German Explosives
Aircraft Towed Paravane Bomb (2kg)
Overall Length: 15.7 inches
Length of Bomb: 3.4 inches
Body Diameter: 3.2 inchesWall thickness: 3/8 inches
Total Weight: 6.5 pounds
Color: The tail and paravane cone are painted dark green; the body is yellow with a red stripe.
Construction: The assembly is comprised of the paravane body, the bomb, and the modified (70) B fuze.
The paravane body is a sheet-steel cone, formed of two sections welded together. At its rear end, four sheet steel tail fins are welded to the cone.
Equally spaced around the cone, forward of the tail fins, are drilled four longitudinal rows of six 1/8-inch holes, two of these rows being drilled slightly forward of the other two. The purpose of these holes is not known.
Towards the end of the cone are welded four equally spaced metal planes of airfoil cross-section. They are offset to the longitudinal axis of the cone. To one plane is welded a metal eye which forms an anchor for the towing lug.
The front end of the cone has a T slot, forming two lugs, to each of which is welded a boss, one boss being screw-threaded to accept the tensioning screw, the whole forming a circlip by means of which the bomb is secured to the paravane body.
The bomb consists of a cylindrical iron casting open at one end and filled with H.E. The filling is shaped to accommodate the fuze body and gaine.
A seating is formed within the upper wall of the casting for the (70) B fuze. Above this seating the wall is built up to form a bayonet type socket to secure the fuze in a similar manner to that in S.D. 2-kg bombs.
Suspension: The bomb is suspended horizontally by a boss welded to the forward end of the cone.
Incendiary, Smoke, and Practice Bombs
Introduction
Incendiary, smoke, and practice bombs are, for the most part, like the high-explosive bombs in appearance but have for their main filling elements other than high explosive.
Incendiary bombs range in size from the 1-kg magnesium bomb to the 500-kg oil-filled flam. The smaller types are ordinarily carried in containers and the larger bombs are carried in bomb racks like a similar size high-explosive bomb.
The 1- and 2-kg magnesium bombs often have a small antipersonnel charge incorporated in the bomb to discourage fire fighters. The larger types, also, usually have a small explosive charge, but this is for the purpose of scattering the incendiary mixture.
Smoke bombs also are usually of conventional size and appearance. They have a fuze, usually mechanical, designed to operate on impact, which ignites a smoke producing composition.
Practice bombs are cheaply constructed. The great majority are built of concrete, a notable exception being the rocket assisted practice bomb which is almost identical except for explosive charge with the high-explosive bomb. They are built to simulate the service bomb in handling and ballistics. Most practice bombs have either flare or a smoke producing attachment incorporated into the bomb in such a way as to mark the point of impact of the bomb.
1-kg and 1.3-kg Incendiary Bombs
Overall Length: 13.54 inches
Body Length: 9.75 inches
Body Diameter: 2 inches
Wall Thickness: 3/8 inches
Tail Length: 4.75 inches
Tail Width: 2 inches
Type of Filling: Thermite
Color and Markings: The bomb is unpainted magnesium; the tail is dark green. The B1EZA and the B1.3EZA may have a red A stenciled on the nos and probably will have a Z stamped on the body near the tail. The B1EZB and the B1.3EZB may have a red B stenciled on the nose and a Z stamped on the body near the tail.
Construction: The body is a cylindrical alloy casting, threaded internally at the nose to receive the fuze holder and fuze. The after body is tapered to receive the sheet metal, three-finned drum-shrouded tail assembly. The 1.3-kg and 1-kg bombs are identical except that the nose of the former is made of steel, while that of the latter is of light alloy.
Suspension: These bombs are carried in a number of different sizes and types of containers.
Remarks: There are three bombs to each set, as follows:
1. B1E and B1.3E - Fuze ignites an incendiary mixture.
2. B1EZA and B1.3EZA - Bomb is identical to 1, but a penthrite filled gaine, threaded into the tail, detonated thermally in about 5 minutes.
3. B1EZB and B1.3EZB - These are similar to 1, but a penthrite filled pocket in the nose detonates thermally after about 30 seconds to 5 minutes.
2-kg B2EZ Incendiary Bomb
Body Length: 12.25 inches
Body Diameter: 2 inches
Wall Thickness: 7/16 inches
Tail Length: 9.5 inches
Tail Width: 2 inches
Filling:
-Incendiary: Thermite
-H.E.: Penthrite, and Wax
Color and Markings: The incendiary body is painted olive green, the tail dark green, and the H.E. container black, unpainted, or dark red. A Z is stamped on the body near the tail, and a red Z is stenciled on the nose.
Construction: This bomb consists of three main components: a tail unit, an incendiary body, and an H.E. attachment. The incendiary body is tapered at the after end to fit into the long tail cone and is reduced in diameter at the forward end to fit into the steel H.E. container. A steel plug is fitted into the after end of the incendiary body, while at the forward end are located an igniter pellet, a distance piece, a relay pellet and a black powder separating charge and housing.
The H.E. container accommodates the penthrite charge and the fuze. The fuze is armed by a long arming rod which passes through the tail section and locks a spring-out safety pin. A metal wind cap, or drogue, is attached to the after end of the rod.
Suspension: These bombs are carried in several different sizes and types of containers.
2.2-kg B2.2EZ Incendiary Bomb
Body Length: 9.25 inches
Body Diameter: 2 inches
Wall Thickness: 3/8 inches
Tail Length: 4.75 inches
Tail Width: 2 inches
Filling:
-Incendiary: Thermite
-H.E.: TNT
Color and Markings: The incendiary bomb proper is painted green overall, the tail unit is painted dark green; the sleeve is unpainted and the H.E. container is painted bright red. The letter Z is stamped on the incendiary body near the tail.
Construction: This bomb is similar to the 1-kg incendiary bomb, with modifications to the fuze container. These alternations are: external threading on the nose to receive a sleeve; an additional hole to receive a spring-out safety pin; the addition of a train of burning composition leading to the sleeve. The sleeve contains a length of safety fuze wound on a metal spool. The H.E. container is threaded to the base of the sleeve and contains a detonator to which the safety fuze leads.
Suspension: These bombs are carried in several different sizes and types of containers.
Sprengbrand C50 (50-kg Incendiary Bomb)
Body Length: 28 inches
Body Diameter: 8 inches
Wall Thickness: 0.15 inches
Tail Length: 16 inches
Tail Width: 11.3 inches
Filling:
-Burster Charge: TNT
-Fire Pots: Thermite in electron containers
-Triangular: Thermite containers
Weight of filling: 20 pounds TNT
Total weight: 75 pounds (approx.)
Color and Markings: The body and tail may be painted blue-grey or dark green, while the base plug is red. The small incendiary elements are painted brown, while the firepots may be bright red or green.
Construction: This bomb is similar tot he 50-kg SC Type III in its external features, differing only in that (1) it has a single-piece machined steel case; (2) the base plate is attached by aluminium shear screws instead of steel screws; (3) a filling plug is located in the nose of the bomb. The bomb is filled with TNT as far back as the fuze pocket. A steel diaphragm just aft of the fuze pocket divides the bomb into two sections. In the fuze pocket is located a bakelite gaine containing a black powder biscuit and a steel-encased gaine containing a delay pellet and detonator, the whole assembly being held in place in the base of the fuze pocket by a leaf spring. A hole leads through the after side of the fuze pocket and through the steel diaphragm to a silk bag of black powder, which serves both as the igniting and expelling charge for the remaining contents of the bomb body.
The incendiary units are placed around a long triangular hollow steel column. Three double grids are placed in annular fashion around this column. Each pair of grids has four orange-colored biscuits of highly flammable material pressed between them. These biscuits are ignited by the flash from the black powder expelling charge and, in turn, ignite the small incendiary units directly and the quickmatches of the six large units. The explosion of the black powder charge also shears the aluminium screws securing the base plate and ejects the incendiary elements over an area of about 100 yards. About 1 second after expulsion, the delay element in the booster reaches the detonator and fires the TNT charge in the nose of the bomb.
Suspension: The bomb may be suspended either horizontally or vertically by an eyebolt.
Remarks: The bomb contains, besides the TNT charge, 6 fire pots and 67 small triangular metal incendiary elements.
Next Time: Incendiary, Smoke, and Practice Bombs (Part 2)
Source: German Explosive Ordnance Vol. 1: Bombs, Rockets, Grenades, Mines, Fuzes & Igniters
