|
|
| U.S.N.B.D. - BRITISH BOMBS AND FUZES; PYROTECHNICS; DETONATORS |
| BRITISH FUZES & PISTOLS |
|
|
|
|
|
|
BRITISH TAIL PISTOL |
|
|
BOMBS USED IN |
G.P. 250 & 500 lb Mks I, II, |
NO. 53 |
|
|
IV; 1000, 1900, & 4000 | |
|
|
lbs. | |
|
|
M.C. bombs, all. | |
|
|
S.A.P. 250 & 500 lb. Mk V |
(No. 53A - See REMARKS below) |
|
|
A.P. 2000 lb. Mks I, II & |
|
|
|
III (dimensions are identi- |
(Service) |
|
|
cal to those of No. 28 & |
|
|
|
No. 30 pistols, thus could |
|
|
|
be used in any bombs in |
|
|
|
which the latter are used). | |
|
FUNCTIONING |
Chemical Long Delay; ½ | |
|
|
and 1 hour delays. | |
|
ARMED CONDITION |
Assumed armed if dropped; | |
|
|
armed is arming fork is threaded down to bottom of arming | |
|
|
fork cavity in pistol. | |
|
FUZES USED WITH |
None | |
|
ARMING TIME |
Eight arming fork revolutions, or if dropped from sufficient | |
|
|
height to break ampoule. | |
|
IDENTIFICATION |
Similar to No. 37 Mk IV pistol, except V-shaped notch around | |
|
|
pistol in center of knurled exterior is painted white | |
|
MAX. BODY DIAMETER |
2" | |
|
OVERALL LENGTH |
4.25" |
|
|
DESCRIPTION: |
|
This pistol is similar in appearance to the No. 37 Mk IV, except that the notch around the knurled exterior is painted white, and there is no anti-withdrawal device in-corporated. Internally, the fuze differs from the No. 37 Mk IV in that a modified striker assembly is used to enable shorter delays to be obtained. The striker is retained by a row of balls around its head. The balls retain the striker by their contact with a cham-fered thrust sleeve which, in turn, is located by a celluloid disc. The pistol is fitted with a broken ampoule indicating device, similar to that incorporated in the No. 37 Mk V, consisting of a blotting paper indicating ring fixed to the base of the pistol head. The arming screw is provided with three slots along a portion of its screwed length. If an ampoule breaks, the tinted acetone passes through these slots into the head of the pistol and stains the blotting paper. |
|
OPERATION: |
|
These pistols are issued assembled for use. When a bomb is fuzed with this pistol, the press cap and safety plate are removed, and the arming screw engaged by the arming fork of the tail. The standard arming vanes on the tail unit will be replaced by the special red colored vanes packed in the pistol box. When the bomb is released of the arming vane of the tail unit and crushes the ampoule, releasing the acetone. The forward movement of the arming screw then continues, and the head of the screw compresses the soft rubber washer, sealing the acetone in the pistol. The solvent act-ion of the acetone softens the celluloid disc so that the thrust sleeve is allowed to move upward, forced by the camming force of the retaining balls against its chamfered edges. The balls are then released, and the striker allowed to operate. |
|
REMARKS: |
|
(1) The 30 minute delay is obtained with Pistol No. 53; the one hour delay, with pis-tol No. 53A. The alternative delays are provided by varying the strength of the ace-tone, which is tinted green for the thirty minute delay and violet for the one hour de-lay. The pistols are shipped with the ampoules assembled, and the ampoules are not to be changed. The times of delay quoted are subject to a variation of approximately plus or minus 30%. |
|
(2) Should a bomb fuzed with a No. 53 or No. 53A Pistol be dropped from a height of 12 inches or more, the bomb must be treated as armed. |
|
(3) It is the practice of the R.A.F. Bomber Command to paint the arming vanes of the tail unit white, but this practice is not general. |
|
|
 |
