Monday 6 May 2019

German Explosive Ordnance - Miscellaneous Small Bombs (Part 2) and Concrete Bombs (Part 1)







German Explosives





SD 4 HL Hollow Charge Anti Personnel and Vehicle Bomb



Overall length: 12 and 1/3 inches
Body Length: 7 and 3/4 inches
Body Diameter: 3 and 9/16 inches
Wall thickness: 3/8 inch
Tail Length: 5 and 1/8 inches
Tail Width: 3 and 9/10 inches

Filling: TNT; TNT-RDX (46/54)

Weight of filling: 12 ounces
Total Weight: 9 and 1/4 pounds
Charge/Weight Ratio: 8.1%


Color: Buff or fawn color overall.  The marking "SD4HL" is stencilled on the body.  It is presumed the H means Hohl or hollow, and L stands for Ladung or charge.


Construction: The bomb is cast iron and consists of a body into which is screwed the nose cap and the male base plate.  A copper plated steel spring fits into a recess machined in the base plate and bears against a plastic igniter holder containing an electric detonator.  The igniter holder fits over a brown plastic insulating adapter which houses the gaine and has two terminals to which the wire leads of the detonator are connected.  Two electric leads are connected to the terminals and are led along the inside of the body to the nose fuze.

A 32 degree truncated conical-shaped steel liner is flanged at its base, the flange being slotted at three points to accommodate the two electric leads and the locating pin.  The explosive filling is poured through the base of the body around the cone.  A plastic support is secured between the flange of the cone and the nose piece.  Two holes are drilled through this support for the terminal pins of the fuze to which the electric leads are soldered.  The fuze seats on a shoulder in the nose and is secured by a fuze retainer ring which has eight outlet vents.

The tail is sheet steel.  It is of the ring strut type with four longitudinal struts spot welded.  Each strut forms one segment of the tail cone.  The tail is secured to the body by means of four prongs punched into corresponding recesses in the bomb body.

On impact, the (66) fuze induces an electric current which passes via the electric leads to the detonator.  The squib is thereby fired, setting off the gaine and the charge.


Suspension:
74 bombs in AB500-1 container.
40 bombs in AB250 container.
Bombs are packed nose in tail, thus increasing fuze safety.







SD 10A Types I, II, and SD 10FRZ Adapter French Bomb


Overall length: 21.6 inches
Body Length: 12.7 inches
Body Diameter: 3.4 inches
Wall Thickness: 0.6 inches
Tail Length: 8.5 inches
Tail Width: 4.7 inches

Filling: TNT; Amatol 60/40

Color: Body and tail unit are olive green.  Body has D10A13 or 14 stencilled in black on it.  Tail has 4 red stripes down cone between fins.  Type II has 1/2 inch red stripes on outer edge of tail fins.


Construction:
-Type I: The case, parallel-sided, is constructed of cast steel terminating in a shallow dome at the base.  The nose of the bomb, which is thicker, is tapped to accommodate the fuze and has two holes bored transversely for grub screws to secure the fuze.

-Type II: The bomb is constructed with a double casing of drawn steel.  The space between the inner and outer shells is closely packed with steel pellets set in concrete.  The pellets are cubes, having sides of about 7mm.  The overall thickness of the bomb case is about 0.6 inch.  The outer shell is 2mm thick and has a nose piece integral with it.  It is closed at the base by a steel disk over which the shell is folded.  The inner shell is 3mm thick and terminates at the base in the form of a truncated cone.  The two shells are scarf jointed together just behind the nose.  Four steel supports are welded between the inner and outer walls of the nose and act as spacers.


The SD10FRZ French bomb is very similar to the German Type I.  The tail is constructed of four sheet steel pressings welded together, each pressing forming a segment of the tail cone and one fin.  The tail is secured by four rivets and four indentations.

For Types I and II, a long exploder system is used when the filling is TNT.  This consists of a normal gaine; one penthrite pellet, two compressed TNT pellets and one phosphorus pellet.  The main filling terminated about 1.9 inches from the nose and so permits the use of the AZC 10 (Hut) * (3) fuze.  The Z (66) fuze's gaine fits only partly in the exploder pocket.

When the main filling is 60/40 Amatol, a short exploder system is used with a normal gaine and one penthrite pellet.  The bomb is filled to within 1.2 inches of the nose so the AZC 10 (Hut) * (3) fuze cannot be used.


Suspension: Seventeen of these bombs are carried in the AB250-2 container.







SD 10C


Overall length: 20.5 inches
Body Length: 12.2 inches
Body Diameter: 3 inches
Wall Thickness: 0.55 inches
Tail Length: 9.4 inches
Tail Width: 3 inches

Weight of Filling: 0.75 kilograms (approx.)
Total Weight: 7 kilograms (approx.)
Charge/Weight ratio: 11% (approx.)




Color: Khaki overall.  Stenciled on body: SD 10C




Construction: The cast steel body of the bomb is closed at the tail by a sheet steel plate shrunk in position.  Externally the tail end is machined to form a seating for the tail unit.  Nine angular grooves, machined in the body ensure good fragmentation.  The fuze adapter, internally threaded to accept the airflow control ring of the fuze EAZ (66) A, is shrunk into a recess forming in the nose of the bomb body.  The main filling is recessed at the nose end to accommodate a long gaine.

The tail unit, secured to the bomb body by four indentations, is formed of four similar sheet metal pressings riveted together.


Suspension: 28 bombs in the AB250-2 container.






12kg SC 10 Concrete Bomb



Overall length: 23 inches
Body Length: 12.75 inches
Body Diameter: 3.25 inches
Wall thickness: 0.5 inches
Tail Length: 9 inches
Tail Width: 5 inches

Filling: TNT
Weight of filling: 0.9 kilograms
Total Weight: 12 kilograms (The manual incorrectly states 0.12kg)
Charge/Weight Ratio: 7.5%

Color: The body and tail assembly are painted dark grey.


Construction: There are two types of this bomb: (1) A forged or cast body with base an integral part of the body.  The nose is threaded to receive the fuze; (2) A body consisting of two casings each 0.1 inch thick, welded together, the space between being filled with small steel pellets embedded in concrete.

The tail is of sheet steel.  It has four fins welded to a cone.  The cone is secured to the body by rivets or screws.


Suspension: Vertical in clusters of five.


Remarks: Aside from the fuze, fuze adapter and markings, the SC 10 bomb is the same bomb as the SD 1A








SD 15 Converted German Projectile Bomb


Overall length: 24.2 inches
Body Length: 15.5 inches
Body Diameter: 4.1 inches
Wall thickness: 9/22 in. at nose to 1 in. at base
Tail Length: 12.4 inches
Tail Width: 3.75 inches


Color: Body is dark green with khaki-colored tail.


Construction: The bomb body is a converted 105mm howitzer projectile.  It is formed of a hollow single piece casting, internally threaded at the nose end to accommodate the airflow control ring.  The main filling is shaped at the nose to accommodate an NP 10 German projectile gaine which is enclosed in a cardboard sheath.

The tail unit is of sheet steel and is formed of the tail cone and four fins.  The four fins are braced at their rear ends by a circular stabilizing crimping within an annular groove machined in the bomb body.


Suspension: It is reported that 24 bombs are carried in an AB500-1D container.




Next Time: Concrete Bombs (Part 2)


Source: German Explosive Ordnance Vol. 1: Bombs, Rockets, Grenades, Mines, Fuzes & Igniters

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