(Fig 14)

This weapon is designed for use against armour at ranges up to approximately 30 yards. It is estimated that the hollow charge will perforate 7.7 inches of homogeneous armour.

The streamlined bomb with a flat topped tapering impact cap is carried, with its flexible steel tail fins coiled, in one end of the tubular projector where it is secured by a pin. The projector, 31.5 inches long and 1.9 inches in diameter, is of the recoilless type, held by the operator, and is fitted with a sighting arm, a bolt action firing mechanism and a pro-pellant charge of gunpowder. With the bomb inserted in the projector the weight is ap-proximately 11 lb. 6 oz., and the overall length 41 inches. The impact cap of the bomb is painted buff colour; the rust-proofed body is blue-black colour; the tail portion, except the fins, which are unpainted, is painted buff colour. The projector is painted buff colour and has stencilled on it, in red, an arrow pointing to the rear end with the words "Ach-tung Feuerstrahl !". This wording is, in effect, a warning to beware of propellant gases issuing from the rear end of the projector.

The hollow charge bomb is of light construction with an overall length of 19.5 inches and maxium diameter of 5.6 inches. The bomb examined was deficient of the gaine and fuze and in this condition weighed 6 lb. 7 1/2 oz. The steel body tapers towards the base, where it is rounded and has a central hole and is fitted with an extension tube which normally contains a gaine and a base fuze. The lower end of the extension tube has a pressed screwthread to engage projection in the tail tube for the attachment of the tail to the bomb. The body contains a 3 lb. 7 oz. hollow charge of cyclonite and T.N.T. with a cavity line in the form of a 60 degree cone. The top of the liner is shaped to form a cylinder for attachment to the body and for the assembly to the impact cap which is sprung into the cylinder. A steel ring is inserted between the top of the filling and the cylindrical portion of the liner. Cavities for a base fuze and a gaine are formed in the lower part of the H.E. filling within the extension tube.

The tail unit of the bomb consists of a steel tube with a wooden stem carrying four flexible steel fins. The tail tube is shaped at the front end to fit over the rounded base of the bomb body, and on the outside is fitted with a small bracket to receive a pin which secures the bomb to the sighting arm on the projector for transport. The wooden stem to which the fins are riveted has a steel base cap.

Fig. 13

This is a small P.E.T.N./Wax gaine in an aluminium case, the dimensions of which are identical with the "kl.Zdgl. 34 Np" described in Pamphlet No. 11.

The steel tubular projector with the propellant charge fitted inside weighs 4 lb. 14 1/4 oz. The tube has an internal diameter of 1.72 inches and is open at both ends. At the forward end of the tube a portion is cut away to accommodate the bracket on the bomb. The propellant charge is sitiated at 9.8 inches from the forward end of the projector and extends to within 17.2 inches from the rear end. The charge consists of 3 oz. 5 1/2 drams of granular gunpowder in a cylindrical cardboard container. The container is 4.1 in-ches long and is secured in position by a screw inserted in the side of the projector. The ends of the container are made up of a number of cardboard discs and a rectangular aperture in the side is closed by a piece of waxed transparent paper. The aperture is po-sitioned to correspond to a flash hole in the side of the wall of the projector communi-cating with the firing mechanism. A circular disc of rubber-like material is inserted above the container to act as a cushion for the tail of the bomb.

The firing mechanism is contained in a casing in the form of a short tube attached to the top of the projector. A sighting arm is hinged to the forward end of the casing. The arm is of channel section steel with a sighting aperture near its centre and two notches at the forward end to engage the pin, which secures the bomb to the projector for trans-port. At the hinged end of the arm a projection is formed which prevents the firing me-chanism being cocked when the arm is folded down in the position for transport.

The firing mechanism consists of a striker with spring and a trigger in the form a spring loaded plunger and a cocking bolt which acts against the firing end of the striker and carries a percussion cap.

The striker is rectangular in section and is in the form of a rod enlarged at the pointed end and inclined at the opposite end. A cocking notch is formed at the commencement of the incline. The spiral spring is assembled over the striker between two circular end plates. The plates each have a rectangular hole for assembly on the striker. The plate at the foward end is supported by an indentation in the casing and that at the rear end by the enlarged head of the striker.

The trigger is in the form of an inverted steel cup with rectangular holes in the side through which the inclined part of the striker passes and containing a spiral spring. The spring is held in compression between the edge of the striker and the closed end of the cup and tends to move the trigger outwards through a hole near the forward end of the casing.

The cocking bolt enters the rear end of the casing and has a small handle screwed into it for manipulation. The bolt is retained in the casing by a pin fitted to a spring clip which fits around the casing. The pin is inserted through a hole in the casing and enters a slot in the tubular body of the bolt. The slot and pin limit the movement of the bolt and per-mit the bolt to be turned through 90 degrees. The forward end of the bolt has two short slots diametrcially opposite and two long slots similarly placed. The short slots corres-pond to the position of the bolt handle and engage the enlarged head of the striker when the striker is in the uncocked position. The long slots are situated at 90 degrees from the short. The bolt contains a spiral spring held between its rear end and the pin of the spring clip, a small steel end plate being fitted at its forward end to bear against the pin. The percussion cap is carried in a steel cylindrical pellet inside the forward end of the bolt. A flash hole is formed in the side of the pellet corresponding to a similar hole in the bolt. The pellet is secured to the bolt by the metal around the hole in the bolt being tur-ned into the holt in the pellet.

Fig 14

The pin securing the bomb to the projectile is removed before firing. The sighting arm is opened to a position at right angles to the projector and the weapon is laid by aligning the rim on the cylindrical part of the bomb with the target through the aperature in the sighting arm; the rim thus acting as a foresight. The weapon may be used in the stand-ing, kneeling or lying position, but care must be taken to place the weapon so that not-hing obstructs the path of the propellant gases to the rear. According to a German trai-ning pamphlet, a jet of flame approximately 6 feet in length shoots out of the rear end of the projector on firing. The firer must wear a steel helmet and immediately after firing must take cover to avoid being hit by splinters. The danger area behind the projector is approximately.

The firing mechanism is cocked by pushing the bolt forward with the handle in the verti-cal position. The striker, engaged in the short slot in the front end of the bolt is moved forward with the bolt and the striker and bolt springs compressed. The inclined forward end of the striker emerges from the front end of the casing and, when the notch in the striker reaches the trigger, the spring in the trigger raises the cylindrical body to that the notch is engaged. The striker is then in the cocked position with the trigger and front end protruding from the casing. Unless the sighting arm is raised the projection near the hinged end of the arm obstructs the forward movement of the striker and prevents the mechanism being cocked. After cocking, the bolt is released and is returned to the with-drawn position by its spring. With the bolt in this position and the handle vertical, the short slots at its front end are still in alignment with the striker head. This is apparently intended as a safe setting for the cocked mechanism, as the length of the slots would prevent the striker reaching the percussion cap in the bolt. Also the flash holes in the bolt and body are not coincident. When the bolt is turned through 90 degrees in a coun-ter clockwise direction the long slots in its front end are brough into alignment with the striker head and the flash holes coincide. When the trigger is pressed in, it is disengaged from the striker notch and the striker is driven back by its spring to pierce the cap. The flash from the cap enters the projector through the flash holes and ignites the propellant charge which projects the bomb. The escape of some of the propellant gases through the rear end of the projector prevents the firer being subjected to a recoil force.