There is little or no information available on Soviet fuze development since 1943. While such Soviet fuzes as are known are primarily of the mechanical type, it is also known that the Soviets have employed the Germen electrical fuze in captured German bombs, with the German electrical system in the plane for charging the fuzes before the bombs are dropped. In other instances, German bombs were modified to receive the Soviet me-chanical fuzes.

The Soviet are known to have an electrical fuze about which no details are known, and the use of American type VT fuzes seem quite possible.

The Soviet bomb fuzes, known to date, are either nose or tail types, with right hand threads screwing into fuze pockets in the bomb. The booster and detonator are integral with the fuze. Most of the fuzes are equipped with arming vanes, and at least one other safety feature. So far, no fuzes containing anti-distrubance or extra long delay features have been reported.

Soviet fuzes may be designed to initiate a high order detonation, or merely to ignite a burster charge. In addition to the other markings as described below, those fuzes equip-ped with high explosive detonators are marked with a violet ring on the fuze body, or violet arming vanes. The fuzes are secured in the bomb body by means of a thin metal washer, with tabs that are bent into appropriate slots in the fuze and the bomb body. When bomb fuzes are used in rockets, the fuzes are secured by means of a grub screw.

An unusual feature of Soviet bomb fuzing practice, is the ability to use the same fuze as either a nose or tail fuze in at least two cases. The fuze is manufactured as a nose fuze, but may be converted for tail use, in the field, by hand-bending the arming vanes to agree with an indicator line marked in the fuze body.

For identification, the fuzes are normally stenciled or stamped with a series of letters and numbers, which indicate the designation, date of manufacture, and factory number. The designation also indicates whether the fuze is to be used for detonation or ignition. In addition to be the violett markings fuzes for detonation purposes will have the letters A, a, or sk/d appended to the designation. Example: AM-A; TM-4a; AGM-lsk/d.

Fuzes for ignition purposes are designated by appendig B, b, or b/v to the marking. Ex-ample: AM-B, TM-4b; AGM-lb/v.

The fuzes designation is also stenciled on the bomb body.