A-1 (a), A-1 (b), and A-1 (c) Nose FuzeType 1 Nose Fuze Model 2 A-3 (b)
Japanese Explosive Ordnance – Bombs, Bomb Fuzes, Land Mines, Grenades, Firing Devices
and Sabotage Devices
Chapter 2 – Section 2
Navy Bomb Fuzes
Type 97 Mk 2 - Nose Fuze Model 2 A-3 (a)
Bombs in which used:

Type 97 No. 6 land.

Nos. 3, 6, and 26 ordinary Model 2.

Type 99 Nos. 6 and 25 ordinary Model 1.

Mk 1 bombs.

Mk 2 Nos. 6 and 25.

Mk 6, 8, and 26.

Markings:
One side –
Other side, 444
Color: Natural brass; lower fuze body shellacked.
Over-all length: 5 1/2 inches.
Over-all width: 2 3/16 inches; vane span, 3 1/2 inches.
Material of construction: Brass except steel arming vanes and firing pin.

Position and method of fixing bomb: Screwed clockwise into nose; there are wrench flats on body. No antiwithdrawal locking device is used.

Components of explosive train: Standard Navy gaine or magazine.

Fuzes likely to be found with: B-2 (a), B-3 (a), D-2 (a), D-2 (b), D-2 (c).

Delay times: Incorporated in Navy gains.

Threads: 10 threads per inch; diameter, 1 7/8 inches.

Description: The fuze consists of three main parts: the body, the striker spindle, and the arming vane assembly. The striker spindle is located in the fuze body by means of a locating screw and a shear wire which prevent the spindle from rotating or morving for-ward until impact. The upper portion of the spindle is threaded, while a steel firing pin is screwed into the lower end. The arming vane assembly consists of a nose cap, arming vanes, and arming sleeve. The arming sleeve, internally, threaded, screws onto the spindle and its length of traval is limited by a stop screw threaded into the top of the spindle. To this sleeve, the nose cap and arming vanes are attached by four short screws. The lower end of the fuze body is internally threaded to take the standard Japa-nese gaine or magazine.

A heavy wire eyelet is attached to the side of the fuze body and serves as a guide for the starting wire. The starting wire is soldered to the nose cap in two places and gives an initial turn to the arming assembly when the bomb is dropped. A safety fork fits into the upper portion of the fuze body, one prong of which extends up through eyelets of arming vane assembly to prevent premature vane rotation.

Operation: On release of bomb, the arming wire pulls the starting wire through the eye-let, breaking it loose at the soldered points and simultaneously imparting an initial rota-tion to the arming vane assembly. In seven revolutions, the arming sleeve rises up the striker spindle to lock against the stop screw and arm the fuze. On impact, the entire as-sembly (vanes, nose cap, sleeve and spindle) are driven inward, shearing the shear wire, and the firing pin pierces the primer.

Remarks: 1. The threads on the striker spindle are 12 threads per inch. 2. A variation of this fuze has been found with a fiber nose cap. Soldered around the cap with holes loca-ted over six projections on the cap is a thin steel band to which is soldered the starting wire. The arming sleeve, striker spindle and shear wire are brass with the remainder of the fuze unpainted steel alloy. All dimensions are the same as the standard A-3 (a). De-signation: Type 97, Mk 2, Model 1.

Figure 115 – A-3 (a) Bomb Fuze.

A-1 (a), A-1 (b), and A-1 (c) Nose FuzeType 1 Nose Fuze Model 2 A-3 (b)