325-, 350-pound Depth Mk 17 (TNT-Obsolete), Mk 17 Mod 1 (TNT), AN-Mk 17 Mod 2 (TNT), AN-Mk 44 (Torpex), AN-Mk 41 (TNT), and AN-Mk 47 (Torpex)

Over-all length, inches

Body length, inches

Body diameter, inches

Wall thickness, inch

Tail length, inches

Tail width, inches

Filling

Weight of filling

Total weight

Charge/weight ratio

68.9%

71.1%

65.4%

70.9%

Nose construction: Depth Bombs AN-Mk 17 Mod 2 and AN-Mk 44 have round noses, and can use the flat-nose attachment; AN-Mk 41 and AN-Mk 47 are flat nosed.

Fuzing

Athwartship - Because of numerous instances in water crash landing where depth bombs fuzed with Athwartship Fuzes AN-Mk 224 or AN-Mk 234 exploded, these two fuzes have been suspended from use. As a consequence, the Depth Bombs Mk 17 Type, AN-Mk 41 and AN-Mk 44 may be used only if a nose impact fuze is installed.

Nose - Nose Mechanical Impact Fuze AN-Mk 219 will not arm if dropped from below 2,500 feet when used on a bomb with the flat-nose attachment of a flat nose. It requi-res an auxiliary booster and the Adapter Ring Mk 219. It gives instantaneous action. Nose Mechanical Impact Fuze Mk 221 and Mk 239 with delay of 0.01 second will not arm on a flat nose if dropped from below 2,500 feet. Nose Mechanical Impact Fuze AN-M103 and AN-M103A1 (Instantaneous only) have been designed with special vanes for flat-nose bombs.

Body construction

AN-Mk 17 Mod 2 and AN-Mk 44 - These depth bombs are made with round noses welded to a cylindrical steel tube. There is a strengthening disc around the nose and a steel strip along the suspension lugs to reinforce the body. The transverse fuze pocket is 11.9 inches abaft the nose. To prevent ricochet and improve underwater trajectory, a flat-nose attachment is made for these bombs, the attachment being in the shape of a bucket which fits down over the nose and is filled with plaster of paris, increasing the weight of the bomb by 44 pounds. The bomb case is extremely thin.

AN-Mk 41 and AN-Mk 47 - These bombs are constructed with a flat nose, there being a slight taper from the walls to the nose. The body is in three pieces. The sides are tubular with a transverse fuze pocket tube welded in place 15 inches abaft the nose.

Suspension: Suspension of these bombs is by the usual dual or single lugs, the lugs being welded to the bomb. The single lug is actually somewhat different than is usually found, being in the form of a bracket rather than a lug. Trunnions on a band are for dis-placement gear in dive bombing.

Tail construction: Instead of employing the box-type tail, these bombs use a drum tail. As seen from the after end, it is circular and has four fins extending at right angles to each other. The fins are spot-welded to a cone which fits over the after end of the bomb. The fins are also spot welded to the drum shroud. The tail is bolted onto the base of the bomb.

Markings: TNT-loaded bombs have weight and Mark number stencilled in yellow; Tor-pex-loaded bombs have these items stencilled in blue.

Remarks: The 325-pound Depth Bomb Mk 17 is TNT-loaded but has a light tail as-sembly; the Mk 17 Mod 1 is the same, except that a sturdier tail assembly is used. The AN-Mk 17 Mod 2 is similar to the Mod 1, but has a longer filling hole.

The Mk 17 is obsolete; the Mk 17 Mod 1, AN-Mk 17 Mod 2, AN-Mk 44, AN-Mk 47, and AN-Mk 41 are obsolescent.

Figure 289. 325-pound Depth Bombs AN-Mk 17 Mod 2 and AN-Mk 44

Figure 290. 325-pound Depth Bombs AN-Mk 41 and AN-Mk 47