Winterballoon. The Winterballoon was designed as an anti-power-plant mine for use in the winter time. It is an SC 1000 L bomb modified as follows:

1. An anti-ricochet plate is welded to the nose section to aid the mine in penetrating the ice.

2. A rubber bag and a CO₂ bottle are installed in the tail compartment.

3. A 17B bomb fuze is used.

Figure 122 – Winterballoon Tail section

Operation. On impact, the bomb fuze starts ti run, firing the explosive coupling of the retaining latch, releasing the rubber bag. At the same time a squib is fired, allowing the CO₂ to inflate the rubber bag. The added buoyancy due to the inflation of the bag cau-ses the mine to float and be carried under the ice to the power plant by the force of the current. The mine is detonated, after the preset time of the 17B fuze has run off. This mine was never used operationally.

Figure 123 – Winterballoon Anti-Ricochet Plate