WEIGHTS:

Type of Filling

Weight of Filling

Total Weight

Chg/Wt. Ratio

68.9%

71.1%

65.4%

70.9%

FUZING:

Because of numerous instances in water crash landings where depth bombs fu-zed with the AN-Mk 224 or AN-Mk 234 exploded, these two fuzes have been sus-pended from use. As a consequence, the Mk 17, Mk 41 and Mk 44 may be used only if a nose impact fuze is installed.

Nose :

AN-Mk 219 will not arm if dropped from below 2500 ft. when used on bomb with flat nose attachment or flat nose. Requires auxiliary booster and Mk 219 adapter ring. Gives instantaneous action.

Mk 221, Mk 239, delay of .01 seconds; will not arm on flat nose if dropped from below 2500 ft.

AN-M103, AN-M103A1 (Instantaneous only); special vanes for flat nose bombe.

BODY CONSTRUCTION:

Mk 17-2 and Mk 44: These depth bombs are made with round noses welded to a cylindrical steel tube. There is a strengthening disc around the nose and a steel strip along suspension lug to reinforce the body. The transverse fuze pocket is 11.9 in. aft of the nose. To prevent ricochet and improve underwater trajectory a flat nose attachment is made for these bombs, the attachments being in the shape of a bucket which fits down over the nose and is filled with plaster of paris, increasing the weight of the bomb by 44 lbs. Bomb case extremely thin.

Mk 41 and Mk 47: These bombs constructed with a flat nose, there being a slight taper from the walls to the nose. The body is in three pieces, the sides being tubular with a transverse fuze pocket welded in place 15 in. aft of the nose.

SUSPENSION:

Suspension of these bombs is by the usual dual or single lugs, the lugs being welded to the bomb. The single lug is actually somewhat different than is usually found, being in the form of a bracket rather than a lug. Trunnions on a band are for displacement gear in dive bombing.

TAIL CONSTRUCTION:

Instead of employing the box type tail these bombs use a drum tail. Loocking at it from the after end, it is circular and has four fins extending at right angles to each other. The fins are spot welded to a cone which fits over the after end of the bomb. The fins are also spot welded to the drum shroud. The tail is bolted onto the base of the bomb.

COLOR & MARKINGS:

Olive drab overall with 1" yellow band around nose, 1" band on each side around atwartship fuze well, and 1/4" band around center of gravity. TNT loaded bombs have weight and Mark number stencilled in yellow; Torpex loaded have items sten-cilled in blue.

REMARKS:

The Mk 17 - 325 lb. bomb is TNT loaded but has a light tail assembly; the Mk 17-1 is the same except a sturdier tail assembly is used; the Mk 17-2 is similar to the Mod 1 but has a larger filling hole.

The Mk 17 is obsolete; the Mk 17-1-2, the Mk 44, 47 and 41 are obsolescent.