Part 1 - Aircraft Bombs and Pyrotechnics; Chapter 1: IntroductionPart 1 - Aircraft Bombs and Pyrotechnics; Chapter 1: Introduction
BRITISH EXPLOSIVE ORDNANCE
Part 1 - AIRCRAFT BOMBS AND PYROTECHNICS
Chapter 1
INTRODUCTION

Suspension of British Bombs

British bombs are suspended by a single supension lug attached to the bomb body by machine screws. Later designs of British bombs, such as the M.C. series, are fitted with additional dual suspension lugs for carrying in American planes. Crutches or sway bars are used with larger size bombs.

British Tail Assemblies

A unique type of tail assembly is regulary employed by the British, consisting of a sheet-steel cone with a cylindrical strut attached by means of four sheet-steel finds. The unique feature is the fact that the arming vanes are an integral part of the tail as-sembly. They are attached to the tail pistol by means of a reach rod with a fork on its lower extremity engaging a similar fork on the tail pistol. A special short tail, originally designed for use in American built planes, is sometimes used to permit a greater bomb load. A third type tail assembly, rarely used, is designed to be employed in conjunction with certain tail fuzes which have their own arming vanes. The arming vanes on this tail assembly are omitted, and the tail cone is truncated to give clearance to the vanes on the fuze.

Tail units are attached to bombs up to 1,000 lb. by a spring clip assembly, and to bombs of 1,000 lb. and over by means of bolts. Since each individual bomb is provided with its own specific tail unit, the bomb designation and tail number, which are stencilled on one of the tail fins, serve as a ready means of identifiying the bomb. The word "Mark" is omitted from both the tail unit and the bomb designation. For example, the tail unit, No. 2 Mk I, used on the G.P. 500-lb. Bomb Mk IV, should appear on the tail unit as "No. 2.1, G.P. 500-lb. IV".

The following list includes the numbers of the tail units now in use, and the bombs with which each is used.

Tail Numbers

Bombs With Which Used
No. 1 Mk I S.A.P. 250-lb. Mks II and III
  S.A.P. 500-lb. Mks II and III
  A.P. 2,000-lb. Mk I
  G.P. 250-lb. Mk III
  G.P. 500-lb. Mk III
  I.B. 250-lb. Mks I and II
  L.C. 250-lb. Mks I and II
No. 1 Mk II T.I. 250-lb. Nos. 1-28
No. 2 Mk I G.P. 250-lb. Mk IV
  G.P. 500-lb. Mk IV
  M.C. 250-lb. Mk I
  M.C. 500-lb. Mk IV
No. 2 Mk II G.P. 250-lb. Mks IV and V
  M.C. 250-lb. Mk V
No. 4 Mk I S.A.P. 500-lb. Mks IIC and IIIC
No. 7 Mk II A.S. 100-lb. Mk IV
No. 8 Mk I A.S. 250-lb. Mk IV
No. 9 Mk I A.S. 500-lb. Mk IV
No. 10 Mk I S.A.P. 500-lb. Mk V
  A.P. 2,000-lb. Mks II and III
No. 11 Mk I S.A.P. 500-lb. Mk V
No. 13 Mk I G.P. 1,000-lb. Mks I - IV
No. 14 Mk I G.P. 1,900-lb. Mk I
No. 15 Mk I A.P. 2,000-lb. Mks II and III
No. 23 Mk I "B" 250-lb. Mk III
No. 24 Mk I H.C. 4,000-lb. Mks II and IV
No. 25 Mk I M.C. 500-lb. Mks I - IV
No. 26 Mk I G.P. 500-lb. Mks IV and V
  M.C. 500-lb. Mk IV
No. 26 Mk II G.P. 500-lb. Mks IV and V
No. 27 Mk I S.A.P. 500-lb. Mk V
No. 28 Mk I M.C. 500-lb. Mks I - III
No. 29 Mk I G.P. 1,000-lb. Mks I - IV
No. 31 Mk I L.C. 500-lb. Mk II
  Smoke 500-lb. Mk I
  I.B. 500-lb. Mk I
  L.C. 500-lb. Mk II
No. 32 Mk I H.C. 2,000-lb. Mk I
No. 33 Mk I H.C. 8,000-lb. Mks I and II
No. 34 Mk I G.P. 4,000-lb. Mks I and II
No. 35 Mk I T.I. 250-lb. Nos. 1-28
No. 36 Mk I A.S. 600-lb. Mk I
No. 37 Mk I M.C. 1,000-lb. Mk I
No. 38 Mk I M.C. 4,000-lb. Mk I

Part 1 - Aircraft Bombs and Pyrotechnics; Chapter 1: IntroductionPart 1 - Aircraft Bombs and Pyrotechnics; Chapter 1: Introduction