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| ITALIAN AND FRENCH EXPLOSIVE ORDNANCE |
| Chapter 1 |
| ITALIAN BOMBS |
| Bomb Containers |
| Data |
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Over-all length |
5 ft. 6 in. |
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Body length |
2 ft. 8½ in. |
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Body diameter |
11 in. |
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Wall thickness |
0.047 in. |
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Tail length |
22.0 in. |
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Tail width |
11 in. (approx.) |
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Type of filling |
40-2 kg Anti-Personnel F or Mtr. or 40-1 kg
Incendiary or 20-2 kg Incendiary or 24-4 kg Anti-Personnel Themos |
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Weight (empty) |
23 kg |
| Description |
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This is a metal container holding eight columns of anti-personnel or incendiary bombs. The body is cylindrical and is of sheet metal. It contains eight longitudinal tubes which are welded to the after closing plate and the forward closing plate; holes in the latter leave the forward ends of the tubes open. A flap, which is hinged to this plate, partly closes these holes. The container is held closed by a ball locking, the adjustment of which can be observed through the inspection hole. The forward end of the bomb is clo-sed by an aluminum cap held on by three clips. Riveted to the inside of this cap is a plate. Ejector springs are fitted in the after ends of tube. |
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The tail cone, carrying four fins, is fitted by screws to the body. A corrugated ring strut strengthens the tail fins. Below the drum and situated between each pin of adjacent fins is a drogue of pressed steel. Each of these drogues is connected to its neighbor by a fabric wb fixed to the sides of the drogue by rivets. |
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A fabric-covered elastic strip attached to each case at one end to the drogue, and at the other end to the drum, tends to pull each drogue open. The range of movement of each drogue is limeted by the length of a flexible wire cable fixed to the tail cone. Before dropping, these drogues are prevented from opening by a cord or wire encircles them and passes through a cutter. This clockwork is prevented from running by a safety pin. To the underside of this particular drogue is attached an additional cable which runs through a hole in the tail cone, between the main body and inner-tubes, and terminates in a bolt, the withdrawal of which releases the ball locking device. A transit safety pin prevents withdrawal of the bolt. |
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Operation |
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On loading into the aircraft, the transit pin is withdrawn. On release, the safety pin in the clockwork is withdrawn. After the preset time, varying between 0 and 20 seconds, the clockwork activates a cutter which severs the restraining wire and so allows the dro-gues to open. This causes the bolt to be withdrawn. This springs eject the bombs by forcing open the flap which, throws off the cap by pressing on the plate within the cap. |
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Figure 36 |
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