of filling: Illuminant
 
Weight of filling: 66 pounds
Total weight of flare: 84 pounds
 
Construction of body: The flare consists of 3 main elements: (1) the flare case, (2) the illuminating candle unit, (3) the parachute.

1. The flare case consists of three sections: a nosepiece, body and end cap.  The nosepiece is soldered securely to the body, and the hemispherical end cap is held in position by spot soldering in four places.  Four tail fins are welded to the after two-fifths of the body.  A steel ring 1 inch wide fits around the body at its junction with the tail cone.  It is attached to the fins and serves to brace them as well as to retard the velocity of the flares free fall.  The nose is threaded to receive the fuze.

2. The illuminant is contained in a cardboard canister which is covered by sheet brass 0025 inch thick.  The after end is closed by a steel plate held by screws to the cylinder.  A 1/4 inch wire rope 65 inches long from which the candle unit is suspended is attached to this steel plate by means of a shackle.  The forward end of the container is open and fits against a wooden block in the nosepiece.  The illuminant at the open end contains in its center an ignition charge 3 inches in diameter and 1/4 inch thick. 
 
3. There is a single silk parachute housed in the after end of the body.  It is surrounded by a layer of cardboard to insure smooth ejection.
 
Operation:  Shortly after being released from the plane the aerial burst fuze operates.  The resultant flash from the magazine ignites the ignition charge which in turn ignites the illuminant.  The expanding gases force the end cap off and eject the parachute and illuminant candle unit.

 
Remarks:  The flare sheds a bright white light and burns for 3 minutes and 40 seconds.




Next Time:  Concrete, practice, and cluster bombs.

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