27
shows the 20 mm. Oerlikon drum. This holds about 60 rounds and is of all-metal construction, about 6 in. thick and 11 in. wide, and when full it weighs just over 60 lb. In the foreground can be seen a short length of 7.92 mm. metal machine-gun belting holding a few rounds of ammunition.
All ammunition containers should be handled with the greatest care.
8. WHISTLE ATTACHMENT FOR SCREAMING BOMBS
Two types of whistle, sometimes attached to the vanes of German high explosive bombs, causing them to scream as they fall, are illustrated in Figure 35. These whistles are often found near the scene of a bomb explosion.
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Figure 35.—Whistle Attachments for Screaming Bombs
One type is a black cardboard tube, shaped like an organ pipe. The other model is an adapted bayonet scabbard, with an attachment for fastening it to one of the vanes of the bomb. Both models are approximately 14 in. in length and 1½ in. in diameter, the vent being about 4 in. from the closed end, which is rounded. Owing to mechanical weakness, the former often breaks in two at the vent and the parts may be found separately.
In the second type, the body of the pipe is sometimes a hollow sheet-metal tube, spot-welded in two seams down the side, with a wooden nose secured to the tongue of the metal tube by two nails.
(Note: 1-kg. incendiary bombs have also been found fixed to the vanes of a 50-kg. H.E. bomb by clips.)
9. GERMAN CONTAINERS
The Germans are now using a large number of different containers to carry small incendiary and anti-personnel bombs, and flares. Most recent types are marked "AB" or "ABB" and are meant to open at approximately predetermined heights below the aircraft, according to fuze setting. The initials AB stand for "Abwurf" = a throwing out, "Behälter = a container, which taken together indicate the later types which are released intact from the aircraft; the additional B stands for "Brandbomben" = incendiary bomb, though other than incendiary bombs may now be carried in containers marked ABB. The BdC 10, BSK 36, Mark 500 Boden, Mark 250 BK and Mark 250 LK are. also released from the aircraft.
Where the numeral used corresponds with an H.E. bomb of the same weight, e.g. AB 250, AB or ABB 500, and AB 1000, the container occupies the same stowage space as the equivalent H.E. bomb, i.e. 250 kg., 500 kg. or 1000 kg.
