23-pound Para.-Frag. AN-M40, AN-M40A1, M72, and M72A1

Over-all length, inches

Body length, inches

Body diameter, inches

Wall thickness, inch

Tail length, inches

Tail width, inches

Tail weight, pounds

Filling

Weight of filling, pounds

Total weight, pounds

Charge/weight ratio

Fuzing

M170, AN-M120A1, AN-M120, AN-M104.

Body construction: These bombs are constructed of cast-steel nose and tail pieces, a seamless steel inner tube, and a helically-wrapped drawn steel wire wrapping around the inner tube. The tube is threaded to hold the nose and tail sections.

Suspension: For individual suspension of these bombs, a U-shaped eyebolt of steel is welded to bomb at the center of gravity.

The 23-pound Para.-Frag. Bombs AN-M40 are always clustered, three of the bombs with the Cluster Adapter AN-M3 forming the Cluster AN-M4.

The 23-pound Para.-Frag. Bomb M72 is a slightly modified version of the AN-M40. It is adapted for individual suspension and can be carried in vertical celluar racks by several types of Army planes.

Tail construction: The 23-pound Para.-Frag. Bombs AN-M40 and M72 are fitted with cylindrical sheet-steel parachute housings which have end caps at the rear end and con-tains a white silk parachute. The Parachute Unit M3 is used in the Para.-Frag. Bombs AN-M40 and AN-M40A1; the Parchute Unit M4 in the Para.-Frag. Bombs M72 and M72A1.

Remarks: The AN-M40 and M72 are low-level fragmentation bombs and should be dropped from a maximum altitude of 400 feet.

The A1 modification of these bombs consists of adding a 1½-inch shoulder around the nose of the bomb to facilitate clustering with unfuzed bombs. Heretofore, the spacers of the cluster adapter have fitted against the fuze, thereby making it requisite that the bombs be clustered and shipped with the fuzes inserted. Bombs with this modification are designated the 23-Pound Para.-Frag. Bombs AN-M40A1 and M72A1

Figure 294. 23-pound Para.-Frag. Bombs in Cluster AN-M4