14
which contains the separating charge, the delay fuze, the H.E. filling and detonator, is 5⅜ in. long, flat nosed, and is a push fit on the turned-down portion of the 1 kg. bomb, to which it is secured by four small pins. The overall length is 1 ft. 8½ in. The wall thickness is slightly more than that of the I.B.E.N., but the arming wire and safety pin are of the same type. The tail is painted field grey, the incendiary portion green, and the explosive portion black. The letter Z is stamped on the incendiary portion just below the tail and a Z is painted in red on the flat nose. On impact the incendiary portion is ignited in the normal way, the separating charge, which consists of a small pellet about ⅛ in. thick and ¾ in. diameter, blows the incendiary and H.E. containers apart, igniting the delay fuze; the delay fuze subsequently actuates the detonator and the H.E. charge after a delay which may be varied to a maximum of at least 7½ minutes.
Markings of bombs with explosive charges
Incendiary bombs with the explosive charge in the tail, irrespective of whether the nose plug is electron or steel, are known to the Germans as type A, viz.: B 1 EZ–A and B 1.3 EZ–A respectively. These are distinguishable by a red-painted A on the nose and a stamped Z (= delayed action bomb) on the shoulder of the bomb. The A was later omitted but the Z retained.
Incendiary bombs with the explosive charge in the nose plug irrespective of whether the nose plug is electron or steel are known as type B; viz., B 1 EZ–B and B 1.3 EZ–B. These were at first marked by a red painted B on the flat of the nose; a later marking is ZB or B stamped on the nose. (See also the markings given on the I.B.E.N. and I.B.S.E.N. in Figures 12 and 13.)
(N.B.—Magnesium bombs, when burning on wet ground, may smell like acetylene, which sometimes gives rise to mistaken reports that they are of a type containing calcium carbide.)
(ii) Larger Types of Incendiary Bombs
Oil Bombs
There is an oil bomb weighing 110 kg. which has approximately the same external dimensions as, and to some extent resembles, a 250 kg. H.E. bomb, as will be seen from Figure 15. This bomb is known as "Flam C250 C." An earlier version known as "KC 250 GB" is shown in Figure 17, which illustrates the "method of filling"; the nose piece of this bomb is shown in Fig. 16.
A modified type of this bomb has no aperture, but instead the nose is covered by a cap, shaped like a saucepan and secured to the nose by a bolt fitted into the suspension lug socket.
A larger oil bomb weighing about 250 kg. of the same approximate dimensions as a 500 kg. H.E. bomb has also been dropped. (Note: The Germans call these oil bombs Flammenbomben, i.e. flame bombs, the latest types being known as Flam C 250 C and Flam C 500).
Phosphorus-oil bomb (Ph.I.B.)
This bomb contains a dark and extremely viscous liquid consisting of phosphorus, oil and a rubber solution in a casing similar to that of a 50 kg. H.E. bomb, which is split open on impact by the usual type of fuze, and may, scatter the sticky liquid contents some yards. The contents, which ignite spontaneously, have a total weight of about 25 lb.; of this 86.% is benzene, 10% rubber and 4% phosphorus. The case of the bomb is 2 ft. 6 in. long and 8 in. in diameter, with a wall about ⅛ in. thick (see Figure 18). It appears to be built in one piece
