German Explosives
SC 50-kg Bi
Overall length: 46.1 inches
Body Length: 30 inches
Body Diameter: 7.9 inches
Wall Thickness: 2 to 2.6 inches
Tail Width: 11 inches
Tail Length: 16.1 inches
Filling: Cast TNT, Amatol, or Trialen
Weight of Filling: 24.4 kilograms
Total Weight: 55.5 kilograms
Charge/Weight ratio: 45.75%
Color: Dark gray or green overall
Construction: The Bi is a one-piece cast steel body machined down. All the fittings are welded in place. It is very similar to the Ja and L series.
The bomb is threaded at the base to take a male base plate. A steel diaphragm with a central hole is located 3 and 3/4 inches forward from the base plate. When the bomb is loaded, the filling charge comes only to this diaphragm.
The tail cone is sheet steel constructed in four pieces, and welded together. The assembled cone is secured to the bomb by means of eight screws.
There is one transverse fuze pocket located forward of the horizontal suspension lug. The bottom end of the pocket is secured to the opposite wall by a weld. It is long enough to accommodate the normal sized electric fuze and two picric pellets.
In the nose female threads take an eye bolt for vertical suspension. The bomb may include a shock plate welded to the nose to help prevent ricochet when used against water targets.
SC 50 Grade I - Ja, L, and Stabo
Overall length:
Ja and L: 43.3 inches
Stabo: 61.8 inches
Body Length: 30 inches
Body Diameter: 8 inches
Wall Thickness: 0.16 to 0.24 inches
Tail Width: 11 inches
Tail Length: 16.1 inches
Filling: Cast TNT, powdered Amatol, or cast Trialen
Weight of Filling: 21 to 25 kilograms
Total Weight: 48 to 55 kilograms
Charge/Weight ratio: 46%
Color: Sandy grey or dark green overall
Yellow stripe on each segment of cone.
Construction: The Ja has a one-piece drawn steel body. The L is the same as the Ja except the body is of seamless tubular steel. The Stabo is like the Ja, with a threaded lug forged to the nose of the bomb. A steel spike 18.5 inches long, 1.8 inches in diameter, can be secured to this lug.
The sheet steel tail cone is secured to the bomb body by eight screws. More recent models have a collar welded around the neck of the bomb and the tail cone is secured to this collar by screws. The holes in the tail fins are used when screamers are attached.
Bombs can be modified for use on water targets by removing the tail fins. It is claimed ballistics are not changed up to an altitude of 200 meters.
Its maximum delay of five seconds allows 12 to 18 meters of water travel.
When water targets are the object of an attack an anti-ricochet plate is bolted to the nose. This permits a much smaller angle of impact without ricochet.
Suspension: Horizontal or vertical by an eyebolt.
SC 50 Grade II - JB, JC, J, J/2
Overall length: 43.3 inches
Body Length: 26.4 inches
Body Diameter: 8 inches
Wall Thickness: 0.16 to 0.24 inches
Tail Width: 11 inches
Tail Length: 16.1 inches
Filling: Cast TNT, powdered Amatol, or cast Trialen
Weight of Filling: 21 to 25 kilograms
Total Weight: 48 to 55 kilograms
Charge/Weight ratio: 46%
Color: Sandy grey or dark green overall
Yellow stripe on each segment of cone.
Construction: The JB has a one-piece nose and body. The base is welded to the body. The JC has a pressed steel nose and drawn steel body. Here the nose and base are welded to the body. The J was the early model of the JB and they are identical in construction. The J/2 is very similar to the JC, the quality of the steel being the real difference. It was produced only in limited quantities.
The sheet steel tail cone is riveted to a ring which is secured to the bomb body by eight screws. The small holes on the fins are used to attach screamers.
Grade II can also be modified for use against water targets. Same modification and results as for Grade I are claimed.
Suspension: Either horizontal or vertical.
SC 250 - Types 1, 2, and 3; J, L, L2, B, and K
Overall length: 64.5 inches
-L2 (Stabo): 87 inches
Body Length: 47 inches
Body Diameter: 14.5 inches
Wall Thickness: 0.3 in (wall) to 2.8 in (nose)
Tail Width: 20 inches
Tail Length: 25 inches
Filling: 60/40 Amatol, TNT;
TNT and wax or woodmeal and aluminum powder and naphthalene and ammonium nitrate.
Weight of Filling: 287 pounds
Total Weight: 548 pounds
Charge/Weight ratio: 52%
Color: Field grey, sky blue, or aluminum overall. Yellow stripes on the tail.
Type 1: Includes Models J, L, and L2. J is of one-piece construction forged steel; L is one-piece construction tube steel; L2 is two-piece construction, nose forged steel, body tube steel.
Type 2: J is two-piece construction forged steel.
Type 3: Includes Models J, B, and K. J is three-piece construction; nose, forged steel; body, tube steel; and base, forged steel. B is three-piece construction; nose, cast steel; body, tube steel; and base, arched case steel. K is three-piece construction; nose, case hardened steel; body, tube steel; and base, cast steel.
Suspension: Suspension is either horizontal or vertical.
Remarks: The L2 type is sometimes equipped with a spike making it detonate above the ground. Spike is 22 and 1/2 inches long and 3 inches in diameter.
SC 500-kg Grade III (K, L2, J)
Overall length: 80 inches
Body Length:
-K: 55.7 inches
-L2: 58.5 inches
-J: 57 inches
Body Diameter: 18 inches
Wall Thickness: 0.3 in (wall) to 3.2 in (nose)
Tail Width: 25 inches
Tail Length: 29.5 inches
Filling: 40/60 or 50/50 Amatol, TNT, Trialen
Weight of Filling: 220 kilograms
Total Weight: 500 kilograms
Charge/Weight ratio: 44%
Color: Field grey, sky blue, or aluminum body with yellow stripes on the tail cone. When a merchant ship silhouette is stenciled in yellow on the tail cone, it indicates Trialen (105) filler.
Construction: The SC 500-kg Grade III bomb is constructed in three sections: nose piece, center section, and tail closing assembly. The steel nose is cast and machined to the proper dimensions, and then welded to a drawn steel tube known as the center section. The tail closing assembly consists of a sheet steel dome, and a steel connecting ring. The flat steel connecting ring is riveted to the outside of the dome, and then the whole assembly is secured to the after end of the center section with 16 countersunk bolts. The tail assembly is placed in this position only after the bomb has been filled with explosive.
There are two transverse fuze pockets in this series. The forward pocket generally contain sthe impact fuze and the after pocket has either a type 17 time fuze of a type 50 anti-disturbance fuze. In case the bomb is to be used in anti-submarine work, the forward fuze pocket will contain a type 38 fuze. A kopfring will also be added for this type of work.
Suspension: Horizontal only by means of an eyebolt.
Remarks: Bombs recovered with Trialen filling have cylindrical paper wrapped pellets 1 and 15/16 in. in length and diameter forming a column along the main axis of the bomb. These pellets are composed of RDX/Alum/Wax. Some bombs have approximately 500 pellets in addition distributed throughout the filling.
SC 1000 Herman (C, L, and L2)
C-type
Overall length: 109.5 inches
Body Length: 75 inches
Body Diameter: 26 inches
Wall Thickness: 0.4 in
Tail Width: 24 inches
Tail Length: 46.5 inches
Filling: 40/60 Amatol, TNT; TNT aluminum powder woodmeal; Trialen (105)
Weight of Filling: 620 kilograms
Total Weight: 1,090 kilograms
Charge/Weight ratio: 57%
L-type
Overall length: 99.9 inches
Body Length: 68.6 inches
Body Diameter: 25.5 inches
Wall Thickness: 0.4 in
Tail Width: 25.3 inches
Tail Length: 46.5 inches
Filling: 40/60 Amatol, TNT; TNT aluminum powder woodmeal; Trialen (105)
Weight of Filling: 530 kilograms
Total Weight: 1,002 kilograms
Charge/Weight ratio: 53%
L2-type
Overall length: 109.5 inches
Body Length: 75 inches
Body Diameter: 25.6 inches
Wall Thickness: 0.4 in
Tail Width: 24 inches
Tail Length: 46.5 inches
Filling: 40/60 Amatol, TNT; TNT aluminum powder woodmeal; Trialen (105)
Weight of Filling: 600 kilograms
Total Weight: 1,002 kilograms
Charge/Weight ratio: 60%
Color: Sky blue with a yellow strip on the tail cone.
Construction: The SC 1000 and SC 1000 L2 general demolition bombs have a drawn steel tube body. A very heavy constructed pointed nose is welded to the forward end of the drawn steel body. The after end of the bomb body is threaded to take a female base plate. The tail attachment brace is tack welded to the body just forward of the base plate.
The magnesium alloy tail unit is of welded construction and is equipped with ring type struts. The unit is secured to the bomb body in two ways; it is welded directly to the bomb where the base of the cone contacts the body, and it is also bolted to the tail attachment brace with 16 round head bolts.
This series of bombs are equipped with only one transverse fuze pocket. It is located approximately 8 inches off the suspension lug, and usually contains one of the EL A Z (55) series fuzes.
In addition to the booster pellets in the transverse fuze pocket, a central exploder tube of high grade TNT is located in the center of the explosive cavity. This tube runs almost the entire length of the cavity and is used to insure high order detonation.
The nose of the bomb is always fitted with the large-size kopfring.
Suspension: Horizontal by means of an H-type lug.
Remarks: When filled with Trialen (105), in place of yellow stripes on the tail cone, a silhouette of a ship is stencilled in yellow paint. On the bomb body is stencilled "nur gegen handelschiffen" (use only against merchant ships). It is stated that against non armour-plated targets it gives off a good mining and blast effect, also good underwater results. Low level attacks using this bomb cannot be made because of the lack of safety for the releasing plane.
Source: German Explosive Ordnance Vol. 1: Bombs, Rockets, Grenades, Mines, Fuzes & Igniters
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