Introduction Aircraft Smoke Bombs100 lb. Smoke Bomb Mks I & II
U.S.N.B.D. - BRITISH BOMBS AND FUZES; PYROTECHNICS; DETONATORS
AIRCRAFT SMOKE BOMBS

 

 

 

 

 

BRITISH BOMB

FUZING

Tail Fuze No. 859

4 LB. SMOKE

COLOR & MARKINGS

Green overall with red

 

band around nose.

BURNING TIME

Mk I: 4 minutes

 

Mk II: 8-12 minutes

Mks I & II

OVERALL LENGTH

7.5"

Mk. IV

BODY LENGTH

7.5"

(Service)

MAX. BODY DIAMETER

3.6"

 

TOTAL WEIGHT

3 lb. 14 oz.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

BODY CONSTRUCTION:

The bomb consists of a cylindrical metal body closed at both ends and containing a smoke composition. At the tail end of the bomb is a baffle plate secured to the body and provided with a smoke emission hole covered by a strip of primed fabric held in place by two strips of adhesive tape. Beneath the baffle plate is an igniter pellet secu-red to a strawboard washer. The hole in the washer is filled with match composition which contacts the igniter pellet. The igniter pellet is set in the smoke composition.

Above the baffle plate is screwed and cemented into the fuze adapter

FUNCTIONING:

When the bomb is released from the Small Bomb Conatiner, the safety cap of the fuze is drawn off by the action of air resistance on the fabric drogue. The lend sleeve on the wepping tape attached to the safety pin causes the free end of the tape to clear the waisted portion of the fuze body and be caught in the air stream, thus with-drawing the safeyt pin. The fuze is now armed, with the lead ball and striker held away from the detonator by the creep spring alone.

On impact with the target, the fuze functions, and the flash from the detonator passes through the flash hole in the fuze body and fires the primed cambric strip which, in turn, ignites the match composiiton. The match composition fires the igniter pellet, and this ignites the smoke composition.

The smoke generated passes through the smoke emission hole in the baffle plate and builds up pressure beneath the lid, thus bursting the adhesive tape covering the small smoke emission hole in the lid and permitting the smoke to escape into the air. After a short period of time the heat evolved in the bomb melts the solder securing the lid to the bomb body and the pressure of the smoke then forces off the lid.

SUSPENSION:

These bombs are designed to be carried either in 250 lb. Small Bomb Container or the 500 lb. Cluster Projectile, No. 6 Mk I, Smoke. In the former, the bombs are packed 14 in a metal case, and three cases are placed in the Container. In the latter, 90 bombs are carried in five tiers of 18 bombs each. They are placed end to end longitudi-nally, with the fuzes pointed in opposite directions in alternate tiers.

EXPLOSIVE COMPONENTS:

1. Cambric strip primed with S.R. 252.
  2. Cambric square primed with sulphurless gunpowder.
  3. ¼ lb. Smoke Composition S.R. 269 (M)
  4. 3-¼ lb. Smoke Composition S.R. 264 A (M)

REMARKS:

1. Spontaneous ignition of smoke compositions may results if filling is wetted, espe-cially by sea water.

2. The bombs are dropped from aircraft to produce a smoke screen to cover land operations.

3. The Mk II bomb is identical to the Mk I, except that the smoke compositopn is slower burning.

4. Mk IV: similar to the Mk II, except that the closing lid of the bomb body and the igniter pellet are slightly altered.

400 lb. Incend. Bomb Mk I100 lb. Smoke Bomb Mks I & II