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DECLASSIFIED

By 04 . na RA Dale 6 f 5/0 *1
CBNHDENUAt OP 16 64 (Vol. 1)

•W irO ?A ?E ^ t- i a
JH TS nV AL J. ! , j f
YSAfl
WMATICAZM
■**> am W O . 10

U.S. EXPLOSIVE ORDNANCE

_ DQg .'3 ■■'. . i.n y .,a

affT ERV ALc, KIT A .■fQH'.TIOALLY
28 MAY 1947 i . j . vG J tt if l 62 Q 0. 1Q

This publication is G O O E N tM l and shall be safeguarded in accordance with the security provisions of U.S. Navy

Regulations, 1920. Article 76.

 NAVY DEP ARTM ENT
BUREAU OF ORDNANCE
WA SH ING TO N 25 . D. C.

CONFIDE NTIAL 28 May 1947.

ORDNANCE PAM PHLET 1664
UNITED STATES EXPLOSIVE ORDNANCE

1. Ordnance Pamphlet 1664 describes a nd illust rates U nited States Navy

projectiles, Army and Navy rockets, pyrotechnics, grenades, land mines,
bombs, and guided missiles.

2. This publication contains informat ion on the char acter istics of con­
struct ion and operat ion o f value to th e stude nt o f ordnance.

3. This publication supersedes the handbooks on American explosive

ordnance published by th e U. S. Navy Bomb Disposal School, all copies of
which ahull be destroyed in accordance with applicab le secur ity regulations.

1. This publication is CONFID ENTIAL and shall be safegua rded in ac­

cordance with the securit y provisions of U. S. Navy Regulations, 1920,
Article 76.

G. F. Hussey , J r.,
Vice Adm iral, U.S. N ary ,
Chi ef of the Bureau of Ordnance.
 CONTENTS
GEN ERA L IN TR OD UC TIO N Pape
In tr od uc tio n.......................................... 183
Par i I Arm y nose fuz es................................. 183
Arm y base fuzes (se rvi ce )................. 187
PROJECTILES , PROPELLANTS, AN D Arm y base fuzes (e xp eri me nta l)...... 189
PROJECTILE FUZES Navy nose fuz es................................. 191
Page Navy base fuz es................................. 215
Cha pte r 1 — P ro je ct il es .......................... 7 Navy auxi liary det ona ting fu ze .......... 224
Intr odu ctio n ......................................... 7
3-inch pr oj ec til es .................................. 25 Port 3
4-inch pr oj ec til es ................................. 30
5-inch pr oj ec til es ................................. 33 PY RO TEC HN ICS
6-inch proje ctiles ........................... 47 Ch apt er 7 — Intro ducti on ...................... 227
7-inch pr oj ec til es .......... . ..................... 52 Cha pte r 8 — Ai rcr aft Pyr ote chn ics ........ 229
8-inch pr oj ec til es .................................. 54 Pist ol and hand- size si gn als .................. 229
12-inch p ro je ct ile s................................ 57 Dr ift s ig n al s.......................................... 236
14-inch p ro je ct ile s................................ 59 Navy flares ............................. . . . . . . 238
16-inch pr oj ec til es ................................ 62 Depth char ge an d slick m ar ke rs.......... 249
20-mm pr oj ec til es ................................ 65 Army fl a re s .......................................... 251
40-mm pr oj ec til es ................................ 70 A.A. ta rg et fla res .................................. 255
1.1-inch pr oj ec ti le s.............................. 72 Ta rg et identifica tion bom bs................ 257
“Po und er” pr oj ec til es .......................... 73 Smoke stre am er bom bs........................ 261
7.2-inch pr oj ec ti le ................................ 74 Photoflash b o m b s................................ 262
Cha pter 2 — Cartr idge Cases and Bag Cha pter 9 — Ground P yro tec hni cs.......... 265
C ha rg es .............................................. 75 Sign als ................................................. 265
In tr od uc tio n.......................................... 75 Fla res ................................................... 273
Ca rtrid ge case specif ication s................ 78 Cha pter 10 — Shipbo ard Py ro tec hn ics .. 281
Bag am m un iti on .................................. 79 Sur fac e vessel ite m s.............................. 281
Ex isti ng servi ce rou nd s........................ 80 Subm arine py rotec hnics ...................... 291
Cha pter 3 — Pro ject ile Fu zes .................. 89
Intro duct ion .......................................... 89 Pa rt 4
Poi nt d eto nat ing fu zes .......................... 91
Nose tim e fu zes ...................................... 103 GRE NAD ES
V.T. fu z e s ................................................. 112 Cha pter 11 — Hand Gr en ade s....... 301
Auxi liary det ona ting fuz es...................... 119 Cha pter 12 — Rifle Grena de#......... 311
Base fuzes ............. ................................. 124 In tr od uc tio n................................. 311
Cha pte r 4 — Pr ime rs and Tr ac er s.......... 137 Rifle gren ade s (l is tin g) ............... 312
Introduction ............................................ 137 Ch apt er 13 — Projecti on Ada pter s . . . . 316
P ri m e rs ..................................................... 138 Cha pte r 14 — Tree Suspension Dev ice. . 319
Tra cer s ..................................................... 141
Part 5
Part 2
LAN D MIN ES AN D FIR ING DEVICES
ROCKET S AN D ROCK ET FUZES Cha pte r 15 — Land M in es ....................... 321
Cha pte r 5 — Rocket Bodies.................... 145 Intro ducti on .......................................... 321
Intro duct ion .......................................... 145 An ti-t ank m in es .................................... 321
Arm y rock ets (se rv ice )........................ 150 Anti- perso nnel m in e s.......................... 328
Arm y rock ets (de velo pme ntal ).......... 157 Tr ip f lares for mine fields...................... 330
Navy ro ck ets ......................................... 161 F ir ec ra ck er ........................................... 332
Chap ter 6 — Rocke t Fu ze s........................ 183 Cha pte r 16 — Fuz es and Firi ng Devices 333

• ••
C O N F tD E N H A t III
U. S. EXPLOSIVE O RD NA NC E OP 1664

Part 6
Chap ter 20 — Bomb F uz es ........................ 447
BOMBS AN D BOMB FUZES In tr od uc ti on ............................................. 447
Pay?
Arm y-de sign ed fuz es ............................ 454
Cha pter 17 — Exp losiv e Bo mb s................. 317
Na vy- des ign ed f u z e s .............................. 511
Intr odu ctio n ............................................. 317
Ign ite r fuz es and ig ni te rs ...................... 537
“ Modified M ark” se rie s (o bs ol et e) . . . . 317
“M” s e r ie s .................................................. 351
N av y “Mk” se ri es ..................................... 363 Part 7
“ A N ” s e r i e s ............................................. 383
Ar my expe rime ntal ty p es ...................... 411 GU IDE D MISSILES AN D FUZES
Cha pter 18 — Chemical. Incen diary , and Chapte r 21 — M iss ile s................................ 543
Smoke B om b s....................................... 416 In tr od uc tio n............................................. 543
In tr od u ct io n .............................................. 416 Bure au o f Ordn ance m is si le s................. 544
“M” s e r ie s .................................................. 416 Bureau of Aer ona utic s m is si le s........... 519
"Mk” se ri e s....................................... 123 A.A .F. m is si le s......................................... 555
"A N” s e r i e s ............................................. 426 Sim ilar p r o je ct s....................................... 563
Cha pter 19 — Pr actic e Bo mb s.................. 439 Chapte r 22 — Fu zes a nd D es tr uc to rs ,, . 567
Na vy P rac tice bom bs.............................. 439 F u z e s .......................................................... 567
Arm y pract ice bom bs.............................. 413 D es tr u ct or s............................................... 578

CO NF ID EN TI AL
 GENERA L INTR ODU CTIO N
Scope
This publication is a revision and compilation
of the handbooks on American explosive ord­
nance published during World War II by the
U.S. Navy Bomb Disposal School. With some
exceptions, it should serve as an encyclopedia
of U.S. explosive and pyrotechn ic ordnance as
of Febr uary 1916.
Included arc : U.S. guided missiles, bombs,
rockets, land mines, grenades, pyrotechnics,
and Navy projectiles. Not covered are : Army
artil lery ammunition, demolition explosives and
equipment, under water or floating ordnance,
small arms ammunition, or catap ult charges,
etc.
Such char acte risti cs of construc tion and op­
erati on as are significant to th e ordnance stu­
dent receive tho rough trea tme nt. Other techni­
cal d etails are omitted.
Most of the items are grouped according to
size; but, where t his is impractica ble, numerical
or typ e arra nge men t is employed.
To make the publication more serviceable
for peacetime use, practice items arc included
in t he ir approp riate sections.
Status
Ordnance included was t ha t classified as serv­
ice, tog eth er with some obsolete, obsolescent,
and experim ental types. The e xperimenta l items
were thos e being actively developed in the
sprin g of 19-16. with the probabilit y tha t they
would soon he st andardized .
Ob so let e and ob sol esc en t eq uip me nt
scribed was th at which might still be in exist ­
ence in depots o r dumps at th e time of writ ing.
Nom enc latu re
When a Navy ordnance item is approved for
testi ng, it is assigned its Mark number. It re­
tain s this Mark number whe ther finally ap­
proved for service use or reje cted. Modifications
CONFIDENTIAL
to th e ori gin al Mark design arc trea ted like­
wise. Army ite m s und er de ve lop me nt arc as ­
signed “T ” numbers . If the item is sta ndard ized
by the Army’s Ordnance Technical Committee,
the “T” designation is dropped and an “M”
numbe r is assigned. When a modification on a
"T” item is made, the change is given an “E ”
numb er: for insta nce, "T1E1 ”. If the modifica­
tion is adopted as a stan dard item, the modifica­
tion gets an "A" num ber in sequence of chang e
on the stand ard item: for instance, "M66AI ,
M66A2”. The Army’s Chemical W ar far e Se rv ­
ice uses “E” and "R” designati ons for experi ­
mental items instead of th e “T” and “E” num ­
b e r , respectively, of th e Ordnance Depar tment.
For ai rcr aft ordnance th er e a re items which are
standard ized for both the Navy and the Army.
These are given the lett ers “AN” before the ir
original stan dard name; thus, AN-Mk 33 or
AN-M63A2.
Prio r to Ju ne 19*25. the A m y’s nomenc lature
for bombs was by a Mark and a Roman nu­
meral. like the early Naval Mark designatio ns,
but t he modifications were d istinguish ed by t he
let ter “M” and anot her Roman numeral (Mk
I M II) where the Navy used the abbrevia tion
"Mod”, (Mk 1 Mod 2). In 1925, the Army-
adopted the “M” system. The Army-Navy
Standa rdizati on Board was create d in June ,
1941.
Ame rica n high explosives
Two scales are employed to compare sens i­
tivi ty of explosives. The first of these is the
de ­ "Lab orato ry Impact Sens itivit y” in which the
ratio of the d rop of a given weight neces sary
to deton ate the explosive unde r discussion to
the drop necessary to deton ate TNT, is ex­
pressed on a percentage basis. TNT will be given
as 100. The second is a scale of "Bullet Impac t
Sensi tivity” with RDX rate d at 0 and TNT at
100. The othe r explosives ar e expressed in re ­
lation to these two. Velocity of detona tion
I
U .S . EXPLOSIVE O RD NA NC E
var ies dire ctly with the den sity to which the
explosive is cas t or press ed, all oth er fact ors
bein g cons tant . The velocity of deto natio n will,
the ref ore , be given for a defini te dens ity of
loadin g.
TN T (T rin itro tol uo l): TNT is powerful, bri-
sa nt, easy to load by cas tin g since its meltin g
poin t (Grad e A) is 80.2 deg ree s C., stabl e un­
der all stowag e conditions , insen sitiv e enough
to sta nd all normal hand ling, and even capable
of sta nd ing b ullet imp act when cas t. The Navy
uses it as a boost er in a press ed gra nu lar form
in whic h it is mor e sens itive to det ona tor action.
Th e velocity of deto nati on is 22,300 ft./ sec .
at a den sity of 1.55. It s Lab orat ory Impa ct
Valu e is 100. Its Bullet Imp act Value is 100.
Its color is yellow to buff.
Te try l (T ri n it ro p h en y lm et h y ln it ra m in e) :
Te try l, bec ause of its combin ation of high power,
brisa nce, and sens itiv ity, is the sta nd ard U. S.
boo ster cha rge, a lthou gh the N avy still uses an
appre ciabl e amo unt of gr an ula r TNT. It has
been trie d for main cha rge loads in s mall cali­
ber proje ctiles , bu t ha s proved too sensitive
to wi ths tan d the setb ack in all but 20-mm. It
is use d as a base cha rge in compound deto nato rs.
Thi s, in e ffect, makes it a small boos ter in in­
tim ate cont act with th e ini tia tin g explosive.
The melt ing point of Tet ryl (130 degre es C.)
is too high to allow it to be melted and cast.
It is loaded by being mixed with small qua nti­
ties of g rap hit e or ste ari c acid which serve to
lub rica te it while it is being press ed into pel­
lets. Tet ryl is quite saf e to hand le and is ex­
trem ely stab le in stow age. Exposed or loose
Te try l should not be handle d, as it may cause
der ma titi s.
The velocity of deto natio n is 24,400 ft./ sec .
a t a den sity of 1.55. Its color is ligh t yellow,
but it is usually gray because of th e grap hite .
It is more powerful th an TNT. Its Labo rato ry
Impa ct Value is 45. It s Bulle t Impa ct Value
is 61.
Explosi ve D ( Ammonium Pic rat e) : Ex plosive
D is the s tan dar d main cha rge for armo r-pier c­
ing bombs a nd proj ecti les and oth er Navy pro­
ject iles . While its power und brisa nce arc
2 CO NF ID EN TI AL
OP 1664
slig htly infe rior to TNT, it is much more in­
sens itive to shock and will stan d impa ct on
arm or pla te wi tho ut bein g defla grate d. It has
two oth er d isad van tag es: (1) Its melt ing point
is too high for it to be melted and cast , and
it is the ref ore loaded by being press ed into
cases by a hydr aulic ra m; (2) It rea cts with
meta ls to form extr eme ly sen sitiv e co mpounds.
This is coun tera cted by coveri ng th e int eri or
of bombs o r p roje ctil es with acid-proo f lac quer.
Its ra te of deto natio n is 21,300 ft. /se c. at
a dens ity of 1.48. Its power and brisa nce are
abou t 95% thos e of TNT. Its Lab orat ory Im­
pact Value is 99; its Bullet Impa ct Value is
over 100. Its color is yellow or yellow-orange.
RDX (Cy don ite Cye lotr ime thyl enet rinit ra-
mine) : RDX is the mo st power ful and bri san t of
the mil itary high explosives, and it is consi d­
ered much too sens itive to Use alo ne. It seems
to be about hal f w ay be twee n T etry l a nd PETN
in sens itivi ty. RDX is bein g used exten sively
in mi xtu res of o the r expl osives an d i ne rts which
reduce the sen siti vit y to a saf e rang e, while
the mix ture s have a very high brisa nce and
power du e t o th e RDX. I t has exce llent stowag e
qualiti es, but, because of its sen siti vity , it is
shipped immersed in wa ter like an ini tia tin g
explosive. The velocity of deto natio n is 28,000
ft. /se c. a t a dens ity of 1.70. Its Laboratory-
Impa ct Value is 34. Its Bulle t Impa ct Value
is 0. Its color is white .
PETN (P en ta er yt hr ite te tr an itr at e) : PETN
resem bles RDX in its cha rac teri stic s. It is some­
wh at more se nsitive , bu t almo st equal in power
and brisan ce. It is appre ciably more sensi tive
to percuss ion and imp act tha n Tet ryl and is,
the refo re, not used alone as a booste r, thou gh
it is being used as a base cha rge in so me com­
pound det ona tors in the way Tet ryl is. The
tendency of PET N to bur n is much less tha n
th at of sim ilar explosives. Its main use alone
in th e service is i n p rima cord. Wh en u sed alone,
PETN is combined with a small qu ant ity of wax
to desen sitize and lubr icat e it, and is loaded
by pre ssin g. It is im por tan t t o know t ha t P ETN
in prim acord is very insen sitive to flame, shock,
and fricti on, and the ref ore mu st be deto nated
by a cap.

The velocity of d eton ation o f P ETN is 26.000
ft ./s ec . Th e velocity of d eton atio n of priniac ord
is 20,500 ft. /se c. Its Lab orat ory Impa ct Value
is 22. I ts B ullet Imp act Value, tho ugh no t given,
would be abo ut equal to RDX (0 ). It s color is
whit e.
Ila lei te (EDN A, Eth yle ned ini tra mi ne ): Halc-
ite is a new explosive th at proba bly will not be
used alone, but will be used in combin ation
with o th er explosives. It is som ewh at mo re pow­
erfu l tha n TXT. Its sen sit ivi ty is abo ut the
sam e a s Tetr yl. It melt s a t 180 de gree s C., but
one rep ort sta tes th at it may det ona te in the
man ner of an ini tia tin g explosi ve at th at tem­
pe ra tu re or a lit tle lower. If loaded alone, it
would be pressed . Its ra te of deto natio n is
25,000 ft ./s ec . a t a den sity of 1.5. I ts Lab ora­
tor y Imp act Value is 46. Its Bulle t Im pact Value
is not availa ble.
Nit rog uan idin e: Nit rog uani dine is th e explo­
sive inco rpora ted in the Nav y’s new double-
based prop ella nt powder, SPC G. I t is un usual in
being a high explosive th at is so cool in its
reac tion th at it explodes wi tho ut Hash. It is
comp arabl e in str en gt h to TNT, and its sensi­
tiv ity is of the same orde r. It s ra te of deto na­
tion is 24.400 f t./ se c. a t a den sity o f 150.
Ama tol: Amatol, a su bs tit ute for TNT, is a
mi xtu re of ammoniu m ni tra te and TN T; the
perc enta ge of ammoniu m ni tra te , depend ing
upon th e avai labil ity of TNT, has varied from
40 % to 80% . Its power and brisa nce decrease
with the incre asing perc enta ges of nit ra te, and
it s sen siti vit y de cr ea se s a t the same time.
However, it is still a fairl y good high explo­
sive, even when the TNT is reduced to 20%.
80/2 0 c an no t be cas t, since i t is no t fluid enough
to po ur even when TNT is molten, and it th er e­
fore mu st be loaded by ext rus ion . Amatol has
a disa dva nta ge in th at it is very hygroscop ic
and the ref ore is usuall y prot ecte d by a seali ng
pour of pure TNT.
The velocity of deton ation of 50/5 0 is 19,700
ft. /se c. a t a dens ity of 1.54. It s Lab orato ry
Impa ct Value is 93. Its Bullet Impa ct Value is
abo ut 100. Its color is buff.
CONFIDENTIAL.
GENERAL INTRO DUCTIO N
Composition B: Composition B is inte nded
to be used as a more powerfu l replace ment fo r
TN T in the loading of some of the large size
G.P. bombs, and in fra gm en tat ion bombs. It
will be used whe re an explos ive with mor e
powe r an d brisa nce is of tact ica l a dva nta ge and
th er e is no objec tion to a slig ht incre ase of
sen sitiv ity.
Composition BI is a mix tur e of 59% RDX,
•10% TNT. and 1% wax. Composition B2 is a
mi xtu re of 60% RDX, 40% TNT. The TNT
cu ts down th e sen siti vit y of th e RDX to a
saf e rang e and lowers the melt ing point to 81
deg ree s C., allowing the ma teri al to be cas t-
loaded.
Composition B mi ght be deto nate d a t low
or de r by bulle t impa ct, bu t it is almo st as in­
sen sit ive a s TNT in th is resp ect . It has an ex­
trem ely high shap ed-c harg e efficiency. Its ve ­
locity of deto nati on is 24,500 ft./ se c. a t a
den sity of 1.60. It s tota l ene rgy of bla st in
air is abo ut 116% of th at of TNT. Its Lab ora ­
tor y Impa ct Value is 79. Its Bullet Im pac t
Value is 79. It s color is yeQow to brown.
To rpe x: Torp ex is one of th e explosives de ­
veloped dur ing thi s wa r to be used mainly in
un der wa ter ordnance. The or igin al Torp ex (To r­
pex 1) was a mix tur e of 45% RDX, 37% TNT ,
18% Alumin um powder (1% wax adde d). To r­
pex 2. which is now being used, is 42% RDX,
40% TNT, 18% Aluminum powder (1% wax
add ed) . It is used in mines, torp edo war hea ds,
and dep th bombs. T orpex is mo re s ensit ive th a n
TNT : its bullet impact and drop te st sen siti vi­
tie s ar e of th e same ord er as thos e of Te try l.
It is quit e s table in stow age, th ough it produ ces
gas, caus ing pre ssu re in th e case. It is ins ens i­
tive enough to stan d all normal handling . It s
mel ting point is low enough fo r it to be cas t-
loa de d. Its velocity of deto natio n is 24,000 f t ./
sec. at a dens ity of 1.72. It is 141% as power­
ful as TNT. Its Lab ora tory Imp act Value is 53.
It s Bullet Imp act Value is 48. I ts colo r is sla te
gray .
DBX (Dep th Bomb Ex plo sive ): I)BX is an ­
ot he r aluminiz ed RDX mix ture , and its name
3
U. S. EXPLOSIVE O RD NA NC E
sug ges ts i ts intended use. It is 21' i RDX. 21%
Aluminum Ni tra te, 10% TNT . 18% Aluminum.
It was designed to replace Torp ex. which it
closely resemble s in sen siti vit y, str en gth , bri-
san ce, and ener gy of shock in wate r, but half
of th e str ate gic RDX in Torpe x is replaced
by Ammonium N itr ate in DBX. It will prol>
abl y not be used, a s th e pre sen t supply o f RDX
see ms a deq uate to mee t the demand. DBX can
lie cast, tho ugh its m el ti n g ra ng e of 98-105
deg ree s C. is abou t th e upp er limit. It s velocity
of deto nati on is 22,300 ft./ se c. a t a densit y of
1.68. It is 143% as powerfu l as TNT under
wa ter . It s L abo rat ory Im pact Value is no t given.
Its Bullet Impa ct Value is 51. Its color is gray.
IIB X: IIBX is a new mi xtu re designed to
repl ace Torpe x in dep th bombs. It has been
loaded in th e Fla t Nose Bomb AN-Mk 54 Mod
1. IIBX is 40% R D X , 38% TNT , 17% Alumi­
num powder, 5% des ensi tize r. Te sts indicate
th a t it will lie ab out 98% to 100% as powerful
as Torpex, th at it will definit ely be less sensi­
tiv e than Torpe x in bot h Lab orat ory Impact
and Bullet Impact, th a t it will lie sl ight ly more
sens itiv e in the se resp ects th an TNT, and th at
it will be abo ut th e same ord er as Compo­
sit ion B.
A difficulty with Torp ex and IIBX is th at
th ey produce gas and build up pres sure in the
cas e dur ing stowage. It In s been discovered
th a t 0.5% by weig ht of calc.um chloride added
to th e mix tur e will abs orb all the mois ture and
elim inat e th e produc tion of gas. It has been
recomm ended th at th is perc ent age be added and
th at the res ulti ng mi xtu res be desi gnat ed Tor­
pex 3 and IIBX 1.
Compositi on A: Compositi on A is a mixt ure
of 91% RDX and 9% plas ticiz ing oil. The oil
con ten t is sufficient to dese nsiti ze the mix ture
and lubr icat e it enough to allow it to be p ressed
int o A.A. shells, which will probab ly be its
princ ipal use. It is less sens itiv e tha n TNT
in both dro p and bull et impa ct tes ts. It is
appr ecia bly more br isa nt and powe rful, as is
indica ted by i ts velocity of d eton atio n of 27,000
ft ./s ec . at a dens ity of 1.62. Its Lab orato ry
Im pac t Value is 105. Its Bullet Impact Value
4 CON FIDE NTIA L
OP 1664
is over 100. It s color may lie whit e or buff,
depend ing upon th e color of the oil.
Tc try tol : T etry tol is a mix ture o f T etr yl and
TNT <70/30 i s a fre qu ent ratio .) It is de signed
to ob tain a Tetr yl boos ter th at ma y be cas t. This
mix ture is sligh tly less powerfu l an d less sens i­
tive th an T etry l. It s par ticu lar u se is in bu rst er
tube s for chemical bombs, in dem olition blocks,
and in cast shape d cha rges . It cann ot be used
where the loaded item is immersed in hot ex ­
plosive. as are the au xil iar y boos ters in th e
loading of Army bombs, because it will be re-
melted by the hea t and sep arat ion will resu lt.
It is approve d for use in all oth er booste rs.
Its velocity of deto nati on is 2-1,000 ft./ sec .
at a den sity of 1.60. It s Lab ora tory Impact
Value is 45. It s Bul let Impa ct Value is 65. Its
color is yellow.
Pen toli fc: Pen tolit e is a mix ture o f TN T an d
PET N, usually 50/50 . Its chief uses have been
in small shell loading, in gren ades , and in cast
shap ed charg es. It ha s a very high shape d-
cha rge efficiency. It is not as stab le as TNT
in sto wage, and sep arat ion of P ETN may o ccur.
Effo rts should be made to keep it cool. It s sen­
sit ivi ty is such th at it cann ot be drilled , and
th e fuze cavit ies in shell s th at mu st be drilled
ar e poured with 90/1 0. It is abo ut th e same
sen siti vity as Tet ryl in drop tes ts, and more
sen siti ve tha n Torpex to bulle t impa ct. Its
brisa nce and power are equi vale nt to Composi­
tion B. At a dens ity of 1.65, its ra te of deto na­
tion is 21,000 ft. /se c. It s Lab orat ory Impact
Value is 17. Its Bullet Impa ct Value is 48.
Ed nat ol: Ednato l is a mi xtu re o f 57 % EDNA
and 43% TNT. desig ned to ease the sho rtag e
of RDX. In the ne ar fu tur e, it will be loaded
as a su bst itu te for Composition B in large G.P.
bombs and frag me nta tion bombs. It is some­
wh at more power ful tha n TNT an d comparab le
in s ens itivi ty. It becomes so ft enough to pour at
80 deg rees C. and it is, the ref ore , cast . It is e n­
tire ly stable in stow age. At a d ens ity of 1,60, it
has a velocity of d eton ation of 24,30(1 ft./ se c. it s
Lab ora tory Im pact Value is n ot given . I ts Bullet
Imp act Value i s 83. It s color is yellow.

PT X -1 : PTX-1 is a new te rn ar y explosive
th at is under going tests and may be adopted
for loadi ng in shells, bombs, gre nade s, mines,
demolit ion blocks, and shap ed cha rges . It is a
mix tur e of 30% RDX, 50% Te try l. and 20%
TNT. Thi s mi xtu re gives a very high explosive
equal to Compositi on B and Pent olite , and
sup erio r t o Tct ryt ol and Edn ntol. It is less sen­
sitiv e th an Tet ryt ol and more st ab le . Its ve­
locity of deto natio n is 24,200 ft./ se c. at a
den sity of 1.06. It s Lab ora tory Im pac t Value
is 40 (es tim ate d). It s Bullet Imp act Value is
not given . Its color is yellow.
PT X -2 : PTX -2 is ano the r ter na ry explosive
mi xtu re under going stud y fo r possible fut ure
use. It cons ists of 43.2% RDX, 28% PETN ,
28.8% TNT. It is slig htly more sens itive in
drop and bullet impac t te st s tha n Composition
B, but a littl e less sens itive tha n Pentoli te.
It is more br isa nt tha n any of the bin ary mix­
tur es now used, which would include Compo­
sitio n B, and is abo ut 10% more effectiv e tha n
Tet ryl as a boost er. It may be us ed a s a boo ster,
as a main cha rge for fra gm ent atio n amm uni­
tion, and as a shape d char ge. It s melt ing point
is su ch th at it will be cast . It s velocity of deto­
natio n is 26,200 ft. /se c. at a den sity of 1.60.
It s Lab ora tory Imp act Value is 50 (es tim ate d).
It s Bullet Impact Value is not given. Its color
is yellow.
Composition C: Composition C-3 is th e only
one of th e Composition C seri es now in pro­
ducti on. thou gh qua ntit ies of th e oth ers may
be found in th e field. It is 77% RDX, 3% Te t­
ryl. 4% TNT, 1% Nitrocellulo se, 5% MNT
(Mon onitr otolu ol), 10% DNT (Din itrot oluo l).
The la st two, while the y ar e explosive*, ar c
oily liquid s and plastici ze th e mix ture . The es­
sentia ] differe nce between Compostion C-3 and
Compos ition C-2 is th e sub stit uti on of 3 % Te t­
ryl fo r 3% RDX, which improv es the plasti c
qual ities . Composition C -l was 88.3% RDX
and 11.7% plasti cizing oil. The chan ges have
been made in o rde r to o btai n a plasti c composi­
tion th a t would mee t th e req uire me nts of an
ideal explosive for molded and shape d char ges
and th at would main tain its pla stic ity over a
CONF IDEN TIAL
general intr odu ctio n
wide ran ge of tem per atu re and not exud e oil.
Composition C-3 is abo ut 1.35 tim es as pow­
erf ul as TNT. Its velocity of deto nati on is 26,-
000 ft. /se c. at a dens ity of 1.58. The Lab ora ­
tor y Impa ct Value is 98. Its Bu llet Imp act Value
is ov er 100. Its color is brow n.
P E P -3 : Thi s is a new plas tic explosive being
tes ted fo r fu tu re use. PE P- 3 is a mix ture of
86% PE TN and 14% plast icizin g oil. PE P- 2
was 85% PETN and 15% oil, b ut it was a l itt le
too soft. PE P- 3 is about 90% as powerful and
br isa nt as Composition C, but its stowa ge st a ­
bili ty and plasti c ran ge are much bet ter . It s
sen siti vity is ab out th e same a s Composition C.
thou gh it has much less tende ncy to burn.
Pic rat ol: Picra tol is a mi xtu re of 52% Ex ­
plosive D and 48% TNT. It is cur ren tly used
in the 2000-lb. S.A .P. Bomb M103 and is un der
cons idera tion f or applianc e in o the r Arm y A .P.’s
and S.A .P/ s. Pic rato l's stab ilit y is abo ut equal
to th ut of Explosiv e D and TNT. It ha s a
ra te of deto nati on of 22,875 ft ./s ec . at a norma l
loadi ng dens ity of 1.625. Brisa ncc tes ts, pea k
pr ess ure tes ts, and impulse te sts indica te th at
Pic rat ol’s des tru ctiv e forc e is some wha t less
tha n th at of TNT, bu t gr ea te r tha n th at of
Explosiv e D.
Cyclotol 70/ 30: Cyclotol 70/ 30, a mix ture of
70% RDX and 30% TNT, closely resem bles
Compositi on B exce pt for th e alt ere d pro por ­
tion s of th e componen ts, and is designed as
a repla ceme nt for Pent olite . It will not, how­
ever , have Pen tolit e’s res ista nce to flame.
Tho ugh res ults of tea ts are not available, Cyclo­
tol may be anti cipa ted to be more sen sitiv e
tha n Composition 15. bu t consid erably less th an
Pento lite.
T ri to n al : Tr ito na l is composed of 80% TN T
and 20% Aluminum powder and is con tem ­
pl at ed fo r use in some 4000-lb. Ligh t-Ca se
Bombs AN-M56, in the JB -2 , and in se v er al
G.P. bo mb s (Arm y 500- and 1000-lb. G.P.’s) ,
wh ere maxim um blast effect is de sired. Trit ona l
is cas t, segr egat ion of the al umin um being pr e­
vent ed by a pellet loading techn ique. The Labo­
ra to ry Impa ct Value i s 8 9; Bullet Imp act Value
is 64; and velocity of deto nati on is 18,000 f t ./
sec. a t a den sity of 1.70.
5
U. S. EXPLOSIVE O R D N A N C E
Mercu ry Ful min ate : Merc ury Fulm inate is
an ini tia tin g explosive th at may be used as
ei th er a p rim er or a-d eto nat or. It may be de to­
na ted by flame, fric tion , or percuss ion, and
in tu rn deton ate a boo ster ; or it may be mixed
wi th othe r ma teri als to form a prim er compo­
sit ion and used to igni te a propell ent charge.
Its melt ing point is much too high for it to
be cas t, and it is loaded by bein g press ed into
cap s. It has one d isad van tag e for mi lita ry use
in th a t it will decompose in s tow age at tropical
tem pe rat ure s and at the end of abo ut thre e
ye ar s may be render ed useles s. Compared to
hig h explos ives, it has l ower po wer and bris ance,
a fa ct which is in dicate d by it s velocity of deto ­
nat ion of 16,500 ft./ se c. at a dens ity of 4.00.
It s Lab ora tory Impa ct Value is 8. Its color
is lig ht yellow.
I>ead Azid e: Lead Azide may be used where
a deto natio n is caused from flame, b ut Mercury
Fulm inate i s gener ally pre fer red where t he cap
is to be se t off by a firing pin. It does have
6 CO NF ID EN TI AL
OP 1664
a dis tin ct adv ant age ove r Mercury Fulm inate
in being completely sta ble in stowag e at ele­
vated tem per atur es. It s rat e of deton ation is o f
the same ord er as Fulm inate , 17,500 ft./ se c.
at a den sity of 4.00. It s Lab orat ory Impa ct
Value is 19. I ts color is w hite.
DDNP : This is a n in iti ati ng explo sive which
has been used for some time in commercial
det ona ting caps and is now b eing used to some
ext ent in mili tary typ es. It is more insens itive
to shock tha n Mercu ry Ful min ate and Lead
Azide, thoug h it may be deto nate d by a sha rp
blow. It will, the ref ore , probabl y be used only
where it will be set off elect rically o r by min er’s
saf ety fuse. It has an adva ntag e in being more
powerful tha n oth er ini tia tin g explosives and
being compara ble in str en gt h to Tet ryl. If un­
confined, flame will cau se i t to flash bu t will not
deto nate it. This, combined w ith it s ins ensi tivit y
to s hock, makes it much more s afe to handle.
 Pa d I
PROJECTILES, PROPELLANTS. AN D PROJECTILE FUZES
Chap ter I — PROJECTILES
Sectio n I — INT RO DU CT ION
Existing type s
The following types of proje ctiles may be
encoun tered .it activ ities in the U.S. Naval
Ser vice :
Armo r-Pier cing: These proje ctiles are de­
signed to pen etr ate an e qual calibe r of Class A
arm or plate, according to te st practic e. The
cha rac teri stic s:
Over-a ll color ........................................Black
Siz es..................... 3", 6", 7", 8", 12", 14" 16"
Explosive filling........................... Explosive D
Load f a c to r............................... 1.5% to 2.7%
Fuz ing ........ Base deton ating or base ignition
Since it is desirable to keep the cen ter of
gra vity of a proje ctile to the re ar of (or in t he
immedia te vicinity of) the cen ter of the form,
and as a relativ ely long ogive is conducive to
long range, it h as been advan tageo us to adopt
ligh t nose pieces or false ogivals termed wind­
shields. The windshield is made o f eit he r forged
mild steel, steel stampi ng, or aluminum . It has
no special str en gth oth er tha n to preven t de­
stru ctio n du rin g handling and set-back on firing.
Windshields are screwed to the cap and are
‘‘set*’ by a cent er punch.
The armor -pierci ng cap is secured to the
proje ctile by peening the sk irt o f the cap into
notches cu t into the ogive of the body and by
soldering the cap to the body with a special
solder of low melt ing |»oint. Such solder pre­
vents the soldering heat from drawi ng the
tem per of the body. Caps are made, in gen eral,
of the same kind of steel as are th e projectile
bodies. The cap act s to break down the initial
str en gth of the arm or plate, allowing the nose
CO NF IDE NT IAL
to reach an alrea dy strai ned surface. It also
provides powerful circu mfere ntial supp ort to
the point and nose as the y begin to pen etra te
the hard face, main taini ng th e sup poi t until
they are well into the plate. In additi on, the
chara cteri stica lly blunt outline of th e cap serve s
to increa se the effective angle of obliquity at
which t he projectile may h it a nd -still pene trate .
The body is of high-qu ality alloy steel, car e­
fully forged and hea t-tre ated , since it is the
par t which does the actu al pene tratio n. Be­
tween the forwa rd bour relet and the rot atin g
band or rea r bourre let, the diam eter of the
body is slightl y reduced in orde r to provide a
general clearance from t he bore of the gun. The
bour relet is the beari ng surf ace of the projec ­
tile and rides on the lands of the rifle. This
bear ing surf ace is usually about one-sixth cali­
ber in width, and its sur fac e is generally
ground to a fine finish to reduce friction and
minimize wear on the lands of the gun. With
the ma jor caliber projec tiles, it has become
stan dar d practice t o provide a ie ar bo urre let o r
bourr elets in add ition to th e forw ard bourre let.
Rear bour relet o r b ourre lets will be j us t before
and behind the rota ting band, providing b ett er
supp ort in the gun and dur ing the moment of
ejection at the muzzle.
The rot ati ng band has thr ee prim ary func­
tion s: to seal the bore, to position and cent er
the rea r end of t he projectile , and to r ota te the
projectile . A secondary funct ion is to hold the
projec tile in place dur ing loading a nd elevat ing
for firing. The rota ting band is made of com­
mercially pure copper, or of cupro-nickel alloy
7
U. S. EXPLOSIVE O RD N AN C E
cont aini ng 2. 5% nickel, or in som e cas es a gild­
ing metal con sist ing of 90% copper, 10% zinc.
As a gen eral rule, ro tat in g b and s ar e a bou t one-
th ir d caliber in width.
Th e base plug clo ses off th e explosive cavity
and holds th e base fuze or base fuze adap ter.
Both the base plug and the base fuze adap ter,
if used , a re sealed in place with ft gas seal ring
sim ila r to th a t used on th e b ase fuze.
Th e base fuze is ins erte d thr oug h th e base
plu g or bas e fuze ada pte r and is designed to
de ton ate th e proj ectil e a ft er p ene tra tion . Aft er
inse rtion , it is closed with a gas check ring of
cop per and lead p ut in u nde r h ydr auli c p ressu re
to pre ven t th e prope lling gase s from affecti ng
the explosive filling.
Armo r-pier cing pro ject iles an d common p roj ­
ect iles havi ng a winds hield may ca rry a spot ­
tin g dye which colors the wa ter on impac t in
or de r th at o bse rver s may spot the fall of shot.
The spo ttin g dye in powder form is placed
in th e windshield befo re it is screwed on to
the nose of th e p rojec tile. Wa ter forces throu gh
th e inlet holes covered by copp er Covers, dis­
solve s th e dye . and fo rce s it out th e ou tlet holes.
Special Common: The term “Special Com­
mon ” is not an official de sign atio n of t he Bureau
of Ordna nce, which places th is and all oth er
typ es of Common pro ject iles in a singl e class.
The “ Special Common” ter m, howeve r, is widely
employed by ordna nce act ivi ties to describ e
tho se Common pro ject iles which ar e equipped
wit h both windsh ields and hoo ds f or windshield
att ach me nt.
The se proje ctile s are design ed to pen etra te
app rox ima tely one- third to one-h alf the ir cali-
be r of arm or. These pro ject iles diffe r from
Arm or-P ierc ing pro ject iles in th at they do not
hav e an arm or-p ierc ing cap and have a larg er
explosiv e cavi ty. Ch ara cte ris tic s:
Over-all c o lo r.................................. Sla te gray
Siz es...................................... 4*, 5**, 6", and 8"
Explosiv e filling............................ Explosive D
Loadi ng fa ct or ........................ 2.1% to 3.99%
F u zi n g ....................................Base det ona ting
Common: These pro ject iles ar e designed to
pe ne tra te app rox ima tely one- third th ei r cali­
ber of a rm or. They diffe r from Arm or-P ierci ng
8 C O N H D E N T lA t
OP 1664
and Special Common proje ctile s in th at the y
have no cap or hood; th e windshiel d thr ead s
dire ctly to the body. Also, th e explosive cav ity
is slig htly la rger . C har act eri stic s:
Over-all c olor ................................. Sla te g ray
Siz es........................................... 5", 6", and 8'*
Explosiv e fil lin g. ..........................Ex plosive I)
Load fa ct or ............................... 4.4% to 5.4%
F u zi n g .................................... Base de ton atin g
Old typ es: In addi tion to the se Special Com­
mon and Common pro ject iles descr ibed above,
ce rta in typ es of old Common pro ject iles are
still in use in the Naval service. Thes e pro jec ­
tiles hav e nei the r cap nor windshield , ar e col­
ored slat e over all; ar e loaded with Explosiv e
D o r black pow der/ TN T mix ture . In the la tte r
case, the y are fuzed wit h a base igniti on fuze.
Thi s la tte r typ e is found in the 1-, 3-, and
6-pou nder proje ctile s and in the 3-, 1-, and
5-inch sizes.
High -Cap acity : Thes e proje ctile s are de­
signed to have a minim um wall thic knes s, and
th e lar ge st explosi ve c avit y con sist ent with the
force of set-ba ck. They ar e assemb led, gen er­
ally, with no-delay base fuzes, tra ce rs, steel
nose plugs, an d aux ilia ry det ona ting fuzes. The
steel nose plug may be removed and a point
det ona tin g o r nose tim e fuze sub stit ute d. These
proje ctile s ar e used for shore bomb ardm ent,
for an tia irc raf t guns , and for use ag ain st ligh t
ship s an d s urf ace cra ft. T he 3-inch High-Ca pac­
ity ha s no ba se fuze. Ch ara cte rist ics :
Over-all c o lo r.................... ..................... Green
Size s.............. 3”, 4”, 5”, 6", 8”, 12”, 14”, 16”
Explosiv e fillin g.......... Explosive I) exce pt th e
3”, which is TNT loaded
Load fa ct or .............................. 7.0% to 12.6%
Fu zin g.......... Only var iat ion from the no-de­
lay base fuzes is th e Base Deto­
nat ing Fuze Mk 48, w ith a 0.01-
second delay, cur ren tly being
assem bled in 8” thr oug h 16”
H.C. proje ctile s for bomb ard­
men t. In the 12”, 14”, and 16”
H.C. projec tile, the re is a TNT
boo ster ben eath the auxi liary
det on ati ng fuze, requ iring an
addi tion al ad ap ter rin g

An tia irc raf t Common: The se proj ecti les are
sim ilar in cons truct ion (o H.C. proje ctiles , ex­
cep t th at a nose tim e or V.T. fuze is always
assemb led. It can be used for an tia irc ra ft lire
or, with the time fuze set on safe, used for
bomb ardm ent. Ch ara cte ris tic s:
Over-all co lo r......................................... Green
S iz e s............................................... 5-inch only
Explosive fil lin g.. . .Exp losiv e D or Compo­
sition A
Load f a c to r...............................................
Fu zin g.......... Nose time or V.T. fuze. Auxili­
ary det ona ting fuze. No-delay
base det ona ting fuze
An tia irc ra ft: Thes e proj ecti les vary from
An tia irc ra ft Common in th at no base det on at­
ing fuz e is used. Ch ara cte rist ics:
Over-all co lo r......................................... Green
S iz e s............................................... 3-inch only
Explosi ve filling....... Composition A or TNT
Load fa ct or ..............................................5.7%
F u z in g ..................... Nose time fuze, auxili­
ar y d ent ona tin g fuze
Illu min atin g: The se proj ecti les are fo r illu­
min atin g ta rg ets by a para chu te flare. Char ac­
ter ist ics :
Over-all color ..................L igh t blue w ith two
whit e sta rs
S iz e s................................... 3", 4 ", 5", and 6"
Explosi ve filling ........Black powder expelling
charg e
F uzi ng ..............................Nose time fuze only
The illum inati ng p rojec tile is a thin case with
a very small expelling char ge ju st behind the
fuze an d an in ter ior assembly of a st ar or candle
with a par ach ute and a very ligh tly held base
plug. Explosion of the expellin g charg e force s
out the base and the inte rio r assembly.
When t he nose time fuze func tions , it ignit es
the black powder expellin g char ge, which in
tur n ignit es the st ar or candle. The st ar or
ca n d le is a st e e l c o n ta in e r in which is packed
und er heavy pre ssur e an illum inat ing com­
pound. The closed end of the st ar c onta iner is
atta che d to the str and wires of a para chut e.
The par ach ute is carefu lly folded, and. with its
str and wires, is rolled so t ha t upon expulsion it
CON FIDE NTIA L
IN TR OD UC TIO N TO PROJECT ILES
opens, the reb y susp endi ng the candle or st ar .
Because of the high velocity at which the pr o­
jec tile is trav elin g when eject ion tak es place,
it is nece ssary to slow down t he sta r-p ara ch ute
assem bly liefore the par ach ute becomes fully
open. Thi s is done by a ce nte r wire, one end
of which secu res the cen ter of the par ach ute
ne are r to the st ar than when the par ach ute is
in full releas e a nd causes th e par ach ute to spill
air , ther eby prev enti ng too gr ea t an init ial
str ai n on the para chu te. Af ter the st ar has
burn ed for a few seconds, the en d o f t he ce nte r
wire is released from its point of att ac hm en t
in the s ta r can. Thi s per mit s the par ach ute to
open fully.
Wind ow: Window proj ectil es are designed
to be fired from naval vessels t o dis rup t e nemy
rad ar opera tions. The proj ecti le may be used
to provide a false screen behind which ou r
shi ps may mane uver or ap proac h unde tecte d, or
to provide a false ta rg et for enemy rad ar. The
proj ecti le itse lf c onsis ts of a n illum inatin g pro­
jec tile body fitted with a nose time fuze and
an expelling cha rge of black powder. Tgnition
of the expelling char ge by the fuze disc harg es
a payload of foil s trip s which form a reflecti ng
cloud for ra da r beams. Ch ara cte rist ics :
Over-all co lo r................................. Aluminum
S iz e s............................................... 5-inch only
F ill in g.............. Foil str ip s and black powder
expellin g charg e
F u zi n g ......................................Nose ti me fuze
Whi te Phos phor us (Sm oke ): Smoke proj ec­
tile s are designed for shor e bomb ardm ent pu r­
poses to produce a combin ation of scree ning,
antip erson nel, and slig ht incend iary effects.
The se proje ctiles may also be used at sea to
provide a sur face screen behind which vessels
may man euve r undete cted. The projec tile con­
sis ts of an illum inatin g proje ctile body, fitte d
with a nose time fuze or poin t deto nati ng fuze
and a black powder e xpell ing charg e. The igni­
tion of th e expel ling char ge by a fu ze disc harg es
a numb er of whit e phosp horus filled stee l tub es
which ignit e on conta ct with the air. Cha rac­
ter ist ics :
Over-all colo r................................... Blue gr ay
9
U. S. EXPLOSIVE OR DN AN CE
S iz e s............................................... 5-inch only
Fi llin g..............W hite phos phor us and black
powder expelling charge
Fu zi ng .. .Nose Time o r point det ona ting fuze
V.T. -fuze d proje ctile s: These proje ctiles are
special ly c avitized to receive the long-stemmed
V.T. fuzes. T hey cont ain no tr ac er or nose fuze
ada pte r, and no base f uzes ar e used exc ept with
the 6"/ 47 H.C. Proje ctile Mk 34. In all oth ers,
the base is scaled with a gas-checke d base fuze
hole plug. Ot he r th an V.T. type nose fu zes may
not be employed in t hes e projec tiles. New V.T.
fuze d proje ctiles are being filled with Compo­
sitio n A. Cha rac teri stic s:
(wi th “V.T.-f uzed proj ecti les” )
Co lor........... Depending on typ e o f projectil e
that is V.T.-fuze d. But on all
new pr ojec tiles the let ter s V.T.
are painte d on the band show­
ing t he explo sive filler
Siz es................................................... 3”. 5*, 6“
F il li ng ............Composition A is being loaded
in th e new V’.T.-fuzed pro­
jectiles
Ta rge t pro ject iles : These proj ectil es are in­
expe nsive producti ons, with ballist ic tr ai ts simi­
lar to the A.P. proje ctiles of th eir calibe r. They
ar e unfuzed and conta in no explosive. On some
types , a dyd is loaded into th e win dshield, which
on impact with the wa ter is funneled out and
spre ad thr ough the wa ter spla sh, thu s dist in­
guish ing the origin of the salvo.
Over-a ll c o lo r............................................ Red
Siz es.......................... 6”, 8", 12”, 14”, and 16”
Gas : The same ty pe o f p rojec tile th at is used
for the smoke round may be loaded with gas
fo r chemical warfa re.
Limite d-use type s: These are summarized
in column 2 of th is page.
T ype Filling
H.E. Mk 3 .. T c tr y l......................................... White
H.E . M k3 .. Pent olite .....................................Yellow
H. E. -I. Mk 3 Tet ryl and ince ndia ry m ix ........ Reel
H. E.- I. Mk 3 Pen tolit e and ince ndia ry mix. .. Lig ht pink
10 CONFIDENT IAL
OP 1664
F ield and bombardment : These proj ec­
tile s were designed for field use or shore bom­
ba rd m en t They ca rry point deto natin g fuzes.
S hr apn el : Shra pnel proj ecti les contain
steel balls which ar e expelled from a shra pne l
case by means of a smal l cha rge of explosive,
the case rem aini ng intac t. These pro jecti les a re
obsolescent.
F lat NOSE: Fl at nose proje ctiles are for
use aga ins t subm arin es, and are designe d to
preve nt ricoc hetin g on wa ter impact. These
proje ctiles are obsolescent.
T racer : These are special proje ctiles de­
signed solely to leave a visible trac e in the
daytime. They do not have bu rst ing charge s.
These are obsolescent.
P roof sh ot : These are special proj ecti les
designed not to ricoch et on wa ter impact and
ar e for use in provin g-grou nd work. It is not
contempl ated th at more of these proje ctiles
will be procu red when the pre sen t stocks are
exhauste d.
“P ounder” : These ar e fo r Coast Guar d
guns.
Minor ca lib er pr oj ec til es
20-mm amm uniti on: Two types of 20-mm
weapons are at pre sen t in service use in the
Navy: the Oerlikon an tia irc ra ft gun and the
llispano -Suiza ai rc ra ft gun. These type s dif ­
fer widely in con stru ction and func tion ing; and
ft is emphasiz ed th at the ammu nition, thou gh
somew hat simi lar in ext ern al appeara nce, is
not interch angeab le.
A mmun ition for Oerlikon cun : The Ocr-
likon gun and its ammu nitio n a re o f nava l m an­
ufa ctu re and design. The amm unit ion may be
dist ingu ishe d from th at designed for the His-
pano-Suiza gun by the reduced diam eter o f t he
ex tra cto r lip a t the base of the car trid ge case.
For identifi cation of indivi dual type s of round s,
the body of the proj ecti le is painte d a d isti nc­
tiv e color, as follows:
Color
 IN TR OD UC TIO N TO PROJECTILES

T ype F illing Color

•H .E .-T . Mks 4 and 7 .................. Te try l and tr ac er ........................ Ligh t g ray
•H .E .-T . Mks 4 and 7 .................. Pen toli te an d t ra ce r.................... Blue
A.P.-T .Mk 9 .............................. Tr ac er ........................................ Black
B. L. an d P. Mk 3 ........................ In er t lo ad ed ................................ Dark green
B.L. a nd T. Mk 7 ...................... Ine rt load a nd t ra c e r.................. Dar k gre en with yellow str ip e
Drill .......................................... Em pty ........................................ Seal b rown
H .E .-I .-T . • •• ••• ••• •« •« .■ •» » Bri gh t g reen

•W he n the pr oje cti le is asse mb led wi th “ Dark Ig nit ion ” trace r*, a tt- inc h brig ht red b and wi ll be paint ed
aroun d i t midw ay bet wee n tho b our rele t a nd the rot ati ng band.

The Mark and Mod. ma nu fac tur er' s init ials signe d bu t have been adop ted as Nava l equip ­
or symb ol, and lot n umbe r a rc st amp ed aroun d men t with the inst alla tion of .th e gun on Naval
the body o f t he project ile. planes. The amm uniti on is disti ngui shed from
th at designe d for the Oer llko n gun by the ex­
A bbr evi ati ons in Mino r C alib ers tr ac to r lip on the base of t he c art rid ge , which
H .E .— High Explosive is the same diam eter as the res t of th e case.
I. — Ince ndiar y Two scrie s of amm uniti on for th is gun arc in
T. — Tra cer use. The “Old Ser ies ” consi sts of unma tched
B.L. — Blind Loaded rou nds, some a dap ted from Bri tish protot ypes,
P. — Plugged oth ers designe d by the Arm y. The “N ew Se­
S.D. — Self Dest ruct ive rie s” is a set of ballis ticall y match ed roun ds
D .I. — Da rk Igniti on design ed by t he Army to su pers ede thos e of t he
“Old Ser ies” . For identif ication of specific
A mmu nitio n tor Hispano -S uiza gu n : round s, the proj ecti le body i s pain ted a specific
Thi s gun and its amm uniti on ar e Army-de­ color, as follows :

T ype S eries F illing Color

H. E.- I. Mk 1 .Ol d ................ Tet ryl and Ince ndia ry mix Body -red
Bour relet-y ellow
Fuz e-b rass
Markin g in black
A.P.- T. M75 ..........................Old ................ Tra cer and ine rt load Black over all
Mark ing in w hite
Ball. Mk 1.............................. Old In er t loaded .................... Black over all
Dummy D ri ll .........................Old Empty ........................... Zine coated
H.E .-I. M 97 .......................... New Tet ryl and incen diary mix Body -red
Bour relet-y ellow
Fuz e-b ras s
Markin g in black
Ince ndia ry, M96.....................New .............Incendiary mix Body -blue gray
No se- ligh t blue
Markin g in black
A.P .-T. M 95 .......................... New ............. Tracer ........... Black over all
Markin g in w hite
Prac tice, M 99 ........................ New .............. Em pty ............ Black ove r all
Marking in w hite

CONFIDENT IAL 11
U. S. EXPLOSIVE O RD NA NC E OP 1664

l. l'* /7 5 amm unit ion: The body of these pro ­ T yp e Color

ject iles, now obsolete item s, were unpainte d H.E .-T . Light gra y with whit e band
exce pt fo r two dot s below the fuze, indic at­ H.E .-T ./S. D. Dark gree n with white band
ing as follows: B.L. and P. Red ov er all
Explosive D — Yellow dot B.L. and T. Red o ver all with whit e band
Tra cer — Red dot
A ne wer color ma rki ng was proposed for the 10-mm amm uniti on: These proj ecti les are
1.1-inch amm unitio n. Some proje ctiles may 1m? identified by disti nctiv ely colored bodies, as
found p aint ed as show n in column 2: follows:

T ype Body B and T ip R em ar ks

A.I’.......................................... .. Black . . . . . . Black . . . . . .P lug in t rac er
A.P .-T ..................................... .. Black . . . . . . White .. ........ Black . . .
H. E. -P .................................... . .Green . . . .. . Green . . . . . .Plug in base
H.E .-T ./S .D........................... . . Green . . . . . . White .. ........ Green . . .
H.K./S .D................................. .. Green . . . .. .B la ck .. ........ Green . . . . . . . Dark tr ace r
H F -I. -T ./S .D ....................... . .Gr een . . . .. . White .. ........ R e d .........
II .E .- I. -P ............................... . .Green . . . . . . Red . . . . ........ R e d .......... .. . .Plug in base
H E -I ./ S .D ............................ . .Green .. . .. . Black .. ........ R e d ......... . . . .Dar k trac er
IL E. -I. -T ................................ . .Green .. . .. . White .. ........ R e d ......... . . . .S.D. relay not loaded
with
Black
Band
B.L. and T............................. .. R e d ........ .. .W h it e .. ........R e d .......... . . . .Dummy fuze
B.L. and P............................. . .R e d ........ . . . . Red . . . . ........ R e d ......... , . , .Dumm y fuze and plug
in base
H. E. -L -T ................................ . .Gree n . .. . . . Whi te .. ........R e d .......... . . . .D ark igniti on tra ce r
(D .D -S .D .

The tra ce r composition is eit he r a red burn ­ Description of explosive payloads

ing mix ture in th e tra ce r — “T” rounds — or a
non-lumi nous bur nin g compound in the “Self
De stru ctiv e” rounds.
“D ark" and " Dark Ignitio n T rac er” : To elimi­
na te the blindi ng effect on 40-mm and 20-mm
gunne rs from tra ce r fire at nig ht and also to
make the origin of tra ce r fire less distin ct,
the se tra cer s were developed toward the close
of the war. The d ark ignition trac er is invisible
unti l the projec tile is 100 to 100 yar ds from
th e gun ’s muzzle, and the n it is visible for the
re st of its time o f flight. Det ails of th ese tra cer s
ar c described with th ei r app rop riat e projec tile
and t rac er housing.
Cha ract eris tics of the high explosive fillers
follow:
Composition A. Thi s is the newest service
explosive load. It ha s a dama ge-powe r fac tor of
gain over Explosive D in the 5-inch A.A. pro­
ject ile of 1.6 to 2.0, thu s gre atly incre asing
the force o f t he b urs t. A m ixtu re o f 91% RDX
and 9% wax, Composition A is press-loaded
into projec tiles. It is a stabl e, non-hydroscopic
explosive with an igniti on tem per atu re of 200°
C. Continued exposu re to tem per atur e of 135°
F or hig her may caus e some exuda tion of the
wax, but thi s exu dat e is not explosive. Com­
pared to Explosive D. thi s tiller has abou t

12 OONFtO ENTlA L
 INT RO DU CT IO N TO PROJECTILES

the same impac t s en sit ivi ty, but is more sensi­
tiv e to mass detonation and armo r-pier cing
ign itio n.
Explosive D (Amm oniu m Pi cra te ): Exp lo­
sive I) is the standard main charge fo r arm or
pierc ing-p rojec tiles and all oth er Navy pro­
jec tile s o ver s-inch caliber. Whi le i ts power and
brisance are s lig ht ly in fe rio r to TN T, it is much
more insen sitive to shock and w ill stan d im pact
on arm or plate wit ho ut being deflagrated. Its
me ltin g poin t is too h igh fo r it is to be melted
and cas t; it is loaded by being pressed into
cases by a hyd rolic ram. I t reacts wi th metals
to for m extre mely sensitiv e compounds. This
is counteracted by coverin g the int er ior o f the
proje ctiles wi th acid-p roof lacquer.
TN T (T rin itr ot ol uo l) is the fill er in 8-inch
H.C. and A.A. and 10-mm A.A . projectile s. A
pow erfu l, bris ant explosive, it is easy to load
by casting, since its melt ing poi nt is 80.2° C.
I t is stable under prac tica lly all stowage con­
diti on s and should stand even bullet impact
when cast.
Te try l (T rin itr op he ny lm et hy lni tra m ine ): Tet­
ry l, because of its combina tion of high power,
brisance, and sen sitiv ity, has been tri ed fo r
main charge loads in small calib er proje ctile s
bu t has proved too sensit ive to with stan d the
set-back in all but 20-mm. The melt ing point
of T et ry l. 180° C, is too high to a llow it to be
melted and cast. I t is loaded by being mixed
w ith small qua ntit ies of grap hite or stearic
acid, which serve to lubr icate it whi le it is be­
ing pressed int o pellets. Te try l is quit e safe
to handle and is extre mely stable in stowage.
Exposed or loose te tr yl should not be handled,
as it may cause de rma titis .
I’ en tol ite : Pento lite is a mi xtu re of TN T
and PETN , usually 50/50. (PE TN is sim ila r
in charac teristi cs to RDX . Its color is whi te.)
I t is not as stable as T NT in stowage, and sepa­
ratio n of PETN may occur. Ef for ts should be
made to keep it cool. I t is about the same sen­
s it iv it y as te tr yl in drop tests, and more sensi­
tive than Torpex to bullet impact . This explo­
sive fille r is now used o nly in 20-mm loads.

Qualit ies of High Explosive Killer s

"A ” "D ” TN T T etryl Pen to lit e

Velo city of deton ation 27,000 f.s. 21,300 f.s. 22,300 f.s. 21,100 f.s. 24,000 f.s.
at d ensit y f act or a t 1.62 at 1.48 at 1.55 at 1.55 at 1.65

Lab ora tory im pact 105 99 100 45 47

value

Bu llet impact 100 + 100+ 100 61 48

value

Color Whit e Yellow Stra w Li gh t yel ­ Sand

or buf f or orange low- gray
wi th gra ph­
ite

Black Powd er: Not a bri san t explosive, bb ek in illu mi na ting , W.P., And "w ind ow " loads. Sen­
powder is mixed wi th TN T in the 5-inch, G-inch.
siti ve to fri ct ion , black powder varies in color
and 8-inch common proje ctile s and in the
“ pounde r" rounds. I t is. also the expe lling charge fro m brown to black.

CONFIDEN TIAL 13
7471 75 O'
U.S . EXPLOSIVE OR DN AN CE
Inert-Fillers
Blind lau ded and Plugged (B.L. & P .) : A
proje ctile may be loaded with sand or othe r
inert mate rial and sealed with a solid base
plug, or the tra ce r hole (fuze hole) in a Im e
plug m ay be blanked off.
Blind Loaded and Tr ace r (ILL. & T .): These
projec tiles have an iner t load, bu t a tra ce r is
inse rted in th e fuze hole of the base plug.
Wh ite phosphor us: An unsta ble smoke-incen­
diary agent, white phosp horus ignites when
exposed to air and produces den se wh ite smoke.
It also has its incendia ry, anti-per sonnel effect.
Ga s: The various type s of gas fillings are
listed under th e sub jec t of "Chemical Filler
Marking s” on pages 15 and 16.
C ol or and markings of now pro jec tile s 3-inch
and lar ge r
Following a re the mark ings called f or in the
new specifications (See figure 1 ):
Explosive indicator
Y el lo w .........................................Explosive L»
G re y ...........................................Black Powder
G re en ........................................................ TNT
One-half grey and one-ha lf green band
TNT and Black Powder mix
Red ......................... Ine rt materia l or empty
B lu e ........................................ Composition A
Time fuze str ipe : Proje ctiles having a nose
time fuze shall have a ^.-in ch white strip e
painted longitudinally from the stat ion ary lug
on th e fuze two inches af t.
Body color
Black ........................................................ A.P.
Slat e g r e y ........................................ Common
G re en ................AA.. H.C., and A.A. Common
Lig ht blue with two wh ite s ta rs . Illumin ating
Al um inu m........................................ Window
W h it e ...............................................Schrapnel
Ocean gr ey ............Smoke, Gas, or Incendiary
Red .................................Tar get ammuni tion
14 C O N F tD et tT tA tr
OP 1664
V.T. Fuzed: The l ett er s “V.T.’’ %-inch high
are stenciled ju st before the rear edge of the
paint indicat ing th e bu rst er charge.
Tra cer band: A whit e band with four dots
90° a pa rt indicates the color of the trac er.
Spott ing band: The co lor indicate s the color
of t he spott ing charge.
•‘Window” mar k: Thi s consist s of a one-inch
high “W” on each side, L80a apa rt, ju st ab af t
th e f orward bou rrclct.
Stencilling on body: The following inform a­
tion is stencilled between the rot ati ng band
and the forward bourrelo t on new projec tiles:
Ammunitio n lot numbe r
Caliber and type of proje ctile
Mark and Mod o f project ile
Type nose fuze (wh eth er M.T.F., P.D.F.,
V.T.F., Mk 32 and sim ilar types, o r Dummy
Nose Plug) — Mark and Mod of fuze — Lot
numbe r of fuze (fo r Mk 32 and simi lar
types only)
Mark and Mod of a uxili ary deto nati ng fuze
Mark and Mod of base det ona ting fuze
Mark an d Mod of tr ac er — Color of T race r
Mark and Mod of gun s in which project ile can
be used
Mark and Mod of “Window” load
Stamped on rota ting band
Mark and Mod of projectile
Size and type of proj ectile
Lot nu mber and yea r of specification
Inspe ctor’s seal an d initi als
Sometimes the ma nuf act ure r’s name is in­
cluded here.
Stamped on base o r on base plug
Mark an d Mod, size, and type of project ile
Lot n umber, year of specification
Inspec tor’s seal and initial
Manu factu rer’s name
The seria l numbe r of t he project ile will also
be stamped on the b ase plug on th e side of the
body, and on th e windshield if prese nt.
 INT RO DU CT ION TO PROJECTILES

NO SE FU ZE UN PA IN TE D
IF PR ES EN T EXP LOS IVE IND ICA TO R
I C A LI B ER W IO E

TI M E FU ZE S T R lP E -
1/4" X 2" W H IT E , A F T
FRO M ST AT IO N AR Y FOR V T-F UZ ED ROUNDS,
LU G
TWO LA BE LS 1 8 0 *
AP AR T
W HI TE BA ND I” W ID E
4 DOT S SH OW COL OR SP OT TIN G DY E COLOR
OF TR AC E I" WI DE

FOR WAR D BO UR RE LE T
UN PA IN T ED
FOR W IN DO W LO AD S,
TW O "W ‘S" 1 8 0 °
AP AR T COL OR FOR CH EM ICA L
FIL LE R IF P R E S E N T -
SE E NO TE 9

BOD Y PA IN TE D TO
SH OW T Y P E OF FOR ST EN C IL LI N G ON
PR O JE CT IL E TH IS SE CT IO N OF
B O D Y -S E E N O TE 5

A FT ER B O U R R E LE T
UN PA IN TE D IF P R E S ­
ENT
FOR ST AM PI NG ON
ROT ATIN G BA ND " RO TA TIN G BA ND
SE E NO TE 6 UN PA IN TE D

TH IS SE CT IO N OF BO DY
UN PA INT ED ON FI XE D
GUN PR OJ EC TIL ES
Figure 1. Q at ar and Mark ing of Pr oje cti le* (3 -in eh end la rg er )

Ch em ic al F il le r M ar ki n g s One red band — H ar as si ng ga s

Tw o gr ee n band s >/2 -in ch a p a rt — Pe rs is te nt On e yel low ban d — Sm ok e
ca su al ty gas
On e pu rp le ba nd — In ce nd ia ry
One gr ee n ban d — N on- pe rs is te nt ca su alt y
gas Al so , on pr oj ec til es h av in g a che mic al fil le r,

CO NF tD EN TI AL 15
U. S. EXPLOSIVE O RD NA NC E
the re is stencilled the typ e of chem ical, such as
SMOKE, INCENDIARY , or GAS, and the sym­
bol or lett er desi gnat ing the par ticu lar filler
as bel ow :
P er si st en t Casu alt y Gas
M u s ta rd .........................................................H.
Puri fied m u st ar d .......................................H.D.
Mu sta rd and Lew isit e............................... H.L.
Eth yld ich lora rsin e ................................... E.D.
Chlo ropic rin ...............................................P.S.
Diphos gene ................................................ D.P.
Lew isite .........................................................L.
N on -P er sis te nt Casu alt y Gas
Pho sgen e .................................................... C.G.
C h lo ri n e................................................. CL
Hyd rocy anic acid .....................................A.C.
H ara ssin g Gas
Ch lor ace top hen on e................................... C.W.
Chlora cetoph enone so lut ion ...................C.N.S.
NOTES
* MAY BE U 5 E 0 .8 U T V K B -< .f S PREFERRED ASSEMBLY
• * BEWG REPLACED BY FUZE
MAY BE 8 P . LOA OEO FOR TAR GET
* OISCOM TIH UCO
Figure 2. 3” /2 3 Case Gun (Amm unition )
16
OP 1664
Chlorac etophen one tra in in g solu tion . .C.N.B.
Bromobe nzylcyan ide .............................B.B.C.
A d am si te ...................................................D.M.
Di ph en yl ch lor ar sin e............................. .‘.D.A.
Diph enylc yana rsine .................................D.C.
S mo ke
Whi te phosph orus ...................................W.P.
Tit ani um T et ra ch lo ri de ...........................F.M.
Su lfur trio xid e plus
chloro sulfon ic a c id .................................F.S.
Hexa chlor ethan e ty pe m ix tu re .................H.C.
Plast icize d whit e ph osp ho rus .............P.W. P.
I nc end iar y
Th erm ite .................................................. T.H.
Thicke ned gasoline (N ap al m ).................N .P.
Thicken ed gasoline (Iso buty l
Met hylm etha cryl ate) .................. .I.M.
Inc end iary m ix tu re ...................................P.T.
FEB RUA RY I 9 * «
CON FIDE NTIA L
 IN TR OD UC TIO N TO PROJECTILE S

FUZES
m O

UTF UK 2 2 , AL L
M TF UK 51, AL L

•A O F UK 17, AL L
CARTRIDGE CASE » AO F UK4 6 -0
AOF * M - 0
Pfi lME R
■ o
I
UK 5 - 0 ^ , 0 3 POF. MK 5 0 - 2 0 3
wKw-oai UK 7
MK 9

VTF AU 4 3 -1 2
VT F k * 5 6 , ALL

AOF UK 4 4 - 0 0 1

OO F M 6 6 A I ( ARMY |YrtTM INTEGRAL TRACER

NOTE S

• 8E«< 5 REPLACEO 0 * FUZE U K 54

• • MAY BE B.R LOA OEO FO R TA RG ET

* oisc ont inue o FE BRU AR Y 19 46

Figure 3. 3" /SO Case Gun (Ammun ition)

FE BR UA RY 19 46

Figure 4. 4” /SO Case Gun (Amm unitio n)

CQNFWO4TUL 17
U. S. EXPLOSIVE O RD NA NC E OP 1664

FU ZES
c j>

M TF MX 1 8 - 2 .3 .6 4
M TF MX 5 0 —ALL
M TF MX 6 3 - 0

. ADF MX 17—ALL
• ADF 1 *4 5 -0
A OF 1 *5 4 -0

PO F I * 2 9 -2 6 3
B C m
PWMER CARTR DGE CASE
E f c e o e a f l- L T | |
BO F * * 2 8 -A LL .W IT H TRACE R M X •

MX IS —AL L _J L_ « **M C O S O » 2

STEE L NOSE PLUG

VTF M X 3 2 -A L L *
V TF M X 4 0 -A L L V

A OF MN 5 4 - 0
4 = 0
NOTES
V TF I * 5 3 -A L L
• BEMG REPLACCO BY F U Z E * * 54

USCO WITH FUZE MX 53 ONLY

• ♦A D F MX 4 4 - 0 0 1
0 DI SC ON TI NU ED
FE B R U A R Y 1946

Figure 5. 5 " /2 5 Cose Gun (Amm unitio n)

FUZ ES
r f i r m

J 6 O F * * 2 0 - 0 6 2 , WITH T R A C E R * * *
< >
PROJECTILES
MTF * * 1 8 -2 ,3 ,4
M T F * * SO—ALL
COMMON I * 3 2 - 1 -4 M TF MX 6 1 - 0
. M T F **6 5 -0
d >
SPC OM * * 3 6 - 1 - 3
MX 4 6 - 1 6 2 —J . . P D F * * 2 9 -1 -3
D E Z O

IL L MX J O - 1-4
• 6 * 4 4 —1 • • • A .O F .k * I?—ALL
PRIMER CARTRIDGE CASE WINDOW MX 3 0 - 5 , 7 ,8 • • • A O F * * 4 6 —0
MX 4 4 - 1 _ | A D F ** 5 4 -0
TO 03K 0K _________ J 1 M t m
1 *1 3 -A LL_ , MX 5 | IP
W P tSMCXE) I * 3 0 - 1 - 4 . BO F MX 2 8- A LL.W IT N TRACER MX 9
o

A A COMMON MX 3 4 - 1 0 STEEL NOSE PLUG

. • k * 3 5 —1-12
• . mx 4 7 - o a i
NO TES V T F * * 3 2 -A L L *
V T F MX 4 0 - AL L ♦
■ USED ONLY IN W P 1 * 3 0 6 A A COMMON MX VS WITH H C M X 3 5 -1 -1 2
1 2 0 0 F ZS IV CHARGE
T >
’ • MN 6 6 ONL Y A U T H O R IZ E D IN W P MX 5 0
AA.C OMM ON (V T ’ CAV ITY) * * 34 -1 0 .
• • • 6EW G REP UCE O BT FUZE MX 5 4 ; ; • • mx s i —n ■
• • MX 3 5 -1 -1 2 » • • • AO F I * 4 4 - 0
• • • • USEO ONLY WITH FUZ E 1 * 5 3
« = o
* DI SC O NT IN UE D

V T F MX 5 3 - A L L FEBRUARY 1 9 4 6

Figure 6. S”/3 8 Cose Gun (Amm uniti on)

18 CO NR DE NT LA b
 IN TR OD UC TIO N TO PROJECTILE S

PROJ ECT ILES

3>
PRIM ER CART. CAS E. ,
......................... •• C O M M O N M X I3 -& 6 M
---------- | 1 L

(M lS -X L tJ L_ MK 3
NA. UK 2 3- 1, 3- 6

HC UK 3 9 - 1

NOTES

• BEING REP LACED BY FU ZE | V 5 <

■ * U K 15- 12 DI SC O NT IN UE D FE 8R U A R Y 19 46

Figure 7. S"/5 1 Cane Gun (Amm uniti on)

FUZES

8 .0 F. N K 6 4 -0 .W T T H T RAC ER k K 3

UT. 'F UK 2 3 -1

PKH£R
o
PDF UK 3 0 MOOS 2 6 3
a = X >

V TF UK39UO OO

ADF M K 4 3 -I

ADF kK 4 4 - 0 6 1

T~n
_ 60F UK 2 8 —ALL. YNTH TRACER 4

NOTES

• USED WTTH FUZE k K 39 OM.Y FE BR UA RY 1946

Figure 8. 5 " /5 4 Case Gun (Amm unitio n)

CONF IDENT IAL 19

U. S. EXPLOSIVE O R DN AN CE OP 1664

BAG FU ZE S
PR IME R projectm. es
g p

I SEC T ION
M X 6 -I _ 8 If k * >0 MO O 4 .W IT H INT EG RA L TRA CER
DU MP -L OA CE O
2 IL B o u n c e . • 8 IF I * »0 MO O9 , W IT H IN TE GR AL TR AC ER

NO TE S

• T O & US ED ONLY IF MK o MOO 4 NO T AV WL AS LE FEBRUARY 1946

Figure 9. 5” /2 0 Bag Gun (Ammu nition)

_ PROJ ECTIL ES

* COMMCM MK 1 5 - 2 -1 4

_ 8AG
PR IME R IL L . M K 2 S -L 3 -G
n n

I SECTION
M K I5 - I_ OUMP LOADED
HC. MK 5 4 - 1 8 2

AA. CO MM CN W 5 5 -I

_ AA _C OM M ON (V T CAVIT Y)

NOT ES

• USES TRACER M K 9W 1T M A A .C O M ROUNDS; UK 5 - I.WITH M C ROUNDS

• » BEING REPLACEO BY I * 54

• • • USEO 0 M. Y W ITH FU ZE MK 5 5

♦ M K 15 -1 2 DI SC O NT IN UE D
* * R E P LA C E S MK 5 2 I F E 8R U A R Y 1 9 4 6

Figure 10. 5" /5 1 Bag Gun (Amm unition )

20 O O N P tO £N Tt A t
I IN TR OD UC TI ON TO PROJECTILES

Figure 11. 6 "/A 1 Cose Gun (Amm unition )

PftO XG- ru.es

FUZES
bag
PRIM ER “ l

I. J -------------- BOf UK 1 9 - 0 8 1 , WT H TRACER UK 5

IL L UK 2 2 -1 °
U K ,, - . J 1SEC TION
STACKCO UK 2 3 - 1 8 2 _ o
S 3 5 LB
111
U.T.F. UK IB UOOS 2 .5 ,4

O C M S C O N T lM U E 0 T UK. 2 9 - 1 - 4
T U K .S I- I FEBRUARY l» 4 «

PftOXCT lLES

. TO B £ R t P L A t t O e r UK 2 8
< ' O lS C O N T lN U C O FEBRUARY 19 4 6

Figure 12. 6 "/A 1 Bag Gun (above) and 6" /5 0 Bag Gun (bel ow)
(Ammun ition)

eONFtDfNTfAL- 2I
U. S. EXPLOSIVE OR DN AN CE OP 1664

FUZ ES

BO F MX 3 - 2

PROJE CTILES
LL U
? } aoF. MK 1 9 - 0 8 1 ,WITH TRACER MX 3
< >

BAG COMMON IK 2 4 -
MX 2 7 - 1 - 8 2 Z h M.T.F I K I B - 2,3 ,4
PRIM ER
M TF IK SO -A LL
I I ~ ~ E > M T /. IK 6 3 -0
i secn o
IL L . MX 2 2 - 1 *
t >
IK 13-1 _ DUMP LOWE D
4 4 LB. - IK 2 5 -1 8 2
ROF. MK 2 9 - 1 ,2 , B 3
® O

HC MX 3 4 - 1 -7 _
A O F.
A O F.
AO.F.
i MX IT -A L L
M K4 6 -0
MK 3 4 - 0

NOT ES TARG ET
w i i )
T MX 2 5 - 2 A S 8 OF. MK 2 8 -A L L .W IT H TRACER MK
• BEMO REPLACED BY FUZE MK 5 4 T MX 2 9 - 1 - 4
T kK 3 0 -1 -2
* DIS CO NT INU ED
COM MON MK 2 4 - 1 FEBRUARY i9 « 6

Fig ure 13. 6f f /5 3 Bag Gun (A m m un itio n)

FUZE S

♦ 8.D.F . I K 2 - 2 . WITH INTEGRAL TRACER

Q D
• BOf. I K 9 —2 , WITH MTEGRALTRAC ER

S E E D
PRIM ER
5 H
BOF M K 2 J -O 8 I WITH TRACER I K 3
I B O
MK 15-1 _

RD F. MK 7 -1

« • BOF MK 3 MOO2 , WITH INTEGRAL TRACER

B.D.E MK 2 8 - 0 8 1 , WITH TRACER MK 9

NOT ES

» BEINC REPLACED BY FUZE MK 21

• • BCW C REPLACED BY FUZE MK 2 0 FE BR UA RY 1 9 4 6

Figu re 14. 7 "/ 4S Bag Gun (A m m un itio n)

22
 IN TR OD UC TIO N TO PROJECTILES

Fig ure 15. 8 " /5 5 Bag Gun (A m m un itio n)

FUZ ES

PROJE CTILES BO P UK 2 1- 0. 1. WITH TRACER M ( 3

f f l O O m >

M.T.E M ( 4 2 -0 0
A.P. MX i s - e
M.T.E UK 6 2 - 0
• UK I B -1
o
H I BOOSTER
- c r " Z k
0 5 3 LB PRESSED TN T
TN T BOOSTER MX PO E MX 2 9- 1, 2 ,3
HA 1 *1 6 -1 8 2
•
.
.
I * 17-1
M K 2bO
UK 2 2 * 0
10
♦ A 0 .E UK 3 3 - 0 0

Q E Z > A O .P UK 5 3 - 0
f i r m
TA RG ET
T UK 1 1 * 3 8 4
• U X 1 7* 2 • . 8 0 E » « 3 9 -0 ,1 , WITH TRACE R M ( 3-1 °
NOTES . U K 19- 1 8 0 .E M ( 4 6 - 0 ,1 ,W ITH T R A C E R !* 3 - 1
AP UK 1 4 * 2 ,4 3 * 3 ( 6 8 8
. MX 1 3 - 1 , 4 6 3
• RE PL AC ES ‘ GREEN ST RI FE " MX 1 7 - •

• • REP LAC ES“ GREEN S TR IP E" U K 2 6

» Ot SC O NT IN UE O FE BR UA RY 1946

Fig ure 16. 1 2 "/ 5 0 Bag Gun (A m m un itio n)

GONFIGENTIA L 23
U. S. EXPLOSIVE O RD NA NC E OP 1664

PROJECTILES

AP I * 8*3 ,7. 8.1 1 °

BAG
PRIMER • UK 1 6 - 1 -11
• • . UK 2 0 - 1

UK6-1 4S EC TK X
STACXEO

NO TE S

• ONLY THESE PROJECTILES WAY

8 £ USEO W U S S 'S NEW YORK fl TE XAS UK 1 5 -1 ,2 6 3 °
- MK I T - l - 3
W K lB -l
• • REPLACES'GREEN STR IPE * MK 1 7 -6 MK 2 1 - 1 6 2
A.P UK 8 - 6 6 7 °
UK 8 °
• • • REPLACES ‘ GRE EN STR IPE * UK 2 8 UK 1 8 -1 ,2 6 3

♦ USEO I N !4 ‘/4 5 GUNS CNLY

o Ol SC ON TI NU EO FEBRUAR Y 1 9* 6

Fig ure 17. 14 "/4 S and 14 "/ 5 0 Bag Guns (A m m un itio n)

FUZ ES

_ BO P UK 2 1 - 0 6 1 , WITH TRACER UK 3

PROJE CTILES
M.T.F. UK 4 2 -o '~
M.T.F UK 6 2 * 0
A .R UX 3 - 2 - 5

•
UK 3 - 1 - 6
UK 8 - 1 - 8 —
o
8 00 S T E R
PO .F K 29 *1 ,2 ,3
TN T -
[—0 5 J L 8 S PRESSED 1
|_ T N T BOOSTER MK 3 _J
’ ♦ • H .C . UK 13 —I —6_
MK 1 4 - 0 • A.O F
A6F

TARGET • • B.O F » * 3 9 - 0 - 1 W ITH TRACE R M K 5 -I

NOTES A.P ° M K 2 - 2 6 4 B.O F UX 4 8 - 0 -I W lT M TRACE R MK 3 -1
‘ *V X 3 -2 6 3
• REPLACES ’ GREEN STOP E* UK 1 7 -6 T MK 6 - 1 6 2
T MK 9 - 1 6 2
• • REPLACES ‘ GREEN STRIPE* UK 2 8 T UK 1 0 - 0

‘ ‘ ONLY T X S E PT OJ EC U. e s USEO IN I 6 ‘/3O GU N

❖ OlS CO NT INU EO FE B R U A R Y 1 9 4 6

Figu re 18. 1 6 "/ 45 and 1 6 "/ 5 0 Bag Guns (A m m un itio n)

C o lo r and mark ing o f ol de r pr oje cti les 3-inch Stencilled on t he body

and lar ge r Size, caliber, Mark and Mod of projec tile
In addition to the explosive filler, bcdv color, Mark and Mod of fuzes
spo ttin g specifications, and base and band Explosive filling an d densit y of loading
stam pin g men tioned above, t he older pr ojectiles Abbre viated name of lo ading d epot
had the following m ark ing s: Init ials of Chief Inspe ctor
Date of filling and mar king ; any chang es in
Tra cer ban d: White band with thre e dots, filling, fuzing, etc.
indic ating tr ac er color, 120° apa rt.
Stamped on base
V.T. fuzi ng: One-half inch red band painted
one-h alf inch aba ft the nose fuze. Weig hts before and af te r filling

24 CONFID ENTIAL
 Part I — Cha pter I — Section 2

3-IN CH PROJECTILES

Figure 19- 3-in ch A.P. Mk 29 M odi 1 and 2

3-inch A.P. Mk 29 Mods I and 2
Gun s used i n , ........................................... 3*750
Over all len gth , inches
Wi th cap & win dsh ield ......................... 12.16
Wi tho ut cap & win dsh ield ..................... 6.91
Dia me ter of ba se, inc he s............................. 2.98
Dis tanc e base to band, in c h e s ....................... 1.35
Wi dth of band , i n ch es ,................................. 1.0
Dia me ter at bou rre let, inc he s................. 2.985
F il li n g .............................................Expl osive D
We ight of filling, po un ds ... ... .................... 0.3
W eig ht of loaded pro ject ile, lb................ 13.10
Ch ar gc /w eig ht r a ti o ............................... 2.28$fe
Ca rtr idg e C a s e ........................ Mk 7 and Mk 9
P ri m e r............................ Mk I I. Mk 11 Mod 1
Tr ac er .................................................. Int egr al
Fu zes .............. Army M66A1 in base (B.D .F.)
Th is proj ecti le was form erly issued wi tho ut
any explo sive filling a nd with th e Tr ac er Mk 4.
It is now lieing loaded and a t pre sen t is fuzed
wit h th e Army Base Fuze M66A1.

Figure 20. 3-in ch Common Mk 3 M od 7

3-inch Common Mk 3 M od 7 Dis tanc e base to band , inc he s................... 1.80

Gun s used in ............................................. 8*728 Wid th of band , i nc he s................................. 0.70
Over -all len gth , inc he s........................... 10.035 Dia me ter at bou rre let, in ch es ...................2.97
Ilia m et er of base, inc he s............................. 2.87 Fi lli ng ........................ Black powd er and TNT

CONF IDEN TIAL 25

U .S . EXPLOSIVE OR DN AN CE
W ei gh t of filling, po un ds ............................0.28
W ei gh t of loaded pr oj ec til e, po un ds ...........18
Ch ar ge /w ei gh t r a t i o ............................. 2.15%
Ca rtr idg e c a s e ......................................... Mk
P r im e r ........................... . . . . . . . . Mk 10 Mod 9
T r a c e r ...................................... In te gr al in faze
F u z e s............. Base Ig ni tio n Fu ze Mk 8 Mod 4
Figi rrt 21. 3-in<h A A . Mk 23 Mo dt 1— 3
3-inch A .A . Mk 23 Mod s I, 2, and 3
(O b so le te )
G un s used in ............................................... 3" /5 0
Ov er- all le ng th , inc hes
W ith nos e fu ze ......................................... 12.13
W ith ou t nose fuz e.................................... 8.11
D ia m et er of base , i nc he s...............................2.98
Di sta nc e ba se to ba nd, i nc he s...................... 1.80
W id th o f ban d, in ch es ...................................0.70
Di am ete r a t bo ur rel et, in ch es ....................2.98
F il li n g ...................................................Ca st TN T
W ei gh t of filling, po un ds ............................0.74
W ei gh t o f loaded pr oj ec til e, po un ds . .. .13. 05
C li ar ge /w ei gh t r a t i o .............................. 5.67%
C ar tr id ge C ase . . . .M k 3, Mk 3 Mods 2 and 3
P r im e r ...................................................... Mk 14
T r a c e r ........................................................... Mk 4
Fu ze s
Nos e Mk 22 and Mod s 1 th ro ug h 5 (M. T.F .)
Mk 30 and Mod s 1, 2. 3. (P. D. F.)
Mk 51 an d Mods (M .T. F.)
A ux ili ar y D et on at in g Fuz e
Mk 17 a nd Mods o r
Mk 46
Mk 54 Mod 0
T he Au xil iar y D et on at in g Fuz e Mk 54 re ­
pla ced th e Fu ze s Mk 17 an d Mk 16 i n all as se m ­
26 C O N F ID P N ff A t - -
OP 1664
Ba se Ig nit ion Fu ze s Mk 8 Mod 5 o r Mk 2
Mod 9 (w ith ou t tr ac er s) ma y be use d in th is
pro jec til e, bu t th e Mk 8 Mod 1 wi th in te gr al
2 tr ac er is pr ef er re d.
Th is rou nd ma y als o be issu ed B.L. «& P. or
B.L. & T. wit h th e T ra ce r Mk 7 fo r ta rg e t
pr ac tic e.
blie s. Pro ducti on of th is pr oj ec til e ha s bee n
dis co nti nu ed.
3-in ch A .A . Mk 26 Mo ds I and 2
Gu ns used in .................................... ..........3 "/ 2 3
Over -all len gth , inc hes
W ith nose fu ze ............................. ..........12 .13
W ith ou t nose fu ze .................................... 8.11
Di am ete r of ba se, i nc he s.............................. 2.97
Di sta nce base to b and , i nc he s...................... 1-80
Wi dth of ban d, in ch es ...................................0.70
Di am ete r a t bo ur re le t, in ch es ....................2.98
F il li n g ...................................................Ca st T NT
W eig ht of filling, po un ds ........................... 0.74
W ei gh t of load ed pr oj ec til e, p o u n d s. . . .12. 95
C li a r g e /w e ig h t r a t i o .............................. 5.7 1%
C ar tri dg e C a s e ...............................................Mk 2
P r im e r ............................................ Mk 10 Mod 9
T r a c e r ............................................................... Mk4
Fuz es
Nos e Mk 22 an d Mod s I t hr ou gh 5 (M .T. F.)
Mk 51 all Mods (M. T.F .)
Au xil iar y D et on at in g Fuz e
Mk 17 an d Mod s o r
Mk 46
Mk 54 and 0
Th e Au xil iar y D et on at in g Fuz e Mk 54 is re ­
pla cin g th e Mk 17 an d th e Mk 46 in all as se m ­
blies.

The shap e of th e 3-inch A.A. Pro ject ile Mk 26
is, f or all gener al purpose s, th e same as th at
shown for th e Mk 23.
3-inch A .A . Mk 27 Mods I, 2, and 3
Guns used in ........................................... 3r'/5 0
Over-aU le ngth , inches
With nose fu ze ...................................... 12.13
Wi thou t nose fuz e.................................. 8.11
Dia met er of base, inch es.......................... 2.98
Distance base to hand, inch es...................1.35
Width of band, inch es.............................. I DO
Diam eter at bour rclct, inch es.................. 2.98
P il li n g ............................................. Cast TNT
Weig ht of filling, pou nds.......................... 0.74
Wei ght of loaded pro jectile, po un ds .. . 13.00
Ch arg e/w eig ht r a t i o ............................ 5.67 $4)
Car trid ge c a s e ..........................Mk 7 all Mods,
Mk 9 Mod 0
P ri m e r........................... Mk 14, Mk 14 Mod 1
Tra cer . . ................................................... Mk 4
Fuzes
Nose Mk 22 and Mods 1 thr oug h 5 (M.T.F.)
Mk 80, Mods 1, 2, 3 (P.D.F.>
Mk 51 all Mods (M.T.F .j
Auxili ary Deto natin g F uze
Mk 17 and Mods
Mk4 6
Mk 54 Mod 0
Tliis projec tile becomes 3-inch H.C. when the
Fuze Mk 30 is sub stitu ted for the Mk 22.
The Auxili ary Deton ating Fuze Mk 54 is re ­
placing the Mk 17 and the Mk 16 in all asse m­
blies.
Tli is pr ojec tile*8 shape is alm ost exactly simi ­
lar to th at o f th e Mk 23.
Figute 22. 3-inch A .A. Mk 31 Mod 1
CONFIDE NTIAL
3 - IN C H PRO JEC TIL ES
3-inch A.A , Mk 31 Mod I
Guns used in ............................................8"/ 50
Over-all length, inches
With nose f u z e ..................................... 12.22
With out nose fuz e.................................. 8-50
Diam eter of base, inc hes .......................... 2.98
Distan ce base to band, inc hes .................. 1.85
Width of band, in ch es ................................. 1.0
Diam eter at bour relet, inc hes ................ 2.985
F il li n g ............................. Cas t TNT, Comp. A
Wei ght of filling, pou nds ..........................0.54
Wei ght of loaded project ile, po un ds .. . . 12.90
Ch arg o/w eig ht r a t i o .............................. 4.1%
Ca rtri dc C a se ............................... Mk 7, Mk 9
P ri m e r.......................... . Mk 14, Mk 14 Mod 1
Fuzes
Nose Mk 45 Mod 12 (V.T.F.)
Mk 58 and all Mods (V.T.F.)
Auxi liary Deto natin g Fuze
Mk 44 Mods 0 and 1
Thi s projectil e is specially cavitizcd to re ­
ceive V.T. fu zes and the ir auxi liary deto nati ng
fuzes. No othe r fuzes may be assembled. Since
V.T. fuz ing is employed, no tra ce r is asse mble d;
inst ead , the base is solid, and a special shee t-
steel base cover plate is welded on, 0.031 inch
thic k and 2.50 inches in diam eter.
This projec tile replaces th e origina l Mk 31
Mod 0, which has been recalled from service
use. The Mod 0 was cavitized to receive the
V.T. Fuse Mk 15 Mod 11, wh ich differed from
the Mod 12 by having a longer stem and has
l>oen declared unserviceabl e.
The V.T. Fuze Mk 58 is cur ren tly replacing
the Mk 45 .Mod 12 in all assemblies.
27
U. S. EXPLOSIVE O RD NA NC E
3-inch Illuminating Mk 21 Mods I, 2, and 3
Gu ns used in ............................... ..........3"/f)l)
Over-all leng th, inches
With nose fuze.......................... ........... 13.07
Withou t nose f uze .................. ............. 9.32
Dia met er of base, inc he s.......... ..............2.97
Distan ce ba se to ban d, in ch es ... ■ . . . 1.8
Wid th of band, inc he s................ ..............0.70
Diam eter a t bour relet, inches. . ............. 2.98
Fi llin g........ Black powde r expellin g cha rge ;
magnesiu m flare — Illuminat ing
Conten ts Mk 3
Wei ght of filling .......... Expelli ng charg e, one
ounce black powder
Wei ght of loaded pr oject ile, po un ds .. . . 13.00
Ca rtrid ge C a se ..................Mk 3 Mods 2 and 3
P ri m e r..............................Mk 14. Mk 14 Mod 1
Fuz es
Nose Mk 22and Mods 1 thr oug h 5 (M.T.F.)
Mk 51 and all Mods (M.T.F.)
3-in ch Illu min atin g Mk 22 Mo ds I — 5
Gun s used in ............................................3"/2 3
Over-all len gth , in ches
With nose fu ze...................................... 13.07
Wi thou t nose fuz e.................................. 9.32
Diam eter of base, inc he s.......................... 2.965
Dist ance base to band , inc hes .....................1.8
Widt h o f ba nd, inc hes ................................ 0.70
Diam eter at bour relet . inc hes .................. 2.98
Fil lin g.......... Expelling cha rge is black pow­
der ; flare is mag nesiu m; Illu­
min atin g Cont ents Mk 3
We ight of filling ........ Expelli ng charg e is %
ounce
Wei ght of loaded project ile, po un ds .. . .13.00
Ca rtri dge Case ............................ ........... . Mk 2
P ri m e r....................................... Mk 10 Mod 9
Fuze s
Nose Mk 22 and Mods 1 th rou gh 5 (M.T.F.)
Mk 51 and all Mods (M.T.F.)
3-in ch Illu mi na tin g Mk 24 M od I
Guns used in ............................................3 "/5 0
Over-all leng th, inches
With nose fuz e...................................... 13.07
With out nose fuz e.................................. 9.35
Diam eter of base, in che s.......................... 2.972
Dist ance ba se to band, inc hes .................. 1.80
28 CONFID ENTIAL
OP 1664
Width of ban d, i nch es............................... 0.70
Diam eter nt bour relet , inch es..................2.98
Fil lin g..........Black powder expelling cha rge ;
magnes ium llar e; Illum inatin g
Con tents Mk 3
Wei ght of fil ling.......... Expelling char ge is %
ounce
Weig ht o f loaded p roject ile, po un ds .. . .13.04
Car trid ge C a s e ..................Mk 3, 8 -2, or 3-8
P ri m e r........................... Mk 11, Mk 14 Mod 1
Fuzes
Nose Mk 22 and Mods 1 thro ugh 5 (M .T.F.)
Mk 51 and all Mods (M.T.F.)
3-inch Illumi nating Mk 25 Mod I
Guns used in ............................................3"/ 50
Over-all length , inches
With nose fu ze ...................................... 13.07
Wit hou t nose fu ze ........ .. .9.35
Diam eter of base, in ch es ......................... 2.962
Distan ce base to band, inch es................... 1.35
Width of band, inch es.................................1.00
Diamet er at bour relet , inch es.................. 2.98
Fill ing ........ .Exp ellin g cha rge is black pow­
de r; Hare is m agnes ium; Illumi­
nati ng Con tent s Mk 3
Wei ght of filling.......... Expelling ch arg e is %
ounce
Wei ght of loaded p rojecti le, po un ds .. . .13.07
Car trid ge C a se ..........................Mk 7 o r Mk 9
P ri m e r........................... Mk 14, Mk 14 Mod 1
Fuzes
Nose Mk 22 and Mods 1 th rou gh 5 (M.T.F.)
Mk 51 all Mods (M.T.F.)
Lot numb ers 9 thro ugh 98 of t he Fuze Mk 22
Mods 2 an d 3 ar e auth orize d for use with Pro ­
ject ile Mk 25 an d Mods in the guns Mk 21 a nd
Mk 22.
3-inch Illu mi na tin g M k 28 Mo d I
Guns used in............................................ 3" /23
Over-all leng th, inches
With nose fu ze ........ ............................. 7
With out nose fuz e.................................. 9.35
Diam eter of base, in che s.......................... 2.965
Distance base to band, inc hes .................... 1.8
Width of ban d, i nch es................................ 0.70
Diam eter a t bour relet , inc hes .................. 2.98
 3 -I N C H PROJECTILES

me ch an ica l Time
FUZE

EX PE LL ING CHARGE FE LT O'SCS

PYRO TEC HNIC MIX
CE NT ER WIRE TUBE
QEN TER WIRE

SW IVE L-
PYRO TECH NIC CAN
SP LI T WASHERS
PARAC HUTE

LOWER SUPPORT
CANNELURE
PARACHUTE
SHROUDS
felt PAO TH IMB LE S
LEA D gaske t
SH EAR PIN

Figure 2 3. 3-inch Illuminatin g Mk 28 Ma d 1

Fil lin g........... Exp ellin g char ge is black pow­
der ; flare is mag nesi um; lllu mi-
• t nati ng C onte nts Mk 3
We igh t o f filli ng........... Exp ellin g c harg e is a/g
ounce
We igh t of loaded projec tile, poun ds. .. .13.0 0
Cart ridge C a se ............................................ Mk 2
P ri m er .............................................Mk 10 Mod 9
Fuz es
No se Mk 22 and Mods I thro ugh 5 (M.T. F.)
Mk 51 all Mods (M.T. F.)

1 CO NF IDE NT IAL 29
 Part I — Ch ap ter I — Section 3

4- IN CH PROJECTILES

Figu re 24. 4-in ch Sp eci al Commo n Mk 16

Mod s 1 and 2

4-inch Special Common Mk 16 Mods I and 2
Guns used in ..........................................4"/50
Over-all len gth, inches
With cap & windshi eld....................... 17.50
Without cap & wind shield.................. 11.42
Diamete r of base, inch es......................... 3.96
Distance base to band, inch es....................2.25
Width of band, inch es............................... 1.85
Diamete r a t bourrelet, inch es....... . .3.985
Fi lli ng .......................................... Explosive D
Weight of filling, pound s......................... 1.16
Weight of loaded pr ojectile, po un ds. .. .33.00
Char ge/w eight ra tio ............................. 8.03%
Cartrid ge Case. .Mk 2 Mod 1 or Mk 2 Mod 4
P ri m er .................................. Mk 13 and Mods
T ra ce r................................................. . .Mk 4
Fuzes
Base............................ Mk 36 Mods 0 and 1
Mk 20 Mods 1 and 2
The Base Fuze Mk 36 is th e prefer red assem­
bly and is re placing t he Mk 20.
This projectile is specially stren gthen ed for
ex tra armor-pi ercing qualities.
4-inch Common Mk 6 Mod 6 (Ob sole te)
Guns used in........................................... 4*750
Over-all length, inch es............................. 15.8
Diamete r o f base, i nch es......................... 3.96
Distance base to ba nd, inche s..................2.90
Width of band, in ches ............................... 1.02
Diameter a t bourrele t, inch es.................. 3-985
Filling ......................Black powder and TNT
Weight of filling, poun ds........................... 1.39
Weight of loaded p rojectile, poun ds........33.0
Cha rgc/w eight r a ti o ........................... 4.21%
Cart ridge Ca se............. Mk 2 or Mk 2 Mod 3
Pr im er.................................. Mk 13 and Mods
T ra c e r............................................... Integr al
Fuz es............................ Base — Mk 10 Mod 4
This round may be is sued B.L. & P. or B.L.
& T. with Trace r Mk 6 Mod 1 and adap ter for
tar get practice.
4-inch Common Mk 10 Mods. I, 2, and 3
(Ob sol ete )
Guns used in .......................................... 4*750
Over-all len gth, inche s............................15.80
Diame ter of base, inch es......................... 3.96
Distance base to band, inche s.................. 2.75
Width of band, in ches ............................... 1.33
Diameter at bourrel et, inch es................ 3.985
Fillin g.......................Black powder and TNT
Weight of filling, jx)unds......................... 1-39
Weight of loaded projectile, poun ds........33.0
Charg e/wei ght r a t i o ........................... 4.21%
Cartr idge Case.............. Mk 2 or Mk 2 Mod 3
Pr im er................................ Mk 13 and Mods
T ra c e r.................................. Integral in fuze

30 CON FID ENT IAL

 4 -I N C H PROJECTILES

Figure 25. 4-inch Common Mk 10 Mo di 1—3

Fu zes ............................Base — Mk 10 Mod -I Fuzes

Fo r ta rg et pract ice, thi s round is also issued
B.L. & P. or B.L. & T. with ad ap ter a nd Trac er
Mk 6 Mod 1.
4-inch H .C . Mk 15 Mo d I and Ex-2 a nd Ex-2-1
Guns used in ........................................... 4"/ 50
Overall leng th, inches
With nose f uze ...................................... 18.00
W ith ou t nose fuz e................................14.28
Dia met er of base, inc hes .......................... 3.96
Distan ce base to band, inc hes .................. 2.25
Widt h of band, inc he s.............................. 1.85
Dia met er at bour relet , inc hes ................ 3.985
F ill in g........................................... Explosive 1)
We ight of filling, poun ds............................ 2.71
We ight o f loaded projectile , po un ds .. . .33.00
Ch arg e/w eig ht ra tio .............................. 8.21%
Ca rtri dg e Ca se................ Mk 2 Mods 1 and 4
P ri m e r............................. Mk 13 and all Mods
Tr ac er ......................................... Mk 4 or Mk 9
Ba se ................Mk 31 or Mk 28 (B.D.F.)
Nos e................Mk 30 Mods 1. 2. 3 (P.D.F .)
Mk 22 Mods 1-5 (M.T.F.)
Steel nose plug
Mk 51 and all Mods (M.T.F.)
Aux iliar y Deto natin g Fuze
Mk 17 o r Mk 46
Mk 54 Mod 0
Th e Base Fuze Mk 31 is pre fer red for this
proje ctile. The Tr ac er Mk 4 is used wi th the
Base Fuze Mk 31; the Mk 9, with the Fuze
Mk 28.
The 4" /5 0 E x-2 and Ex-2-1 are identi cal to
Pro ject ile Mk 15 except they are one pound
heav ier. Appro ximat ely 18,000 o f the Ex pro­
ject iles were man ufa ctur ed and issued.
The Au xili ary Deto natin g Fuze Mk 54 is re­
placing the Mk 17 an d the Mk 46 fuzes in all
assemblie s.
Assembly of the Nose Fuze Mk 22 (M.T .F.)
with this proj ecti le has stoppe d.

Figure 26. 4-inch H. C. Mk IS Mo d 1

CONFID ENTIAL 31
U. $. EXPLOSIVE O RD NA NC E OP 1664

FUZE

EXPE LLING CHARGE

BAFF LE PLATE

STAR TER M IX

PY RO TEC HN IC

CENTE R WI RE

CENTER W IR E TUB E
UPP ER SU PP OR T
CA NI ST ER
SP LIT WAS HER S
SW IV E L
thimb les
shrouds
parachute
LOWER SUPP ORT

Shear pin
BASE PLUG

TWIS T PIN

Fig ure 27. 4-i n< h tl lv m in at ie g Mk M Mod* 7— 6

4-inc h Illu mi na tin g Mk 14 Mod s 1— 6 D ia m e te r a t bo ur re le t. in ch es ...................3. 98 5

G u n * usetl in .....................................................4 " /5 O
Over-all length, inches
W it h nose fu z e ........................................... 18.40
With out nose fu ze ................................ 11.92
D ia m e te r o f base, in ch es .............................3 .9 33
D is ta nc e bas e to ba nd , in ch es ......................2 .2 5
W id th o f ba nd , in ch es .................................... 1.8 5
Fi llin g.......... Expel ling charg e is black pow­
de r; flare, magnesium
W e ig h t o f f i l l i n g . . . . E x p e ll in g c ha rg e is 1. 25
ounce
Weight of loaded p roje ctile , po un ds .. . .34.66
Ca rtri dge Ca se................ Mk 2 Mods 1 and 4
P r im e r ................................... M k 13 an d al l Mo ds
T r a c e r ...............................................................No ne

32 CONFIDENT IAL
 5 -I N C H PROJECTILES

Fu zes ..........................Mk 18 Mods 2, 3, and 4
Mk 50 all Mods
Mk 63 Mod 0
Th e Fuz e Mk 18 may lie used in all Mods
of thi s pro jec tile : the Fuzes Mk 50 an d Mk $3
are used only in the Mod 6 proje ctile.
Illu min atin g Conte nts Mk 3 ar c used in pro ­
jecti les Mods 1- 6; the Illum inati ng Conte nts
Mk 4 Mod -1 are used in the Mod C project ile.

Part I — Cha pte r I — Section 4

5- IN CH PROJECTILES

Figure 28. S-Inch Spe cia l C omm on Mk 38 M o d i 1— 3

5-inch Spec ial Comm on Mk 38 Mod s I, 2,

and 3
Guns used in ......................................... . 5"/ 38
Over-all leng th, inc hes .............................. 20.7
Dia met er of base, inc hes ........................ 4.385
Distan ce base to band, inc hes .................... 2.43
Fig ure 29. 5-i nc h Spe cia l Common Mk 42
Widt h of band, inch es................................ 2.25
Mods 0 and 1
Dia met er at bou rrcle t, inc hes ...................4.985
Filling ........................................... Explosive D
We ight of filling, poun ds......................... 2.04 5-inch Special Common Mk 42 Mod s 0 and I
Wei ght of loaded projec tile, po un ds ... .55.18 Guns used in ............................................5*754
Ch arg e/w eig ht ra tio .............................3.69% Over-all leng th, inc hes .............................. 26.0
Ca rtrid ge C as e......................................... Mk 5 Wi tho ut wi nd sh ie ld ...........................15.605
P rim er .............................Mk 13 and all Mods Diam eter of base, inc hes .......................... 4.26
T ra c e r........ . ............................................ Mk 9 Dista nce base to band, inc hes .................. 3.75
Fu ze s..................Ba se — Mk 20 .and all Mods Widt h of band, inch es.............................. 2.25

CONFI DENTIA L 33
U. S. EXPLOSIVE OR DN AN CE
Dia met er a t bou rrele t, inc hes .................4.985
Fill ing ............................................Explosive D
Wei ght of filling, pou nds .......................... 2.14
We ight of loaded proje ctile , pou nds ...........70
Ch arg e/w eig ht r a t i o ............................3.06%
Ca rtri dge Case . . . . ..............................Mk 6
Pr im er .............................. Mk 13 and all Mods
Tr ac er ....................................Mk 5 (prob ably)
Fu zes ..............................Bas e — Mk 61 Mod 0
Th e T rac er Mk 9 may possibly be used in th is
projec tile, alth ough th e Mk 5 is the pref erre d
assembly .
5-inch Special Common Mk 46 Mods I and 2
Gun s used in ............................................ 5'73 8
Over-all leng th, inches
With c a p .............................................. 20.70
With out c a p ........................................ 12.485
Dia me ter of base, in ch es.......................... 4.985
Distanc e b ase to band, inc hes .................... 2.43
Wid th of band, inc hes ................................ 2.25
Diam eter a t b ourr elet , in che s...................4.985
F ill in g ....................................... Explosive D
Wei ght of filling, po un ds .........................2.04
Weig ht of loaded proj ecti le, po un ds ... .55.18
Ch arg e/w eig ht ra ti o............................. 3.69%
Ca rtri dge C as e.......................................... Mk 5
Figu re 20. 5-in ch Spe cie! Comm on Mk 46
M o d i 1 an d 2
34 CONFI DENTIA L
OP 1664
Pr im er ..............................Mk 13 and all Mods
T ra c e r....................................................... Mk 9
Fu zes ........................Base — Mk 20 Mods 0-2
5-in ch Com mo n Mk 15 Mo ds 12— 14
(All but Mod I I ar e o bsolete.)
Guns used in ..................................5" /5 0 (bag )
5*751 (bag )
5"/5 1 (case)
Over-all leng th, inc he s.............................. 17.0
Dia met er of base, inc he s.......................... 4.96
Dista nce base to band, inc hes ...................0.65
Widt h of ban d, inc hes .................................1.67
Diam eter at bo urre let, inc hes ...................4.085
Fi llin g........................Bla ck powde r and TNT
Weight of filling, pounds........................ 1.70
Weig ht of loaded proje ctile , pou nds........ 50.0
Cha rge /we igh t ra tio .............................. 3.46%
Car trid ge Ca se................................... Bag gun
P ri m e r ....................................... Mk 15 Mod I
Tr ac er ......................................Int egr al in fuze
F u z e s ................ B as e — Mk 10 Mod 1 ( B. 1. F .)
When used in th e 5" /51 case gun. Car trid ge
Case Mk 3 and Prim er Mk 13 and all Mods a re
employed.
The Base Fuze Mk 10 Mod 9 may be used if
the Mk 10 Mod 4 is unavailabl e.
The Mod 14 pro ject ile may be issued B.L. &
P. or B.L. & T. with ad ap ter and Tra cer Mk 6
Mod 1 fo r ta rg et pract ice.
Fig ure 31. S-inch Com mo n Mk 15 M o d i 12 and 14
 5 -I N C H PROJECTILES

Width of band, inc hes ................................ 2.0

Fig ure 32 . 5-in ch Comm on Mk 32 M od i T— 4
5-inch Com mon Mk 32 Mod s I — 4
Guns used i n . ......................................... 5"/ 38
Over-all leng th, inches
Wi th cap & wind shiel d.......................... 20.7
Wi tho ut cap & win dshie ld.....................13.6
Dia met er o f base, inch es.......................... 4.973
Distan ce base to band, inc hes ...................2.43
Widt h o f band , in ch es ................ 2.25
Dia met er a t bou rrel et, inc hes ................ 4.985
F ill in g ...........................................Explos ive D
We igh t of filling, p ound s...........................2.58
We ight o f loaded project ile, po un ds .. . .54.00
Ch arg e/w eig ht ra tio ................................5.0%
Ca rtrid ge C ase ........................................ I lk 5
Pr im er ............................... Mk 13 and all Mods
T ra c e r....................................................... Mk 9
Fu zes ..................Base — Mk 20 and all .Mods
Dia met er at bour relet, inc hes ................ 4.985
Filli ng ........................................... Explosive D
Weig ht of filling, p oun ds.......................... 3.65
Weig ht of loaded projec tile, pou nds........ 50.0
Ch arg e/w eig ht ra tio ................................ 7.0%
Ca rtri dge C ase.................................... Bag gun
Pr im er....................................... Mk 15 Mod 1
T ra ce r........................................... Mk 5 Mod 1
Fuzes
Ba se........ Mk 28 a nd Mods
No se........ Mk 29 Mods 2 and 3 (P.D.F. )
Mk 18 Mods 2. 3, a nd 4 (M.T.F.)
Mk 50 and all Mods (M.T.F.)
Mk 63 Mod 0 (M.T.F.)
Steel Nose P lug
Auxili ary Deto natin g F uze
Mk 17 an d Mods
Mk 16 Mod 0
Mk 54 Mod 0 and 1
Only a very few 5"/5 1 guns a re in service in
the fleet.
W'hen employed in the 5'75 1 case gun. Ca rt­
ridg e Case Mk 3 and Prim er Mk 13 and all Mods
ar e used.
The Auxili ary Deto nati ng Fuze Mk 54 is re­
placing the Mk 17 a nd Mk 46 in all assemblie s.

5-inch H. C, Mk 39 M ods I an d 2
Guns used in ........................................... 5*751
Bag or case gun
Over-all length , inches
Wit h nose fuz e........................................ 17.0
Without nose fuz e................................ 13.18
Dia met er of base, inch es.........................4.985
Dista nce base to band, inch es..................... 1.15 Fig ure 33. 5-in <h H .C . Mk 39 Mods 1 and 2

CO NF ID EN TI AL 35
U. S. EXPLOSIVE OR DN AN CE OP 1664

Auxiliary Deto natin g Fuze

Mk 43 Mod 1
Mk 44 Mods 0 and 1
The Tra cer Mk 5 may be used in t his p roje c­
tile, altho ugh the Mk 9 is th e pref erre d as­
sembly.
When the V.T. Fuze Mk 59 is employed, the
proje ctile ada pte r i s removed, and no bas e fuze
or t rac er is employed. The base is closed by a
gas-checked base-fuz e plug.
When the V.T. Fuze Mk 59 is used in thi s
projectil e, t he Aux iliary D eton ating Fuze Mk 41
is used instea d of the Mk 43. With all oth er
typ es of nose fuzing, th e Auxili ary Deton ator
Mk 43 is employed.

5-inc h A .A . Comm on Mk 28 Mod 9

(O bs ole te)
Guns used in ........................................... 5"/ 25
Over-all l eng th, inches
With nose f uze ...................................... 20.70
With out nose f uz e.............................. 16.945
Diam eter of base, inc hes ........................ 4.973
Distance b ase to band, inch es.................. 2.43
Widt h of band, in ch es ,................. 2.0
Diam eter a t bour relet , inc hes ................ 4.985
Figure 34. $-incf i H .C . Mk 4 J Mo d 0 Fill ing ........... ............. . Exp. D, Comp. A
Weig ht of filling, pou nds.......................... 7.33

5-inc h H. C. Mlt 41 Mo d 0
Guns used in............................................ B*/M •/'• \I
Over-all leng th, inc he s.............................. 26.0 / \
With out nose fu ze ................................ 22.28 i \
Diam eter of base, inc he s..........................4.26
Distan ce base to band, inch es.................. 3.75
Width of band, inc hes ................................ 2.25
Dia met er a t bour rele t, inc hes .................4.985
Fi lli ng ...........................................Exp losive D
Weig ht of filling, poun ds............................7.59
Weight of loaded projec tile, poun ds.......... 70
Charge, weight ra tio ...................... 10.84$&
Car trid ge C a se ....................................... Mk 6
Pr im er............................... Mk 13 and all Mods
Tr ac er ................................... Mk 9 (probab ly)
Fuzes
B as e............ Mk 28 and all Mods
Nos e........... Mk 25 Mod 1 (M.T.F.)
Mk 30 Mods 2 and 3 <P.D.F.>
Mk 59 Mod 0 (V. T.F.) Figure 3S. S-inch A .A . QotntnOtr Mk. 29 Mo d 9

36 CONFID ENTIAL

We igh t of loaded projectile , pou nds ........ 51.7
Ch arg e/w eig ht ra tio .............................. 14.0%
Ca rtri dg e Case ............................... ......... Mk 4
Pr im er ........................; . . Mk 13 and all Mods
Tra cer ........................................................None
Fuzes
No se......................Mk 32 all Mods (V.T.F.)
Mk 40 all Mods ( V.T.F.)
Aux iliary Deton ating Fuze
Mk 17 and Mods
Mk 46 Mod 0
Mk 54 Mod 0
Thi s proj ecti le is fuzed with V.T. fuzes only.
The proje ctile ad ap ter is removed, and a gas-
checked base plug is in serte d. No t rac er or base
fuze is used wit h th is project ile.
The Fuze Mk 40 and Mods is curr entl y re ­
placing the Mk 32 and Mods in all assemblies.
The Auxi liary Deton ating Fuz e Mk 54 is re­
placing the Fuzes Mk 17 and Mk 46 in all as­
semblies.
Thi s round is also issued B.L. & I*, or B.L. &
T. with the T rac er Mk 6 and ada pte r, or a cut ­
off Base Fuze Mk 13 fo r ta rg et practice.
5-inch A .A . Co mm on Mk 31 Mo ds I— I I
Guns used in..................................... ft'738
Over-all leng th, inches
With n ose fuz e.................................... 20.7
Wit hou t nose fuz e..............................16.625
Dia met er of base , inc hes ............................ 4.97
Dista nce base to band, inc hes .................. 2.43
Wid th of ba nd, in ch es ............................... 2.25
Dia met er a t b ourrel et, in che s.................. 4.985
Fil lin g................................... Exp. D, Comp. A
Wei ght of filling, poun ds.......................... 7.25
Wei ght of loaded proje ctile, p ounds. .. .55.12
Ch arg e/w eig ht ra tio ........................... .13.33%
Ca rtri dg e C a s e ........................................ Mk 5
P ri m e r............................. Mk 13 and all Mods
T ra c e r....................................................... None
Fuzes
Nos e..............Mk 32 and all Mods (V.T.F.)
Mk 40 and all Mods (V.T.F.)
Mk 53 and all Mods (V.T.F.)
Aux iliary D etona ting Fuze
Mk 17 and all Mods
Mk 44 Mod 0 and 1
Mk4 6Mo dO
Mk 54 Mod 0 an d 1
C O N FI D EN TI AL
5 -I N C H PROJECTILES
The Mk 31 p rojec tile was origina lly designed
to receive the Base Fuze Mk 13, which is now-
obsolete. T he projec tile will now be found fitted
only w ith V.T. fuze s and a plug in the base.
The Nose F uze Mk 40 is replacin g the Mk 32
and Mods. With these fuzes , the projec tile
ad ap ter will be removed, and the Auxili ary
Deto nati ng Fuze Mk 54 will be employed, re­
placing the previously used Auxili ary Deto nat­
ing Fuzes Mk 17 and Mk 46.
When the V.T. Fuze Mk 53 is used, the pro­
jec tile ad ap ter is removed and the Auxilia ry
Deto natin g Fuze Mk 44 employed.
This projec tile is also issued B.L. & P. or
B.L. & T. with an ad ap ter and the Tra cer Mk
6, or Cut-off Base Fuze Mk 13, for tar ge t prac­
tice.
5-inc h A .A . Commo n Mk 34 Mo d 10
Guns used in ........................................... B'738
Over-all leng th, inches
With nose f uze ........................................ 20.7
With out nose fuz e.................................. 17.2
Diam eter of base. inc hes .......................... 4.97
Distan ce base to band, inc hes ?................ 2.43
Width of ban d, inche s................................ 2.25
Dia met er at bour relet, inc hes ................ 4.985
Fill ing ................................... Exp. D, Comp. A
Weig ht of filling, p oun ds.......................... 7.25
Weig ht o f loaded proj ectile, po un ds .. . .55.18
Ch arg e/w eig ht r a t i o .......................... 13.33%
Ca rtri dg e Case ............................................. Mk5
Pr im er ............................. Mk 13 and all Mods
T ra c e r........................................................... Mk9
Fuzes
B as e........ Mk 28 and all Mods
No se........ Mk 18 Mods 2, 3, and 4 (M.T.F.)
Mk 50 Mods 0-4 (M.T.F.)
Mk2 9 Mods 2 and 3 (P.D.F. )
Mk 32 and all Mods (V.T.F .)
Mk 40 and all Mods (V.T.F .)
Mk 63 Mod 0 (M.T.F.)
Auxili ary Deto natin g Fuze
Mk 17 an d al l Mods
Mk 46 Mod 0
Mk 54 Mods 0 and 1
Thi s projec tile consi sts of a Proj ectil e Mk 31
Mod 10 modified to receive a Base Fuze Mk 28.
The Auxili ary Deton ating Fuze Mk 54 is re­
placing the Auxilia ry Deto nati ng Fuzes Mk 17
37
U. S. EXPLOSIVE O RD NA NC E OP 1664

and Mk 46 in all ass emblies.

The V.T. Fuze Mk 10 and its Mods are re ­
placing t he Mk 32 and Mods. When thes e fuzes
ar e used in this proj ectil e, no base fuze or
tra ce r is employed. The proj ecti le ada pte r is
removed, and a gas-che cked fuze-hole plug is
fitte d in th e base.

5-in ch A .A . Com mon Mk 35 Mod s I — 12

Guns used in................................5" /38 (case)
5" /51 (bag)
Over-all le ngth, inches
With nose fu ze ...................................... 20.70
Wit hou t nose fu ze .............................. 17.225
Diam eter of base, inc hes .......................... 4.973
Distanc e base to band, inc he s.................. 2.43
Width of band, inc hes ................................ 2.25
Diam eter at bour relet . inc he s................ 4.985
Fill ing....................................Exp. D, Comp. A Figure 36. S-inch A.A. Common Mk 35 Moth 1— 12
Weight of filling, pou nds .......................... 7.25
Weight of loaded proj ectil e, pounds . . . .55.18
the Auxilia ry Deto nati ng Fuze Mk 54 is em­
Cha rge /we igh t r a t i o .............................13.1%
Ca rtrid ge C a se .................................. Mk 5 ployed.
Pr im er ..............................Mk 13 and all Mods When the V.T. Fuze Mk 53 is used, the base
Trac er ..................................................... Mk 9 is fitte d with a gas-chec ked base-fu ze p lug, w ith
no tra cer , the proje ctile ad ap ter is removed,
Fuzes
Ba se........ Mk 28 and all Mods and the Auxi liary Det ona ting Fuze Mk 44 is
employed.
Nos e........ Mk 18 Mods 2. 3. and 4 (M.T.F.)
The Auxili ary Deto natin g Fuze Mk 54 is re­
Mk 50 and all Mods (M.T.F.)
placing the Fuze s Mk 17 and Mk 46 in all
Mk 61 Mod 0 (M.T.F.) (See
.belo w.) assemblies.
With the 1200 f /s l.V. reduced cha rge for
Mk 29 Mods 2 and 3 (P .D.F .)
the 5*738 g un. Nose Fuze s Mk 61 and Mk 29
Mk 32 and all Mods (V.T.F.)
Mods 2 and 3 with the Auxili ary Deto natin g
Mk 40 and all Mods (V.T.F.)
Fuze Mk 54 will be employed.
Mk 63 and all Mods (V. T.F.)
All Mods of th is proj ectil e, except Mod 6,
Mk 63 Mod 0 (M.T.F.)
may be issued B.L. & P. or B.L. & T. with the
Auxilia ry Deto nati ng Fuze
Tra cer Mk 9 and ad ap ter f or ta rg et practice.
Mk 17 and all Mods When these proj ecti les are used in the 5 "/51
Mk 44 Mods 0 and 1 bag gun, the Prim er Mk 15 Mod 1 is used.
Mk 16 Mod 0
Mk 54 Mods 0 and 1 5-inch A.A . Com mon Mlc 36 Mo ds I— 4
TTie Nose Fuze Mk 40 is repla cing the Mk 32 Guns used in ............................................ 5" /26
when used in the 5" /3 8 gun. With th e 5*751 Over-all leng th, inches
ba g gun, however. N'ose Fuze Mk 32 Mod 10, With nose fu ze ...................................... 20.70
ra th er tha n the Nose Fuze Mk 40, is employed. With out nose fu ze .............................. 17.225
When the se fuzes are used, the projec tile Diam eter of ba se...................................... 4.973
ad ap ter is removed, a gas-check ed base fuze Distan ce bas e to band, inc hes .................... 2.43
plug, with no trac er, is fitted i nto the base, and Width of band, inc hes ................................ 2.00

38 CO NF ID EN TI AL

Dia met er a t bou rrele t, in ch es................. 4.985
F il li ng .................................. Exp . D, Comp. A
We ight of filling, poun ds.......................... 7.25
Wei ght of loaded pr oject ile, po un ds .. . .53.85
Ch arg e/w eig ht r a t i o ............................13.5%
Ca rtri dge C ase ....................Mk 4. Mk 4 Mod 2
Pr im er ............................... Mk 13 and all Mods
T ra c e r...................................................... Mk 9
Fuze s
B as e........ Mk 28 and all Mods
Nos e........Mk 18 Mods 2. 3. and 4 (M.T.F.)
Mk 50 and all Mods (M.T.F.)
Mk 29 Mods 1, 2, and 3 (P.D.F. )
Mk 32 and all Mods (V.T.F.)
Mk 40 and all Mods (V.T.F.)
Mk 53 and all Mods (V.T.F.)
Mk 63 Mod 0 (M.T.F.)
Auxi liary Deto nati ng Fuze
Mk 17 and all Mods
Mk 46 Mod 0
Mk 4-1 Mod 0 and 1
Mk 54 Mod 0
When the V.T. fuzes are used, the projec tile
ad ap ter is removed, and a gas-chccked base-
fuze plug , with no tr ace r, is fi tted into the base.
V.T. f uzes are aut horiz ed for use in Mods 2-4
only of thi s projec tile.
The Auxili ary Deto nati ng Fuze Mk 54 is re­
placing the Auxili ary Deto natin g Fuzes Mk 17
and the Mk 46. T he Auxilia ry Deto natin g Fuze
Mk 44 is used only in conju nctio n with the
V.T. Fuze Mk 53.
All Mods of the Proj ectil e Mk 36 a re aut ho r­
ized for use with A.P. steel nose caps and for
desi gnat ion as “II .C." projec tiles.
All Mods of the Proje ctile Mk 36 may also
l>e issued B.L. & P. or B.L. & T. wit h the Tra cer
31k 9 and ad ap ter for ta rg et practic e.
5-inch A .A. Com mon Mk 47 Mod s 0 and I
Guns used in ............................................ 5"/ 88
Over-all length , inches
With nose fuz e............................... . .20.70
With out nose fuz e................................ 52.43
Dia met er of base, inc hes ........................ 4.985
Dista nce base to band, inc hes ...................1.93
Width of band, inc hes .............................. 2.25
Diam eter at b ourre let, i nch es...................4.985
F il li n g...........................................Explosive D
CO NF ID EN TI AL
5 -I N C H PROJECTILES
We ight of filling, pou nds.......................... 7.11
We ight of loaded project ile, po un ds .. . .55.18
Ch arg e/w eig ht r a t i o ..............................7.7%
Ca rtri dg e Case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..........Mk 5
Pr im er ............................Mk 13, all Mods
T ra c e r.......................................................Mk 9
Fuz es....................................... Same as Mk 35
The Mod 1 differ s from the Mod 0 in tliAt
the band sea t h as d iffer ent knurl ing.
Only a few thous and of the se A.A. Common
Pro ject iles Mk 47 were made.
The Mk 47 was made to furn ish a heavi er
proje ctile for some newe r light -wei ght fuzes,
hence main taini ng a sta nd ard ballistic weight.
However, it has been fuzed exactl y like t he Mk
35 up to the pre sen t time.
5-inc h illu m in at in g Mk 25
(a ) Mod s I, 3, 4, 5, 6
(b ) Mo d 2 (O bs ole te )
Guns used i n .......... (a) 6*751 (bag or case)
(b) 5" /25 (case)
Over-al l length , inches
With nose f uze .................................... 19.975
Wit hou t nose fuz e...............................15.865
Diam eter of base, inch es.......................... 4.948
Distance base to band, in ch es.................... 2.43
Width of band, inc hes ................................ 2.0
Diam eter at bou rrele t, inc hes.................4.985
Filli ng............ Expelli ng c har ge is black pow­
de r; flare, magnesium.
Weig ht of fil lin g... .Exp ellin g char ge is 2.5
ounces.
Weig ht o f loaded project ile, pou nds ........54.5
Ca rtrid ge C a se ..........(a) Mk 3
(b) Mk 4, Mk 4 Mod 3
Pr im er ............................... Mk 13 and all Mods
Fuzes
Nos e......................... Mk 18 Mods 2, 3, and 4
Mk 50 and all Mods
Mk 63 Mod 0
The Mod 2 projec tile, used in the 5"/ 25 gun.
is identical to t he Mod 1, except for modification
of the ro tat ing band.
When these projec tiles are used in the 5"/51
bag gun, the Pri me r Mk 15 Mod 1 is used, an d
the Nose Fuz es Mk 50 a nd Mk 63 may be em­
ployed.
39
U. S. EXPLOSIVE OR DN AN CE OP 1664

Use of th e Nose Fuzes Mk 50 and Mk 63 is not

aut hor ize d with roun ds used in the 5*725 and
5" /5 1 case joins.
'Hie Illum inatin g Con tents Mk 3 are used w ith
proj ectil es Mods 1 thro ugh 4; projec tiles Mods
5 and 6 ar e assemble d with Illum inati ng Con­
te nt s Mk 4 Mod 5 when used in the 5'7 51 bag
gun . Illumin ating Cont ents Mk 3 when used
in the 51,r /51 case gun.
5-in ch Illu mi na tin g and 5-inch W.P . Mk 27
M od i I — 10
Guns used in ............................................5"/ 25
Over-all leng th, inches
With nose f u z e ...................................... 20.0
Wit hou t nose f uz e.................................. 15.8
Diam eter of base, i nch es.......................... 4.968
Distance base to band, inc he s.................. 1.93
Width of band, inc he s................................ 2.00
Dia met er at bour relet, inc hes................ 4.985
Fi lli ng .......... Expelling cha rge is black pow­ fi g u re 37. S-in ch Illu mi na tin g Mk 30 M o d i 1— 8
der ; Hare, magnesium.
Wei ght of fill ing .. . .Exp ellin g char ge is 2 .5 Diam eter at b ourre let, inch es..................-1.985
ounces. F ill in g.......... Expe lling cha rge is black pow­
We ight of loaded projec tile de r: flare, m agnesium.
53.65 pounds — Mods 1-4 Wei ght of fil lin g... .Exp ellin g cha rge is 2.5
54.50 pounds — Mods 5-10 ounces.
Ca rtri dg e C as e.................. Mk 4, Mk 4 Mod 2 Wei ght of loaded proje ctile, poun ds........ 5-1.5
Pr im er ..............................Mk 13 and all Mods Car trid ge C as e......................................... Mk 5
fuz es P ri m e r.............................Mk 13 and all Mods
Nose............................... Mk 63 Mod 0 Fuzes
Mk 1$ Mods 2, 3. I Nos e............................. Mk 63 Mod 0
Mk 50 and all Mods Mk 18 Mods 2, S, 4
Mods 1, 2. 3, 4 have a band dia met er o f 5.10 Mk 50 and all Mods
inches , and Mods 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 hav e a band The Illumi nating Con tent s Mk 4 Mod 5 are
dia me ter of 5.12 inches. used in t his projec tile.
The Illum inatin g Con tents Mk I Mod 5 are
used in thi s projectile. 5-inch Illuminating Mk 43 Mod 0
The 5-inch W.P. proje ctile utilize s the Mk 27 Guns used in ............................................5*754
body with incend iary conten ts. Over-all leng th, inc he s.............................. 26.0
Wit hou t nose fu ze................................22.28
5-in ch Illu min atin g Mk 30 M ods 1— 8 Diam eter of base, inc hes ........................ 4.973
Guns used in ............................................5*738 Diamet er at b o u rr e le t, in c h e s ....................4.9 85
Over-all leng th, inches Fi lli ng ..........E xpelli ng charg e is black pow­
W ith nose fuz e....................................... 20.0 de r; flare, magne sium.
Wit hou t nose f uz e.............................. .15.8 We ight of fil lin g... .Exp ellin g char ge is 2.5
Diam eter of base, in che s.......................... 4.968 ounces.
Distanc e base to band, in che s.................... 2.43 Wei ght of loaded .projectile, poun ds.......... 70
Width of band, inc hes ................................ 2.25 Car trid ge C as e......................................... Mk 6

40 CONFID ENTIAL
 5 -I N C H PROJECTILES

Pr im er ............................. Mk 13 and all Mods Fuzes

Fu ze s...............................Nose—Mk 25 Mod 1
The Illu min atin g Con tent s Mk 4 Mod 5 are
used in th is proje ctile, modified t o use a le ngth ­
ened spac er sleeve.
Thi s proje ctile is identic al to the 5-inch
Illum inati ng Proj ecti le Mk 18, except th at the
la tte r has a double ro tat in g band.
5-inch Illu m ina tin g Mk 44 M od I
Guns used in ............................................ 5"/3 8
Over-all length , inches
With nose f u ze ..................................... 19.97
Wi tho ut nose fu ze .............................. 16.465
Diam eter of base, inc hes ........................ 4.973
Dista nce base t o band, i nch es.................... 2.43
Widt h o f ba nd, inch es................................ 2.25
Diam eter at bour relet , inc he s................ 4.985
F il li ng .......... Expelling cha rge is black pow­
de r; flare, m agnesium.
We igh t of filling. .. .Exp ellin g cha rge is 2.5
ounces.
Wei ght of loaded projec tile, pou nds........ 54.5
Ca rtri dge C as e......................................... Mk 5
Pr im er ............................. Mk 13 and all Mods
Fuze s
No se......................... Mk 18 Mods 2, 3, and 4
Mk 50 Mods 0-4
Mk 63 Mod 0
Thi s projec tile is cur ren tly assembled with
the Illu min atin g C onten ts Mk 4 Mod 5
Nos e......................... Mk 18 Mods 2, 3, and 4
Mk 50 and all Mods
Mk 63 Mod 0
This projec tile is loaded wit h the Illum inat­
ing Con tent s Mk 4 Mod 5.
The W.P. proje ctile uses th e body of the Mk
45 and the incendia ry cont ents of the W.P.
shell.
5-inc h Illu mi na tin g Mk 48 Mo d 0
Guns used in ............................................ 5"/5 4
Over-all leng th, inch es.............................. 26.0
Wit hou t nose fu ze ................................ 22.28
Diam eter of b ase, in che s.......................... 4.973
Diam eter a t bo urrele t, i nch es...................4.985
F il li ng ..........Ex pellin g cha rge is black pow­
der ; fl are, ma gnesium.
Wei ght of fil lin g.. . .Ex pell ing cha rge is 2.5
ounces.

5-inc h Illu mi na tin g and 5-inc h W. P. Mk 45

M od 0
Guns used in ............................................5 "/2 5
Over-all leng th, inches
With nose fu ze ...................................... 19.97
Wit hou t nose fu ze .............................. 16.465
Dia met er of base , in ches .......................... 4.968
Dista nce base to band, inc he s...................1.93
Widt h o f band , inch es.................................. 2.0
Diam eter at b ourre let, inc hes .................4.985
F il li ng ..........Expelli ng cha rge is black pow­
de r; flare, m agnesium.
We ight of fil lin g... .Exp ellin g cha rge is 2.5
ounces.
We ight o f loaded proje ctile, pou nds........ 54.5
Ca rtri dge Ca se.................... Mk 4, Mk 4 Mod 2
Pr im er ..............................Mk 13 and all Mods Figure 38. 5-in<h Ruminating Mk 48 Mod 0

CO NF ID EN TI AL 41
U. S. EXPLOSIVE OR DN AN CE OP 1664

W e ig h t o f loaded pr oj ec til e, pou nds ............70
C a rt ri d g e Ca se ................................................M k 6
P r im e r .....................................M k IS and al l Mod s
F u ze s.................................... No se— M k 25 Mod 1
T h e Ill u m in at in g Co nt en ts M k 4 Mo d 5 ar e
used, mod ified fo r a len gt he ne d spa cer sleev e.
T h e pr oj ec til e is id en tic al in all respe cts to
th e M k 4S, ex ce pt th a t i t has a doub le ro ta ti n g
band .

BLACK POWDER EJECTION CHARGE

STEEL BAFFLE PLATE

FELT BAFFLE GASKET

METAL FOI L LOAD

CYL INDR ICAL WOOD FORM

(4 SECTIONS)

FELT BASE GASKET

STEEL SPACER PLATE

SPLIT STEEL SUPPO RT SLEEVE

SPLIT STEEL SLEEVE

TWIST PIN

SHEAR PIN

BASE PLUG

Figure 39. S-inch Win d o * Projectile— W in do * Load MT t Mo d 1

42 CONFIDENTIAL
 5 -I N C H PROJECTILES

5-inch W ind ow Pro jec tile
Guns used in ...........................................5 "/3 8
Over-all length , inches
With nose f uze .......................................20.0
With out nose f uz e.................................. 15.8
Diam eter of base, inc hes.......................... 4.968
Distan ce base to band, inc hes .................. 2.43
Width of band, inc hes ................................2.25
Diam eter a t bou melet, inc hes.................. 4.985

FUZE
BLACK P0W 0ER
EJECTION CHARGE

STEE L BAFF LE
PLATE

ROLL OF
METAL FOIL FELT BAFFLE
GASKET

FELT SPACER
GASKET
CARDBOARD OlSC
FIX ED TO END OF
FOIL ROLL

aluminum DISC

SPL IT STEEL
aluminum SPL IT SLEEVE
RETA INER RING

STEEL
TWIST PIN SPACER
PLATE

base plug SHEAR PIN

Figure 10. Wind a * Load MJi 2 Mo d 0

C Q H U D & W A i. ■43
U . S. E X P L O S IV E O R D N A N C E OP 16 64

Fi lli ng ..........Expe lling char ge is black pow­ Weight of loaded projec tile, pounds
de r; flare, magnesium . Load Mk 1 Mod 1—53.9 (appro x.)
W e ig h t o f fill in g . . . .E x p e ll in g ch ar ge is 2.5 Lo ad M k 2 Mo d 0— 54 .6 (a pp ro x. )
ounces. Lo ad M k 4 Mo d 0— 53 .0 (a pp ro x. )

/ — \
BLACK POWDER
EJECTION CHARGE

STEEL BAFFLE
PLATE
ST EE L SPACER
PLATE

FELT BAFFLE
casket FELT SPACER
g! Sj fxzzzzzzzzzzzzx:fi».5ji£
ZZZZZ ZX: . . GASKET

SP LIT ST EE L
SLEEVE

METAL FOIL
IN TWO STACKS

CVLINDR ICAL
MAGNESIUM
FOR M

ALUMINUM
DISC
FELT SPACER
GASKET

TWI ST PIN
STEEL SPACER
PLAT E

SHEAR PIN BASE PLUG

fi gu re 41. Wi nd ow Lood Mk 4 M od 0

44 C O N F ID E N T IA L

Ca rtri dg e Ca se......................................... Mk 5
Pr im er ............................. Mk 13. and all Mods
Fuze s
Nose ..........................Mk 63 Mod 0
Mk 18 Mods 2, 3, and 4
Mk 50 and a ll Mods
Proj ecti le Body
5-inch 111. Mk 30 Mods 5, 7, and 8
5-inch Ill. Mk 11 Mod 1
Window Iztad Mk 1 Mod 1: Cons ists of abou t
13.800 alumi num foil str ips , each 8 inches long,
3/1 6 inch wide, an d 0.00035 inch thick, backed
on eit he r side by 12 pounds of tiss ue paper, solid
glued. T he str ip s arc stacke d with in a four-se c­
tion cylindrica l wood form, which is e ncased in
a spl it steel sleeve, the whole inse rted into the
proj ecti le cavit y.
Window Load Mk 2 Mod 0: Consist s of 19
rolls of alumin um foil stack ed with in a split
stee l sleeve. Each roll con tain s contin uous foil
600 fee t long, >.•;» inch wide, and 0.0009 inch
thick . One end of the foil is atta che d to a car d­
board disc by a rayon lead er 15 fee t long, in­
sur ing stre am ing out of the foil roll. The foil
rolls, with the ir cardboa rd discs, are each en­
cased in a spl it ret ain er ring , form ing a load
uni t. The uni ts are sep ara ted by alumin um
discs when loaded in the split steel sleeve.
Window Load Mk 1 Mod 0: Consist s of two
sta cks of 13,800 alumin um foil str ips , each
stac k sepa rate d by an aluminum disc. Each str ip
is 5.1 inches long by 3/1 6 in. wide. Th e stri ps
are stac ked within two four-s ection cylindrical
magne sium forms , which a re encased in a spli t
stee l sleeve.
Ope ratio n: The explosion of the black powder
eject ion charg e, initia ted by the fuze, exe rts a
pre ssu re ag ain st the baffle plate and forces
the spl it steel sleeve, window load, and ba se plug
out of the base end of the pro jectile.
5-in ch W hi te Phosphorus Smoke Pro jec tile
Gun s used in ............................................ 5"/3 8
Over-all length , inches
With nose f uze ..................................... .20.0
Wit hou t nose fuz e.................................. 15.8
7411 JS O 4 t- 4 C O N F ID E N T IA L
5 -I N C H PROJECTILES
Diam eter of base, inc hes ........................ 4.968
Distan ce base to band, inc hes ................. .2.43
Width of ban d, inc hes ................................2.25
Diam eter a t bour relet. inc hes ................ 4.985
F il li ng ......... Expelling char ge is black pow­
de r; flare, magne sium.
Weight of til lin g.. . .Ex pell ing char ge is 2.5
ounces.
Wei ght of loaded pr oject ile, pou nds ........53.0
Ca rtrid ge Ca se................................... . . . Mk 6
Pr im er ............................... Mk 13 and all Mods
Fuses
No se..........Mk 63 Mod 0 (M.T.F.)
Mk 18 Mods 2 ,3, and 4 (M.T.F.)
Mk 50 and Mods (M.T .F.)
Mk 29 Mod 3 (P.D.F. )
Mk 61 Mod 0 (M.T.F .)—fo r use
with 1,200 f/ 8 initi al velocity
reduced charg e
Mk 66 Mod 0 (P.D .F.)
Proj ectil e Body
5-inch Illum inatin g Mk 30 Mods 1-8
The projec tile body, b ase plate, and e xpelling
cha rge are the same as tho se for th e 5-inch Il­
lumi nati ng Pro ject ile Mk 30.
The can iste r holding the W.P. filled tubes is
of 0.03-inch thic k shee t steel and meas ures
12.03 inches lo ng by 3.9 inch es in diam eter. It is
painte d olive dr ab over all. Thro ugh the cent er
of the ca n is te r is in se rt ed a bu rst er tube con­
tain ing the ball istit e bu rs te r char ge, with a
black powder delay f itted to the upper end of t he
tube. The can iste r is d ivided into four section s
inter nally , w ith each section conta ining 42 W.P.
filled steel tub es 0.5 inch in dia me ter an d 2.86
inches long, 168 tub es in all. The can iste r is
filled thro ugh the base wit h molten W.P. and
cl os ed with two i,S-inch pipe plugs.
Type of Filling
Expel ling ch arg e..........2 ounces black powder
Bu rst ing ch arg e................14 gra ms Ba llistite
Smoke fi lling........................7.06 poun ds wh ite
phosph orus
The black powd er expelli ng charg e, ignited
by the fuze, init iate s th e delay element at the
upp er end o f the bu rst er tub e and force s off the
base plate, ejec ting the can ist er rearw ard. The
45
U. S. EXPLOSIVE OR DN AN CE OP 1664

dela y initi ates the burs ter, which ruptu res the yards in diame ter. Th e proje ctile combines
cani ster and scatters the W .P . filled steel tubes. screening, an ti-personnel, and s ligh t incendi ary
Th e smoke cloud thus forme d is about 36 -1 0 effect.

NOSE FUSE

EXP ELL ING CHARGE

FELT PADDING

OELAY ELEM ENT

ba ll is tit e
BURST ER TUBE

CANNIST ER

W.P. FIL LED TUBES

CAN NIS TER

CLOSI NG PLUG
FELT PADDING

LEA D FIL LE R

fig ur e 42. S-Inch Wh ife Phosphorus Projectile

46 GONP tDEN TtAfc -

 Part I — Cha pte r I — Section 5

6-I NC H PROJECTILES

6-inch A.P. Mk 35 Mods I — I I 6-inch Special Common Mk 27 M od i I— 8

Guns used in ................................ 6" /4 7 teas e) Guns used in .............................................6 "/5 3
Over-a ll l en gth , inches Over-a ll len gth , inche s
W ith cap and win dsh ield ....................... 27.0 W ith cap and wi nds hie ld....................... 27.0
Wi tho ut cap and win dsh ield ............... 17.19 Wi tho ut cap and w ind shie ld................. 15.95
Di am ete r of base , in che s............................5.985 Dia me ter of ba se, i nc he s...........................5 985
Dis tan ce base to band, in ch es ................... 1.55 Dis tanc e base to band , inc he s................... 1.55
Wi dth of band, inc he s............................... 2.50 Wid th of band, inc he s................................. 2.50
Di am ete r at bou rre let, in ch es ................. 5.985 Dia me ter at bou rrel et, inc he s................. 5.985
Fi lli ng ............................................Ex plosi ve D Fil lin g............................................E xplo sive D
We ight of filling, pou nd s............................1.95 We ight of filling, pou nds ........................... 2.20
We ight of loaded pro jec tile , pou nds ........ 130 We igh t of loaded pro jec tile , p oun ds........... 105
Ch ar ge /w eig ht r a t i o ................................1.5% Ch ar ge /w ei gh t r a t i o ............................ .2 .1 %
Ca rtr idg e C a se ..........................................Mk 1 P ri m er .......................................... Mk 15 Mod 1
P ri m er .............................. Mk 13 and all Mods T ra c e r ......................................................... Mk 5
T ra c e r........................................................ Mk 5 Fu ze s.....................B ase— Mk 19 Mods 0 a nd 1
Fu ze s.................. Base— Mk 21 Mods 0 and 1 Th e 6-i nch Special C ommo n P roj ec tile s Mk 27
Mods 2 and 5 have 2.50 pound s of explosi ve,
ra th er tha n th e 2.20 pou nds con tain ed in th e
ot he r Mods.

Figur e 43. 6-io gh A.P. M k 35 M od i 1—8 Figure 44 . 6-in ch Specie! Commo n Mk 27 M od i 1—8

CO NT OE NT lAL 47
II . S. EXPLOSIVE OR DN AN CE
45 , 6-inc h Comm on Mk 20 Mo th 0 — 4
6-inch Common M k 20 Mo ds 0— 4 (O bs ole te)
Guns used in............................................6"/ 50
Over-all length, inc hes ............................22.70
Diame ter of base, inch es............................ 5.94
Distance base to band, inc hes .................... 1.0
Width of band, inc hes ................................2.0
Diame ter at bourrel ct, in che s.................. 5.985
Filli ng..........................................Explosive I)
Weight of filling, poun ds.......................... 7.08
Weight of loaded pro jectil e, p ound s...........105
Cha rge/ wei ght r a t i o ............................ 5.97%
Pr im er......................................... Mk 15 Mod 1
Trac er ..................... Mk 5
Fuz es......................Base— Mk 28 and all Mods
This p rojec tile may be found fuzed w ith Base
Fuze Mk 3 and Mods.
Mods 0, 2, and 4 may also be issued B.L. 4: T.
with ada pte r and Mk 5 Mod 1 Trac er for ta r­
get practice .
This proje ctile may be found loaded with 6.25
pounds of Explosive D.
6-inch Common Mk 24 Mod s I— 5
Guns used in ............................................6" /5 3
Over-all length , inc hes ..............................27.0
Diam eter of base, inc hes ............... 5.985
Distance base to band, inc hes .....................1.0
Width of band, in ch es ...............................2.50
Diamete r at bour relet . inc hes.................. 5.985
48 CONFtO ENTtA L
OP 1664
fig ur e 46. 6-in ch Commo n Mk 24 M od 1
Fi lli ng ...........................................Ex plosive D
Weight of filling, poun ds................. .5.73
Weight of loaded projec tile, poun ds........ 105
Ch arg e/w eig ht r a t i o ........................... 5.46%
Prim er . . . . . . . . . . ....................Mk 15 Mod 1
T ra ce r.................................................... Mk 5
Fuz es................. Base—Mk 19 Mods 0 and 1
This project ile is reserved for submarines.
This proje ctile may be fuzed with Base Fuzes
Mk 3 and Mods. I t is to 1* reloaded and refuzed
wit h the Base Fuze Mk 19.
This project ile is also issued B.L. & T. with
ada pte r and Tra cer Mk 5 Mod 1 fo r ta rg et
practice.
6-inc h Comm on Mk 28 Mods I and 2
Guns used in ........................... .. 6" /1 7 (bag}
Over-all length , inc hes ..............................27.0
Diame ter of base, inc hes ........................ 5.985
Distance base to band, inch es...................1.55
Width of l>and, inch es.............................. 2.50
Diame ter at bour relet , inch es................ 5.985
F ill in g...........................................Explosive D
Weig ht of filling, poun ds.......................... 5.72
Weight of loaded projecti le, poun ds........ 105
Ch arg e/w eig ht r a t i o ............................ 5.15%
P ri m e r........ . ............................ Mk 15 Mod 1
T ra ce r. ..................................................... Mk 5
F u z e s.............. .Bas e—Mk 19 Mods 0 and 1
 6 -I N C H PROJECTILE S

Auxili ary Deto nati ng Fuze

Mk 17 and all Mods
Mk 46 Mod 0
Mk 54 Mods 0 and I
Mk 44 Mods 0 and 1
A nose c ap may be thre ade d to the projec tile
body over the nose fuze fo r moisture -proofin g
purposes.
When thi s proje ctile is used in the 6"/ 5$
bag gun, th e Pri me r Mk 15 Mod 1 is used.
The Auxili ary Det ona ting Fuze Mk 54 is re ­
placing th e Auxili ary Deto nati ng Fuzes Mk 17
and Mk 16 in all assemblie s.
A specially cavitized Mk 34 round, designe d
for use in th e 6*747 gun only, is be ing prod uced
for assem bly with the V.T. Fuze Mk 47. When
th is fuze is used, the Ease Fuze Mk 28 is also
employed, wit hou t tra ce r. Thi s fe atu re differs
from oth er V.T. fuzed proje ctiles , which tak e
Figure 47. 6-inch H.C. Mk 34 Modi 1— 1 no base fuze. The Auxiliary* Deto nati ng Fuze
Mk 44 will be used only in con junc tion with the
6-in oh H. C. Mk 34 Mods I— 7 V.T. Fuze Mk 47.
Guns used in ................................6" /47 (case) 6-inc h H. C. , W.P ., Illu mi na tin g, and W in do w
€' 75 3 (bag) Mk 39 Mo d 0
Over-all leng th, inches Guns used in ....................6" /47 Dual-purpose
Wi th nose f uz e.................................... 27.015
Wit hou t nose fuz e.............................. 22.225
Dia met er of base, inc hes ........................ 5.985
Dista nce base t o band, inc he s...................1.55
Widt h of band, i n c h e s .. .. ,..................... 2.50
Dia met er at bour relet , inc he s................ 5.985
Fil lin g........................................... Explosive D
We ight of filling, pou nds......................... 13.22
Weig ht of loaded proje ctile, pou nds ........ 105
Ch arg e/w eig ht r a t i o .............................12.6%
Ca rtri dge C a s e ....................................... Mk 1
P ri m e r..............................Mk 13 and all Mods
T ra ce r................................. Mk 5, Mk 5 Mod 1
Fuze s
B as e.......... Mk 28 Mods 0 and 1
>Tose..........Mk 29 Mods 2 and 3 (P.D .F.)
Steel nose plug
Mk 18 Mods 2,3 , and 4 (M .T.F.)
Mk 50 and all Mods (M.T.F.)
Mk 63 Mod 0 (M.T.F.) Figure 48. 6-inch H. C. Itfumma ting. and
Mk 17 Mod 0 (V .T.F.) Window Mk 39 Mo d 0

CO NR DE NB AL 49
U. S. EXPLOSIVE O RD NA NC E OP 1664

Over-all leng th, inches 6-inc h Illu mi na tin g Mk 22 Mo d I (O bs ol et e)

With nose fu ze .......................................... 30
Guns used in ..............................6” /4 7 (bag )
Wit hou t nose f uz e................................ 26.28
Dia met er of base, inc hes........................... 5.985 6" /50 (bag )
6" /5 3 (bag)
Distanc e b ase to ba nd, in che s.....................1.00
Over-all leng th, inches
Widt h of band, inc he s................................ 2.5
Diam eter at b our rele t, inc he s................ 5.985 With nose f u z e .................................. 23.027
With out nose fu ze .............................. 18.697
F ill in g........................................... Explosive D
Diam eter of base, inc hes .......................... 5.94
Wei ght o f filling, pou nds........................... 14.09
We ight of loaded pr oject ile, pou nds........... 105 Distan ce—base to band, inch es................. 2.35
Width of band, inc he s................................ 2.50
Ca rtri dge C as e......................................... Mk 4
Diam eter a t bo urre let, i nch es..................5.985
Pr im er ......................................Mk 13, all Mods
F ill in g.......... Expel ling cha rge of black pow­
Tr ac er ............................... Mk 5, Mods 0 and 1
Fuzes de r; Hare, mag nesium.
Weig ht of fil lin g.. . .Ex pell ing char ge is 3.5
Ba se ........Mk 28 Mods 0 and 1
Nose ........Mk2 5 (M.T.F.) ounces.
Wei ght of loaded proje ctile, po un ds .. . .95.40
Mk 30 (P.D.F .)
Pr im er ..................................... Mk 15 Mod 1
Mk 47 (V.T.F.)
Auxili ary Deto natin g Fuze Fuzes
Mk 43 No se ........Mk 63 Mod 0
Mk 44 (wit h V .T.F.) Mk 18 Mods 2, 3, and 4
Mk 50 and all Mods
This i s th e H.C. round designed for the new
The Nose Fuze Mk 50 is auth oriz ed f or as sem ­
6" /4 7 dual-pu rpose gun. It is a half-cal iber
bly in thi s proj ecti le only when used in the
long er th an the 6-inch H.C. Proj ecti le Mk 34,
6"/ 53 bag gun.
an d will be adapt able for loadin g of H.C., W.P.,
The Illum inati ng Con tents Mk 3 are used in
Illum inat ing, o r Window fillers.
this round.

6-inch Illum inating Mk 23 Mods I and 2

Guns used i n ............................... 6"/ 47 (bag)
6"/ 50 (bag)
6" /53 ( bag)
Over-all leng th, inches
With nose f u z e .................................. 23.027
Wit hou t nose fu ze...............................18.697
Diam eter of base, inc he s.......................... 5.94
Distan ce base to band, inc hes .................. 2.35
Width of band, inc hes ................................ 2.50
Diam eter at bou rrele t, inc hes .................5.985
F ill in g.......... Expel ling cha rge is black pow­
de r; Hare, magnesium.
We ight of fil lin g. . . .Exp ellin g charg e is 3.5
ounces.
Wei ght of loaded p rojec tile, pou nds ........96.0
P ri m e r....................................... Mk 15 Mod 1
Fuzes
No se ........ Mk 18 Mods 2, 3, and 4
Mk 50 and all Mods
Figure 49. 6-in eh Illumin ating Mk 22 Mo d 1 Mk 63 Mod 0

50 CONFI DENTtA L
 6 -I N C H PROJECTILES

The Nose Fuzes Mk 50 and Mk 63 are aut ho r­

ized for assembl y in this proje ctile only when
used in the €'7 53 b ag gun,
The Illum inatin g C onten ts Mk 3 are used.

6-in ch Illu mi na tin g Mk 32 Mo d 0

Guns used i n............................... 6"/4 7 (case)
Over-all length , inches
With nose f u z e ..................................23.027
With out nos e fu z e .............................. 19.517
Diam eter of base, inc hes ........................5.94
Distance base to band, inc he s.................... 2.05
Width of band, i nch es................................ 2.50
Diam eter at bourrele t. inc hes ..............5.985
Fi lli ng ........... Expelling cha rge is black jx>w-
der; Hare, magnesium.
Weig ht of fill ing ... .Expe lling charg e is 3.5
ounces.
Weig ht of loaded projec tile, po un ds .. .. .94.5
Car trid ge C as e......................................... Mk 4
P ri m e r............................. Mk 13 and all Mods
Fuzes
N o se ........ Mk 18 Mods 2, 3, and 4
Mk 59 and a ll Mods
Mk 63 Mod 0 Figu re 50. 6—inch illu min atin g Mk 41 M ad 0
The Illum inatin g Con tents Mk 4 Mod 6 are
used in thi s projectile.
6-inch Illu mi na tin g Mk 41 M od 0
6-inc h Illu mi na tin g Mk 38 Mod 0 Guns used i n ....................6' 747 Dual-p urpose
Guns used in ............................... 6"/M7 (case) Over-all length , in c h e s.......................... 30.09
Over-all l ength , inches Withou t nose f uz e............................... 26.28
W ith nose fuz e.......................................26.7 Diam eter of base, inc hes ........................ 5.975
With out nose f u ze .............................. 23.225 Distance base to band, in ch es.................... 1.00
Diam eter of base, inch es........................ 5.975 Width of band, inch es................................ 2.50
Distance base to band, inc hes .................... 1.0 Diam eter at bourre let, inch es................ 5.985
Width of band, in ch es ............................... 2.50 Typ e of filling. .Bla ck powder eje ction c harge
Diame ter a t bourre let, inc hes .................5.985 We igh t of filling, oun ces..............................2.5
Fi lli ng .......... Expelli ng char ge is black pow­ Weight of loaded p rojectile , po un ds .. . . 1L0.0
de r; flare, magnesium. Ca rtrid ge Ca se............. - ........................ Mk 4
We ight o f loaded projec tile, poun ds........ 105 P ri m e r......................... . Mk 13, all Mods
Cart ridg e C as e......................................... Mk 4 Fu zes .........................Nose—Mk 25 (M.T.F.)
P ri m e r............................. Mk 13 and all Mods The Illumi nating Cont ents Mk 4 Mod 6 are
Fuzes used in thi s projectile.
No se ........Mk 18 Mods 2. 3, and 4
Mk 50 and all Mods 6-inch Tar get Mk 36 Mod s I, 2, and 3
MkGSModO Guns used in ............................... 6*747 (case)
Tliis proje ctile was mad e to provide a n illum­ Over-all l ength , inc hes ..................................27
ina ting proje ctile simila r in ballistic tra its to Diamete r of base, inc hes ........................ 5.985
th e 6 " H.C. Pr ojec tile Mk 31. Distance base to band, inch es....................1.0

C O N R D fN W U 51
U. S. EXPLOSIVE OR DN AN CE OP 1664

Wi dth of band, inc hes ................................. 2.5 T ra c e r...........................................Mk 5 Mod 1

Diam eter a t bourre let, inc hes................ 5.985 This project ile has no sp otti ng dye loaded in
Weig ht of loaded projec tile, poun ds......... 130 the windshield.
Ca rtri dge C as e......................................... Mk -1 The diffe rent modifications are t o dis tingu ish
Pr im er ............................... Mk 13 and ail Mods between man ufac turer s.

Figure SJ. 6-rircF Target Mk 27 Ho d 1

6-in ch Ta rg et M l 37 M od I and the 6-inch Mk 36 ta rg et round is th at the

The only difference between this projectile Mk 37 has provision f or a s pot ting dye load.

Part I — Ch ap ter I — Section 6

7-I NC H PROJECTILES
»• ■XII H C

7-inch A.P. Mk 6 Mod I (O bs ole te)

Guns used in ...........................................7"/ 45
Over-all l ength, inches
With cap & Windsh ield........................ 23.64
With out cap & winds hield .................. 19.79
Diame ter of base, inche s.......................... 6.94
Distance base t o band, inches ...................... 1.0
Width of band, inc hes ..............................2.33
Diame ter at bour relet , inch es.................. 6.99
Fi lli ng .......................................... Explosive D
Weig ht of filling, poun ds............................ 4.31
Weig ht of loaded projecti le, poun ds....... 165
Cha rge /we igh t ra tio ..............................2.61%
P ri m er .........................................Mk 15 Mod I
Tr ac er ......................... Inte gral in fuze ; Mk 5
Fuzes
Bas e........... Mk 2 Mod 2 (B.l.F.)
Mk 9 (B.l.F.)
Mk 21 Mods 0 and 1 (B.D.F.)
Figure 52. 7-inch A.P. Mkt 6, 10. and 12 The 7"/ 45 gun is obsolete. This is an old typ e
projectil e, with out windshield, which is not in
common use.

52 CO NF ID EN TIA L
 7 -I N C H PROJECTILES

7-inch A.P . Mk 10 Mo d 2 (O bs ol et e) Ch arg e/w eig ht r a t i o ...................... 15.1%

Guns used i n ............................................7"/ 45
Ov er- all len gt h, in ch es ...............................23.73
Dia met er of base, inc hes .......................... 6.91
Distan ce base to band, inc h.........................1.0
Widt h of band, inch es.............................. 2.3S
Diam eter a t bour relet, inc hes ...................6.99
F il li n g ......................................... Explosive I)
We ight of filling, poun ds...........................4.31
Wei ght of loaded projec tile, pou nds........ 165
Ch arg e/w eig ht r a t i o ............................ 2.61%
P ri m e r ....................................... Mk 15 Mod 1
T ra c e r........................Inte gra l in fuz e; Mk 5
Fuzes
Ba se............ Mk 2 Mod 2 (B.I.F. )
Mk 9 (B.I.F. )
Mk 21 Mods 0 a nd 1 (B.D.F.)
7-inch A.P . Mk 12 Mod s I and 2 (O bs ole te ,
Guns used i n ............ 7*745
Over-all leng th, inch es............................ 23.68
Dia met er of base, inch es............................ 694
Distan ce base to band, inc he s.....................1.0
Widt h of band, inch es.............................. 2.33
Diam eter at bourre let, inc hes ............•. .6.985
F il li ng ........................................... Explosive D
Wei ght of filling, po und s................ Mk 1— 1.0
Mk 2—3.5
Weig ht of loaded projec tile, poun ds........ 165
P ri m e r......................................... Mk 15 Mod 1
Tr ac er ......................... Int egr al in fuze; Mk 5
Fuzes
Ba se............Mk 2 Mod 2 (B.I.F .)
Mk 9 (B.I.F. )
Mk 21 Mods 0 and 1 (B.D.F.)
P ri m e r ....................................... Mk 15 Mod 1
Fu zes ..................No se— Mk 7 Mod 1 (P .D .F. )
7-inch Bom bard men t Mk 14 Mo d 2
(O bs ol et e)
Guns used in ........................................... 7*745
Over-all leng th, inches
With nose fu ze ......................................28.84
Wit hou t nose fu ze ................................ 24.80
Diam eter o f base, inc hes .......................... 6.94
Distan ce base to band, inc hes .....................1.0
Width of band, inc hes ................................ 2.33
Diam eter a t bourre let. inc hes ................ 6.985
Filling ............................................. Cas t TNT
Wei ght of filling, pou nds ...................... .. 2 4
Weig ht of loaded p roject ile, po un ds .. .. 153.8
Cha rge /we igh t ra tio ..............................15.6%
P ri m e r....................................... Mk 15 Mod 1
Tra cer ....................................................Mk 9
Fuzes
No se........................... Mk 7 Mod 1 (P.D.F. )
B as e........................... Mk 3 Mod 2
Mk 28 Mods 0 and 1
The b ombar dment pro ject ile’s shape is sim ilar
to th at of the field proje ctile.

7-inch Fie ld Mk 13 Mo ds I end 2 (O bs ole te)

Guns used in ........................................... 7*745
Over-all leng th, inches
With nose fuze .................................. 29.58
With out nose fuz e.................................. 28.0
Diam eter of base, inc hes .......................... 6.94
Distan ce base to band, inc hes .....................1.0
Wid th of band, inch es.............................. 2.33
Dia met er a t bour relet , inc hes .................6.98-5
Filling ............................................. Cast TNT
Wei ght of filling, pou nds............................ 24
W’eig ht of loaded project ile, pou nds........ 152 Fig u/e 53. 7- inc h Fi el d Mk 13 Mod s 1 and 2

C eW F lD W + A L 53
 Part I — Ch ap ter I — Section 7

8-I NC H PROJECTILES

Figure 54. 8-in ch A. F. Mk 19 Mod s 1— 6 Fig ure S5. 8 -i n th A.P . Mk 21 M o d i 1— 5

8-inch A.P. Mk 19 Mo ds I— 6 8-inch A.P. Mk 21 Mod s 1— 5

Guns used in ...........................................8"/ 55
Over-all length, inches
With cap and windshi eld......................36.0
Witho ut cap and windshi eld................ 19.4
Diam eter of base, i nch es....................... 7.977
Distance base to band, inch es..................2.56
Width of band, inch es............................. 3.30
Diam eter a t bourre let, inch es................ 7.977
Filling ........................................ Explosive D
Weight of filling, pou nds......................... 3.64
Weight of loaded projectil e, pounds........ 260
Cha rge /we igh t rati o ..............................1.4%
P ri m er ........................................ Mk 15 Mod 1
T ra ce r......................................................Mk 5
Fuzes
Ba se ...............................Mk 21 Mod 0 and 1
Mk 23 Mod 0
Base Fuze Mk 21 is prefer red. Mk 23 to be
used only when Mk 21 is not available.
Guns used in ........................................... 8"/ 55
Over-all length, inches
With cap and windsh ield...................... 36.0
Withou t cap and windshi eld................ 24.5
Diam eter of base, inch es........................ 7.977
Distance b ase to band, inch es.................... 2.56
Width of band, inch es............................... 3.30
Diam eter a t bourr elet, inch es................ 7.977
Fi lli ng .......................................... Explosive D
Weight of filling, poun ds.........................5.03
Weight of loaded projec tile, pounds........335
Char ge/w eigh t ra tio ..............................1.5%
P ri m er ........................................ Mk 15 Mod 1
Trace r ................................................... Mk 5
Fuzes
Ba se .............................Mk 21 Mods 0 and 1
Mk 23 Mod 0
Base Fuse Ark 21 is prefer red. Mk 23 to be
use d only when Mk 21 is not available.

54 CO NF IDE NT IAL

Figure 56. S-incfi Spe cie/ Common Mk 17 Mo di 1-
8-inc h Spe cial Com mon Mk 17 Mod s I — 4
Guns used in............................................ 8"/ 55
Over-all leng th, inche s.............................. 36.0
Diam eter o f base, inc hes ........................ 7.977
Distan ce base to band, inc he s.................. 2.56
Widt h of band, inch es.............................. 3.30
Diam eter a t bour relet, inc hes ................ 7.977
F il li ng ............................................Exp losiv e!)
We ight of filling, poun ds....................... 10.38
We ight o f loaded project ile, pou nds........ 260
Ch arg e/w eig ht ra tio .............................. 3.99%
P ri m e r....................................... Mk 15 Mod I
T ra c e r....................................................... Mk 5
Fuzes
B as e............................. Mk 21 Mods 0 and 1
Mk 23 Mod 0
The Base Fuze Mk 21 is pre fera ble for thi s
projec tile. Se veral have als o been fuzed wit h th e
Base Fuze Mk 28 on accoun t of a lack of suffi­
cien t H.C. pr ojectiles .
8-inch Comm on Mk 14 Mod I
Guns used in ............................................8" /55
Over-all length , inches
Wi th cap and winds hield...................... 36.0
Wi tho ut cap and w indsh ield................. 26.19
Diam eter of base, inc hes ........................ 7.977
CO NF ID EN TI AL
8 -I N C H PROJECTILES
Figure 57. 8-inch Common Mk H Mo d 1
Distan ce base to band, inc hes .................. 2.56
Widt h of band, inc hes .............................. 3.30
Diam eter at bour relet, inc hes .................. 7.977
Filling ......................................... Explosive D
Wei ght of filling, p oun ds.........................10.91
Wei ght of loaded proje ctile, poun ds........ 260
Ch arg e/w eig ht r a t i o ............................. 4.1%
Pri me r .. ............. . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mk 15 Mod 1
T ra c e r...................................................... Mk 5
Fuzes
Base ..............................Mk 21 .Mods 0 and 1
Mk 23 Mod 0
The Base Fuze Mk 23 is used only when the
Mk 21 is not available.
8-inc h Com mon Mk 15 M od I
Gun s used in ........................................... 8w/55
Over-all length , inches
With cap and win dshie ld........... ............36.0
Wit hou t cap and w indsh ield................ 26.19
Diam eter of base, inch es........................ 7.977
Distan ce base to bund, i nch es.................. 2.56
Widt h of band, inch es.............................. 3.30
Diam eter at bour relet , inc hes ................ 7.977
F il li ng ...........................................Ex plosive D
Wei ght of filling, poun ds.........................11.46
We ight of loaded projectile , pounds........260
Ch arg e/w eig ht r a t i o .............................. 4.4%
55
U. S. EXPLOSIVE O RD N AN CE OP 1664

P ri m e r........................................Mk 15 Mod 1 No se ........Mk 18 Mods 2, 3, and 4 (M.T.F.)

T ra c e r........................... ........................... Mk 5 Mk 50 Mods 0-3 (M.T.F.)
Fuzes Mk 29 Mods 1. 2, a nd 3 (P D .P. )
Ba se............................. Mk 21 Mods 0 and 1 Mk 63 Mods 0 (M .T. F.)
Mk 23 Mod 0 Auxi liary Det ona ting Fuze
Th e Base Fuze Mk 23 is used only when the Mk 17 and all Mods
Mk 21 is not available. Mk 46 Mod 0
Mk 35 Mod 0
8-in ch H. C. Mk 24 Mo ds I— 5 Mk 54 Mod 0 and 1
G un s use d in ................................................$" /5 5 Mk 55 Mod 0
Over-all leng th, inches Base Fuze Mk 48 (and Mods) is the c ur re nt
With nose fuz e...................................... 34.56 and pre ferr ed assem bly for th is pro ject ile;
With out nose f uz e................................ 31.08 however, the Base Fuzes Mk 39 or Mk 28 may
Dia met er o f base, in ch es .......................... 7.977 be used.
Distan ce base to band, inc hes .................. 2.56 The Auxilia ry Deto natin g Fuze Mk 55 is t he
Wid th of band, inc he s................................ 3.30 pref erre d a ssembly in th is project ile.
Diam eter a t bour relet , inc hes ................ 7.977
Filling ......................................... Explosive 1>
Weig ht of filling, pou nds ...................... 21.34
Weig ht of loaded projec tile, pou nds........ 260
Ch arg e/w eig ht r a t i o ............................8.21 %
P r im e r ............................................. Mk 15 Mod 1
T ra c e r........................................... Mk 5 Mod 1
Fuzes
Ba se ........ Mk 28 and all Mods
Mk 89 Mods 0 and 1
Mk 48 Mods 0 and 1

fig ure 58. 8-inch H. C. Mk 24 Mo di 1— 5 Figure 59. 8-in ch H. C. Mk 25 Mo d 1

56 CO NF ID EN TI AL
 12 -IN CH PROJECTILES

8-inch H. C . Mk 25 Mo d I Weig ht of loaded pro jectile , poun ds........ 260

Guns used in ...........................................8" /55
Over-all length , inches
Wit h nose f uz e....................................84.605
With out nose f uz e................................31.13
Diam eter of base, inch es.......................... 7.977
Distance base to band, inc hes .................... 2.0
Width of band, inche s................................ 3.30
Diam eter a t bourr elet, inch es............... .7.977
F il li n g .......................................... Explosive D
Weig ht of Alling, poun ds........................21.87
Ch arg e/w eig ht r a ti o ................................. 8 #
Prim er (bag g un )........................Mk 15 Mod 1
Cart ridg e C as e.........................................Mk 1
P r im e r .................................................. Mk 35
T ra c e r...................................................... Mk 5
Fuzes
Ba se............................. Mk 21 Mods 0 and 1
Mk 23 Mod 0
The Base Fuze Mk 21 is p refer red.
This pro ject ile is designed so th at it may be
man ufac ture d by forgin g from the base end.

Pa rt I — Ch ap te r I — Secti on 8

12- INC H PROJECTILES

12-inch A.P. Mk 15 Mod 6 We ight o f filling, po unds.......................... 25.0

Guns used in ..........................................12^/50
Over-all leng th, inc hes ............................ 42.00
Dia met er of base, inch es.......................... 11.9-1
Dista nce b ase to band, inch es.....................1.00
Widt h of band, inc hes .............................. 4.00
Dia met er at bourrele t, inch es............... 11.977
F il li n g...........................................Explosive D
Weig ht of loaded projecti le, pound s........870
Ch arg e/w eig ht ra tio .............................. 2.8 7#
P ri m e r....................................... Mk 15 Mod 1
Tra cer .....................................................Mk 5
Fuz es..................Base—Mk 21 Mods 0 and 1
This is an old type projec tile, with out wind­
shield, which is not in common use.

Figure 60. 12-inch A.P. Mk 15 Mod 6 Figure 61. 12-f nih A.P. Mk 13 Mo d T

CO NF ID EN TI AL 57
U .S . EXPLOSIVE O RD NA NC E
12-inch A.R. Mk 18 M od I
Gun s used in ......................................... 12"/5 0
Over-all length , inches
With cap and wind shie ld.....................54.00
Wit hou t cap and w ind shie ld................ 38.39
Dia met er of base, inc hes .......... . .........11.977
Distan ce base to band, in c h e s .. .. ........ 3.10
Widt h of band, inc he s................................ 4.0
Dia met er at bour relet , inc hes ...............11.977
F il li n g ........ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Explosive I)
W e ig h t o f fil lin g, po un ds ........................... 17.1
Figure £2. 12—inch H,'
12-inch H. C. M l 16 Mod s I and 2, and Mk 21
Guns used in .......................................... 12"/50
Ove r all leng th, inches
With nose fu z e .................................... 43.76
With out nose fu ze .............................. 40.285
Dia met er of base, in ch es ... .................. 11.977
Distan ce base to band, inc hes .................... 1.0
Widt h of band, inc hes ................................4.0
Diam eter a t bour relet, inc hes ...............11.977
Filling ......................................... Explosive I)
Weig ht of filling, pou nds........................ 58.20
Weig ht of loaded proj ectil e, pou nds ........740
Ch arg e/w eig ht r a t i o ............................ 7.86%
P ri m e r........................ ................. Mk 15 Mod I
T ra c e r........................................... Mk 5 Mod 1
Fuzes
Ba se .......... Mk 28 "gr een str ip e”
Mk 39 Mods 0 and 1
Mk 48 Mods 0 and 1
Nose .......... Mk 29 Mods 1.2 , and 3 <P.D.F>
Mk 42 Mod 0 (M.T.F>
Mk 62 Mod 0 (M.T.F.
Aux iliary Deton ating Fuz e
Mk 17 Mod 8 “gre en str ipe ”
Mk 35 Mod 0
Mk 55 Mod 0
58 CO NF ID EN TI AL
OP 1664
Weight of loaded projec tile, pounds . .. .1,140
Ch arg e/w eig ht ra ti o ............................. 1.52%
P ri m e r......................................... Mk 15 Mod 1
Tra cer .....................................................Mk 5
Fu zes ................... Base—Mk 21 Mod 0 and 1
The windshield is thr ead ed to the A.P. cap
and held in place by five equally spaced notch es
which are stake d. The A.P. cap weighs 110.98
pounds and is soldere d to the nose. In additio n
to th e solder, the cap is also secured by seven
crimp caps equally spaced on the peri phe ry of
the nose.
. Mi 16 Modi J and 2
Booste r Mk 5, o r a special 0.53-
pound pres sed TNT booste r, is
also used unde r th e aux iliar y
det ona tin g fuze
The 12-inch H.C. Pro ject ile is merely a re­
desig natio n of the Mk 16.
The Base Fuze Mk 39 replaces the origina l
“green str ipe ” Base Fuze Mk 28; the Auxi liary
Deto natin g Fuze Mk 35 replaces the origin al
special "gree n s tri pe ” Mk 17 Mod 8. These fuzes
are now be ing replace d by the Base Fuze Mk 48
and the Au xiliary Deto nati ng Fuze Mk 55.
The Nose Fuze Mk 62 is the pre ferr ed nose
time fuze.
12-inch H.C . Mk 17 Mods I and 2, and Mk 22
Guns used in ......................................... 12"/ 50
Over-all length, inches
Wit h nose fu ze ........................................ 54.0
Wi thou t nose fu ze ................................ 50.18
Diam eter of base, inc hes ........................ 11.977
Distance base to band, inc hes .................... 3.1
Widt h o f band , i nch es.................................. 4.0
Diam eter at bou rrel et, inc hes ...............11.977
F il li ng ........................................... Explosive D
Weig ht of filling, po un ds........................ 79.44
Weig ht of loaded pro jectil e, p oun ds...........910

Ch arg e/w eig ht r a t i o ............................8.45%
P ri m e r......................................... Mk 15 Mod 1
Tra cer ........................................... Mk 5 Mod 1
Fuzes
B as e................ Mk 28 “g reen str ip e”
Mk 39 Mods 0 and 1
Mk 48 Mods 0 and 1
Nose ................Mk 29 and Mods 1, 2, and 3
(P.D.F. )
Mk 12 Mod 0 (M.T.F.)
Mk 62 Mod 0 (M.T.F.)
Steel Nose Plug
Auxili ary Deto natin g Fuze
Mk 17 Mod 8 “g reen st rip e”
Mk 35 Mod 0
Mk 55 Mod 0
Figure 63. 12-inch Target Mk 19 Mod 1
12-inch Ta rge t Mk 19 Mo d I
Guns used in ............................... 12"/5 0 Mk 8
Over-all leng th, inc hes ..................................54
Diam eter of base, inc hes .......................11.977
Distan ce base to band, inc hes .....................2.0
Width of band, inc hes ................................ 1.0
Part I — Ch ap te r I — Se ction 9
14 -IN CH PROJECTILES
14-inch A.P . Mk 8 Mo ds 3, 7, 8, and 11
(O bs ole te )
Guns used in .......................................... 14"/ 45
14"/5 0
Over-all leng th, inch es............................ 49.44
With out cap & win dshi eld................... 11.92
Diam eter of base, inc hes .........................13.94
Distan ce base to band, inc hes .....................1.0
14 -IN C H PROJECTILES
Mk 5 Booster , or special
0.53 pound presse d TNT
booste r, is used und er the
auxil iary det ona ting fuze.
The 12-inch H.S. Pro ject ile Mk 22 is merely
a rede sign atio n of the Mk 17.
The Base Fuze Mk 39 replace s th e origina l
special “gre en str ipe ” Base Fuze Mk 28; the
Auxi liary Deto natin g Fuze Mk 35 replace s the
orig inal special "gree n str ip e” Mk 17 Mod 8.
Thes e fuzes a re now being replaced by t he Base
Fuze Mk 18 a nd the Au xiliary Det ona ting Fuze
Mk 55.
The Mk 62 is the pref erre d nose time fuze.
The 12-inch H.C. P roje ctil e Mk 17 Mod 2 dif ­
fer s from th e Mk 17 Mod 1 in th at its base plug
thr ea ds ar e 7.85" instea d of 7.75".
Diam eter at bour relet, inc he s..............11.977
We ight o f loaded proje ctile, po un ds .. . . 1,140
Pr im er ......................................... Mk 15 Mod 1
Tra cer (if loa ded )................................... Mk 5
The re is no provision for a spo ttin g dye load
in t he windshield of thi s projectile.
Wid th of band, inc hes ................................ 4.66
Diam eter at bour relet, inc hes ...............13.977
F il li ng ........................................... Explosive D
We ight of filling, poun ds........................ 34.30
Weig ht of loaded proje ctiles , po un ds .. .1,102
Clu uge /we igh t ra tio ............................... 2.1%
P ri m e r....................................... Mk 15 Mod 1
T ra c e r...................................................... Mk 5
Fu ze s....................Base—Mk 21 Mods 0 and 1
59
U. S. EXPLOSIVE OR DN AN CE OR 1664

A spe cial ada pte r w ith 1.5-inch dia met er o ut­ The Mod 7 proj ecti le may a lso l>e iss ued B.L.
side thr ea ds is requ ired to fit Base Fuzes Mk & P. or B.L. & T. with ad ap ter and Tra cer
21 in th ese p rojectile s. Mk 5 Mod 1 for ta rg et practic e.

Figure 6S. 14-inch A.P. Mk 16 Mods 1— 11

14-inch A.P. Mk 16 M ods I — I I F ill in g........................................... Explosive D

Guns used in......................................... 14/z/45
14*750
Over-all length , inches
With cap & win dsh ield ...................... 56.00
With out cap & win dshi eld.................. 36.72
Diam eter of base, inc hes ........................ 13.977
Distan ce base to band, inc he s.................... 8.46
Width of band, inc he s................................ 4.66
Diam eter at bour relet . inc hes ...............13.977
We ight of filling, pou nds ........................22.90
We ight of loaded project ile, po un ds .. . .1,500
Ch arg e/w eig ht r a t i o ..............................1.5%
Pr im er ................................. i . . .Mk 15 Mod 1
T ra c e r....................................................... Mk 5
Fuz es.................... Base—Mk 21 Mods 0 and 1
The Mod 11 has a slig ht chan ge in the cap
desig n which moves the windshield thr ead s
fu rth er forwa rd on the project ile.

Figure 66. 14-inc h A.P. Mk 20 Mod 1

14-inch A.P. ME 20 Mod I
Guns used in ......................................... 14"/ 45
Over-all length, inc hes ............................ 54.38
Diam eter of base, inc he s.........................13.977
Distan ce base to band, inc hes .................. 3.16
Width of band, in ch es................................ 4.66
Diam eter at b ourr elet, inc hes ...............13.977
Fi lli ng ........................................... Explosi ve D
Weight of filling, poun ds........................22.90
Wei ght of loaded proje ctile, po un ds ... . 1,500
Ch arg e/w eig ht r a t i o ..............................1.5%
Pr im er ......................................... Mk 15 Mod 1
Tr ac er....................................................... Mk 5
Fu zes ................... Base—Mk 21 Mods 0 and 1
This projec tile i s us ed only on t he bat tles hip s
New York and Tex as. It is the same as the
Mk 16 Mod 8, exce pt fbr a shor tened wind­
shield.

60 GO NF iD tN TI At

fig ur e 67. 14- int h H. C, Mk 19 Mo di 1— 6
14-inch H .C . Mk 19 Mo ds 1— 6 and Mk 22
Guns used in .........................................14*/<5
14*750
Over-all leng th, inches
With nose fu ze ........................................56.0
Wi thou t nose f uz e................................ .52.18
Diam eter o f base, i nch es........................ 13.977
Distan ce base to band, inch es.................. 3.46
Widt h o f band, i nc he s................................ 4.66
Dia met er at hour re let, inch es............... 13.977
F il li n g .............................................. Expl osive D
We ight of filling, pou nds....................... 104.21
Wei ght of loaded projectile , po un ds .. . .1,275
Ch arg e/w eig ht ra tio .............................. 8.01%
Pr im er ......................................... Mk 15 Mod 1
Tr ac er ........................................... Mk 5 Mod 1
Fuze s
B as e.......... Mk 28 ' gree n str ipe ”
Mk 39 Mods 0 and 1
Mk 48 Mods 0 and 1
No se.......... Mk 29 Mods 1,2, a nd 3 (P.D.F .)
Mk 42 Mod 0 (M .T.F.)
Mk 62 Mod 0 (M.T.F.)
Steel Nose Plug
Fig ure 68.
14-inch Bom bar dm ent Mk 9
Guns used in ..........................................14*745
14*750
Over-all leng th, inc hes .............................. 56.0
Diam eter of base, inch es.......................... 18.94
74T 1T3 0 — 4 8 ------- k C O N F ID E N T IA L
14 -IN C H PROJECTILES
and Mo d 22
Aux iliary Deto natin g Fuze
Mk 17 Mod 8 “ gree n st rip e”
Mk 35 Mod 0
Mk 55 Mod 0
Booster Mk 5, or a special 0.53-
pound press ed TNT booster,
will be used und er the aux ili­
ary det ona ting fuze.
The Base Fuze Mk 39 replace s the origina l
special “gree n str ipe " Base Fuze Mk 28; the
Auxi liary Deto nati ng Fuze Mk 35 replaces the
orig inal special “gre en str ipe ” Mk 17 Mod 8.
These fuzes are now being replaced by the
Base Fuze Mk 48 and the Auxili ary Deton ating
Fuze Mk 55.
The Mk 62 is the p refe rred nose time fuze.
Pro ject ile Mk 19 Mod 1 only is suita ble for
use in 14*745 guns on the bat tles hip s New
York a nd Texas.
The 14-inch H.C. P roje ctil e Mk 22 is simila r
in its dim ensions to the Mk 19. ex cept t ha t the
ro tat in g band on the Mk 22 is only 2.25 inches
from the base.
14- inc h Bo mb ard me nt Mk 9
Dista nce base to band, inc hes .....................1.0
Widt h of band, inch es.............................. 4.66
Dia met er at bour relet, inc hes ...............13.977
F ill in g........................................... Explosive I)
Weight of filling, p oun ds............................ 105
Weig ht of loaded pr ojectil e, po un ds .. . . 1,110
61
U. S. EXPLOSIVE OR DN AN CE OP 1664

Cha rge /we ight rati o
Cart ridge C as e........
Pri me r......................
Tra cer .......................
................... 7.44%
................Bag gun
.........Mk 14 Mod 1
Mk 5, Mk 5 Mod 1
Fuz es..................... Base—Mk 28 and all Mods
The Base Fuz e Mk 28 replaces the previously
used Base F uze Mk 3 Mod 2 with inte gra l tr ace r.

Figure 69. 14—inch Torgot Mk i 17 and 18

14-inch Ta rge t Mk 17 Mo ds 1— 3 and Mk 18
Mod I
Guns used in ........ , ...............................14*745
14*760
Over-all leng th, inch es............................... 56
Diam eter of base, inc hes ...................... 13.977
Distan ce base to band, inch es................ 2.25
Width of band, inc hes ..............................4.66
Diam eter at bourre let, inc hes ...............13.977
Weight of loaded projecti le, po un ds .. . .1,500
Pr im er .........................................Mk 15 Mod 1
Tra cer (if loa ded )................................... Mk 5
The re is no spo ttin g dye load in the Mk 17
windshield.
The 14-inch Ta rge t Proje ctile Mk 18 Mod 1
has essen tially the same dimensions, plus a
spo tting dye load.
14-inch Ta rg et Mk 21 Mo d I
Guns used in ................................. , . . . 14*745
Over-all length , inch es............................ 54.38
Diam eter of base, in che s........................ 18.977
Distan ce base to band, inc hes .................. 2.25
Widt h of band, inc hes .............................. 4.66
Diam eter at bourre let, i nc he s................ 13.977
Weig ht o f loaded projec tile, po un ds .. .. 1,500
Pr im er ......................................... Mk 15 Mod 1
T ra c e r...................................................... Mk 5
Thi s t arg et pro ject ile w as ma de to ma tch the
14-inch A.P. Pr oj ec til e Mk 20 fo r th e
Arka nsas and Texas guns.

Par t I — C h ap te r I — Secti on 10

16 -I N C H PRO JEC TIL ES

16-inch A.P . Mk 3 Mo ds 2— 5 (O bs ol et e) Dia me ter o f base, inches 15.94

Guns used in ........................................ 16"/4 5 Distance base to band, inches .3.03
Over-all length , inch es............................. 56.5 Width of band , inch es............ .5.30

Figure 70. 16-inch A.P. MA 3 M od i 2— 5

62 C O N F ID E N T IA L -

Dia met er at bour relet , inc he s..............15.977
F il li ng ........................................... Explosive D
We igh t of filling, pou nds ..........................57.5
We ight o f loaded projec tile, po un ds ... .2,110
Ch arg e/w eig ht ra ti o............................. 2.74%
Pr im er ......................................... Mk 15 Mod 1
Tr ac er ......................................................Mk 5
Fuz es..................Base—Mk 21 Mods 0 and 1
tit
Figaro 71. 16-inch A.P. Mk 5 Mo di f — 5
16-inch A.P . Mlc 5 M od s 1— 6
Guns used in .......................................... 16"/4 6
Over-all leng th, inches
Wi th cap & winds hield........................... 64.0
Wi tho ut cap & wind shiel d.................43.387
Dia me ter of base, inc hes .........................15.977
Distance base to band, in che s.....................4.03
Widt h o f b and, inc hes ................................ 5.32
Diam eter at bour relet , inc he s............... 15.977
Fig ure 72. 16-in ch A.P . Mk 8 Mods 1—8
16-inch A .P . Mk 8 Mo ds I — 8
Guns used in ......................................... 16"/d 5
16 75 0
Over-all leng th, inches
With cap & win dshie ld.......................... 72.0
Wit hou t cap & windshie ld.......................51.6
Diam eter of base, in che s.........................15.977
Dista nce base to band, inc hes ...................4.03
Width of ban d, inc hes ................................ 5.32
Dia met er at bour relet, inc hes ...............15.977
C O N f4 D €N Tl A L
16 -I N C H PROJECTILES
This projec tile was origina lly issued with out
windshield, but has since been modified.
The 16-inch A.P. Pro ject ile Mk 3 Mod 2 h as
been declare d un serviceab le un til caps and wind­
shields have been modified.
Mods 2 and 3 may be blind loaded an d plugged
or trac ere d with the Tra cer Mk 5 Mod 1 for
ta rg et practice.
F ill in g........................................... Explosive D
Wei ght of filling, poun ds..........................34.0
Weig ht o f loaded proje ctile, po un ds ... .2,240
Ch arg e/w eig ht r a t i o ............................. 1.5%
P ri m e r....................................... Mk 15 Mod 1
T ra c e r...................................................... Mk 5
Fu zes ....................Base—Mk 21 Mods 0 and 1
The 16-inch A.P. Pro ject ile Mk 5 Mod 6 i s a
modified Mk 12 (designed for Army use) with
a special base-pl ug adap ter.
F il li ng ........................................... Explosive D
Wei ght of filling, pou nds..........................40.90
We ight of loaded projec tile, po un ds ... .2,700
Ch arg e/w eig ht r a t i o ............................ 1.5%
Pr im er ......................................... Mk 15 Mod 1
Tr ac er ...................................................... Mk 5
Fu zes .................... Base—Mk 21 Mods 0 and 1
The Mod 8 has a hea vier cap, blu nte r nose,
and more hard nes s, from gr ea te r he at tre at ­
men t than the earl ier Mods.
63
U. S. EXPLOSIVE O RD NA NC E
Fiq urt 73. 16-t ntft H .C . Mk 13 M od i 0— 6 and Mk 14
16-inch H .C . Mk 13 Mod s 0— 6 and Mk 14
Guns used in ..................................... . .1 6”/4 5
16*750
Over-all leng th, inches
With nose fuz e........................................ 61.0
Wit hou t nose f uz e............................... .60.18
Diam eter of base, inc he s.......................15.977
Distan ce base to band, inc hes .................. 4.08
Widt h o f b and, inc he s................................ 6.32
Diam eter at bour relet, inc hes ............... 15.977
F il li ng ........................................... Explosive D
We ight o f filling, pou nds ........................163.6
Wei ght of loaded pro jecti le, po un ds .. . . 1,900
Ch arg e/w eig ht r a t i o ........................... 8.08%
Pr im er ..........................................Mk 15 Mod 1
Tr ac er ............................................Mk 5 Mod 1
Fuzes
Ba se .......... Mk 28 “ green str ipe ”
Mk 39 Mods 0 and 1
Mk 48 Mods 0 and 1
Nose .......... Mk 29 Mods 1 ,2. a nd 3 (P.D.F .)
Mk 42 Mod 0 (M.T.F.)
Mk 62 Mod 0 (M.T.F.)
Steel Nose Plug
64 CONF IDENT IAL
OP 1664
Auxi liary Det ona ting Fuze
Mk 17 Mod 8 “green st rip e”
Mk 35 Mod 0
Mk 55 Mod 0
Boos ter Mk 5. or a special 0.53-
pounds pressed TNT booste r,
will l>e used und er the a uxi li­
ary deto nati ng fuze.
Thi s proje ctile is normal ly issued wit h an
A.P. nose plug.
The 16-inch H.C. P roje ctil e Mk 13 Mod 1 was
origin ally issued as the 16" E x-1 .
The Base Fuze Mk 39 replaces the origi nal
special “green str ip e” Base Fuze Mk 28 ; the
Auxi liary Det ona ting Fuze Mk 35 replaces the
origin al special “gre en str ipe ” Mk 17 Mod 8.
These fuz es are now b eing replaced by t he Ba se
Fuze Mk 48 a nd the Auxi liary Deto natin g Fuze
Mk 55.
The Mk 14 is simply a diffe rent desig natio n
to indic ate a diffe rent man ufac ture r.
 20- mm PROJECTIL ES

16-inch Ta rg et Mk 6 M od I and Mk 7 M od 0
Guns used in .......................................... 16*745
Mks 6 and 8
Over-all leng th, in di es .................................. 64
Dia me ter of base. inc hes ......................... 15.977
Dista nce base to band, inc he s.......... , . . , .2.5
Diam eter a t bo urre let, i nch es................. 15.977
We ight of loaded projec tile, po un ds ... .2,240
Pr im er ..........................................Mk 15 Mod 1
T ra c e r....................................................... Mk 5
Mk 6 ha s no s po ttin g dye ; Mk 7 does. The se
ta rg et pro ject iles arc design ed to use the same
ballist ic as the 16-inch A.P. Pro jec tile Mk 5.
16-inch Ta rg et Mk 9 Mo ds 1 and 2, and
Mk 10 Mo d 0
Guns used in ...................... 16*745 Mk 6 Mod 1
16*750 Mk 7 Mod 0
Over-all leng th, inc hes .................................. 72
Figure 74. 16-inch Target Mk 9 an d Mk 10
Dia me ter of base, inc hes .........................15.977
Dista nce bas e to ba nd, inc he s.....................2.5
Dia met er a t bour rele t, inc he s............ .15.977 dist ing uish produ cts of diff ere nt cont ract ors.
We ight o f loaded projec tile, po un ds .. . .2,700 The Mk 9's have no spo ttin g dye.
Pr im er ..........................................Mk 15 Mod 1 Mk 10 is exa ctly like the Mk 9, excep t th at
Tr ac er ......................................................... M k 5 it con tain s a s po ttin g load.
Mods 1 and 2 of t he 16-inch Ta rge t Proje ctile The se ta rg et shel ls mat ch th e 16-inch A.P.
Mk 9 ar e physic ally the same . Dif fere nt Mods Pro jec tile Mk 8 in ba llisti c tra its .

Par t I — C h a p te r I — S ect ion 1 1

20-m m PR OJ EC TIL ES

20 mm A .A . H.E. . H. E. -L, and B.L & P. Mk 3
Mo ds 1— 64
Over-all leng th, inches
W ith nose fu ze ................................. .$,2 75
Wi tho ut nose fu ze ................................ 2.625
Diam eter of base, inc h...................... , , , ,0.74
Distan ce liase to band. inc h..................... 0.374
Widt h o f ban d, i nch .....................................0.16
Dia met er a t bou rrel et, inc h....................... 0.78
Fillin g
H .E .: ................ 0.0243 lb. te try l or pentolit e
H .E .- I. :............ 0.0072 lb. ince ndia ry mix;
0.0171 lb. t etr yl o r pento lite
We ight o f loaded projec tile, pou nd---- 0.2714
Ch arg e/w cig ht ra ti o................................8.9%
Ca rtri dge Ca se..............II.E .: Mk 2
H .E .-I .: Mk 2.3, 01- 1
Primer ..........................II.E .: Mk 30
H .E .-I .; Mk $0 or 31
Fu ze s.................... Nose—Mk 26 Mods 0 and 1
The explosive filling of th e H.E. proj ectil e is
press-l oaded in th re e equal incre ments . The
H. E.- I. proje ctile is simi larly loaded, bu t the
firs t incr eme nt con sist s of an incen diary mix­
tur e, the oth er two of II.E ., ei th er tet ry l or
pento lite.

CO NF ID EN TI AL 65
U. S. EXPLOSIVE O RD NA NC E OP 1664

M96
(HI SPA NO -SU IZA )

MK 3 HE MK H E -I M K4 & 7H E1
Figure 75 (Pari 1). 29-mm Projetfilet

Th is round is also issu ed B.L. & P., with an B.L. & P ................................. Dark gra y gre en
in er t filler and a d umm y no se cap. The many modifi cation numbe rs are to dis ­
tin gui sh betw een produ cts from diff ere nt con ­
Identifi cation— mark ing and pain ting tra cts .
Typ e .......................................Color
20-mm A .A . H. E. -T . end B.L. & T. Mk 4
H.E. (T e tr y l) ........................ Whit e
M o d i I — 28 a nd Mk 7
H.E. (P en to li te ).................... Yellow
H. E.- I. (Te try l) . . : ............. Red (May hav e Dark Ignit ion trac ers.)
H. E.- I. (P en to li te )............. Lig ht pink Over-all len gth , in ch es ..............................8.02 5

66 CO NF ID EN TI AL
 20 -m m PROJECTILES

M K9 AP-T M K I HE-I M K IB A L L M 7 5 AP -T

W 7 5 AP-T M 9 6 INC END IAR Y M 97 KE-I M 9 9 PRACTICE

Figure 75 (P ar t 2 ). 20 -m m Pr oje cfi let . contin ued

Wit hou t nose fu ze ................................... 2.525
Di am ete r of base , inc h................................. 0.74
Di sta nc e base to band, in ch es .................. 0.397
Wid th o f band, in ch ..................................... 0.16
Di am ete r at bourr elet, in ch ........................ 0.78
Fi lli ng ................. ...T etr yl or Pen tolit e
Weight of filling, pounds
H .E .: 0 .01 lb.
Tra cer: 0.017 3 lb.
We igh t of load ed proj ectil e, po un d. . . .0.2621
Cart ridge C a s e ......... ................................. Mk 2
Pr im er.......................................................... Mk 30
T r a c e r .....................................................Int egra l
Fuz es
N os e.................................... Pro ject ile Mk 4—
M k2 6 Mods 0 or 2
Pro jec tile Mk 7 —
Mk 26 Mods 0 or 1

CO NF ID EN TI AL 67
U. S. EXPLOSIVE OR DN AN CE
Le ng th of t ra ce r ca vi ty, in ch es ...............1.107
D ia m et er of tr a c e r ca vi ty , in ch es ...........0.51
To el im in at e th e bli nd ing flas h ch ar ac te ri st ic
o f st an da rd 2 0-mm tr ac er s fired a t ni gh t, a sp e­
cia l Dar k Ig nit ion tr ac er ha s been deve lope d
wh ich doe s no t li gh t up un til ab ou t 100 ya rd s
fr om th e gu n mu zzle . Ro und s ar e de sig na ted
“ II .E .- T .- D .I .” Ov er- all bu rn in g tim e of th is
tr ac e i s fo u r se co nd s: du ri ng t h e “d a rk ” peri od
th e re is a fai nt st re ak in g in th e pr oj ec til e's
pa th .
Th e Mk 4 and Mk 7 ro un ds ar e ide nti cal ex ­
ce p t fo r th e dim en sio ns of th e tr ac er cav ity ,
wh ich is sli gh tly g re at er i n d ia m et er an d len gth
in th e Mk I th an in th e Mk 7. Th is so me wh at
red uc es th e t ra ce r filli ng of th e Mk 7.
The Mk 7 roun d is a lso i ssu ed B.L. & T. wi th
an in er t fill er in th e H.E . ca vi ty an d a dum my
no se plug . Th e tr ac er ca vi ty c on ta in s th e st an d ­
ar d tr ac er mi xtu re.
The b u rs te r ch ar ge of th e 20-m m is mo re
se ns iti ve th an th e usu al pr oj ec til e bu rs te r
ch ar ge . Ac cor din gly , g re at er ca uti on shou ld l>e
ob ser ved in han dlin g.
Th e tr a c e r el em en t in th es e pr oj ec til es is
loade d in tw o inc rem en ts. F ir st i nc rem en t is th e
tr ac er co mp osi tio n, whi ch is pre sse d in th e
a ft e r co m pa rtm en t by hy dr au lic pr es su re ; th e
seco nd in cr em en t is th e “s ta rt e r" m ix tu re ,
whi ch is pre sse d in on to p of th e tr ac er com ­
po sit ion an d is mo re se ns iti ve th an th e la tt er .
Wh en th e pr oj ec til e is fire d, th e he at fro m
th e p ro pe lle nt ch ar ge i gn ite s th e s ta rt e r wh ich ,
in tu rn , se ts off th e tr a c e r com pos itio n.
Ide nti fica tio n— m ar ki ng an d pa int ing
T ype COLOR
•I I. E .- T . (T et ry l) . . L ig ht gr ay
•H .E .- T . (P en to lit e) . Blue
B.L. & T .................... Da rk gra y gr ee n, w ith
Vfi-inch yellow b an d
20-mm A.P .-T. Mk 9
Ove r-al l len gth , inc hes
Wi th ca p & w in ds hi el d......................... 3.051
W ith ou t cap & w in ds hi el d...................2.44 9
•Wh« n ftis cm bk d wi th Par k Ign itio n trac ers, a *4-
inch bri ght red band will be paint ed aroun d the pro jec ­
tile mid way be tween t he bo ur re kt an d th e r ota tin g band.
68 CONFI DENTIA L
OR 1664
Di am ete r of ba se, in ch .............................. 0.742
Di sta nce ba se to ba nd , in ch ......................0 .315
W id th o f ba nd , i n c h .....................................0.154
D ia m et er n t bo ur re le t, in c h . . . . . . .........0 734
W eig ht of lo ade d pr oje cti le, p o u n d .. . . 0.2 686
C ar tri dg e C as e................................ Mks 3 a nd 4
P ri m e r......................................................... Mk 31
T r a c e r .....................................................I nt eg ra l
20-mm A /C A.P .-T. M9 5 (Ne w Series)
Ove r-al l le ng th , inc hes
W ith cap & w in ds hi el d............................ 3.27
W ith ou t c ap & w in ds hi eld ........................ 2.40
Di am ete r of ba se, in ch .................................0.76
Di sta nc e bas e to ban d, in ch ........................ 0.39
W idt h of ban d, in ch ...................................0.20 3
Di am ete r a t bo ur re le t, in ch ........................ 0.78
W eig ht of l oade d pr oj ec til e, po un d........... 0.29
C ar tri dg e C a s e ......................................... M21A1
Pr im er ......................... M36A1
T r a c e r ...................................................... In te gr al
T he tr a c e r is re d in color and b u m s fo r a
per iod of ab ou t 2.25 seco nds , eq ui va le nt to a
ra ng e of ab ou t 1.400 y ar ds . T hi s rou nd i s su pe r­
se di ng th e A. P. -T . M75 rou nd of th e Old S eri es.
20-mm A /C Inc end iary M96 {Ne w Series)
Ove r-al l le ng th , inc he s
W ith nose cap....................................... 3.245
W ith ou t nos e c a p .......................................2.30
D ia m et er of ba se, in ch ................................ 0.7f>
Di sta nc e ba se to ha nd , in ch ........................ 0.39
W idt h of ha nd , i n ch .....................................0.203
D ia m et er at bo ur re le t, in c h ........................ 0.78
Fi ll in g.................................. In ce nd iar y M ix tu re
W eig ht of fillin g, po un d............................ 0.020
W ei gh t of lo ade d pr oje cti le, po un d............ 0.27
C ar tr id ge C as e......................................... M21A1
Pr im er ......................................................M36A1
Th e inc en dia ry m ix tu re fills bo th th e no se ca p
an d th e pr oj ec til e body . No fuz e is re qu ire d,
sin ce th e fu nc tio ni ng is in iti at ed by im pa ct of
th e nos e wi th th e ta rg et .
20- mm A /C H. E. -I. M97 (N ew Se rie s)
Ove r-all len gt h, inc hes
W ith nos e fu z e ........................................... 3.28
W ith ou t nos e fu ze ..................................... 2.44
Di am ete r of ba se , in ch .................................0.76

Distan ce base to band, inc h...................... 0.39
Width of ban d, i nc h.................................. 0.203
Diam eter at bour relet , in ch ...................... 0.78
Fil lin g....................Tet ryl and Incend iary Mix
Wei ght of filling, p ound .......................... 0.017
Wei ght of loaded projec tile, po un d.......... 0.29
Ca rtri dge C a se ...................................... M21A1
Pri me r .................................................>13$A1
F u z e s ............................................. Nose—M75
This roun d is supe rsedi ng the H.E.-T. Mk 1
round of the Old Series.
20-mm A /C Pr ac tic e M99 (Ne w Series )
Over-all leng th, inches
Wi th nose ca p.......................................... 3.27
Wi thou t n ose c ap ......................... ......... 2.30
Dia met er of base, inc h.............................. 0.76
Dis tanc e b ase to band, inc h...................... 0.39
Width of ba nd, i nch .................................. 0.203
Diam eter at bour relet . inc h...................... 0.78
F il li n g ........................................................ None
Wei ght of loaded pr ojectil e, pou nd...........0.29
Ca rtri dg e C a s e .................................... M21A1
P ri m e r....................................................M36A1
This round is supe rsed ing t he Dali Mk 1 round
of th e Old Series.
20-mm A / C H.E .-I. Mk I (O ld Series)
Over- all lengt h, inches ..............................3.22
Dia met er of base, inc h.............................0.770
Distan ce base to band, inch .......................0.50
Width of band, inc h................................. 0.203
Diam eter a t bourre let. inc h.....................0.781
Fi llin g....................Tet ryl and Incend iary Mix
W eig ht of filling , pou nd.......................... 0.025
Weig ht of loaded projec tile, po un d.......0.290
Ca rtrid ge C a se ...................................... M21A1
P r im e r ........................................................M36
Fu zes ........................................... No. 253 Mk 1
Thi s r ound is t o be superse ded by the H .E.- I.
M97 roun d of the new ballistica lly match ed
CONTOEWT4AL
20 -m m PROJECTILES
series. T he H .E.-I . Mk 1 round is to be classified
unservi ceable by Naval a ctiv itie s a s soon as re­
placem ent allowances or stoc ks of t he M97 round
are received.
20-mm A /C Ball Mk I (O ld Series)
Over-all leng th, inc hes .............................. 3.31
Dia met er of base, inch .............................0.770
Dista nce base to band, in ch ...................... 0.50
Widt h of band, inc h................................0.203
Dia met er a t bour relet, inc h.................... 0.781
F il li n g ........................................................None
Wei ght of loaded pro jectil e, pou nd........... 0.28
Ca rtri dge C as e...................................... M21A1
P r im e r ........................................................MM
Thi s round is to be supers eded by the pra c­
ti c e round M99 of the new b allisti cally matched
serie s. The Ball Mk 1 round is to be classified
unser viceab le by Naval act ivit ies as soon as re ­
place ment allowances or stoc ks of the >197
round are received.
20-mm A /C A.P .-T. M75 (O ld Series)
Over-al l leng th, inch es.............................. 3.25
Dia met er o f base, inc h............................ 0.770
Dista nce base to band, in ch ...................... 0.5
Widt h of band, inc h................................ 0.203
Dia me ter at bour relet, inc h.....................0.784
F il li n g ........................................................None
Weig ht o f loaded projec tile, poun d........ 0.370
< ni ti ul zc (a x -...................................... M21.M
P r im e r ........................................................ M36
T r a c e r ................................................ .In teg ra l
The tra ce r is red in color a nd bur ns for abou t
four seconds, equival ent to a rang e of about
3,000 yard s.
This round is to b e super sede d by the A.P .-T.
M95 round of the new ballisti cally match ed
serie s. T he A.P.- T. M75 rou nd is to be classified
unservic eable by Naval a ctiv itie s a s soon as re­
place ment allowances or stoc ks of th e M95
round ar e received.
69
 Part I — Ch ap ter I — Section 12

m 31 ai

Figure 76. 40-m m Projectiles

70 C O N FI D EN TI A L
 40 -m m PROJECTILES

40-mm A. A. H. E. -I. (a ) Mk I Mods I — 24 Pr im er .............................. Mk 21 Mods 2 and 3;

and (b ) Mk 2 Mod s 1— 35
(May hav e “D ark ” o r “D ark Ign itio n" tracer. }
Over-all leng th, inches
Wi th n ose fu z e .......................................... 7.1
W ith ou t nose fu ze .................................. 5.2
Di am ete r of base , inc hes .............................1.3
Distan ce base to hand, inc hes .......... (a) 1.675
(b) 1.730
Wid th of band, inc h.................................... 0.6
Dia me ter at bou rrele t, inc hes .................. 1.57
Fillin g .. .H .E .: Cast TNT
H. E. -I. : Cas t T NT and Incen diary
We ight of Alling, pou nd.................. (a) 0.148
(b) 0.150
We ight of loaded projec tile, po un ds .. . .1.985
Ch arg e/w eig ht r a t i o ............................. 5.0%
Car trid ge C as e....................Mk 1, Mk 2, Mk 3
Mk 22 Mods 0 a nd 1
Tr ac er ..........................................Mk 10, Mk 11
Fu zes ..................Nose—Mk 27 Mods 0 and 1
See Tra cer Mk 11 for “D ark ” and “Da rk Ig­
nit ion ” deve lopments .
The Mk 1 and the Mk 2 pro ject iles are both
loaded H.E. in thr ee incr eme nts. The Mk 2 may
also be loaded H.E .-I. with the cen tral incr e­
me nt an incend iary compositi on. The Mk 2
H.E .-I. round may be iss ued plugged inst ead of
tra cer ed. Both proj ectil e bodies may be issued
B.L. & P. or B.L. & T. for ta rg et pra ctic e o r de­
icing.
Tra cer Mk 10 lias been decla red unservice able
and is being replaced by the Tra cer Mk 11 in
all a ssemblie s.
The 24 Mods o f Mk 1 and the 35 Mods of Mk
2 ar e merely bookkeepi ng d esig natio ns.

Ident ificati on—M arking and Pain ting

Color
T ype B ody Band T ip R em ar ks
H .E .- P ............... ............G r e e n ......... . . . . Plug in tra ce r
H.E .-T ./S. D. .. ............G r e e n ......... . White . .. .. . .Gr een
H.E ./S. D.......... ............Gre en ......... . Black . . . . . . .G reen .. . . . . Non-lum inous tr ace r
H. E.- I.-T ./S .D . .......... G r e e n ......... ..W hi te . .. .. ..R ed
H. E. -I. -P . . . . . ............Green ......... .R e d ........ .. . . R e d ........ . . . .P lug in base
H. E. -I. /S. D. .. ............Green ......... .Black . . . .. .. R e d . . . . .. . .Non-l umino us tra ce r
H .E .-I .-T ......... ..W hi te . . . . . . . Red . . . . . . . . S.D. re lay n ot loaded
with black
band
B.L. & T .......... ............R e d ............. .Wh ite . .. . . . . R e d ........ . . . . Dummy fuze
B.L. & P........... ............R ed 1............. .R e d ........ . . . . R e d ........ . . . . Dummy fuze and plu

40-mm Mk 3 Dia me ter of base, inc hes ................

Exc ept for some minor differe nces in dimen­
sions, th e main difference betwe en the Mk 3
proje ctile and th e Mks 1 and 2 is th at the re
is no hole in the base of the Mk 3 f or a tra cer
or plug. Th is design was developed when the
tact ica l need for non -trac e amm uniti on aro se:
bu t with the appe aran ce of “D ark ” tra cer s,
the Mk 3 pro ject ile’s origin al p urpo se was elimi­
nated.
40-mm A. A. M 8 IA I A.P. and A.P .-T.
Over-all leng th, inc hes ..............................6.19
Dist ance base to band, in ch .....................0.803
Wid th of band, inc h.................................. 0.64
Dia met er at bou rrele t, in ch es..................... 1.55
We igh t of loaded projec tile, po un ds .. . .1.96
Ca rtri dg e C a se .................. Mk 1, Mk 2, Mk 3
Pr im er ...........................................Mk 21, Mk 22
T r a c e r ..................................................Inte gra l
Fuze s ....................................................... None
Thi s proje ctile is an Arm y design manu fac­
tur ed for the Navy to Na val specifications.
The A.P. round has a plug in the tra ce r cav­
it y ; th e A.P .-T. h as a red trac er.

CONFIDENTIAL 71
 Part I — Ch ap ter I — Section 13
l. l- IN C H PROJECTILES
Figur e 77. 1.1-i neh Pr ej ez til ei Mk 1 (r ig ht )
and Mk 2 ( le ft )
L l- in c h A .A . (a ) M k I Mo ds 0— 28,
(b) Mk S.D.I
Over-all len gth, inche s
With nose fuz e.........................................5.8
Without nose f uz e. ..................................4.1
Diamete r of base, inch es......................... 1.085
Distance base to band, i nch ......................0.87
Width of band, inch ..................................... 1.0
Diamete r at bourrele t. inche s...............1 .095
Fi lli ng ..........................................Explosive D
Weight of tilling, pound................... (a) 0.037
(b) 0.034
72 CONFIDENTIAL
Weig ht of loaded projectile, p ound ....... 0.917
Char ge/w eight r a t i o ............................ 4.0%
Cart ridge C ase....................................... Mk 1
Pr im er................. Mk 19 and Mods 1, 2, and 3
Tr ac er ........Divided into two in crements and
pressed into the recess by hy­
draulic pressure , t he tr ace r is ig­
nited by the propellan t charge
from the c artrid ge case.
Fuzes
Nose............. Modified Mk 12 Mods 2 and 3
(P.D.F.)
Mk 34 and all Mods (P.D.F.)
The 1.1-ineh A.A. gun is not being fur the r
devek>))ed in th e Navy.
The Ll-inch Mk 1 is n ot self- destro ying; the
1.1-ineh Mk S.D. 1 is self-dest roying. Thi s is t he
prima ry difference between the two projectiles.
The Mk S.I). 1 consists of a Mk 1 projectile
body modified for self-dest ruction by drilling
throu gh the wall between the trac er and H.E.
cavities.
The Mk 1 projectile may also be issued B.L.
& T. fo r ta rge t practice or de-icing.
The 28 Mods a re to distingu ish among con­
tracto rs.
I.l-i nch A.A. Mk 2 Mods 0 and I
Over-all length , inches
With nose fu ze.........................................5-7
Witho ut nose fu ze................................... 4.1
Diameter of base, inch es........................1.085
Distance base to band, inch ...................... 0.87
Width of band, inc h..................................... 1.0
Dia me ter a t bo urr ele t, inch es.................. 1.095
Fil ling ..........................................Explosive D
Weight of filling, pou nd......................... 0.034
Weight of loaded projectile, po un d... .0.917
Cha rge/ wei ght ratio ............................. 3.7%
Cartrid ge Case ........................................Mk 1
Pr im er................. Mk 19 and Mods 1, 2, and 3
 "PO UN DE R” PROJECTILES

Tr ac er ........Divided into two incre men ts and Fuze s

presse d into the recess by hy­ Nos e..............Modified Mk 12 Mods 2 and 3
draul ic p ressu re, th e tra ce r is ig - (P.D.F.)
nited by the propella nt charg e Mk 31 and all Mods (P.D.F.)
from the ca rtri dge case. The Mk 2 has a self- destr oying tr acer .

Part I — Ch ap ter I — Sec tion I4

"P OU ND ER " PROJECTILES

I-Po und er Comm on Mk 2 Mod s 0 and I

Guns used in ...................................... l-pdr./dO
Over-all leng th, inch es.............................. 3.56
Dia met er of base, i nch es...........................1.441
Distan ce base to band, inc h.................... 0.829
Widt h of band, in ch ..................................0.731
Dia met er at bourr elet, inc hes ............... .1.445
F il li n g ....................................... Black powder
We igh t of filling, poun d.......................... 0.026
Weig ht of loaded pro jectile , po un ds .. . .1.088
Ch arg e/w eig ht r a t i o ............................ 2.07%
Car trid ge C a s e ........................................Mk 2
P ri m e r....................................... Mk 10 Mod 9
T r a c e r ...........................................Inte gral
Fu zes ................. Base—Mk 8 Mod 4 (B.I.F.)
Thi s amm unitio n is used in coast g uard guns.
The ir bu rst ing char ge is black powder and
TNT, o r black powd er alone. This should be kept
in mind when unscrew ing th e fuze. as some of
the powder may have fallen down into the
thr ead s and the frict ion would cau se deton ation.
The Pri me r Mk 10 Mod s may be used for
sal utin g ch arg es only,
Base Fuzes Mk 2 Mod 9 and Mk 8 Mod 5,
with out trac ers , may be used, b ut the Mk 8 Mod
4 is the pre ferr ed assembly.
This round may be issued B.L. A P. for tar ge t Figu re 78. 3-Po undc r Comm on Mk 4 <tnd 1-Pou nde r
practice. Common M k 2

3-Poun der Com mon Mk 4 M od I (O bs ole te)
Guns used in ......................................3-pdr./5O
Over-all length , inch es............................ 6.681
Dia met er of base, inch es...........................1.7.5
Dista nce base to band, inc hes ............ 1.185
Width o f band, inc h.................................. 0.787
Dia met er at bourr elet, inc hes .................1.845
Fill ing ....................... Black powder and TNT
Weig ht of filling, pou nd............................. 0.13
Weig ht o f loaded projec tile, poun ds....... 3.30
Ch arg e/w eig ht r a t i o ........................... 3.93%
Car trid ge C as e......................................... Mk 1
Pr im er - ., .............. Mk 10 Mod 9
Tra cer .................................................Integ ral

CONFIDE NTIAL 73
U. S. EXPLOSIVE O RD NA NC E
F u z e s.................. Base— Mk 8 Mod 4 (B.I.F.)
Fuzes Mk 8 Mod 5 and Mk 2 Mod 9, w ithou t
tra ce rs . may be used ; bu t the Fuze Mk 8 Mod
I is the p refe rred as sembly . See othe r notes on
l-po und er Common.
6-Poun der Com mon Mk 3 Mod s 3 and 4
Gun s used in .............................. 6-p dr. /10 ,/4 2
6-pdr ./45, /50
Over-all leng th, inc he s.............................. 8.45
Diam eter of base, inc he s........................ 2.224
Distanc e bas e to ban d, in che s................... 1.493
Wi dth of band, in ch ................................ 0.787
Diam eter a t bour relet, inc he s................ 2.239
Fil lin g.......................... Black powder an d TNT
Wei ght of filling, pou nd............................ 0.24
Ch arg e/w eig ht r a t i o .............................4.00%
Ca rtr idg e C a s e ........................................ Mk 1
Pr im er ......................................... Mk 10 Mod 9
T ra c e r................................................. Inte gral
Fu zes ..................Base—Mk 8 Mod 4 (B.I.F. )
Par t I — C ha pt er I — Se ction 15
7.2 -IN CH PROJEC TILE
7.2- inch Pro jec tor Ch arg e "H ed ge ho g"
Over-all leng th, inc he s.............................. 38.6
Head leng th, inc he s.................................. 19.0
Head diam eter, in ch es................... 7.2
Head we ight, p oun ds.................................. 17.9
TNT filler, pou nds...................................... 31.1
Wall thick ness, in ch .................................... 0.2
Tail tub e diam eter , inc hes ........................ 1.76
Tail wid th, inc hes ........................................ 7.0
Gen eral: The proje ctile con sists of a flat-
nosed head wit h a conical tail fair ing and para l­
lel sides. The ada pte r and fuze thr ead into the
nose. The motor un it cons ists of a smokeless
powder car trid ge wit h prim er, which is lodged
forw ard in the tail tube, the tube fitti ng over
74 CO NF ID EN TI AL
OP 1664
This round may be issued B.L. & P. or B.L.
& T. with the Tra cer Mk 7 for ta rg et pract ice.
See oth er notes on l-po und er Common.
6-Poun der Com mon M k 5 Mod s 0 and 3
Guns used i n ................................6- pdr. /40, /42
6-p dr./ 45,/ 50
Over-all leng th, inc he s............................. .8.26
Diam eter o f base, i nc he s............................ 2.22
Distanc e base to hand, in che s.................. 1.493
Width of ban d, i nch .................................. 0.787
Diam eter at bour relet , in che s.................. 2.237
Fill ing ........................Black powde r and TNT
Wei ght of filling, jj oun d............................ 0.23
We ight of loaded proj ectil e, pou nds .......... 6.0
Ch arg e/w eig ht ra tio ................................ 4.0%
Ca rtrid ge C a s e ....................................... Mk 1
Pr im er ......................................... Mk 10 Mod 9
T ra c e r..................................... Inte gral in fuze
Fu ze s................. Base—Mk 8 Mod 4 (B.I.F .)
See notes for 6-poun dcr Common Proje ctile
Mk 3.
a firing post. The pri me r is deto nate d by elec­
tric co nta cts in t he p ost. Thi s c har ge is for use
on Pro ject ors Mk 10 and Mk 11.
T he tail is a st ee l tub e at ta ch ed to the head
by u thre aded joi nt. Tail fins have a 10-degree
twi st and are att ach ed with a drum sup por t
to give a slow ro tati on and stabiliz ed t raj ect ory .
Bem arks : W hen T orpex is us ed, th e weight is
increused by ap prox imate ly 2.5 pounds.
The above d at a ar e bas ed on th e 7.2-inch Head
Mk 4A and the 1.75-inch P.C. Tail Mk 4A. These
are being replaced by the 7.2-inch Head Mk 4
Mod 0 and the 1.75-inch P.C. Tail Mk 6 Mod 0.
Nose Fuzes Mk 136 and Mk 140 are replaced
by the Nose Fuze Mk 158.
 Part I — Chapt er 2
CART RIDGE CASES AN D BAG CHARGE S
Cart ridg e cases
Prope llant char ges for small- and medium-
caliber gun s are assembled with prim er and
powder enclosed in a brass or steel container ,
or car trid ge case. This assembly of the entir e
charg e in a single, rigid, prot ectin g case in­
creases the ease and rapidity of loading and
reduces the dang er to personnel from flare-
backs. On the oth er hand, additional care in
handlin g must be exercised with this type of
ammunitio n, since the cart ridg e case contains
the powder charg e and the primer.
Fixed amm unitio n: Guns of smalle r caliber
use "fixed am munitio n,” with the car trid ge case
firmly crimped to the base of the projectile.
The following guns employ fixed a mmun ition:
20-mm, 40-mm, 1.1-inch, 1-pdr., 3-pdr., 6-pdr.,
3*723, 3*750, 4"/50 , and 5*725.
Semi fixed ammu nition : Guns of larg er cali­
ber, f or e ase of han dling, requi re sep arat e load ­
ing of powder and projectile, or "semi-fixed am­
munition .” With this type of ammuniti on, the
powder and p rime r a re contained in a ca rtrid ge
case, but the case i s not crimped to the projec­
tile. In semi-fixed ammunition, the powder is
held firmly in place by a card board sp acer an d/
or a cork closing plug. The following guns
employ semi-fixed ammuni tion: 5*738, 5*'/51,
6*747. and 8*755.
Gas seal : Resides affording a safe and con­
venient method of loading, the car trid ge case
also prev ents the escape of gases throug h the
breech of the gun. The cart ridg e case has a
fairl y snug fit in the gun cham ber and forms
an effective gas seal by i ts expansion when the
gun is fired.
Iligh-Ca pacity. Reduced, and Ta rg et ch ar ge s:
To provide more flexibility in fire control when
CONFIDENTIAL
a varie ty of projectil es is used, a special charge
is assembled for use with the light high-capacity
project iles and is known as a "high- capaci ty"
charge. These cha rges contain less powder than
the ir correspon ding full charge. Also contain­
ing less powder, b ut designed mainly for reduc­
ing wear on gun chamb ers in t arg et practice a re
the "redu ced" and “ta rg et ” charges. Weights
and sizes of these parti cular c harg es are found
in the table of "Ex istin g Service Rounds” ac­
companying this chapte r.
Shor t cases : When a round fails to be seated
fully on rammin g into the gun chamber, thus
preven ting closure o f the breech, the projectile
can still be fired by ext rac ting the full-sized
case and loading a "sh ort ” case. These nre
merely sh ort er models of regu lar cases. Thei r
sizes and weigh ts nre included in the table of
"Ca rtrid ge Case Specifications.”
Special ca ses: Aside from the service-loaded,
reduced-charge , and "sh ort ” wises, certa in
special types are also in use. These include
salu ting charg es for 8*723 and 1-, 3-, and 6-
pounder guns ; impulse charg es for torpedoes,
depth charge s, and proje ctor cha rges ; and
char ges for line-thro wing appa ratu s. These
cases will not be described fn thi s publication,
since they are not primar ily concerned with
projectiles .
Bog ch arg es
Principally because of the difficulty in han­
dling very large car trid ge cases, and especially
in disposing of empties, the cart ridg e case in
large-cali ber guns is replaced by a powder
char ge assembled in a silk b ag. The gas check­
ing is accomplished by t he mushroom and pads
on the breech plug, and the prim er is fired by
a lock attac hed to th e breech plug.
75
U .S . EXPLOSIVE O RD NA NC E
Bags u sed for bag ch arg es ar e man ufac ture d
of pure silk wit hou t th e adm ixtu re of any
mate rial ot he r tha n sizi ng for the yarn . Heavy
cloth is used for th e body of the bag s; ligh t
cloth, for the ignit ion ends. The igniti on end
of each bag consi sts of a red-colored quilte d
pocket cont ainin g an ignit ion charg e of black
powder.
le ad in g: Bag cha rge s are eit he r “dump'* or
"s tac k" loaded. In dum p loading, the powder,
af te r weighing, is dumped loosely into the bag,
and the ta g is then rolled and tigh tly laced to
form a compac t uni t. Fo r larg er-ca libcr guns,
stac ked bag s have almost complete ly replaced
dump-loaded bags. Sta cki ng places the powdor
gra ins on end in layer s, so t h at a t igh t, compact,
and unif orm c har ge is obtained. Sta ckin g re sults
in gr ea ter ease fo r loadi ng crews. a small er
cha rge bundle , a con sist entl y unifor m charg e,
and a longe r life fo r the bag, as the re is less
chance fo r t he s ha rp e dges o f th e powder gr ain s
to cut th e cloth of the bag. The arr ang em ent
of rows and numb er of gr ain s in sta cked char ges
is so fixed tha t the finished section will be the
prop er leng th accor ding to Burea u of Ordnance
sta nd ard s. This a rra ng em ent differs with each
bag index and is found by actua lly loading a
te st charg e.
Nome nclat ure: As th e te rm “Service Char ge"
ha s resul ted in confu sion, the new stan dar d
nome nclat ure is as follows:
F ull charge—fo r use with H.C. or A.P.
proj ecti les at full veloc ity.
Reduced charge—f or use wit h A.P., ta r­
get , or H.C. proj ecti les a t reduce d ve loc itie s.
SPECIAL— any cha rge oth er than those
listed above.
The following typ es of bag cha rge s may s till
be fo un d:
Service—fo r use wit h A.P. or H.C. pro ­
ject iles at f ull velocity.
T arget—for use wit h ta rg et proje ctiles .
High -capacity— fo r use with H.C. pr ojec ­
tiles.
Special—any c har ge o th er tha n those listed
above.
76 CONFI DENTIA L
OP 1664
Charg es suit able for use with eit he r H.C.
or t ar ge t proj ectil es have hit he rto b een known
as “ H.C. Special" char ges.
Types of powder
In both bag and case cha rges , the following
type s o f powder a re use d:
SP D: Th is is smokele ss powder stabiliz ed by
th e addition of diphenyl amine.
SPD N: This is stabili zed smokeless powder
with the f ur th er ad dition of ce rta in nonvolatile
ma teri als to r educe hy drosoop icity and incre ase
service life.
SPGG: This is flash low double-base smoke­
less powder cont ainin g nitro glyce rine and st a­
bilized with car bam ite. A new pro|)ellan t, thi s
one makes only on e-hal f as much smoke as the
older llashless pow dera. Made in th e sa me physi ­
cal shap e as c onventio nal powd er, SPCG is ch alk
white in color and opaque, becoming slig htly
yellow with age. It con tain s o nly one- tent h the
volatile solvent contain ed in pyro powde r and
is th us less suscep tible to ballist ic c hang e from
stowa ge. SPCG powder is gov erned by th e s ame
stowag e r egu latio ns a s SPD , SPD N, etc., except
for the surve illanc e tes ts.
SP DF : Flas hles s sm okeless powder.
SPDX : Wat er-d ried stabil ized smokeless
powder.
SPD W: Reworked powder, for t ar ge t use.
Marking of case and bag charges
Case ma rkin gs: In addi tion t o th e info rmat ion
stamjx?<l on the head as shown in figure 79 the
following m arks arc painted on th e case:
Flas hless po wder: In case s loaded w ith flash-
less powder, a %-in ch “ F" should be pointed
in yellow somew here on t he head end. Also, th e
word "FLA SHL ESS ” is painte d on the side of
the case.
Fixed and semi-fixed amm uniti on: Both fixed
and semi-fixed ammu nition case s hav e t he index
numli er pain ted in 44-inch high let ter s on the
head end of the case. In addition , semi-fixed
cha rge s also have the ir ammu nitio n lot num ­
bers painted on in a sim ilar fashi on.
 CARTR IDGE CASE S AND BAG CHA RGE S

WHEN MAOE BY C ON -

Figure 79. Stomping on Bote of Ca rtri dge Co iei

Bag cha rge s: Thes e mar king s are lette red in
%-inc h black ch ara cte rs on the side opposite
to the lacings, with the bott om of the let ter s
towar d the igniti on end of the ba g:
Ammun ition lot number
Caliber and leng th of gun in caliber s—type
of ch arg e (full, reduced, etc.)
Index numb er of powder
Wei ght o f powde r char ge
Num ber of secti ons per c har ge
Initia l velocity and wei ght of projec tile with
which cha rge can be used.*
The word “F LASH LESS ” in high yellow
let te rs if t he char ge i s e ith er flashless- type
powder or powder with flashless pellets
added.
•I f two different initial velocities can be anticipated
with different projectiles, the nominal velocity for each
different projectile should be indicated, together with
each projectile’s weight.

«»— c
tu it bo — CONFIDENTIAL 77
 CA RTR IDG E CASE SPE CIFIC ATIO NS
Ov er- all Base Ma ter ial of Weight Weight or
Type Gun Primer
Length Diameter Construriion Empty Propellant

3 ' M k 2- 3 ’;23 9.20 ’ 3.46* Brass 2.25 lb. 58(1 gram M k 10 M od 0

3 ' M ie 3 3' .5 0 23.4 4’ 4,30’ Brass Mods 04 3 :7 .0 lb.
M od * 0. 2. & 3 Mo d 2: 7. 88 lb. 4.0 lb. M k 14. M k 14 M od I
3' M k 7 A 9 3'.*50 22.99 " 4.30* M k 7 : Brass M k 7 :7 .O lb.
Mk 9: Steel M k 9 :6 54 lb. 4.0 B). M k 14. Mk 14 M od 1

4’ M k 2 Mn dO 4-.5O 34.840* 5.90* Brass 17.25 lb. 14.5 lb. M k 13 A all Mods
4’ M k 2 Mo d 1 4' ,5 0 33. 74' 5.9 0’ Brass 17.0 lb. 11.5 lb. M k 13 & all Mods
4* M k 2 M od 3 4’ . 50 34. 84 ' 590’ Brass 15.1 lb. 14.5 lb. M k 13 & all Mods
4 ' M k 2 Mod 4 47 50 33. 74' 5. 90 ' Brass 14.9 lb. 14.5 lb. M k 13 & al l Mods

5' M k 3 57 51 33. 05 ' 7.40 ’ Brass 27.38 lb. 24.5 lb. M k 13 & a ll Mods
S 'M k S 57» 26. 75 ' 6. 22 ' Brass 1231 ,b. 15.2 lb. M k 13 & all Mods
5’ M k 4 Mod 0 5 ' 25 2-1.65' 5.9 0' Brass 14.44 lb. 9.6 lb. M k 13 & all Mod *
5 ' M k 4 Mod 2 5’ .25 21. 65 ' 5.9 0' Brass 11.4 lb. 9.6 lb. M k 13 & all Mods
5' M k 6 $'Z54 32. 83 ' 6.2 2' Brass 13.04 lb. 18.0 lb M k 13 & all Mo d*

6’ M k 4 5747 38. 20 ' 7. 65 ' Brass 26 2 lb. 32.0 lb M k 13 & nil Mo d*

8’ M k 1 8755 SO.27S' 10.5 5' Brass 57.0 lb. 90.0 lb. M k3$

20 mm M k 2 29-mm A. A. 4.343' 0.6 74 ' Brass 0.190 lb. 27.7 grams- M k 30. M k 31
20 mm Mies 3 & 4 20-mm A.A. 4 3-13’ 0.8 74' M k 3 Steel O.193lb . 27.7 grams M k3 1
M k 4: Brass
40-mm M k 1 40-mm A.A. 12.24* 2.44 1' Brass 1.93 lb. 390 grant# M k2 1
40-mm M ks 2 & 3 10-niiti A .A. 12 24' 2 44 1' M k 2: Brats M k 2 : 1.89 lb. 300 grams M k2 2
M k 3: Steel M k 3 : 153 lb.

1. 1' M k 1 1 1' A.A. 7.63’ 1.71' Brass 0.686 lb. 120 grams M k 19 Mod 3
l-p dr . Mk 2 l-pi und i-r 5.389* 1.775' Brass 0.406 lb. 70 grams M k 10 M od 9
3-p dr. Mk 1 3-pl unde r 14.643* 2.51’ Brass 1.65 lb. 300 grains Mk 10 Mnd 9
fi-pd r. Mk 1 6- plunde r 12.09* 2. 99 ' Brass 2.13 lb. 50 0 grams M k 10 Mo d 9

SHO RT CASES

Type Gun Length Prop ellant Wei ght Pr im er

Mk 1 (M od i fled) 1.1 ' 5. 25 ' 85 gra ms Mk 19 M od s 1, 2, & 3

Mk 2 (M od ifie d) 3 ' 23 4.9 ' 385 grams Mk 10 M od 9
Mk 3 & Mo ds 2 & 3 (M od ifi ed , 3’ 50 18' 3.8 lb. Mk l-s
Mk 2 & M od 3 (M od ifie d, 4 ' 50 29 ' 14.0 lb. Mk 13 & al l M od s

Mk 4 (M od ifie d) 5' 25 21 ' 9.0 lb. Mk 13 & al l Mod s

Mk 5 iM od ifie d) 5' 38 16.25 ' 9.0 lb. Mk 13 & al l Mod s
Mk 3 (M odi fied ) 5* 51 20 ' 10.0 lb. Mk 13 & al l Mod s
Mk 6 (M od ifie d) 5' 34 20 ' 10 0 lb. Mk 13 & al l Mod s

M k 4 (M od ifie d, 6 r /47 25 .0' 23.0 lb. M k 13 & a ll Mod s

M k 2 N ot Mo dif ied ) 8 -5 5 31.08- 44.0 lb. M k 35 Mo d 1

78 CO NR QE NT tA L
 B A G A M M U N IT IO N
Ne w Dimensions o f Powd er Sections

Ig n it io n F ull C harge R educed C harge

O il in . o f
N o . of Ch arg e
G un s Use d In Ig n it io n
Se ct io ns per D ia m . o f Se cti on Le n gt h o f Se cti on D ia m . o f S ec tio n Le ng th o f S ec tio n
Ci rc le
Se cti on M in im u m .M ax im um M in im u m M a x im u m M in im u m M a xi m u m M in im u m M a xim u m

5 75 0 M ks 5 & 6 I 4 .0 0 ' 75 5 .1 0 ' 6 .0 0 ' 2 8 .0 0 ' 29 .2 5'

5 '/ 5 1 M k s 7 . 8, I 4 .0 0 ' 75 4 .5 0 ' 6. 00 - 29 .0 0- 30 .0 0' 4 .5 0 ' 6. 0 0 ' 29 .00 - 30 .0 0’
& 15

6 7 4 7 M k 17 1 5.0 0* 150 5 .2 5 ' 6 .5 0 ' 3 3 .0 0 ' 34 .0 0' 5 .2 5 ' 6 .5 0 ' 33 .0 0’ 34 .0 0'

6 7 5 0 M ks 6 & 8 1 4. 50 ’ 100 5. 0 0 ' 6 .3 5 ' 3 8 .0 0 ' 39 .5 0' 5 .0 0 ' 6 .3 5 ' 3 8 .0 0 ' 39 .5 0'
6 -/ 5 3 M k s 12, 11. I 5. 00 - 150 5. 2 5 ' 6 .6 0 ' 4 4 .5 0 ' 46 .5 0' 5 .2 5 ' 6 .6 0 ' 4 4 .5 0 ' 46 .5 0'
& 18

7745 M k 2 2 5. 50 ’ 150 650' 8 .0 0 ' 2 3 .2 5 ' 24 .0 0' 6 .5 0 ' 8 .0 0 ' 2 3 .2 5 ' 24 .0 0'
8 7 5 5 M k s 12 .1 4 2 6 .0 0 ' 200 6. 6 0 ' 7. 80 ’ 2 7 .2 5 ' 28 -0 0' 7 .2 0 ' 7 .8 0 ' 27 .2 5’ 28 .0 0'
& 15

12750 M k 7 4 8 .5 0 ' 30 0 11 .2 0' 12. 60’ 1890' 19.9 0’ 9 .1 0 ' 10 .6 0' 18 .9 0' 19 .9 0'
12750 M k 8 4 9 .0 0 ' 30 0 10 .1 0' 11 .5 0' 18 0 0 ' 19. 00’ 9. 80 r 10 .6 0' 18 .0 0' 19 .00 '

1 4 7 4 5 M k s 8 . 10. 4 9-5 0- 30 0 12 .6 0' 14 .00 ' 18 .7 5' 19 .9 0' 10 .5 0' 11 .5 0' 18 .70 - 19 .7 0'
& 12 *
1 4 7 5 0 M k s 7 & 11 4 9 .5 0 ' 30 0 12 .6 0' 14.25 ’ 18 .50 ’ 19 .7 0' 10 .2 0' 11 .20 ' 18 .70 ’ 19 .70 ’
1

16745 M k 6 1 6 10- 00' 290 13 .5 0' 15.3 0’ 13 -75 ' 15 .0 0' 11 .8 0' 13 .2 0' 14 .0 0' 15 .0 0'
16 -/ 45 M k s 6 -2 , 5 10 .0 0' 35 0 13 .5 0' 15 .3 0' 16 .7 5' 18 .00 ' 11 .8 0' 13.10- 17 .0 0' 18 .0 0'
&8
16750 M k 7 6 10 .0 0' 350 13 .9 0' 16 .0 0' 16 .00 ’ 17 .2 5' 11 .2 5' 12 .4 0' 16 .2 5' 1725'
co EXISTING SERVICE ROUNDS
o
Type Prope llent Charge Descri ption Typ e of Bag or
Gun s Proj ectil es Veloc ity
of Nominal of Charge Case
Calibe r Mk s & Mod s Wt. (lb.) Type Mlt & Mod IP 'S )
Charge Powd er Weight (lb.) Charge Assembly Designati on

167 50 7 0 2.700 A.P. a 1-6 2.500 Full SP D 66 0 Ba g (6 Sec .) Stac ked Bag. T yp e 3
2,700 T. 9 1-2 2,500 Full SPD 660 M A A

2.700 A.P. a 1-6 1.800 Targ et /S PD 420 « A A

y
A A a
2,700 T. 9 1-2 1,800 Targ et SPU N 340
2.700 A.P. a I 6 1.800 Reduced SPD 305 M Dumpe d A

5SP DN
2.700 T. 9 1-2 1.800 Reduced (SPCG 325 A A A

1,900 H.C . 13 1-3 2.690 Full SPD 660 Stacked A

1.900 H.C . 13 1-3 2.075 Reduced fSP D 305 A Dumix-d A

{S PD N
1.900 H.C. 13 2.075 Reduced (SPC G 325 A A A
1-3
1,900 H.C, 13 i- 3 1,900 H.C. SP D 325 « A H

167 45 6 1 2.700 A.P. a

1-6 2.300 Full SPD 535 Bag (6 Sec.) Stacke d Bag. Typ e 3
2,700 T. 9 1-2 2,300 Full SPD 535 A A A

1.900 13 1-3 2.525 Full SPD 535 A A a

H.C.
A
2,700 A.P. a 1-6 1,800 Targ et SPD 380 A A

2.700 T. 9 1-2 1.800 Targ et SPD N 335 A A u

2,700 A.P. 8 1-6 1.800 Reduced SPD 295 A
Dumpe d A

{ SPDN
2.700 T. 9 1-2 1,800 Reduced ISPC G 315 A A A

1.900 13 1-3 2.075 Reduce d fSPD 295 a a A

H.C.
4 SPD N
1.900 H.C. 13 13 2.075 Reduced (SPCG 315 a a H
1.900 13 1.900 SPD 290 >• Stacke d A
H.C. 1-3 H.C.
1.900 H.C. 13 13 1.900 H.C. SPD N 310 a H A

167 45 6 2 2.240 A.P. 5 1-5 2.520 Full SPD 545 Bag (5 Sec). Stacke d Bag, T yp e 3
0 .1 .2 Full SPD 545 M A A
8 2.240 T. 6 1 2.520
1.900 1-3 2.635 Full SPD 545 M A A
H.C. 13
2,240 A.P. 5 1-5 1.935 Tar get SPD 335 u M A

T. 6
SPD 335 u a *
2.240 1 1.935 Ta rge t
 2,240 A.P. 5 1-5 1,935 Redu ced fSP D 295 Bag (5 Sec.) Dum ped Bag, Ty pe 3
4SP DN
2,240 T. 6 1 1.935 Redu ced ISP CG 315 44 M a
1.900 H.C . 13 1-3 2.075 Redu ced SP D .295 44 a fl

SP DN
1.900 H.C . 13 1-3 2.075 Redu ced SPC G 315 44 M *
1.900 II C . 13 1-3 2.000 H.C. SP D 315 M
Sta cke d <

335 44 u
1.900 II.C . 13 13 2.000 H.C. SP DN ■

14 75 0 7 1 1.500 A.P. 16 1-10 2.700 Full SP D 425 Bag (4 Sec.) Sta cke d Bag. Typ e 3
11 1 .2 ,3 ,& 5 1,500 T. 12 3-4 2,700 Full SP D 425 M M «

1,500 T. 15 1-3 2,700 Full SP D 425 14 M fi

1,500 T. 17 1-2 2,700 Ful l SP D 425 If 44 ft

1,275 H.C . 1’.' 1-5 2,825 Full SP D 425 u «

1.500 A.P. 16 1-10 1.935 Ta rge t SP D 280 « M ft
1,500 T. 12 3 4 1,935 Ta rg et SP D 280 ■ M «

1,500 T. 15 1-3 1,935 Ta rge t SP D 280 M 41 M

1,500 T. 17 1-2 1,935 Ta rge t SP D 280 u M u

1.500 A.P. 16 1-10 1.935 Redu ced fS PD N 195 u Dum ped

1.500 T. 12 3-4 1.935 Reduced SPC G 200 * «
1.500 T. 15 1-3 1.935 Reduced SPC G 200 M 41 «
1.500 T. 17 1-2 1.935 Reduced SPCG 200 « * <4

1.275 H.C. 19 1-5 2.065 Reduce d SP DN 195 « If n

1.275 H.C . 19 1-5 2,065 Reduce d SPCG 200 0 If <i
1.275 H.C. 19 1-5 2.000 H.C. S P D (l ) 275 (1) a Stac ked n
u
1.275 H.C. 19 1-5 2,000 H.C. SP D (2) 225 (2) 44 If

1,275 H.C . 19 1-5 2,000 H.C. SP D (5) 260 (5) 44 «f M

245 M
1.275 H.C . 19 1-5 2,000 II.C . SP DN « If

14745 8 1 .3 .4 .4 6 1,500 A.P. 16 1-10 2,600 Full SP D 420 Bag (4 Sec .) Stack ed Bag. Ty pe 3
10 1 20 1
12 Mod s 1.500 T. 37 1-2 2,600 Full SP D 420 44 « H
21 1
1.275 19 1-5 2,735 Ful l SP D 420 a u M
H.C.
1.500 A.P. 16 1-10 1,935 Ta rge t SP D 285 a if II
20 1
1.500 T. 37 1-2 1,935 Ta rge t SP D 285 a M H
a> 21 1
 EX IS TI NG SER VIC E RO UN DS (Co nti nu ed )

Type Pro ptl len (b ar ge Descr iption Ty pe of Rag or

Guns Proj ecti les Velocity
of No mi na l of Cha rge Cue
Caliber M ks & Mods w t. (lb.) Type Mk & Mod (F S>
Assembly
('ba rge Powd er 1Veight (lb ,) Char ge Design ation

147 45 8 1 .3 .4 .& 6 1.500 A.P. 16 I - 10 1.935 Reduced fSP DN 205 Bag (4 Sec.) Dump ed Bag, Ty pe 3
10 1 20 1 (
12 Mod s 1,500 T. 17 1-2 1.935 Reduced (SP CG 210 u a M
(Co ntin ued ) 21 I
2.065 Reduced /S PD N 205 * <*
1.275 H.C . 19 1-5
Orf
1.275 H.C . 19 15 2.065 Reduced (SPC G 210 44

u
Stac ked M
1,275 H.C. 19 1-5 2.000 H.C. SP D (3) 285 (3)
1.275 H.C . 19 1-5 2.000 H.C. SP D (4> 240 (4 ) u « 0
15 2.000 H.C. SP UN 255 « 44
1.275 H.C. 19

127 50 8 1,110 A.P. 18 1 2,500 Full SP D 275 Bag (4 Sec.) Stack ed Bag. Typ e 3
1,140 T. 19 2.500 Full SP D 275 u
1
940 17 2.650 Full SP D 275 u II *
H.C. 1
1.800 Ta rge t SP D 175 w « •
1,140 A.P. 18 1
Ta rge t SP D 175 44 41 a
1,140 T. 19 1 1.800
U
1,140 A.P. 18 1 1.800 Reduced (SP DN 135 Dump ed a

1.140 T. 19 1 1.800 Reduc ed •S PD F 135 M « «

940 H.C. 17 1 1.965 Reduc ed ISP DN 135 M 04

910 H.C. 1,850 H.C. SP D 175 04

Stack ed «
17 1
H.C. SP DN 170 u 41
940 H.C. 17 1 1.850
SP D 245 a 41
940 H.C. 17 1 2.435 Special
245 « M 04
1,140 A.P. 18 1 2,300 Special SP D
u 41 41
1,140 T. 19 1 2.300 Special SPD 245
u Dumped 41
940 H.C. 17 1 1.965 Reduced SP D F 135

12 75 0 7 15 19 870 A.P. 15 6 2.900 Full SP D 335 Bag (4 Sec.) Stack ed Bag, Typ e 3
870 T. 11 3-4 2.900 Full SP D 335 « •4 04

14 2 8
740 16 1-2 3.000 Full SP D 335 u M 41
H.C.
225 M M 04
870 A.P. 15 6 2,100 Reduce d SP D
<4 «
870 T. 11 3 4 2,100 Reduce d SP D 225
14 2- 8
Reduce d SP D 225 u M It
740 H.C. 16 1-2 2,125
 8 75 5 12 1-2 335 A.P. 21 1-3 2.500 Full SP D 85 Bag Stac ked Bag. Typ e 3
335 T. 22 2 2.500 Full SPC G 89 « a
11 1-2
260 H.C . 24 1-5 2.700 Full fSP D 85 u
16 1
24 1-5 2.700 Full SPC G 89 a M a
260 H.C.
335 A.P 21 1-3 2.000 Tar get SP D 59 a
Dum ped Dwg. 53117
335 T. 22 2 2.000 Tar get SPD 59 a A «
24 1-5 2,160 Tar get SP D 59 a A a
260 H.C.
335 A.P. 21 1-3 2.000 Redu ced r SP DN 55 a a a

335 T. 22 2 2.000 Reduced SP D F 56 u a a

4k a a
260 H.C. 24 1-5 2,220 Reduced SPD N 55
4k a It
2(30 A.P. 19 1-6 2,800 Full SP D 89
16 7.9.10
2,800 Full SPC G 92 4k a u
260 T. 18 5- 9
41 u
260 A.P . 19 1-6 2,300 Tar get SPD 66
16 7,9,10 ■
2,300 Tar get SPC G 69 61 « It
260 T. 18 5- 9
2,800 Full SPD 89 41 ■ It
260 H.C. 24 1-5
260 1 5 2.800 Full SPC G 92 a n u
H.C . 24
2,300 T arget SPD 66 41 « H
260 H.C. 24 1-5
Tar get SPC G 69 41 M If
260 H.C . 24 1-5 2,300
Com. 14 2,800 Full SPD 89 41 « «
260 1
Full SPC G 92 ■ ■ M
260 Com. 15 1 2,800
17 14
SPD 66 a A «
260 Com. 14 1 2,300 Targ et
Tar get SPC G 69 a a a
260 Com. 15 1 2,300
17 14

8755 16 0 335 AP 21 1-3 2,500 Full SP D 77 Case Dump ed Mk 1

SP DN
SPCG 82 a M •4
335 T. 22 1 2.500 Full
77 « u •4
260 H.C . 24 1-5 2.700 Full SP D
SP DN
82 a M A
260 H.C . 24 1-5 2.700 Full SPC G
45 M A A
335 A.P. 21 1-3 2.000 Red uced . SP DN
Red uced ' SP D F 46 u A M
335 T. 22 1 2.000
Red uced SP DN 45 M A U
260 H.C. 24 1-5 2.220
Oft 46 M X «
260 H.C. 24 1-5 2.220 Redu ced SP DF
 EXIST ING SERVICE ROU NDS (C on ti nu ed )

Type ‘ropelle nt Cha rge Descript ion Type of B a g o r

Guns Pro ject iles Velocity

of Nominal or Cha rge Case
Caliber Mk s & Mods Wl. ( lb.) Type Mk & Mod (F 'S ) Design ation
Char ge Powder Weight (lb.) Charge Assembly

7' /4 5 2 Mods 165 A.P. 6 0 1 2.700 Full SP D 58 B a g

Dump ed Dwg. 53-117
2.700 Full SP D 58 ft 44
165 A-P. 10 2 a

A.P. 12 1-2 2.700 Full SP D 58 44 ft u

165
165 T. 11 5 2,700 Full SP D 58 ft u

153 Fid. 7 2-3 2.700 Full SP D 58 « ■ 44

154 Bb t. 7 2 2.700 Full SP D 58 « ft u

67 53 12 3 .5 ,7 105 T. 25 2-3 3.000 Full SP D 44 B a g

Dump ed Dwg. 53 417
14 0 2 9
14 ■SP DN -
105 T. 30 1-2 3.000 Full SPCG 46 u a M
18 1-2
25 2 3 [SP D
105 T. 29 1-4 2.300 Ta r. o r Red. SPD N 31 M « M

105 T. 30 13 2,300 Ta r. o r Red. (S PCG 33 M ft 44

105 Com. 24 3.000 Full [SP D 44 « a 44

1
XSPDN
105 Com . 27 1-8 3.000 Full ISPC G 46 ft ■ ft
105 Com. 24 2.300 Ta r. o r Red. ISP D 31 ft ft 44
1
^S PD N
105 Com. 27 1-8 2.300 Ta r. or Rcc .(S PC G 33 a 14 u

44 ft • u
105 H.C. 34 1-6 3.000 Full SP D
SPD N
105 H.C . 34 16 3.000 Full SPCG 46 ft ■ <4

95 S.S. 22 1 3.000 Full SP D 44 * a 14

■ SPD N
95 S.S. 23 1-2 3,000 Full SPCG 46 ft M

6 75 0 6 0 106 Com.& T. 20 0.2.4 2,800 Full SP D- 38 Bag Dum ped Dwg. 53417
8 Mod s 106 0.2.4 2.800 Full SPD N 38 u a u
Com.& T . 20
106 2,100 Targ et SP D 26 44 u M
Com.& T .2 0 0.2.4
ft ft
106 Com.& T .2 0 0.2.4 2.100 Tar get SPD N 26 M

Com. 20 1. 3 2,800 Full SP D 38 ft ft u

106
106 Com. 20 1.3 2.800 Full SPD N 38 Bag Dum ped Dwg. 53417
96 S.S. 22 2.800 Full 1SP D 38 u ft ri
1
38 . ft ft ft
96 S.S. 23 12 2.800 Full 1SPD N
 67 47 17 105 Com. 28 12 2,800 Full SPD* 34 Bag Stac ked M k3
105 Com. 28 1-2 2.800 Full SPD N* 34 it
Dump ed Dwg. 53417
105 T. 31 1 2.300 Tar get fSPD * 26 u 44 44

105 T. 29 14 2.300 Tar get iSPD N* 26 u 44 44

96 S.S. 22 1 2.800 Full fSP D 34 a

Stac ked M k3
96 S.S. 23 1-2 2.800 Full [SPD N 34 a
Dump ed Du g. 53417

67 47 16 0-1 130 A.P. 35 1-8 2.500 Full 'SP D* 33 Semi-Fi xed Dum ped Cas e Mk 4
SP DN
130 T. 36 1-2 2.500 Full ,SPC G 34 « M 44

37 1.3 SPD*
105 H.C. 34 1-7 2,665 Full SPD N 33 u 44 44

105 n .c . 34 1-7 2.665 Full SPCG 34 44 M

95 s . s .
32 0 2.700 Full SPD* 33 u « U

SP DN
C O N R O tN f tA t

95 s . s .
32 0 2.700 Full SPCG 34 41 M
130 A.P. 35 1-8 2.050 Ta rge t SP D 25 44 44

130 T. 36 1-2 2.050 Ta rge t SP DN 25 « a u

37 1.3
130 A.P. 35 1-8 2,050 Reduced SP DN 21 44 <4 u

130 T. 36 1-2 2.050 Reduce d SP DF 22 u u u

37 1.3
105 H.C. 34 1-7 2.160 Tar get SP D 25 <4 M 44

105 H.C. 34 1-7 2.160 Tar get SPI )N 25 44 « 44

105 H.C. 34 1-7 2.225 Reduce d SP DN 21 <4 It 44

105 H.C. 34 1-7 2.225 Reduce d SP DF 22 u K «

5”/54 16 0 70 Com. 41 0 2.650 Full SP D 18.5 Semi-F ixed Dump ed Case Mk 6

SPD N
70 Com. 41 0 2.650 Full SP DF 19 44 * «
70 H.C. 42 1 2.650 Full SP D 18.5 U 44 44

SP DN
70 H.C. 42 1 2,650 Full SP DF 19 «
70 S.S. 43 0 2,650 Full SP D 18 5 44 It

SP DN
70 S.S. •18 0 2,650 Full SP DF 19 <4 «
00
in • M ay have flachlvsc pellets added. I f so. w ill be marked .
 co EXISTI NG SERVICE ROUNDS (Contin ued)
o
Type Prop ellen t Charge Descrip tion Type of Bag or
Guns Proj ecti les of Nominal of Cha rge Case
Velocity
Caliber Mks & Mods Wl. il b.) Typ e Mk & Mod
(FZS) Cha rge Powder Weigh! (lb. Char ge Assembl y Desig nation

57 61 9 Mods 50 Com.& T 15 5. 3.150 Full SPD* 25 Semi-Fi xed Dum ped Case Mk 3
12-14 SP DN
50 C o m .& T
, 15 5. 3.150 Full SP D F . 26 M 41

12-14
50 H.C. 39 1 2,300 II. C. SPD* 15.5 ft) M 41

SP DN
50 H.C . 39 I 2,300 H.C. SP DF 15 5 ftl M 41

55 s.s. 25 1,3 6 3.150 Full SP D ’ 25 at M 0

SP DN
55 S.S. 25 1. 3- 6 3.150 Full SP D F 26 0 a 41
CO NF IDE NT IAL

57 51 7
Mods 50 Coin. -T. 15 5, 3,150 Full SPD* 25 Bag Dum ped Dwg. 53417
8 Mods 12 14 SP DN
u
15 Mod s 50 Com. -T. 15 5. 3.150 Full SP DF 26 4ft 41

12-14
50 Com. -T. 15 2.300 Reduce d SPD * 15.5 a 41 M
5.
12 14 SP DN
50 Com. T. 15 2,300 Reduce d SP DF 15 5 •1 « M
5,
12 14
47 Com . T. 15 1& 5 3,150 Full SP D 25 H 41 0
SP DN
47 Com. T. 15 1& 5 3.150 Full SP DF 26 41 a 41

47 Com. T. 15 1& 5 2.300 Redu ced SP D 15.5 a 41

SP DN
47 Com. T. 15 1& 5 2.300 Reduce d SP DF 15. 5 41 41

25 1.3 6 3.150 Ful l SP D 25 M 0 (4

55 S.S.
SP DN
55 S.S. 25 1.3 6 3.150 Ful l SP DF 26 a 41 u

55 A.A.Co m. 35 1-12 2.(500 Special SP D 22 a « u

SP DN
SP DF 22 a a u
55 A.A.C om. 35 1-12 2.600 Special
57 50 5 Mods 50 Co m. -T . 15 5.12-1 4 3.000 Full SP D 21 Bag Dum ped Dwg. 534 17
21 M »< M
6 Mods 50 Co m. -T . 15 5,12 14 3.000 Ful l SPD N
 5 '/3 8 12 0 1 54 Com. 32 1-3 2.600 Full SPD * 15.2/ 16 Semi- Fixed Dum ped Case M k 5
SP DN , S PD F
54 Com . 38 1-3 2.600 a « a u a A

54 Com . 46 1-2 2.600 a « tt A u a

55 A.A.C om. 31 1-11 2.600 u A Ci A u «
55 A.A.C om. 34 10 2,600 A A A « M A
55 A.A.C om. 35 1-12 2.600 K « Ci A A «

55 A.A.C om. 31 1,200 Redu ced S PD N 3 6 a A A

1-11
55 A.A.C om. 34 10 1,200 A M Ci A A A

55 A.A.C om. 35 1-12 1.200 A A A a « A

54.5 S.S. 30 1-8 2,600 Full SP D 15.2/1 6 a A *

SP DN . S PD F
54.5 S.S. 30 1-8 1.200 Redu ced S PD N 3 .6 a a A

53 S.S. 30 18 2,600 Ful l SP D 15.2/ 16 « M A

(W. P.) SP DN SP DF
53 “ 30 1-8 1.200 Redu ced SP DN 3 6 cc A A

54.5 S.S. 30 5, 7- 8 2,600 Full SP D 15.2/16 u A A

(W .P.) SP DN SP DF
54.5 - 30 5. 7- 8 1.200 Redu ced S PD N 3 6 a Ci A

57 25 11 1-2 54 S.S. 25 2 2,155 Full SP D SPD N* 9 6 Fixed Dum ped Case Mk 4 0 2

5- 8 54 S.S. 27 1-10 2.155 A A a A A A

54 S.S. 45 0 2.155 M A a A ■ A

54 A.A. Com . 36 1-4 2.155 A A A cc A A

a a A
52 A.A. 28 2-14 2,175 A A

Co m. -T.
57 25 13 0 54 S.S. 25 2 2.110 Ful l SP D SPD N* 9 6 Fixed Dum ped Case Mk 4 0 2
17 0- 1 54 S.S. 27 1-10 2.110 A * « « <4

0 2.110 M M M a A A
54 S.S. 45
54 A.A .Com . 36 1-4 2,110 A A a u « M
52 A.A. 28 2-14 2.1 30 A M « N A A

Com. T.
4 75 0 0 5 24 33 Com. 6 6 2.900 Full SP D 15/16 Fixed Dump ed Case Mk 2
SP DN . SPD F* ModsO. 1.3 .4
33 Com. 10 0 3 2.900 A A A A A A

33 Com. 16 1-2 2.900 A A A A A A

Com. 6 Ta rc et 13 A A «
33 6 2.5 00 A

oo
‘•J M ay have fl as hie r pcllc tt added. I f «o, will be ma rM d.
 00
00 EXIS TING SERVICE ROUNDS (C on tin ue d)

Type Prop ellen t Cha rge Descr iption Type of Bag or

Gun s Pro ject iles Velocity
of Nominal of Charge Case
Caliber M ks & Mods Wl. (lb.) Tvoe Mk & Mod (P S )
( barg e Pow der Wei ght (lb.) (h ar g e Assemb ly Design ation

47 50 9 5-2 4 33 Com . 10 0 3 2.500 Ta rg et SP D 13 Fixed Dum ped Case Mk 2

SP DN SPD F* A A
M od s 0. 1. 3, 4
« at II A 1
iC on t'd i 33 Com. 16 1-2 2.500 a

33 H.C . 15 I 2.900 Ful l A 15/16 a A I

33 H.C . 15 1 2.500 Ta rge t A
13 A a 1
34 H.C. EX 2 0 1 2.900 Full If 15/16 a a 1
34 H.C. EX 2 0 1 2.500 Ta rge t a 13 u A A
35 S.S. 14 1-6 2.900 Full a
15/16 A < U

35 s.s. 14 1-6 2.500 Ta rg et If

13 A a

3 :0 ,2 ,3
CO NF ID EN TIA L

3 75 0 3 Mo ds 13 + S.S. 21 1 3 2,700 Full SP D SP D N ’ 4 0 Fixed Dump ed Ca se M k 7;

9;
18-22 u
13 + s.s. 24 1 2,700 A a a A a u

13 + S.S. 25 1 2.700 A a « M A

13 + A. A. 23 1-3 2,700 A M A u A A
13 + A. A. 27 1-4 2.700 A A a a A M
13- A. A. 31 1 2,700 A II A A M A

13 + A.P. 29 1-2 2,700 M A <1 a A A

37-23 14 I 13 Com. 3 7 1.650 Full SP D SPD N* 580 gm s. Fixed Dum ped Ca se Mk 2

13 S.S. 22 1-5 1.650 a II II a A a

13 S.S. 28 1 1.650 A M II If A a

13 A.A. 26 1-2 1.650 a M II a A M

1.1’ 1 0- 1 0.917 A.A. 1 Mod s 2.700 Full SP DN 120 gms. Fixed Dum ped Ca se Mk 1
40*mm 1 0 1.935 A.A. 1/2 Mod s 2.890 Full SPD N 300 gms. Fixed Dum ped !l:
Cas e Mk ^2; 0-1
1.96 A.P . MS I Mo ds 2,890 A M M A A 3 ;-
20-mm 4 0- 1 0.2714 HE- 3 Mo ds 2.740 Full SP DN 27.7 gins. Fixed Dum ped Case s M ks 2. 3 .4
H. E. I.
0.2621 H .E .-T . 4 Mod s 2.740 A If A a A If

0.2741 H .E .- T 7 Mod s 2.740 U u A u a If

a a A u a a
0.2686 A. P. -T . 9 Mod s 2,740
May have I'^h les} pd lct a ad ded. If so. will lx- mark ed.
 Part I — Cha pter 3
PROJECT ILE FUZES
Section I — INTRO DUCT ION
Time fuzes
A time fuze is a de vic e to de ton ate a pro­
jectile af ter a predetermined interva l of lliftht.
The detonation is accomplished through the
burning of a variable length of powder tr ain or
through the action of a spring or a centrifugal
clock mechanism. Only the clockwork type s arc
current ly in use by the U.S. Navy. Powder-
train fuz es were previously used but have been
declared unserviceable and obsolete.
Proximity fuzes—V.T.
V.T. fuzes are automatic proximity fuzes de­
signed to cause detonatio n of a projectile at a
most advantageous distance from its targe t.
Operating with equal effectiveness in daylight
or at night, they require no set ting or a dju st­
ment before using, eliminating time-of-flight
error. They are electrical fuzes which activate
the auxiliary detonat ing fuzes af ter electrically
integ ratin g two factor s: (1) nearne ss to an ob­
ject, and (2) rate of approach to the object.
Both conditions must be fulfilled to a definite
degree before an electric impulse in the fuze
will d ischarge a cha rged condenser through an
electric de tonator, called a “squib.”
V.T. fuzes may be employed for anti airc raft
purposes or for barrag e fire agai nst land or
surface targ ets where air bu rsts will l>e effective
aga inst personnel and unarmored stru ctur es and
equipment.
V.T. a ntia ircr aft fuzes a re designed to deto­
nate the projectile at the most advantageous
point upon approach to an a ircr aft, if they pass
close enough to insure good probability of lethal
fragme ntation. The fuzes, moreover, will not
norm ally function u ntil the targ et is within the
umbrella-shaped cone of fragm entatio n of the
round.
C CONFIDENTIAL
An advantage of V.T. fuz ing for A.A. work
lies in its sensitivity to t he presence of i ts ta r­
get and th e resu lting increase of effective targe t
area. The V.T. fuze comprehends a medium
bomber as a targ et about 7,000 square feet in
area. The plane presents an actual surface of
about 200 square feet.
Wave suppression: One disadva ntage encoun­
tered with early Mods of th e V.T. Fuzes Mk 32
and Mk 15 was the ir sensiti vity to waves or
choppy water, caus ing eith er p rematu re o r non­
functioning err ors when fired at low elevations
at tar ge ts near the water. A wave-suppression
featu re has been incorporated in later models
of V.T. fuzes, to eliminate this disadvantage.
This feat ure also makes the fuze less sensitive
to large targ ets, such as land or water, so th at
detonation will not occur until the fuze is within
10—20 fee t of th e surface.
Trace r influence: A second disadvanta ge in
the use of V.T. fuzes is th at no t race r may be
employed, since the burnin g trac er will influence
the fuze to cause functioning upon arming, or
to prevent functioning until the trac er has
burned out.
Prem atur es: All V.T. fuzes are subject to
random prematur e burs ts along the trajec tory
afte r armin g hut before approaching a targe t.
This makes the fuze somewhat dan ger ous to
use for bombardment fire to co ve r landing op­
er ati on s, as th e pre ma tur es will occur over our
own forces. However, other ad vantages of V.T.
fuzes for this type of fire are deemed to out­
weigh this danger. Normal bursts again st land
installation s will be obtained between 10—30
or 50—200 feet above th e targ et respectively,
for fuzes with and withou t the wave-suppres-
89
U. S. EXPLOSIVE O RD N AN CE
sio n fea tur e. The fuze will a utom atica lly ada pt
its el f to var ying t er ra in fea ture s.
Saf ety fe atu re s: Because o f the num ber and
var iety of saf ety fea tur es incorporated, V.T.
fuz es are amo ng the sa fes t in use as reg ard s
handl ing, bore saf ety , and freedom from muz­
zle bur sts. In additio n to the bore and muzzle
sa fe ty provided by th e aux ilia ry deto nati ng
fuze , a cent rifug al clock is inco rpor ated in the
V.T. Fuzes Mks 82 and 10. The V.T. Fuze Mk
45 and l at er models cont ain mer cury sho rt cir­
cu its acros s th e squib in place of the cen trif u­
gal clockwork mechan ism. The se merc ury un-
sh oi le rs are so desig ned th at handl ing, tum ­
blin g, or shock will not cause them to open.
Cen trifu gal force c ause d by th e proj ecti le ro ta­
tion must be applied for 0.2—0.4 seconds, de ­
pend ing on the fuze, b efore th e mer cury sho rts
can be opened. Also, the se models incor porate
a cen trif ugal switch which prev ents char ging
of th e firing conde nser exc ept when th e round
is ro tat ing at or above a cer tai n rat e. Thi s is
called the “ce ntri fug al han dlin g swi tch. ”
All V.T. projec tile fuzes, exce pt the V.T. Fuze
Mk 32, are powered with rese rve bat teri es, wet
ba tte rie s with the act ive ingr edie nts contained
in a glass a mpoule unti l t he rou nd is fired. Upon
set-b ack, th e ampoule is brok en, and the ba t­
te ry is autom atica lly acti vate d.
The ba tte ry ampoule is th e weak est par t of
th e fuze from th e han dlin g stan dpo int. While
th e complete round may be dropped 40 feet on
ar m or pla te with out mak ing it unsa fe to fire,
th e fu ze canno t be expected to funct ion p orperly.
Ba tte ry ampoules in th e V.T. Fuze Mk 53 will
wit hst and a four- foot drop ag ain st arm or plate
in any position with out bre aka ge or impaired
func tioni ng. Ampoules in the V.T. Fuz es Mk
32 Mod 30 and Mk 40 may be broken by a two-
foo t drop on arm or plate . If the ampoule is
brok en a consid erable tim e before firing, the
roun d will p robably not func tion. If the ampoule
bre aks less tha n 30 second s befo re firing, nor ­
mal func tioni ng may b e exp ected.
V.T. fuze s op era te e ffectively ove r a tem per a­
tu re rang e of 10° to 120° F. Outsi de th is range,
a hig he r perc enta ge of malf unc tion ing will
occur.
90 CO NF ID EN TI AL
OP 1664
Sto rag e: Expo sure to high hum idity condi­
tion s in stor age reduc es th e s ervice life o f t hes e
fuzes . The V.T. Fuze Mk 32 requ ires special
tre atm ent , as it is not a res erv e-b atte ry fuze.
The V.T. Fuze s Mk 32 Mods 1—20 & Mod 40
arc re -energi zed by special Bureau of O rdnan ce
personne l abou t every six months.
Supp ly: V.T. fuze s arc supplied in specially
cavitized proje ctiles for Naval use, and the
fuzes cann ot be inter chan ged with nose t ime o r
poin t det ona ting fuzes. V.T. fuzes are ballist i-
cally sim ilar to nose time fuzes, so no corr ec­
tions need be made in prac tica l fire con trol when
V.T. fuzin g is employe d. Alt hough all V.T. fuze s
have for merl y been supplied in complete ro unds,
the V.T. Fuze Mk 58 will be issued to replace
previou sly fitted V.T. Fuze s Mk 45 Mod 12 in
3'*/50 A.A. proje ctiles .
Poin t, bas e, an d a u x il ia ry d e to n a ti n g fuze s
When classified acco rding to assemb led pos i­
tion in the proj ecti le, fuze s are eit he r “p oint ”
fuzes, which are assem bled in the nose of the
proje ctile, or "ba se” fuzes. “Au xilia ry de ton at­
ing ” fuzes are used in conju nction with point
fuzes in all except Illu min atin g proje ctiles .
Ig n it io n an d d e to n a ti n g fuzes
The diffe rent iatio n between "ig niti on” and
•‘det ona ting ” fuzes depends on th e meth od of
firing the b urs tin g ch arg e. T he o per atin g m ech­
anism of the igniti on fuz e fires a black-powder
magaz ine, which may ignit e th e bu rst ing char ge
of the proje ctile dire ctly or funct ion thro ugh
an aux ilia ry det ona tin g fuze, c onta inin g a de to­
nat ing element. A det ona ting fuze cont ains a
high-expl osive elem ent with in its own body.
Delay
The delay eleme nts with in impac t fuzes c on­
si st ei th er of slow-b urning powde r pellet s of
fixed size or pellets in which var ying len gths
bu m before the actio n tak es place. The delay
elem ent is des igned to allow p ene trat ion of ta r­
ge ts befo re bu rst ing of th e projec tile. Delays
are alway s used in arm or-p ierc ing proj ecti les
to obta in comple te pen etra tion before det on a­
tion, Ins tan tan eou s fuze s are employed aga ins t
ligh t a rm or o r m ater ial ta rg et s f or bu rst be fore
pen etra tion .
 PROJECTILE FUZES (P OI NT DE TO NA TI NG )

Arming projec tile leaves the bore of the gun. Ce ntri f­

The princ ipal forces used in arm ing or pre­
parin g fuze s for action are (1) set-b ack, the
force o f ine rti a or re sist anc e to line ar accele ra­
tion of proj ectil es, and (2) cen trif uga l force,
due to the rot ati on of the proje ctile. Many of
the Navy fuzes employ a combin ation of these
two forces in a rmi ng th e fuze. T he force of se t­
back exi sts only du rin g the accel eratio n stag e
of th e pro ject ile’s flight, which ceases when the
ugal force, however, exi sts from the ins tan t
th.at the proje ctile begins its movem ent until
deto nati on occurs. Set-bac k is gener ally used to
she ar saf ety pins, fire pe rcussion e lemen ts, and
init iate th e o pera tion of me chanical clocks. Cen­
trif uga l forc e s erve s to release d ete nts o r lock­
ing pins, driv e and Are c entr ifug ally opera ted
clocks, rev olve roto r blocks, etc., as is explaine d
in deta il in the individual fuze section s fol­
lowing.

Per l I — Cha pte r 3 — Section 2

PO INT DE TO NA TI NG FUZES FOR PROJECTILES

Mk 7 Mod I (Ob sole te) rin g boo ster c har ge bu t is encased in a saf ety
Pro ject iles used in ..........7"/ d5 Field and Bbt. cham ber in the base of the fuze. Accidental ex­
Over-all len gth , i nc he s.......................... . ,7.81 plosion of the det ona tor in th is position would
Diam eter, inch es.............. ............. Body: 1.12
Base of
ogive : 1.62
Thre aded leng th, inc hes ............................1.27
Th rea ds ............................................... 1$ R.H.
Mate rial ................................................... Steel
SAFETY
Desc riptio n: Thia fuze cons ists of a long, cyl­ SPRING
indrical body closed at eit he r end by an ogival
nose cap and a cylind rical base plug, each PERCUSSION
ROD
thr ead ed into place. The cent ral cavi ty of the
body hous es a saf ety sprin g, a long percussion STRIKER
RE TAI NIN G
rod a ssemb ly, a needle stri ker , a str ik er r eta in­ SLEEVE
ing sleeve, a deto nato r, and a rin g boost er NEE OLE
pellet. FIR ING PIN
The percuss ion rod is closed a t its upper end BOOSTER
by a m etal cap. T he rolled edge s of th is cap and
th e s afe ty spr ing tend to prev ent the percussion FIR ING
rod from moving into the u ppe r porti on of the CH AN NE L
body. The long cylindrica l portio n of the per­
DETO NATO R
cussion rod is slot ted longit udina lly to allow
th e eared s tr ik er to slid e fr eely with in the rod.
The ea rs of the str ik er are engag ed by the SA FET Y
st ri ke r ret ain ing sleeve, hol ding the st rik er per ­ CHA MBE R
man ently fixed. A det ona tor is fixed to the
lower end of th e pe rcussion rod. In t he unarmed
positio n, thi s deto nato r is not adj ace nt to the Figure 80. Point Detonating Fute Mk 7 Mo d 1

CONFID ENTIAL 91
U. S. EXPLOSIVE O RD N AN CE
spe nd itse lf harm less ly in the expansi on cham ­
be r, and th e boost er cha rge would not he fired.
Op era tio n: The fuze func tions enti rely on im­
pa ct. when th e ine rti a of th e percu ssion rod
dri ve s the rolled ed ges of its upp er c ap p ast the
sho uld er of the cap ret ain ing sleeve. The rod
th en conti nues into t he uppe r port ion o f th e fuze
body, ag ain st the forc e of th e saf ety spring .
Th is action carr ies th e det ona tor ou t of the
sa fe ty cham ber, ad jac en t to th e ring booster,
and aga ins t the fixed fili ng pin. The initi ation
of th e det ona tor fires th e boo ster and the main
cha rge .
Rearward motion of t he percussio n rod durin g
set-b ack is pre vente d by the conical shap e o f the
percuss ion rod jus t above the st ri ke r reta inin g
sleeve.
Mk 12 Mo ds 0— 3
Pro jec tile s used in ............................ 1.1" A.A.
Over-all leng th, inche s ..............................2.3
Diam eters , in c h .......... Fir ing pin hea d: 0.18
Base of ogive : 1.08
Thr eade d length , in c h ..............................0.62
T h re a d s ..................................................7 R.H.
M at er ia l................N ose—alumi num
Base—com mercial bras s
Boos ter c over —she et steel
Weigh t, g ra m s............................................ 86.3
Arm ing speed, re volut ions pe r minut e
Fi rin g pin: 5000-7500
Ro tor : 10,000-12,000
Des crip tion : The fu ze cons ists o f a nose and a
fuze body, held firmly tog eth er by a metal
jac ke t, which is crimpe d over at both en ds , and
sep ara ted fro m each o the r by a thin meta l disc.
The fir ing pin and firing pin de ten ts a re assem ­
bled in the nose port ion, while the lower body
port ion of th e fuze cont ains th e roto r dete nt,
roto r, det ona tor, and booste r. The boos ter is
held in the base of th e fuze body by a metal
closing disc, which is secu red in position by the
crimpe d-over ends of th e f uze body.
Ope ratio n: In th e unar med im iti on , the
st ri ke r is held upw ard by a pai r of firing pin
det ent s, and the det on ato r rot or is held out of
92 CONFI DENT IAL
OP 1664
alig nme nt with the firing pin and the boos ter
lead-in by a rot or d ete nt. When the proj ectil e is
fired from the gu n, cen trif uga l force m ov es the
firing pin and ro to r det ent s outw ard aga ins t
th ei r spri ngs, unlock ing th e firing pin and the
rotor . Cen trifu gal forc e th en cause s t he ro tor to
revolve abou t its pivot unti l bro ugh t up by th e
sto p pin. In th is positio n, the d eto nat or is fully
aligned with th e firing pin and the bo oster lead-
in. On impa ct, th e exposed firing pin is driven
into the det ona tor, which init iate s the boos ter
lead-in and the b ooste r. The fuze is designed to
functi on on li ght d ura lum in sh eets .
Rem ark s: The Poin t Deto natin g Fuze Mk 12
Mod 1 is identica l to t he Mk 12, exc ept th at an
ex tra s tri ke r-s up po rt piece i s s et in a groove in
the nose. Mods 0 and 1 ar e now obsolete. Mods 2
and 3 ditTer fr om Mod 1 in th at the str ik er is
held in th e nose a ssem bly by crim ping o ver th e
end of the nose. In th e modified Mk 12 (Mods
2 and 3) . to decre ase th e se nsi tivi ty of t he fuze,
a wash er has been placed above the firing pin,
and the filing pin has been crimp ed above the
washe r. T hus on im pact , both the crim p nnd the
wash er must be broke n.
Mk 26 Mo ds 0— 2
Proj ectil es used in .......... 20-mm H.E ., H .E.I.,
and H.E.T. (A.A.)
Over-all leng th, i nc he s..............................1.016
Diam eters, inc h.......... Nose—0.35
At b ase of ogive—0.80
Thre aded leng th, in ch . . . . Mk 26 Mod 0—0.18
Mk 26 Mod 1—0.26
Th rea ds ........................ Mk 26 Mod 0—4 R.H.
Mk 26 Mod 1—7 R.H.
Wei ghts, g ra m s.............. Mk 26 Mod 0—24.67
Mk 26 Mod 1—23.37
Mk 26 Mod 2—28.67
Ma ter ial.................... Mk 26 Mod 0—all bra ss
Mk 26 Mod 1—zinc body
Mk 26 Mod 2—all bras s
Desc ripti on: Poi nt Deto natin g Fuze Mk 26
Mod o consist s esse ntia lly of th e follow ing p ar ts :
The nose o r body un it (int o which is fitted the
rea r disc or ai r chann el) and the closing unit,
which conta ins the det ona tor.
 PROJECTILE FUZES (PO INT DE TO NA TIN G)

WA SHE R- CRIM P

MK 12 MOD I MO DIF IED MK 12

MODS 2 S 3
NOSE

FI RI NG PIN

FIR ING PIN

LOC KIN G OE TEN TS O E T E N T S .9 0
OU T OF P O S IT IO N
ROTOR BLOCK

STOP PIN ROTOR

LOCK ING DE VIC E

CR IMP ED COV ER BO OS TER

L E A D -I N
FU ZE BODY BOOST ER

MK 12 MOD 2 ,3
LOC KIN G DETENT - ST OP P IN
FU ZE BO DY
PIV OT PIN ROTOR C AV ITY
ROTO R BLOCK- i
OETONATOR DE TO NA TO R

SECTI ONS
AT A-A
UNARMED POSI TION ARME D POS ITIO N

Figure 81. Point Deto natin g Fuie Mk 12 Mod i. 0— 3

T he P o in t D e to n a ti n g Fu ze s M k 26 M od s 1
an d 2 co n sis t e s s e n ti a ll y o f tw o pi ec es : (1 ) th e
nos e o r m a in bo dy and ( 2 ) th e m ag az in e, w h ic h
co n ta in s th e sa m e d e to n a to r use d in th e P o in t
D e to n a ti n g Fu ze M k 26 M od 0 a n d an a d d it io n a l
b o o ste r o f t e t r y l be lo w th e l ea d az id e d e to n a to r.
O p e ra ti o n : T h e f u ze ha s no s a fe ty fe a tu re s in
it s d e sig n , h u t i t w il l w it h s ta n d a 4 0 -f o o t d ro p
o n to a r m o r pl a te w it h o u t d e to n a ti o n . In th e

a lm o - a — 7 C O N F ID E N T IA L 93
U. S. EXPLOSIVE O RD NA NC E
Figuie 82. Point Detonating Fu n Mk 26 Mo di 0— 2
Mk 2G Mod 0, t he none cap is cru shed on imp act,
cau sin g the ai r in th e air channel to be com­
press ed and forced thro ugh the hole in the con­
cav e disc. Thi s action gen era tes sufficient pre s­
su re and hea t to s et off the very sensi tive lead
azide d eton ator liene-ath the disc. In the Mod 1
and Mod 2, the re is no a ir cha nnel or disc, and
the fuze is fired entire ly by t he shock of impa ct.
Th e very sen sitiv e det on ato r will be set off by
th e shock o f impact : and it. in tur n, will set off
the magazine o f t etr yl benea th it.
Re ma rks : These fuze s will not deto nate on
wa ter imp act, but the y will det onat e on 1/fc-inch
mild-steel. The Mods 1 and 2 a rc more s ensit ive
th an the Mod 0 to both impact and heat. No
more Poin t Deto natin g Fuzes Mk 2 6 Mod 2 are
being made.
Mk 27 Mod s 0 a nd I
Pro ject iles used in
40-mm A.A.. H.E. and ll. E. -I.
94 eO NF tBE NT iAL
OP 1664
Over-all le ngth , i n ch es ............................2.115
Di am ete rs, inc he s.. . .Nose—0.3 1I
At base of ogive—1.28
Threa ded leng th, inc h..............................0.307
T h re a d s................................................. 4 R.H.
We ight, gr a m s................................... 104± 2.G
M at e ria l.................Body—die-ca st a lumi num
Magazine—bra ss or steel
Armi ng speed, r .p. m. . . . Firing pi n:
7.000-20,000
Rot or: 10,000-11,000
Desc riptio n: Inte rna lly, the fuze cons ists of
two ma jor hou sing s: the f iring pin h ousin g and
the rot or housing. With in the firing pin hous­
ing is a metal firin g pin held in place by two
firing pin det ent s which are surro unde d by a
circ ular c opper band acti ng as a det ent sprin g.
Above the firing pin housi ng is a plastic firing
pin extens ion which serv es as a safe ty fea ture
in t he eve nt th at t he fuze is dropp ed in the un­
arme d condition. The ro tor hous ing consi sts o f a
 PROJECTILE FUZES (POIN T DETO NATI NG)

ST RI KE R
EX TE NS IO N
ST RIK ER

S T R IK E R -
D ET EN TS ST RI KE R
HOUS ING
COP PER —
EXPA NSIO N
SPR ING

ROTOR
ROTO R — DETENT
HOUSIN G
ROTOR - DE TON ATO R

BOO STE R
L E A D -I N

SEC TIO N VIEW

OF ROTOR

Fig ure 83. Point De ton atin g Fuze Mk 27 Mo d 0

rotor , with lead coun terw eigh ts and det ona tor
assemble d in a ro tor block. The axis of the
det ona tor is inse rted at an angle of abou t 55
degre es to th e axis of the fuze. The line of
cen ter of th e lead coun terwe ights , being per­
pendi cular to the ax is o f t he det ona tor, is a t an
angle of abo ut 35 degre es to the axi s of the
fuze. T he ro tor is held in thi s unarm ed position
by th e two rot or det ent s, the ta|>ered ends of
which enga ge in the holes in the side of the
rotor . In th is position the det ona tor is no t in line
with the firing pin or booster.
Op erat ion : This fuze is arm ed entir ely by
cen trif uga l force which accompl ishes thr ee
thi ng s:
1. The firing pin det ent s are moved outw ard
ag ain st the cop per band, th us fr eein g the firi ng
pin. The coppe r band is arr ang ed so th at the
ends of it overlap, allowing room fo r expan sion.

CONFIDE NTIAL 95
U. S. EXPLOSIVE OR DN AN CE
2. The ro to r d ete nts are moved back aga inst
th ei r spri ng, freein g the roto r.
3. The lead co unte rwe ight s are caused t o tu rn
th e rot or unt il the y ar e at a maximum radi us
from the axi s of rota tion of the fuze. In thi s
|x>sition, th e det ona tor is aligned with the firing
pin and booster. T he ro tor is held in this posi­
tio n by c entr ifug al force.
On impact , the nose of th e fuze is crush ed
an d t he f iring pin extensi on pu shes the firing pin
int o the deton ator.
Rem ark s: The Poi nt Deto nati ng Fuze Mk 27
Mod t differ s from the Mod 0 in t ha t the firin g
pin de ten ts are of a diffe rent shape and are
known as “ hou r-gla ss” d eten ts. On set-bac k, t he
firing pin will move back aga ins t the dete nts,
and. because of th ei r sh ape, the y will be held in
place until the firing pin moves forw ard agai n
und er the influence o f creep.
These fuzes will funct ion on dural umin sheet
bu t not on wate r impact.
The plas tic tiring pin extens ion is designed
as a sa fet y device in the event of accidental
dropp ing. If the round is dropped, th e plastic
exten sion will sh at ter , wher as a one-piece metal
firing pin mig ht force its way past the firing
pin det ent s and ini tia te the fuze.
Mk 29 Mods 0— 3
Proj ectil es used in
6*72 6/88/ 51 A.A. Common
5' 73 8W .P . (Mod 3 only)
6*751 II.C.. 6*747 II. C.
8*755 H.C., 12*750 II.C.
14*74 5/60 H.C.
15*745 /50 II.C.
Over-all length, in c h es .............................. -1.15
Diam eter at nose, inc h.............................. 0.55
Diamet er at ba se of ogive, inche s.............3.00
Threa ded leng th, inc h................................ 0.80
T h re a d s.............. .................................. 7 R.II.
Weight, po un ds .................................1.45* 0.04
Ma ter ial ...................... Base—steel
Det ona tor body—bra ss
Ogive—plastic
Arming speed, r.p.m......... . . . . . 1,500—2.000
Descrip tion: The fuze cons ists of four prin ­
cipal pa rts : (1) the base, which cont ains the
96 CONFID ENTIAL
OP 1664
relay deto nato r and holder and the int er ru pte r
un it; (2) the nose o r de ton ato r assembl y, w hich
cont ains t he str ike r asse mbly and the det on ato r;
(3) th e plastic ogiv e; and (4) the flash tube,
which is fitted in the cen ter of th e ogive and
holds the nose and th e base tog eth er. A crus h
cup is located b eneath the firing pin, holding the
firing pin away from the deto nato r, and a cen­
trif uga l int err up tor sep ara tes the det ona tor
from th e re lay d eto nat or in the base o f the fuze.
Two type s of int err up tor assemb lies have been
employed. In the ear lier model, the int err up tor
bore aga inst th e uppe r blade of a forked set tin g
sleeve in th e “D elay” or “Off” positio n and
thu s could not move into the sleeve and clear
the flash channel . Rota ting the sleeve 90° in
eith er direct ion to the “S.Q.” or “ On” position
removed the end of the forked blade from the
inte rru pto r, and cen trifu gal force could move
the int err up tor into the sleeve and out of the
flash channel . The int err up tor syst em of lat er
models has been slig htly alte red. A cylindrical
set tin g sleeve with an eccentri c bore is em­
ployed. In the “D elay” or “Off” position, the
eccentri c bore is no t aligned with the int er ­
rup tor. and the in ter ru pto r cannot move into
the sleeve and clea r the channel. Tu rnin g the
se tti ng sleeve to the “S.Q.” or On” position
align s the bore with th e int err up tor , w hich can
then be moved into the sleeve by cent rifug al
force. In cit he r case, the end of the set tin g
sleeve carr ies a slotte d s ett ing key.
Ope ratio n: When the fuzed projec tile is
loaded into the gun, the set tin g key is turn ed
to the “On” or “S.Q.” position. On set-bac k, t he
int err up tor sit s down in the flash channel , but
when the proje ctile leaves the gun cen trifu gal
force moves th e int err up tor i nto the sleeve and
clear s the flash channe l. On impact, the cl osing
disc above the str ik er is forced down, the
crus h cup bene ath the str ik er is crush ed, and
the str ik er is driv en into the deto nato r. The
flash trav els thr oug h the open flash c hannel and
ini tiat es the relay det ona tor in the l« se of the
fuze.
Rem ark s: The differen ces between Mods of
thi s fuze are as f ollows:
 PROJEC TILE FUZES (PO INT DET ONA TING )

Figu re 84 . Point De ton ati ng Fute Mk 29 M od 0

ModO: Dark green ogive, made of easily-
chipped asb esto s plast ic, unsu itable
fo r sto rag e and handl ing. Thi s Mod
is obsolete.
Mod 1: Chip-p roof, resi n-im preg nate d cloth,
yellow plasti c ogive.
Mod 2: Sam e as Mod 1, with stre ngt hen ed
flash channe l.
Mod 3: Like Mod 2, with longe r n ose cap ex­
ten din g to base and givi ng addition al
sup por t to flash chann el. Brown
plas tic ogive. A 0.01-inch t hick disc is
incor porat ed between th e relay det ­
ona tor and the flash channe l of th e
Mod 3. Thi s pre ven ts gas pres sure ,
which some times leaks pa st th e un­
arme d int err up tor , from se tti ng off
the rela y det ona tor, if th e nose of
the fuze is acc iden tally s tru ck duri ng
handling .
Thi s fuze will func tion on thi n plat e and on
wa ter a t angle s over 6°.

CONF TDEN TTAL 97

U. S. EXPLOSIVE OR DN AN CE
Mk 30
Pro jec tile s used in .......................... 8*723 A.A.
8*750 A.A.
S'7 50 H.C.
4*750 H.C.
5*7M H.C.
6*747 H.C.
Over-all leng th, in c h e s .............................4.55
Diam eter at nose, inc h............................ 0.55
Diam eter a t base of ogive, inc hes ...............2.4
Thr eade d length , in c h .............................. 0.80
Th rea ds ............................................... 7 R.H.
Weig ht, pounds .........................................1.51
Ma ter ial....................................Base—Steel
Head—bras s
Ogive—plastic
All the descr iption , oper atio n, and rem arks
on the Poin t Deto natin g Fuze Mk 29 apply also
to th is fuze, e xcept th a t t he Mod 1 o f th e Mk 30
ha s a li gh t green ins tea d of a yellow ogive. T he
Mk 30 is a Navy ada pta tio n of the Army M48.
Mk 34 Mo ds 0 and I
Pro jec tile s used i n .................. 1.1" A.A.. H.E.
Over-all length , inc hes ..............................2.08
Diam eter s, in c h ..........................Nose—0.300
At ba se of
ogive—1.06
Thr eade d length , in c h ..............................0.46
T h re a d s................................................. 7 R.H.
M ate ria l. . . . Body—die-e ast alloy (zinc base )
Magazine—brass
Fir ing pin ex tensi on—p lastic
Desc riptio n: This fuze con sist s of one hous­
ing cont ainin g the firing pin and rot or units .
Above th e firing pin is a plas tic firing-pin ex­
tens ion. The firing pin is held up by t wo de tent s,
which are held in place by a circ ula r copper
ban d sur rou ndi ng them and acti ng as a spring .
Bene ath th e firing pin is the roto r, with the
de ton ato r at an angle of abo ut 55 deg rees from
th e axis of the fuze. The ro to r is held in the
una rme d position by a se t-bac k block connected
by a coppe r she ar wire. In th is position, the
det ona tor is ou t o f l ine with both th e firing pin
and the booster .
98 CO NF ID EN TI AL
OP 1664
Oper ation : On set-b ack, the set-ba ck block
moves back, bre aki ng the she ar wire th at has
been holding it to th e roto r. Cen trifu gal force
cause s the firing-p in de ten ts to move outw ard
and to tur n the ro tor so th at the det ona tor is
aligned with th e firing pin. T he rot or is held in
th is position by cen trif uga l force. On impact,
the nose of the fuze is cru shed and the firing
pin extensi on driv es th e firing pin into t he d et­
onato r.
Rem ark s: The Poi nt Deto natin g Fuze Mk 34
Mod 1 differ s in th at the firing pin de ten ts ar e
“ho ur- gla ss” det ent s. On set-b ack, the firing
pin will move back ag ain st th e d eten ts, and (be ­
cause of th ei r sh ap e)t he y will be held in place
until the firing pin moves forw ard again und er
the influence of cree p.
The plastic firing-pin extensi on is a saf ety
device. In the even t th at the round is d roppe d,
the plas tic exte nsio n will sh at te r, where a one-
piece metal firing pin mig ht force its way pas t
the firing-pin de ten ts and ini tiat e the fuze.
Mk 66 Mod 0
Proj ecti les used in ..........................5*738 Wr.P.
Over-all leng th, in c h es ............................4.408
T h re a d ..............................1.70’*-14N S-l R.H.
Mater ials .. Body—steel
Nose piece—bra ss
Ogive—plas tic (cloth base)
Rot or assem bly—alum inum alloy
Magazine—ste el
Weight, pounds......................................... 1.54
Desc riptio n: Th is fuze is ver y much like the
Poin t Det ona ting Fuze Mk 29 Mod 3. with the
addi tion of th e ro to r fo r det ona tor saf ety . It
has th e firing pi n an d crus h cap in t he nose, the
flash channe l, th e int er ru pto r device, the rot or
assemb ly, and the ma gazine. T he rot or conta ins
a lead azide det on ato r and is held in place by
two dete nts. Th e boo ster m agazin e cont ains 6.7
gram s o f black powde r in a wa ter -tig ht vinyli te
cup. A viny lite cup is cemente d onto th e base
of th e fuze to pre ven t the holes in the met al
cover f rom a bra din g th e silk pow der b ags in the
W.P. load a s th e fuze is inse rted .
An aluminu m disk 0.010-inch thick between
 PROJECTILE FUZES (P OI NT DETO N ATI N G )

FIRING PIN
EXTENSION
FUZE BODY
FIRING PIN

FIRING PIN DETENT

DETE NT SPRING
SHEAR WIRE
DETONATOR
ROTOR
ROTOR HOUSING

BOOSTER LEA O-IN

ROTOR HOUSING
SHEAR WIRE
DETONATOR
SET- BAC K BLOCK
ROTOR

Figu re 85 . Point Deto nat ing Fi ne M i 34 M o d 1

the re lay det ona tor and the ro to r hou sing is an­
othe r saf ety featu re. I t pre vents pressure fro m
an accidental detona tion in th e nose from get­
tin g to the ro to r a ft e r leaki ng past the unarmed
in te rru pt or —w hich the gas could do.
Ope ratio n: When the pro ject ile is ready t o be
fired, the se ttin g screw fo r the in te rr up te r is
turne d to the ON or SQ ("S upe r-Q uick ” ) posi-
tion. Up to th is t im e th e in te rr u p to r. in th e O FF
position , has blocked the (lash channel so t ha t
accidental crus hing of the cup. set tin g of f the
deto nato r, could not set o ff the booster charge.
On set-back, the int er ru pt or sits down in the
flash chann el; but, as creep takes over, the
ce ntr ifu ga l fo rce moves the in te rru pt or in to th e
sleeve, clear ing th e flash channel.
Ce ntr ifug al force also moves the detents ho ld­
ing the ro to r out, allo wing the lead count cr-

G O N R D E N TI A L- 99
U. S. EXPLOSIVE ORD NAN CE OP 1664

Figure 96. Point Detonating Fine Mk 66 Mo d 0

weigh ts in th e rotor, thro ugh c entr ifug al force,
to ro tat e the roto r until th e stop pins res t
aga inst th e edge of the holes in the housing,
th us lining up the second deto nato r under the
flash channel. T he fuze is now fully armed, and,
on impact, the cru sh cap collapses, allowing th e
tirin g pin to set off th e deto nator , sendin g the
flash down th e open tube, which in tu rn sets off
th e deto nato r in the r otor , an d finally t he black
powder ch arge.
Rem ark s: The fuze will deton ate on impact
with groun d, '/s-inch wood, or Mj-inch mild
ste el plate.
The Poin t Deton ating Fus e Mk 66 was de­
veloped to give d eto nato r safe ty in 5"/ 38 W.P.
project ile assemblies, which do not have auxil ­
iary deto nati ng fuzes.
M75
Proje ctiles used in ..................20-mm (Army )
H.E .-I.,
M97
Over-all length , in c h e s............................ 1.20
Diame ter a t b ase o f ogive, in ch.................0.64
Threa ded length, inc h................................ 0.20
T h re a d s.................................................7 R.H.
Weight, pound ......................................0.0197
M at er ia l................. Brass
Fi lli ng ............ Deton ator—merc ury f ulmi nate
Relay cha rge—lead azide
Booster —tetry l

100 confid ential

 PROJECT ILE FUZES (P OI NT DE TO NA TI NG )
DETONATOR
RELAY
BOOSTER
Fig ure 87. Poin t De ton atin g Fo ie M7S
Desc ripti on: This fuze is d esign ed t o functi on
with ins tan tan eou s action on impa ct with ligh t
mat eria l surf ace s. The fuze is ini tia ted on im­
pact by t he set -for war d motion o f th e d eto nato r
charg e, or by pieces of metal from the body
stri kin g th e det on ato r charg e.
The fuze has two ma jor par ts, a body with
an ai r space in th e fore pa rt of th e fuze, and a
magazin e cont aini ng th e explosiv e trai n,
screwed into the base of the body.
Rem ark s: The fuze conta ins no int err up tor s
or o th er s afe ty devices and is, the refo re, sensi­
tive for ha ndling .
No. 253 M U 1— 3
Pro jec tile s used in ..................20-mm (Arm y)
H.E .-I. ,
Mk 1
Over-all len gth , inc hes ...............................1.41
Dia met er at nose, in ch ,. .......................... 0.32
Dia met er a t base of ogive, in ch ...............0.70
Thr eade d leng th, inc h...............................0.12
T h re a d s..................................................4 R.H.
Weig ht, pound .........................................0.058
Mate rial ...................................................Br ass
Filling . . . Det ona tor—merc ury fulm inat e
Relay charg e—mer cur y fulm inat e
Boos ter—te try l
CONFI DENT IAL
BR AS S DISC
DETONAT OR
RELA Y
BOOSTER
Figu re 88 . Poin t De ton atin g Fu ie N o. 2S3 Mk 3
Des crip tion : This fuze is desig ned to fun c­
tion with ins tan tan eou s action on impa ct with
ligh t m ate rial surf ace s. It is i nit iat ed on imp act
by the set-f orw ard force of the deto na tor char ge,
or by pieces of meta l from the body stri kin g
the det on ato r char ge.
The fu ze c ons ists of two m ajo r par ts, a b ras s
body with an air cha mb er in its forw ard par t,
and a br ass maza gine con tain ing th e explosive
tra in and ext ern ally thre aded (L.H .) to screw
into t he ba se of the body. Th e magaz ine is cov­
ered with a bra ss disc se pa rat ing th e deto nato r
from the ai r column. In th e Po int Deto natin g
Fuze Mk 1, th is disc is solid, bu t in the Mks
2 and 3 a small hole is drille d thr ou gh the cen­
te r o f t he disc to incre ase the fu ze’s se nsit ivity .
In the Mks 1 and 2 the body cav ity was closed
at the forw ard end by a thi n bra ss disc; in the
Poi nt De ton atin g Fuze Mk 3, th e bra ss disc is
omit ted, and th e nose is solid acr oss th is area.
Re ma rks : The fuze conta ins no int err uptor s
or oth er saf ety devices, and is the ref ore sens i­
tive f or ha ndling.
101
U.S . EXPLOSIVE OR DN AN CE OP 1664

HAMM ERS CENTRIFUG AL WEIGHT S

SETTING PIN MA IN SPINDLE
SETTING LUG

TIM ING DISC

SAFETY DISC

ELBOW FIRING NOTCH

W E IG H T ? \^

FIRIN
ARM

SPRING

FI RI NG
SETBACK PIN
T SAFETY LEVER
PLATE

FI RI NG A R M SH AF T ESCAPEMENT LEVER
FIRING PIN SAFETY PLATE

Figure 89. Centr Huge l Timing Mec Aenivn

102 CO NF ID EN TIA L
 Part I — Ch ap te r 3 — Sectio n 3
NOSE TIME FUZES FOR PROJECTILES
Mk 18 Mod s 0— 4 [Ob sol esc ent ]
Pro ject iles used in
4*750 Illumin ating
5*725/ 38/51 A.A. Common
5"/ 25 /38 /51 Illum inatin g
5*738 Window
5*738 W. P.
5*751 H. C.
6*747 /50/53 Illumina ting
6*747/53 H.C.
8*755 H.C.
Over-all length , inch es.............................. 3.54
Diam eter at base of ogive, inc hes .......... 3.05
Threa ded length, inch ................................0.81
T h re a d s.................................................7 R.H.
Weight , poun ds......................................... 2.52
Mater ial ..................... ...........................Brass
Set ting times, seconds
Mods 2, $, and 4—minimum, 0.6
maximum, 45
Mods 0 and 1 —minimum, 2.4
maximum, 45
Desc riptio n: In its assembled form, the fuze
has a cont our which corresp onds to th at o f t he
Navy medium- and majo r-cali ber projec tiles. It
consis ts of fou r main units, as follows:
1. Movement assembly—The movement
assembly is attac hed to the insid e of the body
by th ree holding s crews.
2. Body—The br ass body cont ains the mag­
azine charg e, 30 gra ins of black powder, and
the bottom closing screw assembly. It is
threa ded to fit an ada pter , which, in tur n, is
threa ded into th e nose of the projectile .
3. Lower cap assembly—The brass lower
cap, or graduated rot ativ e cap. is attac hed to
the body by a join t, consist ing of a steel wire
leading thro ugh grooves in the cap and body.
This a llows rota tive motion between the lower
cap and the body, but prev ents axial motion
between the lower cap and the body. It has a
CO NF IDE NT ! A L-
tensi onin g feat ure wherein th e torsio nal resi st­
ance which res tra ins rota tive motion is ad­
jus ted by fou r screws du rin g assembly of the
fuze.
4. Upper CAP—The br ass uppe r cap screws
into the lower cap and completes the nose con­
tou r of th e a ssembled fuze.
Fo r purposes of expl anat ion, the movement
assembly may be divided into thr ee main par ts,
as follows:
1. T he timing -disc mechan ism consists
of the t iming disc, a set ting p in, a spr ing h am­
mer a ssembly, and t he cen tra l d rive s haf t. The
tim ing d isc has a firing notch on one si de and,
on the oth er side, a forked set tin g lug which
engag es the set ting pin located in the top in­
side shoul der of the lower, rotat ive, cap. The
tim ing disc is secured to the cent ral drive
sh aft by a fric tion clutch, so th at it may be
turn ed indepen dently of the cent ral drive
sha ft. Around the top of th e timi ng disc is a
ret ain ing rin g which prev ents the tim ing disc
from rid ing forw ard when the proje ctile ini­
tial ly sea ts itse lf in t he gun, and also preve nts
the ham mer fro m driv ing the s etti ng lug down
too far . Beneath the tim ing disc is a safet y
disc, the project ion of which bear s aga inst t he
elbow piece of t he firin g arm . This pa rt i s rig ­
idly secure d t o the cen tral sha ft, so t ha t i t will
ro tat e out of the way when the clock opera tes.
Its p urpose is to provide a safe and a minimum
setti ng.
In set ting t he clock, t he lower cap is rota ted
to tu rn the sett ing pin, which, in tur n, will
rot ate the tim ing disc to the desire d position,
since the set ting pin is engaged by the setti ng
lug of the t imin g disc. Diseng ageme nt of these
two pa rts is effect ed by th e spr ing ha mme r as ­
sembly, which is fa stene d on one end to the top
insid e should er of the lower cap and (on the
opposit e e nd) has two small w eights.
103
U. S. EXPLOSIVE O RD NA NC E
2. T he CLOCK MECHANISM cons ists of two
cen trif uga l gea r arc s, a ser ies of reduct ion
gea rs, and the escap emen t mechanis m. The
cen trif uga l ge ar arc s are gear ed to the cen tral
dri ve s haf t and a re wei ghted on one s ide so th at
the y will tu rn in a counte rclock wise dire ction ,
th us tu rn ing the cen tra l sh af t and the tim ing
disc in a clockwise dire ction . The gea r arc s
hav e st ar te r spr ing s on them which serv e to
prev ent the gea rs from freez ing. The redu ction
gea rs ar e simi larly gear ed to the cen tra l spin ­
104 CONF IDEN TIAL
OP 1664
dle, and th ei r rot ati on is govern ed by the es­
cape ment m echan ism which is con nected to the
lowest gear . The esca pem ent mechan ism con­
sis ts of an esca pem ent gea r, esca pem ent lever,
escap emen t-lev er s pri ng , sa fety -lev er plate, and
saf ety lever plat e s prin g. In the assemble d p osi­
tion, the esca pem ent lever is preve nted from
movin g by the safe ty-l eve r plate , which has a
pin pro tru din g from the bottom of it and en ­
gages the esca pem ent lever. The safe ty-l eve r
plate is pivoted wit h a we igh t on one end, and

is held in position by the safe ty-l eve r plat e
spr ing . The escap eme nt lever acta a s a balance
wheel and is caused to move back and for th
by th e esc Apement-lev er s prin g, which is a ha ir
sp rin g s ecur ed at bot h ends and atta che d to the
esca pem ent lever.
5. T he firing mecha nism cons ists of th e
firing arm , firin g-arm sha ft, set-b ack pin, fir­
ing-pi n sa fe ty plate , and firi ng pin. The firing
arm is pivote d and Las a wei ght on one end
and, on th e oppos ite end, an elbow piece which
be ars a ga ins t th e o ute r per iph ery o f th e ti mi ng
disc. Rigid ly secur ed to the firi ng arm is the
firing -arm sh aft , w hich is pre vent ed from tu rn ­
ing in the assemb led conditio n by the set-back
pin. The se t-back pin is held in positi on by the
set-ba ck pin spr ing and res ts in fro nt of a
proje ction of the firi ng-a rm sha ft, thu s p rev ent ­
ing th e l at te r pie ce from rot atin g. In th e bottom
of the f ir in g - a r m sh af t is a notch. Bear ing
aga ins t the s ha ft in suc h a posit ion th at i t will
pass thr ou gh the notch when the sh af t is ro­
tate d. is the firin g-pin s afe ty plate . This s afe ty
plate is a ls o pivoted a nd is fi ttin g u nde r a shoul­
der of th e cocked firin g pin. thu s holdin g it
away fro m the pri me r bene ath it.
Op era tion : The fuze is arm ed by set-bac k,
driven by cen trifu gal force governe d by an
esca pem ent mechan ism, and fired by a spring-
driven liring-pi n. When the proj ectil e is fired
from the gun. t he force of set-b ack accomp lishes
two thi ng s:
1. Th e set-b ack pin ove rcomes its spr ing and
drop s into th e bott om of the fuze. Th is action
fre es the firing -arm s ha ft for l at er ro tation .
2. The h am me r spr ing assemb ly pivots down
the we igh ts on one end to str ik e the sett ing
lug, th us depr essin g it and free ing it from the
se tti ng pin. When th e force of cree p s ets in, the
spr ing re tu rn s th e weigh ts to th ei r original
position, in fro nt of the tim ing disc.
As th e pro ject ile rot ate s, cen trif uga l force
accomp lishes fou r thi ng s:
1. The safe ty-l eve r plate of th e escape ment
mechan ism is pivoted ou t of th e way, th us re ­
leas ing th e escap emen t lever and unlockin g the
esca pem ent mechan ism. This initi al movement
cau ses the escap eme nt lever to oscillate, thu s
GONFtDFNTTAL
PROJECT ILE FUZES (NO SE TIM E)
act ing as th e balance wheel and gove rning the
speed o f ope ration .
2. As soon a s t he escap eme nt mecha nism has
been unlocked, th e wei ghts on the cent rifug al
gea r arc s tend to move outw ard, thu s causin g
the arc s to pivot and rot ate th e cen tral sh af t
and, conseq uently , th e timi ng disc. Thi s ro ta ­
tion is slowed down by th e ser ies of reduct ion
gea rs, and its speed is dete rmi ned by the es­
cape men t mechan ism. T his ro tar y motion of t he
tim ing disc tu rn s th e firing notch aroun d to
th e elbow piece o f t he firing arm.
3. When the firing notch ha s been presen ted
to th e elbow* piece of the firing ar m, th e weigh t
on th e opposit e e nd of the firing arm is moved
outw ard , tur nin g th e elbow into the slot and
tur nin g th e firing-a rm sh aft . Th is is now pos­
sible. s ince the set-b ack p in w as dep ressed when
the pro ject ile was initiall y fired.
4. As the firing-a rm sh af t rot ate s, the notch
in th e bott om of it is pres ente d to the firing
pin sa fe ty plate , which will pivot thro ugh this
notch , th us movi ng out from u nde r th e sho ulder
of th e firing pin. The firing pin will then be
thro wn downward onto th e pri me r by its com­
presse d spring . The pri me r will t hen igni te the
black powder cha rge in th e base of the fuze.
Re ma rks : Mods 2, 3, an d 4 a re identic al, but
made by diffe rent ma nuf actu rers .
M l 22 Mo ck 0— 6 (O bso les ce nt)
Proj ecti les used in 3"/23/f>0 A.A. and III.
4"/ 50 H.C.
Over-all leng th, inc hes .............................. 4.55
Diam eter at base of ogive, inc he s.............. 2.1
Thre aded leng th, inc h................................ 0.81
T h re a d s................................................. 7 R.H.
Ma ter ial ............Up per body—zinc-'lead alloy
Cente r bod y—bra ss
Base—aluminu m
Setting ti m e s , se co nd s
Mods 0-3 —minimum , 1.4
maximu m, 30
Mods 4-6—minimum, 0.6
maximu m, 30
Desc riptio n: The mechanism fo r thi s fuze is
very sim ilar to th at descr ibed for th e Nose
105
U. S. EXPLOSIVE O RD NA NC E OP 1664

UPPE R CAP

SE TTI NG PIN

HAMMER HAM MER

SPRING SE TT ING LUG
ROTATIVE
CAP

FIR ING PI N
CLOCK
ME CH AN ISM

PR IM ER -------

Figu re 91. Nos e Time Fu ie Mk. 22

Tim e Fuze Mk 18. In the Mk 22. however, the
cen trif uga l weig hts do not have “kick-off”
spr ing s, and the Mk 22 is slot- set inste ad of
lug-set , as th e Mk 18. Also, t he Mk 22 is very
sim ila r to th e Army M43A3.
Mods 4. 5, and 6 are identi cal, bu t are made
by di ffer ent ma nuf actu rers .
Mk 25 Mod s 0—3
Pro ject iles used in ............ 5"/ 54 H.C. and 111
6'7 47 <D.P.) ILC.
Over-all leng th, inc he s............................ 4.55
Dia met er at base of ogive, inc hes ...........2.40
Threa ded leng th, inc h................................ 0.81
T h re a d s ................................................. 7 R.H.
Ma teri al.......... Nose—die-c ast lead-zinc alloy
Body—bras s
Base —aluminum
Se ttin g t imes , s eco nds .............. minimum, 0.6
maximum . 45
Descri ption: The Nose Time Fuze Mk 25 is a
combina tion of th e Nose Ti me Fuze s Mk 50 and

106 CO NF ID EN TI AL

Mk 51. It ha s the shap e of the 30-second Nose
Time Fuze Mk 51, but cont ains the 45-second
clockwork of the Mk 50. The longer, slimme r
shape of th e Mk 51 is neces sary because of t he
more str eam line d sha pe of t he 5 "/54 and 67 47
D.P. proj ecti les w ith which it is asse mbled. But,
since the se proj ecti les are used in long-range
guns, the y need the 45-second clockwork.
The desc riptio n of the clockwork in the Nose
Time Fuze Mk 18 is equally applic able to the
Mk 25.
Figure 92. N « c Time Fute Mk 4 2
Mk 42 (O bs ol et e)
Pro ject iles used in.......... . 12 75 0 H.C.
14 74 5/ 50 H.C.
16 74 5/ 50 H.C.
Over-all leng th, in ch es .............................. 3.54
Dia met er a t base o f ogive, inch es.............3.05
Thre aded l eng th, inc h................................ 0.81
T h re a d s ................................................. 7 R.H.
Weig ht, pounds .......................................... 2.5
CO NF ID EN TI AL
PROJE CTILE FUZES (NO SE TIM E)
This fuze has slots cut for th e set tin g mech­
anism, like t he slots on t he Mk 22 or Mk 50.
The Mk 25 is a mo istu re- res ista nt design, hav­
ing g ask ets placed between th e u ppe r and lower
caps and betwe en the lower cap and the body,
and a silic a gel un it in th e base ca vity to abso rb
wh at mois ture pen etra tes the gask ets. This
moi stur e resi stan ce prev ents det erio rati on of
the metal pa rts and the explosive.
M at er ia l................................................... Brass
Se ttin g time s, seco nds ..............Minimu m, 0.6
Maxi mum , 45
Desc ripti on: The Nose Time Fuze Mk 42 was
developed to supers ede the Mk 18 when used
in m ajor- calib er H.C. pro jectile s, b ecause of the
err ati c perf orm ance o f the la tte r fuze when so
employed. The fuze is generally simi lar to the
107
U .S . EXPLOSIVE O RD NA NC E
Nos e Time Fuze Mk 61, diffe ring only in th at
th e prim ary drivi ng force of the Mk 42 is pro­
vided by a heavy ma ins pri ng instead of by ce n­
tri fug al weight s. Th e dri vin g force for th e clock­
wor k mechani sm th us becomes sub stan tiall y in­
dep end ent of the ra te of spin of th e proj ecti le,
an d is applied du rin g the en tire run ning time
of the fuze.
In additio n to th e sprin g-dri ven fea ture , th e
Nos e T»me Fuze Mk 42 also differ s from the
Mk 61 in th at a heav y addit ional ham mer is
located in th e re ce ss in the nose cap of th e fuze.
Th is ham mer is a tta ch ed to th e nose cap by a
spri ng. On set-back , th is ham me r s tre tch es the
sp rin g and stri kes th e conven tional hamm er,
giv ing it addi tional force in st rik ing t he se ttin g
lug. This fea tur e was found nece ssary because
th e low set-ba ck of majo r-cal iber projec tiles
faile d to provide sufficient forc e for th e usual
ham mer arr ang em ent to disen gage the set tin g
lu g from th e se tti ng pin.
Ope ratio n: The metho d of operat ion of thi s
fuz e is generally sim ilar to th at of the Nose
Tim e Fuze Mk 61, excep t, of course, th at the
dri vin g force is supplied by a main sprin g. The
force of set-b ack, when the gun is fired, causes
th e aux ilia ry ham me r to descend aga ins t the
main ha mme r, di seng agin g the se tti ng lug from
th e set tin g pin.
Cen trifu gal force caus es the ce nte r arb or
de ten t to move ou twa rds ag ain st its spri ng and
ou t of enga gem ent with th e cen ter arbo r. The
mai nspr ing is then allowed to ex ert it s force on
th e c ente r ar bor, a ctu ati ng th e e scapement- con-
troll ed clockwork mechan ism. All oth er fea ture s
of operat ion are identic al to thos e of the Nose
Tim e Fuze Mk 61.
Re ma rks : This fuze is now considered obso­
lete. It w as found du rin g func tion ing tri als th at
th e a uxi liar y ham mer did not functi on properly
on set-bac k. The Nose Time Fuze Mk 62 is de­
signed to supe rsede thi s fuze in majo r-cal iber
Il.C. project iles.
108 CO NF ID EN TI AL
OP 1664
Mk 50 an d Mk 5 1
Pro jec tile s used in
Mk 50
4" /5 0 Illum inatin g
4*72 5/38 /51 A.A. Common
5*72 5/38 /51 III.
5*738 Window
5*'/38 W.P.
5*751 H.C.
6'*/47 /53 H.C. a nd III.
8*755 H.C.
Mk 51
3*723/5 0 A.A. a nd III.
4" /50 H.C.
Se ttin g time s, seconds
Mk 50—mini mum, O.G
maxim um. 45
Mk 51—minimum, 0.6
maxim um, 30
Desc ripti on: The Nose Time Fuze s Mk 50 and
Mk 51 arc merely mo istu re-r esis tan t versio ns
of th e Nose Time Fuze s Mk 18 Mods 2. 3. and
4 and Mk 22 Mods 4. 5, and 6. respe ctively. The
size, opera tion, component pa rts (exc ept as
noted below), firing tra in, and set tin g tim es are
identica l to thos e of the Nose Time Fuzes Mk
18 and Mk 22.
Moisture Res ista nce : The following develop­
ment s prolong the life of th e mechan ism and
th e explosive. A s ilica gel bag to absor b mois ­
tu re is placed in th e base cavi ty of the fuze.
Special gas ket s ar e placed between th e upper
cap and the lower cap, and between th e lower
cap and th e body. The j oi nt between the upper
cap and the lower cap is coated with bake lite
var nish . Th e pri me r unit ends are covered with
bake lite varnis h. Thr ead lu tin g compound is a p­
plied to the joi nt between the body and the
bottom closing scre w. T he bras s dis c a t the cen­
te r of the bott om closing screw is crim ped in
und er a wa she r and then coated with bake lite
varn ish. AU screw head s visible on the outsi de
ar e co at ed with glypto l lacquer .
Rem ark s: Diffe rent modification s of thes e
fuzes indica te not hing more tha n diff eren t
ma nuf act ure rs.
 PROJECTILE FUZES (NO SE TIME }

Mk 57
Pro jec tile s used in ..........8 *755 H.C. (for use
in 8" R a p id -F ir e
case g un ).
Over-all leng th, inc hes ............................ 4.305
Dia me ter at base of ogive, i nc he s.......... 2.983
Thre aded leng th, in ch ................................ 0.47
T h re a d s ................................................. 7 R.H.
M at er ia l.................................................... Bras s
Se ttin g time s, se co nd s.. . . minim um, 0.8-1.0
maxim um, 45

Des crip tion : This fuze is ident ical to the Nose

Time Fuze Mk 61 in s o fa r a s th e i nte rna l mech­
anism and method of opera tion are concerned.
The fuze differ s from th e Mk 61 in th at it is
provided with ext ern al slot s for s ett ing , rat he r
tha n se tti ng lugs, Fu rth erm ore , the exter nal
cont our of the fuze differ s conside rably from
th at of th e Nose Time Fu ze Mk 61. T he co ntour
chan ges were necess ary to allow the fuze to
conti nue th e more strea mlin e sha pe of the
8-inch H .C proje ctile and to str en gth en the
fuze body and lower cap sufficiently to accom­ Figure 93. Not e Trmo Fuie Mk 57
moda te the s et tin g slots.

We ight , pou nds.......................................2.52

Mlc 61, Mk 62. Mk 63 M at er ia l................................................... Brass
Se ttin g times , se conds. . . . minimum, 0.9-1.0
Pro ject iles used in maximum , 45
Mk6 1 5*738 A.A. Com.
5*'/38 W.P. Desc ripti on: The Nose T ime Fuze Mk 61 is a
Mk 62 12*760 H.C. modification o f th e mechanical tim e fuzes of th e
14 74 5/ 50 H.C. Mk 18 and Mk 50 type. designe d specifically
16 71 5/ 50 H.C. for th e 5 7 3 8 projec tile when th e special re­
duced cha rge with initial velocity of_l,2Q0J ee t
Mk 63 4"/ 50 111. per second is employed. The modifications, al­
57 25 /3 8/ 51 A.A. Com. lowing the fuze to funct ion a t lower rota tion al
57 25 /3 8/ 51 Ill. velocities and de creased set-ba ck, a re a s follows:
5"/ 38 W.P.
A w eaker ham mer spr ing is u sed.
57 38 Window
5*751 H.C. The set-ba ck pin has been eliminate d.
W R H.C, A ccn trifu gall y oper ated firing-pin saf ety
67 47 /5 8 HI. block has been added unde r th e firing pin.
8" /5 5 H.C. A cen trifu gall y opera ted det ent or plate , re­
Over-all leng th, inch es.............................. 3.51 taine d by a flat sprin g, holds the safe ty-le ver
Diam eter at b ase of ogive, inc hes .............3.05 plate, which locks the escap ement mechan ism.
Threa ded leng th, inch ................................ 0.8l Hea vier ce ntri fug al weig hts are placed on the
Thr ead s ................................................. 7 R.H. driv ing gear s to dri ve the clockwork movement.

w m o- »— « CONFI DENTIA L 10?

U . S . E X PL O SI V E O R D N A N C E OP 1664

MAIN SP IND LE

<A* 6
eCNTNkFUGAl WEIGHT

NICK-OFF
SPWNO
PtACUSS OM
CAP

FIR ING AR
SH AFT SPRING
SAFETY
LEVER
FIR ING PIN FLASH OETE NT
CHANNEL
SA FE TY PLATE
\ PLATE
F IR IN G A RM
SHAFT
ESCAPEMENT
LEVE R
FIRING PIN
saf ety block

Figure 94. No te Time Fuie Nik 61

Stronger centrifugal •’kick-off’* springs arc a strong force throughout the entire cycle.
in c o r p o r a te d on t h e c e n t r if u g a l g e a r s . T h e s e A s p r in g i s added t o the firing-arm sha ft.
s p r in g s a r e a c tu a ll y d r iv in g s p r in g s , an d e x e r t W e ig h t is a d d e d t o t h e s a f e t y - le v e r p la te .

I IO C O N F ID E N T IA L
 PROJECTILE FUZES (NO SE TIM E)

Figu re 95. No io Timo Fui o Mk

The fuze body is sligh tly alter ed to provide
clearan ce for the hea vie r driv ing weigh ts.
The sa fet y set tin g is changed to 0.9-1.0
second.
The Nose Time Fuze Mk 62 is almost identic al
to the Mk 61, but is slight ly fu rth er modified
to allow its use in the majo r-cal iber H.C. pro­
ject iles, where extre mely low set-b ack force
on firing is encoun tered. The addi tiona l modi­
fications incor porate d in the Mk 62 are as
follows:
A st ill weake r ham mer spr ing is used.

CO NH DE NT 4A L- III
U. $. EXPLOSIVE OR DN AN CE
A safet y post is provided benea th the ham­
mer spring, preve nting arm ing of the fuze as
th e resu lt of accidenta l dropping.
Th e Nose Time Fuze Mk 63 is designed to
replac e th e Nose Time Fuzes Mk 18 and Mk
50 in all projec tiles whe re the Mk 50 is now in
use. Its inte rnal cons tructi on is ide ntical to t ha t
of th e Mk 61, except th at th e e scapem ent move­
me nt has been regul ated for a hig her spin rat e
— 12,600 revolution s per minut e—the avera ge
spin rate o f the 5 "/3 8 proj ectil e at service ve­
locities.
Rem ark s: These fuzes, like the Mk 50 type,
have complete moi stur e-re sista nt fea ture s in­
corp orate d. These m easur es include g aske ts be­
twee n the tim e-se ttin g rin g and the uppe r cap
and body ass emblies, a silica-gel capsule in the
base of the fu ze to a bsorb exc ess moistur e, a nd
Part I — Cha pte r 3 — Section 4
V.T. FUZES
Mks 32 and 40 Type (Obs olete )
Ope ratio n: When t he r ound is fired, a ccelera ­
tion in th e gun cause s the thr ee set-back
swit ches t o close. T his a ction connects t he bat ­
te ry to the electrica l mechanism and init iate s
cha rgin g of the firin g conde nser thr oug ht its
high -res ista nce delay circu it. Simultan eously,
th e set-back pin in t he c entr ifug al clock moves
back aga inst its spr ing, free ing and s tar tin g t he
clock escapement m echani sm. In the armed posi­
tion. the set-back pin is locked by the locking
spring .
Cen trifu gal force driv es the clock thro ugh
its perma nent set tin g of 0.4 to 0.6 second, at
which time the trip pin g lever moves over the
spring-loa ded arm ing pin. The arm ing pin
moves forwar d, with draw ing from the inte r­
ru pt er cavity . This allows the int err up ter pin
to be moved outwar d by c entr ifug al fo rce, the re­
by clear ing th e flash channel between the elec­
tri c prim er and the auxi liary deto nati ng fuze,
hi tti ng th e shor t-ci rcu it plug, and break ing the
112 G O N R B E W tA t
OP 1664
joi nts and o penings co ated with ap proved luting
or b akelite varnis h.
The Nose Time Fuze Mk 62 is designed to
replace the s pring -driv en Nose Time Fuzes Mk
42 in all assemblies.
The Nose Time Fuze Mk 62 dif fers in oper a­
tion from the Mk 61 only in the functi oning of
the safe ty post. This sa fet y post cons ists m erely
of a st ud fasten ed by a scre w to the u pperm ost
ring of the clockwork mechanism. Wit h the
fuze set on "S afe” , t his s tud i s located beneath
a pr ojec ting end of th e h amm er spri ng, pre ven t­
ing the hamm er from disen gagin g the set tin g
lug from the set tin g pin as the res ult of acci­
dent al dropping. When the fuze is set off the
"Sa fe” position pre par ato ry to firing, the h am ­
mer assembly is moved away from above the
saf ety post, allowing t he hamm er to move down
on set-back.
shor t-circ uit wire a way from the elec tric prim er
leads.
Meanwhile, th e firing condens er h as been ac­
cumu lating an electric charg e. When this char ge
is sufficient to allow firing of th e electric prime r,
normally 0.6 to 0.8 second in the dry -ba tter y
type fuze, the fuze is fully armed.
On approach to a tar ge t under the prope r
conditions, the reflected electro magne tic signal
from the t ar ge t c auses t he V.T. eleme nt to dis­
charg e t he firing c ondense r th rou gh the electric
prime r. The blast from the prim er ope rate s
the auxil iary det ona ting fuze, which in tur n
init iate s detonat ion of the projectile.
Operatio n of the wet-energiz ed fuze s of t his
type is identical, excep t th at th e electrolyt e
vial in the r eserv e e nergi zer is broken by accel­
erat ion of the round, and cen trifu gal force dis ­
tri bu tes the electr olyte thro ugh out the ene r­
gizer. Char ging of the firing condens er is not
begun when the sct-bac k switche s close, but
mus t wait until the electrol yte is uniforml y

dis trib ute d thr oug h th e reser ve energ izer. This
normal ly occur s 0.2 to 0.3 seconds af te r set ­
back, the reb y delayin g complete arm ing of the
un it unti l 0.8 to 1.1 seconds af te r set-ba ck.
M b 45. 47, 53, 58, and 59 Type
Op era tio n: W hen the roun d is fired, accelera­
tion in t he gun bar rel cause s the f ingers of the
crown bre ake r to open up, allowing the e lectro ­
lyte vial to brea k aga ins t the botto m of the
brea ker. Cen trifu gal force dis trib ute s the elec­
tro lyt e thr oug hou t the energ izer, ac tiv ati ng it
in 0.2 to 0.3 second. Cent rifug al force al so opens
the handl ing saf ety switch , which previously
had been sho rti ng ou t the firing conden ser.
The firing conde nser begins to accumu late
a cha rge thr oug h it s high -res ista nce electrical
delay, an d electric al e nerg y i s fed to the electric
mechan ism in the V.T. element. Cen trifug al
force cause s the small globule of merc ury in
the mer cury swit ch to move thro ugh a porous
memb rane into the lower cham ber, ther eby re­
moving the electric sh or t circ uit acros s the
prim er lends. T his requ ires from 0.2 to 0.9 sec ­
onds, depen ding on the fuze and the rat e of
rota tion of the projec tile. When the firing con­
dense r has accum ulated enough elect rical en­
erg y to allow firing of the electric prim er, 0.6
to 1.0 second, the fuze is fully armed .
Upon appro ach to a ta rg et und er prope r
conditio ns, the reflected electr omag netic signal
from the ta rg et ca uses the V.T. elem ent to dis­
cha rge the fir ing co ndense r th rou gh the electric
prime r. Th e b las t from th e pr imer fun ction s t he
aux iliar y det ona ting fuze, which, in tur n, ini ti­
ates the deto nati on of the project ile.
The V. T. Fuze s Mk 58. Mk 47. and Mk 59 a re
equipped with two mercu ry switc hes inste ad of
the single swit ch incorpo rated in the Mk 45
and Mk 58. This fea tur e is provided to insure
additi onal sa fe ty; in all oth er resp ects, thes e
five fuzes are mechanically identical.
The differen ces in thes e fuzes lie in dimen­
sions and cont our of the head, thr ead sizes,
and elect rical cha rac teri stic s (fo r slower spin,
less set-ba ck. e tc. ).
CO NF tBE NT tAt -
PROJECTILE FUZES (V. T.)
Mlc 32 Mods 0— 20, Mo d 30, and Mod 40
(O bs ol et e)
Proj ectil es used in ....................5 "/3 8/2 5/5 1*
A.A. Common
Over-all leng th, inch es................ 12 (a pprox .)
Diam eter at base of ogive, inches
3.3 (appr ox.)
Thre aded le ngth , i nc h................0.6 (appr ox.)
T h re a d s................................................. 6 R.H.
Ma ter ial......................Steel base rings, black
plastic nose ogive, alu­
minum nose c ap or but ­
ton tip
Weig ht, pou nds......................................... 6.81
Minimum ra nge, y a rd s. . . Mods 0-20 , 40—600
Mod 3 0—1,000
En erg ize r....................... Mods 0 -20, 40—Dry-
Mod 30—Wet
Wave- suppre ssion fe at ur e.......... Mod 40 only
Self -des truct ive fe at ur e.......................... None
Desc riptio n: This fuze was designe d to initi ­
ate deto natio n when pas sing wit hin the maxi­
mum influence radi us of abo ut six ty feet. The
Mod 40 has reduced sen sitiv ity aga ins t low-
flying a irc ra ft because of the wave-su ppressio n
fea tur e (fo r values, se e V.T. Fuze Mk 40). Burst
hei gh ts above wa ter for all Mods wit hou t the
wave suppr ession fe atu re will be high at most
rang es, ave rag ing 130 fee t at 12,200 y ards in
the 5 "/3 8 p rojec tile, with bu rs t h eigh ts v aryi ng
widely be tween rounds. Bur st hei gh ts over wa­
te r will aver age lower at sh or ter rang es, bu t a
wide dispe rsion in hei ght s will occur. These
fuzes arc especially affected by wat er surfa ce
conditio ns. Bur st heig hts of the Mod 40 above
wat er (WSF ) will vary betwe en 10 and 50 feet.
Random pre mat ure bu rst s of round s assem­
bled with th is fuze will occur along the tr aj ­
ector y af te r the fuze is arme d but before it
appro aches a tar ge t. W ith ta rg ets a t long ra nge,
20 per cent of the round s may bu rst before
appr oach ing t he tar get , an d a some what small er
perc enta ge of pre mat ure s will occ ur at s ho rte r
ranges . If a ta rg et at long ra nge is a pproache d
•M ods 0- 20 and 40 of th is fu ie can be use d In
o '/ S l gun at 2 6 0 0 ft ./s ee ., I.V. r^duerd chan ce only .
M o d 3 0 can not be used in the 5”/6 1 rounds.
113
U. S. EXPLOSIVE O RD NA NC E OP 1664

SET BACK SWITCHES

ORY BATTERY

FIR ING CONDENSER

SPACE OCCUPIED BY
CENTR IFUGA L Clock

INTERR UPTER PIN

SET-BACK PIN

TRIPPING LEVER
ELECTRIC OETONATOR

ARMING PIN

WOODEN SHORT
CIRCUIT PLUG

FIRING PIN

DETONATOR ROTOR

MK 54 AUX DET FUZE

TETRYL PE LLE T BOOSTER

Figu re 96 . V.7. Fu ie M kt 32 and 40 Type

114 CO NF ID EN TI AL
 PROJECT ILE FUZES (V. T.)

FIRING
CONDENS ER
PLAS TIC NOSE
SEC TIO N
STE EL BASE RING

WET ENE RGIZ ER

ENERGIZ ER
EL EC TR OL YT E ELE CTRO DES
VI AL
CROWN BREAK ER

ELE CTR IC
C EN TR IF U G A L--------- DET ONA TOR
HAN DLI NG
SA FE TY SW ITC H

DET ONA TOR ROTOR

ROTO R DE TEN T
MERCURY
SWI TCH
MK 4 4 AUX DET
FU ZE

TE TR YL PE LL ET
BOO STE R

F iy u io 96 A . V.T . Fuze M k 45 (a n d ab o ve ) Typ e

CONFIDE NTIAL 115

U. S. EXPLOSIVE O RD NA NC E
w ith in the se ns itiv ity lim its o f the fuze. 65
per cent o f the rounds should fun ctio n at the
mo st cri tic al point to th ro w frag me nts agains t
th e target. The percentage of proper func tions
at sho rter ranges is hig he r by the amoun t of
decrease in prem ature funct ions. The remain der
o f the rounds wil l be duds. Because of ageing o f
th e dry energizer, on ly about 50 per cent of
the rounds w ill fun ctio n prop erly af te r eigh t
month s. The dry energizer s are changed about
eve ry six month s by Bureau of Ordnance per­
sonnel. Produc tion has been suspended on thi s
item .
Emp loym ent: Th is fuze was used fo r an ti­
a ir cr a ft wo rk from 600 yards mini mum range to
extre me range. The Mod 40, wit h WSF, has
nor mal se ns itiv ity above abou t 200 feet fro m
th e water, bu t has a uto ma tica lly reduced sensi­
ti v it y below this level. Mods 0-20 and 30 are
no t ord ina rily used again st surface cr af t, be­
cause bur sts at long range are too high fo r
effec tive frag me nta tion damage, and those on
low t ra je ct or y have a large dispersion in range.
These Mods mig ht be used wi th reduced ef ­
fectiven ess again st low -fly ing planes.
Rema rks: The A ux ili ar y Deto natin g Fuze Mk
54, replacin g the A u xi lia ry Deto natin g Fuzes
Mk s 17 and 16. is used in c onju nct ion wi th th is
fuze.
Th is fuze is cu rre nt ly being replaced b y the
V.T . Fuze Mk 58 in new p roje ctile s: Mk 53 cav­
it y is smaller.
Mk 40 (Obsol ete)
Pro ject iles used in ........................... 5" /2 5/ 38
A.A . Common
Over -all lengt h, inch es............... 12 (ap prox.)
Dia met er a t base o f ogive, inches
3.3 (a pprox .)
Threaded length , in ch ................0.5 (appro x.)
T hr ea ds .................................................6 R.H.
M at er ia l.................................Steel base, black
p la s ti c o g iv e ;
may have bu t­
ton tip.
We igh t, pounds . . , ....................................6.81
Min imu m range, ya rd s................................800
E n e rg iz e r...................................................W et
I 16 CO NF ID EN TI AL
OP 1664
Wave-suppression fe at ur e................. Present
Self- dest ructiv e fe at ur e......................... None
Des crip tion : Th is fu2e i nit iat es de tonatio n if
the t ra jec to ry passes w ith in the maximu m inf lu­
ence radius of seventy fee t. Aga inst ai rc ra ft be­
low 200-foo t alti tud e, oj>erating radius is re­
duced, depending on the alt itu de of the plane
and the hei gh t of the waves, because of the
wave-suppression featu re. Bu rst heig ht over
land o r w ater may v ar y between 10 and 30 feet.
Random burst s wi ll occur along the tr a ­
jec tor y af te r armi ng, bu t before approa ching a
targ et. W ith a ta rg et at 12.200 yar d range.
20 p er cent o f the rounds w ill fun ctio n prema­
tu re ly ; and at closer ranges a somewhat smaller
percentage wil l func tion prem ature ly. I f the ta r­
get at 12,200-yard range is approached wi th in
the se ns itiv ity lim its of the fuze. 65 per cent
o f the rounds w ill fu nct ion .
These unit s have wet energizers of the re­
serve typ e; so effectiveness is not gre atly di mi n­
ished by normal stora ge fo r at leas t 18 months.
Produ ction has been suspended on th is item.
Emp loym ent: This fuze is recommended for
an tia irc ra ft wo rk fro m a min imu m range of
800 yard s to the extrem e range o f the gun.
The wave-suppression featu re makes th is fuze
useful against low -fly ing ai rc ra ft and surface
targe ts, as it w ill not detonate on wat er inf lu­
ence above 15 to 20 f e e t: b ut it must pass some­
wh at closer to the tar ge t in ord er to func tion
than in the case o f hig h- fly ing targe ts. I t may
be used effec tively fo r barra ge o f land targe ts
where burs ts at 10 to 30 feet w ill be effe ctive
agai nst personnel and li gh tly protected ins tall a­
tions.
Rema rks: The A u xi lia ry D eton ating Fuze Aik
54, replacing the A ux ili ar y Deto natin g Fuzes
Mks 17 and 46, is used in conju nctio n wi th th is
fuze.
Th is fuze is cu rre ntl y l>eing replaced by the
V.T. Fuze Mk 53 in the new, smal ler-ca vity
projecti les.
Mk 45 Mods 11 and 12 (Ob sole te)
Proje ctiles used in ........................3 "/ 5 0 A .A .
Over-al l leng th, inch es..............7.7 (app rox.)

Diam eter a t base of ogive, inches
2.4 (appro x.)
Threa ded leng th, inc h.............. 1.0 (appro x.)
T h re a d s................................................ 12 R.H.
Ma ter ial....................... Plas tic ogive molded
inte gra l to steel ba se ;
per fora ted nose cap
molded into forwar d
end of plasti c ogive
Weigh t, pound s .. ....................................... 2.40
Minimum rang e, ya rd s.............................. 600
E ne rg iz er .................................................... Wet
Cen trifu gal handl ing saf ety sw itch . . Pre sen t
Desc ripti on: This fuze ini tia tes detonat ion
within the maxim um influence rad ius of fifty
feet. Bu rst hei ghts over wa ter at long rang e
will ave rage arou nd 75 feet , with wide var ia­
tions in bu rs t heig ht occurin g as a resu lt of
wave effect and var iatio ns in sen siti vit y be­
tween rounds . Bu rst hei ght s over wa ter at
sho rte r ran ges will general ly ave rag e to lower
levels.
Random bu rs ts will occur along the tra jec ­
tory af te r arm ing ; so th at appr oxim ately 30
per cen t of th e roun ds will have bu rs t prem a­
ture ly befo re approa ch to a t ar ge t a t extre mely
long range . At long range , af te r 30 per cent
of the roun ds have function ed prem atur ely, 50
per cent of th e round s will funct ion w’hen pass­
ing th e ta rg et within the sen siti vit y limi ts of
the fuze.
These fuze s have wet ene rgiz ers of the re­
serv e ty pe.
Emp loym ent: This fuze is used for an tia ir­
cr af t wo rk fr om a min imum rang e o f 600 y ards
to the ex tre me ra nge of the gun. The V.T. Fuze
Mk 45 is usefu l for low-level att ac k agai nst
torpe do bombers or sur fac e cr af t, if it is re al­
ized t ha t the fu ze func tions on appro ach to wa­
te r a s outline d above. T he fuze is l ess sensi tive
at s ho rte r rang es.
Re ma rks : The origina l V.T. Fu te Mk 45 Mod
11, with longer st em, ha s been dec lared uns erv ­
iceable and recalled, to be replaced by the
Mod 12.
The V.T. Fuze Mk 45 Mod 12 is curr entl y
being replaced by t he V.T. Fuze Mk 58.
CONF 1DEH T4AL
PROJE CTILE FUZES (V.T .)
The A uxilia ry Deton ating Fuze Mk 44 is used
in conju nction w ith thes e fuzes.
Mk 47 Mo d 0
Pro ject iles used in ..........................6 ''/4 7 ll.C.
Over-all leng th, inc hes .............. 8-9 (a pp ro x. )
Diam eter at base of ogive, inch es
3.3 (appro x.)
Thre aded leng th, inc h................................. 0.5
T h re a d s ................................................. 6 R.H.
Ma ter ial ..........................Pla stic ogive molded
inte gra l with steel
base ring, and steel
nose cap molded in­
side of forwa rd end
of plasti c ogive
Weig ht, pou nds.......................................... 4.28
Minimum range, ya rd s................................ 800
E ne rg iz er .................................................... Wet
Wave-su ppressio n fe at ur e...................P rese nt
Self -des truc tive f e a tu re ...........................None
Cen trifu gal handl ing saf ety swi tch. .P res en t
Desc riptio n: This fuze is designe d for the
H.C. roun d of the 6 "/4 7 dual- purpo se gu n. It is
expected th at ita sens itivi ty ag ain st ai rc ra ft
will be of th e same ord er as th at of the V.T.
Fuze Mk 53. The Auxili ary Det ona ting Fu te
Mk 41 is used with thi s fuze.
Mk 53 Mod s 0— 6
Pro ject iles used in ......................5"72 5/38 /51
A. A. Common
Over-all leng th, inc hes .............. 8.9 (appr ox.)
Diam eter a t base of ogive, inches
3.3 (appro x.)
Thre aded le ngth , i nc h................ 0.5 (appro x.)
T h re a d s................................................. 6 R.H.
Ma ter ial......................S teel b ase w ith inte gral
molded plastic no se;
some Mods may have
steel ins ert molded in
forwa rd end of plastic
nose
Weig ht, po un ds ......................................... 4.28
Minimum range , yar ds
Mods 0-2— 700
Mods 3 and la ter —500
Ene rgiz er ....................................................Wet
117
U. S. EXPLOSIVE O RD NA NC E
Wave-sup pression fe at ur e.................. Pre sent
Self-d estru ctive fe at ur e.......................... None
Desc riptio n: Thi s fuze func tion s within a
max imum influence rad ius of abo ut eig hty fee t.
Sen sit ivi ty to ai rc ra ft below 200-foot altit ude
will be some what less, depen ding on th e a ltitu de
of the plane and the heig ht of the waves, be­
caus e of th e wave-su ppressio n fea tur e. Burs t
hei gh ts abov e wa ter will var y between 10 and
30 feet.
Random bur sts alon g the tra je cto ry will oc­
cu r af te r armi ng, bu t before reach ing a tar ge t.
At 12,200-yard ran ge on te st firing, appr oxi­
mat ely ten per cent of the roun ds will f unction
pre ma ture ly. Upon app roa chin g a ta rg et within
th e sen sitiv ity lim its of th e fuze at 12,200-yard
ran ge, 80 per cent of the roun ds will function
a t the mos t adva ntage ous point for envelopin g
th e tar ge t with frag me nts . The perce ntage of
norma l func tioni ng a t sh or te r rang es will be
hig he r by the amo unt of d ecre ase of pre mat ure
bu rst s. The rem aind er of the round s will be
duds.
These fuze s have wet ene rgiz ers of th e re ­
ser ve type.
Emp loym ent: Th is fuze is used for an tia ir­
cr af t work from a minimu m range , as shown
above, to th e maximum ran ge of the gun at all
elevat ions. It is usef ul ag ain st low-flying ai r­
cr af t and surf ace cr af t whe re aer ial- hur st fuze
actio n is des ired. It is also eff ective f or bar rag e
work ag ain st personnel, lig ht equi pmen t, and
land ta rg ets . La ter Mods may have self-de­
str uc tiv e action to ini tia te deto natio n a t around
10,000 ya rd s to pr ote ct outl yin g frien dly ships
and t roop s on the beach.
Rem ark s: This fuze is repla cing the V.T.
Fuze s Mk 32 and Mk 40 in all assemb lies o f new
amm uniti on. Th e Au xilia ry Deto natin g Fuze Mk
44 is used.
Mods 1, 2, and 3 have heen declare d unse rv­
iceable. Mods 5 and 6 have additio nal water-
resi stan ce and are not inte rcha nge able with the
previou s Mods.
Mk 58 M od 0— 5
Pro ject iles used in ..........................3 "/5 0 A.A.
I 18 CONFI DENT IAL
OP 1664
Over-all length , inc he s.............. 8.5 (appro x.)
Diam eter a t base of ogive, inches
2.4 (appr ox.)
Threa ded leng th, in ch ............... 1.0 (a ppro x.)
T h re a d s ............................................... 12 It. 11.
Ma teri al.......................... Plast ic ogive molded
inte gra l to steel b as e:
steel cap molded in
forw ard end of plas ­
tic ogive
Wei ght, po un ds .......................................... 1.98
Minimum ra nge, ya rd s................................ 500
E ne rg iz er .................................................... We t
Wave- suppress ion fea tu re .................... Pre sen t
Self -des truct ive ele me nt................ Mod 5 only
Cen trifu gal hand ling sa fet y swi tch. . Pr es en t
Desc riptio n: The maxim um influence radi us
vari es between 40 and 100 fee t for diffe rent
lots a nd Mods. S ens itiv ity to ai rc ra ft flying be­
low 200-f t alt itu de will be reduced by the
wave sup press ion fea tur e. Bu rst hei ght s over
wa ter will ave rage betw een 5 and 15 feet.
Random bu rst s o f r ound s will occur a long the
tra jec tor y af te r arm ing , so t ha t appr oxim ately
20 p er cent of th e roun ds will have functi oned
before reach ing a ta rg et at long range . When
fired at a tar ge t a t l ong range , a ft er 20 pe r ce nt
of the rounds have bu rs t prem ature ly, 65 per
cent will function.
Emp loym ent: This fuze is used for an tia ir­
cr af t work for ran ges of 500 yar ds to the ex­
trem e range. It is usefu l aga ins t low-flying
ai rc ra ft and sur fac e cra ft, and in lAnd bar rag e
aga inst personnel and ligh t equipmen t.
Rem ark s: The Auxi liary Deto natin g Fu ze Mk
44 is used with th is V.T. Fuze.
The V.T. Fuze Mk 58 is cur ren tly replacin g
the Mk 45 Mod 12 in the 3"/ 50 assembly.
Mods 3, 4, and 5 have additio nal wa ter -re ­
sista nce and ar e not inte rcha ngea ble with pr e­
vious Mods.
Mod 5 will have a self -de stru ctiv e swit ch to
functi on at a rang e o f 6,000 to 9,000 yards . The
switch is not adj usta ble .
Mod 0 is now obsolete.
 PROJE CTILE FUZES (A UX IL IA RY DE TO NA TI NG )
Mk 59 Mod 0
Pro jec tile s used in ..........................5"/*>4 H.C.
Over-all leng th, inc he s......................... 1-13/16
Dia met er at base of ogive, inc he s......... 2.71
Threaded length, in ch ............................... 0.5
Th re ad s.................................................6 R.H.
Ma ter ial.......................... Capless plas tic ogive
molded inte gra l with
steel base
Weig ht, pou nds ..........................................4.05
Minimum rang e, ya rd s............................... 500
Part I — Ch apt er 3 — Section 5
AU XIL IA RY DE TO NA TI NG FUZES FOR PROJECTILES
Mk 17 Mods 0— 13
Fuzes found w ith .......... Mk 18 Mods 2-4
Mk 22 and Mods 1-5
Mk 29 Moris 1 -3
Mk 30 Mods 1 -3
Over-all leng th, inc hes .................................2.5
Diam eter, in c h es .........................................1.38
Weight , g r a m s .............................................348
Thre aded leng th, in ch ................................ 0.96
T h re a d s................................................ 10 L.H.
Ma ter ial...................... Steel body, not paint ed
Armi ng speed, r.p. m..................... 3,000-4,500
Des crip tion : The fuze is composed of a one-
piece body, with a boo ster cap and plug closing
the ends. The body assem bly con sist s of the
firing-pin hous ing and roto r housi ng, both of
which ar e container! in the seali ng cup. In the
middle o f th e closing plug is an ob tur ati ng cup
with a sea ling disc between the plug and the
firing-pin housin g. The tiring- pin hou sing Con­
tain s a meta l thi ng pin which is hel d in position
by t wo firing-p in det ent s. Containe d with in the
rotor hous ing are a rot or and two r oto r detents.
The roto r, which cont ains two lead coun ter­
weight s and the deto nato r, is assemb led in the
housing with the axi s of th e de ton ato r a t an
angle of abo ut 55 d egre es from the axis of the
fuze. The line of cen ters of th e lead cou nter ­
weight s i s a t an angle of abo ut 35 deg ree s f rom
CO NF ID EN TI AL
E n er g iz er .................................................... Wet
Wave- suppr ession fe at ur e................... Pres ent
•Self-dest ructive e le m e n t.........................None
Cen trifu gal hand ling saf ety sw itc h. .Pr ese nt
Des crip tion : This fuze is design ed for use in
th e H.C. round of th e new r/'/f id guns. It is
design ed for an tia irc ra ft work f rom a minimum
rang e of 500 yar ds to th e e xtr em e ran ge of the
gun a t all elevatio ns. The Aux iliar y Det ona ting
Fuze Mk 44 Mod 0 is used.
th e axis . T he rot or is held in th e unarm ed posi­
tion by th e two rot or det ent s, the tape red ends
of w hich e ngag e in holes in th e sid e of the ro tor.
Ope rati on: As t he proje ctile is fired fr om th e
gun, cen trif uga l force moves th e firing pin and
rot or de ten ts back ag ain st th ei r spri ngs . Then
cen trif uga l force, ac tin g upon the lead coun ter­
we igh ts in th e r otor , will cau se t he ro tor to t ur n
until th e d eto nat or assem bly is in line with the
boo ster lead-in and firing pin. In th is position ,
the rot or is dynam ically balanced, cen trifu gal
force holding the two lead cou nter wei ghts at a
maxi mum rad ius from the axi s of rota tion of
th e fuze. When the nose fuze func tions , th e
gas pre ssu re from it forces the obtur ati ng cup
down, she ari ng th e sealin g disc a dja cen t to th e
firin g pin and driv ing the firing pin down into
th e pri me r-d eto nat or assemb ly which fires the
boo ster lead-in and the booster.
Re ma rks : This fuze is not design ed to func ­
tion by itself , bu t will fun ctio n only by th e
gas pre ssu re from a nose fuze.
Mods 0-6 , rep res ent ing diff ere nt man ufac ­
tur ers , were origin ally assig ned for use in 3-
inch to 16-inch A.A., A.A. Common, and H.C.
proj ecti les. La ter assi gnm ent s res tric ted the ir
use to 3-inch to 6-inch proj ectil es. Mods 0 to 6
were then with draw n from se rvice and replaced
119
U. S. EXPLOSIVE OR DN AN CE OP 1664

OB TUR ATI NG CUP

CLOSING PLUG

SEALI NG DISC

FI R IN G PIN

FI R IN G PIN
DE TE NT S
STO P PIN
ROT OR

ROT OR HO USI NG

ROT OR DE TE NT S

BOOSTER LE A D -I N

BOOSTER

Figure 97. Auxil iary Deton ating Fute Mk 17 Mo d 8

by Mods 8—13. la te r rede sign ated as th e Auxili­ stripe” Auxiliary Detonating Fuze Mk 17 Mod 8
ar y Deto nati ng Fu se Mk 46. A special “green - with weaker detent springs was assigned to be

120 CO NF ID EN TI AL
 PROJECTILE FUZES (A UX ILI AR Y DE TO NA TI NG }
used in majo r-cal iber H.C. amm unitio n. This
fuze was la te r rede sign ated the A uxil iary Deto­
nat ing Fuze Mk 35.
Mods 3-13 of Auxili ary Det ona ting Fuze
Mk 16 diffe r from Mods 0- 6 as follows:
1. To ins ure p ositive rota tion , two addition al
lead cou nter wei ghts were added to the roto r
and t wo h oles drilled in the ro tor oppos ite thes e
weights .
2. Two sto p pin s were added to the rot or, and
two holes were cut in t he rot or housi ng to en­
gage the stop pins to prev ent fu rt he r rot atio n
of the ro to r af te r the det ona tor had become
aligned wit h th e firing pin.
Mk 17 Mods 0-11 are considere d obsolete.
Mk 35 M od 0 {O bs ole te }
Fuzes found w ith ..................Mk 29 Mods 1-3
Mk 39
Mk 48
This f uze is a redes ignat ion of the Auxili ary
Deto natin g Fuze Mk 17 Mod 8. See “R ema rks”
on Mk 17.
Mk 43 Mod s 0 and I
Fuzes fo und w it h ................Mk 25 an d Mk 30
Over-all leng th, inc hes ............................3.18
Threaded, leng th, inc h............................. 0.625
T h re a d s ............................................... 11 L.II.
Thi s fuze is like the Auxili ary Deto nati ng
Fuze Mk 17 Mods 8- 13 (see “Re mar ks” on Mk
17), excep t for th e dimension s listed above and
the fac t th at it has a pointed firing pin and a
lead azide det ona tor, also an ad ap ter and an ad­
dition al boos ter pellet. This ex tra b oos ter is r e­
quired becaus e of the long, narro w nose of the
5*'/54 and 6"/ 47 D.P. proje ctiles , in which this
fuze is used.
Mod 0 dif fers f rom Mod 1 in t h at the form er
has the two-piece body as illu stra ted , and th e
la tte r has a one-piece specially -built body. The
Mod 1 is th e design which was produced in
qua ntit y.
Mk 44 Mo ds I and 2; also Mk 52
Pro ject iles used in
Mk 44 Mods 1 - 2 .. .. 3" /5 0 A.A.
5*725/3 8/51
A.A. Co mm on
CO NF fDE RT TAL
5*754 H. C.
6*747 H.C.
Mk 52 ......................8*755 H.C.
12*750 H.C.
14*745 /50 H.C.
16*745 /50 H.C.
Over-all length , inches
Roto r housin g ................................. 1.5
B oo st er c u p ................................................... 1.2 5
Desc riptio n: This fuze is'c on str uct ed in two
par ts, a boost er cup and a rot or housi ng into
the base of which the boos ter cup is screwed.
The ro to r housi ng cont ains a double ro tor as ­
sembly, one ro tor located above th e othe r. The
upper ro to r cont ains a prim er de to na to r incor­
por atin g lead azide. The lower rot or conta ins
a boo ster lead-in of tet ryl . In the assembled
position, each rot or is locked by two c entr ifug al
det ent s so th at the compon ents of the firing
tra in ar e ou t of alignm ent.
Ope ratio n: The fuze is arm ed by cen trifu gal
force, which cause s the two se ts of roto r de­
ten ts to move outwa rd aga ins t th ei r springs ,
unlocking the rotor s. The weig hted rot ors are
the n revolved by cent rifug al fo rc e, until the ir
motion is ar res ted by the stop pins. At thi s ti me
th e firing tra in is fully al igned, with t he deto na­
to r immed iately above the boos ter lead-in, and
the fu2e is arm ed. Whe n th e nose fu ze f unction s,
the gas pre ssur e thu s g ene rate d forces th rou gh
the weakened par t of the c losing disc and fires
th e deto nato r, which init iate s t he boost er lead-
in and the booster.
Re ma rks : The Auxi liary De tona ting Fuze
Mk 52 i s co mpletely identic al to the Mk 44. ex­
cept th a t the ro tor det ent spr ing s have been
conside rably weakened, allowing arm ing at
lower rota tion al velocities tha n th e Mk 44. This
alte rat ion was nece ssita ted by t he f ac t t h at th e
Mk 52 is employed in th e low-spin ma jor-ca liber
H.C. pro jectile s.
The Aux iliary Deto natin g Fuze Mk 44
Mod 1 has a die-cas t mo tor ho usi ng; Mod 2 h as a
hole in the cove r plate.
Mk 46 M od 0 (O bs ole te )
The Aux iliary Deto natin g Fuze Mk 16 is a
121
U. S. EXPLOSIVE OR DN AN CE OP 1664

OBTURATING c up -----------
CLOSING PLUG---------------
SEALING D IS C -----------------
Firing p in -------------------
FIRING PIN DE TE NT S------

ROTOR ---------------------------
ROTOR HOUSING------------

ROTOR DETENTS------------

BOOSTER L E A D -I N ---------

ADAPTER

BOOSTER

Figu/e Auxi liary Deton ating Fate Mk 43 Mo d I

redes ignatio n of th e Mk 17 Mods 8- 13 . See IcAd Azide ra th er th an ful mi na te of mer cury

M k 17, “ Rem arks .” de to na to r, and also a pointed firi ng pin instead

Mk 54 Mods 0 and I of a blu nt one.

Th is fuze is exa ctly like th e Au xi lia ry Deto­ The Mod 1 has an alum inum instead of a
na tin g Fuze Mk 46, except th at this fuze has a st ee l body, as the Mod 0 has.

122 CO NF ID EN TI AL
 PROJECTILE FUZES (A UX IL IA RY DE TO NA TI NG )

co ven disc

ROTO R SHAFT

UPPER ROTOR

ROT OR H O U SI N G

LO WE R ROTOR -

LEa D-IN -CM P ASSEMBLIES

BO DY ------------------------

BOOST ER SEPARATING

BOOSTER PELLET -------

BOOSTER SPACING DISC

M A G A ZI N E ------------------

UNARMED POSITIO N

DET ON ATO R ASSEMBLY

LO WE R ROTOR CHAR GE
LOW ER ROTO R WE IGH T
TETRYL BOOSTER

LOWE R
ROTOR
WEIGHT

ARM ED PO SIT ION __ DETENT

DETENT SPRING

UPPER ROTOR
W EI GH T

DETENT

ARM ED POSITION

Fig ure 99. Auxil iary Detonatin g Fuie Mk 44 Mo d 0

Mk 55 Mo ds 0 and I it has a lead azid e deto nato r—f or long er life —

and a point ed firing pin.
Th is fu ze is exa ctl y like the A ux ili ai y De to­ Mod 1 o f thi s fuse has an alum inum body;
na tin g Fuze Mk 17 Mod $ (Mk 35 ), ex ce pt that Mod 0 ha s a ste el body.

CO NF ID EN TIA L 123
 Part I — Ch ap ter 3 — Section 6

BASE FUZES FOR PROJECTILES

Base Deton ating Fuze MIc 2 Mod 2 is pivoted in the str ike r carr ier, is held in the
Projecti les used in ................................. 7"/ 46 A.P. offset position by a pair of centrif ugal lock
Over-all leng th, inc he s................................ 7.25 bolts. These bolts a re housed in the str ike r ca r­
Diameter o f body, inch es........................ 1.38 rier and engage the hole in the weighted end
Diameter of head, inc hes ........................ 1.80 of the strik er. Also, in the unarmed position,
Threaded length, inche s............................. . . . .1.25the deto nato r is separa ted from the booster
Threa ds .............................................. IS L.H. charg e by a pair of c entrif ugal gate bolts. Addi­
Material .................................................. Steel tional safet y is provided by encasing the deto­
nat or in a small expa nsion c hamber surrounde d
Descriptio n: This fuze c onsists of two major by a heavy steel safet y coil. Accidental explo­
pa rts : <1) a trac er head, thread ed externally sion of the deto nato r will expand itself in the
to screw into the base of the projectile .and chambe r and aga inst the safet y coil, and will
1
containing the trac er primer and pyrotechnic not pene trate past t he gate bolts sufficiently to
compon ents; (2) the fuze body which houses fire th e booster.
the Semple s trik er and car rier uni t, t he primer-
deto nato r tube, the safet y coil, th e contrifuga l Operatio n: When the projectile is fired, the
bolt assembly, and t he booster charge. tra cer primer functions and ignites the trac er
In the unarmed position, the strik er, which element in the base of the fuze. Centrifuga l
force causes the centr ifuga l lock bolts and the
centr ifug al gate bolts to move outward agai nst
the ir springs. This provides free access be­
BOOSTER tween the deton ator capsule and the booster
charge, and unlocks the pivoted stri ker . Since
CE NT RIF UG AL
GATE BOLTS
the str ike r is heavily weighted on its lower end,
SP RI NG - centr ifuga l force ca us es the str ik er to rot ate
ST R IK ER SA FE TY COIL around its pivot and align the s trik er point with
DET ONA TOR
the pri mer. On impact, th e str ike r car rier moves
P IV O T
forward agai nst it s spring, bringin g th e s tri ke r
CE NT RI FU GA L- D E LA Y again st the primer, which fires the delay ele­
LOC K BOL T ment and the det on ato r. The flash fro m the
PR IM ER
S T R IK E R ---------
deto nato r passes by the open ga te bolts and
CARRIER initia tes the booster charg e, firing the projec­
tile.
TRACER
TRAC ER Remar ks: Because of th e shape of th e str iker ,
PR IM ER the force of initial acceleration preven ts cen­
trifu gal force from producing alignment while
th e pr oje cti le is still in the bor e of the gun.
Whe n acc ele rat ion ce as es , ce nt ri fu ga l for ce re­
Figur e 100. Bote D e n o ti n g Fu iv Mk 2 Mod 2 volves the pivoted str ike r to the armed position.

124 CONFIDENTIAL

POWD ER
CUP
FIRING PIN
LOCK PIN
Figure 101. Bate IgnUion Fuie Mk 2 Mo d 9
Base Ig nit ion Fuze Mk 2 Mo d 9 (O bs ol et e)
Proj ecti les used in
3'7 23 Common
l-p dr ./4 0 Common
3-p dr./ 50 Common
6*pd r./4Q /42/4 5/50 Common
Over-all leng th, inc hes .............................. 1.75
Diam eter of hea d, in ch ................ 0.875
Diam eter of body, i nc h.............................. 0.63
Thre aded leng th, in ch .............................. 0.80
T h re a d s................................................1G L.H.
Ma ter ial............................... Body—bra ss
Plun ger—bras s
Firi ng pin—steel
Desc ripti on: Th e fuz e con sist s of a b ras s fuze
body ho usin g a firing pin and a plung er assem-
bly. The firing pin and plung er are locked to­
get her by a copp er she ar pin, in the unarme d
position. A pri me r and black powder magazine
are cr impe d to the upp er end of the fuze body.
Ope rati on: When the pro ject ile is fired from
the gun, t he force of set-b ack driv es th e p lunge r
back towar d th e head of the fuze, she ari ng th e
Copper pin locking th e plung er t o the firin g pin.
When th e plung er has moved back sufficiently,
747175 0 — W ------9 CON HOE NTJ AL-
PROJECTILE FUZES (BASE)
BLACK
POWDER
PR IM ER
th e lock pin in the firing pin is caused by cen­
tri fug al force to move in to t he g roove cut in the
int eri or of the plung er body. The two un its a re
again locked toge ther , but th e plun ger is now
in the lower position. On impact, ine rti a forces
both the plun ger and the firing pin forward,
driv ing the living pin into th e pri me r and ini tia t­
ing th e black powder ignitio n c har ge. T his fires
th e black pow der/T NT main cha rge in th e pro­
jectil e.
Re ma rks : No anti- cree p sprin g is incorpo­
rat ed in the assemb ly of this fuze. Once se t­
back ha s ceased and the plung er and firing
pin are locked tog eth er by the lock pin. the re
is noth ing pres ent in the fuze to pre ven t the ir
movem ent forw ard towar d the prim er.
Base De ton ati ng Fuze Mlt 3 Mo d 2 (O bs ole te )
Pro jec tile s used in ........6 "/5 0/5 S Common
7*745 Bomb ardme nt
1.r /4 5 /3 0 Bbt.
Over-all len gth , inc hes ............................. 6.85
Body dia met er, inc hes ........................... 1.375
Head dia met er, inc hes ............................. 1.80
We ight , p ou nd s......................................... 2.58
Thre aded leng th, inc hes ............................ 1.25
125
U . S . EX PL OS IVE O R D N A N C E
T h re a d s ................................................13 L.11.
Material ............. .....................................S teel
Desc riptio n: This fuze con sist s o f two maj or
p ar ts : (1) a tra cer head, thre ade d exte rnal ly
to screw int o t he bas e of th e proj ectil e a nd con­
tai nin g t he trac er pri me r an d pyrot echn ic com­
pon ent s: (2) the fuze body, which houses the
Sempl e firing pin and firing-p in housin g, the
prim er-d eto nat or assem bly, th e cen trifu gal half-
blocks, th e saf ety coil, and t he boo ster.
In t he unarm ed posit ion, the fir ing pi n, which
is pivoted in its. hou sing, is held offset from the
pr im er by a pai r of cen trif ug al dete nts. These
de ten ts ar e housed in th e firing-pin ho using and
eng age th e hole in the weig hted end of the
firi ng pin. Also, in th e unar med position, the
det ona tor is sep arat ed from the boost er by a
pa ir of c ent rifu gal half-blo cks. Each half-block
is TNT stemm ed to form a boo ster lead-in, but
th e stemm ed portio ns of the two half-blocks a re
ou t of alig nm ent in th e unar med position , pro­
vidi ng a sa fet y int err up tio n in the explosive
tr ai n. Addition al s af ety is pro vided by encasing
th e det ona tor in a small expan sion cham ber su r­
rounde d by a saf ety coil. Accidenta l explosion
of th e det ona tor will expen d its force again st
BOO STER
PLUG SPRI NG
CE NTR IFU GA L
HA LF BLO CKS
SA FE TY
CO IL
DE TO NA TO R
SPRI NG PRIM ER
ST RIK ER PIV OT
CARR IER
STR IKE R
CENTRIF UGAL-
LOCK BOL T
TR AC ER
Figure 102. Bate Deton ating Fuze Mk 3 Mo d 2
126 CONftOENTLAL
OP 1664
th e saf ety coil and will no t fire th e stemm ed
half-blocks or the booster .
Ope ratio n: When th e proje ctile is fired, the
tra ce r prim er fun ctio ns and igni tes the tra cer
elem ent in the base of the fuze. Cen trifu gal
force causes the cen trif ug al de ten ts and the
cen trifu gal ha lf-block s to move out war d a gai nst
th ei r spri ngs . This alig ns the boo ster lead-ins
in the hal f-blocks and unlocks the pivo ted firing
pin. Since the firing pin is heavily weigh ted on
its low er end, cen trif uga l force rot ate s it about
its pivot and brin gs i ts point into alignm ent w ith
th e prime r. On impa ct, the firing-pin housing
moves forw ard ag ain st the anti- crcc p sprin g,
brin ging the firing pin ag ain st the prim er,
which, in tur n, fires the deto nato r. The flash
from the det ona tor ini tia tes the stemm ed lead-
ins in the half-block s, the boo ster cha rge, and
finally the projectil e.
Rem ark s: Because o f th e sha pe of t he str ike r,
the force of th e initia l accele ration pre ven ts
cen trif uga l action from align ing th e firing pin
until af te r th e pro ject ile has lef t the bore of
the gun. When accel eratio n ceases, cen trifu gal
force revolves th e pivoted firing pin to the
arm ed position.
Base Ig n it io n Fuze Mlc 8 M od s 4 an d 5
(O b s o le te )
Proj ecti les used i n .. .. 1 - , 3-, and 6-pounders
3*723 Common
Over-all leng th, in ch es .. . .Mk 8 Mod 1—3.61
Mk 8 Mod 5------
Diam eter, in c h ............................He ad—0.875
Body—0.625
W eig ht.................. Mk 8 Mod 1—129.7 gram s
Mk 8 Mod 5—2.40 ounces
Threa ded leng th, in ch ................................. 1-0
T li r e a d s ........................................................ 18 L.H.
M at er ia l.. .Body —bra ss or bron ze
Plu nger i>ost and plunge r—bra ss
St rik er—cold rolled steel
Desc ripti on: Th e body of th e fuze cont ains
the plung er and th e plung er post which is
fitted to th e plung er by a sh ea r pin. Th e s tri ke r
is att ach ed by a hinge pin to the plunger.

SHE AR PIN
PLUNGE R POS T
TRACER
Figure 103. Bo te Ignit ion Fuie Mk 8 Mo d 4
The prim er-m agaz ine u nit is held to th e body by
ups etti ng th e end inward.
Op era tion : The fuze is assembl ed with the
plung er in t he forw ard position and th e str ik er
rot ate d on th e hing e pin, which fas ten s the
str ik er to th e plun ger so th at it is not aligned
wit h th e prim er. The force of set-b ack cut s the
she ar pin, allowin g th e plun ger to ride back
on the plu nge r post. Thi s motion car rie s the
str ike r, which str aig hte ns ou t as it en ter s the
recess in th e end of the plun ger pos t and then
points a t th e prim er cap. On imp act th e plunge r
and plu nge r pos t go forw ard tog eth er and fire
the p rim er, which igni tes the ma gazine.
Re ma rks : While th is is not a cent rifu gall y
act uat ed fuze, the firing pin is not align ed with
CO NF ID EN TI AL
PR OJ EC TI LE FU ZE S (B AS E)
MAGAZINE
PRIMER CAP
STRIKER
HINGE PIN
PLUNGER
FUZE BODY
th e pri me r unti l af te r set-b ack .and cann ot be
so al igned until the plung er has moved rela tive
to th e plu nge r p ost.
Base Igni tion Fuze Mk 8 Mod 1 differ s from
Mod 5 only in th at it has the longer body with
the int eg ral ext ern al tra ce r assemb ly.
Base De to na tin g Fuze Mlc 9 M od 2
Pro jec tile s used in ..........................7*745 A.P.
Over-all leng th, inc hes ...............................6.62
Body dia met er, inc hes ...............................1.38
Dia met er of bead, inc hes ...........................1.80
Thr eade d leng th, inc hes .............................1.25
T h re a d s ................................................13 L.H .
Ma ter ial ..............................T rac er head —steel
Fuz e bod y— br as s
127
U .S . EXPLOSIVE O RD N AN CE
BOO STER
PLUG SP RI NG
CENTRIFUGAL
HALF BLOCKS
DELAY
DETONATOR
PR IM ER
SPRI NG
STRIKER
PIVOT
CARR IER
ST RI KE R
CEN TRIFU GAL
LOCK BOLT
TRAC ER
TRACE R
PR IM ER
Figur e 104. Bckq Deton ating Fine Mk 9 Mod 2
De scr ipti on: Thi s fuze consists of two ma jor
pa rts : (1) a trac er head, threaded ext ern ally
to screw int o the base of the pro ject ile and
containing* th e tra ce r pri me r and pyrot echni c
compone nts: (2) the fuze body, whic h houses
the Semple st ri ke r and ca rri er u nit , the p rim er*
dela y-de tona tor assembly, the ce ntr ifu ga l ha lf­
blocks. and the booster.
In the unarmed posit ion, the st rik er , which
is pivoted in the st rik er ca rrie r, is held offset
fro m the pri me r by a pa ir of ce ntr ifu ga l lock
bolts. These bolts are housed in the st rik er
ca rri er and engage the hole in the weighte d
end o f the st rik er . Also, in the unarmed posi­
tio n. the deto nato r is separated f rom the booster
by a p air o f ce ntr ifu ga l half-b locks. Each ha lf­
block is TN T stemmed to for m a booster lead-in.
but t he two stemmed por tions o f the half-bloc ks
arc out of align men t in the unarmed position,
pro vid ing a safety in te rru pt io n in the explosive
tr ai n. Ad ditio nal saf ety is provided by encasing
the det onato r in a small expansion chamber. Ac­
cident al explosion of the deto nato r wi ll ex|>cnd
its e lf in the expansion chambe r and wi ll not
fire the stemmed half- block s or the booster.
Op era tion : When the pro jec tile is fired, the
tra ce r pri me r func tions and ign ites the tra ce r
128 CO NF ID EN TI AL
OP 1664
element in the base o f the fuze. Ce ntr ifug al
force causes the ce nt rifu ga l lock bolts and the
ce ntr ifu ga l half-b locks to move outw ard aga inst
th ei r springs. Th is align s the booster lead-ins
in the ha lf blocks and unlocks the pivote d
str ike r. Since the s tr ik er is he avily we ighte d on
its low er end. ce ntr ifu ga l force rotates the
st rik er about its piv ot and brin gs the st rik er
point int o align ment w ith the prim er. On im­
pact. t he st rik er c ar rie r moves for wa rd again st
its spri ng, bri ng ing the st rik er agains t the
prim er, whic h fires the delay element and the
deton ator. The flash from the deto nato r in it i­
ates the stemmed lead-ins in the half-b locks ,
the booster charge, and fina lly the pro ject ile.
Rema rks: Because of the shape of the s tri ke r,
the force of the in iti a l acceleration preven ts
ce ntr ifu ga l f orce fro m a lign ing the st rik er whil e
the pro ject ile is st ill in the bore of the gun.
When acceleration ceases, cen trifu gal force re­
volves the pivoted st rik er to the armed po sition .
Base Ign itio n Fuze M l 10 Mo ds 3, 4, and 9
(O bs ol et e)
Proj ecti les used in ............ 4" /5 0 Common
5" /5 0/ 51 Common
Over- all leng th, inche s............................. 4.12
Diame ters, inche s..........................Body— 1.05
Head—1.40
Threaded leng th, inche s........................... 1.40
T h re a d s.................................................9 L.H.
We ight , g ra m s ..........................................308
M at er ia l..................... Stock—cold rolled steel
St rik er ca rri er—brass
Fi rin g pi n—sheet brass
Desc riptio n: Thi s fuze consists o f a single
Ixx iy un it con tain ing a st rik er car rie r, an an ti­
creep sprin g, and a primer- magazi ne head. An
inte gra l trac er is located in the af te r end of
the fuze body. I n the unarmed position , as il lus ­
tra ted , the fir in g pin is held offset fro m the
pri me r by a pai r of ce ntr ifu ga l lock bolts. The
fir ing pin is pivoted in the movable s tr ik er ca r­
rie r. which is held awa y fro m the pri me r b y an
anti-c reep spring .
Ope ratio n: When the pro jec tile is fired , the
gases from the prope lling charge force a sm all
fil ing pin int o the tra ce r prim er, ig ni tin g the
tra ce r-s tar ter mi xtu re , which in tu rn ini tia te s
 PROJECTILE FUZES (BASE)

MA GA ZIN E

PR IME R

AN TI -C RE EP SPRI NG

FI RI NG PIN

PI VO T

CE NT RI FU GA L
LOCK BOLT

ST RIK ER CARRIER

FUZE BODY

TRA CER

STAR TER MIX TUR E

TR AC ER PRIME R

MOO 4

SE CT IO N A- A

MOD 3

MO D 9
Figure 105. Bate Ignition Fute Mk 10

the tra ce r pyrote chnic. C en trif ug al force causes th e ir spr ing , unloc king the pivoted firi ng -pi n.
the two lock bolts to move out wa rd again st The fir in g pin then rotate s int o the armed po-

129
U. S . EXPLOSIVE OR DN AN CE OP 166-4

sit ion , where it is alig ned with th e fuze primer.
On impact, th e str ik er ca rri er moves forw ard
ag ai ns t the anti-c reep sprin g, b rin gin g th e firing
pin ag ain st th e prim er and ini tia tin g th e black
pow der in th e fuze magazine .
Re ma rks : Because of the pecu liar shap e of
th e firing pin, the effect of acce lerat ion in the
gun caus es it to lag. Thi s force is gr ea ter tha n
cen trifu gal forc e: so du rin g th e accel eratio n
sta ge the str ik er can not align itse lf with th e
prim er. When accel eratio n cease s, cen trif uga l
force tak es cha rge and rot ate s the firing pin
into align ment .

booster
BO O ST ER
LE AD IN
O tT O M A TO R
LE AO
COUNTEAWtlGHTS
RQTQ RDf TIN TS
ROTOR
ROTO R BLOC K

ROTOR CO VE R

AN TI -C R E EP
SPRING
F lR -N C P IN
OETENT5
LOCKING BALL
F IR IN G PI N
FIR ING PIN
SP RI NG PL UN &E RP LU G

PL UN GE R PL UG
BOOT
BOOT
TR AC ER CJ MT Y

fig ur e 106. Base Deto natin g Fine Mk 13

Base De to na tin g Fuze Mlt 13 Mo ds 0— 7
(Ob sole te)
Pro jec tile s used i n.......... 5 M/8 8 A.A. Common
Over-all leng th, inc he s...............................5.80
Diam eter s, inc hes ........................... Body—1.05
Head—1.26
Thr ead ed leng th, inc he s.............................1.22
T h re a d s ..................................................7 L.H.
Ma ter ia] . . . Body—stee l
st ri ke r and hous ing—ste el
Rotor block and r oto r—aluminu m
Arm ing speed, r.p .m......................3,000-1,000
De scr ipti on: This fu ze con sist s of a one-picce
body which cont ains two housin gs, th e roto r
hou sing and the firing-pin housi ng. Thfc roto r
hous ing consis ts of a rot or, with lead cou nte r­
wei ghts an d det on ato r, a ssemb led with the a xis
of t he det on ato r a t a n a ngle of ab out 55 deg rees
from the axis of the fuze. The line of cen ters
of the lead cou nte rwe igh ts is a t an angle of
abo ut 35 deg rees from th e axis of the fuze.
Th e rot or is held in th is unar med position by
th e two ro tor det ents , th e t ape red ends of whic h
enga ge in holes in th e side of the roto r. In th is
position the det ona tor is ou t of line with both
th e firing pin and th e boos ter. The firing-pin
housi ng is fre e to move and is sep ara ted from
th e ro to r h ou si n g by a ligh t anti -cre ep spri ng.
Contain ed with in th e hou sing is a firing pin
which is held in positi on by two firing-pin de­
ten ts. The point of th e firing pin does no t pro-

130 C O N R D & N T lA t

tru dc from th e h ousi ng in t he una rme d p osition.
Behin d th e firing pin is a compr essed spri ng
and a lockin g ball ten din g to thro w the firing
pin forw ard.
Opc r.itio n: When the proj ectil e is fired f rom
the gun, cen trif uga l force moves th e firing-pin
de ten ts out wa rd ag ain st th ei r spr ing s, thu s
rele asing th e firing pin. When th e de ten ts are
out, th e co mpres sed spr ing moves th e firing pin
forw ard .and th e locking ball moves into the
place form erly occupied by the firing pin. thu s
locking it in a forw ard position. Cen trifu gal
force also moves the rot or det ent s back aga ins t
th ei r spr ing s, thu s rele asing the rot or. Then
cen trif uga l force , a ctin g upon t he lead cou nter ­
weigh ts in the roto r, caus es th e ro tor to tur n
unti l the det ona tor is in line w ith th e firing pin
and boo ster. In t hi s pos ition th e r oto r is d ynam i­
cally balan ced, cen trif uga l force holding the
two lead-filled holes a t a maximu m r ad ius fro m
the axi s of rot atio n of th e fuze. Upon impact,
the firin g-pin housi ng, being fre e t o move, r ides
forw ard ag ain st the weak ant i-cr eep spring ,
caus ing th e firi ng pin t o h it th e de ton ator , which
set s off th e boo ster in the base of the fuze.
Re ma rks : Becaus e of an unacce ptable per ­
cen tag e of pre ma tur e funct ioning s, the se fuzes
have been recalled.
A cut- off Base Det ona ting Fuze Mk 13 is oc­
casion ally used as a tra ce r in B.L. & T. proje c­
tile s for ta rg et practice.
Base Detona ting Fuze Mk 19 Mods 0 and I
Pro jec tile s used in ............ 6^ /47 /63 Common
6" /53 Sp. Common
OveT-all len gth , inc hes ...............................6.68
Diam eters , in c h e s .........................Body— 1.37
Head— 1.80
Thr eade d len gth , inc hes ............................. 1.56
T h re a d s ................................................18 L.H.
Ma ter ial.................. Body—chrome moly steel
N o se c ap —d ur al um in
Delay, second ............................................0.01
De scr ipti on: Th e fuze is composed of t wo m a­
jo r pa rts , th e fuze body and th e nose cap. The
body cont ains the aux ilia ry det ona tor plunger ,
the de ton ato r plunge r, the deto nato r-pl ung er
CO NF ID EN TI AL
PROJ ECTIL E FUZES (BA SE)
det ent s, t he ant i-cre ep spri ng as semb ly, and the
fir in g tra in . The auxi liary det ona tor is sur ­
rounded by twe nty ball bear ings and bear s
ag ain st the bottom of the det ona tor plunge r.
Fit ted ove r t he top of the det on ato r plung er is
the ant i-cr eep sp rin g assem bly con sist ing of an
inne r and an ou ter cup sep arat ed by an an ti­
creep spr ing . The ou te r cup will n ot move, an d
the inn er cu p is crimped over the to p of th e d et­
ona tor plun ger a nd held in p os iti on by th e se n si ­
tive prim er holder. Th e firing tra in con sist s of
the sen sitiv e prim er, second ary firing pin, se c­
ondar y prim er, delay elemen t, det ona tor , and
boo ster lea d-ins and lead-ou ts w hi ch are ou t o f
line in t he unar med position.
The nose cap, which is secu red to th e end
of th e body by a thre aded joi nt, house s the
sens itive firing pin and firing-pin det ent s. The
sens itive firing pin is held in place by two
stak es, bu t is ref err ed to a s a "floating'* firing
pin, since i t can move down ward slig htly . Nin ety
deg rees removed from the two de te nt s are two
holes in th e nose cap. A loc king pin is provided
to lock th e nose cap in position.
Ope rati on: The force of set-b ack causes the
sens itiv e firing pin to move down on t he firing -
pin det ent s, thu s cre atin g fric tion and holding
the m in. When th e pr oj ec til e leaves the bo re o f
the gun, cree p caus es th e firing pin to move
forw ard again , thu s relea sing th e ftrin-pin de­
ten ts. Cen trifu gal fo rc e will move both set s of
det ent s out wa rd ag ain st the ir spr ing s, and the
fuze is th en co m pl et el y armed . The deto nato r
plung er is prev ente d from moving forw ard on
creep be ca us e of the anti- cree p sprin g, but on
impac t th e auxi liary plunge r, ac tin g as an in­
er tia wei ght, pushe s th e det ona tor plun ger for ­
ward. Th is a ction moves th e inn er cu p f orw ard,
thu s com pres sing the anti- cree p sprin g, and
brin gs the b ooste r lead- ins an d lead- outs in line.
The sens itive p rim er in t he top of th e det ona tor
pl un ge r is c arri ed on to the se nsit ive fi ring pin,
and th e explosion of th e sen siti ve pri me r ac­
compli shes two thi ng s:
1. The gase s res ult ing from th e explosion
pass thr ou gh th e porth oles on th e side of the
prim er con tain er and build up a hig h pre ssu re,
expa nding th at pa rt of the cup which is ad ja ­
cent to th e holes in the nose cap. Thi s action
131
U.S . EXPLOSIVE ORD NAN CE OP 1664

SENSITIVE FIRING PIN

FIRIN G PIN DET ENT

SEN SITI VE PR IM ER
INNE R GUP
OUTER CUP
PLUNGER FIR IN G PIN
SECONDARY PRIM ER
ANT I-CR EEP SPRING
DELAY EL EM EN T
LEA O IN
booster
LEA O OUT
DETONATOR
PLUN GER DE TE NT
AUX ILIA RY PLU NG ER

SENS ITIV E FIR ING PIN

SEN SITI VE PRI ME R
FIRING PIN DET ENT
INNE R CUP
PLUN GER FI RI NG
SECONDARY PR IME R
AN TI- CR EE P
DELAY ELE MEN T
OUTE R C U P -------
OET ONA TOR ------
LEAO OU T----------
LEAD IN -------------
BO OS TE R -----------

PLUN GER DE TE NT

AUXILIA RY PLUNG ER

fi g u /c 107. Bate De ton ati ng F uig M k I?

locks the de ton ator p lung er in th e fired position
and keeps the firing tra in lined up.
2. The sh ea r wire th at has been holding up
th e secon dary firing pin is broken , and th e sec­
ond ary firing pin is drive n down into the sec­
ond ary prim er, thu s se tti ng off the delay ele­
men t of 0.01 second and the det ona tor and
boo ster elem ents.
Re ma rks : This fuze will functi on on four-
inch plate and o n wate r.
The Base Det ona ting Fuze Mk 19 Mod 1 is

132 CON FTD Ettf tXL


fully mo istu re- res ista nt, as describ ed for the
Base De tona ting Fuze Mk 28. Thi s is its only
differen ce from th e Mod 0.
Base De to na tin g Fuze Mk 20 Mo ds 0 -2
Pro ject iles used in .......... 4"/5O Sp. Common
5 7 3 8 Sp. Common
5 7 3 8 Common
Thre aded leng th, inc h................................0.96
Tlirends ........................................... .. ,11 L.H.
M at er ia l................... Body—man gane se steel
Nose cap— dur alu min
Delay, se co nd ..............................................0.01
Exce pt for the dimen sions note d above, the
Base D eton atin g Fuze Mk 20 is the sa me a s the
Mk 19.
Mods 1 and 2 of th is fuze, re pre sen tin g diffe r­
ent ma nuf act ure rs, differ from the Mod 0 only
in being fully mo istu re-r esis tan t.
Base De to na tin g Fuze M k 21 Mo ds 0 and I
Pro ject iles used in
6 7 4 7 A.P., 8*755 Common
7 7 4 5 A.P., 8 7 5 6 Sp. Common
8 7 5 5 A.P.
12 75 0 A.P.
14 74 5/ 50 A.P .
16 74 5/ 50 A.P.
Thre aded le ngt h, inc h................................0.96
T h re a d s............................................... 11 L.H.
Ma teri al.................... Body—mang anese steel
Nose cap—du ralum in
Delay, se co nd ............................................0.035
Desc riptio n: Exce pt for the dimens ions
noted above, the Base Det ona ting Fuze Mk
21 is like the Mk 19, and has prac tical ly the
same ope rat ion ; howeve r, thi s fuze is designed
with an additio nal plunger-l ocking unit. The
plunge r body is d rilled in fou r places, and four
balls a re placed in t he holes. On forw ard motion
of th e plu nge r and und er c ent rifu gal action, the
locking balls fly out of th ei r recess es into the
forwa rd or larg er-d iam eter po rtion o f t he body,
locking the plu nge r in th e for war d posit ion. Th is
locking fe atu re is provided to insu re align ment
of b oost er le ad-ins and deto nato r l ead-o uts d ur ­
ing t he long delay period , when the proj ecti le is
sub ject ed to violent s hocks of pen etra tion .
C-ONHefNTtAL
PROJECTILE FUZES (BASE)
Re ma rks : The det ent spr ing s in thi s fuze
are con sidera bly weak er than tho se used in the
Base Deto natin g Fuze Mk 28.
The Mod 1 of th is fuze is identic al to the
Mod 0. except th at it is f ully mo istu re-r esis tan t.
Base De ton ati ng Fuze Mk 23 Mo d 0
(O bs ol et e)
Pro ject iles used in ............ 8 7 5 5 Common
8 7 5 5 Sp. Common
8 7 5 5 A.P.
Over-all leng th, in ch es .. ............ . ........... 7.80
Diam eters, in c h e s........................Head—1.8
Body—1.38
Thre aded leng th, inc hes ............................1.25
T h re a d s................................................ 13 L.H.
W eig ht...................... 2 lb. 7 oz. w itho ut tra ce r
Mater ial ......................Cadmi um plated steel
Arm ing spe ed, r.p. m..................... .1,200-1,400
Delay, second ......................................... 0.035
Des crip tion ; The fuze is composed of thr ee
ma jor pa rt s: the head, the body, and the nose
cap. T he fuze head assembly con tain s the firing
pin. firing pin d eten ts, and two lock ing balls be­
hind the firing pin. In the assemble d position,
the point of th e firin g pin does not prot rude
from the hea d. T he b ody co ntai ns t he de ton ato r
plunge r, which is spring-lo aded downw ard to­
ward the firing pin by a very heav y firing
sprin g. The f iring tra in—c ons istin g o f the sen­
sitiv e prim er, the second ary prim er, the delay
element, the deto nato r, and the boo ster ele ments
—is conta ined with in the det on ato r plunge r.
Plun ger alig nme nt is m aint aine d by pins in the
plung er stock . The nose cap con tain s the ball
reta ine r, ball ret ain er d ete nts , and locking balls.
The spring -loaded plung er is held up by the
locking balls, which are, in t urn , held in by the
ball ret ain er. The ball ret ain er is preve nted
from moving because of the ball ret ain er de­
tents .
Ope ratio n; When the proj ecti le is fired, cen­
trif ug al force cause s the firing-pin de ten ts and
ball -ret ain er det ent s to be moved outw ard
aga inst the ir sprin gs. When the firing-pin de­
ten ts have moved out, the firin g pin moves
forwa rd beca use of creep, and the l ocking balls
133
U. S. EXPLOSIVE O RD N AN C E OP 1664

NOSE CA ANTI. CREE P SPRING

DETENT LO CK IN G RING SEGMENTS

BALL RETAINER UNI PLUNGER LO CK IN G BALLS

BOOSTER LEA D-O UT

BOOSTER LE AD -IN DET ONA TOR

FIRIN G SPRING DELAY PELLET

PLUN GER DELAY ELEMENT PRIMER

FIRIN G PIN SENSIT IVE PRIMER

FIRING PIN DETENTS^ FUZE BODY

FUZE STOC FIRING PIN LO CK ING BALLS

SECTION
Figure JOf. £o ie Deto nali/ig Fuze Mk 23

134 CONFID ENTIAL


drop into th e space lef t by the forw ard move­
ment o f t he firing- pin and will be held outw ard
by c ent rifu gal force, thu s locking th e firing pin
in th e f orw ard p osition. T he ball re tai ne r is pre ­
vented from moving forw ard unde r influence
of creep , becau se of t he anti-c reep spr ing behind
it. On impact , the ball ret ain er moves forw ard
until stopp ed by the nose, and is locked in thi s
position by th ree spl it r ing s egm ents eng agi ng a
shoul der at the end of the body. The plunge r­
locking balls are rel eased by t his fo rwa rd move­
men t of the ball re tai ne r and are proje cted
outwa rd. When th e force o f imp act has dimin ­
ished sufficiently to perm it the firing spr ing to
propel the plun ger to the rea r, the sens itive
prim er in the base of the plun ger is thro wn
down on to th e firin g pin. When the plung er
moves down, it brin gs th e boos ter lead-ins and
lead- outs in line, and the plung er is locked in
the re ar position by th re e split ring segm ents
in a man ner sim ilar to the ball ret ain er. When
the sen sitiv e pr im er is fired, t he gas f rom it fires
the percuss ion prim er. The flash from th e per­
cussion pri me r pass es thr oug h and aroun d the
baffle and ignite s the delay pellet. This defe rs
igniti on of the det ona tor for 0.02 second. The
det ona tor the n fires the boo ster el emen ts.
Re ma rks : Thi s fuze will de ton ate on thin
plate and on wa ter impact .
Base De ton ati ng Fuze Mk 28 Mo ds 0— 17
Pro ject iles used in
4*750 H.C.
6*8 6/88 /61 A.A. Common
6*751 /64 H.C.
6‘750 Common
6*747 /58 H.C.
7*745 B ombar dment
8*755 H.C. and Sp. Common
14*'/45 /50 Bom bardm ent
•’Green St rip e”
12"/ 50 H.C.
14 "/4 5/5 0 H.C.
16*74 5/50 li. C.
Thre aded leng th, inc hes ............................0.96
T h re a d s ...............................................11 L.H .
W ei gh t............................................... 21b. 6 ox.
CO NF ID EN TI AL
PROJE CTILE FUZES (BASE )
M at er ia l....................Body—mang anes e steel
Nose c ap —duralum in
(un pain ted)
Arm ing speed, r.p.m ..................... 3,000—1,000
Delay ....................................................... None
Exc ept for the dimension s and delay noted
above, the Base Det ona ting Fuze Mk 28 is like
the Mk 19.
Re ma rks : The fuze will func tion on 1/4- to
1/2-in ch plate and on wate r.
The special “gre en str ipe " Base Deton ating
Fuze Mk 28 was issued for majo r-ca libe r II.C.
proj ectil es, bu t is b eing replace d by the Mk 39.
Mods 0 to 14 rep res ent diffe rent man ufac ­
tur ers .
Mods 15 and 16 are identical to ear lier Mods,
bu t ar e fully mo istu re-r esis tan t, with a silica
gel capsule in the auxili ary det on ato r plun ger
and all e xte rna l joi nts coated with bakeli te var ­
nish over a lacqu er base. Mod 17 has an add i­
tional boos ter charg e.
Base De ton at ing Fuzes Mk 31 and Mk 36
Pro ject iles used in ..........................4*740 H.C.
M ar ki ng s..........................B.D.F. Mk 31 L ot—
Over-all leng th, inc hes ..............................4.68
Delay, seco nd..............................Mk 36—0.01
Mk 31—None
Re ma rks : This fuze is mo istu re-r esis tan t.
Thes e fuzes are almost identical to the Base
Deto nati ng Fuze Mk 28, diffe ring only in len gth.
Because of the small explosive cav ity in the
-l-inch proje ctile, the Base Det ona ting Fuzes
Mk 31 and Mk 36 have been made two inches
sh or ter , with an exte rna l tra cer .
Mk 31 and Mk 36 differ in t he followin g:
Mk 36 h as a delay of 0.01 s e c o n d ; Mk 31, no
delay.
Mk 36 has a str on ge r anti -cre ep spri ng.
Mk 36 has a chrome-mol ybdenum deto nato r
plu ng er; Mk 31, a p earl ite manga nese steel one.
Base D eto na tin g Fuze M k 39 M od 0
(O bs ol et e)
Pro ject iles used in ..................8” /5 5 H.C.
12*760 H.C.
14*745/50 H.C.
16*745/ 50 II.C.
135
U. S. EXPLOSIVE O RD N AN C E OP 1664

Th is fuz e i s a modified Bas e D eton atin g Fuze exte nds from th e base of the pro ject ile in th e
Mk 28. th e only chan ge being th at th e spri ngs form of a boat- tail. Conta ined with in th e body
beh ind th e d ete nts have been ma de w eaker. It is itse lf is a heavy bra ss plun ger, which ac ts as a
a Mk 28 with the det ent s pri ngs of a Mk 21. The st ri ke r: and fitti ng un der the str ik er is a sof t
rea son for th is change was as follows. At long bra ss was her, which ac ts ns a s hea r wash er. Be­
ra ng es in ma jor- cali ber guns, the re was not neath th e str ike r, and conta ined in a sep ara te
sulli cien t cen trifu gal force to keep th e fuze in uni t which thr ead s into th e body, is a con tain er
an arm ed conditio n. It was form erly de signa ted for the delay eleme nt, det ona tor, and booste r.
th e Base Det ona ting Fuze Mk 28 Sp. and was The cav ity in the hea d of th e fuze house s th e
identif ied by a green str ipe arou nd the body, built- in tra ce r element.
bu t thi s has been replaced by the new Mark Ope rati on: The re ar e no arm ing pr incipl es in
numb er. thi s fuze : and on imp act th e ine rti a action of
Th is fuze is being replaced by the Bas e Deto­ the heavy str ik er collapses th e bra ss wash er,
na tin g Fuze Mk 48. allowing th e s tri ke r to ini tiat e th e pr imer , which
set s ofl* th e det ona tor an d boo ster af te r a s ho rt
Base De ton ati ng Fuze Mk 48 Mo ds 0 and I delay period.
Th e Mk 18 is exac tly like th e Mk 39, e xcept
th a t the Mk 48 has a 0.01-second delay element. Re ma rks : Th is is an Army fuze which has
been adopte d by the Navy. No Navy Mark has
Baso Don atin g Fuze Mk 64 been a ssign ed to th is fuze, and it is ref err ed to
Pro jec tile s used i n...................... 5*754 Special by its "M” design ation.
Common
In ord er to inco rpora te the str on ge r body of
th e Base Det ona ting Fuze Mk 21 Mod 1 with
th e det ona tor pl unge r and the 0.01-second delay .TRACER
of th e Mk 36 Mod 0, th is fuze is c ons truc ted as CAVITY
follow s: (1) fuze body, anti -cre ep- spri ng out er
cup, and plu nge r-re tain ing cup of the Base D et­
on ati ng Fuze Mk 21 Mod 1; (2) det ona tor
plu nge r assembl y of th e Mk 36 Mod 0; (3)
anti -cre ep spr ing and all oth er Components of
RETAINING
th e Mk 31 Mod 0. WASHER
Base De ton ati ng Fuze M 66 A I
Proj ecti les used in .......................... 8*750 A.P.
Over-all leng th, inc hes ...............................3.45
Thr eade d leng th, in ch .................................. 0.5
T h re a d s ..................................................5 L.H. BOOSTER
Tot al weig ht, pou nd.......................................1.0
M a te ri a l................................... Body—steel
Str ike r—bras s
Delay, second ..........................................0.016

Des crip tion : This fuze is assemb led in two

pa rts , and, when assem bled in the projec tile, Figure 109. Sate Detonating Fuze M6 6A1

136 conffsErtfal
 Part I— Ch ap ter 4

PRIMERS A N D TRAC ERS

Section I — INT RO DU CT ION

Primers ton. H eat fro m th e bridg e ign ites the g un cotton

When used in connection with gun ammuni­
tion, the term “prim er” means the small tube
of s ensiti ve explosive which init iate s t he bur n­
ing of the propell ant charg e. Prim ers are
threa ded into the base of the car trid ge case in
case-gun ammuniti on. For b ag g uns, t he primer
is inser ted in the prim er lock of the breech
plug. Prim ers are classified accordin g to the
means of acti vat ing them, as follows.
Percussion—impact-fired
Elect rical—fired by electric ity
Combination—fired by eit her percussion or
electricity
Lock prim ers: The term "lock” ref ere to the
breech-plug lock o f a ba g gu n: hence, these a re
bag-cha rge primers.
Con struc tion: Large-s ize prim ers h ave a main
tube, or body: an ignition tub e: and a cap, or
caps. Activatio n of the cap, bv elect ricity or
percussion, set s off t he powder in the ignition
tube, which t hen ig nites th e pow der outsid e the
ignition tube. The ignition tube and th e main
tube have holes spaced along th ei r lengt h, to
provide even burni ng and ignition ove r a wider
area of the nex t respect ive charg e.
Percussio n caps have a hammer-and-anvil
construc tion to insur e impact over a wide are a
of the explosive.
Electric caps consist of a platin um or oth er
resist ance wire "brid ge” wrapped with gun cot­
for firing-
ch arg es: The explosive in percussion caps
may be a m ixture of th e fol lowing: fulm inate of
mercur y, potassi um chlora te, TNT, lead sulfo­
cyanat e, antimon y sulfide, or pen taer ythr itol
tet ran it rate.
In electric caps, black powder is usually
packed with the gun co tton.
For t he main cha rge, black pow der o r u mix­
tur e of black powder and cannon powder is t he
Standard.
Tracers
Trac ers are devices designed to leave a trac e
of eith er smoke or flame, showing th e t raje cto ry
of th e projectile . They are eit he r screwed or
pressed into the af te r end of the proj ectile, and
may be set in to the inte rior of th e projectile , in
which case they are inte rnal tra ce rs: or they
mnv proj ect from the end of the projectile , in
which case they are called exte rnal trace rs.
Trac ers nwy be ignited by th e heat from the
burni ng of the propelling charge , or may be
equipped with a str ik er and deto nato r which
ignite s the tra ce r when the force of set-back
occurs.
Some tra cer s are designed to deton ate the
explosive charg e—“self dest ruct ion”—in the
projec tile when the illumi nant m ateri al ha s been
burned out by th e flame from the tra ce r ignit ­
ing a deto nato r, which, in tur n, igni tes the
main charge.

CO NF TD EN HA t 137
 Pa rt I — C h a p te r 4 — S ec tio n 2
PR IM ER S
Perc ussio n Primer. M k 10 M od s 8 an d 9
Over -all len gth , in ch es ................................2.21
Di am ete r of body, in c h ..............................0.375
M a te ri a l.......................................................Bra ss
How s e c u re d ......................................... Pus h fit
Ch arg e ...................... 10 gr am s b lack p owd er
26 gr am s cann on powd er
C a p .............. Co mm erc ial m ix tu re o f m erc ury
ful mi na te, po tas siu m chl ora te,
and an tim on y sulfide
Gu ns used i n . .. .8 *7 23 ; 1-, 3 -, and 6 -Pou nde r
Pr im er Mk 10 Mod 8 is sim ila r to th e Mk 10
Mod 9, bu t is au tho riz ed for use wi th sal uti ng
ch ar ge s only.
C o m b in at io n Pr im er M k 13
Over -all len gth , in ch es ............................ 9.745
Di am ete r of body, in c h ............................ 0.538
M a te ri a l...................................................... Bra ss
Ho w s e c u re d ..................... , . .S cre wed in case
C h a rg e .. , .265 gr am s black pow der in pri me r
C ap ................ Mi xtu re of pot ass ium chl ora te,
an tim on y sulfide, and me rcu ry
fu lm in at e; also, pla tin um elec­
tr ic br idg e a nd gu n co tto n
Gu ns u sed in ................ 4' 75 0, 5 "/ 38 ,5 "/ 25 ,
5*751, 6 "/ 47 ca se gu ns
Percu ssion Pr im er M k 14
Over -all len gth , in ch es ............................ 5.021
Di am ete r o f body, in ch ............................... 0.55
M a te ri a l......................................................Bra ss
Meth od of se cu ri n g .. . .Sc rew ed int o cas e by
11 R.H. th re ad s
C h a rg e ......................................... Black powd er
C ap ...................Me rcu ry ful mi nat e, ant imo ny
sulfid e, and po tas siu m chlo­
ra te
Gu ns used in ............................................. 3*750
138 CO NF IDE NT IAL
Lock C om bi n at io n Pr im er M k 15 M o d I
Over -all len gth , in ch es .............................1.985
Di am ete r of body , in ch .............................0.492
Ma teri al ................................................. Bron ze
IIow se cu re d.........................Pu sh- fit in bre ech
plu g of gun
C h a rg e .......................30 gr am a black powd er
Ca p...................M erc ury ful mi nat e, ant im on y
sulfide , and po tas siu m chlo-
rn tc d; also, pln tinu m bri dge
and gun cot ton fo r ele ctr ic
firin g
Gun s used in ................................. All bag gu ns
Percu ssion Pr im er M k 19 M o d 0 (O b s o le te )
Over-a ll len gth , in ch es ............................... 1.71
Di am ete r o f body, in ch ............................... 0.54
M at er ia l......................................................B ra ss
I low se c u re d ......................................... Pu sh fit
Cha rge.............. 28 gra ins A rmy black powder
Ca p......................... Mi xtu re of TN T. ant imo ny
sulfide, and po tas siu m ch lo­
ra te
Gun s used in ..................................................1.1"
Percuss ion Pr im er M k 21 M od s 0 an d I
(O b s o le te )
Over-a ll len gth , in ch es ...............2.9 (ap pro x.)
Di am ete r o f body , in ch ............................... 0.54
M a te ri a l......................................................B ras s
How se cu re d......................... Scr ew s into ca se ;
R .H .th re ad s
C h a rg e .......................64 gr ai ns black powd er
Ca p..................... Mi xtu re of lead sul foc yan ate ,
po tas siu m chl ora te, an d a n ti ­
mon y sulfide
Gun used i n ...............40- mm Br ass Case Mk 1
Percu ssion Pr im er M k 22
Th is pr im er is ex ac tly like th e Per cus sio n
Pr im er Mk 21, ex ce pt th a t it is secu red by a
CO NF ID EN TI AL

MK 10 MOO 9 MK 13 MK 14 MK 15 MOD I MK 19 M K2I M K22 MK 3 5

Figure 110. Prin t ri (not proportionate titot)

PRIMERS
(A>
O
U .S . EXPLOSIVE OR DN AN CE OP 1664

Fig ure 111. Porcu uion Pri me rt Mk 30 (a b o ve ) and

Mk 31 (b el o w )

push- fit ra th er tha n thr ead s. The Mk 22 is used C ha rg e...........2.10 gra ins lead sulfo cyan ate,
in 40-mm Bra ss Case Mk 1 and Steel Case Mk 3. anti mon y sulfide, potas sium
chlorate, pentaeryt hritol tet-
Percussion Prim er Mk 30 ra nit ra tc
Over-all leng th, inch . .. ..............................0.2 Gun used i n .. . .20-m m Steel Case Mk 3 and
Diam eter of body, inch . ..........................0.314 Bra ss Case Mk 4; also in
Mat erial ........................ ........................Brass Arm y M21A1 s eries cas es
Method of secu ring . . . . ....................Pres s-fit This prim er is th e sa me a s t he Arm y Prim ers
C h a rg e .......................... .2.5 g rai ns fulm inat e M36 and M36A1
of merc ury, pota s­
sium chlor ate, an ti­
Electric Primer Mk 35 Mo d 0
mony sulfide
Gun used in ..............20- mm Bras s Case Mk 2 Over-all leng th, in ch es . ........... 23.601
Diam eter of body, i nc h......................... 0.760
Perc ussio n Prime r Mk 31 Method of sec uri ng ............S crewed into case
Over-all leng th, inch . .. ..........................0.250 C h a rg e ........................................Black pow der
Diam eter o f body, inc h. ........................0.3325 Cap ................None. Plati num electric br idge,
M at er ia l........................ ..........................Brass plus gun cotto n and black pow­
Method of sec uri ng ............................ Press -fit de r mix ture

140 CONFI DENT IAL

 Part I — Ch ap ter 4 — Section 3
TRACERS
Mk 5 Mods 0 and I
Over-a ll len gth , in ch es .. ......................... 2.48
Dia me ter of head , i nc he s........................... 1.248
S ta rt er p yr ot ec hn ic .. . .B ar iu m per oxi de and
ma gne siu m powd er
Ill um in an t.......... Sodi um ni tr at e, ca lcium s ili­
cide, cha rco al, and linsee d
oil
C o lo r........................................................ Ora nge
Hot pro pel lnn t ga ses bu m th ro ug h th e cellu-
in tu rn , ign ite s th e or an ge illu min ant .
Mk 6 M ods 0 and I
Over-a ll le ng th, in ch es ...............................2.45
Di am ete r o f head , in ch .............................0.939
S ta rt er py ro tec hn ic............... Ba riu m pero xide
and mag nes ium
pow der
Ill um in an t.........R ed— str on tiu m ni tr at e, am ­
moni um pe rch lor ate , ma gne ­
siu m powder , cha rco al, and
linse ed oil
Wh ite —b ari um ni tr at e, ba ri­
um p erox ide, mag nes ium pow­
de r. alu min um pow der, and
wax
Colors............. ..............Mod 0—re d and wh ite
Mod 1—ora ng e
Pro jec tile s used in
Mod 0—wi th ad ap te r in 5" /2 5 A.A.
Commo n Pr oje cti les M k 28 and 5*7
38 A.A. Comm on Pr oj ec til es Mk 31,
blind- loade d fo r ta rg et pra ctic e
Mod 1—wi th ad ap te r in 4 "/ 5 0 Com ­
mon Pro jec tile s Mk 6 Mod 6 and Mk
10 Mods 1 to 3 and 5' 75 1 Common
Pro jec tile s Mk 15 Mods 6 and 13,
blind- loade d fo r t ar g et p rac tice .
Pr op ell an t ga ses bu m thr ou gh th e celluloid
717ITS O - 4 « It COWF tOEN TIAL
disc and ign ite th e st a rt e r mi xtu re, which tire s
th e illu min ant .
Mk 8 Mo d 0 [O bs ole te)
Ove r-all len gth , inc he s............................... 2.12
Dia me ter o f hea d, in ch ............................ 0.925
S ta rt er py ro te ch ni c. . . .B ari um per oxi de and
mag nes ium pow der
Pro jec tile s used in .........................40-mm A.A.
Op era tio n: Th e cap hold er, when th e shell is
fired, se ts back , th us ove rco min g th e st ir ru p
spring, and forces itse lf ag ainst the anvil, igni t­
ing th e tr ac er and ini tia tin g its acti on, and
blow ing ou t th e sea lin g disc ab af t th e anvil .
Mk 9
Over -all len gth , in ch es .............................2 .48
Di am ete r of head , inc he s......................... 1.248
S ta rt er m ix tu re .......... Bar ium p erox ide, m ag­
nesi um powd er, ba ri­
um n it ra te
Illumina nt. .. .White— aluminum powder and
wax
Red—str on tiu m ni tra te , am ­
mon ium per chl ora te, mag ne­
siu m powder , ch arc oal , an d l in­
see d oil
Pr oje cti les used in. .4* /50 , 5*738. and 5*725
Pr»|M*llant ga ses bu rn thr ou gh th e celluloid
disc and ign ite th e st ar te r, whi ch fires th e illu ­
mi na nt
Mk 10 Mo d 0 (Ob sol ete )
Over -all len gth , in ch es ................................. 2.9
Di am ete r o f head , in ch ...............................0.93
S ta rt er pyr ote chn ic
Mag nesiu m |x>wder, bar ium
pero xide , and alum inum
Ill um in an t.......... Magne sium pow der, st ro n­
tiu m ni tra te , an d am mon ium
perchlorate
141
U. S. EXPLOSIVE OR DN AN CE OP 1664

Tra cer t (n ot pro po rtio na te ti te t)

Figu re 112.

142 CO NF ID EN Tt At

C o lo r............................................................ Red
Pro jec tile s used in .. .. 4 0 -m m H.E. , H.E .-I. ,
and B.L.
Ope rati on: Set-ba ck forces t he pr im er c arr ier
back, b end ing the ea rs on the st irr up sp rin g and
brin ging t he p rim er ag ain st the fixed anvil. The
flash from th e pri me r ig nite s the tr ac er st ar te r,
which ini tia tes th e tra ce r illum inant .
Th is tra ce r is self- destr oyin g, con tain ing an
ign ite r pell et of 6 gra ins of black powde r and
a 5.7-gram self -de stro yin g black- powde r pellet.
When th e t ra ce r illu min ant has burn ed th rou gh ,
th e ign ite r pell et is fired, ini tia tin g th e self- de­
stro yin g elem ent, which, in tur n, explodes the
projec tile.
Re ma rks : T he T ra ce r Mk 10 is bei ng replaced
by t he Mk 11 in all assembl ies.
Mk 11 Mo ds 0— 3
Overall len gth , inc he s................................ 1.7$
Dia met er of head, i nc he s.......... 0.925 tap eri ng
to 0.65
S ta rt er py ro te ch ni c. . . . Magnesium powder,
bari um peroxi de, and
alumi num
Illu mi nan t.......... Magnesium powder, st ro n­
tium ni tra te, ammon ium p er­
chlo rate , charc oal, and wax
Co lo rs ................ Red o r non-lum inous (dar k)
Pro jec tile s used in .. .. 4 0 -m m H.E., H.E .-I.,
and B.L.
Igni tion m eth od ........ Pro pell ant gases he at o r
bu rn thr ou gh the bra ss
closing disc and ignit e
th e s ta rt er , which ini ti­
a te s th e illum inan t
CG NF lD EN Tf AL
TRACE RS
Re ma rks : The only differen ce between th e
vario us Mods of the T rac er Mk 11 is in the con­
str uct ion of th e rela y hous ing:
Mod 0—Hou sing is thr eade d.
Mod 2—Hou sing is a p ush-fit.
Mod 3— Housin g is an inte gra l pa rt of tra cer
body.
The rela y hou sing 1con tain s th re e black-pow­
de r pellet s, which ar e igni ted at th e end of the
bur nin g o f th e tra cer . T he pellets, in t ur n, in iti­
at e the main cha rge o f th e proje ctile .
The “d ark igni tion ” loading of th e Tra cer
Mk 11 ha s th e st a rt er pyro tech nic of 65%
bari um pero xide and 35% powdered silenium.
With th e su bst itu tio n of sileni um for the mag­
nesiu m, th e tra ce r doe s n ot become visible until
some 200 y ar ds fro m th e muzzle. 40-mm ammu­
nition us ing the “d ark ign ition ’’tr ac er is labeled
H.E. -I. -T .-D .I .-S.D. (U.M.).
“ Dar k” Tr ac ers Mk 11 .ire non-lu minous :
hence invisi ble day or nig ht. The y per mi t tim e
of flight of 8.5 to 10.0 seconds (4,200 to 4,600
yar ds) befo re self des truc tion . A sma ll, inten se
flash imme diate ly precede s th e flash from the
bu rst ing proje ctile . Th is amm uniti on was de­
signed fo r nig ht dire ctor- cont rolle d fire. Lots
are labeled H.E .I.-S .D. (U. K> .
Mk 14 M od 0
The T ra ce r Mk 14 is of the non- self- destr ov-
ing typ e. It is made like th e Tra cer Mk 11. ex­
cept th at , inst ead of the relay hous ing, the re is
only th e blanked- off end of the cav ity. Only a
few o f t he se tra ce rs were eve r ma de.
143
U. S. EXPLOSIVE OR DN AN CE OP 1664

Ab bre via tio ns

The follow ing abbre viatio ns are used in the
ensu ing cha pte rs:
S.S. —Sp in-sta bilized
A. R.—Ai rcr aft rocket
II.E .—High expl osiv e
A /T —A nti-tan k
D.R.—Demo lition rocket
B. R.—Ba rrage rocket
S. A. P.— Semi-ar mor-pi ercing
F.S.—Sulphu r triox ide in ch loros ulphonic acid
W.P.—Whit e phosph orus
PAV.P.— Plasti cized whit e phosphor us
C. W.R. -N. —Chemica l war fare rocket, Nav y

144 CO NF ID EN TIA L
 Part 2
ROCKETS AN D ROCKET FUZES
Ch ap ter 5 — ROCKET BODIES
Section I — INTRODUCTION
Ge ner al
The pr opelling uni t of th e rocket is called the
motor and contain s the propelling charg e. The
motor is atta che d to the head, which contain s
the payload and the in itiat ing device. The motor
is closed on the forwar d end and parti ally
opened at th e af te r end. The propellant is a
relative ly slow-bur ning double-base smokeless
powder allied balli stite.
As th e balli stite is burned, hot gases are gen­
erate d which expand an d ex ert pressu re agai nst
the confines of the motor tube. Since the hot
gases exe rt an equal pressu re in all d irections ,
the pres sures aga ins t the side walls count er­
balance each ot he r; however, the press ure
aga inst the forw ard closed end of th e tub e is not
counte racted by press ure a gai nst th e a ft er end,
since th at end is parti ally open. The resu ltan t
force, then, is a th ru st aga ins t the closed for­
ward end of the motor, and the rocket is pro­
pelled in th at direction. In orde r th at the pres­
sure of the g ases will not be expended too r ap­
idly, and th at the propellant can be retain ed in
flight, the af te r end of the motor tube is par­
tially closed by the nozzle atta chm ent , which
>s built into the inside of the tube. This nozzle
rest rict s the e jection of the ho t gas es and also,
by means of its rea r tape r, furni shes a canted
surfac e aga ins t which the rapidly expanding
emitted gases may act to increase the f orward
th ru st of the rocket.
The ball istit e propel lant is ig nited by a black-
powder charg e, the init iati ng device for which
is an electric s quib with a small b ridge wire of
high resis tanc e whic h, when he ated by an elec­
trical cur ren t, ignite s a violent matc h composi­
CONFIDENTIAL
tion. The black-powder ch arge send s a flash over
the e nti re su rface of the bal listit e and raises the
tem pera ture of the balli stite to the ignition
point. Upon i gnition, the ba llistit e bum s evenly
and relative ly slowly; this typ e of burnin g is
necessary to pr event sudden and ex cessive p res­
sur es being exerte d aga ins t the th in walls of the
motor tube. Rocket motors oper ate at much
lower pr essu res tha n guns, an d cor respondingly
longer times are require d for t he complete com­
bustion of the rocket propellant. Burning t imes
of Am erican rockets ran ge from abou t 0.15 sec­
ond to as much as 1.5 seconds, dependin g on
the web thickn ess of th e gra in and the tem pera ­
tur e of th e prope llant; and burn ing distanc es
range from a few feet to several hundred feet
at high velocities ; hence, most of the burning
of the rocket propella nt occurs af te r the pro­
ject ile has l eft the launcher.
The early production s o f r ock ets were of the
fin-stabilized typ e because of the ir use by the
Britis h and because of the inh ere nt simplicity
associa ted with fin s tabiliza tion. Rockets canno t
be launched with th at deg ree of ac curacy char­
acte risti c of gun projecti les. This is a result of
many fact ors, such as the effect o f tem pera ture
on the bur ning rat e of t he pr opellant, difficulties
in contro lling t o a fine degre e t he p ressu res ex­
erted by the expand ing gases inside the motor
tube, the effect of the expansion of emitte d
gase s aga ins t the rea r tap er of the nozzle, etc.
The me an deviation in deflection for m ost st and ­
ard land- or shipboard -launched fin-stabilized
rock ets is 20 to 10 mils, while fin-stabilized
rocke ts launched from air cra ft have a mean
deviatio n of about 5 to 10 mils. The increased
145
U. S. EXPLOSIVE OR DN AN CE
accu racy of airc raft -lau nch ed rock ets is at tri b­
uted to the immed iate stabi lizin g effect given
to th e fins duri ng th e initia l sta ges of flight
by th e rapid trave l of the plane thr ou gh the
air . Fin s on r ocke ts e xe rt an appre ciable r est or­
ing force in flight only a t a high velocity, and
thu s a gr ea ter degree of accur acy is achieved
if roc ket s ar e launche d from ai rc ra ft or if the
accele ration occurs to a larg e ex ten t on the
launc her.
A late r develop ment, th e spin-stabili zed
rock et, is now in servi ce use. Stabi lizatio n of
thi s rocket d epends on th e rot atio n of th e r ound.
Althou gh th e accura cy of spin- stabi lized rock­
ets is not co mpara ble to th at o f g un projec tiles,
they are gener ally more acc ura te tha n fin-sta­
bilized rocke ts at s ho rt rang es. The use of sp in-
stabi lized rock ets will be part icul arly adva n­
tag eou s to ground and amph ibious forces,
inasmu ch as the roc ket is sh or ter and the
laun chin g ge ar is more compac t, fac ts which
fac ilit ate the loading and stow age problems.
As aga ins t the ir d isad van tage s, rock ets have
man y a dva ntag es ov er gun-pr opelled projec tiles.
Th e most im|>ortan t is the absen ce of recoil
ag ain st the launc her. Since th er e is no recoil
actio n on t he laun cher, roc ket s may be launched
from small tru ck s, amp hibio us ships, and air­
cr af t which could no t wi ths tan d th e recoil
forc es exe rted by equ ival ent proje ctile s fired
from guns. Oth er adv ant age s of rock ets are
chea pnes s, simplic ity, and po rta bil ity of the
laun che rs a s compared to guns.
Co mp one nts
Hea d: This is the pa rt which is functio nally
sim ilar to a proj ectil e and which cont ains the
payload and th e ini tia tin g device. Thi s payload
may be solid shot, high explosive, chemical,
incen diary , window, fl are, or a special load.
Motor tub e: This con tain s the propelling
ch arg e and th e igni ter. It is a c ombust ion c ham­
ber in which the prop ellan t is burne d to pro­
vide the motive power for th e rocket. It gen­
erall y thr ead s to the rock et head an d is usually
shipp ed sep ara te from th e head a n d fuze. The
dia me ter of t he inotoi is g ener ally less tha n the
dia me ter of th e body with which it is used.
146 CONFI DENT IAL
OP 1664
Grid or tra p asse mb ly: The Nav y re fe rs to
th e assem bly which sup por ts the powder grai n
as th e grid . Thi s grid sup por ts th e grai n in
such a position th at sufficient clear ance is al­
lowed betw een the gra in and th e mo tor tub e to
allow th e gas to flow fr om the propel lant to the
nozzle. Th e Army uses a tra p assembly , which
is some what more complicat ed tha n the Navy
grid. The tra p assem bly cons ists of spacing
discs an d wires run nin g betw een t hem, on which
the stic ks of bal list ite are supp orted . Such
an assemb ly is n eces sary where num erous small
gra ins are used.
Nozzle: The num ber of nozzles var ies with
the typ e of moto r and meth od of stabi lizat ion.
The nozzle has seve ral functi ons. It dir ect s the
gas je t in the desire d direc tion and provides
for expan sion of th e ho t gas in th e exi t cone,
th us giv ing ad ditio nal th ru st (ab out ) over
th at obta inab le from a simple orifice. In spin-
stabiliz ed rock ets, it im par ts a clockwise rota-
toin to the roc ket when launched.
Fin s: Durin g burn ing, the action of th e air
ag ain st the fins give s a res tor ing moment
ag ain st sid e force s a t th e nozzle, thu s improv ing
the accur acy of fire. Wh en t he re is a t ail shrou d,
it sup por ts the rea r end of the rock et in the
laun cher and m ay also provide electric al con­
tac ts fo r firing.
Prop ellan t and ig nit er : The ign iter cont ains
loosely packed black powder and an elec tric
squib with a hig h-re sist anc e bridge runn ing
tliro ugh a match compositi on. The propella nt
is a double-base smoke less powder called bal­
li st ic , which bu m s slowly and unifor mly. Pro­
ductio n of bal list ite diff ers somew hat for the
Army and th e Navy, th e Arm y pre fer rin g the
solven t ex trus ion pr ocess and th e Navy specif y­
ing the solve ntles s extr usio n process. The sol­
ven t extr usio n process is impra ctica ble for
grai ns hav ing a web o f more th an 1-1/4 inches.
Gra in shape s also vary . Army rock ets gen­
erally have severa l small cylind rical gra ins of
balli stite , with an axial hole to incr ease the
bu rni ng su rfa ce and uni for mit y o f bur ning. T he
Navy rock ets use e ith er a s ingle solid cru cifor m
 INTROD UCTION TO ROCKET BODIES

gra in wi tho ut per fora tion s or a singl e cylin ­ Practice rockets

drical grai n with an axial hole and radial per­ Pra ctic e rock ets are loaded with pla ster of
fo ra tio ns . The la tte r, us ed in Navy grou nd- or Paris or o th er i ner t subs tanc es to simu late the
shipb oard- moun ted rock ets, is c har acte rize d by explosive loads in servi ce rounds. The se rock ets
thr ee ridg es 1200, removed and run nin g longi­ also ha ve du mmy fuzes.
tudinall y alon g the grai n. Inh ibit ors are not
used on th is typ e. The cruci form grai n, in Safe temperatures
Navy ai rc ra ft rocke ts, is a sym met rica l cross The bur nin g ra te of prop ellen t powders
with rounde d ends. If all th e ex ter ior sur face chang es with tem pe rat ure and pre ssu re—the
of this gra in were perm itted to bur n, the re hig her tem per atu res and pre ssu res causin g
would be a grad ual decre ase of are a, and a re­ more rapid burni ng. If rock ets are fired at tem ­
gressi ve rat e in burn ing. Hence, a num ber of per atu res hig her th an thos e f or which they a re
slower bur ning cellulose ace tate str ip s are designe d, t he pre ssur e may build up fa ste r t han
bonded to p ar ts of the are a expose d on th e o ute r the nozzle ca n releas e it. per hap s bu rst ing the
curved ends of t he arm s, to give desi red bur n­ round. At tem per atu res below th e saf ety limit,
ing c har acte rist ics. the re will be back blas ts of flame with burn ing
fra gm ent s of powder.
Sto rag e
To decre ase haza rds in handl ing, rocke t Retro rockets
bodies and mot ors are gener ally shipp ed and Thes e were rocket s designed to be fired af t
store d sep ara tely . Motors with lar ge grai ns from a fa st moving ship or plane—th e move­
arc kep t in a non-prop ulsive st at e unt il final men t af t to compe nsate exactl y for the move­
men t forw ard of the launc hing vehicle, thu s
assembly is nece ssary . The seals at both ends
leaving gr av ity as th e only effect ive force on
of the moto rs are ligh t and easily displaced the rocket.
by pre ssur e developed inside th e tub e. Should
the ign ite r a nd grai n ignit e, the cl osur es would
fail quickly , rel ievi ng th e p res sur e wi thou t more
tha n a sli gh t m ovem ent of the mo tor.
It is n eces sary t h at loaded moto rs be kep t a t
mod erat e tem per atu res as much as possible.
Even thou gh spon taneo us ignition should not
take pla ce, th e powder should not be stored
where te mp era tur es exceed 100° F, beca use such
conditions tend m arke dly to de crea se th e stab le
life of the prope llant. Because of th e electric
squib, rocke t motor s should not be sto red nea r
radio ap pa rat us or ant enn a leads.
Although the re is very littl e poss ibilit y of a
motor firing as a res ult of falli ng or rough
handlin g, such tre atm en t is likely to cause mal­
func tioni ng of the rounds. Ammu nition should
be kept in packi ng con tain ers or rea dy boxes
and should not be handle d in a loose condition
Unless neces sary.

CONFI DENTIA L 147

 PR OP EL LA NT

Cru cifo rm
Ma rk U. 8. Navy Out sid e Out side
Mod Shape
Thi ckn ess Dia me ter Dia me ter
(inch es) (inch es) (inches )

1 - C yli nd ric al - — 1.97

2 — M • _ 1.97
- M
3 — — 1.97
3 1 W - - 1.97
4 — M — — 1.10
4 M
1 - - 1.10
5 - W — — 1.10
«
5 1 - - 1.10

6 — a — 2.95
6 1 a - — 2.96
7 M
- - - 2.96
7 1 M - — 2.96
8 - M - — 2.96
8 1 U - - 2.96

9 - n 2.96
10 - a — — 1.97
11 - n — — 2.96
11 1 It - - 2.96

12 44
- - - 1.10

12 1 a - - 1.10

13 - Cr uc ifo rm 0.990 2.930 -

14 — C yli nd ric al * 2.96

15 - a •B — 2.96
15 - H — — 1.97
15 N
1 — 1.97

17 - a — - 1.97

18 0 Cr uc ifo rm 1.540 4.530

19 0 M
1.540 4.530

20 M
0 0.990 2.93
21 0 a
1.540 4.53 —
22 0 44 a»
1,540 4.53
23 0 a
0.990 2.93
24 0 a

25 a
0

148 C O N F ID E N T IA L
GR AI NS

Cylindrical
Insid e Body Weight Leng th Mot ors
Dia mete r Diam eter i pounds) (inche s) Used In
(inc hes) (inches )

0.59 1.70 1.429 11.60 2.2 5' R. M . Mk s

1. 3. 7. 8. anti 9
0.43 1.70 1.551 11.60 2.25’ R. M . Mk 3
0.51 1.72 1.503 11.60 2.2 5' R. M . M k 3
0.51 1.70 1.503 11.60 2.2 5' R. M . M k 3

0.50 0.99 0.207 5.80

0.53 0.99 0.207 6.10
0.50 0.99 0.142 4.10
0.53 0.99 0.142 4.40

1.41 2.49 1.800 8.06 3.2 5' R. M . Mk I

1.42 2.51 1.800 8.70 3.2 5' R. M . Mk 1
1.38 2.49 2.800 13.00 3.2 5' R. M . Mk 2
1.37 2.51 2.800 13.00 3.2 5' R. M . Mk 2
1.38 2.49 4.140 19.30 3.25’ R.M . Mk 3
1.37 2.51 4.140 19.55 3.2 5' R.M . Mk 3

1.42 2.51 1.690 8.15 3.2 5' R.M . Mk 1

1.63 1.70 1.397 11.50 2.2 5' R.M . Mk 5
1.05 2.55 5.250 20.25 3.2 5' R.M . M k5
1.03 2.55 5.250 20.25 3.2 5' R.M . Mk 5

0.53 0.99 0.298 8.300 1.25 ' R.M . M k 4 and

Mk 4 Mod 1
0.53 0.99 0.298 8.800 1.25' R.M . Mk 4 and
Mk 4 Mod 1
- - 8.83 34.000 3.2 5' M k 7 (Air craf t)

1.03 2.55 3.77 14.(500 Rock et M k 10 (Ta rge t)

1.03 2.55 2.60 10.100 Rock et Mk 11
0.26 1.70 1.75 13.287 2.2 5' M k 10
0.26 1.66 1.75 14.037 2.2 5' Mk 10. Mk 10 1.
Mk 11 and Mods.

0.26 1.66 1.12 9.250 2.2 5' M k 12. M k 13

and M od i
- — 24.83 39.750 5. 0' M k 1. Mk 1
38.00 59.750 11.75' Mk 1.4 grain s
req uire d for on e
assem bly
— — 8.83 34.000 3.2 5' Mk 7 (Ai rcra ft)
- — 10.38 16.750 5. 0' Mk 3 (H.V .S.R.)
- - 5.83 9.350 5. 0' M k 4 (H.C .S.R .)
2.50 9.950 3.5 0' S.S. Mk 13
5.0* S.S. Mk 5
5. 0' S.S. Mk 6

e e N T O tN T IA L 14?
 Part 2 — Chap ter 5 — Section 2
ARM Y ROCKETS (SERVICE TYPES)
2.36-inch A /T
Service— M 6A I, M6A 3, M6A 4, M6A 5
Practice— M 7 A I, M7A 3, M7A 4. M7A 6
M6A1 and M6A3
Over-all length, inc hes .............................21.6
Tota l weight, poun ds..................... M6A1. 3.4
M6A3 ,19.4
Head length , inch es................................... 8.6
Body lengt h, inch es................................... 4.11
Body diam eter, inc hes ..............................2.23
Body wall thi ckness, inc h........................0.087
Ogive leng th, inches
M6A1 (cone shaped ) ..............................4.5
>16A3 (h em isp he ric al) ..........................4.56
Ogive dia mete r (at flange), inc hes ........2.245
Motor tu be length, i nch es..........................6.32
Motor tube (inne r di am ete r), in ch es .. . .1.06
Motor tube wall thickn ess, inc h.............. 0.095
Maximum range, ya rd s..............................700
Effective range, y ar ds ............................... 300
Muzzle velocity, f t./ se c...............................265
C o lo r.............................................. Olive dra b
Ex plo siv e........................................... Pcntolit e
Gener al: Pill boxes, tank s, and armore d ve­
hicles are prime tar ge ts. The rocket can also
be used in a stat ion ary emplacement for demo­
lition or a s an ant i-ta nk mine o r a booby t rap.
The ro cket ca n p ene trat e t hre e inches of homo­
geneous-steel armo r plate a t all range s and at
angle s of impact as low as 30 degree s, employ­
ing t he shaped -charge explosive.
Lau nche r: The Rocket Launc her M1A1, com­
monly called the “bazooka”, is an electrically
opera ted weapon of the open-tube type, fired
from the shoulder, and weighing 13.26 pounds.
Rocket [jiu nch er M9A1 is simi lar but breaks
down into two sections, each 31 inches long, f or
ease in trans portin g.
150 CO NF IDE NT IAL
Constr uction: The 2.36-inch A/T Rockets
M6A1 a nd M6AS are identical except fo r di ffer­
ence in th e ogive and the tail assembly. In o the r
respec ts the two rockets are similar, consisti ng
of a hollow ogive crimped onto t he body, a body
union fittin g into the base of the body wi th in­
tern al threa ds to receive the motor, and a fuze
which is located in th e fo rward end of the motor
tube. The M6A1 has a conical ogive, wherea s
the M6A3 has a hemi spherical ogive which gives
be tte r pe netrat ion by f ormi ng a s tron ger s tan d­
off piece for t he shaped- charge effect of t he ex­
plosive. M6A4 i s like the M6A3, except th at it
is light er—being made of high -stre ngth al­
loys—and also uses th e Bore-Safe Fuze M400.
The M6A5 uses the Bore-Safe Fuze >1401 an d
has a larg er propellant grain, which eliminate s
the saf ety disk.
Tail assem bly; The >I6A1 has six fins (5>/g
inches long) spot-welded to the nozzle, a steel
cup interna lly threa ded at the forwar d end to
screw onto the motor tube. The M6A3 has a
differ ent ty pe of tail assembly to obtai n fin ar ea
and coun terac t th e chan ge of th e cen ter of gr av­
ity effected by the hemisphe rical nose. This tail
assembly consists of fo ur sh eet-ste el fins 2-5/16
inches long, each of which is curved over an
arc of 90 degree s on i ts outboard edge t o form
a blade. Each fin is joined to the oth er by weld­
ing. with an overlap of approxim ately ’/a inch
to form a c ircul ar dr um which is actuall y n oth ­
ing more than a contin uation of the four fins.
The bases of the fins are spot-welded to the
nozzle. In the M6A5 and M7A6 the free end
of the ignition wire is attac hed to the shroud
tail by a chip-board disk, instead of the tape
on earli er models.
Prop ellan t: The propella nt consists of five
stick s of ballistite . On an average , the propel-
 AR MY ROCKETS (SER VICE )

lan t weig hs app rox ima tely 6 1 ^ gram s, thoug h

it is loaded not by wei ght but ra th er by lengt h
of powde r stick , to keep th e pre ssu re fo r va ri­
ous roun ds at a relativ ely co ns tan t value. The
M6A4 and M6A5 use th e Powd er M7, which
burn s a t a lower tem per atu re, + 120° to *-40° F.
OGIVE-
Fuz e: The fuze fo r the M6A1 an d M6A3 con­
sist s of a stee l firing pin which slips into the
cen tral cav ity o f t he fuze body, whe re it is held
in a rea rw ard position by th e firing-p in spring .
A circ um fere ntia l groove midway down th e
lengt h of th e firing pin receives the saf ety pin,
which ext end s thr ou gh the moto r tub e. When CONE'
the sa fe ty pin is removed, the firing pin is free -BODY
to move forw ard, res tra ine d only by the action K -4 —4 4 - J

of the firing-p in spri ng. Af ter the sa fet y pin BURSTING-

has been removed, th e firing pin will overcome CHARGE
•BO OST ER
the sp rin g and det ona te th e roc ket if it is
dropped ove r fou r feet . T he fuze body conta ins •DETONATOR
the D eton ato r M18 of lead azide and tet ryl , a nd SA FT Y PIN
the boo ster cha rge of tet ry l. BODY-
UNION •FIR ING PIN
Rem ark s: The prac tice roun ds ar e sim ilar to FUZE BODY-
the ir accom panyi ng service round s, exce pt th at
they are inert-l oaded and have a dumm y fuze
or steel wei ght to fill t he empt y fuze space. SAF ETY -
•safety
TUBE
Th e M6A5 and M7A6 have plas tic closing DISK
plugs, mak ing the m wate rpro of rounds . They PROPELLANT
also use the Powd er M7, which bu rns at a lower
tem per atu re, +12 0° to -4 0 ° F.
Th e M6A1 and M7A1 ar e now con sidere d ob­
solete. SOU IB

2.36-inch Smoke {W .P .) MIO . M I0 A I, ■WIRE

MI 0A 2, MI 0A 3
MIO
Over-all leng th, inc he s...............................17.1
Total weig ht, pou nds ............................... .3.4
Leng th of h ead, inc hes .................................51,4
Maximum dia met er, inc hes .......................2.36 ^CONT ACT
Diam eter of head, inc hes ......................... .2.30 GROOVE
W.P. cha rge , gr am s.................................... 405
Bu rst er cha rge, g ra m s.................................... 4
Effec tive ran ge, ya rd s................................. 300
C o lo r..................................Motor—olive dra b Figure 115. 2.36- inch A /T Rocket M6 A1
Head—b lue gre y
Gen eral : Thi s roc ket is desig ned not only as
a scre enin g age nt, bu t also to caus e casua lties.

CO NF ID EN TI AL I5 I
U. S. EXPLOSIVE O RD NA NC E OP 1664

White pho spho rus in smoke form ha s little

effect upon the huma n body, b ut part icle s c ause
small bu ms . Th is rocke t makes an effective
weapon for dislod ging enemy troop s from dug-
out s and foxholes.

Lau nch er: The 2.36-inch Smoke Rocket MIO

is fired from th e Lau nch er Ml At or M9, the
••bazooka.”

Con stru ctio n: The compon ents of this rocke t

are th e moto r and th e head assemb ly. The mo­
tor pre sen tly used is th e M6A1, which is being
replaced by th e M6A3. As new moto rs ar e de­
veloped, it is conte mplat ed th at thi s rocke t will
be modified.
The head assem bly con sist s of a conta iner
for th e smoke cha rge with a long bu rst er well
con tain ing PETN ins ert ed from its af te r end.
A colla r is sold ered to th e base of t he con taine r.
The spac er slips over the thr ead s of the collar
and is held aga ins t th e flat sur fac es of the
collar by t he fuze b ody, f orm ing a join t b etween
th e two. T he prim er holde r is thre aded into the
fuze body.

Tail asse mb ly: The 2.36-inch Smoke Rocket

MIO ha s the sta nd ard tail assemb ly fo r the
M6A1 or MSA3 motor s.

Fuz ing : 'fil e fuze is sim ilar to th at used in the

A/ T Rocket M6A3.

Rem ark s: The M10A1 an d M10A2 di ffer fr om

th e MIO in th e typ e of prop ellan t used. The
M10A1 used the T1E1 Salted Powder, with a
tem per atu re ran ge of 120® to —20® F. The
M10A2 uses the Powd er M7. 120° to -4 0 ° F.
The M10A3 d iffers from th e M10A2 in th at it
uses th e Fuze M401.

Figure 116. 2.36-inch S«»oA« /lock*/ M10A1
2.36-in ch Go s M26
Over-all leng th, inc he s............................17-66
E xc ep t fo r its increa sed leng th, th e 2.36-inch
Gas Rocket M26 is s tru ctu ral ly the same a s the
2.36-inch M10A2. The M26 is filled wit h C.K.
(phosg ene) gas.

152 confi dentia l

 AR MY ROCKE TS (SER VICE )

IGN ITE R

‘-F L A R E ‘-PR O P E LL A N T
GRAI N
fi g u re f l 7 . 3.2 S-in ch Tar get Rocket M 2A 2

3.25-inch Targ et M2 . M 2 A I, M2 A2 Pro pell ant weig ht, pou nds...........................3.2

Over-all leng th, in ch es ..................................59 Range , y a r d s .............................................1,700
Ma xim um veloc ity, ft ./s cc ............................630
W idt h across fins, in ches ................................ 24 Bur ning ti me of Hare, s e c o n d s ........................... 30
Weig ht, po un ds .......................................... 37.5 G en er al : Th is is a high-spe ed ta rg et fo r fili ng

CONFID ENTIAL 153

U. S. EXPLOSIVE O RD N AN CE OP 1664

s t r SCRE W
pra ctic e with auto mat ic A.A. weapons.
Pr op el hn t: The pro pell ant has grai ns five
inc hes long and %-inc h in diam eter , with a ADAPT ER
5/ 16 -inch axia l hole. It is ignit ed by an electric FUZ E W EL L CUP
squib.
BURS TING
CHARGE
M2A1: When a Hare is added to the 3,25-inch
T ar ge t Rocke t M2 for a nt ia irc ra ft ta rg et prac­
tice at nigh t, the res ult ing proje ctile is desig- HEAD
nat ed as the M2A1. Th e flare bu ms f or 30 sec­
ond s f rom th e beginn ing o f flight. PRC FEL LIN G
CHARGE holocr

M2A2: Th is design has a flat nose, to which

is thre ade d a yellow flare fo r both day and
ni gh t trac king . It also has a diffe rent system
for ign ite r con tac t: the lead wires pas s in t ur n
thr ough the nozzle and an inne r fiber closing ------ BUR STE R TUBE
cup and conne ct to a househo ld-type service
plug, which i s held by an ou ter fiber-b oard c los­
ing cup. Th ere are 18 inches of ign ite r cable IGN ITE R BAG

coiled betwe en the closing cups, to allow ample

lead for conn ecting to th e launch er. PROPELLANT
STIC K

4.5-i nch H.E. M8, M 8 A I, M8 A2 , and M8 A3 ;

also Pra ctic e M9, M 9 A I, M 9A 2, and M9 A3
TRAP
Over-all leng th, inc hes .................................. 33 ASSEMBLY
Tot al wei ght, pou nds .................................... 38
H FiN
Head leng th, inc hes ...................................... 7.5
Wall thi ckne ss, in ch ...................................... 0.2 AS SE MB LY
NOZ ZLE
Bu rst er tub e leng th, inc hes .......................15.5
Fin le ngth, inche s........................................4 >4
Bu rst ing cha rge (TN T), pou nds ................ 4.3 FiM RE TA INE R-

Maxim um rang e, ya rd s............................... 4,500

Muzzle velocity, ft ./s ec ............................... 840
Fu zi ng ..................................M4, M4A1, M4A2
Gen eral: The initia l issue of the rocket went
to th e A rmy Ai r Fo rces for proj ectio n f rom ai r­
cr af t launc hers ag ain st groun d ta rg et s; but, in­
asmu ch as the rocke t was origi nally designe d
fo r use from ground launc hers, its use in ai r­
cr af t has been discon tinued .
Co nst ruc tion : T he head is a thin-w alled high-
capa city typ e, rounded at the nose to form the
ogive, thre aded at th e nose to tak e th e fuze
ada pte r, and thre ade d exte rnal ly af t to fit into
the motor, A b ur ste r tub e is fitted to the head
and exten ds down into th e mot or, a des ign which
Figure 118. 4.5-4nch H.E. Roclei M8
utiliz es the moto r tub e for addit ional fra g­
men ts, since the bu rs te r tub e as well as the
head itse lf is loaded with TNT.
The moto r is a stee l tub e of unifo rm diam ­
et er exce pt a t the a ft er end, where i t c ons tric ts
and then flares to form the nozzle. The moto r
house s t he tra p assem bly, which c onsi sts o f t en
wires runn ing from th e tra p plate on th e for ­
ward end to the tr ap rin g on th e af te r end-
The tra p assemb ly holds the thi rty stic ks of
prope llant and f its a roun d the b urs ter t ube. The
motor tub e is thr ead ed inte rna lly forw ard to
take the head, and ju st ab aft thi s th re ad is a
groove which weak ens th e tub e to provide a

154 CONF tOTN TtAL


saf ety sh ea r poi nt, should the mot or pres sure
become too grea t.
The fin assem bly for the rocke t opens and
guide s the r ock et in f light only a ft er th e rocket
has cleared the launc her. The fins of the as ­
sembl y are held in place by th e fin reta iner ,
which is expelled by th e blas t of the eseapin g
gas . Af ter clea ring the launch er, the fins snap
to t he ir ou tst ret che d po sition. T her e ar e six fins.
The M8A1 involved a chan ge in th e design
of the mo tor tub e to str eng the n it on the
threa ded end. The head of the M8 w as used by
machin ing new base t hre ads . Te sts on th e M8A1
indicate d th at the base of the modified head
was weak, and a new head was designe d for
use with the mot or of the M8A1. This rocket,
th e M8A2, will supe rsede the M8 and M8A1.
The M8A3 is a modification of the M8A2 made
by th e addi tion of a locking bu rr to each fin
blade to as sis t in rigidl y mai ntai ning the fin
in full open position du rin g flight.
Prop ella nt: The prop ellan t con sist s of 30
stic ks o f b allis tite. E ach stick is five inc hes lon g
and % inch in dia me ter with a Vi-inch axial
hole. T hre e s tick s are placed on each tra p wire,
and the re is sufficient clearan ce betwe en the
stic ks and the wire to allow bur nin g of the
inner stic k wall simu ltaneo usly with the bur n­
ing of the ou ter wall. Two igni ter- hag asse m­
blies are b ound on two opposite column s o f the
propellan t. The bags as sis t the igniti on of the
prope llant by catc hing the flame of th e ign iter
and, in t urn , ig nit ing the upper prop ellan t sticks .
Prac tice Roc kets M9, M9A1» M9A2, M9A3:
These rock ets are sim ilar in design and con­
stru ctio n to th e M8 serie s, lacking only the e x­
plosive c har ge and live fuze. The Fuze Ml and
boost er may be assem bled and used in the M9
as a spo ttin g charg e.
4.5-inch H.E. S.S. M l 6, M I6 E I, and M I6 E2 ;
also Practice M l 7. M l7 E l, a n d M I7 E2 : also
M20 and M 2 1
Ml 6
Over-all leng th, inc hes .................................. 31
Total weig ht, pou nds ...................................42.5
Head le ngth (wi th bu rst er tub e),
in c h e s.................................................... 23.29
CO NF ID EN TIA L
AR MY ROCKETS (SERV ICE)
TNT cha rge , pou nds ........................, ......... 4.3
Range , y a r d s ............................................ 5.250
Maximum velocity, ft ./s ec ........................ .830
Fuz ing ........................................................M81
Descr iption : The head, loaded with high ex­
plosive. c ont ain s a fuze-well cup and a bu rst er
tub e. T he b u rs te r tub e p roje cts abo ut 15 inches
into the cen ter of the rocket mot or to secu re
additio nal frag me nta tion . The mot or body is a
steel tub e thr ead ed at each end to receive the
head and the nozzle pla te, which cont ains eigh t
nozzles equally spaced in a circle and o ne nozzle
in the cen ter. The eig ht nozzles are se t at an
angle in ord er to im par t rota tion to the round
when fired. The cen ter nozzle is norm ally closed
by a blowout disc which is desi gned to fa il when
th e int ern al pre ssu re in th e body sur pas ses a
pred eter min ed limit. The nozzle openin gs are
prot ecte d by a plastic sealin g disc which re­
mains in place d urin g fi ring and is blown out by
th e rock et blast.
Pro pe lla nt: T he propelling cha rge co nsist s of
30 gra ins of ball istit e st ru ng on wires of a
cage-like tra p. The ign ite r cons ists of a cha rge
of black powder enclosed in a plasti c tub e at ­
tache d to the tra p and run nin g the lengt h of
th e char ge. The tub e also con tain s an electric
squib. Th e leads of the squib p ass thr oug h one
of the nozzles, one lead being ground ed to the
motor body and the ot he r connecte d to a con­
tac t ring.
M20: The M20 is sim ilar in desig n and con­
stru ctio n to th e M16, d ifferi ng only in th at the
ignit ion wire s are att ach ed to spools ra th er
tha n cont act rings.
Pra ctic e Rock ets M17 and >121: These are
sim ilar in design and con stru ctio n to the H.E.
rounds, bu t lack the explosive cha rge and the
live fu ze.
The M16E1 has a deep er fuze cav ity for the
V.T. Fuze M4O2 (Mk 173). Shipped with these
rock ets is a supp lem enta ry cha rge to fill pa rt
of thi s cav ity in c ase th e Fuzes MSI or M48A2
ar e used.
The M16K2 is like th e M16K1, exce pt th at
purge pellets of 41 IE composition have been
added to elim inat e chun ks in burn ing.
155
U. S. EXPLOSIVE OR DN AN CE OP 1664

5-inch A.R. 7.2- inch Ch em ica l M 2 5 and M 27

T h e A rm y is c u rr e n tl y us in g th e N a v y -d e ­ In th e 7. 2- in ch siz e, th e A rm y has st an d ar d ­
si gn ed 5- in ch a ir c r a ft ro ck ets . See Se cti on 1 o f iz ed t h e c h e m ic a l r o u n d d e s ig n e d by t h e N a v y .
th is ch ap te r. See N a v y ch em ic al w a rf a re ro ck et , pag es 178
an d 17 9.

AD AP TE R
FUZE
SET SCREW
FUZ E WELL

BURSTING
HE AD CHAR GE

tr ap plate

IG N IT E R

BURSTER TU8E MO TO R BODY

PR OP ELL ING
CHARGE

SAFETY SHORTING
ST RI P AND
TAG

TRA P RING

SAFETY PLUG-
IG N IT IO N LEADS
NO ZZL ES
CON TACT RI N G S

SE A LI N G D IS C

Figure J19. 4.5-JacA H.E. S.S. Rockei M l6

156 confcentiail
 Par t 2 — Ch ap ter 5 — Sectio n 3

SOME AR MY DEVEL OPME NTAL TYPES

2.36-inch Smoke T -27 EI

Over-all length , inch es.............................. 16.1
Total weight , pound s................... 3.4
Length of head, inch es................................4.5
H.C. smoke charge , pou nd............................ 1.0
Gener al: This rocket is generall y simil ar to
the oth er smoke rocke ts in thi s scries , differ­
ing m ainly in its payload. I t also diff ers in that
it has a circle of smoke port s in the base of
the head, which allow the H.C. smoke to be
blown out of the head on impact. Pre ssu re of
the H.C. smoke blows out the port cove rs aft er
the base fuze sets off the H.C. gas. The 1I.C.
smoke will issue f or one mi nute aft er impact.
2.36-inch Ince ndia ry T3 I
Over-all length , inc hes .............................. 17.7
Total weigh t, po unds ....................................3.4
Length of head, inch es................................ 1.1
The rmi te filler, p oun ds................................ 1.1
Genera l: The T31 is like the oth er 2.36-inch
chemical load rockets, using th e same motor and
fuzing as the MIO. It has, however, a much
sho rter head. On impact, it igni tes and burns,
producing extre me heat. It is cur ren tly issued
for pract ice only.
4.5-inch H.E. $,$, T22 and Pract ice T46
General; These rocke ts have the heavi er shell
of the MSA2 and M9A2. Also, the moto r tube
ia fu rth er stre ngt hen ed and the assembl y of
the fins slig htly changed. The igni ter is loaded
in a tube atta che d to the trap , exten ding the
length of the propel lant charge. Its safe tem­
peratu re ran ge: -2 0 ° to +12 0° F.
3-5-inch A /T T80 an d Prac tice T85
Over-all leng th, inc hes ............................ 26.3
Weight o f head, pound s...........................5.11 Figu re 120. 3.5 -inc h A /T Reckef T80

747111O »» -------11 CO NF IDE NT IAL 157

U. S. EXPLOSIVE O RD NA NC E OP 1664

65/35 Cyclotal cha rge , p oun ds...................1.82 and 1.22 inches outsid e diam eter , 20.6 inches
Length of motor, inc hes .............................15.6 long, are mounted in two bank s of six each on
Fuzing .................................................. T160E1 the ba rs of a cage-like suppo rt.

Gen eral: This design is main ly a lar ger ty pe Ign ite r: An electric squib and 2 -f t ounces
of the 2.36-inch A /T model, with improv ements . of black powde r ar e assemble d in a plastic tube
It has th e shaped -eharg e explosive for pene­ 6-'5/i inches long and one inch i n d iam eter . This
tra tio n. It also has a more efficient propell ant tube is suspend ed from the end of the proiwl-
an d an all-wa ys-a?ti on fuze. Perfo rman ce tes ts
ar e still bein g conducte d. It is the larg est of the
shoulde r-fired rocket s.

Prop ellan t: T her e a re 12 stick s of powder five

inches long and 0.375 inch in dia me ter ; tota l
weight . 160 grams . The ign ite r is c onventiona l.

4.5-inch H. E. -A .R . T83 and Practice T87

Over-all leng th, inc hes ............................ 75.88
Total weigh t, pou nds .................................... 98
Head l eng th, inc hes ...................................16.68
Weig ht of charg e, pou nds ..........................8.8
Range, y a r d s .............................................1,500
Fuzing ................................................. Mk 149

Gene ral: This is one of the *'fixed-fin** typ e

of 1.5-inch rocket s, the oth er being the S.A.P.
round. It is a high-v elocity rocke t, fired from
th e zero-lengt h launch ers.

Head: The high-ex plosive head T2O02 is thin -

walled and has an ad ap ter and fuze-s eat line r
fo r the N ose Fuze Mk 149. An Auxilia ry Booster
Aik 3 Mod 1 is shipped in th e f uze sea t, p rotect ed
by a chipboa rd disc and a shipp ing plug.

.Motor: The T2000 moto r is connected to the

head by a steel coupling, thre ade d inter nally .
Th e mot or tub e is con stric ted at the rea r to
form the nozzle. L ug bands are one but ton- type
band and one zero-len gth band, 45.53 inches
and 10.25 inches respe ctively from the base
of t he rocket.

Tail : Th e T2000 t ail assem bly—four flat fins

mounted radially on a metal sleeve—is secured
to the nozzle by a thr ead ed re tai ne r coupling.

Pro pell ant: Twelve sing le-p erfor ated stic ks Frgure 121. 43 -in eh A.R. — H.E. T63 (ab ov e) ord
of powder havin g 7/1 6 inches inside dia met er S.A.P. 778 (be low )

158 CONROENHAL
 AR MY ROCKETS (DEV ELO PME NTA L)

lan t in the cen ter of th e t ube. The igni tion wires

pass to th e re ar thro ugh a plas tic closing cap
cemen ted in the th ro at o f the nozzle. The y ter ­
min ate in a phon e-typ e plug. Abou t two fee t
of ign ite r cable are held in th e flare of the
nozzle b y a fiber cap cemente d in place.

Pra ctic e rou nd: The T87—T2003 head and

T2000 m otor— is like th e T83 ex cept fo r t he live
fuze and explosives , fo r which ine rt sub sti tut es
are provided.

4.5-inch S.A .P. -A. R. T78 and Practice T86

Over-all leng th, inch es............................ 70.89
Total weig ht, pou nds .................................... $8
Head len gth , inc hes ...................................15.0
Wei ght of cha rge, pou nds .......................... 2.8
Range, y a r d s .............................................1.500
F uz in g........................................................ T156

Gen eral: Thia is ano the r “fixed-fin” 4.5-inch

rocket. A high- veloci ty ai rc ra ft rock et, i t is fired
from the zero-l ength launch ers.
Head: Thi s S.A.P. Head T2000 is of heavy-
walled con stru ctio n and thre aded a t the base
to receive th e mo tor tu be.

Moto r: Th is round uses th e same mot or and

fin assembl y as ar e found on the T83 round.
It als o uses th e same prope llant and igni ter. The
Pract ice Round T86, T20O1 Head, is ine rt fuzed
and loaded.
4.5-inch H.E . S.S. TI 60 and Practice T I6 I
Over-all length
Wit hou t fuze, inc hes ............................30.07
TNT cha rge , pou nds.............................. ?. .6.0
F u zi n g ............................M81 or M402 (V.T.)
Ge ner al: Because of i ts mo re efficient propel ­
lant, thi s round is expecte d to be a more power­
ful, l onge r-ran ge rocke t. Exce pt for the propel­
lant. it is o f convent ional Army design .
Pro pel lan t: Seven cylindr ical powder stick s,
13.5 inches long and 1.35 inche s in diam eter,
furn ish th e power. The grid type of sup por t
is used ins tea d of the convent ional tra p, and
the ign ite r is housed aga ins t th e mo tor wall.
Figure 122. 4.i-inz/i H.E. S.S. Rocket T160
inst ead of being placed in the ce nte r. Safe tem­
pe ra tu re lim its for th is round ar e from —20°
F. to +12 0' 5 F.
7.2-inch H.E . T24
See Navy 7.2-inch chemical wa rfa re rocket,
p. 178.
7.2-inch D.R. T37 and T88
See Na vy 7.2-i nch demol ition rock et, p. 176.
8-inch D.R. T25
Over-all len gth , inc he s.............................60.25
Tota l weig ht, pou nds ...................................137
Head leng th, inc hes .................................... 27.5

CO NF ID EN TIA L 159
U .S . EXPLOSIVE O R D N AN C E OP 1664

F il le r.................... . . . .T NT or 50/ 50 Amatol
W ei gh t o f filler, po un ds ................................... 58
Range, y a r d s ...............................................550
Fuze ............................................................ T20
Gen eral : This round is a modified 100-pound
G.P. bomb faste ned to a 4.5-inch rock et moto r.
bomb, a nd a mot or ad ap ter s ub sti tut ed for the
base plug. The mot or is th e sta nd ard typ e fo r
the 4.5-inch Arm y folding-fin type of rocke t,
modified to tak e th e special box-t ype fin. The
fuze se at in the bo mb is modified to receive th e
Poin t D eton atin g F uze T20.

Con stru ctio n: Susp ensio n lugs and base plug La unc her : The me tal c rat e in which th e r ound
are removed fro m the standard 100-pound is shipp ed serv es as an exj>endable la uncher .

H.E. S.S. 2 1-cm T 36 and Pra cti ce T45

Over-all length , inc he s........................... 48.86
Weig ht, po un ds ....................................... 91.75
F u zi ng ............................................M61 (M81)

Gen eral : This round is a copy of th e Germ an

rock et of the same typ e. At pres ent, per for m­
ance te sts are being conduc ted by th e Army
Ordnan ce Dep artm ent. It is of convention al
str uc tur e, wit h t he art ille rv- typ e fuze.

Figure 123. 21-c m H.E. S.S. Roc iet T36

160 CONFID ENTIAL

 Part 2 — Chapter 5 — Section 4

NAVY ROCKETS

2.25- in ch A ss em bl ies

Moto r Appr oxima te

Hea d Velo city
Tra jec tor y of

2.2 5' Mk 10 o r 11 2.2 5' M k 1 or 3 (1.61 b.) 1150 ft ./sec . 3. 5' Rock et (3 .25 ' Mo tor )
2.2 5' Mk 12 o r 13 2.2 5' Mk 1 or 3 (1.61 b.) 810 ft ./sec. 5. 0' Roc ket (3. 25 ' M oto r)
2.2 5' Mk 10 or 11 2.25’ Mk 2 (8.6 lb.) 810 ft. .'sec. 5. 0' Roc ket (3. 25 ' M oto r)

CC «M C< 0« a «oo I
C »K I »lu C

•- » . W T . l t M « rQ t . . I . .. . It o

Figure 124. 2.25-in ch A.R., Practice

2.25- inch A. R. Pra ctic e
Gene ral: The 2.25-inch sub-cali ber rocket fo r
air cra ft was developed for tra ini ng purposes.
Initia lly, two type s were designed to approxi ­
mate the t raj ec tor y of the 3.5-inch and 5.0-inch
rock ets; however, only the Motor Mk 11 and the
Head Mk 3 Mod 2 will be used in fut ure train ing.
The Mk 1, a Californi a Ins tit ute of Technol­
ogy production , was issued until adopted and
issued by Bureau of Ordnance as th e Mk 3
Mod 2. The Mk 2, a Califo rnia Ins tit ute of Tech­
nology pro duction, was designed as a slow sub­
calibe r rocket. The complete assembly for the
lat ter is no longer available.

CONFIDE NTIAL 161

U. S. EXPLOSIVE O RD NA NC E
T he 2.25-inch Motors ML 10 and Mk 11 are
sim ila r to each oth er, as ar e the 2.25- indl
Moto rs Mk 12 and Mk 1$. The Motors Mk 10
and Mk 11 differ from the Mk 12 and Mk 13
in th a t the d iam eter o f the nozzle on the la tte r
is sma ller and the wei ght of the prop ellan t of
th e Mk 10 a nd Mk 11 is 1.75 pounds, as com­
pare d to the weigh t of 1.12 pound s in the Mk
12 and Mk 13.
Th e ext ern al dimens ions of the se rock ets are
the same. Fo r recogn ition purpose s, the 2.25-
Figu re 125. 3.2 5-i nc h Ta rge t Rocket
3.25-inch Targets
Ge ner al: As a ta rg et fo r an tia irc ra ft gunne rs,
the rocke t is pr oject ed with speeds a ppr oxim at­
ing tho se of an air cr af t. It co nsist s of a rocket
propul sive un it to w hich are a tta ch ed large sta ­
bilizin g fins, for maxi mum visibilit y. Rocket
ta rg et s are refe rred to by th ei r assemb ly num ­
ber as indica ted in the accom panying table.
The y all cons ist of a simple rocke t mot or with
th re e large fins prep ared from wooden fram es
and ligh t-we ight fiber board. The fins arc 120
deg ree s ap art , each atta che d by two lugs.
162 CO NF ID EN TI AL
OP 1664
inch motor s Mk 10 an d Mk 11 are pain ted white
with black fins, while t h e Motors Mk 12 an d Mk
13 are gre y with black fins-
Motor Mk 11 and Head Mk 3 Mod 2: Over-all
leng th of the rock et is 29 inches. Two button -
typ e lugs a re p rovided on the moto r tub e, spaced
appr oxim ately 19 inches ap art . Four fins a it
welded to the af te r end of the mot or tube. The
prop ellan t is a cylind rical gra in of ball istit e
■weighing ap prox imat ely l- % pounds.
The 3.25-inch Rocke t Ta rg ets Mk 1 and Mk
2 cons ist of a mo tor 36 inch es long, t o which fins
18 inches by 34 inche s are atta che d. An elec­
tric al connection is made by a sta nda rd 110-
volt plug. The 3.25-inch Ta rge t Rocket Mk 1
is stan dard ized at 425 m.p.h. and the Mk 2
at 300 m.p.h. On some models, a scre ame r is
pu t over the nose end.
The Mks 3 and 4 diffe r from Mks 1 and 2
in th at the moto r is hea vie r and the fins are
held on by thr ead ed stu ds inst ead of lugs-
The ballisti cs are sim ila r; Mk 3 is like Mk 1.
and Mk 4 is like Mk 2.
 NA VY ROCKETS

3.2 5- inc h T arge t Asse mb lie s

Ini tia l
Assembly Maximum
Mark Velocity Range Motor Fin Flare
Number Elevation
fm.p.h.)

1 3.2 5' RT001 425 — — Mk 8 Mk 1 Flare

1 3.2 5' RT002 425 — — Mk 8 Mk 1 None

2 3.2 5' RT003 300 — M k9 Mk 1 Flare

2 3.2 5' RT004 300 — — Mk 9 Mk 1 None

3 3.25’ RT005 425 4500 1600 Mk 10 Mod 0 Mk 2 Mod 0 Mk 1 all

Mods
3 3.2 5' RT006 425 5000 1750 Mk 10 Mod 0 Mk 2 Mod 0 None

4 3.25’ RT007 300 3100 950 Mk 11 ModO Mk 2 Mod 0 Mk 1 all

Mods
4 3.2 5' RT008 300 3400 1050 Mk 11 ModO Mk 2 Mod 0 None

3.5-inch W ind ow
Head Mk 10, Motor Mk 12
Over-all len gth , inches (a pp ro x. )............. 45.1
Weig ht, p o u n d s............................................. 32
Head len gth , inc he s.................................... 23.2
Head we igh t, po unds (lo ade d)................. 14.25
Motor le ngt h, i nc he s.......................................23
Motor dia me ter, i nc he s.............................. 3.25
Wid th of tail fins, inc he s.............................9.2
Len gth of t ai l fins, inc hes .............................8.0
f u z e ...................................... Base Fuze Mk 134
Gen eral : The window rocket is desig ned to
be fired from Naval vessel s equipped with a
modification of th e pre sen t shipb oard launc her.
The roun d ca rri es a payload of paper -coate d
meta l foil str ip s which are sca tter ed in the ai r
by a delay ed-ac tion char ge. The payload is
ejec ted a t an alt itu de of 1,200 fe et and rang e
of 2,000 yar ds a t 40* elev ation.
Desc ripti on: The window roc ket cons ists of
a 3.5-inch Rock et Head Mk 10 Mod 0, Mk 11
Mod 0, o r Mk 15 Mod 0 and a 3.25-inch Rocke t
Motor Mk 12 Mod 0, Mk 14 Mod 0, or Mk 14
Mod 1. Th e mo tor uses th e pro pell ant gra in Mk
7 Mod 1, weig hing 2.80 pounds.
The rocke t head con tain s a 3.5-inch rocke t-
head load—Mk 2. Mk 3, Mk 4. Mk 5. o r Mk 8
—which is housed in a spli t s teel ejec tion liner.
It has a closu re ad ap ter on the af te r end, an
ob tu ra to r cup for seal ing the fr on t end. and a
solid wood ogive cap reta ine d by th re e alum i­
num riv ets in the Mk 10, hollow stee l frict ion
fit in the Mk 14 a nd MTt 15. Th e clo sure ada pte r,
which is welded t o th e af te r e nd, car rie s a cop­
pe r dia phr agm plate with a firing pin, and also
serv es as a cha mb er for the Cal. 32 blank car­
trid ge which ign ites th e fuze. Th e Fuze Mk 134
cons ists of a plas tic case con tain ing a lengt h
of Ens ign Bickford fus e and a 20-g ram eje cto r
ch arg e of black powder.

CO NF ID EN TI AL 161
U. S. EXPLOSIVE ORD NAN CE OP 1664

Fi tju /e 126. 3.6 -tn cti Wi nd ow Rocket

from the car trid ge i gni tes th e fu se, w hich b urns

Rocket Length Number for 15 seconds and then ignit es the black-pow­
Body Load of Strips of Strips der ejectio n charg e. The firing of the eje cto r
cha rge forces off the ogive cap and push es the
Mk 1 Mod 0 10’ 5,868 load forw ard ou t of th e head. The str ip s are
15* 2.904 the n dispers ed.
Mk 2 Mod 0 7.5 ' 17,544 Rem arks : The Motors Mk 12 Mod 0 a nd Mk
Mk 3 Mod 0 12.5' 5.310 14 Mod 0 c arr y adj ust abl e lug band s: th e lugs
15.5' 3.462 are welded to the Moto r Mk 14 Mod 1. The Mk
14 Mod 0 a nd Mk 14 Mod 1 have a metal base
Mk 4 Mod 0 6' 11.676 cap durin g shipp ing, to pro tect the electrical
9' 5.868
connector.
The Head Mk 15 Mod 0 is one inch long er tha n
Mk 5 Mod 0 1.87* 76.800
the Head Mk 14 Mod 0.
Mk 8 Mod 0 400 ft. 12 rolls
3.5-inch Flor e
All str ip s are 3/1 6 inches wide and 0.003
inches thick except th e Mk 8, which is •/> inch 3.5-in ch Head Mk 14 Mod 0
wide. Overall leng th, inches (a pp ro x.) ...............47
Total wei ght, pou nds .................................. 33-5
Op era tion : When th e rocke t is fired, gas p res­ Head leng th, inc he s...................................... 23
su re blows o ut the forw ard closur e disc of th e Head weight, pou nds .................................. 16.5
moto r and exe rts force on the d iaph ragm plate Motor leng th, inch es. .................................24.5'
in th e base o f the moto r ada pte r. T he diap hrag m Motor diam eter, inc hes .............................. 3.25
collapses, and the firin g pin is forced into the Fuze (Head Mk 1 4) ........... Base Fuze Mk 131
prim er, firing the blank car trid ge. The flash Fuze (Head Mk 1 5) ........... Base Fu ze Mk 128

164 CONF IDEN TIAL

 NAVY ROCKETS

Gen eral: Th e 3.5-inch roc ket flare was devel­ Ope rati on: Thi s rocke t is si mil ar to t he Win­
oped for use from sur fac e ships, par ticu larl y dow r ock et in operat ion.
mot or t orpe do boats . T he il lum inan t c andle pro­
duces an ave rag e of 800,000 eandle ,lower for SHIPPING
appr oxim ately twe nty- nine sec onds. Th e rocket
mot or ca rri es the flare ou t 1,800 yar ds before DIAPHRAGM
FIR ING PIN
ignitio n.
MOTOR
The flare cons ists of th e following m ajo r com­
pon ents : 3.25-inch Motor Mk 12 Mod 0, Mk 14 FUZE M KI 34
Mod 0, or Mk 14 Mod 1; S.5-inch Head Mk 10 MOO O
Mod 0, Mk 14 Mod 0, or Mk 15 Mod 0; and Body CAL 32
Load (F lar e) Mk 7 Mod 0. CARTR IDGE
IL LU M IN AN T
Head : All the heads ar e inte rcha nge able and CA ND LE
differ only in mino r deta ils. The 3.5-inch Head
Mk 10 Mod 0 has a wooden nose piece held in
place by t hr ee sh ea r pins, while t he Mk 14 Mod
0 and Mk 15 Mod 0 have a she et-m etal nose piece
press- fitted in place. The Mk 15 Mod 0 is one
inch long er tha n th e oth er two.
The head cons ists of a 3.25-inch seamless
steel tube which inco rpora tes a 3.5-inch diam ­
ete r closu re ad ap ter welded to th e af te r end.
This closure ad ap ter car rie s a cop per di aphr agm
plate with a firing pin, an d serv es as a c ham ber
for the cali ber .32 blank car trid ge which ig­
nite s th e fuze. The balance of the head is ta ken
up by the can dle and par ach ute from the 4-inch
illum inat ing proje ctile , the compo sition of th e
candle slig htly chang ed to incr ease th e candle-
power in th e sh or ter b urn ing time .

Moto rs: The thr ee mot ors ar e sim ilar and

inte rcha ngea ble. The princip al dist ing uish ing TU BE
fea tur e of the 3.25-inch Motor Mk 14 Mod 1 is
the use of welded-on laun cher lugs repla cing the PAR ACH UTE
AND SHROUDS
lug bands employed on th e ear lier models. The
moto r hou sing is a 3.25-inch seaml ess s teel tube CLOSING
con tain ing a forw ard closure disc, Ign ite r Mk NOSE
11 Mod 0, Tu bul ar Bal list ite Grain Mk 7 Mod I
(2.8 pou nds ), steel grid , welded nozzle, and Figure 126A. 3.5-inefe Roefcef Ftare
pigtail . Fo ur tail fins, thre e inches by eig ht
inches, ar e m ounted on a sleeve fixed to th e af te r
end. A th rea d pro tec tor on th e forw ard end and
shipp ing cover taped on the af te r end pro tect
the mot or in ship men t. The 3.25-inch Motor
Mk 12 Mod 0 does not have a ship ping cover
on the af te r end.

CONF IDENT IAL 165

U. $. EXPLOSIVE O RD NA NC E___________________________________________________ OP 1664

3.5 - inc ii and 5 .0- inc h A .R. w it h 3.25- inc h M ot or s —Asse mb lie s

Head Filling Head Total Total

Head Weight Weight Length Weight Length Fazing
fpoundx) (pounds) (inche s) (pounds) (inche s)

3 .5 ' Mks 1. 2 30.0 Non e 9.7 53.8 54.7 None

3 .5 ' Mks 3. 5 19.9 2.2 13.8 53.7 58.9 Mk 148. Mk 149
3 .5 ' Mk 4 20.2 1.0 13.4 53.9 58.5 Mk 146

3. 5' Mk 6 20.0 9.4 21.2 53.8 63.0 Mk 155

3 . 5 ' Mk 9 20.0 9.4 19.6 53.0 66.5 Mk 149. Mk 148

3. 5’ Mk 8 20.0 0.0 11.75 53.8 57.75 Non e

5. 0' Mk 1 46.5 8.6 19.7 80.3 61.8 Mk 148. M k 149. M k 146.
Mk 157. Mk 165

Motor: AU heads U9e Hie 3.25-in ch Moto r Mk 7.

Itockct Length: 46 inches ; Rocket W'cighl: 33.8 pounds

Figure J27. 3.5-inch A.R. (H ead Mh 6 )

166 CONF IDENT IAL


3.5-inch an d 5.0-inch A.R. with 3.25-inch
Mot ors
Gen era li The 3.5-inch roc ket s were design ed
to be used ag ain st sma ller ta rg ets , such as sub­
mar ines and tan ks, f o r lar ge r ta rg et s, th e 5.0-
inch rocke t was developed from the 5-inc h an ti­
ai rc ra ft shell. The 3.5-inch Solid Head Mk 8
and th e 3.5-inch F-S. and P.W.P. Smoke-Filled
Head s Mk 6 ar e th e only ones now’ bei ng issued.
The 3.5-inch H.E . heads were replace d by the
5.0-inch head s. The form er were neve r issued,
because of th e small load of TNT carr ied, as
compared t o t he 5.0-inch heads .
H eads
3.5-inch Mks 1 and 2: The hea d is of solid
steel and con tain s no high explosi ve or fuze.
The shap e of th e round gives a relati vely long
und erw ate r trav el a t shallow dept h-of -ent ry an­
gles (abo ut 20 deg ree s), and it is used as a
semi -arm or-pi ercin g pro ject ile ag ain st subm a­
rin es or tan ks. The Mk 1 was the Calif ornia
In sti tu te of Technology produ ction which was
adopte d by Burea u of O rdnance and desi gnat ed
th e Mk 2.
Figure 128. 3.S-ii>ch A.R . (H eo d Mk 8)
CO NF ID EN TI AL
NAVY ROCKETS
3.5-inch Mks 3 and 5: The he ad is filled with
TNT and fitted with an ad ap ter in th e nose
to tak e the Fuze Mk 149. With a se cond a dap ter,
the dia me ter is reduced to 1.5 inches to tak e
the Fuze Mk 148. Th ese rou nds were no t issu ed
and wer e replaced by the 5.0-inch head s, which
conta in a gr ea te r load o f h igh explosive.
3.5-inch Mk 4: The head ha s a semi-a rmor-
pierc ing nose an d is filled wi th T NT. T his round
was no t issued , becau se of the small load of
high explosive , and was replaced by t he 5.0-inch
heads.
3.5-inch Mks 6 an d 9 : The head is filled with
F.S. or P.W.P. smoke . The Mk 9. th e initi al
Cali forn ia In sti tu te of Technolo gy produc tion,
was no t issued. Th e Burea u of Ordna nce, in
ado ptin g th is head, increa sed the leng th 1-1/2
inche s a nd issued th e round as th e Mk 6.
3.5-inch Mk 8: The head is of solid steel and
cont ains no high explosiv e or fuze. The round
was developed to give b et te r u nd erw ate r trav el,
and repla ces th e 3.5-inch Head Mk 2.
167
U. S. EXPLOSIVE O RD N AN CE OP 1664

5. 0- in ch M k 1 Mo d 0 : T h e h e ad is fille d w it h
T N T a nd w e ig h s 46 .5 p o u n d s w h e n fi tt ed w it h a
F u z e Mk 14 3. Th e s a m e a d a p te r ri n g s a re us ed
a s o n th e 8. 5- in ch H ea d M k 5. T h e h ea d is
is su e d w it h a no se pl ug . T h e no se fu z e m u st
a lw a y s be as se m b le d in th e h e ad b ef o re fir in g.
F ir e w it h t h e fu ze on " s a f e ” if de la y is de si re d.
T h e he ad is sh ip pe d w it h t h e b as e fu ze se al ed
in pl ac e. T h is b as e fu z e m u s t n o t be re m ov ed .
5. 0- in ch M k 1 .Mod 1 : T h is h e ad d if fe rs fr o m
t h e 5. 0- in ch H ea d Mk 1 Mo d 0 on ly in t h a t th e
n o se is es pe ci al ly c a v it a te d to ta k e th e Fu ze
M k 172 M od 0, w hi ch is La rge r th a n th e Mk 119
o r o th e r no se fu ze s a n d th e r e f o r e is n o t in te r ­
c h a n g e a b le w it h th e m .
M otor
T h e 3. 25 -in ch M o to r Mk 7 is us ed w it h th e
3. 5- an d 5. 0- in ch h e a d s d e sc ri b e d ab ov e. A t th e
fo rw a rd e n d o f th e m o to r a r e a bl ac k- po w de r
ig n it e r an d a n e le c tr ic sq u ib . T w o el ec tr ic le ad s
e x te n d th ro u g h th e m o to r a n d o u t th e a f t e r e n d
to a ca bl e a n d p lu g co n n ec ti o n. A t th e a f t e r
en d o f th e m o to r, t h e r e a r e a no zz le an d a b a g
o f si li ca ge l w hi ch a c ts a s a d e h y d ra ti n g a g e n t
in k e ep in g m o is tu re fr o m th e b a ll is ti te g ra in .
T h e g ra in us ed in th e c ru c if o rm ty p e w it h
in h ib it o rs , 33 in ch es lo ng . 2. 75 in ch es in d ia m ­
e te r . a n d w ei g hi ng 8.5 po un ds .
T h e ta il c o n si st s o f fo u r s h e e t- m e ta l fi ns s e t
90 ° a p a r t an d w el de d to a c e n tr a l cy li n d er . T h e
ta il is sl ip pe d o v e r th e a f t e r en d o f th e m o to r
an d is se c u re d by a ta il lo ck in g ri n g , w hi ch
sc re w s on .
R e m a rk s : T h e 3. 5- in ch (H .E . a n d E. S. ) h a v e
a m ax im u m ve lo ci ty o f 1,2 00 ft ./ s e c . ex cl us iv e
o f pl an e sp ee d, a s c o m p ar ed to 80 0 f t. /s e c . f o r
th e 5. 0- in ch H .E .
T h e 3. 5- in ch H ea d s Mk 11, in ce n d ia ry , a n d
Mk 12, g a s, w er e n e v e r lo ad ed .

lllOMA, <0—««M . .I . • -00 ,

•r-ibcc
lit.

N O M U IO I O t.iN » " li 1C M O O 0

!« < !» -O IO * - A i r • -0 0 •

i Ca. i ' , i m .< « n *< > :• ,

•co—
1 U II O M IU O CANS

’ll,* * » * W III

»mt A»A»ni

■O X X I

I a i, •!* .«
* * a <i .
IH O .H M C C li c
tnt
«<x«
l i l l O l i l l lillio O
■ O K I ' •■ « *# m a , ■ < MO O t
lu ll M A H « • MO O 1

Figu re 129. 5.0 -inc h A. R. with 3.2 5-in ch M ot or

168 CO NF ID EN TI AL
 NA VY ROCKETS

•a iO C iil K l« n w i n i w o e i • lO M a il a ’ « ■ * M a la a
ci on•>
■<>«rn • MAI I a a Q O , I

a«o
' • 0 ~ ' -O 'C H

• * i i ( l l . O V n l I M IN O IC 4 « * « 3 M O u a

•N tH iM T • O O ft M « U ( I w oo ■ ►Mt l~» O« .0
w o t . i lud -J
• O U t l l » H u u a >ia t>0 » » n i io<aii u o io i « * « « -a s «

Figure 130. 4.5-inc h B.R. (H ea d Mk 3)

r t t « 0 < i| l “ O'Ca maM » - o o I " O U il UO m i i

a"i lO C ia i -a At , la aa a a» aa O » • H » ►»* tMLA l la .L t*

Figure 131. 4.S-inch B.R. (H ea d Mk 10)

CO NF ID EN TIA L 169
U .S . EXPLOSIVE O RD NA NC E OP 1664

4.5- inch B.R. nozzle connect to th e two sh roud s. T he forw ard

With Head Mk 3
Over-all length , in ch es................................ 30.0
Total weigh t, p oun ds.................................. 28.7
Head le ngt h, inc he s.................................... 13.0
Head weight, pou nds................................... 19.9
Wall thickne ss, i nc h.................................... 0.25
Motor len gth, inc hes .................................. 15.5
Motor diam eter, inc hes .............................. 2.25
Range, y a r d s .................................. 1,000-1,100
TXT charg e, poun ds.................................... 5.5
F uz es ..................................Mk 137 or Mk 145
4.5-inch B.R. A ssemblies
Head Filler Fuze
Mk 3 TN T Mk 137
Mk 5 F.S ., W .P . Mk 137
Mk 154 Mod 3
M k 7* F.S., W .P . Mk 137
Mk 154 Mod 3
Mk 3 TN T Mk 145
Mk 10 P.W. P. Mk 154 Mod 3
Mk 11 TN T Mk 137
"Head Mk 7 makes over- all len gth of 37.0 inches.
Gen eral: The 4.5-i nch bar rag e rocket is a ligh t
demolition rock et inten ded for launch ing from
land ing boats , from amph ibiou s t ruc ks, or from
porta ble la unch ers of one o r more rai ls.
Head: The head and mot or are coupled by
mean s of a thre aded ada pte r, and the fuze
scre ws into th e nose of the head. The head is
cylindr ical, th e forwa rd and hemisph erical and
the re ar end reduced. About 6.5 po unds of hig h
explosive can be loaded thr oug h a 2%,-inch
hole in the rea r, which is sealed lat er with a
mo tor ada pte r. The fuze liner, in the nose of
the head, cont ains a boo ster ch arg e of gr anu lar
TNT.
Tall asse mbly : Two circ ular shrou ds, the
sam e d iam eter as th e body, ar e atta che d to sup ­
p o rt in g fins at th e r ea r of th e motor. Two wires
bro ught out thro ugh th e powde r grain and the
shro ud is insula ted from t he res t of the rocke t
to prev ent a sh or t c ircu it to the a ft er g rounded
shrou d.
Pro pell ant: The prope llant cons ists of a sin­
gle cylind rical grain of ball istit e 11 inches long,
with a 1.7-inch o ute r diam eter .
5.0- inch A.R. wi th 5-inch mo tor
Over-all leng th, inc he s.................................. 69
Tota l w eight, po un ds .................................. 140
Diam eter of head, inc he s................. 5.0
Leng th of head, inc he s.............................. 20.3
Wei ght of head, pou nds...............................52
Motor leng th, inc hes .................................. 51.4
Motor diam eter, inc he s................................ 5.0
Velocity, ft. /se c......................................... 1,350
Fuz es: Mk 5 Mod 0 and Mk 6 Mod 0
Nose Fuze Mk 148
Nose Fuz eM k 149
Base F uze Mk 157 Mod 0
Base F uze Mk 159 Mod 0
Mk 6 Mod 1
Base Fuze Mk 159 Mod 1
Base Fuze Mk 164 Mod 0
Head: The Head Mk 6 Mod 0 is filled with
TXT and is equipped with a base fuze and a
nose plug. When thu s used, the head will have
the pen etra tion and fra gm ent atio n cha rac ter ­
istics a t c omparable velocit ies of th e 5"/ 38 A.A.
Common project ile, of which it is a modified
design. All 5.0-inch Rocke t Heads Mk 6 Mods
0 a nd 1 are shipped with a base fuze installe d
and sta ked in place. No att em pt shall be made
to remove th e base fuze from the head prior
to th e firing. A metal cup-shaped thr ead pro­
tect or cover s the ext ern al thr ead s on the base
of t he head and on t he base fuze.
The Mk 6 Mod 1 is s imi lar to the Mk 6 Mod
0. w ith a gas seal added to the bom b-fuze seat.
The 5.0-inch Body Mk 5 Mod 0 is t he init ial Cali ­
fornia In sti tu te o f Technology producti on, whic h
was adop ted by Bur eau of Ordnan ce as the Mk 6
Mod 0. The two bodies are ide ntical.
The 5.0-inch Ai rcr aft Common Mk 2 Mod 1
is a new hea d d esigne d to ac hieve gr ea ter pene ­
trat ion . This pen etra tion is expected to be two

170 GO HB eE HT tA L

»• »oc«»' x*J «we©i u m «u
Figure 132. S&-incb A. R. *iih SA-inch Motor
to thr ee inches o f homogeneous arm or plate at
launc hing speed s of 1,500 feet per second. T he
head has a tota l weigh t of 18.1 pounds, is 14
inches long, and contai ns a filler of 2.66 pounds
of Explosi ve “ l>.” T he nose is h eavy and solid.
A base fuze (th e Mk 166 Mod 0) will be shipped
installed . Thi s head will fit any of the 5.0-inch
motors.
The Head Mk 2 Mod 2 has no a da pte r and has
Acme th re ad s; oth erwi se i t i s th e same.
Motor: The 5.0-inch Motor Mk 2 Mod 0 con­
sis ts of a seamle ss steel tub e wit h inter nal
thr ead s on both ends. Into the re ar end is
screwed th e nozzle plate havi ng eig ht nozzles
arra nge d in a circle, and a cen tral blow-out noz­
zle. The cen tral nozzle is closed by a disc of
0.024-inch thic k copper, insu late d aga ins t the
hea t of the moto r by asbe stos nnd hard fib er
plugs. The thic kne ss of the disc is such th at it
she ars and blows o ut at a pre ssu re of ap prox i­
mately 2,400 pounds per squa re inch, which is
the norma l maxim um moto r p res sur e when the
prop ellan t g rai n is at a tem per atu re of 100° F.
If th e pre ssu re rise s above thi s, the disc and
plug a re ej ec te d; t hi s incre ases the u sable tem ­
CONFID ENTIAL
NAVY ROCKETS
i i ru<»»<*» (A *. I
»-<x>»
» l» O
per atu re rang e of the rock et by abo ut 40° F.
Seven of the eig ht nozzles are sealed indi­
vidually by a ligh t steel cup and sealin g com­
pound. The eigh th nozzle accommod ates the
electric connec tor cable, which is crimped into
the steel nozzle cl osure. In shipm ent, a dome­
shap ed stee l shipp ing cap fits into the sleeve
of the fin as sembly, acti ng as an auxil iary seal
and at the same time serving to enclose and pro­
tec t the electrical pigtail in sh ipm ent.
Lug s for att ac hin g the fins are mounted on
the nozzle end of t he motor. T he fins ar e shippe d
with th e m otor and arc atta che d when the round
is assembl ed. The fins are held in place by
spring- loaded latch es with in the fin it self. The
fin lugs and re ar suspen sion lugs are welded
to th e ban ds of th e fin assembly, wh ich is slipped
on over t he nozzle end of the moto r. The fro nt
lug band is stra ppe d to the motor. The motor
is shipped with lug att ac hm en ts on the motor
tub e fo r us e with Ai rcr aft Lau nch er Mk 5 Mod
1. An ex tra rail- type lug is provided in the
shipp ing box to ada pt the rocket for use on
the Ai rcr aft Laun cher Mk 4.
The fro nt end of the mo tor is scaled by a
stee l diap hrag m equipped with a blow-out disc
171
 U .S . EXPLOSIVE O RD NA NC E OP 1664

in the cen ter to allow eas y p assa ge of th e m otor
gas es to the pre ssur e-ar min g fuze in the base
of the body. In shipm ent, a cylindrica l metal
thr ead pro tect or ext end s into th e moto r the
sam e depth as the body an d sea ts on a felt rim
glued to th e dia phrag m seal.
The prope llant is a grain of crucifo rm bal­
li s ti c weighi ng 24 pounds. The grain is in­
hibi ted on the out er web sur face and is sup-
iwrt ed by a spa cer an d a steel grid a t the nozzle
end. The propell ant is ignite d by a metal case
ign ite r cont ainin g 35 gram s of black powder.
The 5.0-inch Motor Mk 2 Mod 1 was never
produced. The Mk 2 Mod 2 differs in th at the
tai l fins ar e welded to a sleeve which sl ips over
th e base of the tub e and is clamped in place.
Th e fin ass embly is com plete and sep ara te from
th e motor. The rea r su spensio n lu g for use with
th e Laun cher Mk 5 Mod 1 is on an independe nt
band. The Mk 2 Mod 3, which will supersed e
D ata
the Mods 0 and 2, is sim ilar t o t he Mod 2, except
th at the nozzle rin g is of sligh tly diffe rent
const ructi on.
The 5.0-inch Rocket Motor Mk 1 Mod 0, Cali­
forn ia In sti tu te of Technology product ion, is
the pro totyp e of th e Mk 2 Mod 0, Burea u of Ord ­
nance issue. The two motor s var y only in th at
the suspensi on lugs on the form er are welded
dire ctly to the rock et motor.
5-inch S.S.S.R.
General; The General-Pu rpose and Common
rounds a re particul arly adap ted for repelling PT-
boat at tac ks at rang es less than 11,000 yards. The
High-Capa city rockets are suitabl e for barrages
at 1.250 to 5.000 yards. These rockets must b e used
in the specially designed Launchers Mk 50 Mods 0
and 1 and Mk 5L Mods 0 a nd I ; and in Launcher
Assemblies Mk 101 Mod 0 or Mk 102 Mod 0.

Gene ral-Pu rpose Common H.C. (5.000yds.) H.C. (2.500yds.) H.C.(l,2 50yds.)

He ad ........... .5.0 ' M k 7 5.0 ' M k 8 5.0' M k 10 5.0 ' M k 12 5.0' M k 13

All Mods . . . . . All Mods . . . . All Mods .. . All Mods All Mods
Mo tor ............... .5 .0 'Mk 3 5.0’ Mk 3 5.0' M k 4 5.0 ' Mk 5 5.0 ' M k 6
All Mods . . . . All Mods All Mods . . . Mod 1 ModO
Propella nt grain .M k 21 M od O ... Mk 21 ModO .M k 22 ModO Mk 24 ModO Mk 25 Mod 0
Ig n it e r............. Mk 17 Mo dO .. . Mk 17 Mod 0 Mk 18 Mod 0 .Mk 20 M odO Mk 20 Mod 0
Motor length .22.5 ' ........... 22.5' 15.28' ....... 10. 50'............... 8.845'
Over-al l length 31.5' 28.8' ....... 32.2' 32.2' . 32.2'
Hea d we ig ht ... .20 l b................... 20 l b................. ,24 .61 b........... 31.4 lb.............. .34.35 lb.
Fille r T N T .................. Explosive *D " TN T TN T TN T
Weight . . . . 1.751b................ 1.681b............ .9.6 lb.............. 12.4 lb.............. 13.6 lb.
Total weight .49.1 lb................ .50.8 lb............ .50.2 lb ............ • •-----
Fuz es:
Nose . . . . Mk 100 Mod 0 None .Mk 30 Mod 3 Mk 30 Mod 3 Mk 30 Mod 3
or Mk 173 . o rM k 17 3. .. . or Mk 173
B as e............. .N on e.................. Mk 31 Mod 0 None .N o n e .............. None
Aux. Det. Mk 44 Mod 2. None Mk 44 Mod 1 .Mk 44 Mod s 1 Mk 44 Mods 1
and 2 and 2
Range ............. .11.000 yd ........... .11.000 yd. .. 5,250 y d......... 2,500 yd. 1,250 yd.
Velocity 1.530 ft./'sec. . 1.600 ft.-sec. . 830 ft. sec.. 475 ft., sec. 340 ft./ sec.

Heads to accommod ate th e moto r. It is thre ade d in­

5.0-inch Head Mk 7—Gener al-Pu rpos e: This tern ally at the forw ard end to accommod ate
hea d is thre ade d exte rnall y a t the af te r end the fuze ada pte r for Rocket Fuze Mk 100 and

172 CONFI DENTIA L


*0,1 iu« «. a i i ,M -o, , IIWIIKMG««i»
Figure 133. S.O-inch
Mo ds. T w o sp a n n e r ho le s a re lo ca te d in t h e a f te r
en d of th e h e a d sp ac ed 180 ’ a p a r t to fa c il i­
ta te a ss e m b ly . T h e fu ze a d a p te r is in te rn al ly
th re a d e d f o r A u x il ia ry D e to n a to r F uz e Mk 44
Mod 2. T h e N os e F u z e Mk 10 0, al l M od s, is
sc re w ed in o v e r th e A u x il ia ry D e to n a ti n g F uz es .
(T h e fu ze a d a p te r an d an A u x il ia ry D e to n a to r
Mk 14 M od 2 a re s h ip p ed in st al le d in th e he ad .)
5. 0- in ch H ea d M k 8 a n d M ods — C om m o n : T h is
h ea d is in te rn a ll y th re a d e d a t th e a f t e r en d to
ta k e B as e F u z e Mk 31 . I t h a s t w o s p a n n e r ho le s
18 0° a p a r t to fa c il it a te as se m bly o p e ra ti o n s.
5. 0- in ch H ea d Mk 10 an d Mo ds— H ig h Ca ­
p a c it y : T h e no se o f th is h ea d is in te rn a ll y
th re a d e d to fit N os e F u z e Mk 30 Mo d 3 an d a
fu ze a d a p te r. I t h a s tw o s p a n n e r h o le s 180*
a p a r t n e a r th e b as e en d to fa c il it a te as se m bl y
o p er at io n s. T h e fu ze a d a p te r is in te rn a ll y
th re a d e d to ho ld A u x il ia ry D e to n a to r Mk 44
Mo d 1, a n d th e N os e FU2C Mk 30 Mo d 3 fi ts
o v e r th e a u x il ia ry d e to n at o r.
5. 0- in ch H ea d Mk 12 an d Mo ds— H ig h C a­
p a c it y : T h e 5. 0- in ch H ea d Mk 12 an d M od s is
3. 12 5 in ch es lo n g e r th a n th e 5 " Mk 10 he ad
u se d in th e 5, 00 0-y ar d ro un d. I t c a r ri e s a b o u t
T< T|? IO —M---- IS CO NF IDE NT IAL
NA VY ROCKETS
l « »©< «»’ ~ © 1 0 « *> «! « I MOB I •«AJ uoton
HOIIU
Il MOO I
S.S.S.ft. (H ea d Mk 7 Mod 1)
2.8 p o un d s m or e T N T t h a n t h e H ea d Mk 10.
5 .0 -i n c h H e a d M k 13 a n d M o d s— H ig h C a ­
p a c it y : T h e 5. 0- in ch H ea d Mk 13 an d M od s is
4. 78 in ch es lo n ge r th a n th e 5. 0- in ch H ea d Mk
10. I t a ls o c a rr ie s a b o u t fo u r p o u n d s m or e T N T .
M otors
5. 0- in ch M ot or Mk 3 an d M od s: T h e m o to r
tu b e is a se am le ss s te e l tu b e w it h in te rn a l
th r e a d s a t b ot h e nd s. I t is m ac h in ed w it h a b ou r-
re lc t r in g a t ea ch en d. T h e f r o n t cl o su re is a
st ee l di sc p re ss e d in po si ti on n e a r th e fr o n t
en d o f th e m o to r tu b e . I t se a ls th e f r o n t en d
fr om m o is tu re , d ir t, e tc ., an d re ta in s th e i g n it e r
an d p ro p e ll a n t g ra in in pl ac e. A th in fe lt pa d
cu sh io ns an y c o n ta c t b et w ee n th e f r o n t cl os ur e
an d th e ig n it e r. T h e Ig n it e r Mk 17 Mod 0 co n­
s is ts o f a fl at ti n ca se c o n ta in in g 35 g ra m s of
bl ac k po w d er an d an el ec tr ic sq ui b. A fe lt di sc
on e in ch th ic k p ro te c ts th e g ra in fr o m ac ci ­
d e n ta l sh oc k. I t h a s an e cc en tr ic al ly pl ac ed ho le
w hi ch h o u se s an d fo rm s a s n u g fi t fo r th e ig ­
n it e r ca se . T h e p ro p el la n t is a n in h ib it e d , c ru c i­
fo rm g ra in w ei g h in g a p p ro x im a te ly te n po un ds .
T h e no zz le p la te a ss em b ly c o n si s ts o f e ig h t no z­
zl es a n d a g ri d m o u nt ed on a no zz le pl at e. T he
cy li n dr ic al T -s ha pe d st ee l g ri d is p re ss ed in to
173
U. S. EXPLOSIVE OR DN AN CE OP 1664

r» io c iii m «: i -o o • i’ i la m « o 'c i o k >««i

HO>I CIOWI ■ a ir u
<Om i M * m . i i ,t « I t A I t lO t U K

M M MO O*

im

iiu M in ir

»U « * *K
HlfiU l U l O t i m H . W ■U 4II IT 0I hoi tu r . am (

l « l l I I I I U A H M MO O • n o n h i i i ca*> « M MOO • n o u n m u • ac.

Figure 134. 5.0 -ind i S.S.S.R. (H ea d Mk 8 M ad 1)

Figure 135. 5.0-incft S.5.S.R. (H ea d Mk 10 Mod 1)

I 74 CO NF IDE NT IAL

place a nd peened in position in a c en ter hole in
th e nozzle plate . It ac ts as a spac er between
the g rain a nd the nozzle plate, cr ea tin g a cha m­
be r which equali zes th e pre ssu re to all nozzles
du rin g bu rnin g. The nozzles ar e p res s fitted into
the plate and ar e cant ed 12° to give a clock­
wise rot atio n. The nozzle-plate rin g assembl y
con sist s o f a nozzle- plate ring and th e insula ted
con tact ring . The con tac t rin g is a stee l band
arou nd th e nozzle-pla te ring and is insul ated
from it. T he plate r ing and con tac t r ing a re the
two ter mi nal s of the ignite d elect rical circu it.
The rin gs are sh or t circu ited by a band. The
sho rt-c ircu itin g band mu st be removed when
pre par ing th e ro cke t f or firing. T he re ar closure
is a th in alum inum cup ceme nted in place in the
af te r end o f the moto r, and blows ou t a ft er the
moto r pre ssu re builds up.
5.0-inch Motor Mk 4 and Mods: The 5.0-inch
Rocket Mot or Mk 4 is simi lar to th e Mk 3 dis­
cussed above, exce pt th at the mo tor tub e is
seven inche s s ho rte r tha n the Motor Mk 3. T he
Ign iter Mk 18 with sh or ter leads is used. Pro ­
pellan t Gra in Mk 22 Mod 0, s ho rte r and weigh­
ing app rox ima tely 5.5 pounds, is used. The
nozzle in th e nozzle-plate assembly h as a smalle r
th ro at dia met er.
5.0-inch Motor Mk 5 Mod 1: Th e Mk 5 Mod 1
is sim ilar to the Mk 4, exce pt th at it is 3.125
inches sh or te r and th e nozzle pl ate ha s fou r in­
stea d of eig ht nozzles. This s ho rte r mo tor gives
CO NF IDE NT IAL '
NAV Y ROCKETS
a ran ge of 2,500 yar ds and a maxim um velocity
of 475 ft. /se c., which is suit abl e fo r bar rag e
purpos es.
5.0-inch Motor Mk 5 Mod 0: The Mk 6 Mod 0 is
also sim ilar to the Mk 1 and Mods, e xcept th at
it is 4.78 inches sh or ter and th e nozzle plate
has only fo ur nozzles. Th e can t o f thes e nozzles
has been increase d to ins ure sta ble fl ight of the
round a t slower velocities. Thi s sh or ter moto r
gives a ran ge of 1,250 ya rds and a maximum
velocity of 3-10 ft. /se c., which is suita ble for
bar rag e purposes.
7.2-inch H.E. "Mouse Trap " and 2.5-inch
Pr ac tic e
Over-all l en gt h, in ch es ................................88.6
Head leng th, inc hes .....................................19.0
Head weig ht, pou nds ...................................17.9
Fill er we igh t (TN T), pou nds..................... 81.0
Wall thic knes s, inc h.....................................0.2
Motor leng th, inc hes ...................................15.9
Motor dia met er, inc hes .............................. 2.25
Motor weigh t, pou nds .................................. 8.1
Tail wid th, inc hes ........................................ 7.0
Tota l weig ht, pou nds.................................... 65
Gen era l: Tin s r ocket was de signed for use by
patr ol vessels ag ain st sub mar ines . The most
common inst alla tion cons ists of two four-r ail
la un ch er s Mk 20, with a fixed eleva tion of 48°,
moun ted on the fore deck wit h firin g con trolled
from the bridge.
175
U. S. EXPLOSIVE O RD N AN CE OP 1664

C omplete Rounds

Assembly No. Head Filling Grain Fuze

7.2' H.E. 203 7.2’ M k 4 TN T Mk 3 Mk 131—Mk 156

(Obsolete)
7.2' H.E. 211 7.2’ M k 5 TPX Mk 3 Mk 131—Mk 156

7.2' H.E. 212 7.2' Mk 5 TPX M k3 Mk 140—Mk 156

7.2' H.E. 213 7.2' Mk 5 TN T Mk 10 Mk 131—Mk 156

7.2' H.E. 216 7.2 ' Mk 5 TN T Mk 10 Mk 140—Mk 156

7.2' H.E. 217 7.2 ' M k 4 TN T Mk 3 Mk 140—Mk 156

In additio n to th e ser vice rou nds, t he re arc th e Mks 106 and 109 filled with
plas ter fo r ta rg et practic e, and th e Mks 206 and 209 filled with pla ste r
for drill.

He ad: The proje ctile c ons ists of a flat-nosed
hea d with a conical tail fa iri ng and parallel
side s. The ada pte r and fuze thr ead int o the
nose , and the motor un it thr ea ds into the base.
.Motor: T he Motor Unit Mk 3 c ontai ns a long
sing le pellet of smokeless powde r which, when
ign ited by a black-powde r pri me r fired by an
elec tric squib, bur ns a t a pre ssu re of 1.000 to
2,500 pounds per squ are inch. The gase s are
forc ed ou t af t thro ugh the nozzle in th e re ar
end of the motor tube. The burn ing conti nues
fo r 0.2 to 0.7 second, du rin g which time the
miss ile trav els abou t 30 fee t. At thi s point,
propulsion ceases and the proje ctile is free in
flight. This pro jec tor cha rge is i ntende d for use
on the 7.2-inch Ro cket L aun che rs Mk 20, Mk 21,
o r Mk 22.
Tai l: A s teel t ube att ach ed to the head by a
thre aded joi nt has fins wi th two circ ular dr ums
atta che d to the af te r end. The vanes have a
10-degree tw ist to give a slow rota tion and pre­
ve nt rudd ering . The two vane -sup port drum s
also act as cont act rin gs, the wirin g from the
electr ic squib pass ing from the prim er af t to
th e two ring s which ser ve as firing cont acts.
Rem ark s: When Torpe x is used, th e weigh t
is i ncreased by app roxi mat ely 2.5 pounds.
The 2.5-inch sub-c alibe r rocke t, con sisti ng of
the 1.25-inch Motor Mk 1 and 2.5-inch Head
Mk 1, is a m inia tur e of th e r egu lar roc ket and is
used in pract ice. The moto r cont ains a single
tub ula r powder g rai n, an ig nite r, and lead wifes.
The tail fins, supp orte d by a shroud , are o ffset
five degr ees to imp art some rota tion to th e
round, to improve un der wa ter travel. Th e Head
Mk 1 has a cavi ty fo r a shot-g un she ll; th e
Head Mod 2 Mk 1 is solid.
The Fuzes Mk 131 and Mk 140 a re replaced
by the Mk 156 in t he service round s.
7.2-in ch D.R., also T37 and T88
Head Mk 10
Over-all leng th, inc he s.................................. 35
Motor dia me ter, i nch es................. 2.25
C-2 explosive, po und s.................................... 33
Loaded wei ght, p oun ds...................................60
Maximum rang e, yar ds. .............................275
M ot or ....................................... 2.25-inch Mk 3
Fuze
Head Mk 5 ........ Nose—-Mk 152 o r Mk 141
Head Mk 1 0 .. . .Ba se—Mk 116
Head Mk 10- 1. .Ba se—Mk 161 Mod 0
Gene ral: The 7.2-inch D.R., a modification of
the 7.2-inch H.E., was used for demolitio n of
ant i-ta nk obsta cles. The 7.2-inch D.R. was pro­
ject ed from a multi ple-r ail armor ed lau nch er

176 CONF IDEN TIAL

 NAVY ROCKETS

Figure 136. 7.2-inc h D.R. (H ee d Mk 5)

- O J llI

Figure 137. 7.2-inch D.R. (H ea d Mk 10)

CONFIDENTIAL 177
U. S. EXPLOSIVE O RD N AN C E
mou nted o n th e tu rr et of the Tank M4. It was
fired at point-blank ran ge and proved effective
ag ain st conc rete obst acle s a t rang es of 100
to 150 feet.
De scr ipti on: The rocke t has a th in steel head
to give the maximum blas t effect. The propel­
la nt is th e singl e u npe rfor ate d cruc iform Grain
Mk 10. The body can be fitted with any one o f
a num ber of rocket moto rs to give velocities
fro m 175 to 400 ft. /se c. The mean lat eral devia ­
tio n is 10 mils fro m a 90-inch launch er.
Th e Base Fuzes Mk 146 and Mk 161 Mod 0
ar e armed dur ing flig ht by th e pre ssu re of th e
ga s evolved f rom the b urn ing prop ellan t a ctin g
on th e diaph ragm . The Head Mk 10 Mod 1 is
th e Head Mk 10, slig htly alte red to accommo­
da te the new moto r ad ap ter of the Base Fuze
Mk 161 Mod 0.
Re ma rks : The Arm y des ign ate s th e Head
Mk 10 or Mk 10 Mod 1 as th e T37.
A smoke-filled round used by the Army is
th e same size, and has the d esig natio n of T88.
It is nose-fuzed with ei th er the Fuze Mk 152
or th e Fuze Mk 141.
The Head Mk 5 may tak e eit he r the Booster
Mk 1 or th e Booste r Mk 2; the Head Mk 10.
only the Boos ter Mk 1.
The Heads Mk 5 ar e loaded with TN T; the
Hea ds Mk 10 may also tak e a TNT load.
7.2- inch C .W .R .- N . and M25 , M27 , and T24
Motor Mk 5and Head Mk 7
Over-all leng th, inc hes .............................. 48.1
Head wi dth , inche s..................................... 7.2
Head leng th, inc hes .................................. 18.75
Motor leng th, inc he s.................................. 29.0
Pro pell ant (b al li st it e) ................G rain Mk 11
Fi lle r............ Any che mical filler wi th specific
gra vit y o ver 1.2.
Fille r (F .S .), p oun ds...................................19.7
Total weight , p oun ds.................................. 53.2
Range, y a r d s ............................................ 3,500
F uzi ng .......... Nose : Mk 147 or Mk 147 Mod 1
G en er al : Thi s roc ket Is fired from a 24-rail
dem ounta ble, variab le-elev ation laun cher ca r­
ried in a 21/fc‘ton tru ck. The salvo is fired in
178 CON F1D ENT TAL
OP 1654
2>4 seconds, and the lau nch er can be r eloaded in
11.« min utes.
The se rock ets of N avy desig n are u nde r pro­
ducti on by th e Arm y. Th e only esse ntia l dif ­
feren ce between th e rock ets as used by the
Army and the Navy is in the propellant.
Hea d: The con tain er is a bulb-sh aped steel
tub e open at both ends. The ad ap ter fit s inside
the flange on the forw ard end o f th e cont aine r
and is brazed the ret o. The wide forw ard end
of th e ad ap ter is inte rna lly thre ade d to sea t
the fuze. The bu rs te r tube, made of steel, fits
inside the ad ap ter and ext end s downwar d into
the cont aine r. The tub e and ad ap ter are held
tog eth er by a pre ss fit and sealed with white-
lead past e. The re ar end of the tub e is closed.
Mot or: The mot or is a steel tub e, with the
forw ard end ext ern ally thre ade d to screw into
the conn ector of the head. The nozzle is slipped
down thr oug h the open end of the m otor body,
and th e end is welded to th e inn er edge of the
motor-body rim.
Ta il: The tail assem bly has fou r tail vanes
spot-weld ed in pai rs to t he mo tor t ube and spot -
welded t o the re ar sh roud . The forwa rd shroud
is ri vet ed to th e vanes b ut insul ated from the m.
Fo ur larg e fins ar e welded to the motor tube,
pa ss over the forw ard shro ud, and are welded
to t he re ar shro ud. The lead wi res a re connected
to the two shro uds which serv e as contac ts.
Prop ella nt: As produced for the Navy, th e
projiel lant consi sts of a singl e grai n of solve nt­
less extr ude d ball istit e with an ou ter dia me ter
of 2.5 inches and an inn er diam eter of 1.0 inch.
Thi s is the Grain Mk 11.
In th e Army Chemical Rocke t M25, the pro­
pellan t c ons ists of four stick s o f b allis tite, with
a one-inch axial hole, placed end to end with
sep ara tin g wash ers between the sticks. The
stic ks are t hre e-ri dge d, and each has e igh t se ts
of holes radial ly thr ou gh it. The over-all lengt h
of the sti cks is 20.5 inches.
Rem arks : The Arm y Rocke t M27 is str uc ­
tur ally the sam e as th e Navy rocket, bu t is
filled with C/K gas. Its tota l weig ht is 51.8
pounds.
 NA VY ROCKETS

CHEMICAL CHARGE ----- ADAPTER(FITSFUZE)

BURSTER WELL CONTAINER

CLOSURE DISC CONNECTOR

SPRING SOU IB

IGN ITE R CHARGE IGNIT ER HOLDER

PROPELLANT STICK

LEAD WIRES

GRID

VENTURI TUBE

WASHER TER MIN AL

TA IL VANE FIN

SILIC A GEL ORIER FRONT SHROUD

TAIL PLUG REAR SHROUD

figu ro 138. 7.2-inch and M2S end M27

A head s im ila r to the Mk 7 bu t loaded wit h
22 pounds of TN T and equipped wi th a booster
instead o f a bur ste r tube is know n as the Mk 9.
I t is a dem olitio n head, using the Fuze M k 137
and the 3.25-inch Moto r Mk 5. Thi s comb ination
may be used to lay down a barrag e from the
game launchers as th e C.W .FL-N.
When the Head Mk 9 is fuzed wi th the Fuze
Mk 147, i t is known as th e Round T24. Its to tal
weig ht is <51.8 pounds.

CO NF ID EN TI AL 179
U. S. EXPLOSIVE OR DN AN CE
Figure 139. 11.75-in ch A.R . "Tiny Tim"
I 1.75-inch A.R. "Tin y Tim"
Over-all leng th, inc hes ............................. 123.0
Tota l w eigh t, pou nds .................................1,253
Head len gth , inc hes ....................................... 17
Head weig ht, pou nds .................................. 600
Motor len gth , inc hes .................................. 82.4
TNT filling, pou nds ................................. 152.5
Fuzes
Mk 1 Mod 0 ............................Mk 15 7M od i
Mk 1 Mod 1............................ Mk 157 Mod 2
Mk 2 Mod 0 ............................ Mk 157 Mod 2
Mk 163 Mod 0
Mk 162 Mod 0
Hea ds: T he Mk 1 Mod 0 con sist s of a stan dar d
500-lb. S.A.P. Bomb AN-M58A1 modified for
th is par tic ula r use. The cha nge s include the
removal of th e suspe nsion lugs, an incr ease in
the num ber of thr ea ds secu ring the base plate,
th e use of a new bas e plug to tak e th e Fuze
Mk 157 Mod 1, and th e use of an ada pte r rin g
welded arou nd the af te r end as a means for
att ac hin g th e rocket moto r. The mot or gases
180 CONF IDENT! A T
OP 1664
ar e sealed from th e high explosive in th e body
by co atin g the thr ea ds of the base plate with a
luti ng compound, and also by a gask et u nde r th e
fus e body flange.
The Mk 1 Mod 1 is si mi lar to t he Mk 1 Mod 0,
except th at a proj ecti le-t ype gas seal is added
aro und the head o f the Fuze Mk 157 Mod 2.
The Mk 2 Mod 0 was developed fr om the Mk 1
Mod 1. This head diff ers in th at it has a solid­
nosed "Com mon” h ead a nd a b ase pla te modified
to tak e thr ee Base Fuze s Mk 157 Mod 2. The
projec tile*ty pe g as seal is used arou nd all fuzes
and also between th e base plat e and the forged
steel body. The F uze Mk 157 Mod 2 is used with
one Aux iliar y Booste r Mk 1 Mod 0, or the Fuze
Mk 163 Mod 0 with one Aux iliary Boos ter Mk
19 Mod 0.
The Head Mk 3 Mod 1 was iss ued for pr actic e
to simu late th e Head Mk 2 Mod 0.
The Head Mk 4 Mod 0 is sligh tly lig hte r and
sh or ter th an prev ious h eads. The head wei ght is
578 p ounds, includin g 152 pou nds of TNT. The
head leng th is 46 inches . Thr ee Fuzes Mk 163
Mod 0 or Mk 162 Mod 0 are used in th e base.

The pen etra tive ch ara cte rist ics of t hi s head are
the sam e as th ose of pres ent types, bu t s lightly
bet ter over-all perform ance may be expected,
because of the small increase in velocity res ult­
ing from reduction in tota l weight .
The Pra ctic e Head Mk 5 dummies the Mk
4. It is 14.75 inches long and weighs 569 pounds.
It has a ca vity f or a smoke puff.
The heads are shipped loaded and fuzed. A
cuff pro tec ts the thr ead s on th e ada pte r ring
and th e fuze dur ing shipme nt.
Moto rs: The Mk 1 Mod 0 cons ists of a steel
tube, th e af te r end of which is threa ded to
receive a plate having twenty-f ive nozzles. The
moto r tube conta ins four prope llant gra ins of
solventles s extru ded balli stite of crucifo rm
cross-se ction, weighin g 147 p ounds. The g rains
are shielded from each othe r by an X-shaped
par titio n which exten ds longitud inally for al­
most th e full lengt h of the motor tube. The
grai ns and th e par titio n are suppo rted by the
grid and ar e strap ped toge ther by aluminum
bands.
In normal oper ation , the gases from th e bu rn­
ing powder do not pass thro ugh th e centra l
nozzle, which is closed by a co pper blow out disc.
Only when the pre ssu re in the moto r exceeds
approx imatel y 22,500 po un ds per sq uare inch is
this disc expelled, brin ging the cent ral nozzle
into operat ion. The use of a blowout di sc allows
the rocke t motor to perform sati sfac tori ly over
a gre ate r tem per atu re range . It has one disad ­
vantag e, however, in th at at mot or tem per a­
tur es of ab out 100° F., where the normal oper­
atin g pre ssu re is ju st eno ugh to s he ar th e disc,
it is impossible to pred ict whe ther it will blow
out or not. If i t does, th e b urni ng t ime is len gth­
ened and the gra vit y drop is in creas ed, so th at
the roc ket may miss th e t arg et.
Fou r black-powde r cha rge s of abou t 0.5
pound each, containe d in plastic cases at the
fro nt end s of th e gr ains, provide th e igni tion for
the propell ant. They are set off by two small
electric squ ibs in each ease, which ar e connected
to recep tacles in th e nozzle plate. The burnin g
of the prope llant is markedly affect ed by its
CONFIDENT IAL
NAVY ROCKETS
moist ure conten t. Consequen tly, the m otors are
sealed a t both ends. Each of th e 24 periph eral
nozzles is sealed with a thin steel cup. The
fro nt end is sealed with a th in steel disc havin g
in i ts cen ter a small blowout window. This win­
dow is blown out by the m otor press ure, allow,
ing the propella nt gases free ac cess t o the base
fuze. Thes e closures should n ot be removed.
The Ig nit er Mk 19 Mod 0 has recen tly been
developed for use in 11.75-inch A.R. motors.
Known as a tin- plat e c ase ignit er, it co nsists of
a single metal case 3.38 inches in diam eter and
1.8 inches deep, with a wall thick ness of 0.01
inch. Fo ur clips ar e soldered to th e base of t he
case, fo r att ach me nt to the moto r char ge sup­
port. The case contain s 230 g ram s of F.F.F.G.
black powder. Contained in th e case are two
electric squibs connected in parallel to the ig­
nit er lead wires.
Motors mus t neve r be fired above the rated
tem per atu re stencilled on the motor, because
they are likely to bur st, below th e lower rated
tem per atur e, occasional ignition f ailur es and in­
ter rup ted bu rning may be experienced.
The Motor Mk 1 Mod 1 is identical to the
Mk 1 Mod 0, excep t th at the moto r tub e is of
high er tensile str eng th and th e pigta il connec­
tion has been replaced by two recep tacles b uilt
into th e base plate.
The Mk 1 Mod 2 is a design in which the
dead space between the forwa rd moto r clo sure
and the bas e o f th e rocket head has been elimi­
nate d. Thi s motor is simi lar in oth er respec ts
to the Mk 1 Mod 0, excep t th a t the over-all
leng th has been reduced to 75.75 inch es and the
pigtai l connection has been replaced by two
recepta cles built into the base plate.
The Motor Mk 1 Mod 3 is the Burea u o f Ord­
nance producti on of the Mk 1 Mod 2.
The Motor Mk 2 Mod 0 weig hs 600 pounds
and is 72.01 inch es in len gth. Len gth and we ight
reduction have been accomplished by improve­
ments in design d etail , so t h a t t he total amoun t
of pro pella nt in th e m otor ha s not been changed.
Because of design and cons truct ion changes,
the Motor Mk 2 Mod 0 may be used only with
the Head Mk 4 Mod 0.
181
U.S . EXPLOSIVE O RD NA NC E OP 1664

SHEAR WIRE
STRIKER BLOCK
STRIKERS
SUPERQUICK ELEME NT
LOCKING BALL
DELAY ELEM ENT
FLAS H HOLES
FUNC TION ING HOLES
DELAY EL EM EN T
FUZE EL EM EN T
RETAI NING BALL
DELAY ARMIN G PIN
SET -BA CK PIN
SAF ETY PIN
BALL ESCAPE CHANNEL

RETAINING PIN
FUZE BODY —
SETTIN G PIN —
SLIDER PLUG -
DETONATOR —
DETONATOR SLID ER —
LOCK PIN -------------------
CLOSING CUP CHARGE
BOOSTER --------------------
BOOSTER CU P------------

Figure 140. Army No te fi n e (Roc ket) M4 A2

182 CON FIDE NTIA L

 Part 2 — Ch ap ter 6
ROC KET FUZES
Section I — IN TR OD UC TIO N
G en er al
Bec ause roc ke t ba llis tic s hav e so me thi ng in
commo n wi th th e bal list ics of bot h pr oje cti les
and bo mbs , t h ei r f uze des ign h as bor row ed from
bo th of th es e, and ha s also in iti at ed devic es
fro m its own pro vinc e, such as u sin g mo tor g as
pr es su re to ar m bas e fuze s, etc.
Th e dev elo pm ent of roc ket s du rin g th e wa r
was rap id, and ad ap tat io ns wer e som etim es
Section 2 — AR MY NOSE FUZES
M4 A2 (Dis cont inue d)
Ro cke t used in .......................4.5- inch H.E . M8
F u n ct io n in g .................F or air , 0.015 sec. de­
lay or in sta nta ne ou s
Fo r gro und , 0.1 sec. de­
lay or in sta nt an eo us
Ar mi ng t i m e ...............Whe n for wa rd acce ler­
ati on cea ses
Body dia me ter , in ch es ................................. 3.21
Over -all le ng th , in ch es ...............2.51 (w ith ou t
b o o st e r )
Ge ne ra l: Th e Fuz e M4A2 ha s been desi gned
to be bor e sa fe fo r fir ing from lau nc he r tub es
on ai rc ra ft or fro m th e gro und . Th er e ar e two
dif fer en t iss ue s of th e fuze, ide ntic al exc ept for
th e del ay tim e, whic h is sli gh tly less in th e
roc ket s fired fro m ai rc ra ft beca use of th e in ­
cre ase d velo city of tho se roc ke ts as com pare d
to roc ke ts fired from gro und lau nch ers .
Op er ati on : Be for e th e ro ck et is loade d on th e
lau nch er, th e f uze is se t f or ei th er ins ta nt an eo us
(su pe r-q uic k) act ion o r dela y act ion as des ired .
CO NF IDE NT IAL
thr ow n in to th e bre ech whi ch will now be re ­
placed by m ore efficien t me cha nis ms . At pre sen t,
how ever , th er e is a gr ea t va rie ty of rock et
fuz es ava ilab le.
Dummy fuzes
Th e Arm y use s in er t or dum my fu ze s in its
pra cti ce rou nds . Th ey ar e de sig na ted by diff er­
en t nu m be rs th an tho se on th ei r cor res pon din g
serv ice fuze s.
Th is i s ac com plis hed by ro ta tin g t h e se tti ng pin.
Fo r in sta nt an eo us act ion , th e pin is ro ta te d so
th a t th e fun cti on ing hole (fla sh cha nn el) in th e
se tti ng pin ma tes with th e flash hole fro m th e
sup er- qui ck elem ent . Fo r dela y act ion , th e se t­
ti ng pin is ro ta te d 180 deg ree s, so th a t th e flash
hole fro m th e sup er- qui ck ele me nt is ob str uc ted
and th e de lay firi ng cha nne l is th e only one
open. In ei th er pos ition , th e se tt in g pin is se­
cur ed by th e spri ng- load ed lock ing ball fitt ing
int o ei th er of two rec esse s in th e se tti ng pin.
Th e co tt er p in is th en rem oved , so th a t th e se t­
bac k p in wil l be fr ee to move b ack on s et-b ack .
Whe n th e roc ke t is fired, acc ele rat ion cau ses
th e set -ba ck pin to move re ar wa rd , th e sp rin g
off eri ng suffi cient res ist an ce so th a t th e pin
rea ch es its mo st re ar wa rd pos itio n only af te r
th e ro ck et ha s clea red th e lau nch er. Th is fre es
th e re ta in in g ball to be force d in to an esca pe
hole by th e spri ng- load ed del ay ar m in g pin as
de cel era tio n se ts in. As th e low er end of th e
dela y ar m in g pi n cl ea r s th e in n er en d of th e
de to na to r slid er, th e slid er is moved ov er to
th e arm ed pos itio n by th e sli de r sp rin g. Th e
spr ing- load ed lock pin rid es in a key way on th e
183
U. S. EXPLOSIVE O RD NA NC E
unde rside o f the slid er and snap s into a recess
whe n the slid er reach es th e armed position.
Th e firing t ra in is now lined up. On impact , the
hea d of the fuze is crus hed, the she ar wire is
shea red, and both str ik er s ar e driven inward,
ini tia tin g both prime rs. Thus, both the super­
quic k and th e delay eleme nts are ignited, irre­
spect ive of th e se tti ng of th e fuze. If set for
ins tan tan eou s a ction, the flash from the super­
quic k elemen t ignites the deto nato r before the
dela y element functions . If se t for delay , the
flash from th e super-quick elemen t will be ob­
str uct ed by the s ett ing pin and the flash from
th e de lay clement will ign ite t he deto nato r 0.015
second lat er if used in an aircra ft-lau nched
rock et, 0.1 second lat er if used in a ground-
launche d rocket.
Ear ly de sign s: Th e M4A1 had a longe r setti ng
pin, with double flash holes, so th at the flash
fro m cit he r the super-qui ck or the delay ele­
me nts had to pass thro ugh the set tin g pin.
Hence, if th e sett ing pin was n ot rota ted t o ex­
act ly the prope r poin t whe re the setting -pin
flash holes matched w ith those from t he in iti at­
ing elements, t he f uze would not function. In th e
M4A2, thi s condition was remedied by the
sh or ter se ttin g pin, so th at , even if the pin is
not rota ted to match with th e flash hole from
th e super-quick eleme nt, the delay flash hole
will permit firing of the fuze af te r th e sligh t
delay . The M4AL also had a hea vier d eton ator
slide r, which occasionally shear ed the lock pin
and did not stay p roper ly lined up in the arm ed
condition. The M4A2 has a light er, aluminu m
slid er d etona tor.
Th e original Ml had only one issue for b oth
groun d- and airc raft -lau nch cd rocke ts with
ci th er insta ntan eous or 0.1-sec. delay set ting s.
Th e M1A1 had two issues, with eith er 0.015-sec-
ond or 0.1-second d elays and insta ntan eous s et­
ting s. The original M4 also had thic ker walls
and was con sequen tly he avier , and had s tro ng er
spri ngs und er the set-bac k pin and delay arm ­
ing pin, requ irin g gr ea ter accelerati on to arm.
M 8I , M48A2, or M5I
Rockets used i n........................... 4.5-inch Spin
Fu nct ion ing ..................Inst anta neo us or 0.05
sec. delay
184 CO NF ID EN TI AL
OP 1664
Over-all leng th, inch es............................. 4..55
Weigh t, po un ds .........................................1.41
T hr ea ds ............................................. 14 N.S .-l
Gene ral: The Fuze M81 cons ists of th e Art il­
lery Fuze M18A2 assembl ed with eith er the
Booster M21A1 or t he Boost er M2I. Depending
on where the fuze is assembled, it may be
mark ed M81, M48A2, or M51. Only the 0.05-sec-
ond delay models of th e M48A2 fuzes ar e loaded
in rocke ts at prese nt.
Descr iptio n: Much like th e Navy ’s Fuze Mk
29 or Mk 30 in const ructi on, thi s fuze adds a
delay firing tra in. The choiee of insta ntane ous
(super-qu ick) or del ay firing is made on th e se­
lector sleeve of t he in ter ru pte r device—the slo t
being set parallel to th e longitudin al axis of
the fuze, or with in 15 degr ees eith er side, for
super-qui ck action, and a t rig ht angles the ret o
for delay action.
The int err up tor sleeve is thic ker on one side
tha n on the othe r. When set fo r ’‘Delay,” the
thick side holds the int err up tor in the flash
channel, blocking any flash thro ugh th at tube.
When the sleeve is set for "Supe r-quic k,” the
thin side of the sleeve allows the inte rru pto r
to move up into th e sleev e by c entr ifug al stim u­
lus, cl earin g t he flash channel.
The insta ntan eous action is like th at de­
scribed for th e Mk 29. The delay firing tra in
is a sep ara te uni t in th e b ase o f th e fuze. The re
arc two plung er pins or cen trifu gal det ent s
holding the d elay assembl y in th e unar med po­
sition. When t he fuze is armed, the re is a firing
pin positioned over a prim er, which leads to a
black-powder delay, and, in tu rn to a flash pellet.
Oper ation : No ac tion tak es place upon firing
until sufficient r otat iona l speed has been esta b­
lished to overcome th e resi stan ce of sprin gs
and set-back force on the several saf ety de­
vices. When th e fuze is set fo r super-quick
action, af te r it leaves th e muzzle, cen trifu gal
force causes the int err up tor to move outw ard,
opening the passa ge. At the same time, the
plung er pins locking the delay assembly in the
unarm ed position also move o utward, releasin g
th at assembly in prep arat ion for impact. The
 ROC KET FUZES (A R M Y NOSE )

FIR ING PIN CRUSH CAP

DETONATOR

FLASH CHA NNE L

INTE RRUP TQR

SLE EVE
FIRING PIN

PLUNG ER PR IM ER
PIN LOCK

FLASH PEL LET

PLUNGER PINS

Figure 141. Ar/ny Note Fine (Ro cke t) M4 8A 2

plung er-pin lock then swings on it s piv ot under
ce ntr ifu ga l force, placing an arm agains t the
inne r end o f each plunge r pin, prev enti ng the
ret urn o f the pins to the unarmed position.
Upon impa ct, the fir in g pin o f the super­
quic k action is drive n agains t the detonato r,
in iti at in g the super-quick action. In er tia causes
the delay-actio n plung er to move forw ard, dr iv ­
ing the pri me r agains t the delay-actio n fir in g
pin and in iti at in g the delay action. In normal

C O N H U tN T tA L 185
U . S. E X P L O S IV E O R D N A N C E OP 1664

fun cti on ing w ith super-qu ick action, the delay
act ion has no effect, si nee the super-q uick tra in
w ill have caused the rock et to explode before
the delay tr ai n can bur n fo r i ts pres cribed time.
However, shoul d the super-q uick action fa il, the
fuze w ill fu nc tion w ith delay actio n rat he r than
become a dud. When set fo r delay action , the
in te rr up te r is restra ined fro m moving.
Upon impact , the supe r-qui ck fir in g pin and
deto nato r fun ctio n, bu t the effect is prevented
from being tra nsm itte d to the shell.

FL AS H HOL E

DE TO NAT OR
LOC K PIN
ROTOR

C L O S IN G
GUIDE PIN
PLUG

BOOSTER
LE AD
STOP

DETONATOR ONION SK IN
PAPER

SAFE TY LOCK ROTOR LOCK

PIN PIN
ROTOR LOCK
PIN LOCK

BOOSTER CUP

BOO STE R LE AD .

Figure 142. Boostcn M24 fa bo ro) and M21 A1 (b c la v )

186 CO NF ID EN TI AL

V.T. M4O2
See Navy V.T. Fuze Mk 170. page 209.
Boosters M 2 IA I and M24
Gen eral: Thes e booste rs are used with the
Fuze M48A2 to form th e Rocket Fus e MSI. T he
Booster M24 h as been stand ardiz ed as an alt er­
nate for all modifications of the Booste rs M21
Type and may be used in place of the M21A1
with th e Fuze M48A2.
Boos ter M21A1: The M21A1 con sists of a
boost er cup which cont ains a te try l char ge and
thre ads into the base of the body contain ing
a te try l boo ster lead and the rot or assembly.
The rot or assemb ly consi sts of a ro tor co ntain­
ing the lead azide deto nato r, a saf ety lock pin,
a rot or sto p pin, a roto r lock pin, and a roto r
lock-pin lock. The rot or is seate d on the pivot
pin and ro tat es under cen trifu gal force. The
mechan ism is covered by a th in br as s disc which
has a flash hole >4 inch in d iam eter to perm it
the tr ansm issio n of the fuze ac tion to the det o­
nato r. The Hash hole is covered by a thi n disc
of onion-skin paper.
When r ocke t is laun ched an d re aches requ ired
rota tion al velocity, the safet y lock pin moves
Part 2 — Chap ter 6 — Section 3
AR MY BASE FUZES (SER VICE )
M400 an d M40I
Rocket s used in ....................2.36-inch rounds
Func tioni ng ............................. Inst anta neou s
Over-all leng th (M401), in ch es .. . . . . . . . 2 . 5 8
Gen eral: These fuze s ar c si mila r in operation ,
the differen ces being in the dimensi ons and
arr ang em ent of the part s. Also, the M400 lias a
str ik er guide which is not in the M401. Both
the se fuzes are considerabl y sa fe r to handle
tha n th e origina l base fuze in the 2.36-inch
rocket s, a fuze which had only a sa fet y pin and
det ona tor cover for s afe ty devices.
CONFID ENTIAL
ROCK ET FUZES (A RM Y BASE— SERVICE)
outw ard aga ins t its spr ing und er cent rifug al
force. Thi s relea ses the roto r, which rot ate s on
the pivo t pin to the aligned or arm ed position.
The ro to r is locked in the arm ed position by
the ro tor lock pin, which moves outwa rd into
a cavi ty of the body und er ce ntri fug al force, and
the roto r lock-pin lock moves forw ard by creep
to p rev ent the rot or lock pin from ret urn ing to
its origina l position. The boos ter is arm ed in
flight, and the det ona tor is initi ated by action
of the fuze.
Boos ter M24: Th e r oto r as sembl y o f t he M21
cons ists of a ro tor which con tains th e det onato r,
a cen trifu gal ro tor stop which holds the roto r
in th e unarm ed position, a guide pin, and a plate
which closes the ro tor cha mber.
When rocket is launched, cen trifu gal force
cause s the roto r stop to move o utwar d aga inst
the spr ing and release the rot or, which tu rn s
so th at the det ona tor is aligned with the flash
hole and the boost er lead. The rot or is locked
in the armed position by the lock pin, which
en ter s the lock pin cavity as fa r as the closi ng
plug. The boos ter cha rge cons ists of a tet ryl
pellet. The boo ster is armed in flight, and the
det ona tor is initia ted by the action of the fuze.
Desc ripti on: Both fuzes have a housing, or
body, a str ike r, creep sp ring, a rm ing pin, slider,
slide r spring , det ona tor holder, sa fet y pin. and
shipp ing clamp.
Ope ratio n: The shipp ing clamp can be un­
latche d and removed when the saf ety pin is
tak en out, before loading in the launche r. On
set-bac k, the slide r moves back aga ins t its
spri ng, which action free s t he arm ing pin from
the bindin g action of the slider . The arm ing
pin is now ridi ng ag ain st the inside of the
launc her, and, when the round leaves the
laun cher , the arm ing pin is sho t out by its
187
U. S. EXPLOSIVE OR DN AN CE OP 1664

spr ing . The firing pin is now held by only th e foot drop, it will over come the spri ng to s trik e
cre ep spri ng. On an impact equi vale nt to a 12- the detonato r.

AR MI NG PI N FIR ING -PI N

SPRING

AR M IN G PIN
SP RI NG SA FE TY PIN

DE TON ATO R
A R M IN G -P IN
CUP
BO OS TER CUP
S L ID E R
S P R IN G
BO O ST ER

S L ID E R
DET ONA TOR
HO LD ER
FI R IN G PIN
F U Z E BO DY

Fig aro 143. Arm y Bate Fate (RocAc /J bf4QQ

Clamp CREEP SPRING

DETONATOR

SPR ING BOOSTE R

SLI DER FI R IN G PIN

188 CO NF ID EN TI AL
 PaH 2 — Ch ap te r 6 — Sec tion 4

ARM Y BASE FUZES (EXPERIM ENTAL TYPES)

TI 56 Also the sa fety w ashe r is 0.02 inch rat he r than

Rockets used in ............... 4.5-inch S.A.P. T78
Weig ht, pou nds..........................................1-39
Over-all length , inc hes ............................... 2.81
Diamet er, in ch es ......................................... 2.3
Fun ctio ning ........0.01 -second delay on impact
Genera l: The T156 is a modification of the
Artil lery Fuze M68, without the trn cer and with
the r eta inin g spr ing holding th e firing pin block.
0.04 inch thick as in t he M68.
Description and opera tion: The reta ining
sprin g, which is sl otted and fits arou nd t he neck
of th e firing-pin block, holds t he firing-pin block
in a safe position, until the spri ng is removed
by th e pull ri ng before affixing t he motor to the
racke t head. The expansion plug acts to hold
the spri ng in place dur ing shipme nt.

RETA INING SPRIN G SA FE TY WASHER

D E LA Y

-B OO ST ER

DETON ATOR

PR IM ER

RET AIN ING PI N' FI RI NG PIN

Figure 145 . Arm y Bate Fuze (R oc ke t) T156

74 7IT &O —« ----- 13 CONFtDENTt AL' 189

U. S. EXPLOSIVE ORD NAN CE
On impac t of the rocke t, the firing-pin block
is forced down by i ne rti a on the s afe ty washer ,
a thi n aluminum d isc, bendin g the washe r, and
str ik in g the primer. The pri me r se ts off th e
Figu re 146. A t my Bate Fui e (R oc ke t) 7160E1
TI 60 E I
Rockets used in ............................3.5-inc h T80
Fun ction ing .............................. Inst anta neo us
(All-ways-actio n)
Over-all len gth, in ch es............................... 3.26
G en er al : A fu rth er adva ncem ent in simple
rock et base fuzes, th is desig n has the wedge-
sha ped ine rti a wei ght to f aci lita te corr ect fuze
actio n in c ases of side-wise impa ct of the rock et.
Descript ion and ope rat ion : A saf ety or ship­
pin g clamp, coveri ng the arm ing pin, also has
a saf ety pin bradded on. When the clamp and
pin are removed pri or to loadin g the round in
th e launche r, this sa fet y pin free s the set-back
sleeve. On set-back, thi s sleeve moves back
ag ain st th e creep spri ng, and comes out of its
190 CONFI DENTIA L
OP 1664
delay pellet (0.01-second) and then the deto ­
nat or, which, in tu rn , explodes th e boos ter
cha rge of tet ryl .
slo t in the arm ing p in. The aim ing pin is then
forced out aga ins t th e lau nch er by its spring.
When the round leaves th e launc her, th is ar m­
ing pin, w hich was betwe en the str ike r and the
det ona tor, is ejec ted from the fuze by the
spri ng. The fuze is now f ully armed, th e iner tia
weig ht being hold only by the creep spring.
On im pact, th e wei ght moves ag ain st t he spr ing
to force the str ik er into the deto nato r. In case
of a side blow, the fuze will s till functio n, be­
cause the shape of the ine rtia weig ht is such
th at a si de blow will n ot ca use it to bind ag ain st
the fuze body, b ut gives it room to move side-
wise an d at the s ame time co mpres s the spring
and move the st ri k er forwa rd.
T2004 V.T.
See Na vy V.T. Fuze Mk 172, p a g e 21 3.
 Part 2 — Chapter 6 — Section 5
NAV Y NOSE FUZES
Mk 29 Mods 0— 3
Rockets used i n.......... 5-inch Mk 10 and Mods
Functio ning ..............................I nstan tane ous
Fuzes found w ith ..................................... None
Arming speed, r.p.m.................... 1,500—2,000
Diamet er, inc hes ......................................... 8.0
Over-all leng th, i nch es................................4.15
Weight, poun ds.................................. 1.45-0.04
Gene ral: The Nose Fuze Mk 29 is used in both
projectil es and t he 5-inch spin-stabiliz ed rocket.
It functions on imp act, with no delay.
Descri ption: The fuze consists of four prin ­
cipal pa rts : (1) the base, which contain s the
relay deto nato r and holder and the i nte rru pto r
un it; (2) the nose or deton ator ass embly, which
Contains the str ik er assembly and the deto­
nato r; (3) the plastic o give; and (4) the flash
tube, which is fitted in the c ente r of the ogive
and holds the nose and the base toge ther. The
firing-pin sup port ing cup i s located bene ath the
firing pin, holding the str ik er away from the
detona tor, and a centri fugal int err up tor sepa­
rate s the deto nato r from the relay deton ator
in the base of th e fuze. Two type s of in terr upt or
assemblies have been employed. In the earlier
model, th e int err up tor bore aga ins t the upper
blade of a forked set tin g sleeve in the “Delay”
or ‘•Off” position and thu s could not move into
the sleeve and clear the flash channel . Rotat ing
the sleeve 90° in eit her direction to the “S.Q.” or
“On" position removed the end of the forked
blade from the inte rrup tor, and centri fugal
force could move th e in ter rup tor into the sleeve
and out of the flash channel. The inte rru pto r
system of lat er models has been sligh tly alter ed.
A cylindrical sett ing sleeve with an eccentric
bore is employed. In the “ Delay” or “Off" posi­
tion, the eccentric bore is no t ali gned with the
CONFIDENTIAL
inte rrup tor, and the int err up tor cannot move
into th e sleeve and clear the channel. Turn ing
the set ting sleeve to the "S.Q.” or “On” posi­
tion aligns the bore with the in terr upt or, which
can then be moved into the sleeve by cent rifugal
force.
Ope ratio n: When th e fuzed rocket is loaded
into the launcher, the set ting key is turne d to
the "On” or “S.Q." position. When the rocket
leaves the gun, cent rifug al force moves the
int err up tor into the s leeve a nd clears the flash
channel. On impact, the closing disc above the
str ik er is forced down, the crush cup beneat h
the str ik er is crushed, and the str ike r is driven
into the deton ator. The flash trav els throug h
the open flash channel and initia tes the relay
deto nato r in the base of th e fuze.
Rem arks : The differences between Mods of
this fuze are as follows:
No Moi,—Dark g reen ogive, made of easily
chipped asbesto s plastic, unsu itable f or stor age
and handli ng.
Mod 1 — Chi|>-proof. resin -imp regn ated
cloth, yellow plastic ogive.
Mod 2—Same as Mod 1. wit h st reng then ed
flash channel.
Mod 3—Like Mod 2, with longer nose cap
exten ding to bas e and giving addi tional suppor t
to flash ch annel. Brown plastic ogive.
This fuze will functio n on thin plate and
on w ate r at angles over 6°.
A disc 0.01 inch th ick is in corpo rated between
the relay deton ator and the flash channel of
the Mod 3. This preve nts gas pres sure , which
sometimes leaks pas t the unarm ed inte rru pto r,
from set ting off the relay deton ator, if the
nose of the fuze is accidentall y stru ck durin g
handling.
191
U .5 . EXPLOSIVE OR DN AN CE
STRIKER ASSEMBLY-
INTE RRU PTE R
- ,yj
Mk 30 M od s 3 and 4
Rockets used in .............. 5.0-inch H ead Mk 10
Fu nc tio ni ng .............................. Inst anta neo us
Arm ing speed, r.p. m..................1,500—2,000
Body diamete r, inch es................................ 2.1
Over-all length, inc hes .............................. 4.55
Weight, p oun d s......................................... 1.51
Gene ral: The Nose Fuze Mk 30 Mod 3 is the
poin t-det onat ing proje ctile fuze. It i s a rmed by
cree p and cen trifu gal force and used in spin-
stabiliz ed rockets. The fuze is desig ned to f unc­
tion on impa ct with super- quick action.
192 CO NF ID EN TI AL
OP 1664
STRIKER SUPPORT CUP
DETONATOR
FLASH
RELAY
Descrip tion: The fuze cons ists of the same
principal pa rts as are in th e Mk 29. The fuze
is designed for super- quick action on impact.
The "Ofr” set tin g is a sa fety fea tur e to p reve nt
pre mat ure deton ation , and the set tin g sleeve
mus t be turn ed to "S.Q.” or "On” before the
rocke t is launched . When th e ro cket i s launched,
the in ter ru pte r moves outwa rd by creep and
cen trifu gal force to compres s the spr ing and
open the flash tube. On impact , t he gilded metal
cap collapses and the str ik er is driven into the
deto nato r, the flash o f w hich init iate s the relay
det ona tor and the main charge.
 ROCKET FUZES (N A VY NO SE)

Mod 4 : Because o f in ab ili ty to procure sufti- titi es of steel ogives. These fuzes wi th steel
cient plast ic ogives fo r th e Po int- Det ona ting ogives, designated as Nose Fuzes Mk 30 Mod 4.
Fuze M k 30 Mod 3, it was necessary t o use quan- will lx? rest rict ed to rockets.

FIRING PIN
CRUSH CAR

DETONATOR

FLASH TUBE
INTERRUPTOR

SELECTOR
SLEEVE

FIRING PIN

PLUNGER PIN
PLUNGER LOCK

PRIMER
DELAY

Figure 146. Navy Not e Fuie (Ro cke t) Mk 100 Type

CO NF IDE NT IAL 193

U. S. EXPLOSIVE OR DN AN CE
Mk 100 Mods 0— 2
Rockets used in .................... 5.0-inch Mk 7 S.S.
Funct ionin g . . . .................... Ins tan tan eou s or
0.05-second delay
Arm ing speed, r.p. m...................... 1,500-2,000
Body dia met er, inc he s................................ 3.0
Over-all length , inc hes .............................. 4.15
Gen eral : The Nose Fuze Mk 100 i s simi lar to
the Navy Poin t-De tona ting Proj ecti le Fuze Mk
29, with the additio n of th e delay plun ger as ­
sembly from th e Army Pro jec tile F uae M48A2.
The fuze can fun ction eit he r sup er-quic k or with
a 0.05-second delay, ac cordi ng to the set tin g of
th e key on the ogive. Th is fuze can be used
only in spin-s tabiliz ed rocke ts, as th e fuze is
arme d by rotat ion or cen trifu gal force.
Descrip tion and op era tio n: See Fuze M48A2,
page 184.
Mk 100 Mod 1: I t was concluded af te r te st ­
ing t ha t th e delay of 0.05 second in the Mk 100
Mod 0 was too long fo r proiw r action of the
round , and a 0.025-second delay wa s sub stit ute d.
Thi s modification was desig nate d Mk 100 Mod 1.
Mk 100 Mod 2: Fai lur es of the Mk 100 Mod 0
and Mod 1 were occasional ly encou ntered , and
as a reme dy an addit ional relay det ona tor was
placed und ern eath th e delay assembly . Thi s
modificatio n was d esig nate d Mk 100 Mod 2.
Mk 131 Mods 0— 6. Mk I 36 Mods 0 — 10
Rockets used in ................ Mk 131—7.2" H.E .
Mk 136—7.2" Pr o­
jec tor Charge
Fu nct ion ing .................... Arm s dur ing wa ter
trav el, inst ant ane ous
firing on impact
Iden tifica tion.......... Mk 131 has red pai nt on
nose o f van e hub
Ar mi ng Tim e.......... 4 to 5 vane rev olution s, or
8 to IB fe et wa ter trav el
Vane span , in ch es ......... . .......................3.125
Body diam eter, inc hes ............................. 2.25
Over all length (w ith ou t b oos ter) , inc he s.7.2
Gen eral: Th ese tw o fuze s ar e id entical, e xcep t
th at th e Nose Fuz e Mk 136 has a sh ea r wire
194 C O N R D EN Ti A L
OP 1664
thr oug h the set-b ack collar. Both fuzes were to
be re placed by t he Nose Fuze Mk 140; however,
th is fuze is bein g recalled from th e field. The
Nose Fuze Mk 1S1 h as been r eplaced by t he Mk
156 and th e Mk 136 ha s been replaced by the
Mk 158 Mod 0.
Ope ratio n: The saf ety pin is removed when
th e rock et is loaded on th e launc her, leaving
th e vanes secure d by the set-ba ck collar, which
has a leaf spr ing holding it up by pres sure
ag ain st th e locking p ins. On firing , the se t-back
colla r moves back (bre aki ng the she ar wire in
the Mk 136), fre ein g the locking pins from the
groove in t he col lar. On impac t with wa ter , the
force on th e vanes cause a tor qu e sutti cien t to
she ar the verti cal sh ea r wire holding th e vane
cup to the neck of th e fuze. The van es are free
to rota te, unt hre adi ng the spindle thr oug h the
neck of the fuze body. As the spindle draw s
back from the ine rti a weigh t, th e spr ing unde r
the firing sleeve forces the sleeve and ine rtia
wei ght up. Since th e firing pin is locked to the
firing sleeve by th re e locking balls, th e firing
pin and its spr ing, cocked ag ain st a collar on t he
firing pin, rise wit h the sleeve and ine rtia
weight . As the sleeve clea rs the four spr ing ­
loaded det ent s in the fuze body ju st above the
firing-pin guide, the dete nts spr ing out und er
the sleeve. Af ter ap prox imat ely fou r v ane ro ta ­
tions , t he firing pin will have been raised by the
sleeve sufficiently to cle ar the sh ut te r cavity ,
allowing th e spring- loaded det ona tor s hu tte r to
move over int o th e ar med position with th e de to­
na tor lined up with th e firing pin and boost er
lead-in. The spindl e contin ues to ris e until the
was her to which it is keyed enga ges a groove
in the unde rside of th e fuze neck. The ine rtia
weig ht, sleeve, a nd firin g pin cease risi ng when
th e sleeve eng ages th e reta inin g rin g af te r
risi ng app roxi mat ely */i inch. On con tac t with
a tar ge t, the thr ee locking balls are forced in­
ward , as ine rti a cause s the weig ht to move
forw ard on normal im pact or la tera lly on oblique
impa ct. As th e wei ght moves cl ear, the locking
balls a re forced out wa rd by the beveled e dge of
th e spring-l oaded str ike r, which is the n fre e to
be d riven into th e d eton ator .
 ROC KET FUZES (N AV Y NOSE )

BOOSTER PELLET BOOSTER CASE

LEAD-IN STOP PIN
DETONATOR FUZE BODY
LEAD IN DISC
SHUTTER SPRING
SHUTTER
STOP PIN
DETON ATOR

SECT ION A- A SECT ION B B

FIR ING PIN SLEEVE STOP

SPRING
S' ’ FIRING PIN SLEEVE
FIR ING PIN
WE IG HT
I \\" SLEEVE SPRING
3 BALLS
SEAL ING COLLAR
RET AININ G RING
SEALING
WASHER I > GASKET
I / ? SET-BACK COLL AR
c n j

PLUG
AR MIN G SCREW
SPR ING PLATE
VAN E SHEAR WIRE
ARM ING V AN E HUB
LOC KING PINS SAFETY PIN
SETSCREW

AR MI NG VAN E UNA RME D POSITION

Figure 149. Navy No te Fine (Ro cke t) Mk 131 Type

CO NF ID EN TIA L 195
U. S. EXPLOSIVE OR DN AN CE
Remark?*: The dete nts in th e fuze body, which
spri ng ou t under the sleeve, are provided in
ord er to allow the spindle to be screwe d back
down from the arm ed position wit hou t dan ger
of forcing the str ike r in to th e det onato r. I n view
of the fa ct th at the ine rtia piece m ay be inse­
curely lodged over the str ik er spindle, th is
procedure is not recommended on any rocket
th a t has once been fired.
Do not remove thes e fuzes from a projectile
with any tool oth er tha n the span ner which is
issued with the fuze. Se para tion of th e two p ar ts
of the fuze body a rm s the fuze.
Difference in Mods for th e Mk 131 and Mk
136 were minor disti ncti ons, some bein g sepa­
ra te co ntrac ts.
Some lo ts of th e Mk 136 will have small-vanc
sh ea r wires.
Mk 132
Rockets used in .............. 4.5-inch Head Mk 9
Weight, p ou nd s........................................... 1.1
Over-all length, inc hes ..............................19.5
This fuze is like the Nose Fuze Mk 137,
exc ept th at it has a long bu rst er tub e—17.20
inches long and 0.38 inch in diam eter, for the
incendiary-fille d rock et head.
Mk 133
Rockets used in ................5-inch Smoke Head
(Exp erim ental )
Weight, p ou nd s........................................... 2.9
Over-all length, inc hes ............................. 20.6
The fuze is exactl)’ like the Nose Fuze Mk
149, except th at it has the long bu rst er tube
fo r the smoke head, the same tube th at is
found on the Fuze Mk 132.
Mk 135 M od s 0— 2 (O bs ole te )
Rocket used i n............................ 7.2-inch H.E.
Funct ionin g .............................. Inst anta neou s
Armi ng ti m e .............................30 f eet s tati c
wat er p ressu re
Body diamet er, inc he s............................... 3.25
Over-all le ngth , inc hes ............................. . . .5
Gene ral: The fuze con sists of a nose cap with
two wat er port s which is screwed on t he uppe r
196 G ON HD EN TI AL
OP 1664
fuze housing. A phosphor -bronze diap hrag m is
housed in the uppe r end of the fuze. Thi s dia ­
phra gm works ag ain st the diaph ragm but ton
and two bell cran ks. The bell cran ks are piv­
oted on pins fixed to the halves of th e nose plate.
In the unarmed position, the cran ks engage
the sh ut te r and also keep the body a nd weig ht
locked toge ther . In thi s position the firing pin
is locked, with spr ing compressed, by t hre e balls.
A fr eely moving saf ety sleeve, on set-bac k, en­
gage s hooks in the bell cra nks and prev ents
air p ress ure from arm ing th e fuze. On de celer a­
tion in th e w ater, th is saf ety sleeve eng ages the
bell c ran ks to reduce the possibility of prem a­
tur e functionin g.
A reta inin g rin g screwed into the low er f uze
housing secures the boost er magazine and
boost er lead-in disc in the fuz e. A gask et is lo­
cated on the und er surf ace of the shou lder of
the nose cap to provide a w ate rti gh t s eat in the
rocket. A safe ty pin is ins erted thr oug h t he nose
cap and diap hrag m butt on nut , ther eby locking
the di aphra gm in the unarm ed position.
Ope ratio n: When the fuze ent ers the water,
pres sure of the w at er which en te rs the wa ter
ports in the nose cap acts on the diaph ragm .
When the proje ctile has reache d a dep th of
15 to 20 feet, the diap hrag m is invert ed. This
diap hrag m action moves the two bell cra nks
out of engag emen t with the sh utt er, which is
forced by its spr ing into position under the
stri ker . The sh ut te r is locked in thi s position
by a det ent housed in the body. At the same
time the bell cra nks also move o ut of enga ge­
ment with the body and the we ight. The fuze is
then fully armed.
If the fuze should arm prem ature ly, befo re
the cha rge has slowed down sufficiently, the
weigh t will be pulled of f by it s own ine rtia when
the bell cran ks move outw ard, allowing the
firing pin to functio n before the sh ut te r will
have moved into place. The res ult will be a dud.
The fuze is des igned to funct ion upon i mpa ct
with a solid o bjec t but not on impac t with sof t
obje cts such as muddy or sandy bottom s. Upon
solid impact, the sudden decele ration pulls the
weight forw ard, forci ng the thr ee balls inwa rd.
This fre es the weight , allowing it to fall out of
 ROC KET FUZES (N A V Y NOSE )

DIAPHR AGM NOSE CAP

SAFETY PIN

BELL CRANK P IN ------- GASKET

NOSE PL AT E------------
POST
OIAP HRA GM BUTTO N
WEIGHT
RETAINING BAL LS (3) BELL CRANK (2)
BODY--------------------
SAFETY SLEEVE
FIRING PIN SPRING
FIRING PIN

RETAINING RING LE A D -IN DISC

BOOSTER ----------- LEA D-IN LOAD

BOOSTER CUP

SECTION A-A

BELL CRANKS SH UT TE R

SH UTT ER DETE NT

DETENT
LOCATING SPRING
PIN
SHUTTER BEL L
SPRING CRANKS
•SHUTT ER
DETONATOR CAP

UNAR MED POSI TION AR ME D POSI TION

Fig ure 1S0. Na vy N o w Faie (R oc ke t) Mk 13S Type

it s e n g a g e m e n t w it h th e b o d y. T h e th re e b a lls
a re th e n e je c te d b y th e fo rc e o f th e f ir in g
p in w o r k in g a g a in s t it s co m pr es se d fi r in g - p in
s p ri n g . T h e f ir in g p in is no w fr e e to be fo rc e d
b y it s s p r in g a g a in s t th e d e to n a to r, th u s a c tu ­
a t in g th e fu ze . A g la n c in g b lo w ca us es th e
w e ig h t to p iv o t a b o u t a p o in t on th e e dg e, w h e re
i t is s u p p o rt e d a g a in s t th e b o d y an d re le as es
th e th re e b a lls . T h e s e n s it iv it y to fo r w a r d an d
sid e w is e im p a c t is a b o u t e q u a l.
R e m a rk s : T h e fu z e w il l fu n c ti o n u n d e r w a te r
on a n g le s o f im p a c t u p to 75 °.
M od s 1 a n d 2 o f t h is fu z e a re s im il a r to th e
M k 13 5 M od 0 in g e n e ra l d e sig n , e x c e p t th n t
t h e s e n s it iv it y ha s be en a b o u t do ub le d, an d th e
s ta ti c p re ss u re to a rm ha s bee n in cr ea se d to a
he ad o f a p p ro x im a te ly 50 fe e t. T h e fu ze s, w he n

CO NF tOE NT IAL - 197

U. S. EXPLOSIVE O RD NA NC E OP 1654

fir ed from lau nc he rs, a rm a t a de pth of 2 0 fee t. F u n c ti o n in g ...............M k 137— In st an ta ne ou s

T he Mod 2 dif fer s fr om th e Mod I in th a t de­ Mk 145—0.02-s ec. del ay
te n ts lock th e bell cr an ks i n th e arm ed pos itio n Ar m in g ti m e........................10 va ne r ev olu tio ns
an d th e sa fe ty pin ar ra ng em en t in th e nose Va ne gu ar d di am et er , in ch es ..................... 2%
ha s bee n sl ig ht ly al te re d. Ov er- all le ng th (w it ho ut b oo st er ), in c h e s. 2'/i

Mk 137 Mo ds 0— 2 an d Mk 145 Mod s 0 and I Ge ne ra l: Th es e fu ze s fire upo n w at er im pa ct

Ro ck ets use d in .......... Mk 137—4.5- inch B .R. fo r vel oci ties of 300 ft ./ se c. an d mo re, an d a t
an d 7.2- inch D.R. im pa ct an gle s a s sm all as 15° t o 20° . T he y pr ob ­
Mk 145—4.5 -in ch B.R. ab ly will no t ar m if t h e bu rn in g tim e is sh o rt er

VANE LOCKING PIN VANE GUAR0

ARMING VANES

SAFETY P IN
■GROOVE
SET BACK STRIKER
COLLAR SE T BACK
SPRING
SPRING LOADED STRIK ER
detent GUIDE
STOP PIN
DETONATOR SHUTTE R
SPR ING
OET SH UT TE R SPACER
SLEE VE
BOOSTER
LE AO -IN
Booster

DETE NT C AVIT Y
SPRING LO ADED DETE NT
STRIKER
DETONATOR
DETONATOR SH UT TE R
SH UT TE R SPR ING
STOP PIN

fig ur e 151. Navy No ie Fui e (Ro cke t) Mk 137 Type

198 CO NF ID EN TI AL

tha n 0.2 second, or the velocity is less tha n
300 ft./ se c.
Ope ratio n: Whe n the rocke t is loaded on the
launc her, the sa fet y pin secu ring the set-back
collar is with draw n. On firing the rocket, the
set-ba ck collar is forced back by ine rtia , com­
pres sing the set-b ack spr ing and withd rawin g
the vane locking pin from the hole in the v ane
boss. The vanes ro tat e freely , and af te r thr ee
to fou r rot ati ons have unth read ed the str ik er
spindle sufficiently th at , when dece lerat ion oc­
curs , th e va ne locking pin canno t again en­
gage the vane boss. Af ter ab out ten vane ro ta­
tions . the str ike r spindle is unth read ed suffi­
cient ly to free th e det ona tor sh ut ter , which is
forced acro ss the sh ut te r cavi ty by its spring .
It is stop ped by t he stop pin and is locked in the
ar me d positio n by a spring-loa ded d ete nt housed
in the s hu tte r, which slips into a recess in the
Stri ker guide. When t he st rik er ha s reached the
end of its thre ads , it ro tat es free ly with the
vanes as the str ik er spindle collar ride s in a
groove in th e under side of the fuze body. On
impact, the thr ea ds on the fuz e body are s hear ed
as the str ike r is forced into the deton ator.
The Mk 137 Mod 1 resemb les th e Mk 137. bu t
has ten blades on th e arm ing vanes as compared
to eigh t, and also has a spl it spa cer sleeve.
The Mk 137 Mod 2 i s simi lar to the Mk 154
Mod 3. A modified vane lock-pin se at prev ents
pre mat ure ar ming .
The Mk 145 is si mila r to the Mk 137 but in­
corp orat es a 0.02-second delay in the de tonat or.
The Mk 145 Mod 1 h as a modified vane lock-
pin s cat p rev ent ing pr em atu re arming .
Mk 139 (Obsolete)
Rocket s us ed i n ....................7.2-inch and H.E.
Funct ionin g ..............................In stan tane ous
Arm ing ti m e .............................About % sec.
af te r launch ing
Body diam eter , i nch es................................. 2.5
Over-all leng th, inc hes ............................. 4.25
Gen eral : This fuze was desi gned for ant isub ­
mari ne wa rfa re and was used in rock ets pro­
ject ed bo th from a irpla nes and fro m small pa trol
cra ft. The fuze f uncti ons on im pact wit h a h ard
CONFIDENT tA t
ROCKET FUZES (NA VY NOSE)
object , bu t not on w ate r i mpact.
Desc riptio n: The fu ze body encloses th e f unc­
tioni ng mechanism . A w ate rpro of cap is affixed
to th e nose of the fuze and is held in positio n
by two band s locked by a sa fe ty pin. Beneath
the cap, a firing wheel is a ttac hed by a setscrew
to t he end of a fi ring pin. Th is wheel is forme d
like a cross to pres ent less s urf ace and prev ent
firing on wa ter impact. The slide sto p pin, riv­
eted to th e cap, en gages a leg of th e firi ng wheel.
This pin also exte nds down into th e nose p late,
where it prev ents a slide from moving ou tward .
A flywheel and set-back collar, sepa rate d by a
spr ing and secure d by t he flywhe el sc rew, form
a subass embly . This assemb ly is placed on the
sh af t of the firing pin. A pin se t in the slide
engag es the set-b ack collar in ord er to preve nt
its rota tion . A clock s pring, s ecured on one end
to the flywheel and on the ot he r end to a pin
on th e closure disc, is assemble d unde r tension
so as to imp art its force to the flywheel. The
pin to which the clock spr ing is atta ched is
ancho red to th e f uze body t o p rev ent rot atio n of
the closur e disc. The firing pin is screwed into
she ar thr ead s in the closure disc. A deto nato r
sh ut te r is affixed on a pin se t in the l ower s ur­
face of the closure disc. The firing p in exten ds
into a cav ity in the sh ut ter . A tig htl y fitted
spa cer rin g se t in the body ma inta ins a spri ng
det ent housed in the det ona tor sh utt er. This
ring, inter pose d between the closur e disc and
leAd-in disc, provides free movem ent of the
sh ut ter . The lead-in char ge is contain ed in t he
lead-in disc, and th e b ooste r ch arg e in a boost er
magazi ne w hich screw s into t he fuze body.
Ope ratio n: When th e arm ing wire is wit h­
draw n as th e rocket is launched, t he dam ps a re
unlocked and forced off by th e clamp spring .
The wat erpr oof cap flies off by t he act ion of its
compr essed sprin gs. Set-back cause s the set­
back col lar to move back ag ain st its sprin g. Th is
moveme nt release s t he slide pin in t he nose cap.
per mit ting the flywheel asse mbly to be rota ted
by the force of th e clock spring . Thi s rota tion
is tra nsm itte d to the firing pin, caus ing it to
screw outw ard, the reb y wit hdr awi ng the f iring
pin from engag ement wit h the deto nato r
199
U. S. EXPLOSIVE OR DN AN CE OP 1664

sh utt er, w hich is force d by its sp ring in to align ­
me nt w ith th e fir ing pin. Once the s hu tte r moves
in to the arme d pos ition, it is locked by a spring-
loaded detent.
On impac t o f the fir in g wheel wi th a solid
objec t, the fir in g pin is drive n backward and
shears the shear thread s of the closure disc.
I t then pierces the deton ator, set ting off the
explosive tra in.

SET-BA CK
COLLAR PIN

FIRING WHEE L SLIDE SPRING

CAP ASSE MBL Y SLIDE

NOSE PLAT E GASKET

FIRING PIN CLAMP SPRING

SE T BACK CO LL AR SLID E PIN

FIRING PIN DRIVE PIN
LEFT CLA MP
SET-BACK COLLAR SPRING
CLOCK SPRING SET PIN
FLY
WHEEL
CLOCK SPRING DRIVE PIN

CLOSURE DISC
CLOCK SPRING

SPACER RING PIVOT PIN

LE AD -IN DISC
SHUT TER
BODY

LE AD -IN
ASSEMBLY
BOOSTER CUP

BOOSTER CUSHION BOOSTER

f igure J 52. N or y N o i« Fui e (R oc ke t) M k J39

200 CO NF ID EN TIA L-

Figure 153. Nar y
Mk 140 ( Re ca lle d)
Rocket s used i n ..................7.2-inch Mousetr ap
and Hedgeh og
Func tioni ng ..............................In stan tan eou s
Arm ing ti m e ................ Sta tic pre ssu re o f ap ­
prox imat ely 30 feet
of wa ter
Body dia me ter, i nc he s, . , . , ....................... 2.7
Over-all leng th, inc hes ............................... 4.5
Gen eral: This fuse was developed and issued
to replace the Nose Fuzes Mks 131 and 13G in
the 7.2-inch Mous etrap and Hedgeho g. It arm s
by hy dro sta tic pre ssu re a nd has sa fet y fea tur es
which pre ven t it from firing eit he r on set-back
or on i mpa ct with the w ater. Its sid ewise sensi ­
tivi ty is 1/6 to 1/4 of the nose sens itivi ty, and
a glancin g blow perm its the fuse to function.
Ord ers hav e b een issued th at t hi s fuze is n ot to
be used, and it will b e r ecalled. The fu ze ca n be
used by blimp s in 7.2-inch h eads with the iner t
motor, when dropped as bombs.
Op era tio n: Wh en the ro cket is fired, the a rm ­
ing wire is pulled. On set- back, the saf ety ring
ROCKET FUZES (NAVY NOS E)
Wo jc Fuie (R oc ktt ) Mk 140
is for ced down ove r the u ppe r hooks on t he two
bell cra nks , prev enti ng them from sprea ding out
and relea sing the det ona tor slider. On impact
with the wat er, the firing rin g slips down a
sli gh t amo unt and engage s the lower hooks on
the bell cran ks, thu s pre ven ting the bell cran ks
from spre adi ng to releas e th e det on ato r slider
on wa ter imp act; the hooks on the cran k also
prev ent the firing ring from drop ping f ree of the
locking balls. As the rocket trav els thro ugh the
wat er, wa ter ent ers the po rts in the prote ctive
cap and thro ugh th e holes in the nose plug
which form erly received the ar mi ng wire. Af ter
reac hing a depth of from 8 to 15 fee t, the p res ­
sur e of the wa ter will inve rt the phosphor-
bronze diap hrag m, which pres ses down on the
inne r ends of the bell cran ks. Since the bell
cra nks are pivoted abou t pivot pins, they swing
clea r of th e det ona tor slider, which is forced
over to the arme d position by two spri ngs, and
locked the re by a spri ng-l oade r det ent . On im­
pac t with a har d surfa ce, the firing rin g is
forced by ine rti a aga ins t its two firing -ring
sprin gs, which are coiled aro und two guide
pins. Thi s action of the firing rin g fre es the
201
U. S. EXPLOSIVE OR DN AN CE OP 166 4

lock ing bal ls, which are forc ed outwa rd by the loose ly fitt ing str ike r ring to move side wis e,
sprin g-loa ded stri ker , which is then drive n into camm ing the firing rin g forwa rd, relea sing th e
th e deton ator. A gla nci ng blow cau ses the lock ing balls and firing t he f uze.

STIK ER HE AO------------------ ►

ARMING WIRE

VA NE S

STR IKER

STATIONARY GEAR

SHE AR WIRE DETONATOR Sh

ASSEMBLY

MOVABLE GEAR
shu tter
FIRIN G PIN
DET ENT

BOOSTE R DET ENT

LE AD -IN

TETR YL
BOOSTER
PE LLET S

DETO NATOR

SAFE PO SIT IO
SECT ION Y-Y
THR EAD ED
ADAPTER

Figu re 1S4. N a ry No te Fu ie (R oc ke t) Mk 141 M o d 0

20 2 CON FIDE NTIA L


Mk H I Mo d 0
Roc kets used i n ..........................7.2- inch D.R.
F un ct io ni ng .............................I nsta ntan eous
Arm ing ti m e .............................90— 130 vane
revoluti ons
Body diam eter , i nch es........................... -. 1.75
Over-all lengt h, in che s................................. 8.5
Gene ral: The Nose Fuze Mk 141 Mod 0 is i s­
sued to amphibi ous g roups for use in dest royi ng
beach obstacl es. The fuze is wate r-dis crim inat ­
ing and so design ed th at it will not fire on impact
with wa ter b ut will be actu ated by impac t w ith
the ear th or sof t sand, provided th e w ate r trav el
before impac t is not more tha n twe nty feet.
The wate r-dis crim inati ng f eat ure is ob tained by
use of a coppe r she ar wire. The Mk 141 Mod 0
will replace the Mk 152 in the 7.2-inch Demo­
lition Rocket, Head Mk 5.
Desc ripti on: The fuz e was developed fro m th e
Bomb Nose Fuze AN-M110A1 and ret ain s the
upper body and gear- reduc tion syste m used in
th at fuze. To obta in det ona tor saf ety , a piv­
oted det ona tor sh ut te r has been added below
the firin g pin. The sh ut ter is held in the safe
position by the firing pin, and, when the fuze
is armed , th e sh ut te r is locked in position by
a spr ing-loa ded det ent. The saf ety block of the
bomb fuze has been replaced by the arm ing
hub. an inte gra l ext ension of the st ati ona ry gear
which locate s the cross-shap ed str ik er head in
the saf e position. The movable gea r in the Mk
141 Mod 0 a cts to thr ead the str ik er assembly
forwa rd and out of the fuze body, thu s with­
draw ing the firi ng pin from the d eto nat or shu t­
ter slidew ay, releasi ng the sh ut te r to move into
the ar med posit ion, and moving th e s tri ke r head
away from the arm ing hub. The str ike r and
firing pin are mounted, by a copper she ar wire,
in the inn er sleeve which form s the threa ded
hub of the movable gear. The arm ing wire
brac ket of the bomb fuze has been retai ned
and, in shipm ent, a saf ety wire tie s the vanes
to th is bra cke t. To insu re pro per ai r flow pas t
the fuze vanes, an elongated boost er cham ber
has been added to the fuze. T his cavit y, loaded
with te try l incre ment s, exte nds the tip of the
fuze six inches beyond the rock et head. At the
CO WF IDE NTI AL
ROCK ET FUZES (N AV Y NOSE )
lower end of the boost er cham ber a thre ade d
ad ap ter has been fixed to ada pt the H/g-inch
dia me ter fuze to th e 2-inch diam ete r fuze pocket.
Two Auxi liary Booster s Mk 1 Mod 0 arc re­
quired in the fuze pocket.
Ope ratio n: When th e rocke t is fired, th e a rm­
ing wire is pulled, and the vanes are fre e to
rot ate . The rota tion of the vanes acts thro ugh
the reductio n gea rs to thr ead the inner sleeve
up in the arm ing hub and ther eby withdraw
the firing pin from the det ona tor sh utt er. The
sh ut te r is forced acros s th e sh ut te r cavi ty by its
spr ing a nd is locked in t he a rme d position by the
spring-l oaded dete nt. On impact , the str ik er is
driven down, she arin g the copper she ar wire,
and fires the deto nato r, boos ter lead-in, and
booster.
Mk 147 Mod I and Mk 148
Mk 148
Rockets used in ............3.5-i nch Heads Mks 3,
5, and 9
5.0-inch Head Mk 1
Func tioni ng ............................. Inst anta neou s
Arm ing ti m e ......................8 vane revo lutions
Vane span, inc hes .......................................
Body diam eter, inc he s............................... 1%
Over-all lengt h (wi thou t bo ost er) , in ches. 2 V4
Gen eral : The Nose Fuze Mk 148 is sim ilar to
the Mk 137, b ut has small er vanes, and, instea d
of a vane guar d, is shipped with a protect ive
cap which is r emoved when the rocke t is loaded
on the plane. It fires at impac t angles as low
as 5®and 10° fo r w ate r or land tar ge ts, allowing
slig ht pene trati on. On hard tar ge ts, it fires at
impac t an gles not less tha n 2 0° to 25°.
Op era tio n: The w eath er ca p is removed when
the rocke t is loaded on the launc her. Afte r the
rock et is loaded on the launch er, t he saf ety wir e
is with draw n and the arm ing wire is installed
thro ugh th e armi ng-wi re guide. Two Fahn estock
clips secure the arm ing wire. When the propel­
lant is ig nited , t he forward motion o f th e rocket
pulls the arm ing wire free and the force of
ine rtia causes the set-back block to set back
aga ins t t he set-back spring . Since the vane lock-
203
 U. 5. EX PL OS IVE O R D N A N C E OP 1664

LE AT HE R CAP
VA NE S
VANE BOSS
VANE LOCKING
PIN

BLOCK
STR IKER
STR IKE R
GUIDE
DETONATOR
SPRING
LOADED
DETE NT
STOP PIN
DETONATOR
SHU TTE R
SPACER
SLE EVE
BOOSTER
LE AD -IN
LE AD -IN
PLA TE
BOOSTER
BOOSTER
CUP

DET ENT CA VI TY --------------

SPRING LOADE D DET ENT
S T R IK E R -------------------------- SECTION "A"-"A"
STOP PI N --------------------------
DE TO NA TO R---------------------
DETONA TOR SH UTT ER —
SHU TTER SP RI NG -----------
Figuro 1$$ . Novy N o te Fin e (R oe ko f) Mk 148

in g p in is p o s it iv e ly a tt a c h e d to th e se t- b ac k
bl o ck , i t is th u s w it h d r a w n to a p o s it io n fla sh
w it h o r b e lo w th e to p o f th e fu ze bo dy . T h is
fr e e s th e v an es t o r o ta te , u n s c re w in g t h e s t r ik e r
as t h e y ro ta te . T h e v an es m u s t m a ke f r o m t h re e
t o f o u r r o ta ti o n s d u ri n g - a c c e le ra ti o n to u n sc re w
th e s t r ik e r su ff ic ie n tl y t o p re v e n t re -e ng ag em e nt
o f th e va ne lo c k in g p in as th e se t- b a ck s p ri n g
g ra d u a ll y fo rc e s th e se t- b a ck bl oc k an d lo ck in g*
p in up . A f t e r e ig h t o r n in e ro ta ti o n s o f th e
va ne s, th e s t r ik e r w il l h a v e u n th re a d e d s u ff i­
c ie n tl y to f re e th e s p ri n g -l o a d e d d e to n a to r s h u t­
te r . T h e la tt e r is th e n r o ta te d b y th e s h u tt e r
s p r in g in to th e a rm e d p o s it io n , w h e re i t is
st op pe d b y th e s to p p in , li n in g th e d e to n a to r
u p w it h th e s t r ik e r a n d b o o s te r le a d -i n . A s

20 4 C O N F ID E N T IA L

the sh ut te r reach es the arme d position, ft
spring-l oaded det ent carrie d in the sh ut te r is
forced into ft re cess in t he st ri ke r guide, locking
the sh ut te r in the arme d position. Aft er an
additi onal rota tion or two, the end of the
thr ea ds on the str ik er spindle is reached, and
the vanes r ota te freely a s the Collar a t the end
of th e thr ead s rid es in a groove in th e fuze body.
On imp act, the s tri ke r is forced in, sh ear ing the
thr ea ds in the nose of the fuse body, and is
driven into the lead azide deto nato r.
Mk 147 Mod 0: This fuze is used in the 7.2-
inch chemical wa rfa re rocket and is simi lar to
the Mk 148, e xcept th at it has no arm ing wire
guide like the Mk 118, and no booste r. Instea d
of the booste r, the re is an ada pte r which re­
ceives a bu rst er tub e to brea k open the rocket
and eje ct t he chemical filler. The fuze h as a vane
gua rd which consi sts of a cy lindric al tube open
a t the top. with per fora tion s arou nd the tube
ju st above the top of the fuze body.
Mk 147 Mod 1: This fuze is identical to the
Mod 0, with the exception of the vane guard ,
which has been replaced on the Mod 1 by u
prot ecti ve cap.
Mlc 149 and Mk 155
Mk 149
Rocket s used i n ..............3.5-inch A.R., Heads
Mks 3, 5, and 9
5.0-inch A.R., Heads
Mks 1, 5, 6, and 6
Mod 1
Func tioni ng ............................. Inst anta neou s
Fuzes used w ith ..................Alone, or with Mk
146. 157. 159, 159
Mod 1,164, or 165
Arm ing t im e ......................8 van e re volution s
Vane span, inch es...................................... V/u
Body d iam eter , inch es................................... 3
Over-all length (wi thou t bo oslo r), inches 3>/s
Gen eral: The working pa rts of th e fuze are
very sim ilar to those of the Nos e Fuze Mk 148,
which it is replacing. The esse ntial c hange s a re
the additi on of a second se t-back block, a shu tte r
locking pin, a nose cap and clamp, and smaller
bu t less shar ply pitched vanes. The fuze body
7471 7B O—«| 14 CO NF IDE NT IAL
ROCK ET FUZES (N AV Y NOSE )
itse lf is more strea mlin ed. The addition of the
spring-l oaded wea ther cap over th e vanes pro­
tec ts the vanes from icing up dur ing flight of
the a irc raf t a t high al titud es. Thi s cap docs not
spr ing off u ntil the arm ing wire is pulled from
the clamp when the rocke t is fired.
Ope ratio n: When the ro cket is fired, the ar m­
ing wire is pulled free from the clamp pin and
the compressed weat her-c ap spr ing forces the
we ath er cap up, spre adin g the clamp until the
we ath er c ap is f ree. T he force of ine rtia caus es
the two se t-back blocks to fall back aga ins t the
pres sure of the set-back spr ing . This accom­
plishes two thi ng s: Fi rst , the va ne locking pin
is freed from the vane boss and the vanes are
free to ro tat e and screw the str ik er upward.
Second, the lower set-back block forces th e s hu t­
te r locking pin down into the sh ut te r cavity,
prev enti ng the sh ut te r from moving over and
lining up unde r th e s tri ke r a s long as the rock et
is acce lerat ing <i.e. as long a s the rocke t motor
is bur nin g). Af ter eigh t vane revolut ions, the
poin t of the str ike r will have risen clear of
th e sh ut te r; and, upon reac hing t he end of the
thre ads , the spindle stops as the str ike r collar
ride s in the groove in th e fuze body. A fte r the
rocket propell ant has ceased burn ing, decelera ­
tion occurs and both set-ba ck blocks a re forced
up by the set-b ack sprin g. The sh ut te r locking
pin is th us lifte d from th e sh ut te r cavity and
the sh ut te r moves acros s the fuze unde r in­
fluence of its spr ing until stopped by the stop
pin. A spring-loade d dete nt in the deto nato r
sh ut te r spri ngs up into a rece ss in the str ike r
guide, loc king th e s hu tte r in the arme d position.
On im pact, the str ike r sh ea rs the body thre ads
and is driven into the de ton ator , s ett ing off t he
bo os te r lead-in and boost er in succession.
Mk 155: The Nose Fuxe Mk 155 is used in
the F.S. or P.W.P. smoke-filled 3.5-inch Heads
Mk 6. T he fuze is si mila r to the Nose Fuze Mk
119, with a bu rs te r tube inste ad of a boost er
charg e.
Mk 152
Rockets used i n .. .7.2-inch D.R. (Head Mk 5)
Func tion ing ............................. Inst anta neou s
205
 U .S . EXPLOSIVE O RD N AN CE
K»
o
o

ARMIN G
SHA FT
HAMMER
CARRIER

INNER
SLEEVE OETONA TOR
CARRIER
NUT
FIRING TRAIN

UNAR MED PARTIALL Y ARM ED FI RE D

Figure 156. Na ry No ie Fute (Ro cke f) Mk 152

OP 1664

Arm ing ti m e.................. 120 vane revolu tions
Vane sp an, i nc he s........................................ 4.75
Body diam eter , i nch es................................ 2.75
Over-all leng th, inc hes ................................ 5.5
Gen eral : Thi s fuze is identi cal to the Bomb
Fuze AN- Mk 219. excep t t h a t it has been pa r­
tially arm ed fifty tu rn s of the arm ing vanes
and a meta l fork has been inse rted between the
vane ca rri er and the fuze body to take up the
space left by the pre -arm ing process. Thi s fork
mu st be removed before laun ching the fuzed
rocke t. In addit ion, the pitch of the vane s has
been increa sed to 10 degre es ins tea d of the 18
degr ees on th e AN-M k 219.
The Bomb Fuze AN-Mk 219 mu st not be used
in place of the Rocket Fuze Mk 152, and vice
versa.
When insta lling the Fuze Mk 152 in a demo­
lition rock et, be sure to use a reg ula r ad ap ter
ring for the Bomb Fuze AN-Mk 219, t he same
a s when in stall ing the Bomb Fuze A N-Mk 219 in
the nose o f a d ept h bomb. The f uze c avity in the
rocke t body is deep enough to nec ess itat e the
addit ion of the following with the Fuze Mk
152: Au xilia ry Boos ter Mk 2 (two inches long) ;
Auxi liary Booste r Mk 1 (th re e inches lo ng );
and one card boa rd spac er ap prox imat ely f t inch
thick placed below th e a uxi liar y booste rs. Tes ts
have indica ted th at a hig h-o rde r deton ation
can still be exp ected if an additi onal cardbo ard
spa cer is used in place of the Aux iliary B ooster
Mk 2; however, use o f t he b oost er is p refe rred .
When th e rocke t is placed in the la unch er, an
arm ing wire, one end of which is atta che d to
th e launc her, replaces the sa fe ty pin. This as­
sembly pre ven ts fuzes of oth er rock ets in the
lau nch er from arm ing as a res ult o f the blast
from roc kets al ready launched. Both saf ety pin
and arm ing f ork must be re pl ac ed if the rocket
is not fired.
Op erat ion : Th ere are two sta ges of armin g.
Duri ng the firs t stag e, the uppe r ge ar is free
to ro tat e and the lower gear, being atta che d to
the ham me r c ar rie r locked by th e inner sleeve,
is held s tat ion ary . Durin g t he second stag e, the
eO NH OE MN AL
ROCK ET FUZES (N A V Y NOSE )
ham me r ca rri er ha s risen to clear the inner
sleeve, and the lower gea r is free to rot ate ,
while the upper g ea r is held sta tio nar y, as it is
atta che d to the arm ing sh af t, which was
thr ead ed up unti l it locked aga ins t the sh aft
extensio n nut.
Fi rst sta ge : As the rocke t is launch ed, the
arm ing wire is with draw n and the vane s are
fre e to rota te. Thro ugh the sy stem o f red uction
gea rs, the u pper ge ar rot ate s to th rea d the ar m­
ing s ha ft up until th e head of the sc rew on t he
sh af t locks ag ain st the sh af t exten sion nut.
A collar on the sh af t lift s th e ham mer c arr ier
and the en tir e ar min g asse mbly . Simu ltaneous ly
wit h the locking of the arm ing sh af t and the
upp er g ear, the ha mm er c ar rie r cle ars t he i nner
sleeve to free th e lower gear.
Second sta ge : The lower ge ar and ham mer
ca rri er ar e rota ted in a counter-clockwise direc­
tion . The alig ning lug on the ham mer car rie r
enga ges the firing-pin car rie r, lining up the fir­
ing-pin exten sion with th e firin g pin. Fu rth er
rot ati on causes the firing-pin ca rri er to engage
the det ona tor car rie r, lining the firing pin up
with the de ton ato r. 'The h amm er carrier*, firing-
pin c arr ier , and d eto nat or c ar rie r cont inue t o ro­
ta te thr oug h 180 degr ees, unti l the lip on the
det on ato r ca rri er enga ges th e inner sleeve.
Simul taneou sly, the spring-l oaded det ent in the
st ri ke r sna ps into a rece ss in the ham mer c ar­
rier , thu s loc king the firin g tr ai n compon ents in
an arme d position. Since the upp er and lower
ge ars a re now b oth locked, th e two copper pins
secu ring t he lower gea r to the ham mer c arr ier
are she ared and the vane s ro tat e freel y. If the
air speed is le ss th an 300 m.p.h., th e a ir pres sur e
will no t be sufficient to she ar th e pins, and
th e vanes will merely cease rota ting .
The fuze is now fully ar m ed . On impact, the
en tire upp er assem bly of th e fuze is forced in­
ward. The sh ea r wire in the arm ing sh af t is
cu t as t he upp er p art of t he sh af t tel escopes into
th e lower pa rt, and the s he ar wire thro ugh the
fir in g pin is cut a s th e firi ng-pin ex tensi on forces
the firing pin into the d eton ator . The deto nato r
set s off the auxi liary boo ster lea d-i n, boost er
lead-in, booste r, and main cha rge successively.
207
U. S. EXPLOSIVE O RD NA NC E OR 1664

ARMI NG ARM ING VAN E HUB

VANE
(4 B L A D E S )
SET­
SCRE W
SE T- BA CK
CO LLA R
SHE AR W IRE RA DIA L SH EA R
(ON M K I5 8 ON LY ) WIR E
S E T -B A C K
CO LL A R

tsP - sapetv PIN

b - ---- PLU G
AR MIN G SCR EW
S K E T C H OF
SETBA CK COL ­
LA R TO SHOW
GASKE T TH E LO CK IN G
PIN S AND THE
SPRING PL AT E
SEALING IN PLA CE.
WASHER (SO *FR OM THE
CROSS SECTION
SEALING OF F U Z E )
COL LAR
WEIGHT

BA LLS ( 3 ) —
FIRING P I N - -------------- SL EE VE SPRING
SL EE VE
--------------FIRING PIN SPRING
SL EE VE -------
STOPS

FIRING P IN -
-------LOCK ING DET ENT
oetonator
SHU TTER ------ LE AO -IN DISC
LE AD -IN

BOOSTER

Figuro 1$7. Navy No w Fu iei (R oc kt i) Mk 156 and Mk 158

Mk 156 and Mk 158 Arming tim e................4 to 5 vane revolutio ns

Va ne span , inc he s....................................... 3. 12 5
Rocke ts u sed in ,, , , , ,Mk 15$—7.2-inch H .E. M ax im u m body dia m et er , in ch es ................ 2.2 5
Mk 158—7.2-inch Pro­ O ve r- al l le ng th (w it h o u t bo os te r) , in c h e s .6.9
jec tor ch arg e
F u n c ti o n in g ..........................T h e M k 15 6 has r ed G en er al : T h e tw o fu ze s ar e id en tic al , ex ce pt
p o in t on nose of th a t th e No se Fu ze M k 158 M od 0 has a sh ea r
va ne hu b w ir e in th e se t-b ac k co lla r. Th es e fu ze s we re

208 CO NF ID EN TI AL

designed to r eplace the Nose Fuze s Mk 131 and
Mk 136 respec tively .
Ope ratio n: The saf ety pin is removed when
the rocke t is loaded on the laun cher , leaving
the v anes secure d by the set-ba ck collar, which
has a leaf spr ing holding it up by pres sure
aga ins t th e locking pins. On firin g, the set-back
collar moves back (bre akin g the she ar wire in
the Nose Fuze Mk 158). fr eein g t he locking pins
from the groov e in the collar. On impa ct with
wat er, the force on the vanes cause s a torque
sufficient to sh ea r the radial sh ea r wire holding
the v ane cu p t o the neck of the fuze. The vanes
are fre e to rota te, unt hre adi ng the spindle
thro ugh th e nec k o f th e fuze body. As the spi n­
dle dra ws back from the ine rti a weight , the
spr ing unde r the firing sleeve forc es the sleeve
and ine rtia wei ght up. Since the firing pin is
locked to t he firin g sleeve by thr ee locking balls,
the firing pin and its sprin g, cocked ag ain st a
collar on the fir ing pin. rise with th e s leeve and
ine rti a weight . As th e sleeve clea rs the four
spring-l oaded sleeve stop s in the fuze body j us t
above th e f iring pin guide, th ey spr ing o ut u nder
the sleeve. A fte r appr oxim ately fou r vane ro­
tatio ns. the firing pin will have been raised by
the sleeve sufficiently to clea r the s hu tte r cavi ty,
allowing the sp ring-lo aded det ona tor sh ut te r to
move over into the armed position with the
deto nato r lined up with the firing pin and
boost er lead-in. T he d eto nat or sh ut te r is locked
in p osition by a spr ing-load ed det ent. The spin­
dle conti nues to rise unti l th e was her t o which
it is keyed engage s a groove in th e unders ide
of the fuze neck. The ine rtia weight , sleeve,
and firing pin cease ris ing when the sleeve
engage s th e ret ain ing ring. On con tact with a
subm arine o r o the r und erw ate r o bstru ction , in­
er tia cause s the weig ht to move forwa rd on
normal impact or later ally on oblique impac t,
ther eby allow ing th e thr ee loc king balls to jum p
out and releas e the spring-loade d firing pin.
Re ma rks : The sleeve stops in th e fuze body
which spr ing out under the slee ve are provided
in ord er to allow th e spindle to be screw ed back
down from the Armed position wit hou t dang er
of forc ing the str ik er into th e det ona tor. In
C O N FI D EN Tt A t
ROCK ET FUZES (N A V Y NOSE )
view of the fact th at the ine rti a piece may be
insec urely lodged over the str ik er spindle, thi s
procedu re is not recommended on any rocket
th at h as once been fired.
Do not remove thes e fuzes from a projectil e
with any tool oth er than the s panner which is
issued with the fuze. Sep arat ion o f th e two p ar ts
of the fuz e body min s th e fuze.
Mk 154 M od 3
Rocket s used in ..............4.5-inch B.R. Smoke
Func tioni ng ....................... .Ins tan tan eou s
Arm ing ti m e ..................300 vane revolutio ns
Vane gu ard diam eter, in che s.......................2%
Over-all leng th, inc hes .............................16.56
Gen eral : This fuze consi sts of a Nose Fuze
Mk 137 Mod 2 fuze plus a te try l bu rst er tub e
14.06 in ches long. A steel collar is brazed to t he
upper end of the tube. A rub ber gas ket is in­
ser ted between th e bu rste r-tu be collar and the
bu rs ter ret ain ing disc. Between th e wall of the
bu rs ter tub e and the i nside wall of the bur ste r
ret ain ing disc is left n cleara nce of app rox i­
mate ly 0.03-inch. This c learanc e, in additio n to
the rub ber gask et, allows the bu rst er tub e a
cer tain degree of flexibilit y, which is desirable
when inst allin g the complete fuze assembly in
the fuze a da pte r o f t he rocke t body.
Rem ark s: No disasse mbly of thi s fuze is
authorized.
V.T. Mk 170 Mods 0 and I , V.T. Mk 173 Mods
1— 5, and V.T. M402
Rocket s used in . .M k 173—Head Mk 10 (S.S.)
Mk 170—4.5-inch Mk 16
<&S.)
Fu nct ion ing .............. 20- to 60-ft. aerial burst
when fired 15° to hor i­
zontal
Over-all length , inc hes ................................. 8.5
Ma teri als........................ Nose se ction—plastic
Base rin g—steel
Body—steel
Desc riptio n: The V.T. F uzes Mk 170 a nd Mk
173 Seri es are for spin ner rock ets. The Army
209
U.S . EXPLOSIVE ORDNA NCE OP 1664

FIR ING CON DEN SER

PL AS TIC NOSE SE CT ION

ST EE L BAS E RING

WET EN ER GI ZE R

EL EC TR IC DETONATOR
r— MER CUR Y SWIT CH
ELECTROLYTE REL EAS E LE VE R'
V IA L
BREAKER P l N - i
BREAKER PIN CENTRIFUGAL
RELEASE
PLATES
CENTRIFUGAL*
HA NDL ING
SA FE TY SWITCH

DETONATOR
ROTOR
ROTOR OETEN T

MK 4 4 AUXILIARY.
DETONATOR FUZE

HA LF ROU ND CAM
TE TR YL PELLE T.
BOOSTE R FI XE D S T R IK E R --------
L— DET ONATOR SL IDE R

MK 6 MOD 12 REA R FI TT IN G IN MK 173 MOO 0 FUZ E

MK IO MOO 0 REA R FI TT IN G IN MK 173 M OD I FUZ E

Figure 1S8. y.T. Fuim Mk 170. Mk 173. and M4 02

desi gnat es t he Mk 170 Mod I as th e M402.
Bur stin g heig hts will depend on t he an gle of
approac h to the ta rg et and the typ e of tar ge t,
as in all V.T. fuze opera tion. When the rock ets
ar e fired at a 1 5 -d e g r e e angle from the hori ­
zontal, bu rst ing h eig hts over aver age land ta r­
ge ts will be 20 to 60 fee t, w hile b urs tin g he igh ts
will be 40 t o 80 feet when the rocke ts are fired
at a 15-degree angle of elevation.
Minimum rang e fo r th e V.T. Fuze Mk 173 in
the Navy 5.0-inch S.S. rocket is 2,500 ya rds, at
which poin t only 26% of the f uzes will o per ate
prope rly upon appr oach to the tar ge t. Best re­
sul ts ar c obta ined a t r ang es bet ween $.000 yar ds
minimum and 5,000 yar ds maxim um—ma xi­
mum effective ran ge of the rocke t. In the se
limits, 76 to 80% of the fuzes shoul d func tion
prope rly upon approa ch to t he tar get .
It has been found necess ary to use a very
long arm ing delay on the se V.T. fuzes to give

210 CON FtD ENT lAt


assu ranc e th at t he fuze will not be armed until
th e afte r-b urn ing of the rocke t motor is no
longer a hazard . If the fuze wer e arm ed earlier,
aft er- bur nin g would cause the V.T. fuze to
funct ion prem ature ly, the reb y was ting the
round.
Minimum rang e of the V.T. Fuze Mk 170 or
M402 in the 4.0-inch Army roc ket i s 2,500 yards,
at which point 50 per cent of th e fuzes will
functio n properly upon approa ch to the tar get .
Effective rang e limits are 3,000 yar ds to 5,000
yard s, for full operabilit y. Bu rsti ng hei ght s a re
abo ut the same as for the V.T. Fuze Mk 173
in the N avy rocket.
Ope ratio n: Af ter the rocke t is fired, when
spin has reached 25 to 30 revolut ions per sec­
ond, the cent rifug al release plat es in th e spin
bre ake r s wing ou tboard s imultan eously aga inst
the ir ha ir springs , there by free ing the release
lever. This lever swing s outbo ard, free ing the
half-r ound earn which is rota ted counterclo ck­
wise by the spring-loaded det ona tor slider, re­
leasing it. The deto nato r slid er is snapped
aga inst the fixed str ike r, firing the detona tor.
The force of the explosion is exer ted aga ins t
the head of the bre ake r pin, f orci ng it upward
thro ugh a hole in the b ottom of the wet ener­
gizer and into th e electro lyte vial, brea king i t.
Cen trifu gal force dis trib ute s the electroly te,
energ izing th e po wder supp ly. E lectrical energy
is suppli ed to the V.T. element.
In th e meantime, the rock et has atta ined
its term inal spin velocity of abo ut 140 revolu­
tions per second, and the merc ury in th e mer ­
cury switch in th e re ar fitti ng is forced outboar d
thro ugh the porou s membrane. Af ter a del ay of
two to eigh t seconds, depending upon the rat e
of spin and the tem per atur e, the sh or t circui t
across the squib caused by th e mercu ry is re­
lieved and the s quib is armed.
When s pinni ng of the rocke t s ta rt s, th e roto r
dete nts of the auxi liary deto nati ng fuze swing
outbo ard, bu t the roto rs are preve nted from
lining up by th eir fricti on ag ain st the bottom
of th e housing, caused by accelerat ion. When
burn ing is over, the unbalanced roto rs swing
into position, armin g the auxi liary deto natin g
fuze.
CO NF ID EN Tt At
ROCKET FUZES (N AV Y NOSE )
When spinni ng of the rock et sta rts , th e reed
cont act in the cent rifeg al h andl ing sa fety switch
is force d outbo ard, allowing th e firing condenser
to st a rt ac cumu lating a char ge thro ugh a high-
resis tanc e circ uit as soon as the wet energize r
is activ ated . In about five sec onds af te r the be­
ginn ing of charg ing, sufficient c harge has been
accumu lated to allow firing of t he ele ctric deto­
na tor and th e fuze is armed.
Upon approa ch t o the ea rth , t he V.T. element
completes the firing circ uit and disch arges the
firing c onde nser thro ugh the electric detona tor.
The forc e of the explosion deto nate s the auxili­
ar y deto nati ng fuze, which init iate s detonat ion
of the ma in cha rge.
In the V.T. Fuze Mk 173 Mod 1 o r th e V.T.
Fuze Mk 170 Mod 1, if the V.T. element docs not
funct ion upon app roach to th e tar ge t, the R ear
Fi tti ng Mk 10 Mod 0 will cause insta ntane ous
opera tion upon impact.
Rem ark s: A re ar fitting cont ainin g th e sa fety
and arm ing fea tur es common to V.T. fuzed
roun ds will be the Rea r Fi tti ng Mk 6 Mod 12
in t he V.T. Fuze Mk 173 Mod 0 or Mk 170 Mod
0. It conta ins a mercu ry sw itch acros s the squib,
which uns hort s as a res ult of spin, and a cen­
trif uga l handlin g saf ety switch which allows a
char ge to be accumula ted on th e firing con­
dens er only wh ile th e round is sp inning.
The Rear Fit tin g Mk 10 Mod 0 is used in t he
V.T. Fuzes Mk 173 Mod 1 and Mk 170 Mod 1
and, i n add ition to th e co mponen ts of the sta nd­
ard Rea r Fi tti ng Mk 6 Mod 12 des cribed above,
also co ntain s a mechanical impac t firin g fea tur e
cons isting of a fixed str ike r and a movable deto­
na to r with appro pritc det ent s and anti-cree p
spri ngs to give ade quate sa fety .
V.T. Fuzes Mk 173 Mods 2, 3, 4, and 5 are
wate rproo fed fuzes. Mk 173 Mods 0, 1, 2, and 3
are not unde r procur ement by the Bureau of
Ordnance. Mods 0 and 1 had no au xilia ry det o­
nat ing fuze wate rproof ing; Mods 2 and 4 are
like th e Mod 0 in th at th e Rea r Fi tti ng Mk 6
Mod 0 is used. Mods 1, 3, and 5 have the impact
deto nato r. The Mod 6 is th e one being man ufac­
tur ed in q ua nti ty to supply th e fleet.
211
U. S. EXPLOSIVE O RD NA NC E OP 1664

VA NE LOCKING
PIN HOLES RIN G

ME TA L VANES

VANE LOCKING
PIN

PLA STI C CONE

PL AS TIC DRIVE
SH AF T
VOLU ME OCCUPIE D
BY ELECTRIC GEAR
ARM ING STEM
GEAR SECTOR

GENERATOR
IN ER TI A weight

WORM GEARS

WREN CH LUC
GE AR TR AIN

AR M IN G ST EM
ARMI NG STEM
TEN SION SPR ING
FIR ING CONDEN SER

FIRI NG CI RC UI T___
CON TAC TS ROTOR HOUSING

ELE CTR IC
DETONATOR
ROTOR DE TE NT
SA FE TY PIN SLOT

DETONATOR ROTOR BOOSTER LEADHN

PLATE
BOOSTER LE AD -IN

BOOSTER

BOOSTER SA FE TY PIN
BOOSTER RETAIN­
ING SLE EVE

Figure 1$9. V.T. F vm Mk 171. Mk 172. en d T2QQ4

212 CONFtO ENftAL


V.T. Mlc 171, Mk 172, and T2004
Rock ets used i n . .. .5.0-i nch A.R. Mk 1 Mod 1
Head
Fu nct ion ing ............By impulse on approac h
to ta rg et
Fuze s used w ith ............ Mk 157 Mod 0 or Mk
165 Mod 0
Arm ing d ist an ce ................. 340 yd. a t 0° F.
255 yd. a t 110° F.
Launc hed at 300 k n o ts .. . .1030 yd. at 0* F.
810 yd. at 110° F.
Body dia met er, inc hes ............................... S.4
Over-all len gth , inc hes ............................. 10.4
Ge ner al: Th e Mk 172 is a V.T. fuze for Navy-
type-fin stabi lized rocket s. The complete round
is d esig nate d as Rocket Assembly Mk 1 Mod 5.
Desc ripti on: In appear ance, the V.T. Fuze Mk
172 is the same as the V.T. Ring-T ype Bomb
Fuze T50. T he fuze may also be mar ked as the
T2004 for use in Army rocke ts. Inte rnal ly, the
fuzes are also simil ar, excep t th at a set-back
has been added in the V.T. F uze Mk 172 Mod 0.
Op erat ion : When the rocke t is launched, the
arm ing wire is with draw n from th e vane lock­
ing pin, which in tu rn is f orced o ut by i ts sprin g
to free the vanes. At the same time, the set ­
back pr oduced by the sudden ac celera tion forces
th e hinged ine rtia weigh t back aga ins t its
spring . The hinged ine rti a wei ght forces the
locking dog from the arm ing- stem gea r sect or
by means o f its lever linkage, fre ein g the gea r
tra in. Th e va nes rot ate , driv ing t he elect ric gen ­
er at or an d the gear trai n. Af ter ap prox imate ly
100 vane revolu tions, the ge ar sect or on the
arm ing stem has rota ted 25 degre es clockwise
to move clea r of the gea r tra in. As the gea r
sect or clea rs the gea r trai n, the tensio n sprin g
sna ps it 75 degr ees clockwise, whe re it is de­
taine d by the stop pin on the hinged ine rtia
weight . Since the arm ing stem and deto nato r
ro tor are int egr al with the gea r sect or, t hey also
move 25 degree s by vane ro tati on an d 75 degree s
by spri ng action . The vanes conti nue to r ota te,
driv ing the g ene rat or and the g ea r tra in, which
is disconnec ted from the arm ing stem. As ac­
celera tion cea ses at the end of bur nin g of the
motor, the spri ng forces the hinged ine rtia
weig ht fo rwa rd, pulling t he stop pin and freein g
CO NF ID EN TI AL -'
ROCK ET FUZES (N A V Y NOS E)
the gea r se cor. The tensio n gea r sna ps the g ear
sec tor 90 degre es clockwise into the armed
positio n, lining up the det ona tor with the
boo ster lead-in and mak ing electri cal connec­
tion to the firing c ircu it. T he d eto nat or is locked
in positi on b y a sp ring-loade d de ten t in t he deto ­
na tor ro tor. When the electric det ona tor is con­
nected to t he firing circu it, th e firin g con denser
is char ged . Af ter 0.7 to 1.4 seconds, the con­
den ser ha s stor ed up sufficient power and the
fuze is arm ed. On approach to a ta rg et , t he V.T.
eleme nt acti vate s the firing circ uit, which dis­
char ges th e co ndens er thr oug h the electric det o­
nat or which init iate s th e explo sive tr ain .
Re ma rks : Each V.T. Fuze Mk 172 Mod 0 is
shipped as a com plete uni t includi ng a seal wire
and boo ster saf ety pin. It will be recalled th at
the boo ster saf ety pin in th is application , like
th at on th e bomb f uzes, gives a visual indication
th at the d eton ator ro tor is in its orig inal or sa fe
position, if, upon removal of th e pin, it can be
fully rein sert ed. If it canno t be rein sert ed, the
det ona tor roto r will have moved out of position
and, he nce, th e fuze should b e disposed of.
The V.T. Fuze Mk 172 Mod 0 h as nei the r self-
des tru ctiv e nor impa ct-fu nctio ning feat ure s.
However, if the V.T. fuze is a complete dud,
the Base Fuze Mk 157 Mod 0 will cause deto ­
nati on af te r impact. While the V.T. Fuze Mk
172 Mod 0 is designed prim arily for air-to-
groun d firing, it could be used, thou gh less ef­
fective ly, f or ai r-to -air firing. In thi s applicat ion,
the rock et would have to come with in 20 feet
of th e ai rc ra ft ta rg et in ord er to function.
A se al wire thr oug h a hole in the a rm ing pin
inse rted at th e fac tor y prev ents th e vanes from
ro tat ing and insu res th at th e arm ing mechan ­
ism is in the pro per position. Any t urn ing of th e
vanes, unless accompan ied by set-ba ck, will
cause the roto r syst em to jam , str ipp ing its
gea rs, so th a t the fuze will be a dud. For this
reason , t he fuze ca nnot be pre-ar med.
If the seal wire is broken when the fuze is
origina lly removed from the conta iner, do not
use the fuze. Fuze s in thi s condition could be
disposed of In accord ance with secu rity reg ula­
tions by lowering in deep wa ter or by explosive
demolition.
213
U. S. EXPLOSIVE O RD NA NC E O P 16 64

/.EO T
WEOTS SPS'NG

LOCKING OOG
ARMING STEM GEAR SECTOR
ARMWG STEM TENSION SPR NG

-S T O P Pi n

- ARM ING ST EM

SH AF T

UNARMED
POSITION’

POSITION DURING
ROCKET MOTOR
Burning

ARMED
POSITION

Figur» 160. V.T. Fuiu M k 172 Mo d 0 — Mochonical Arming Dovico

Hig h-sp eed rotat ion of the van es is nec es­
sar y to produce the cur ren t to fire the fuze.
The ref ore , t he f uze is act ual ly armed only w hen
in fl ig h t on th e ro c k e t a t sp ee d s in e x ce ss o f
80 k n o ts . D am ag ed f u ze s m ay h ol d th e e le c tr ic a l
c h a rg e i n th e c o n d e n se r fo r q u it e s om e ti m e. F o r
th is re a so n , d a m ag e d fu z e s a n d d u d s fo u n d on
the ground should pref erab ly be handled with
ca re .
N o d is as se m b ly o f th e V. T. F u ze M k 17 2
Mod 0 is auth orize d by field personn el.
T h e V .T .F uz o M k 17 1, f o u r t im e s a s se n s it iv e
as the Mk 172, was desi gne d for plane- to-pla ne
firin g; but, becaus e o f poor res ult s in th is tec h­
n iq u e of f ir in g , fe w o f t h e s e f uz es w er e pr od uc ed .

214 C O N F ID E N T IA L
 Part 2 — Chapter 6 — Section 6

NAV Y BASE FUZES

M k3 l a n d M k 3 6 it can mov e dow nw ard s lig htl y. Ni ne ty deg ree s

rem ove d from th e two de te nt s a re two holes
Ro cke ts used in ........................... 5.0-inc h Mk 8 in th e nos e cap. A lock ing pin is prov ided to
F u n ct io n in g ................ Mk 31—non -del av lock th e nose cap in posi tion .
Mk 36—0.01 sec. de lay
Body di am ete r, in ch es .................................1.8 Op er ati on : Th e for ce of set -ba ck cau ses th e
Over -all l en gt h, in ch es .................................4.68 se ns iti ve firi ng pin to move bac k on th e firin g
pin de te nt s and hold the m in by fri cti on . When
th e mo tor b ur ns o ut . cre ep ca us es th e firi ng pin
Ge ne ra l: Th e Na vy Ro cke t Bas e Fuz e Mk 31
to mo ve fo rw ar d and rele ase th e de te nt s. Cen ­
is ide ntic al to th e Na vy Ba se- De ton ati ng Pr o­
tr if ug al forc e will move bot h se ts of de te nt s o ut ­
je ct ile Fu ze Mk 31. Th is fuz e is ar m ed by cen ­
wa rd ag ai ns t th ei r s pr in gs , a nd t h e fuz e i s t he n
tr if ug al f orc e and th us ca n on ly be used in spin -
com plet ely ar m ed . Th e de to na to r p lun ge r i s p re ­
sta bili zed roc ket s. The fuz e is des ign ed fo r in­
ven ted fro m mo vin g fo rw ard on cre ep bec ause
st an ta ne ou s act ion on imp act . I t is shi ppe d in­
of th e an ti- cre ep sp ri ng ; b u t on im pac t th e
sta lled in th e bas e of th e roc ket body .
au xi lia ry plu nge r, ac tin g as an in er ti a wei ght ,
pu sh es t h e d et on at or plu ng er fo rw ar d. T hi s ac­
De scr ipt ion : Th e fu ze js comp osed of two m a­
tion mov es th e in ne r cup fo rw ar d, th us com­
jo r p a r ts : t h e f uze body a nd th e noze cap. The
pr es si ng th e an ti- cre ep sp rin g, and br in gs th e
body co nt ain s th e au xil iar y de to na to r plu nge r,
bo os ter le ad- ins and lea d-o uts in line. Th e s en si­
the de to na to r p lun ger , th e d eto na tor -p lu ng er de­
tiv e pr im er in th e top of th e de to na to r plu nge r
te nt s, th e an ti- cr ee p sp rin g ass em bly , and th e
is ca rri ed on to t he sen sit ive firi ng pin, and th e
firi ng tr ai n. Th e au xi lia ry de to na to r plu ng er is
exp losi on of th e sen sit ive pr im er acco mpl ishe s
su rro un de d by tw en ty ball be ar in gs and be ars
tw o th in gs :
ag ai ns t th e bo tto m of th e de to na to r plu nge r.
1. Th e ga ses re su lti ng fro m th e explo sion
Fi tte d ov er th e top of th e de to na to r plu ng er is
pa ss th ro ug h th e po rt holes on th e sid e of th e
th e an ti- cr ee p sp rin g ass em bly co ns ist ing of an
pr im er co nta ine r and build up a hi gh pr ess ure ,
in ne r and ou te r cup se pa ra te d by an ant i-c ree p
ex pa nd ing th a t p ar t of th e cup whi ch is ad ja ­
sp rin g. Th e ou te r cup will not move , and the
ce nt to th e hol es in th e nose cap. Th is acti on
in ne r cup is crim ped ov er th e top of th e de to­
lock s th e de to na to r p lun ge r in th e fired posit ion
na to r plu ng er a nd h eld in pos itio n by th e sen si­
and kee ps t h e fir ing tr ai n lined up .
tiv e pr im er hol der . Th e firi ng tr ai n co ns ist s of
2. Th e sh ea r wir e th a t ha s bee n hold ing up
th e se ns iti ve pr im er, plu ng er fir ing pin, sec ­
th e s eco nd ary firi ng p in is bro ke n, and th e sec­
ond ary pr im er , de to na to r, and bo os te r lead- ins
on da ry firi ng pin is driv en down int o th e sec­
and lea d-o uts, whi ch ar e ou t of line in th e un ­
on da ry pr im er, and th e flash se ts off th e de to­
arm ed posi tion .
na to r and bo os ter el eme nts.
Th e nose cap, whi ch is sec ure d to th e end of
th e body by a t hr ea de d jo in t, ho use s th e sen si­ R em ar ks : The Base Fuz e Mk 36 dif fer s from
tiv e fir ing pin and firi ng- pin de te nt s. Th e sen si­ th e M k 31 o nly in th a t it h as a 0.01 secon d de lay
tiv e fir ing pin is held in plac e by two sta ke s, ele m en t hou sed in th e spa ce whi ch is th e flash
b u t is r ef er re d to as a “flo atin g” fir ing pin, sinc e cha nn el in th e Mk 31.

CO NF IDE NT IAL 215

U. S. EXPLOSIVE OR DN AN CE OP 1664

SENSIT IVE FIRING PIN

FIRIN G PIN DETE NT

SENS ITIVE PR IME R
INN ER CUP
OUTE R CUP
PLUNGER FIR ING PIN
SECONDARY PRIM ER
ANT I-CR EEP SPRI NG
OELAY EL EM EN T
LE AD IN
BOOSTER
LE AD OUT
DETONATOR
PLUNG ER DET ENT
AUX ILIA RY PLUN GER

SEN SITI VE FIRIN G PIN

SEN SITI VE PRIM ER------
FIR ING PIN
INN ER CUP
PLUNGER FIR ING
SECONDARY
AN TI- CR EE P SPRING
DELAY E LEM ENT -------
OUTER CUP ---------------
DETON ATOR--------------
LEA D OUT------------------
LEA D IN --------------------
BO OST ER------------------

PLUNGE R DETENT-

AUXILIARY PLUNGE R

Figu re 161 . Na vy Baso Ftn ot (R oc k+ f) Mk 31 ant/ Mk 36

Mk 134 Fuzes used w ith ....................................... None

Rocket s used in. .3.5-ineh Window a nd Flare Fu nc tio nin g.. . .Saf ety -fu ze delay 15 seconds
Over-all le ngth , in ches .................................1.28 Desc riptio ns: The Base Fuze Mk 134 consis ts
Diam eter, inc hes ...................................... 2.875 of a molded plasti c case in which a leng th of
M at er ia l.................................................. Plast ic Ensi gn Bickford sa fet y fuse is coiled with a cap

216 CONF IDENT IAL


on one end and a 20-gra m c har ge of black pow­
der on th e oth er. •
Ope ratio n: Bla st from the mo tor impinges
and fires the cap. The cap set s off the fuse
which burn s for 15 second s befo re the burn ing
gets to th e black-powde r charg e. Explosion
of the black powde r expels th e window load
thr oug h th e forw ard end of th e rocke t.
Mk 146 and Mk 146 Mod I
Rocke ts u sed i n . . . .3.5-inch Head Mk 4
5.0-inch Hea d Mk 1
7.2-inch D.R. H ead Mk 10
Fu nc tio ni ng ......................................Non-delay
Fuzes used w i t h A l o n e or with Mk 1-19
or Mk 148
Armi ng T im e. . . . From ignit ion o f prop ellan t
to 0.1 secon d af te r acceler­
atio n ceases
Body diam eter , inc hes ............................... 2.88
Over-all leng th, inch es............................. 5.50
Gen eral: The fuze head screw s into an
ad ap ter fixed in the base of th e rocke t body,
and th e ga ske t a nd luti ng on the thr ead s make
a ga s-t igh t seal. T he top of the f uze is exposed
to the fr on t end of th e rock et moto r. The Base
Fuze Mk 1-16 Mod 1 d iffe rs in th at i t has a more
sen sitiv e firin g tra in. T hese fuzes are being re­
placed in th e 5.0-inch rocke t by the Base Fuze
Mk 157 Mod 0. The Base Fuze Mk 146 Mod 1
is bein g replace d in the 7.2-inch Demolition
Rocket Head Mk 10 Mod 1 by t he Mk 161 Mod 0.
The fuze is ship ped assembled in t he base of the
rocke t head, and is not to be removed.
Op era tio n: When t he rocke t is fired, g as u nder
consi derab le pre ssu re from the roc ket motor
passes thro ugh the in let screen und ern eath the
inlet screw and en ter s the pre ssu re chambe r.
As the gas pre ssu re builds up. th e diap hrag m
bear s ag ain st the a im ing plung er, bre aki ng the
she ar wire and forci ng the arm ing p lunge r in­
ward. T he locking ball, which is pre ven ting the
rea rw ard .movement of the str ik er block, is
forced ove r by the pre ssur e of the spr ing­
loaded str ik er block into the narr ow portio n
CONFIDENT IAL
ROCKET FUZES (NAVY BASE)
of t he arm ing plunge r. The st ri ke r sp rin g fo rces
the s tr ik er block r earw ard, re tra cti ng th e firing
pin from the det ona tor sh ut te r. The sh ut te r is
still preve nted from moving acro ss the fuze by
actio n of its spr ing u ntil af te r decel eratio n be­
gins. since the force of set-b ack th ru st s the
sh ut te r back and cause s the sh ut te r locking
pin t o e ngag e in a re cess in the firing -pin guide.
A ft er bur nin g of the prop ellan t ceases and de­
cele ratio n begins, th e sh ut te r ride s forwa rd,
dise nga ging the lockin g pin from th e guide . Th e
sh ut te r spr ing forces the sh ut te r acro ss the
sh ut te r cavit y, whe re it is locked in the armed
position by a det ent which is housed in the
firing-pin guide and which enga ges a reces s in
the shu tte r. On im pact, ine rtia drive s th e st rik er
block f orw ard aga ins t its spri ng, the firing pin
str ik in g the deto nato r.
Re ma rks : A few of the ear ly exper iment al
models incor porate d a delay of 0.02 second to
allow pen etra tion . The Base Fuze Mk 157 was
developed from these . The la te r models of thi s
fuze have undergo ne th e following modifica­
tions :
1. The inlet shield has been modified. The
two out side legs ar e slig htly longer tha n the
flat base of the shield, so th a t the inlet screen
will no t be crush ed when th e inlet screw is
tigh tene d.
2. Th e ball ret ain ing plug, slak ed in place,
has repla ced the s crew plug.
3. A saf ety pin has been fitted below the
217
U. S. EXPLOSIVE OR DN AN CE OP 1664

s p a c e r sl ee ve t o fa c il it a te as se m b ly o p e ra ti o n s.
4. T h e d e to n a to r s h u t t e r h a s ta k e n o n a il o va l
s h a p e , e li m in at in g 1 th e fo rm e r s q u a re d c o m er s.
5. T h e la te s t lo ts o f R a se F u z e s M k 14 6 h av e
b ee n f u r t h e r a lt er ed to in c re as e th e ov er -a ll
s e n s it iv it y o f th e fu z e b y u s in g a w e a k e r cr ee p
s p ri n g , a m o re se n s it iv e p ri m e r, an d a m or e
ta p e r e d fi ri n g po in t.
Mk 157 Mo ds 0 and I, and Mk 159
R o c k e ts u se d i n . . .M k 157 — 5. 0- in ch H ea ds
M ks 1 , 5 , a n d 6
Mk 157 Mod 1— 11.75-inch
Head Mk 1
Fu nc tio ni ng .......... M k 157— 0. 02 -s ec on d de la y
on im p a c t
A rm in g t i m e ................ A rm e d 0.1 se co nd a f t e r
ac c e le ra ti o n ce as es
B od y d ia m e te r, in c h e s ............................2 -1 5 /1 6
O ve r- al l le n g th , in c h e s .................................5 -1 /2
G e n e ra l: T h e B as e F u z e Mk 157 Mo d 0 is es­
s e n ti a ll y s im il a r to th e B as e F u ze M k 146 , w it h
th e fo ll ow in g d if fe re n c e s: <1) a 0. 02 -s ec on d d e ­
la y d e to n a to r re p la c e s t h e no n- de la y d e to n a to r
o f th e M k 14 6; (2 ) th e f ir in g pi n a n d th e ficin’g-
p in b od y a re p in n ed t o g e th e r b y a th in lo ck w ir e.
T h e B as e F u ze Mk 15 7 Mo d 0 h a s be en d e v el ­
o pe d to af fo rd g r e a te r p e n e tr a ti o n o f th e t a r g e t
th a n w a s po ss ib le w it h th e no n- de la y d e to n a to r
o f th e B as e F u ze M k 14 6. T he B as e F uz e Mk 15 7
M od 0 is b e in g re p la ce d b y th e M k 165 M od 0,

HLET SCREW
'N LE T SH IE LD

IN LE T SCREEN

PRESSURE
SP AN NE R HO LE S CHAMBER
COOPER
DIAP HRAG M

SH EA R WIRE
LOCKING BALL

ARMING BALL RE TA K­
ING PLUG

FIRING PIN BODY

FIR IN G PI N SPRIN G
LOCK WIPE
spr ' ng loaoco det ent FIR NG PIN SP RIN G

FIRING PI N------------------- firing pis go k

locking pin
OELAV DETONATOR-----
SPACER SLEEVE
S A FE TY P IN — --------------
DETO NAT OR SHU TTE R

PIN
OETONATOR SH UT TE R
SH UT TE R SPR ING B
SPRING LOADED OFTENT
CEL AV DETONATOR STOP pH* a KLE
GET ENT HOL E

Figu re 163. Na vy Base Fuse (R oc ke t) M k 1ST Ty pe

218 CO NF ID EN TI AL
 ROCK ET FUZES (N A V Y BASE)

which cons ists of th e Mk 157 Mod 0 with a

moto r a da pte r and an improved det ona tor -sh ut­
te r locking: arra nge me nt.
The Base Fuze Mk 157 Mod 1 diff ers from
the Mk 157 Mod 0 i n th at the ma teri al for the
fuze body has been consid erably stre ngt hen ed,
and th e num ber of ext ern al thr ea ds has been
appr oxim ately doubled. In all oth er respe cts,
the fuze s a re identical.
Mk 159: T he Base Fuze Mk 159 is simi lar to
the Mk 157, exc ept t h at th e del ay t ime ha s been
chang ed to 0.015 second. The fuze is used in
the bas e of th e 5.0-inch Rocke t (5.0-inch Mo­
to r—Hea ds Mks 5 and 6). Ot her mino r str uc ­
tur al cha nges have been made as follows: (1)
a slig htly hea vie r she ar wire is use d; (2) th e
inle t scree n a nd inle t w ash er have b een replaced
by a b ra ss wash er havi ng one side flat and the
oth er radi ally ser rat ed (th e radi ally ser rat ed Fig ure 164. Gas Check f or N av y Fu ie i Mk 1S7
side faces th e fuze head, so th a t th e motor Mod 2, Mk 159 M o d 1, Mk 163, an d Mk 164
gases can en ter the fuze dia phr agm ch am be r) ;
(3) th e n um ber of e xte rna l t hre ad s on the body Mk I57 Mod 2, Mk 159 Mod I, Mk I6 I. Mk
has been increase d and "ru n out ’’ ju st below 163, Mk 164, and Mk 165
the flange to afford a snug fit for th e sealing
Rocke t h eads used in:
wash er, and (4) the fuze has been completely
wate rproof ed. Th e Ba se F uze Mk 159 is shipped Mk 157 Mod2 . . . . 11.75" Mk 1 Mod I, Mk 2
to the field instal led in th e base of th e rocke t Mk 159 Mod 1 . . . . 5.0" Mk 6 Mod 1
head. Mk 161 Mo dO .. . .7. 2" D.R. Mk 10 Mod 1
Mk 163 Mod 0 . . . .1 1.75" Mk 1 Mod 1, Mk 2
Re ma rks : The sen siti vity of th e Base Fuze Mk 164 Mo dO .. . .5. 0" Mk 6 Mod 1
Mk 157 Mod 0 is some wha t less tha n th at of Mk 165 M od O ... . 5.0" Mk 1
the Base Fuz e Mk 146. since th e p ercus sion-t ype Fun ctio ning :
prim ers used in delay explosive tra in s are in­ Mk 157 Mod 2, Mk 163 Mod 0, Mk 165
here ntly less sens itive than th e "s ta b’Mype Mod 0 ..................................0.2 sec. delay
pri me r cap s used in inst ant ane ous deto nato rs. Mk 159 Mod 1, Mk 164 Mod 0
The Base Fuzes Mk 157 Mod 0 and Mk 157 0.015 sec. delay
Mod 1 ar e alwa ys shippe d to th e field in stalled Mk 161 Mod 0................................ Non-dela y
in th e b ase of the ro cket.
Mk 157 Mod 2 and Mk 159 Mod 1: In o rde r to
No att em pt should eve r be made to remove secure a more ade qua te seal ing fo r th e prote c­
th is fuze from the assemb led round for any tion of th e explosive in the 11.75-inch an d 5.0-
purpose pri or to firing, e.g., to clean th e fuze inch ro cket heads from th e hot gas es d uri ng t he
or sub sti tut e a bas e p lug fo r t he fuze. Any thin g bur nin g of the moto r, t he base fuze s we re modi­
less thAn a pe rfe ct seal between th e fuze and fied in th at a proj ectil e-typ e gas check was
the ad ap te r in the base of th e rock et body added arou nd the fuze body ahead of the
will allow th e gases from th e rocke t mot or to thre ads . T he fuzes are sh ipped assembled in t he
seep into th e body and cont act the H.E. filling. base of th e head. The lead wa she r with copper
Pr em atu re explosion of th e ro cke t is th en highly hood is press ed into place a t th e loading acti v­
probable. ity, and is not to be dist urb ed in th e fields.

CO MR DE NT IA L 219
U. S. EXPLOSIVE O RD NA NC E OP 1664

Th e Base Fuze Mk 157 Mod 2 is ( he Ba se Fuze

Mk 157 Mod 1 with the proje ctile -type ga s s eal;
the Base F uze Mk 159 Mod I is the Mk 159 Moil
0 wi th a pro ject ile- typ e gas seal. These fuzes
will be rep laced by th e Base Fuzes Mk 163 Mod
0 and Mk 164 Mod 0 respec tively.
Mk 161 Mod 0 : T his fuze w as developed from
th e Mk 116 Mod 1 to secure be tte r sealin g of
the motor g ase s from the high-ex plosive filling
of th e head and t o elim inat e th e possible firing
of an unfuzed round. The Base Fuze Mk 161
Mod 0 will repla ce th e Mk 146 Mod 1 in the
7.2-inch Demolition Rocket Head Mk 10.
Th e Mk 161 Mod 0 d iffe rs fro m the Mk 116
Mod 1 only in th at th e head of the fuze has
been modified to receive th e motor. The 7.2-inch
Head Mk 10 Mod 1 has been sligh tly alter ed
to accom modat e the new moto r ada pte r. The
3.25-inch mo tor will thr ead into the fuze, and Figure 165. Motor Adapter in Foies Mk 161 and
a thre ade d reduc er is supplie d to per mi t use Mk 165
of th e 2.25-inch motor.
Mk 163 Mod 0 and Mk 164 Mod 0 : The Base DETONATOR
Fuze Mk 163 Mod 0 is sim ilar to the Mk 157 SH UT TE R
Mod 2. an d the Mk 161 Mod 0 is sim ilar to the
Mk 159 Mod 1. In addit ion to ret ain ing th e pro­
jecti le-ty pe ga s seal previ ously mentioned, the
Base Fuzes Mk 163 Mod 0 and Mk 164 Mod 0 SH UT TE R
hav e an improved de ton ato r-s hu tte r locking ar-* LOCK PIN
rang eme nt. Form erly, th e sh ut te r was retain ed
in th e safe position by a pr oject ion w hich locked
in a recess of the body du rin g set-bac k, and
was held in th at p osition by th e force of accel­ SE TB AC K
era tio n dur ing the bur nin g of the motor. This BLOC K
allowed the det ona tor upwa rd moveme nt as SPRING
well as rota tion , which con trib uted to the m al­
func tioni ng of the e arl ier fu zes.
The new desig n has removed the project ion SE TB AC K
and replaced it with a sh ut te r lock pin which BLOC K
is mounted in a set-ba ck block. The block is
reta ined in position by a set-b ack block spring. Figure 166. Modified Detonator Shutter Lock for
As the ro cket is l aunched, the force of set-back Futa Mk 163. Mk 164. and Mk 165
moves the block back to comp ress the set-back
block spring . The lock p in moves up to conta ct tion set s in, the set-b ack block spr ing and the
the det ent, to move upw ard and compr ess the det ent s p ri n g force the set-b ack block for ward,
de te nt spri ng. As the motor bur ns, the firing ther eby with dra win g the lock pin from the
pin is with draw n from the sh ut te r, to leave sh utt er. Thi s fre es the det ona tor sh ut ter , and
onl.v the lock pin to prev ent the sh ut te r from the spr ing acts to pivot the sh ut te r over in
pivoti ng. As the motor b um s ou t a nd decelera- the cav ity and a lign the firing tra in.

220 CO NF ID EN TI AL

Mk 163 Mod 1: Th is fuze differs from the
Mod 0 in th a t th e diam eter of the inle t orifice
has been decreased and the dia me ter of the
she ar wire increased, to increase th e arming
pres sure to 330 pounds per squ are inch.
The Base Fuze Mk 163 Mod 0 will replace
the Mk 157 Mod 2 in the 11.75-inch Heads Mk 1
Mod 1 and Mk 2 ; the B as t Fuze Mk 164 Mod 0
■will re place the Mk 159 Mod 1 in the 5.0-inch
Head Mk 6 Mod 1.
Mk 165 Mod 0: This fuze differ s from the
Base Fuze Mk 157 Mod 0 only in th a t the head
of the fuze has been modified to receive the
moto r and the booste r is appr oxim ately 0.3
inches lo nger, to incorpo rate the improved deto­
na tor -sh utt er locking arr ang em ent described
tinder th e Base Fuzes Mk 163 Mod 0 and Mk
164 Mod 0.
The ad ap ter in the fuze head is thre ade d to
receive th e 3.25-inch Motor Mk 7, an d the Base
Fuze Mk 165 Mod 0 will replace the old motor
ada pter in the base of the 5-inch Head Mk 1,
as well a s th e Fuze Mk 157 Mod 0.
Mk 162 an d Mk 166
Rockets used i n ............. Mk 162—11.75° A.R.
Mk 166—5.0" Head
Mk 2 Mod 2
Fun ctio nin g............Mk 162—pyrote chnic de­
lay o f 0.01 sec.
Mk 166 — Instan tane ous
explosive t rai n
Arming distan ce, f e e t. . .Mk 162—120 to 550
il k 166—450 to 580
Over-all length , inch es............Mk 162—6.800
Mk 166—6.400
Body diam eter, inc hes ............Mk 162—2.750
Mk 166—2.125
Genera l: T hese fuz es wer e designed prima rily
to be use d ag ain st marine ta rge ts. They will not
deton ate immedia tely af te r impact with water,
but will allow the rocket to continu e on its un­
der wa ter tra jec tor y. If the rocket str ike s the
hull o f a ship above wa ter or unde r wate r, the
fuze will deto nate the rocket af te r penetr ation
of th e hull is completed. I f th e roc ket misses t he
74?l?fO—41----13 C O N F ID E N T IA L ^
ROCKE T FUZES (N AV Y BASE)
ship, however, the fuze fires af te r appro xi­
mately 150 to 200 fee t of und erw ate r travel.
Upon pen etra tion of very heavy fortifica tions,
the fuze does no t fu nction a fte r fixed py rotec h­
nic de lay but auto matic ally varie s the delay in
firing mech anically, so th at i t does not fire until
pene tratio n of th e ta rg et is completed or, if the
tar ge t is too h eavy, until the rocket stop s. It is
in t his man ner th at the fuze is discrim inating .
Ope ratio n: The operati on of thi s fuze is di­
vided i nto five st age s: (1) gas pres sure effect:
(2) rot atio n causi ng align ment of firing tra in
in a vertic al plane ; (3) creep ; (4) impa ct; (5)
firing.
F ir st 8TAGB— Af ter the round has been
fired, gases from the bur nin g motor en ter
thro ugh t he in let filter, pass thro ugh the orifice
in the inlet screw, and exe rt sufficient force to
open the i nlet valve . The gases accum ulate and
build up pres sure in the uppe r chamb er. Be­
cause of th e diff erenti al pre ssu re between upper
and lower c hamber s, the gases seep thro ugh a
small orifice in the baffle cup into the lower
cham ber. Upon the completion of b urn ing of the
motor, the pres sure of the gases in the upper
cham ber is above the rema ining moto r press ure,
and the ref ore forces shu t the inlet valve. The
gase s from the uppe r ch ambe r co ntinu e t o seep
into the low er c hamber , tend ing to equalize the
pre ssu re between chambers . When the pres sure
in the lower cham ber is sufficient, the dia­
phrag m collapses, forci ng the arm ing sleeve
forw ard and she arin g the sh ea r wire.
S ec on d STAGE— The rotor , which has been
kept from tur nin g by the sh ea r wire, is now
free to rot ate under the force of the rot or
sprin g. The d eton ator plung er is atta ched to the
roto r thro ugh a deto nato r-plu nger pin, which
rides in a vertica l groove in the rotor. The tr ig ­
ge r block likewise is atta che d to the roto r
thro ugh trigger -block rot ati ng pins. Thus, as
the roto r tu rn s in a clockwise d irection, so do
the deto nato r plunger and tri gg er block a ssem ­
blies. Rotatio n co ntinue s for 90°. a t which point
th e roto r is stopped by the roto r stop pin. This
aligns the firing tra in in a vertica l plane. The
grooves in the de ton ator plunger a re now aligned
with two stop pins.
221
U. S. EXPLOSIVE OR DN AN CE OP 1664

INLET DISC — INLET SCREW

INLET FILTER
GAS CHECK—
UPPER CHAM8ER
INLET VALVE
LOWER CHAMBER
BAFFLE CUP
OIAPHRAGM
SHEAR WIRE
ARMING SLEEVE
CLOSING RING
CAP
ARMING SLEEVE
HALF CUP PIN

ROTOR SPRING OETONATOR

PLUNGER PIN
ROTOR
RETAINING RING
FIRING PIN SPRING
DETONATOR
TRIGGER BLOCK PLUNGER
SPRING TRIGGER LATCH
TRIGGER BLOCK TRIGGER 8L0C K
FIRING BAL LS (4 ) LOCKING BALLS 14>

FIRING PIN
DETENT
PRIMER-
OETONATOR CASE
FLASH CHANNEL-
DETONATOR
STOP PIN

leao - out s -

l e a o - in s -

BOOSTER

fig ur e 167. Nav y Bate Fuie (Ro cke t) Mk J66 (A ne m bl y)

T h ir d s t a g e — U p o n th e c o m p le ti o n o f
b u r n in g o f th e ro c k e t m o to r a n d c o m p le ti o n o f
th e r o ta ti o n o f p a r ts d is cu sse d in t h e se co nd
s ta g e , th e fo r c e o f c re e p ca u se s th e d e to n a to r
p lu n g e r a n d t r ig g e r b lo c k a s s e m b ly t o m o ve f o r ­
w a r d , th e r o t o r b e in g he ld in p o s it io n b y th e
r e t a in in g r in g . T h e t r ig g e r b lo c k C o n tin u e s t o
m o v e f o r w a r d u n t il i t e ng a ge s a s h o u ld e r in
t h e fu z e b o d y . A s t h e d e to n a to r p lu n g e r is a t ­
ta c h e d t o t h e t r ig g e r b lo c k b y f o u r f ir in g b a lls .
f u r t h e r m o v e m e n t o f th e d e to n a to r p lu n g e r al so
ce as es as th e t r ig g e r b lo c k e n g a g e s t h e fu z e
b o d y . T h e f ir in g t r a in is p re v e n te d f r o m g e t t in g
o u t o f li n e in a v e r t ic a l p la n e b y th e s to p p in s
w h ic h ri d e in g ro o v e s in th e d e to n a to r p lu n g e r
a n d p re v e n t f u r t h e r r o t a t io n o f th e d e to n a to r
p lu n g e r. Up to th is p o in t o f th e o p e ra ti o n ,
th e le a d -o u ts a re n o t y e t in c o m p le te a li g n m e n t
w it h th e le a d -i n s in a h o r iz o n ta l p la n e .

222 CO NF ID EN TIA L
 ROCK ET FUZES (N A VY BASE)

STO P PIN

BLOCK
ROTA TING PIN

(B ) VI EW A F T E R IM PA CT

(A ) VI EW A FT ER CR EE P FORC E

ROTOR SPRIN G

ARM ING SL EE VE

SL EE VE PIN

SE CTI ON X -X ST OP PIN

BA LLS

BLOC K
LOC KIN G BA LL S

SE CT IO N Y -Y (C ) FIR IN G VI EW

Fig u/e f6B. Navy Bam Fu tt (Ra cke t) Mk 166 (D et cJ i)

CO NF ID EN TI AL 223
U. S. EXPLOSIVE O RD NA NC E
FOURTH stage—The f orce o f impa ct is s uf­
ficie nt to fre e the det ona tor plung er from the
tr ig ge r block by camm ing th e firing balls in­
war d. T he d eto nat or plun ger the n moves all the
way forw ard, alignin g the two lead-outs with
the tw o lead-ins. The d eto na tor plunge r is locked
in t he a ligned position by tw o de tent s. Thu s t he
firi ng trai n is locked in al ignm ent in b oth ver ti­
cal and horizo ntal planes. The trigge r-bloc k
lockin g halls are camme d into the recess be­
twe en tri gg er block und det ona tor plun ger by
th e action of th e trigge r-bloc k spri ng. The tr ig ­
ger block is now free from the tri gg er latch,
allowing the trigg er-bl ock spr ing to act on the
tri gg er block. T he f uze is now fully armed .
FIFTH stage—The fifth s tag e of the ope ra­
tion occurs w hen the for ce of dece leratio n drop s
to n value below the str en gth of the trig ger
block sprin g. The trigg er-bl ock spr ing now
forc es the tri gg er block af t, thu s pres enti ng a
rec ess to th e firing balls. The firing bails are
camme d int o the rece ss by th e action of the
Par t 2 — Ch ap te r 6 — Se ction 7
NAVY AUXILIARY DETO NATI NG FUZE
Mk 4 4 M od I a nd Mk 44 M od 2
Head s used in ........ Mk 44 Mod 1—5.0" Mk 10
Mk 44 Mod 2—5.0" Mk 7
Fuz es found wit h.M k 44 Modi —Mk 30 Mod 3
Mk 44 Mod 2—Mk 100
Over-all leng th, in ch es.................................. 1.8
Diam eters , inches
Roto r h o u si n g .......................................... 1.5
B oo st er c u p .....................................................1.25
D es cr ip ti on : The fuze is con stru cted in two
pa rts , a r oto r h ousin g into the bott om of which
is s crewed a b ooster cup. Th e r ot or housin g con­
tai ns a do uble rotor , one roto r a bove the o ther .
Th e upp er rot or con tain s a prim er deto nato r
inc orp ora ting lead azide. The lower ro tor con­
tai ns a boo ster lead-in of tet ryl . In the asse m­
224 CO NF ID EN TI AL
OP 1664
firing-pin spri ng, fre ein g the sen sitiv e-ty pe fir-
ing pin. The cocked firing pin is drive n into
the prim er, which se ts off t he firing tra in.
The Base Fuze Mk 162 is sim ilar to the Mk
166 exc ept for the following:
1. Thre ad dia me ter of 2.75 inc hes inste ad of
2.125 inches.
2. An inlet sh ield is iss ued inste ad of an inlet
disc.
3. The tri gg er spr ing of the Base Fuze Mk
166 is abou t 50 % str on ge r than in t he Mk (62.
4. The Base Fuze Mk 162 has a percussion-
type firing pin.
5. The orifice in the baffle cup of the Base
Fuze Mk 162 is sm alle r th an th at of the Mk L66.
Rem ark s: Should a dud occur af te r t he roun d
has been fired, th e fuzes may be extre mely
se n si ti v e be ca us e of the spring-l oaded trig ger
block and the cocked firing pin and should not
be dist urbe d or ja rre d in any manner.
bled condition, each rot or is locked by two cen­
trif uga l det ents , so th at the firing tra in is out
of line. See figure 169.
Oper ation: This fuze is a rmed by cen trifu gal
force. When th e roc ket is launched, c ent rifu gal
force moves the two de ten ts on each roto r ou t
ag ain st the ir spri ngs. The rot ors are then re­
volved by cent rifug al force unti l th ei r motion
is arre sted by con tact wit h t he stop pin. At th at
time, the firing tra in is in line, with the deto ­
na tor immediate ly above the boo ster lead- in;
th e fuze is now armed. When t he nose fuze f unc­
tions . the gas pre ssu re gene rated a t th at time
forces thr oug h the weakened par t of the closing
disc to fire the deto nato r. The firing tra in is
the n as follows: boos ter lead-in, booster, and
main charg e.
 ROCKET FUZE (NAVY AUXILIARY DETONA TING)

COVER DISC

ROTOR SHAFT

UPPER ROTOR

ROTOR HO US ING

LO WE R ROTOR

LE AD -IN .C UP A SSEMBLIES

BODY

BOOSTER SEPARAT ING DISC

BOOSTER PELLET ---------------

BOOSTER SPACING DISC

2 ^
J
MA GA ZIN E ------------------

UNA RM ED PO SIT ION

DE TO NA TO R ASSEMB LY
LO WE R ROTO R CHA RGE
LO W E R RO TO R W E IG H T
IE TR YL BOO STE R

LOWER
ROTOR
WEIG HT

ARM ED PO SIT ION DETENT

DETENT SPRING

UPPER ROTOR
W EI GH T

DETENT

ROTOR
STOP PIN

a Rm EO posi tion
fig ur e 169. Au xil iar y Det ona ting Fuie (R oc ke t) Mk 44 Typo

M k 4 4 M o d 2 : T h e A u x ilia r y D e to n a tin g F u z e t h e d e t o n a t o r is d r i l l e d c o m p le t e ly t h r o u g h a n d

M k 4 4 M o d 2 is t h e s a m e as t h e M k 4 4 M o d 1, a c o p p e r s e a li n g d is c , 0 .0 2 in c h t h i c k , is p la c e d

except th a t th e h o le in t h e c lo s in g d is c o v e r o v e r t h e d o s i n g d is c .

CONFIDENTIAL 225
U. S. EXPLOSIVE OR DN AN CE OP 1664

o AN-M35

@ AN-M36

© AN-M28

© AN-M29

© AN-M30

© AN-M3I

© AN-M32

© AN-M33
Figure 170. Ca rtri dge Signals M ff and A N -M 2 8 to
S3 Series

226 confid ential

 Par t 3
PYROTECHNICS
Chapter 7 — INTRODUCTION
G en er al
These cha pter s on pyrotechnics deal with
items whose principal function is eit her si gnal­
ling or illuminat ing. For instance , signalli ng
smokes ar e trea ted as pyrotechnics, but screen­
ing smokes are discussed elsewhere, unde r the
ordnance items which car ry them. Since some
pyrotechn ic ite m s ha ve many tactic al purposes,
they arc described both here and in the ir o the r
applicable sec tions o f t he book.
The effectiveness of pyrotechn ics is de­
pendent on thre e maj or fact ors: design, posi­
tion, and the atmosph eric conditions prevailing
at t he time of use. Variat ions of des ign govern
the candlepower of t he flare or signal, the color
produced by the charge, and the contin uity of
the burn ing candle. The color and reflective
cha ract erist ics of the objective ofte n affect the
visibility of pyrotechnics. Open g round, such as
an airfield, will reflect thre e to four times as
much ligh t as will woods or deep water. Posi­
tion, distan ce, relativ e position, bac kground, or
angle of observa tion also alte r visibility, while
the degree of ligh t or darkn ess, fog, haze, or
oth er atmosp heric conditions have obvious ef­
fects.
Com posi tion
Pyrote chnic co mp os iti on s ar e complex chem­
ical mixtu res. On burning, they produce illum­
inations ran ging in intens ity from the “dark
fire” used as an element of blinke r signals to
the brill iant flash produced by the photoflash
bombs. Stan dard pyrotechnics, in general, con­
sis t of compounds to provide ox yg en fo r bur n­
ing, such as chlo rates and ni tr at es ; aluminum or
magnesium for fuel; salt s of bariu m, copper, or
stron tium for color; an d a gen ts such as aspha lt
CONFIDENTIAL
and paraffin fo r binding and wate rproofing.
Pyrote chnics usually function by means of an
igni ter tra in similar to an explosive train . In
general, igni tion is ini tiated by a pri mer mi xture
ami intensified by a “first-fire ” composition
which ign ites the luminous candle.
Ha ndl ing and stowage
All pyrotechnics should be handled with care.
Rough handling may cause immediate func­
tioning o f th e item, or it may damag e th e item
so tha t it will no t function properly at the de­
sired time. Much of the pyrotechn ic material Is
more sensi tive than o ther typ es of ammunition.
Pyrote chnics should be stowed in the boxes
or wa ter tig ht contain ers in which they are
shipped, whenever possible. They must not be
stowed with othe r types of ammunition.
Pyrote chnics should never be stowed where
th e dire ct rays of the sun can stri ke them.
They should be protecte d again st excessive and
variab le temp eratu res. If possible, th e stowage
sp ac e sh ou ld be kept at a tem pera ture below
100°F., and must be kept dry and ventilated.
Dispositio n
When directed by the Bureau of Ordnance,
pyrotechn ics may be disposed of by dumping
overboard or burning. Dumping is preferre d,
and must be done ten miles off shore and in
wat er at leas t 100 fatho ms deep. Certain items
must always be dumped, while o ther i tems may
lie eith er dumped or burned.
Meth ods of pro jec tio n
Air cra ft pyrot echnics
1. P yrotechnic P istol AN-M 8—This pistol
is used on air cr aft with the Mount Ml a nd fires
227
U. S. EXPLOSIVE OR DN AN CE
thro ugh a n openin g, in t he fuselage. It can al so
lie detache d from its mount and fired by hand.
It is ge nera lly used for s igna lling fro m a irc ra ft
in flight, to troop s on the grou nd or to oth er
ai rc ra ft.
2. Hand PftOJBCTOBS Mk 3 and Mk I—
Thes e proj ecto rs a re fired by holding the bar rel
in one h and and pulli ng back on the firing pin
han dle wit h the oth er. They are used to fire
Ve ry's Signa l Ligh t Mk 2.
3. Signal P istol Mk 5—Th is is a single ­
acti on, si ngle-l oading pisto l th at fires th e Ve ry’s
Sign al Lig ht Mk 2.
-I. Very P istol M5—This is a single-ac tion,
singl e-lo adin g pistol th at fires the Ver y’s Signal
Lig ht Mk 2. It is not proc ured by t he Navy.
5. P yrotechnic Discharger AN-M 5—This
is a double-action , mul ti-b arre l <<5) disc har ger
used on a irc ra ft when insta llati on of pistols is
no t practic able. It is used for th e sa me purpose
as the Pyro tech nic Pistol AN-M8. It is not
proc ured by the Navy .
<>. Hand P yrotechnic P rojector M9—This
is a single -action, single-l oaded proj ecto r which
ia fired by s tri kin g the firing pin with the hand
or by s tri kin g th e f irin g pin on th e gr ound. It is
used for pro jec ting sig nal s from the gr ound to
ai rc ra ft in f light. I t is not procu red by the Navy.
7. P yrotechnic D ischarger M10—This i s a
meta l cylin der with a mushroom firing mech­
anism and a hinged locking stem. It is used to
fire the Red Sta r Sign al M73.
Ground pyrot echn ics
1. Ground S ignal P rojector M lA l—This
is a single-loaded, manually opera ted proj ecto r
used to fire the High -Bu rstin g-R ang e Ground
Signal M27.
2. Ground S ignal P rojector M3—Thi s is a
single-loa ded, manually oper ated proj ecto r th at
is fired by holding the proj ecto r in the hand
and str iki ng the base on the ground. It is used
to fire S ignals M17 thr oug h M22.
228 CO NF ID EN TI AL
OP 1664
3. Ground S ignal P rojector M l—This pro­
je cto r is sim ilar to the M3 and is repla cing it.
4. Grenade Launche rs Ml, M2. M7, and
M8—This typ e of laun cher is an exten sion to
the barrel of a rifle or carbin e. It is used to
lire groun d signa l M17A1 thro ugh M22A1,
M5 1A l,an d M52A1.
5. T ree Suspen sion Device T l, for S moke
Grenade—This is a car dbo ard atta chm ent con­
tain ing abou t ten fee t of suspension cord. It is
attac hed to a sta nd ar d smoke gren ade th at is
launched from a carb ine or rifle. The device is
used t o cause gren ade s to become en tang led in
tree s or foliage, to per mi t emission of smoke
above dense for est s and foliage whe re it is
readi ly visible to ai r observer s.
Ship and subm arine pyrotec hnics
1. S ignal Projector M k l and M k l Mod l
—This is a ba rre l, abo ut 30 inches in length,
which fits i nto a tub e moun ted on a three -legged
stan d. The firin g pin is pa rt of a meta l disc
which acts a s a valve. It is used to fire Ship' s
Emerg ency Identifi cation Signa ls Mks 1, 2, 3.
and 1.
2. S ubmarine Rocket P istol—This is a sin ­
gle-loaded, breech- loaded pistol used to fire pis­
tol rocket signa ls.
3. S ubmarine E mergency Identification
S ignal Ejector—Thi s ejec tor is sim ilar to a
mi nia tur e torpe do-tu be arr ang em ent . It is used
to fire Subm arine Emer gency Identifica tion
Signal s, Subm arine Flo at Signal Mk 1, Mk 1
Mod 1. or Mk 2 Mod 0, and Fals e T arg et Shell,
Mk l.
I. Other projectors—These include Hand
Pro ject ors Mk 2 and Mk 4, nnd pyrote chnic
Pistol AN-MS, which are describe d above un­
der Ai rcr aft Py rotech nics. The re is al so a High-
Altit ude Mo rtar Mk 20 bein g developed, to
which official nom enc latu re is being as signed.
 Pa rt 3 — C h ap te r 8

AIRCRAFT PYROTECH NICS

Section I — PISTOL AN D HAN D-SI ZE SIGNA LS

Parachute Star M il , also MI O, M l4, M 15, Embossed Letters

and M 16
Length, in ch es ......................................... 7.69
Dia me ter, in c h e s............ , .........................1.58
Burning time, seco nds .................................30
Intensity, can dle po we r....................... 20.000
C ol or ..........................................................Red
Height, f e e t .....................................200—250
Use: This is a d istres s signal from grounded
planes.
Projec tion: The Pyrotechnic Pis tol AN-M8 or
Hand Proje ctor M9 is used for firing th e flare.
Description: The cylindrical, aluminum outer
case has an extractio n groove at the end con­
taining t he pr imer. A press-fit identification top
is cemented to the end opposite th e primer and
has the embossed let ters “R.P.” for night iden­
tification. This cartri dge is classified by the
Army ns t he rimless type.
Opera tion: The firing pin of th e pistol se ts off
the primer, igniting t he propelling charge . The
propelling charge ignites the delay fuse and
propels the inner case ou tward. The delay fuse
burns for 2.5 seconds and ignites the expelling
charge, which in tur n ignites the candle and
expels th e candle and p arach ute from the inner
case.
Rema rks: Th e Army ha s oth er par achut e sig­
nals which are similar to the M il. These are
obsolete or limited sta ndard items :
White Star , Parachu te, MIO.................W P
White S tar. Blinker Pa rachut e, M 15. . .WB
Green Sta r, Blinker Par achu te MIG. .. .GB
Red St ar, Cluster, Ml4 ...........................RS
Double-S tar AN -M 28 to AN -M 33 Series
(Ob sol ete )
le ng th , i nc he s.......................................... 3.02
Diameter, inches ........................................1.58
Burning time, seconds...................................7
Altitude, f e e t ............................................ 250
Use : Double-star air cra ft signals are used as
emergency identification by airc raft .
Projec tion: The Pyrotechnic Pistol AX-M8
or P rojec tor M9 is used for firing the signal.
I>escription: The signal cartr idge has an
aluminum, plastic, or steel barrel with an ex­
tractio n groove a t the closed end which houses
the primer. A press-fit identification top is
cemented into the opposite end, finished with
embossed lette rs to identify the colons of the
star s. Appropriately colored bands around the
out er case also identify the colors of the stars.
In addition, the identification top is appro­
priatel y colored. These signals are also classified
by the Army as the “Rimless Type.”
Color of Star s Embossed le tt er s
AN-M28. ...R ed- Red ............... ....... RR
AN-M29. .. .Yellow-Yellow . . . . ....... YY
AN-M30. ...G reen -Gre en ........ ....... GG
AN-M31. ...Red- Yellow .......... ....... RY
AN-M32. . . . Red-Green ........... ....... RG
AN-M33. .. .Gr een-Ye llow........ ....... GY

CONFIDENTIAL 229
U. S. EXPLOSIVE O RD NA NC E OR 1664

Fig ure 171. Cf O ll Sectio n of C o rf rid ge Signal

A N -M 3 1
Ope nitio n: The firing pin of the pistol stri kes
th e primer, ignit ing th e propelling charg e. As
th e sta rs are expelled from the pistol, they are
igni ted by th e propelling cha rge thro ugh the
quick matc h. T he s ta rs reac h full br illiance a fte r
tra vel ing -10 or 50 fee t, and rise to a heig ht of
appr oxim atel y 250 feet.
Sin gle- Sta r A N -M 3 4 to A N -M 3 6 Series
(O bs ole te )
Des crip tion : This serie s has the singl e st ar
ins tea d of th e double st ar of the AN-M28 to
AN-5133 seri es, but th e dimension s are the
same.
Color of St ar Embossed le tt e r
A N -M 3 4 .. . .Re d ................................. R Color of Bands and Top
A N - M 3 5 .. . Y e ll o w ................................ Y AN-5137 .................................. Red-Red
AN-M 36 - G re en ............................... G AN-5138.................................. Yellow-Yellow
Re ma rks : Thi s serie s is not procure d by the
Nuvy.
A irc ra ft Sig nals A N- M3 7 to AN -M 42 and
A N - M 3 7 A I t o A N - M 4 2 A I Series
Len gth, inches .......................................... 3.85
Diam eter, inches........................................ 1.54
Bur ning time, second*.................................... 7
Altit ude, f e e t .............................................. 250
Use: These sign als are used for emergen cy
identifi cation of a irc raf t.
Pro jec tion : The Pyrot echni c P istol AN-518 is
used to fire thi s signal.
Desc riptio n: A m etal or pla stic head con tain ­
ing the prim er is cri mped to t he pap er board or
metal ease, the op posite end of which is closed
with a cardlm ard wad. The colors of the sta rs
are pri nted an d p ainted on t his wad, the re b eing
no mean s of n igh t identific ation. Colors of s ta rs
are also indicated by the appr opri atel y colored
band s on the ca se ne ar the forw ard end. T hese
signa ls are classified by the Army a s the C art ­
ridge Type .
AN-51 39............................... .Green -Green
AN-5140 .................................. Red-Yellow
AN-5141 .................................. Red-Green
AN- 514 2..................................Green-Yellow
Opera tion: Thes e sign als are similar to the
AN-5128 to AN-5133 seri es in operati on.
Rem arks : The A1 series has an aluminum
case.

230 CONFI DENTIA L

 AIRCRA FT PYROTECHNICS (PISTOL AN D HAN D-S IZE SIGNALS)

Single-Star AN -M 43 to AN -M 45 and Tracer W ith Two Stars Mk 4 Series

AN -M 43 AI to A N -M 4 5 A I Series
Desc ripti on: This serie s has a singl e s ta r in­
stea d of the double st ar of th e AN-MS7 to
AN-M4 2 ser ies ; dimensi ons are the same.
Color of St ar and Top
AN- M43 ..................................... Red
AN -M4 4..................................... Yellow
AN- M45 ..................................... Green
Two-Star C art rid ge Mk 3 Mod 3
Desc riptio n: The se are inte rcha nge able with
the AN-M8 7 to AN-M42 serie s. Ther e is no
mean s of nig ht identification . Color combina­
tion s availab le ar e: red- red, yellow-yellow,
green -gree n, red-yellow, red-g reen , or green-
yellow.
Len gth, in ch es ............................................ 3.85
Diam eter, in ch es .........................................1.52
Bur ning time, seco nds .................................... 5
Burn ing tim e o f tr ac er, se con ds...............3—4
Altit ude, f e e t .............................................. 250
Us e: Dou ble- star sign als are used a s a method
of emerg ency identifi cation of air cra ft.
Pro jec tion : The Pyro techn ic Pistol AN-M8
is used to fire the signal.
Des crip tion : The ou ter case is sim ilar to t ha t
of the Mk 3. T he st a r cha rge s are contain ed in
an inn er case which also house s an ejec tor
cha rge an d tra ce r el ement. St ar color band s a re
the same as the band s on th e Mk 3 and, in addi-

CLOSIN G WAD

EJE CT ION CHARGE

QUICK MATCH

STAR CHARGE

INNER CASE

TRAC ER

PRO PEL LING CHARGE

PRIMER

fi g u /t 17J. Tracer Two Sta/i Mk 4

CONFID ENTIAL 231

U. S. EXPLOSIVE O RD NA NC E
tion, a nar row er band, befo re t he s ta r id entifica­
tion bands, indica tes th e color of the trac er.
Color combinat ions ar e:
Red-r ed with red tra ce r
Gree n-gre en with red tra ce r
Red-red with green tra ce r
Red-yellow with yellow tra ce r
Red-g reen with red tra ce r
Red-gre en with gree n tra ce r
Op erat ion : The firing pin str ike s the prime r,
ign itin g the propelling charg e, which, in turn ,
ign ites the tra ce r in the inner case and expels
the inn er case from th e barre l. The tra ce r be­
comes visible a ft er tra vel ing abo ut twe nty feet.
At appr oxim atel y 250 fee t altit ude , the trac er
igni tes the ejectio n cha rge thr oug h the quick
matc h, the st ar s being ignite d by the ejectio n
cha rge thro ugh the quick match a s they a re ex­
pelled from the inner case.
A ir c ra ft Signa l A N -M 5 3 to A N -M 5 8 Series
Des crip tion : Signals of th is serie s a re simila r
to th e Mk 4 series.
St ar Tra cer
AN -M5 3.............. Red-yellow .................Yellow
AN -M5 4..............R ed- red .......................Green
AN -M5 5..............G ree n-r ed...................Green
AN -M5 6..............Gr een -gre en............... Red
AN -M6 7..............Re d-r ed.......................Red
AN -M5 8............. Gre en- red ...................R fd
Sta r Signa l Mk 6
Len gth , i nc he s.............................................. 6.0
Diam eter, i n ch es .......................................... 2.5
Wei ght, pounds .......................................... 1.4
Bur ning time, se co nd s................................ 25
Inte rva l betwe en launch ing and
suspens ion, se co nd s.............................. 2.75
Us e: Signals of this se rie s a re used prima rily
for emerg ency identifica tion purpose s at night .
Desc ripti on: The body of the signal is an
alumin um cylind er with a bouchon type of gre­
nade-fi ring mechanism on one end and a metal
cap on the oth er. Contain ed in the body ar e the
ejec tion char ge, the pyrot echnic candle, and a
silk, rayon, or paper para chu te. The typ e and
232 CONFID ENTIAL
OP 1664
color of the signal st ar are prin ted on the side
of the cylinder . The clo sing cap on the lower end
of the signal is embossed for nig ht identific a­
tion as follows: red st ar , one do t; whit e sta r,
str ai gh t line; and gree n st ar a wide '‘V”.
All thr ee signa ls have an arc of a circle, one
inch in leng th, embossed nea r the edge of the
cap.
Ope ratio n: The signa l is in itia ted in th e man ­
ner prescrib ed for all bouchon-fu zed grena des.
The 2.75-sccond delay, hav ing been ignit ed by
the prim er, ignit es the ejection charg e. The
eject ion cha rge push es off the closing cap, ex­
pelling the pyrot echnic candle and the pa ra­
chute, at the same time igni ting the st ar tin g
mix ture thro ugh a quick matc h. The par ach ute
opens an d suspe nds the cand le, which bur ns for
25 seconds.
Smoke Signa l Mk 7
Leng th, i nc he s............................................ 10.0
Diame ter, inches ........................................ 2.5
Weigh t, p ou nd s............................................ 2.5
Color......................................... Red, Yellow,
Green, o r Black
Burn ing time, seco nds................................. 25
Use: This smoke si gnal is used for em ergency
identifi cation in dayli ght.
Desc riptio n: The Smoke Signal Mk 7 is the
sam e as the Sta r Signa l Mk 6, excep t for its
lengt h and the composition of the pyrote chnic
candle. Also, the closing cap of the smoke signal
is not embossed, but is painted the appro xi­
ma te color of the smoke produced.
Two- Star, Red, A N -M 7 5
Leng th, i nc he s................... 5-0
Diam eter, in ch es ...................................... 1.125
Altitu de, f e e t .....................................100—200
Burn ing time, seco nds.............................. 6—8
C o lo r............................................................Red
Use: This dis tre ss signal is used as an
emerg ency rescue signal.
Descri ption: The signa l is c ontained in a cyl­
inder which house s the sta rs and the firing
 AIRCRAFT PYROTECHNICS (PISTOL AND HAN D-SI ZE SIGNALS)

PIN

COTTER PIN

STRIKER POINT

PRIMER

RELEASE LEVER
-D EL A Y ELE MEN T

EJE CTIO N CHARGE

PY RO TE CH NI C CHA RGE

CABLE

PARACHUTE

CLOSING CAP

Figure 774. Identifi cation S#oz Signal Mk 6

fork pin stars

Figure 174 A. D’n tr eu Signal, T*r oS iar . Red, AN —M75

CONFIDENTIAL 233
U. S. EXP LOS IVE O R D N A N C E
mechani sm. Thi s mech anism consi sts of a pull
rele ase fork and a spring -loaded firing pin.
Op erat ion : The tape is r emoved from th e top
cove r and th e cover is removed. The release
fork is pu lled: th e fi ring pin is released and hits
the primer, init iati ng the delay. Af ter two to
fo ur seconds, the first red st ar is ejec ted, and
af te r thre e to five seconds the second red sta r is
eject ed.
Remark}*: This s ignal is not procure d by the
Navy.
Sin gle- Sta r, Rod, M73 (O bs ole te )
Len gth , in c h e s ..........................................2.25
Dia me ter , in ch es .............................................1-0
Alti tude , f e e t ..............................................2U0
Us e: This signal was intended for use as an
emerg ency signal.
Desc ripti on: The signal is composed of an
alumi num cylinder, one end of which conta ins
a pri me r and the o the r a cork plug. The pyro­
tech nic composition is located below the cork
plug.
Ope ratio n: The firing pin of the Pyrote chnic
Disc harg er MIO st rike s the prim er, and t he sig­
nal s ta r is pro jected to the a ltit ude of 200 feet.
Re ma rks : Thi s signal is not procured by the
Navy.
Smoko Gr en ad es A N -M S , M 16, M 18, and
A N -M 4
le ng th , in c h e s ............................................5.7
Diam eter, in ch es ........................................ 2.57
Wei ght, po un ds .......................................... 1.68
Bur ning time, mi nu tes ................................ 3.5
Delay time, se co nd s..................................... .3
Us e: These smoke gren ade s are used to at­
tra ct atte nti on to aviat ion personne l who have
made a forced landing.
234 CO NF ID EN TI AL '
OP 1664
Desc riptio n: The cylindri cal shee t-me tal case
is near ly full of a solid smoke mixt ure. A cir­
cular zinc cu p con tain ing a sta rti ng mix ture is
located in a depress ion left in the top of the
smoke mix ture , and is designe d to be init iate d
by a bouchon typ e of grena de-fir ing m echanism.
Adhesiv e ta pe c overs fo ur qu arte r-in ch holes in
the top of t he case until the sign al is read y for
firing. Th e grena de is p ainte d gra y and mnrked
in yellow with one band, the symbol of the
filler, and the word “smok e".
Ope ratio n: The re lease lever co tte r pin hav ing
been removed, the releas e lever is freed by the
ope rato r as the grena de is thr own, and is forced
off by the stri ker , which is at all time s unde r
tensi on of its spri ng. The str ik er moves on its
hinge and fires the prim er, which ig nites a delay
eleme nt th at in tu rn igni tes the sta rti ng mix­
tur e. The sta rti ng mix tur e bur ns thro ugh the
zine cup and st ar ts a chemical react ion in the
smoke mixt ure, gen era tin g considerable he at
with the form atio n of zinc chloride. The zinc
chlor ide escapes into th e ai r as a gray -wh ite
smoke composed o f finely divided solid partic les.
Thes e parti cles are hig hly hygroscopic and be­
come very obsc uring liquid particles . The gre ­
nade bu ms for ab out th re e and a half m inut es
at full volume.
M-lfi (obs oles cent ): Same as AN-M8—may
have re d, yellow, green , oran ge, violet, or black
smoke.
MIS : Same as Ml 6, w ith bur nin g reduced to
one min ute for a more dense smoke. Available
colors ar e red, gree n, yellow’, violet.
AN -M4 : Has a sh or ter fuze lever and is
issued in a metal con tain er with thr ee f laps d e­
signed to be bent o utw ard to provide a dditio nal
bear ing surf ace for use in mud or snow. The
AN-M1 is n ot p rocured by t he Navy.
 AIRCRAFT PYROTECHNICS (PISTOL AND HAN D-SI ZE SIGNALS)

PRIMER
PO IN T STRIKER
ADA PTE R
DEL AY ELEMENT

STARTER MIX TU RE

SAFE TY LEVER

Se ct io na l Vie w
Full View

Figu re 775- Sm oie G re n a d a A N -M 8 and M1 8

CONFID ENTIAL 235

 Part 3 — C ha pte r 8 — Section 2
DRIFT SIG NA LS
Da y Dr ift Signal Mk I
Len gth, i n c h es ..............................................10.0
Maxi mum dia me ter, in ch es ......................... 3.5
Th ick nes s o f ca se, in ch ............................... 0.07
Color of sli ck .............................Ch rom e yellow
Us e: Th is sign al may b e u sed for a ref ere nce
po int for ai r navi gati on.
Des cri ptio n: The cas e is compo sed o f a wa ter ­
pro ofe d pa pe r pulp shel l pre ssed in th e form of
a te ar drop, with fou r fins form ed on th e tail
cone wi th a d iam ete r app rox ima tely t he sam e as
th e gr ea te st dia me ter of th e nose sectio n. The
onl y ot he r elem ent of th is sign al is th e ver y
fine meta llic powder filling which nea rly fills
th e cavi ty.
Op era tio n: W he n th e si g n a l is drop ped into
th e wa ter , th e shell bre aks , all owi ng th e powd er
filling to spr ead out on th e su rfa ce and form a
slick visible to 15,000 f eet.
Re m ar ks : The Day Dr ift Sign al Mk 1 is a
Bur eau of Aer ona utic s item . Th is m ar ke r ha s
repla ced th e Dr ift Sign al M25, which is now
obsol ete.
Figure 176. Day Drift Signal Mk 1
236 C O NF ID EN TI AL
Ni gh t Dr ift Signals A N —Mk 4 and A N -M k 5
Mods I and 2; A irc ra ft Floa t Ligh t Mk 6
Mods 0— 2
AN- Mk I AN -Mk 5
Over-a ll len gth , in ch es .. . . 13 19
Dia me ter , in c h e s .................. 3 3
We igh t, p o u n d s.................... 2 4
Bur nin g tim e, m in u te s. . .3 to 3.5 15 to 17
T im e fr om imp act to ignit ion, sec ond s. .8— 12
Release a lt it u d e .......................Un der 500 fee t
V is ib il ity .................. .N ig ht —6 to 7 mil es
Us es: The se sig nal s ar e emplo yed as follow s:
To det erm ine th e d ri ft of the plan e from
which th e si gnal was drop ped.
To ma rk th e ini tia l po int of con tac t wi th a
sub mar ine.
To ma rk a n o bje ct to which an a ir cr af t de sire s
to call att en tio n of a sur fac e vessel.
To det erm ine the wind dire ctio n bef ore
la nd in g.
To ma rk th e lan din g deck on ai rc ra ft ca r­
ri er s fo r n ig h t land ings .
To ma rk th e locati on of th e sur fac e of th e
w ate r f or em erge ncy nig ht la ndin gs.
Des cri ptio n: Th e Ni gh t D rif t Sig nal AN- Mk
•1 has a n ogival sha ped, die- cast nose with a lug
on one side so th a t th e sign al will tu rn and not
str ik e th e bott om in shall ow wa ter , while th e
Ni gh t D rif t Sign al AN-M k 5 Mod 1 ha s a Hat
die -ca st nose. In bot h case s th e die- cas t nose
con tai ns a w ate r-i mp ac t fuze . The bodies o f both
sig nal s are made of hollow wooden cylin ders,
wit h one end t ap ere d, on w hich the ta il as semb ly
is mou nted .
The pyr ote chn ic mi xtu re is form ed into
pell ets app rox im ate ly fo ur inche s long a nd 1.25
inc hes in dia me ter, wit h a 0.022-incli hole eon-
cen tric w ith th e lo ngi tud ina l ax is t hro ug h which
th e dela y fuse pass es. One pall et is used in th e

PYROTECHNIC tube
ti me f u s e ------1
SEALI NG DISC
FI RI NG PIN NOSE
Figure 177.
AN-M k 4, and thr ee pellets ar e used in the
AN-M k 5 Mod 1. The pellets are enclosed in a
pyrote chnic tube to keep the hygroscopic mat e­
rial from absor bing mois ture throu gh the
wooden body. Originally , pure tin was used f or
th is purpo se; but in recent lots lead and zinc
have been sub stit ute d. The nose end of the
signa l is closed with a paraf fin-tr eated sealing
disc, while the tail is sealed with a metal cap.
Air cra ft Floa t Lig ht Mk 6 Mod 0 consi sts of
four Dr ift Signals AN-M k 5 Mod I which are
containe d in a squ are wooden body and burn
successively. The box is 20.25 inches long and
5.125 inches squar e. The weig ht is 16 pounds.
a n n o is '« CONFIDE NTIAL
AIRCRAFT PYROTECHNICS (DRIFT SIGNALS)
STARTING MIXTURE
QUICKMATCM
Night Dr ift Signalt
and the burn ing time is 45 minutes . The float
ligh t is released by hand from an altit ude of
from 300 to 5,000 feet. It gives off a grey srrtoke
and a flame 10 or 12 inches high. The Air cra ft
Floa t Lig ht AN-Mk 6 Mod 2 is ignited by a
pull ign itor Which is pulled when released. The
ligh t can be dropped from an alt itud e over 5,000
feet.
Oper ation : When Launched from airc raft , the
dr ift signa l falls nose-down. On impact with the
sur face o f the water, the paraffined pape r s eal­
ing disc is broke n and t he w ater drive s the firing
pin up aga inst the prime r. The flame from the
237
U. S. EXPLOSIVE O RD NA NC E
pri me r ignite s the tim e fuse which run s the
len gth of the hole thr oug h the cent er of the
pyrotec hnic pellet s in ord er to give the dr ift
signal enough time to ret urn to the surfa ce
and ri gh t itself . The time fuse igni tes a length
of quic k match which, in tur n igni tes the s ta rt ­
ing mix tur e and then th e pyrote chnic pellets.
The g ases evolved by t he pellets break open th e
pyrotec hnic tub e and force out the cap which
seals the disch arge tub e in the tail. A brigh t
(lame 12 to 15 inches high and a white smoke
are produced. These are visible for six to seven
miles on a cl ear night.
Re ma rks : T hese sig nals may be used f or day
signa ls, but un de r cer tain conditions obser va­
tion is difficult.
The Mod 2 is a moistu re-proo fed version of
the Mod 1.
Port 3 — Ch ap te r 8 — Sect ion 3
NA VY FLARES
|l/2Mi nu te Parach ute Flare
Len gth , inches ....................................... 18.75
Diam eter, in ch es ........................................2.44
Weig ht, po un ds ................................. .4.31
Bur nin g tim e, m in ut es ................................ 1.5
L ig h t in ten sity , can dlep ow er.............. 110,000
C o lo r .......................................................Wh ite
Maximum release alti tude , fe et ............... 1.200
Ra te of fall af te r ignition , ft ./m in ............ 550
Us e: It is used to illumin ate an ar ea for
emergen cy nig ht landings by cer tain commer­
cial-typ e a irc ra ft in use by the N avy.
Descr iption : The flare is issued in a her me t­
ically sealed aluminum case called a proje ctor
tube. One end of this tul>e is closed by a metal
cap a nd sealed by a gas ket . T he oth er end nar­
rows down into a small knob with an electrical
term inal in t he e xtre me end. The tube is cylin­
drica l for mo st o f it s length .
The pro jec tor tube conta ins an inne r case
and a propelling char ge of black powder. The
inne r case conta ins an ejec tion charg e, the
238 CO NF ID EN TI AL
OP 1664
Ret ro-R ock et D ri ft Signals
Gene ral: These 3-inch rock ets are designed
to be fired af t from a plane to elimina te the
effect of forw ard motion. Allowing th e signal to
fall str aig ht down. This is called retro-fi ring.
Desc riptio n: The rock ets have the 3-inch
Head s Mk 5 Mod 1 a nd use the M otors Mk 2 o r
Mk 3. Wit h the Motor Mk 2, they weigh 4.8
pound s; with the Motor Mk 3, 4.6 pounds. They
use the Laun cher Mk 2.
Opera tion: Firi ng of the rocke t motor in­
itia tes a delay tra in in the signal in the head,
which delay set s ofT the flare 10 to 20 seconds
late r. Th e moto r sep ara tes from the head duri ng
the free fall, and the signal hits th e wa ter and
floats on i t, burni ng fro m 10 to 15 minutes.
pyrote chnic candle, and a para chu te. The ejec­
tion char ge is in the a ft er end o f the inne r case,
and the delay fuse and in ter ru pte r mechanism
are mounted on th e outsid e of the same end o f
the inn er ca se .
The electric al term inal at the end of the
pro jec tor tube is connecte d thr oug h a toggle
switch in the pilo t's comp artm ent t o the ligh ting
syst em o f the plane.
Relea sing: The pro jec tor tube, which is con­
str uct ed as an inte gral p ar t of the flare, is fixed
by cla mp ba nds t o a b rac ket in th e a fte r end of
th e fuselage, whe re the firing circ uit is con­
nected when the flares a re loaded. The proje ctor
tulie rema ins in the bra cke t when the flare is
release d or expelled by closing the switch in
the cockpit.
Ope ratio n: When t he electri cal ci rcu it is com­
pleted in the cockpit, th e propelling cha rge is
ignited and the inner case is forced out of the
pro ject or tu be . Th e prope llant ignit es the delay
fuse, which burns unti l the inne r case is ap­
proxi mate ly 40 feet from the plane and then,
 AIRCRAFT PYROTECHNICS (NA VY FLARES)
FR IC TI ON Wl
IL LU M IN A T IN G COMP.
PR IM ING COMP.
AR MI NG PL AT E
RI P CORD
FIR ST FIR E
FIR E CLA Y
PR IM ER CU
Figure 178.
thr ough an e xplosive lead-in, ig nit es th e ejec tion
cha rge which, in tu rn , forc es the pyrote chnic
candle and att ach ed para chu te from th e inner
ca se . Simul taneo usly, the ejecti on c harg e ig nite s
the candle.
An int er ru pt er me chanism betwe en the delay
fus e and th e ejectio n cha rge in the inner case
pre ven ts the func tioni ng of the tlare until the
inne r case has lef t the pro jec tor tub * and is
clea r of the plane.
Re ma rks : A pro prie tary item , th is flare has
a commerci al desig natio n of “ 1 >/• Minute Pa ra­
chu te Fla re Mk 1 Mod 1”, bu t thi s Mark desi g­
natio n i s n ot t lia t o f th e Navy.
Mk 4 an d Mods
Len gth, inches ............................................ 25
Diam eter, in ch es ............................. .4.75
Wei ght, p o u n d s.............................................18
Bur ning time, mi nu tes ................................... 3
In te ns ity , ca ndl epo we r........................ 300,000
C o lo r........................................................ White
Rele asin g altitu de, f e e t ............... 1,200—5,000
Kate of fall af te r ignitio n, ft ./m in ........... 350
CONF IDEN TIAL
IN IN G CL IP
SHRO UD CORD
PAR ACH UTE TU B E
R IP COR D SP OO L-*
-P A R A C H U TE
-S U S P E N S IO N WIR E
-Q U IC K W IR E
Flare Mk 4 Type
Use : P rim aril y, t hi s flare is used to i llumin ate
an ar ea to p erm it th e land ing of air cra ft. Occa­
sionall y, it is used for recon noiter i ng, bombing,
and blindi ng an tia irc ra ft defense s.
Desc riptio n: The complete flare consi sts of a
par ach ute an d illum inant conta ined in a shellac-
impr egna ted chip b oard tub e closed a t the ends
by chip-b oard discs which ar e held in place by
gummed cloth and sealed with paraffin. The re
ar e tw o m et al stea dyin g bands fast ene d aroun d
the ease, ag ain st which the stea dyin g fork s of
the bomb rack rest . The complet e flare is isuvd
in a w ater proo f m etal conta iner.
Op era tio n: The Navy Fla re Mk 4 m ay be re­
leased from bomb rac ks or shackle s, from an
ada pte r, or manua lly. As th e flare is dropped
from th e plane, the arm ing pla te o f th e rip cord
is r eta ine d by the plane and t he rip cord is pulled
from the side of the flare case to which it is
fast ened by gummed cloth tape . As th e flare
cont inue s to fall, th e rip cord, which is wound
arou nd a wooden spool insid e th e end of the
237
 U. S. EXPLOSIVE O RD NA NC E
flare case, is unwound, tea rin g away the end
of th e flare case. The end disc and spool fall
aw ay as the par ach ute tub e is pulled from the
flare case an d retai ned by the rip cord. The
par ach ute is pulled o ut of its tub e by t he weigh t
of t he illum inant and fla re case, wh ich causes t he
par ach ute and para chu te shro uds to str aig hte n
out. When th e p ara chu te and par ach ute shrou ds
are fully extende d, a small cord atta che d to
the r elease ke y pulls th e releas e key down, allow­
ing th e rip cord to slip thr oug h the key, and
the flare fal ls free.
An ignition wire is att ach ed to the suspen ­
sion cable in such a ma nne r th at it is pulled
bef ore th e ca ble is fully extende d. Four frict ion
wire s are atta che d to the ignit ion wire and run
thr ou gh pri me r cups of matc h compound. This
ign ite s a double quick- match tra in, which burn s
down the outsi de of the illum inan t cas e and
ign ite s the prim er compos ition, which, in turn ,
ign ite s the firs t fire and illuminan t. When the
par ach ute o|x*ns, the illum inant is pulled out of
the Hare case, and flare case fall s clear . Full
suspen sion and ignition occur abou t 30 to 50
fee t below th e plane.
Mk 5 and Mo ds
Len gth . in c h es .............................................. 27
Diam eter, i nc he s........................................ 4.75
Weig ht, pou nds .............................................. 18
Bur ning tim e, mi nu tes .................................... 3
Int ens ity , c an dle po we r........................ 750,000
C ol or ..................Mk 5 and Hk 5 Mods 1 and 2
are whi te; Mk 5 Mods S—7,
yellow
Releas e alti tud e, fe et ................3,500—15,000
Ra te of fall af te r igniti on, ft ./m in ........... 450
Us e: The Navy Fla re Mk 5 illum inate s an
are a for reconn oiterin g, bombing, or landing.
Des crip tion : The complet e flare cons ists of a
para chu te, an illumi nant, and an impreg nated
Chip-board case. It is closed on the para chut e
end b y se veral layers of chip-bo ard d iscs held ill
place by gummed cloth tape and sealed with
paraffin, and on th e fuze end. w hich co ntai ns the
Ensi gn Bickford fuse, by a meta l cover. There
ar e two meta l stea dyi ng bands faste ned around
240 C O N F ID E N T tA f
OP 1664
the cas e, aga ins t which th e stea dyi ng for ks of
the bomb rack res t. The complete flare in its
case is issued in a w ater proo f me tal conta iner.
Ope ratio n: The se tti ng of the Ensig n Bick­
ford tim e delay fuse is made by tur nin g the
lock screw on t he metal firing mechanism hous ­
ing to the desire d delay, which is indic ated on
the bevel of t he fu ze- sett ing ring. The num bers
indic ate the ve rtica l dist ance t he fuze will drop
before igniti ng. When the co rrec t s ett ing is ob ­
tained, the firing mecha nism is secure d by
screwi ng the lock sc rew unti l i ts po int is b uried
in the flare case.
When the flare is released from the plane,
the arm ing plate is reta ined on the plane, the
rip cord is tor n from the side of the flare case,
and the cover on th e fuse end is flipped off.
The rip cord is atta che d to the snap cord th at
passes aroun d a lug on th e firing lever and is
secure d to the fuse block. As th e flare c ontinu es
to fall, the snap cord is pulled, overcomi ng the
leve r s prin g and cocking the firing lever. When
a tensio n of appr oxim ately 38 pounds is
reached in the snap cord, it break s, releas ing
the firing lever and the lever sprin g, the n dri v­
ing the firing lever back Against th e fulm inate
of m ercu ry pri mer. The flare now' fal ls f ire .
The prim er ignit es th e black-powder pellets
in the fuze plunger. The expan ding gases from
the bur ning black powder propel th e s ha rp point
of the pl unge r r adial ly outwa rd into th e Ensig n
Bickford time fuse. The re are thr ee small holes
nea r t he po int of the pl ung er which allows some
of the flame to escape from the inside of the
plung er into the pow der o f th e Ensi gn Bickford
fuse th at causes its ignitio n. The time fuse
bu ms its pred eterm ined lengt h at the rat e of
appr oxim ately 12 inches per 60 seconds, and
ignit es the quick match und er the firing block.
The flash produced by t he quick m atch ignite s
the firecrac ker fuse sta pled to the ign ition com­
position. The gase s evolved when the igniti on
composition begins to bur n force the end discs
out at th e para chu te end, then expel the pa ra­
chu te and illumi nant. T he p ara chu te t ube, which
is of spli t cons truc tion , falls aw ay; the pa ra­
chu te ope ns; and the rete ntio n cable slides
thro ugh th e tr ig ge r snap on the end of the
 AIRCRAFT PYROTECHNICS (NA VY FLARES)

ARMING PLA TE-----

EN D OI SC C O V E R — END DISC-PARACHUTE
ENO
F A C IN G S T R IP --------

PARACHU TE TUBE INNER ENO OISC

SHROUD C O R O -------
CABLE STOP
TRIGGER SNA P-----

BASE ENO OISC---- RETENTION CABLE

BASE BLOCK SHROUD S PA C ER

FIRE CLAY
GAS CHECK

ILLUM INANT COMPOSITION

CABLE
ILLUMIN ANT TUBE------------

SU SPE NSI ON CABLE

FLARE CASING

BA SE IN N E R OlS C
IG N IT IO N C O M P O S IT IO N

C O M P R E S S IO N R IN G
IGNIT ION ENO OISC

FIR ING BLOCK

FUSE SETTING RING F IR IN G M E C H A N IS M

Figure 179. Flare Mk 5 Type

shro ud lines until it reach es th e cable stop. A
sh ort leng th of cable on one side of the cable
stop sus pend s t he flare case, and a l onger length
on the ot he r side suspe nds th e illu mi na nt This
keeps th e case from dropp ing as a missile haz­
ard. The sudden shock caused by the con tact
of the cable stop w ith the tri gg er sn ap is take n
up bi* a shock abs orb er. Thi s is don e by pulling
a cable con tain ing lead balls, called snubb ers,
thr oug h a hole which is of sma ller diam eter
tha n th e diam eter of the snub bers . As each
snu bb er passe s thro ugh the hole, par t of it is
she are d o(r, thu s abs orb ing pa rt of th e shock.
The las t bull is of much gr ea te r dia me ter and
ac ts as a stop.
Re ma rks : In la ter models a new ty pe of shock
abs orb er elim inat es the use of lead snubb ers.
The cable pulls thro ugh a connectio n in which
fric tion abso rbs the shock of the par ach ute
open ing.

CONF IDEN TIAL 24 1

U. S. EXPLOSIVE O RD N AN CE OP 16 64

M k 6 an d M o d s an d A N - M k 6 M o d 5
AU XIL IAR Y PAR ACH UTE
L e n g th , in ch es .................................................. 37 .7 5
D ia m e te r, in ch es ................................................5.4
W e ig h t, p o u n d s .................................................... 30
PARACHU TE B u rn in g ti m e , m in u te s ............................... 3 — 3. 5
In te n s it y , c a n d le p o w e r .........................1, 00 0,0 00
Co lo r ................................................................ Y el lo w
FLARE CASE
R el ea se a lt it u d e , f e e t ...................3, 50 0— 15 ,0 00
R a te o f fa ll a f t e r ig n it io n , f t ./ m i n ...........4 50
PARAC HUTE CASE
U s e : T h es e fl a re s a r e u se d to il lu m in a te a
STEAD YING BAND la rg e a r e a fo r re co n noi te r in g an d bo m b in g , a n d
al so a s a b li n d in g ef fe ct on th e o p e ra to rs o f
a n ti a ir c r a f t w ea po ns .
SHROUD CORDS
D e sc ri p ti o n : T h e co m p le te fl ar e c o n si st s o f
th e il lu m in an t, a p a ra c h u te , an d a n a u x il ia ry
FE LT GA S CHE CK p a ra c h u te co n ta in ed in a sh el la c -i m p re g n a te d
ch ip -b o a rd ca se . T h e ca se is cl os ed on th e
p a ra c h u te en d b y s e v e ra l la y e rs o f ch i| )- b o ar d
SUSPENSION CABLE d is cs he ld in p la ce b y g u m m ed cl o th ta p e a n d
FIRE CLAY se al ed w it h p ar af fi n , a n d on th e il lu m in a n t en d
by a n E n s ig n B ic k fo rd ti m e fu s e a n d a m e ta l
co ve r. T o th e s n a p co rd o f th e E n si g n B ic k fo rd
ILLUMINANT fu se is a tt a c h e d th e ri p co rd , w h ic h is ta p e d
d ow n a lo n g th e si d e o f th e fl ar e ca se . T h e re
ILLUM INAN T TUBE a re tw o m e ta l s te a d y in g b a n d s a ro u n d th e c as e,
a g a in s t w hi ch t h e s te a d y in g fo rk s o r sw a y
b ra c e s o f th e b o m b ra c k s r e s t. T h e fl a re is
is su ed in a w a te rp ro o f m et al c o n ta in e r, a n d
RIP CORD COVER
sh o u ld be k e p t th e r e a t al l ti m e s w he n n o t in ­
st al le d in a n a ir c ra ft .
RIP CO RD
O p e ra ti o n : W h en th e fl ar e ia re le as ed , th e
a rm in g p la te is re ta in e d b y t h e pl an e an d th e
ri p c o rd is to rn fr o m th e si d e o f th e ea se , fli p­
p in g t h e m e ta l c o v e r of f th e E n s ig n B ic kf or d
IGNITION COMPOSITION fu se . T h e o p e ra ti o n o f th e fu se is th e sa m e
a s g iv en in t h e N a v y F la re Mk 5 .
T h e g a se s ev ol ve d w he n th e ig n it io n co m po ­
OUIC KMA TCH
s it io n b eg in to b u m , fo rc e th e en d o u t o f th e
FE LT GAS CHEC K H ar e ca se . N e x t, th e y ex p el th e a u x il ia ry p a r a ­
FIR IN G ME CH AN ISM c h u te , th e p a ra c h u te in it s c a se , a n d th e il lu m ­
in a n t. T h e fl ar e ca se fa ll s c le a r. T h e a u x il ia ry
ARMING PLATE p a ra c h u te op en s an d r e ta r d s th e p a ra c h u te in
Fig ure 180. Fl ar e M t 6 7yp« it s ca se , to w hi ch it is a tt a c h e d , a n d th e il lu m ­
in a n t pu lls th e p a ra c h u te o u t o f it s ca se . T h e
a u x il ia ry p a ra c h u te a n d p a ra c h u te ca se fa ll
aw ay , an d th e p a ra c h u te op en s.

24 2 CO NF ID EN TI AL
 AIRCRA FT PYROTECHNICS (NA VY FLARES)

Re ma rks : T his flare also i ncor pora tes a shock

abs orb er as used in the Navy Fla re Mk 5, with
cit he r lead balls pass ing thro ugh a hole of
small er di am ete r th an th e lead bal ls, or a special
connecti on utili zing friction to abso rb shock of
the p ara chu te o pening. See Opera tion, p. 210.
The Fla re AX-M k 6 Mod 5 differ s from the
Mk 6 and Mods in th at the arm ing wire has
swivel loops instea d of an arm ing plate.

Flare C ontaine r Mlc I Mod 0

Use : The Flare Conta iner Mk 1 Mod 0 is an
electr ically oper ated jett isio nab le cont aine r for
car ryi ng six ai rc ra ft par ach ute flares of the
Mark 6 typ e only, which may be release d one at
a time by e lectric al i mpulses from a 24-volt b at ­
tery . The cont aine r m ay be suspen ded from an y
stan dar d single or double-hook bomb rack.

Con stru ctio n: It is nece ssary to cock the

mech anism manually b efore t he conta iner can lje
loaded or unloaded. The con tain er holds six
flares, thr ee on each side of the vert ical panel,
one above the othe r. The divid ing panel asse m­
bly su ppo rts the f lares by metal a rm s or chocks.
The flares are loaded with the f uze end af t, and
the end of the lanya rd is secured to the con­
tai ne r. T he energy for the oper ation of the con­
ta in er is sto red in t orsion al s pri ngs and released
by a solenoid. By wiring in serie s, severa l con­
tain ers can be oper ated to secu re an unin ter-
hupte d releas e of a seri es of more tha n six
flares.

O pe ra tio n: When the solenoid is energized,

the spring-l oaded plunger, which is linked
mechanicall y to the release rack, re tra ct s com­
pletely , the reb y effectin g th e releas e of one
flare. The solenoid plung er will rema in re ­
tra cte d so long as the cur ren t is on. To release
an oth er flare, the circ uit mu st be broken long
enough to allow the spring -loaded plung er to re­
tur n to the n ormal position bef ore ap plying th e
nex t impulse. The maximum rat e of release is
abo ut 10 flares per second, which is t he hig hes t
ra te pr actica ble in or der to p rev ent in terf eren ce
between th e in dividual flares.
Figure 181. Flare Cant oina r Mk I Mod 0
The cocking leve r should alway s be in the
“s af ety ” pos ition when on the ground, and only
switch ed over to the “oper atio nal” position be­
fore the plane tak es off. Co rrectl y loaded flares
arc a fire h azar d, since they are alway s ar med.
Re ma rks : When the con tain er is used in a
bomb ba y, it is int ended th at i t be used with out
the nose and tail fairi ngs. If desira ble, the
spr ing doors may also be removed.

CONFI DENTIA L 243

U. S. EXPLOSIVE O RD NA NC E OP 1664

Use: Thi s flare was developed specifically for

nig ht a ntis ubm arin e w arfa re.
RIP COR D
Desc riptio n: This flare is the same us the
Navy Ha re Mk I, exce pt th at the over-all
PARA CHUT E
leng th is two inche s sh or ter and the ill umina nt
in the Mod 0 and Mod 1 has a 90-second delay
fuse thro ugh its cen ter or a 120-sccond delay
fuse in the Mod 2,

O|>eiati<m: Thi s flare is sim ilar to the Navy

Flare Mk 4. exce pt tha t, when the ig nition wire
att ach ed to the suspen sion cable is pulled, it
pulls the frict ion wires in the Ensig n Bickford
PARAC HUTE
fuse igni ter, ign itin g th e delay fuse runn ing
SHRO UDS thr oug h the cen ter of the illumin ant. When
th e pa rach ute opens, th e il lumin ant is pulled out
SUSP ENSI ON of the flare case, and th e flare case falls away.
CABLE
The sudden shock c aused by the openi ng o f t he
par ach ute is tak en up by a shock abs orb er of
IGNITI ON
WIRES
the solder balls and ap ert ur e typ e employed on
the Flare Mk 4. Full suspensi on of the flare
occur s appr oxim ately 30 to 50 feet below the
IG N IT ER —
plane, and 90 o r 120 se conds lat er the first fire
of the illum inant is ignit ed by the delay.

Rem arks : The Flar e Mk 8 Mod 1 and Mod 2

DEL AY FUSE
ILL UM INA NT
COMPO SITION
FIR ST FIR E
COMPO SITION
Figure 182. Flare AN -Mk 8 Type
A N -M k 8 and Mods
Len gth , in ch es ...................... .................25.0
Diame ter, in ch es ...................... ................ 4.75
Weig ht, pounds ...................... ................ 16.0
Bur nin g time, m in u te s.......... ............3—3.5
C o lo r....................................... Yellow (pale)
Inte nsi ty, ea nd lep ow er............ ..........600.000
Minimum relea se alt itu de, feet .............. 2,500
Kate of fall af te r igniti on, ft ./m in ........... 500
can be launched at iq>eeds up to 220 knots, but
the Flar e Mk 8, which docs not have the snub-
liers for the shoc k-ab sorb er effect, should not
be launc hed a t speeds g re at er th an 150 knots.
Mk 10 Mod 0
Leng th, in c h e s........................................ 37.75
Diame ter, in ch es .......................................... 5.4
Weigh t, p o u n d s............................................ 30
Bur ning time, m in u te s.............................. 4.5
Int ens ity , eandlep ower ...................... 750,000
C o lo r............................................. Pale yellow
Release altitu de, f e e t................ 3,500—15,000
Kate of fall af te r igniti on, ft ./m in ........... 450
Use: Thi s flare is employed to illum inate an
are a for recon noite ring , bombing, or landing.
Desc ripti on: The Navy Ha re Mk 10 Mod 0
has th e s ame dimens ions a s the Mk 6 and Mods.
The inte rna l co nstru ction is si mil ar to t he Mk 5
and Mods, except th a t the Mk 10 Mod 0 has a

244 CONFIDENT IAL

 AIRCRAFT PYROTECHNICS (NAV Y FLARES)
metal suspe nsion cup to which the suspension
cable and pyro tech nic candle are faste ned, and
the Aik 5 and Mods has a wooden suspension*
base block.
Op era tio n: The opera tion is sim ilar to th at of
Navy Fla re Aik 5 and Mods.
Re ma rks : Though thi s flare has a specified
light int en sit y of 760,000 candlepowe r, tes ts
have shown th at it has a ligh t int ens ity of
800,000 to 850.000 candlepower. In t he f utu re it
may bo m anu fac tur ed so a s to have a lig ht in­
ten sity of appr oxim ately 1,000,000 candlepower.
Mk 11 Mod 0
Len gth, in ch es ....................... 37.75
Diam eter, i n c h es ........................................ 5.37
Weig ht, p o u n d s............................................ 30
Bur nin g time , mi nu tes .................................. 3
C ol or ............................................... Pale yellow
Int ens ity , ca nd lep ow er ..................... 1,000.000
Delay, seconds , .................................. 90—180
Minimum releas e al titu de, fe et . .2,500—4.000
Use : The Navy Flar e Mk 11 will supplem ent
the AN-M k 8 f or nig ht ant isu bm arin e war fare .
Des crip tion : The shell ac-im pregn ated chip ­
boar d ca se of th is flare has two metal stea dyin g
bands faste ned to it and is closed at the par a­
ch ute end by a chip-boa rd disc held in place
by a gummed cloth and sealed with paraffin.
The rip cord is wound arou nd a spool at the
par ac hu te end of t he flare, and is at tac hed to the
par ach ute tu be thro ugh a rele ase key. The par a­
ch ute and par ach ute shr oud s are enclosed in
the por ach ute tube . The shro uds are atta che d
to a suspe nsion cable, which is a tta ch ed to the
illum inant assem bly.
The fuze end o f the flare is closed by a metal
fuze a nd a cover which mus t be removed when
se ttin g th e fuze. Imm ediat ely below the cover
is a firi ng lany ard with a swivel loop on one
end an d a clip-type loop on t he o ther .
The selecti ve-del ay igniti on device is simila r
to t he fuze used in th e Mark 5 and Mark 6 types
CON FIDE NTIA L
of a ir cr af t par ach ute f lares, t he ch ief difference
being th at the fuze is init iate d by a pull cord
run nin g thr oug h the cen ter of the illumina nt
inste ad of by a firing lanya rd. The pull c ord is
att ach ed to t he suspensio n cable. A safe ty screw-
keeps the firing lever of th e f uze in positi on du r­
ing shippi ng. A fric tion -typ e snu bbe r is em­
ployed a t the lower end of the suspe nsion cable.
Ope ratio n: The meta l fuze-end cover is re­
moved and the filin g lany ard with draw n. The
clip-typ e loop or th e metal lany ard is atta che d
to the arm ing wire ret ain er of the launchin g
gea r. A select ive delay set tin g is made by pull­
ing up on the index pin, tu rn in g the indic ator
to th e requ ired delay, and the n releas ing the
index pin. The saf ety scre w is removed.
As th e flare falls aw ay from the a irc raf t, the
swivel loop of the firing lany ard is held by the
arm ing- wir e reta ine r. The rip cord, which is
fast ene d to th e metal lany ard thro ugh the clip-
typ e loop, unwi nds f rom the wooden spool inside
the end of the flare casing, th us tea ring away
th e end of the flare casing. The rip cord then
pulls out the spool and th e par ach ute t ube con­
tai nin g the para chu te. The spool falls away.
Since t he pa rac hut e tu be is held by th e rip cord,
th e pyrot echnic candle and flare case fall away.
The wei ght of t he candle pulling on the suspe n­
sion cable and par ach ute shro uds draw s the
par ach ute out of the tube . W hen the para chu te
and shro ud lines a re fully extende d, the releas e-
key c ord becomes t au t and pulls one end of the
releas e key down. This allows the rip cord to
pull th rou gh the ke y a nd become de tached f rom
the par ach ute and the tube , which falls clear.
The rip cord and met al lany ard are retain ed by
the ai rc ra ft. The par ach ute opens and sus­
pends th e flare 30 to 50 fee t M ow the a irc raf t.
The par ach ute pulls the candle out of the flare
case, which falls fre e.
The selectiv e-delay ignition device functi ons
in a man ner sim ilar to th e fuze used in the
Flar es Mk 5 and Mk 6. Th e fuze is initi ated by
a wire pull cord which pas ses thr oug h a hole
thr oug h the c ent er of t he cand le. The pull cord
is att ac he d to the suspen sion cable in such a
ma nne r th at it is pulled away from th e prim er
and the n released, str iki ng the prim er and
245
U. S. EXPLOSIVE ORD NAN CE OP 1664

WO OD EN -j R IP CO RD
SPOOL
R IN G
CUP
TYP E PA RA CH UT E
LOOP

ST EA DY ING
META L 8 AND
LANYA RD

PAR AC HU TE
TUB E

^P AR AC HU TE
Sh ROu OS

/-S US PE NS IO N
CA BLE
SW IV EL
LOOP
PU LL CORO

FL AR E BASE BLOCK
CASE
ILLU MINA TING
COMPO SITION

IG N IT IO N
COMP OSITI ON
S A FE TY
FUSE
FIRECRACKER
FUS E

OUI CKM ATC H

METAL -----
FU ZE ENO
COVE R

Figure 183. Flare Mk 11 Mod 0

ign itin g the p owder pellet s in the fuze plunger.
The bur nin g powder forc es the pointed end of
the plun ger into the Bickford Fuse which is
ignit ed by flame thro ugh holes in the plunger.
The tim e fuse ignites the quick match under
th e fuz e block, which in tu rn igni tes the quick
match and firecra cker fus e stapl ed to the igni­
tion composition. The igniti on composition
igni tes the candle. The gas es gen erat ed by the
bu rni ng candle blow t he fuze assem bly off from
the end of th e pyro techn ic candle, and the fuze
falls clear.
Re ma rks : T his flare differs from the AN -Mk
8 and Mods in th at th er e is a select ive delay
between the open ing o f the par ach ute and igni­
tion of the pyro techn ic candle. The selective
delay allows a single p atro l plane to dr op a flare
nea r the ta rg et and the n get into position for
the atta ck before th e flar e discloses his posi tion.

246 CONFIDE NTIAL

 AIRCR AFT PYRO TECH NICS (NAVY FLARES)

F lo at Fl ar e Mk 17 M od 0 an d M o d I Op era tio n: When the flare is removed from

Le ng th, in ch es ............................................. 60.7 5
Di am ete r, inch es............................................. 9-5
W eig ht , poun ds............................................. 88.0
C o lo r...................................... Yellowish whit e
Int ens ity , cand lepo wer....................... 1,000,000
Burning time, minutes ......................... 4.5 —5
Delay, m in ut es .............................. Mod 0—1
Mod 1— 5.5
Us e: Thi s flare is used to illum inat e enemy
sur fac e c ra ft.
De scr ipti on: The flare case is a cylindr ical
body of she et metal tap ere d at one end from
9T& inch es t o ap prox imat ely 4 inch es, whic h sec­
tion ha s a lead we igh t an d fou r membr ane-co v­
ered po rts appr oxim atel y two inche s in diam e­
ter. Th e a ft er end o f th e fl are ca se i s closed by a
canv as bag con tain ing a par ach ute . The candle
is in a cen tra l tub e so mount ed as to keep th e
bur nin g m ixt ure at the top of t he flare by sp rin g
action .
the box, th e adhe sive tap e on th e co ver is pulled
off and mem brane s cover ing th e por ts in th e
nose are pun ctur ed. The flare is loaded into th e
bomb rack with th e pointe d end of th e flare
tow ard the forw ard end of th e plane. Sufficient
sta tic line is pulled from th e pocket in th e
par ach ute canv as b ag to allow th e rin g a ttac hed
to th e end o f th e line t o be secure d to th e ar m ­
ing-w ire re tai ne r on the rack or shackl e. On
launc hing , a com binat ion-t ype fuze caus es a
delay befo re th e pyro tech nic candle bum s.
Re ma rks : Fla res havi ng a one- minu te delay
se tti ng may be releas ed a t eleva tions betwe en
100 and 4,000 f ee t; 5’/ 2 -nii nute delay s may be
releas ed from gr ea te r alti tud es. Desc ent is a t a
ra te of b etwee n 80 an d 100 fee t p er minut e.
A cont inuo us illum inatio n of nine minu tes'
du rat ion may be obtain ed by d ropp ing a Mod 0
and a Mod 1 tog eth er.

Figure 184. Floa t Flora Mk 17 Type

CONF IDENT IAL 247

U. S. EXPLOSIVE OR DN AN CE OP 1664

T O P CA P

DYE C O M P O S IT IO N -

BODY —

BL AC K PO W D ER —

SPIRALLY W O U N D TUBE

PULL R IN G

TIM E FUZE

SAF ETY PIN

PRIMER M K 5

Full View
Se ch on ol Vie **

Figure 185. Depth Char ge Marke r Mk 1 Mo d 1

248 CO NF ID EN TI AL
 Part 3 — Cha pte r 8 — Section 4
DEPTH CH AR GE AN D SLICK MARKERS
Day De pth C harge Mark er Mk I Mods I and 2
Over -all l en gth , in ch es................................11.88
Di am ete r, in c h e s......................................... 3.46
Weigh t, pounds.............................................3.5
W eig ht of dye, pou nd s................................. 2.75
We igh t of b ur sti ng ch arg e, gr am s............... 30
Effe ctiv e rele asin g al tit ud e.........U p to 1,000'
Vi sib ili ty.......... 3,000 y ar ds f rom deck of sh ip
5 mile s fro m ai rc ra ft
Us e: Th e m ar ke r is used to ind icat e th e
init ial poi nt of con tac t wit h sub ma rin es and
prov ide a ref ere nce poin t fo r fu rt h er sea rch
and at ta ck du rin g day ope rati on.
De scr ipt ion : The m ar ke r co nsi sts o f a circ ula r
wooden block on which is mou nte d a gre nad e­
firing m ech ani sm w ith a 15-second delay . Flu or­
escein dye i s c ont ain ed in two cyli ndri cal pap er
cans , one att ac he d to each tint side of th e
wooden bloc k; and a celluloid tub e con tain ing
th e black -pow der bu rst in g ch arg e is att ac he d
to th e dela y elem ent and ex ten ds thr ou gh the
wooden block int o th e pape r can s. The dye is
ru sty re d i n color when dry , b ut a w ate r s olution
of the dye is yellow -green.
Op era tio n: Th e op era tor clas ps the ma rke r
firmly in one han d, bein g su re th a t th e relea se
lever is held ag ai ns t th e body of the mar ker .
Wit h th e ot he r hand , he pulls th e sa fe ty rin g
which is att ac he d to th e sa fe ty co tte r pin and
lau nch es th e m ar ke r by thr ow ing it ov er th e
side. Whe n th e m ar ke r is rele ased , th e sprin g-
loaded st ri k er for ces th e rele ase leve r off. The
st rik er , ro tat in g ab ou t a hin ge pin, hi ts the
pri me r th a t ign ites th e 15-second dela y fuse.
Th e dela y give s th e ma rke r suffici ent tim e to
reac h th e wa ter and float on th e sur fac e, and
the n ign ite s the bu rs tin g cha rge . The gas es
evolved from th e cha rge b ur st th e dye con tain ­
er s and spr ead th e dye on th e wa ter , form ing a
CON FID ENT IAL
yello w-gre en slick alxi ut 40 fe et in diam eter .
The slick las ts fo r 45 to 60 min ute s.
Ni gh t Depth Ch arg e Marker Mk 2
Over- all len gth , inc he s......................................7
Dia me ter, inc he s................................................5
We igh t, pou nds ............................................. 2.5
Effe ctive rel eas ing a lt it ud e........ Up to 3,000'
V isi bi lit y.................. 4 mi les f rom deck o f sh ip
10 mil es from ai rc ra ft
Bu rni ng tim e, m in ut es .................................. 55
Ig nit ion tim e (a ft er im pa ct ). .70—90 second s
U se : Th e m ar ke r is employ ed to indi cat e the
init ial poi nt of co nta ct wi th sub ma rin es and
prov ide a ref ere nce poi nt fo r fu rt he r sea rch
and at ta ck du rin g ni gh t ope rati ons .
De scr ipt ion : Th e ma rke r is a sealed , cylin ­
dric al. me tal co nta ine r th a t has a cen tra lly lo­
cat ed tube , sealed on both end s by te ar str ips
with a pull rin g att ach ed, and con tain ing cal­
cium phosp hide. Th e main ch arg e is calcium
car bid e th a t su rro un ds th e cen tra l tub e and
is held in one end by a scre en. Th is produc es
a con cen tra tio n of we igh t a t one e nd and allo ws
th e m ar ke r to float in an up rig ht positio n.
Op era tio n: Af ter th e tw o te a r st ri ps are
pulled off, th e m ar ke r is laun ched by thro win g
it over boa rd. W at er en te rs thr ou gh th e small
holes in th e botto m and re ac ts both with the
calcium carb ide (pro duc ing an inflam mable g as.
ace tyle ne) and wit h t he calcium p hosp hide (pr o­
duc ing a spo nta neo usly ig nite d gas , p hos phin e).
Both gas es escap e fro m th e small holes in th e
top an d ign ite wit hin 70 to 90 second s af te r
imp act wit h th e wat er. In ext rem ely cold
we ath er, th e ignit ion delay may be som ewh at
longe r. Th e res ult ing flame is abo ut nine inches
hig h. If it shoul d be pu t out by roug h wa ter ,
the gas es will i gn ite a gain.
249
U. S. EXPLOSIVE OR DN AN CE OP 1664

RECESS STRIP (TOP) — TOP TEAR STRIP

TOP COVE R

CA LC IUM PHOSP HIDE

CA LC IUM CARBIDE

BO TT O M TEAR STRIP

TO P TEAR

SECTI ON X X Full Vi ew
Fig ure 186. Depth Char ge Marker Mk 2

250 CO NF IDE NT IAL

 AIRCRAFT PYROTECHNICS (AR MY FLARES)
Slick Marker Ca rtri dge AN -M k I
Len gth, in ch es .............................................. 3.8
Diam eter, inc hes .......................................... 1.5
Muzzle velocity, ft. /se c............................... 300
We ight of dye, gr am s.................................. 28
Use: Thi s ma rke r is used prim arily to pro­
vide refer ence points fo r air cr af t engag ed in
anti sub mar ine war fare .
Desc riptio n: The car trid ge is composed of a
sho tgu n-t ype case cont ainin g a p rim er, a black-
powder propel ling char ge, and the projec tile.
The proje ctile has a thi n alumi num case and
conta ins 28 gra ms of fluoresce in dye and a black-
powder b urs tin g c har ge in itia ted by a Bickford
type fuse.
Laun ching : The mar ker car trid ge is fired in
the Pyro tech nic Pist ol AN -M 8, which may be
held in th e hand or m ounted in th e Mount M l.
Op erat ion : When the car trid ge is fired, the
black powder in th e head of th e case propels
the proje ctile from the pistol and at the same
time ignit es the Bickford fuse . The fuse bum s
for abo ut eleven seconds befo re igni ting the
bu rst ing cha rge which expels the fluorescein
dye out into the wate r. The proje ctile has a
Pa rt 3 — C ha pt er 8 — Se ction 5
A R M Y FLA RES
M8 an d M8AI
Len gth , in c h e s ................................. .25.5
Diam eter, i nc he s........................................ 4.25
Weig ht, po un ds ......................................... 18.0
Int ens ity , candle power ........................ 350,000
Color ...................................................... Yellow-
Bur ning time , mi nu tes .................................... 3
Rat e of fall af te r ign itio n.......... 500 f t/ m in .
Use : The flares are used in emergen cy nig ht
landings .
CONFI DENTIA L
positiv e buoyancy and will rema in nea r or at
the sur fac e until a small, br igh t green slick
is crea ted.
Re ma rks : Thi s car trid ge should not be fired
from al titu des gr ea te r than 500 feet, because the
ca rtr idg e mu st be in the wa ter when it bur sts.
Slick Marker AN -M 59
Len gth, inch es........................... 10.875
Diam eter, i nc he s...................................... 3.375
Weigh t, po un ds ............................................2.9
Use : Thi s is the stan dar d all-purpose sea
ma rke r for day ligh t use: to provide reference
poi nts ; to a id in dete rmin ing dr if t: a nd to pro ­
vide pract ice bombing ta rg et s on wate r.
Desc riptio n: Thi s ma rke r c onsi sts of a paper
composition case filled with a fluorescein dye.
It is prote cted by a cylinde r of papier-mache,
which does no t i nte rfe re with its functio n.
Lau nch ing: The mar ker is dropped by hand
from a plane.
Ope ratio n: Upon im pact with wate r, the case
sh at te rs an d the dy e sprea ds upon t he su rface .
Desc riptio n: Each flare cons ists of a cylind er
con tain ing an un shade d candle.
Ope ratio n: Army Flar es M8 and M8A1 are
sim ilar in opera tion to the Fla res AN-M 26, ex­
cept th at the han g wire pulls the para chu te
dire ctly from the case.
Rem ark s: The M8 is sim ilar ot the M8A1,
excep t th at the la tte r flare bu ms with a white
lig ht of appro ximat ely 250,000 candlepower.
251
U. S. EXPLOSIVE O RD NA NC E
Figure 187. A/my Flares M9 (to p). M24 (middl e), end M2 6 (bottom)
M9 an d M9AI
M9
Leng th, in ch es .................. 13 8
Diam eter, in c h es .............. .2.0
Weig ht, po un ds ................ .1.9
Inte nsit y, candlepo wer . .. . 60,000
C o lo r................................. . Yellow
Burn ing ti m e .................... . 1 minute
Ra te o f fall af te r igni tion . . 400
ft./ mi n. ft./ mi n.
Us e: This flare was designe d to sat isf y the
req uire me nts for a small par ach ute flare for
reconn aissance .
De scr ipti on: The flare con sists of a cylinder
con tain ing a candle, designe d to be projec ted
with the Pyrote chnic Pistol AN-M8.
Op erat ion : The flare is disch arged from the
pistol and th e delay fus e is ignited . The fuse
hu m s for 2.5 seconds and igni tes the exp elling
252
OP 1664
char ge, which expels the candle and para chut e,
M9A1 simu ltaneo usly igni ting th e candle .
15.05
— Rem arks : This flare is not procured by the
2.1 Navy.
—
— M24 (O bs ol et e)
— Leng th, inches .......................................... 37.0
400 Diame ter, in ch es ............................. 8.0
Weig ht, pounds ........................................ 47.0
Burn ing time, m inu tes .................................... 3
Int ens ity , candl epow er........................ 800,000
Co lo r........................................................Yellow
Release alti tude , fe et ...................2,500—3,000
Speed of r ele ase ................Not over 200 m.p.h.
Ra te of fall af te r ignit ion, ft ./m in ............ 700
U«e: The flare is a su bs tit ute sta ndard for
nig ht observ ation and bomb ardme nt.
Descri ption: It con sist s of a simple cylinder
wit hou t hemis pheric al nose or tail fins; oth er-
CO NF ID EN TI AL

wise, it is sim ilar thr ou gho ut to th e AN-M26,
with out th e nose time fuze.
O pe ra ti on : The fl are is sim ilar to t he AN-M26
excep t th a t th e ha ng wire ac ts. dir ec tly to pull
th e par ach ute from the flare case.
Rem ark* : Thi s flare was not pr ocur ed by th e
Navy.
M 2 6 a n d A N -M 2 6
L en g th ,i n ch es ...............................................50
D ia m et er , in ch es .........................
Wei ght, p o u n d s.............................................53
Bu rni ng time, mi nu tes ...........................3—3.5
In ten sit y, cand lepow er................. 800,000
C o lo r.............................................. Wh ite ligh t
Rel easi ng alti tud e, fe e t............ 4,000—25,000
Rate of fall af te r ignit ion, ft ./ m in .......... 700
Use: Thes e flares ar e used to provi de illumi­
nati on fo r nig ht bom bar dme nt; also may be
used to blind an tia irc ra ft defenses .
Fu zin g: AN -M 14 6, M l55, X I144.
D es cr ip ti on : The flare is enclosed in a metal
cylin drical case with a rounded nose and tail
fins. I n th e nose is a mechani cal tim e fuze. T he
tail end is closed wit h a ship ping cover th at
ha s a hand le att ach ed and sealed by a str ip
of tape. Th e case is equipp ed wit h two su sp en ­
sion lug s 14 inches apa rt.
Op era tion : When the flare is dropp ed, the
arm ing wir e is pulled, allowin g t he va nes of the
nose fuze to rot ate . The han g wire is reta ined
and pulls off th e cove r of the stabil izing- sleeve
com par tme nt. As the flare c onti nues to dr op, t he
rants o—is— it
AI RC RA FT PY RO TE CH NIC S (A R M Y FLARE S)
te ar wir e and tca r-w irc cord pull out the st a­
bilizin g sleev e, an d th e cover-lock co rd att ach ed
to t he shr oud s of the stab ilizi ng sleev e un locks
and pulls ou t the cove r lock. Whe n th e sleeve
is fully exte nded , t he tea r wire bre aks , allow ing
the flare to fall free, stabi lized in flig ht by its
fins and stab iliz ing sleeve.
When th e nose fuze func tions , the gase s of
the black- powde r boos ter force th e relea sing-
cup c over o ut of the de tach able cover, rele asing
the ret ain ing pins from th e groov e in the flare
case and free ing th e deta chab le cover. As the
8 det ach able co ver is pulled out by the st abili zing
sleeve, a pull-out cord pulls ou t th e par ach ute.
When th e par ach ute opens , th e flare sto ps with
a je rk , bre aki ng the pull-out co rd (which allows
th e stab ilizi ng sleeve assem bly to fall free )
and pull ing th e en tire flare assem bly ou t o f the
flare case (whic h the n falls aw ay ). The sudden
sto p also pulls th e fric tion wir es thr oug h the
ign ite rs, st ar tin g th e six-secon d delay thro ugh
th e c en ter of the cand le, which allows full open­
ing of th e para chu te.
The shock ca used by th e open ing o f th e p ar a­
chut e is tak en by the shock abso rber s, made
of cop per tub ing in a spir al or coiled shape.
They str aig hte n out in abs orb ing th e shock.
A fte r t he p ara chu te is opened , t he delay ig nite s
the fir st fire, which igni tes th e candle. When
the fir st fire is igni ted, th e gas es forme d by
bu rni ng force the rib ret ain er down, and the
spring -loade d ribs jum p o ut, open ing th e gl as s-
dp th 8hade.
R em ar k s: T h e Fla re AN-M 26 ca n be dropped
a t ai r speed s up to 240 knot s, bu t above th at
the stab iliz ing sleeve is apt to te ar away. The
Flar e M26 can not be droppe d a t ai r speeds
gr ea te r tha n 130 knot s, fo r th e sam e reason .
C O N R D tm tA t 253
U. S. EXPLOSIVE ORDN ANCE OP 1664

C O VE R DI SC BLE R IN G

C O N T A IN E R
SNUBBER C AB LE TUBE

N FO R C IN G BA ND

S O LD E R SNUB

IC T IO N W IR E

F IR E C LA Y
4 BL OC K

IL L U M I N A N T
IM E R
C O M P O S IT IO N

IK MA TC H
F IR S T F IR E
C O M P O S IT IO N
M IN A N T TUBE

F IR E C R A C K E R FU SE
7 ” LO N G CO VE R D IS C

Figure 188. A .A . Targe t Flore Mk 1

254 CfeNFIDENTtAL
 Pari 3 — C hapte r 8 — Section 6

A.A . TARGET FLARES

Mk I (Obsole te) Opera tion: The flare slides back along th e tow
Lengt h, inch es........................................... 21.4 cable un til the cable ri ng is stopped by the ta r­
DiAmeter, in ch es .........................................8.8 ge t release mechanism. Force exerted on the
Weight, po un ds ........................................... 12 snu bbe r cable pulls off the end of the cable-
Burni ng time, m in ut es ... ...............................3 cont aine r tube, and t he five solde r snubb ers a re
stripp ed off. The staples holding the snubber
Inte nsit y, c and lepo wer ........................280,000
block to the base block arc withdra wn by the
pull exerte d. Frictio n wire attac hed to the end
Use : Til e fla re provides a tar ge t for b oth day of the snub ber block is pulled throu gh the
and night practice firing of an tia irc raf t guns. prim er. The flame fro m the prim er ignit es the
quick match, which in tur n ignites the fire­
Descri ption: The flare consists of an illumi- crac ker fuse ignitin g the first fire charge. The
nan t tube and a cable-contain er tube made of first fire composition ignites the illuminant.
rocket pape r. These are joined end-to-end under
the e xter nal metal reinforc ing ba nd . Both end s M50. M77, M78, and M79
ary closed by chip-boar d discs held in place with >150 .M77 3178 M79
tape. The cable ring is a ttach ed to the snubber length, inches... . . 22.8 23.5 —
Di am et er , inches. . . 2.5 4.25 — —
cable a t the end which protr udes throu gh the W ei gh t, po un d* .. . . 7.13 21.1 — —
cover disc of the flare assembly. The snubber C o lo r ..................... . Wh ite Red Amber Green
cable is attach ed to th e base block with s taples. In te ns ity ,
Frictio n wire is attac hed to the end of the ca nd le po we r.. . ..5 0,0 00 207,000 80,600 108,500
snubber cable and extends throu gh the primer Use: Tar get Flare M50 has the same use as
composition, which is adja cen t to the quick Tar get H are Mk 1. Tar get Ha res M77, M78, and
match which runs throug h a cardbo ard tube M79 are assembly m arke rs fro m which succeed­
in the cen ter of the illuminant. At the end of ing element s of a forming squadron or group
the quick-ma tch tube is a firecrack er fuse te r­ of air cra ft can form a ta rg et unde r conditions
mina ting in the first fire composition, which is of poor visibility and congested traffic pa tter ns.
in conta ct with the main illumin ant charge.
Description and opera tion: These are the
Stre ami ng: The flare may be strea med f rom same a s for T arge t Flare Mk 1.
any pl ane from which an a irc raf t or a ntia ircr aft Rema rks: These flares are not under pro cure­
tar ge t reel can be mounted. ment by th e Navy at pre sent.

CO NFI DEN TIA L 255

U.S . EXPLOSIVE O RD NA NC E OP 1664

TOP COVER (C LOTH) STATI C CORD

PARAC HUTE
(4’ BAS EBA LL TYPE)
MOLD ED COVER
(GENTEXITE)
SHROUD LINES- FALS E BOTTOM
EY EB OL TS (4)- LOAD CABL ES
IGNlTER CABLE- BASE BLOCK
VEN T HOLES- PRIMER
PU LL TYPE
IGNITERS (4 )
IGNITER ASSEMBLY
SPACER BA RS (3 )

CANDLE CASE- WRAP PER

(KRAFT PAPER) (TISSUE PAPER)

ASBES TOS LINE R

SMOKE
FUSE COMPOSI TION
(FIRECRACKER FUSE)

VENT HOLE S
BOMB CASE-
(SHEET STEE L)

fig ur e 1S9. Target Identi ficatio n Bomb Mk 72 Mo d 1

256 CONFIDENTIAL-
 Part 3 — Ch apt er 8 — Section 7
TARGET IDE NT IFIC ATI ON BOMBS
Mk 72 M od I
Lengt h, in ch es .......................................... 36
Diameter, in ch es ...................................... 8%
Fil lin g............. Smoke Composition (68% fire
orange dye, 15% lactose, 12%
potassium chlorate, and 5%
asbestos sho rts)
Total weight, pounds.................................. 45
Fu zi ng .............................. 4 pull-type igniters
Constr uction: T his ta rge t identification bomb
consists of two units, a sheet-st eel bomb body
casing and a parach ute assembly packed in a
molded contain er or pack which is a ttach ed to
the bomb body by means of four bayonet joints .
The p arachu te pack houses a four -foot baseball-
type p arach ute, the chute shroud lines, the load
cables, the ignit er cable, and a sta tic cord which
extends out of the top o f th e pack. Bomb body
casing contains a base block in the tail which
incorpora tes the igni ter assembly. 12 vent holes,
and four eye bolts. Load cables are attach ed
to th e eye bolts; igniter cable is attache d to t he
pull-type igniters. Between ba se block and the
nose are the upper and lower candle assemblies.
Suspe nsion : Horizontal suspension is provided
by two lugs 14 inches apar t, welded onto sus­
pension bands which are bolted to the bomb
case.
Operati on: Upon release of the bomb, the
sta tic cord is retained by the rack or shackle
to which it is attach ed. Th e sta tic cord, through
a scries of s hort lin es ins ide th e pack, rem ove s
th e mold ed cov er of the pack and pul ls the par a­
chut e out. After the parac hute is out, the stat ic
cord sepa rates from the parac hute and is re­
tained by the rack or shackle. As parachu te
opens, the ignite r cable je rks out the f our pull
igniter s, which ig nite the primers. The primers
CC NT OE NT tA L'-
ignit e the firecracker fuse runnin g through the
upper candle, which in tur n ignites the candle
The candle bum s from the inside toward the
outside, evolving colored smoke tha t p ermea tes
holes in the candle case and escapes through
vent holes in the bomb case. The lower candle
is ignited by the firecracker fuse about the
time the upper candle burns o ut.
The tota l burnin g tim e is a pproximatel y five
minutes, duri ng which tim e the bomb produces
a red-orange smoke in sufficient volume to be
seen at 15.000 feet for 10 miles, under normal
conditions.
Remar ks: Tar get Identification Bomb Mk 72
Mod 1 is used by air-coord inator planes or by
scout planes from battle ships to pin-point shore
ta rg et s.
This colored smoke mar ker is for use over
land only, as the bomb docs not float.
Gre ates t accur acy ca n be obtained by releas­
ing the bomb from alt itude of 500 to 1,000 feet .
This bomb can be carrie d on all external
double-suspension racks and shackles. In addi­
tion to the use of this bomb on double-suspen­
sion rack s or shackles, it can lx* suspended from
the Bomb Adapter Mk 5 Mod 0 (used with
Launchers Mk 5 and Mods) when tha t item is
available. These bombs have been successfully
released from extern al suspension on all types
of planes in any flight atti tud e. They can suc­
cessfully withs tand catapult launching and ar­
rested landings.
M75AI end M84AI
Over-all length, i nche s............................... 53.1
Body length, inch es................ 39.0
Body di ameter, inche s...................... 8.2
Wall thickness, inc h................................... 0.06
Tail length, inch es.......................... 12.9
Tail width, inch es............................ *• • .10.9
257
U. S. EXPLOSIVE OR DN AN CE
Figure 190. Targe t Identi ficati on Bomb M84
Ftllinsr....................Red iron oxide (hem atite )
Wei ght of filling, pou nds ............................ 72
T ot al we igh t, po un ds ..................................... 102
Fuz ing—&184A 1.............................. AN-M147
M 75 A 1...................................... M108
Con stru ctio n: Tar get Identifi cation Bombs
M £lA l and M75A1 ar c identic al with the ex­
ception of the fuze, and the two bombs are
sim ilar in cons truct ion to the Chemical Bomb
AN-M47A2. The body is of she et metal with
box- type tail fins welded t o th e conical section.
The Bu rst er Ml runs thr oug h the e nti re length
of t he bomb an d is closed a t the for ward en d by
a closin g plug. A filling p lug is placed in the fin
co ne of the bomb body, t o fac ilit ate loa ding the
he ma tite cha rge (red iron oxide ). The fuze
fits i nt o the forwa rd end of t he b urs ter.
Re ma rks : The Ta rg et Identification Bomb
M84A1 is intende d for releas e by the lead or
’’path find er” piano to in dica te the bomb-release
line fo r bomber's in form ation when operat ions
are carr ied out above an over cast and ground
ta rg et s are n ot visible. The bomb w as designed
to produce a red srtioke cloud which would re­
main nt the bu rst ing poin t for a period of ten
minu tes under normal air co nditio ns and would
be visible for a dista nce of 15 miles at an alti ­
tud e of 25,000 feet.
The M75A1 is used for ta rg et identification
in pract ice, to mark ta rg et s on snow-covered
bomb ing ranges .
258 CO NF ID EN TI AL
OP 1664
BUR STE R M 4 J
HEMA TITE CHA RGE "
M89, M90 , M 9 I, M98 , and M l 00
Over-all lengt h, in ches ................................ 51.8
Body leng th, inch es.................................... 35.8
Body diame ter, inch es................................ 10.8
Wall thick ness, inch .................................... 0.27
Tail leng th, inc hes ..................... 15.7
Tail width , inc hes ...................................... 14.9
Type o f filli ng.............. 61 pyrote chnic c andles
(r ed , g ree n, or ye llow )
We igh t o f filli ng , pounds.............................95
Total weigh t, pou nds ....................... 240—265
F u z in g ................................. AN-M146, M144
Con struc tion: The body ls a modified 250-
pound G.P. Bomb AN-M 57 body with a metal
closing cup rivete d to th e base. An inte gral
boo ster of f our ounces of bla< k powde r is placed
immedia tely behind the fuze -sea t line r and
serv es as an expelling charg e. A wooden nose
piece fits around thi s boost er. an d a steel piston,
in tur n, is s eated in the base of the n ose piece.
A st eel tube o r p iston stem is welded th roug h a
hole in the piston and exte nds from the black-
powder boost er to th e plywood ignition disc
in the cen ter of the bomb. Six wooden th ru st
member s reach from the pi ston plate to the tai l
closing cup and serv e to tra ns m it str ess to t his
cup with out imposin g any of the force on the
candles. Felt % inch in thic knes s lines th e en tire
inte rior cy lindrical su rfac e of t he bomb. T he 61
candles arc in t wo bank s of 30 an d 31, and h ave
the ir ignition ends fac ing towar d the quick-
match str an ds staple d on t he ignitio n disc which
sep ara tes the two banks.
 AIRCRAFT PYROTECHNICS (TARGET IDENTIF ICATIO N 8OMBS)
SL AC K POWDE R BO OS TER ST E E L PIST ON
WOODE N NOSE PI EC E PIS TO N ST EM
Figure 191. Targ et Identifi cation Bomb* M8 9. M90. M 91 , M98. and M1 00
Tail con stru ctio n: The tail , in appe aranc e, is
a sta nda rd box-typ e tail. It is atta che d to the
bomb by mean s of fou r spri ng latch es fittin g
into cut -ou ts in the tai l closing cup .and can be
locked in place by stamped steel str ips pivotin g
ove r th e ends of the spri ngs.
Susp ensio n: Horiz ontal suspen sion is pro­
vided by sta nda rd lugs, 14 inc hes apa rt.
Ope ratio n: When the aer ial- bur st fuze func­
tions. th e fuze b ooste r ignit es the black- powder
boo ster or expelling char ge in the bomb. The
force of the expen ding gases f rom the booster,
acti ng thro ugh the piston and th ru st members,
thro ws off the fin assemb ly and expels the
candles.
Simul taneou sly, Hash from the bo oster passes
thr ou gh th e p iston stem to the plywood ignition
disc and th e quick matc h, ign itin g the c andles.
Re ma rks : The bombs are used to fo rm a pa t­
ter n of red. green , or yellow colored ligh t ap­
prox imat ely 100 yard s in dia me ter aroun d o r on
a ta rg et ; the ligh t should be visible fom alt i­
tude s of 25,000 to 35,000 fee t day or ni ght. They
CONF IDENT IAL
IGN ITIO N DISC CLOSING CUP
CA NO LE S TH RU ST MEM BER
are used to spo t individual tar ge ts, once the
gene ral ta rg et are a has been marke d by flares
dropped by pathf inder planes. The explosive
cha rge in the Candles M105 is ignite d by the
Hare com jjosition at the end of burnin g. These
cha rge s serv e to prev ent any removal of the
cand les by the enemy, once the candles are on
th e ground.
The M89 contai ns 61 Non-Delay Candles
Ml 03.
The MOO contai ns 57 Non-Delay Candles
Ml 03 a lso; two Exploding Candles Ml05, burn ­
ing for one minu te, and two exploding candles
bur nin g for two minute s.
The M01 has 16 Non-Delay Candles M103, 15
red 2% -mi nute Delay Candles M104. 15 4-min-
ute Delay Candles ML04, and 15 514-minute
Delay Candle s M104.
The M98 cont ains 31 Non-Delay Candles
.M l0 3, 10 Explodin g Candles M105, b urn ing f or
one minu te, 10 Exploding Candles M105, burn ­
ing for 1.5 m inutes , and 10 Exploding Candles
M l05, b urni ng for two mi nutes.
The M100 cont ains Two-Color Combination
Candles Ml04.
259
U. S. EXPLOSIVE O RD NA NC E OP 1664

L
I
5<- CLOS ING
PLUG
FU ZE M 1 4 3

SEPAR ATORS

PR IMI NG
WIR E

GRE NAD E TRA IN

M 18 GRE NAD ES

TR AI N
TUB E

M 38A 2
BOM B CA SE

Figure 192. Smoke Streamer Bomb T29

26 0 CON FIDE NTIA L

 Part 3 — Ch ap ter 8 — Se ction 8
SM OK E STR EAM ER BOMBS
T29
Over-all length, inc hes............................... 47.5
Body l ength, inche s................................... 40.6
Body diame ter, inch es................................... 8
Wall thickness, inc h................................. 0.00
Tail length, inche s..................................... 11.6
Tail width, inch es..................................... 10.76
Fil ling ..........8 Modified Smoke Grenades M18
Total weight, pound s................................. 100
Fuzin g: The Fuze M143 consist s of a fuze
body suppo rt mountin g fou r bouchon grenade-
type fuzes and an arming washer, and is
thread ed to fit the fuze ada pter of the tube
train. The armin g washer is 2.5- inch in dia me ter
and has four arms 0.75-inch wide and o ne inch
long. The arm ing wire holds the arm ing washer
ove r the bouchon levers until it it w ithdrawn .
Cons tructi on: The bomb body consists of a
sheet -steel ca se with a filling plug in t he base.
The four tail vanes are welded to the tru ncate d
cone with box-type inter ior st rut s. Th e complete
body assembly consists of thi s Practice-Bomb
Case M38A2, a trai n tube, a grenad e trai n, a
closing plug, and a fuze. The trai n tube is a
seamless steel tubing thre e inches in d iamet er
and 10 inches long, with a fuze a dap ter brazed
to the af te r end. Eight modified Grenades M18
filled with fast-b urnin g mixt ure are inserted
into th e tube to form the grenad e train . Each
CONFIDENTIAL
grenad e is modified by c utti ng a cente r hole in
its base, and the bouchon fuze is o mitted. The
top of each grenade is coated with a sta rte r
compound which acts as the igni ter for the ad ­
jace nt grenade. Four str and s of quick match
are knotted and inserted in the cent er hole of
the top grenad e in such a manner as to leave
the knot and loose ends at the top to receive
the fuze Hash. The eight gr enades are held apa rt
by spri ng steel separat ors. A thread ed closing
plug seals the tube and protec ts the grenade
train from moist ure. This plug must be removed
jus t prio r to use. The bomb is broug ht up to
the we ight of approxim ately 98 pounds by filling
the balance of the intern al space with sand.
Operati on: When the armi ng wire is pulled,
the bouchon sprin gs throw off the arming
washer and handles, allowing the bouchons to
fire. This action ignites the quick match in the
cent er hole of th e top g renade, which in tur n is
ignited, and the flash is simultaneously tra ns ­
mitted to all the gre nades.
Rem arks; The colored stre ame r smoke bomb
is used as a visuul signal to be dropped by the
lead plane of a bomber formatio n when th e t ar ­
ge t has been determine d. Smoke emission begins
approxima tely one second af te r release f rom the
plane and continues for approximatel y 7,000
to 10,000 feet.
261
 Pari 3 — Chapter 8 — Section 9

PHOTOFLASH BOMBS

M23A I (Obsolete)
Over-all length, inch es............................. 25.4
Di am ete r of ca se , inch es..........................4.25
Weight, pounds ..................... 10.6
Weight of flash powder, poun ds................ 7.75
Fixed delay, seco nds..................................... 15
Duration of flash, second..........................0.20
Inten sity of flash, cand lepo wer .. .150,000,000
Release altitu de, fe et ................. 4,000—7,000

Use: This bomb is used to provide ligh t of

high i ntens ity and sh ort duration for ni ght pho­
togra phy from low altitud es.

Description: The bomb case is made of card­

board and closed with metal ends, one of which
is marked “F ront ” to insure prope r loading in
the rack. This end contain s the hang-wire as­
sembly ju st before the Fuze Assembly M23A1.
Th e fu ze assembly is made up of the friction
wires a ttach ed to the hang wire, match compo­
sition, quick match, delay element, upper and
lower rings, and base ignition charge immedi­
ately adjace nt to the flashlight powder charge .
The hang wire is attac hed to the arming-wire
retai ner.

Operation ; When the bomb is released, the

hang wire remains atta che d to the arming-w ire
reta iner . As the bomb drops, the hang wire
pulls th e f riction wires thro ugh t he match com­
position of the fuze. The hang wire also pulls
out the hang-wire contain er, allowing both the
hang wire co ntain er and the bomb to fall free.
The flame from the match composition ignites
a piece of quick match , which in turn ignite s
a delay clement. Aft er 15 seconds, the delay
element ignites the base charge of the fuze,
which sets off the fl ashligh t powder charge. Th e
flash las ts a fifth of a second.

262 CO NF ID EN TI AL -
 AIRC RAF T PY RO TEC HN ICS (RH OTO FLA SH BOMBS)

FAHNSTOCK CLIP

MECHANICAL TIM E FUZE

BOOSTER

WIRE

LUG

FLASHL IGHT POWDER CHARGE

TAIL FIN

PLAT E

F/g urt 134. Photoflmh Bomb A N -M 4 6

CONFID ENTIAL 263

U. S. EXPLOSIVE O RD NA NC E
A N -M 4 6
Over-all leng th, inc hes .............................. 48.4
Diame ter, in c h e s............................................ 8
Wei ght, po un ds ........ ................................. 51.9
We igh t of f lash powder, pou nds .................. 25
Bur ning time , secon ds.............................. 0-20
Pea k inten sity, candlc power ........ 500,000,000
F u zi n g ............................. M111A2, AN-M146
Us e: The Photoflash Bomb AN-M 46 was de­
veloped so th a t planes engaged in nigh t pho­
tog rap hy reconn aissanc e need not be limited to
low altitu des.
Desc ripti on: In appea rance it resembles a
convention al light- case bomb. Uses a Fuze
M111A2 in the nose, but it is issued unfuzed.
264 C G N H D E b ff lA L
OP 1664
It also has two suspe nsion band s for rack and
shackl e suspension.
Ope ratio n: When th e bomb is dropped, the
arm ing wire is pulled, sta rt in g the mcchnnical
time fuze. When the time set on the fuze has
elapsed, the flashl ight powder is ignite d b>r the
fuze booster.
Rem ark s: Because of the brilliance of the
flash, it is detr ime ntal to the vision to watch
the explosion of photoflash bombs. Ext rem e
car e should be exercis ed in handl ing these
bombs, because the char ge is very sensi tive to
frict ion, shock, and tem per atu re. These bombs
should not be jett ison ed over friend ly ter rito ry,
as th ey may f unction on impact.
 Part 3 — Ch ap ter 9

GROUND PYROTECHNICS

Section I— SIGN ALS

One-in ch Salute Mk I Mo d 0 as fireworks, since i t conta ins no high explosive.

Lengt h, i nc he s.......................................... 1.75 Although coated with a wate rproofing m aterial ,
Diam eter, inch ........................................0.75 it should be stored in a dry place.
Inst alla tion : The coupling base o f any stan d­
Use: This salut e is used by the Marine con­
ard firing device is pushed thro ugh the wax-
stru ctio n batta lions and amphibious train ing filled hole in th e hollowed end o f t he firecracker
commands to simul ate battl e sounds of loud
and rota ted clockwise until a t least two th read s
repo rt and bri gh t flash.
of th e coupling base a re inside th e hollowed end.
Descrip tion: Essenti ally a commercial-type
firecracke r, th is salut e is a spirally-wound pa­
per tube closed at both ends with paper cups. o
It uses the regu lar firecracker filling and fuse.

Figure 195. One-inch Salute Mk 1 Mad 0

Firec rack er Mk 2 Mo d 0
Gener al: This firecracker is used as a practice
charge for booby tra ps and firing devices. It
produces a loud rep ort, brig ht flash, and smoke.
It is designed to reduce the haza rd of flying
particles atte nda nt upon use of a stan dard po­
tassiu m perchl orate firecracker. It is classified Figure 196. Firociacker Mk 2 Mod 0

CO NF IDE NT IAL 265

U. S. EXPLOSIVE O RD NA NC E OP 1664

P R IM E R Descrip tion: The cart ridg e, sometime s called

FE LT PAD PR OP EL LIN G the Very signal, is sim ilar in appea rance to a
CH AR GE 10-gaugc shotg un shell. The st ar char ge is a
tightl y-pac ked cylinde r of pyrotec hnic mat eria l
reinfor ced with wire and wrapped with quick
match . The propelli ng char ge is composed of
W IRE abo ut 25 grains of black pow der separat ed from
the st ar char ge by a har d felt pad.

Identification of the thr ee types

Red Star—Pa pe r wra ppi ng is re d ; closing
PAD Q U IC K wad is corr ugat ed.
M A TC H
ST AR CH AR G E W hite star—P ap er wra ppin g is whi te;
closing wad has a small cone in the center.
Green star—P ap er wra ppin g is gre en;
closing wad is sm ooth.

Oper ation: The Signal Pistol Mk 5 may be

used, as well as the Hand Pro jec tor Mk 3 or
Mk 4.
The prim er igni tes the propelling charg e, ex­
pelling th e s ta r ou t of th e p roje ctor and i gniti ng
the quick match, which ignite s the st ar as it
leaves th e bar rel and bur ns as it rise s to a
heig ht of ab out 200 feet.

Pr oje cto r Type M I7 — M22 Series

(Obso lete)
Leng th with out tail , inc hes ........................6.0
Diame ter, inches ........................................ 1.6
Delay, seconds ................................................6
Hei ght of t raj ec tor y, fe e t.......................... 600

Desc riptio n: The signa l is assembled in a

Figure 197. Signal Light Ml 2 cylindrica l case, an d equipped with a finned ta il
assembly for stab iliza tion purpos es. T he prime r
is loca ted in the head of th e signal, and t he pro­
Sign al Light Mlc 2
Red White Green pelling cha rge is conta ined in a small cavity
Bu rni ng time, sec. . . . . 7 6 6 und er the head. The end opposite the prime r
Candl epower . . . . . ........300 250 600 is closed by a pr es s- fi t cap to which the tail
assem bly is at tach ed. The signal has a solid tail
Us e: Signal Ligh t Il k 2 is used prim arily as stem and an X-shaped fin. Embo ssed let ter s on
a dis tre ss signal. the fin indica te the color and typ e of st ar (s ).

266 C O N H D E N T tA t
 GRO UND PYROTECHNICS (SIGNA LS)

Figure 198. Signal. Ground. Wh ite Star, Parachute, M17

Identifica tion of M17—22 Series

Weight Embossed
Fin Star(s)
(pounds) Letters

MI 7 0.68 White WP Whi te- para chut e-su p­

ported sta r
M18 0.74 White WS White—cluster of five
stars

M19 0.66 Green GP Green para chut e-su p­

ported star
M20 0.76 Green GS Green -clu ster of five
stars

M21 0.64 Yellow AP Amber—para chut e-su p­

ported star
M22 0.71 Yellow AS Am ber —clus ter of five
stars

Ope rati on: The signal is ins erte d nose-fi rst
into Gro und Pro jec tor M3 or >14. The pro ject or
is str uck sm art ly on the ground , caus ing the
prim er to str ike the pro ject or firing pin. The
prim er igni tes the propelli ng ch arg e, w hich pro­
je cts t he signal tail -fir st fo r appr oxim ately 100
feet . Th e s ignal the n reve rses itse lf an d reach es
an alti tud e of appr oxim ately 600 feet.
High -Bur sting R ange Sig nal M 27
The Range Signal M27 is sim ilar to th e pro­
jec tor -ty pe signal s, except th at it has no tail
assem bly. It is fired only from th e Ground S ig­
nal Pro jec tor M1A1. Th e signal explodes a t the
top of its rise, produ cing a flash and a puff of
smoke.
Lau nch er Typ e M I7 A I— M 22 AI ; M 5I A I;
M 52 AI ; and M I7 A IB2—M2 2AI B2
Len gth, inches ..., . ....................................10-5
Diam eter, i n ch es ...........................................1-6
Delay, se co n d s................................................ €
Hei ght of t raj ec tor y, fe et .......................... 600
De scr ipti on: The signa l is assembl ed in a
cylin drica l case and equipp ed wit h a finned tail
assem bly for stab iliza tion purpose s. It is sim i­
lar to the pro jec tor type , bu t modified to be
fired from a service rifle or carbin e. This type
has a hollow ste m, which is closed by a cork
plug and a w heel-shap ed fin. The "A 1112" seri es
is th e same a s th e "A T’ s erie s, exce pt th at the
for me r indi cates stee l cons truc tion . Special c ar t­
ridg es are used to igni te th e propell ing c h a rg e .
E m b o ss e d let ter s on the closing cap indicate
color and typ e of st ar (s ).

CONFIDENTIAL 267
 U. S. EXPLOSIVE O RD NA NC E OP 1664

Fig ure 199. Signal, Grou nd, W h it e Star, Parach ute, M1 7A 1

Identificat ion of M17A1 through M22A1 Series , M51 A1, and M52A1

Weight Embossed St ar(5)

• Fin Lette rs
(pounds)

M17A1 1.04 White WP White - parach ute-su p­

ported sta r
M18A1 1.10 White ws White —clus ter of five
stars

M19A1 1.02 Green GP Green—parach ute sup­

ported sta r
M20A1 1.10 Green GS Green —clus ter of five
stars

M21A1 1.00 Yellow AP Amber—parachute-sup-

ported sta r
M22A1 1.07 Yellow AS Amber -cl ust er of five
stars

M51AI 1.02 Red RP Red -pa rach ute- sup ­

ported sta r
M52A1 1.02 Red RS Red—dust er of five stars

Ope ratio n: Remove the cork plug from the
tail and place the signa l on a rifle launche r.
Place the b utt of the rifle on t he ground as f ar
away as practicab le. When the rifle i s fired, th e
car trid ge fires t he pri mer , which in t urn ignite s
the propelli ng charge. The signa l trav els ap­
proxi mately 100 feet and then reve rses itself
and reach es an alti tud e of appro xima tely 600
feet.
Hig h-B urs ting Rango Signa l M 27 A IB I
le ng th , i nc he s............................................ 8.37
Diam eter, inches ........................................ 1.5
Weigh t, ou nc es .........................................
Heig ht of tra jec tor y, fe e t.......................... 700
This signal has the sta nd ard tube and fin
assemb ly as the laun cher type s. It is used in
tra ini ng m aneu vers to s imu late the ai r bu rst of

268 CONFID ENTIAL

 GROU ND PYROTECHNICS (SIGNALS )

an art ill ery shell. I t produces a flas h an d puf f of
smoke, and a noise audible fo r at leas t 2,000
yard s.
Flash and Sound Sign al M 74
Gen era l: The F lash and Sound Signal M74 is
design ed fo r sim ulation of ai r bu rs t of arti ller y
fire in tra ini ng troops. It is fired from the
Hand Pro ject or M9 or the Pyro tech nic Pistol
AN-M8.
Des crip tion : The signal cons ists of an outer
case, an expelli ng cha rge, and an inne r cylin ­
drica l ca se cont ainin g t he delay fuze and bu rs t­
ing charg e. The ou ter case resem bles thos e of
the ai rc ra ft doub le-s tar type . A percussion
prim er in the base of the ou ter case exten ds
into the expelling ch arge. The expelling charg e
set s off th e delay fuze.
Ope ratio n: When fired, the pr im er ig nites th e
expelling charg e. This igni tes th e delay fuze
and propels the inne r case out of the outer
case. Af ter a delay of abo ut two and a half
seconds, the fuze ignite s the bu rs ter charg e
which, in ex ploding, produces a br igh t flash and
a lou d no ise .
Re ma rks : With the pistol or pr oje cto r a t 45°
elevation , th e si gnal will rea ch a he igh t of ab out
100 fe et for i ts bu rst . Helm ets should be worn
by ex po se d pe rs on ne l.

SMOK E PE LL ET S DE LAY T R A IN -, r- L lN IN G DISK

- SPACER EX PE LLI NG CHA RGE -1 ^P RO PE LL IN G CHARGE

Figu re 200 . Smoke S ign ali M 62 . M6 4, M6 S. and M6 6

n w »o -« — is CONFID ENTIAL 269

U. S. EXPLOSIVE OR DN AN CE OP 1664

SH OW ER P El LETS

OC CU LT IN G SHO WE R TYPE CH AM EL EO N TYPE STAR TYPE

TYPE fO ow tle fi u rU j M od 2 M od I
M od 4 M od 3

Figur e 201. Pitt ol Rocket Signal Mk 1

270 CO NF ID EN TIA L
 GR OU ND PY RO TE CH NIC S (S IG NA LS )

TUBE-

PAPER PARACHUTE

smoke candle

Smolre C«nto»»»<r A»»»wibl>»

EXPELLING CHARG E-

ROCKET POWOER-

bar re l -

FRIMER
Sk OopoI v»ew
FvlJ V ie w SA owi fig
Wa ter pr oo f Containe r

Figure 202. Pitta) Rocket Signet Mk 2

Smoke Signals M62 . M64 , M6 5, and M6 6
Len gth, in ch es .......................................... 10.15
Diam eter, in ch es ........ ................................1.8$
Bu rst ing alti tud e, fe et ................................$00
Colors—M62 .............................................. Red
M 6 4 .......................................... Yellow
M 65 ............................................ Green
M66 .......................................... Violet
Us e: The se sign als are employed by arti ller y
obse rvers to s ignal o r lay in a line of fire.
Descrip tion and ope ratio n: The signa l is
launched in the same man ner as the M17A1
serie s. The fur e delay igni tes an expelling
charg e, which expels and ign ites th e six smoke
pellets at an altitude of $00 fee t. The pellets
burn and fall, leavin g a colored smoke trail .

CO NF ID EN TI AL 271
U. S. EXPLOSIVE OR DN AN CE OP 1664

H IN G E PI N

PRIMER
P O IN T
STRIKER Q U IC K M A T C H

T O P SHELL

Q U IC K M A T C H

FIRST FIRE

LEVER

Se cti on al Vie w
B O T T O M SHELL

P Y R O T E C H N IC
CHARGE

Fal l Vie w

Fig ure 203. Illu min atin g Ha nd Gr ena de Mk 1

272 CO NF IDE NT IAL


Pistol Rocket Signals Mk I Mo d 2 and
Mk 2 M od I
Len gth, in ch es ............................................ 14.0
Diamete r, inches ........................................ 1.5
Burn ing time, secon ds.................................. 21
Weig ht, poun d.................................................. 1
Use : The se signa ls are for identifica tion on
oth er sign aling b etween ground troops.
Desc riptio n: Simil ar in const ructio n to the
subm arine signal. Pistol Rock et Signal Mk 1
Comet, the Pistol Rocket Signal Mk 1 Mod 2
produces a cham eleon s ignal cons istin g o f t hre e
para chut e-bo rne st ar s which bur n successively
in thr ee colors. Each st ar burn s for appro xi­
mately seven seconds before the nex t color ig­
nites. The Pistol Rocket Signal Mk Mod 1 is a
smoke signal, a jiarach utc-bo rnc smoke candle,
but is generally the same cons truct ion as the
Mk 1 Mod 2.
Ope ratio n: The signals are fired from the
Subm arine Rocket Pistol Mk 1 Mod 0 or the
Pyrot echni c Pistol AN-M8. The pri me r ignit es
the on e-gram auxi liary expelli ng ch arge , which
pro jec ts the uppe r section of the signal to a
heig ht of 30 fee t, where the rocke t powder
ignit es, sendi ng the signal on up to 650 feet.
The re the pyrot echnic eleme nt—chameleon or
smoke—ignit es. As the signal leaves the pro­
Part 3 — Cha pte r 9 — Section 3
FLARES
Parachute Trip Flare M48
Dia me ter o f flare tu be, inch es.....................2.5
Hei ght o f t raj ect ory , fe et ................ 300—500
Bur ning time, seco nds .................................. 20
Int ens ity , ca ndl epo we r.........................100,000
C ol or ................................. Whi te to yellowish
Effectiv e illu mi na tio n.. . .Circle o f 300 yard s
radi us
Use: The flare is used to give warn ing of
CON FIDE NTIA L
GR OU ND PY RO TEC HN ICS (FLARES)
jec tor or pistol, the spring-l oaded vanes fold
ou t into place, stabili zing the flight of the
signal.
Illuminating Hand Gronado Mk I
Len gth, in c h e s............................................ 4.3
Diameter , in ch es ......................................... 2.1
Weig ht, o u nc es ............................................9.2
Inte nsi ty, c and lep ow er.......................... 60,000
Delay, se co nd s................................................7
Bur ning t ime, seco nds.................................. 25
De scripti on: The gren ade consi sts of two
metal shells pressed tog eth er and sealed. The
uppe r shell conta ins a Bouchon ign iter and a
delay fuse. The botto m shell cont ains the illu-
min ant composition, first fire charg e, ignition
charg e, quick mat ch, and disc.
Ope ratio n: Pull the release pin and throw
the grenad e. When the leve r is released, the
firing pin is freed to fire th e prime r. T he p rime r
ignit es the delay fuse, which bur ns for seven
seconds and the n ignite s th e ignition charge.
The ignition char ge set s off the first fire com­
position, which in tur n ign ites the illumin ant
composition. T he gas es from the ignition cha rge
and first fire force the two shells ap art , thu s
leaving the illum inant composition of the bot­
tom shell free f or b urnin g.
enem y mar aud ers or in filt rati ng hostile troo ps;
also, for illu mination o r signali ng.
Desc riptio n: The flare cons ists of a ’/f in ch
pipe and a steel lube appro xima tely 2.5 inches
in in side d iame ter, which are atta che d to a base
plate th at con tains a 75- grain propelling c harge.
The steel tube conta ins a delay fuse, an ex­
pelling charg e, a candle, and a para chut e as­
sembly. The 0.25-inch pipe and the firin g mech­
anism are jo ined by a coupling, and the pipe is
273
U. S. EXPLOSIVE OR DN AN CE OP 1664

PRESSURE CAP

PARACHUTE

PULL RING
SUSPENSION
C A B LE

FELT PAD STRIKER

ILLU MINA NT
COMPOUND
PERCUSSION
CAP
LAMINA TED
PAPER CASE

IGNITION IGNITER
CH AR GE

FELT PAD

PROPELLING
CH AR GE

DELAY FUZE

PROPELLING CHARGE

5 7 -'

Figure 204. Porazhufe Trip Fla/ * M48

274 C O N F ID tN H A t
 GR OU ND PY RO TE CH NIC S (FLARES)

thread ed to the bas e plate. Th e firing train is
composed of a prim er, an ign ite r, and a rela y
cha rge . Th e firing mec hanis m con tai ns the pr es­
sur e ca p, pull ring an d pin. sa fe ty screw, saf ety
cot ter pin, and sprin g-load ed firing pi n.
Ope rati on: A 20- to 30-po und pres sure on the
pre ssu re cap o r a tension of fou r to six pounds
on the pull pin relea ses the firing pin and fires
th e primer. The primer in iti at es the igni ter,
which , in tur n, st ar ts the rela y charg e. The
rela y cha rge set * off th e prop elling cha rge,
which pro ject s the illum inati ng shell thro ugh
th e lar ge ste el tub e to a he igh t of 300 to 500
fee t. Th e prope lling cha rge ig ni tes a three -
secon d dela y fu se in th e she ll. The dela y fuse
ig ni tes an exp elli ng cha rge which exp els a
par ach ute- sup por ted candle from the shell.

S T R K IR S P R IN G

S A H I V P IN H O li
P E R C U S S IO N C A P
ST IIK CR

BLACK P O W O lt

ILL U .M IN A N T
LEVER (CO CK EO j COMPOUND

----------------

TRIG GER ,,
P IV O T PO IN T ,j

TR IC C fR
SPR ING

T R IG G IR . AN CH OR
cup

TR IP W IR E SLOT

Figure 205. Trip Ff a/e M49

CO NF tO FM TtA t 27 5
 U. S. EXPLOSIVE O RD NA NC E
Trip Flar e M49
Le ngt h, in ch es ................... 3.8
Di am ete r in c h e s ........................................ 2.6
B u rn in g t im e , m in u te .........................................1
Int en sit y, c an dle po we r.......................... 40,000
C o lo r................................. Wh ite to yellowish
U se : The Tr ip Ha re M49 has the sa me uses
as t he Pa rac hu te Tri p Fl are M48.
Des crip tion : The Hare has a grcnndc- shaped
cylindr ical body , with a nose fu ze th at pro trude s
0.875-inch from the head end. A mountin g
bra cke t and a spring-loa ded tr ig ge r mechanism
arc mounted on a meta l base cap. The upper
arm of the tri gg er is atta che d to a tri p wire,
and th e lower arm of th e tri gg er res tra ins the
sa fet y lever a ft er the rem oval of th e s afe ty pin.
Ope ratio n: A pull on th e t ri p wire rot ate s t he
upp er tri gg er arm away from the fuze lever.
If th e tri p wire is c ut, the uppe r tri gg er arm,
which is res tra ini ng th e fuze lever, rot ate s
away from the fuze lever but in an opposite
dire ctio n from above. A gren ade- type fuze is
used, bu t it ha s no delay elemen t. The fuze
ign ites th e fla re insta ntane ously .
T ri p -W ir e F la re ML I M o d 0
Len gth of tub e, inc hes ................................ 5.5
Diam eter of tube, inc he s............................ 2.5
Weig ht, po un ds ............................................3.5
Bur ning time, secon ds.................................. 65
Candlepow er ........................................ 100,000
Effec tive illum inati on................ Area 500 feet
in diam eter
Use: The purpos e of th e flar e is t o reveal the
approa ch o f en em y troops.
Desc riptio n: The flare case is a steel tube
appr oxim ately 5 .5 inc hes long an d 2.5 in ches in
dia me ter. Fixe d to one en d is a pull- type, sp ring-
actu ate d firin g mechan ism to which the trip
wire is atta che d. Enclosed in the tube are the
prim er, black-powder cha rge, impre gnate d mus­
lin disc, and pyrot echnic composition. Two 40-
foot len gth s of wiie ar e available , mak ing it
276 CONFI DENT IAL'
OP 1664
possible to have tw o tr ip wi res runn ing in oppo­
sit e directio ns. A web belt secures the flare to
a tree.
Ope ratio n: A tu g of thr ee pounds or more
on th e tr ip wire dra ws the plu nger and firin g pin
away from the prim er and compr esses a spr ing
which sur rou nds the firin g pin. As the plung er
is pulled away from th e firing mechani sm, its
notched end disen gage s from th at of the firing
pin, which is the n forced aga ins t the prim er
by the compress ed firing-pin spri ng. The prim er
ig n it e s 0.3 gram s of black powder. The black
powder ignit es the impre gnate d muslin disc,
and in tur n the pyrot echnic composition. The
res ult ant gas pre ssu re blows out the closure
disc from the head, and th e flame from the
bur nin g candle illum inate s the surr oun ding
are a. Whi te smoke given off by the flare does
no t inte rfer e with th e effectiv eness of illu­
minati on.
Re ma rks : To prev ent self illumina tion, the
flare should be mou nted abo ut 125 ya rds be fore
friend ly positions. While mou nting the flare,
personne l should wear stee l helm ets, and heads
should be kept below and away from the top
of the Hare.
G ro un d Fl ar e M 8 I — M 83
Len gth (wi thou t sp ike) , inc hes ................ 7.75
Diam eter, in ch es ........................................ 1.75
Weigh t, p ou nd ............................................0.88
Bur ning time , m inu tes .................................... 2
Color and inte nsit y
M81..........Red ............ 20.000 candlepowe r
M82.......... Yellow . . . . 25.000 candlepower
M 83 ............Green . . . . 35,000 candlepower
Use : The flare indic ates, to coope rating air
eleme nts, a line of position or direc tion. It is
also used for troop-re cogniti on purposes.
Desc riptio n: T he flare co nsis ts of a jiap er cyl ­
inder conta ining a pyrote chnic eom|x>sition. It
has a wooden base block w ith a 20-penny spike
thro ugh it, and a match head covered by « re­
movable metal cap, unde r which lies a wooden
disc. A plasti c film seal s the metal cup to the
 GR OU ND PY RO TEC HN ICS (FLARES)

Fl A RE ATTAC HED

Fi gv /e 206. Tri p-W ire fl a re Mk 1 Ma d 0

CGN WO ENT tAL 277

U. S. EXPLOSIVE O RD NA NC E
flare body. The oute r hea d of the wooden disc
has th e scra tch ing sur fac e requ ired to igni te
the mat ch composition.
Op era tion : Th e flare is stuc k in the ground
with the spike as a supp ort. The plas tic seal
is pulled off and the wooden disc scratc hed
ag ain st the mat ch composition, which igni tes
the flare.
Re ma rks : Thes e grou nd flares are not pro­
cured by th e Nav y at p rese nt.
Ta rge t Rocke t Flare Mk I M od 0
We igh t, po un ds .............................................3
U se : The Ta rge t Rocke t Fla re Mk 1 Mod 0
is used with th e 3.25-inch Rocket T arg ets Mk 10
and Mk 11.
Des crip tion : A pyrot echni c candle, secured
into a wooden body, is housed in a steel tube.
An elec tric squib is locate d ove r the st ar te r
composition of the candle. A stee l cup shields
the igniti on end of the flare, and squib leads
are coile d inside the nose cap.
Op erat ion : Te ar off the adhe sive str ip and
remo ve the cover. Place the f lare over the nose
of t he r ocket, and uncoil t he squi b lead s. Fas ten
the all iga tor clips to the co tte r p ins o f th e leads,
and fire.
A ir p o rt Flar a M l 3 (O bs ol et e)
Len gth, in ch es ............................................ 23.1
Diam eter, in ch es ........................................ 1.75
Bur ning tim e, mi nu tes .................................... 3
Int ens ity , c an dle po we r...........................40,000
Us e: Air por t Flare M13 is used to provide
illum inatio n fo r airp lane land ing a t emergency
fields, a nd to illum inate ta rg et s and objectiv es.
A fu rt he r use is to pre ven t infilt ration or s ur­
pris e by en emy troops.
Des crip tion : The flare con sist s of a cyli nder ;
the top cover sealed with a str ip of adhesiv e
taj>e, and a seven-inch hollow chip-bo ard tube
moun ted to one end of the cylinder.
278 CONFIDENTIAL
OP 1664
Ope ratio n: Remove th e adhe sive tape and slip
the hollow tub e o ver a rod stuc k in the g round.
Pu llo n t he lany ard att ac he d to th e ig nition wire
to fire the flare.
Re ma rks : This flare is not procu red by the
Navy.
A ir p o rt Flare M7 6
Leng th, inches .......................................... 32.0
Diam eter, in c h e s............................................ 6
Bur ning time, minu tes .............................. 6.5
Int ens ity , candlepo wer ...................... 800,000
Use : Air por t Flare M76 is used to indicat e
th e end of a runw ay in a fog.
Desc riptio n: This flare con sists of a cylinde r
cont ainin g a candle sim ilar to—bu t lar ger t han
—the ca ndle of t he Fla re AN -M 26 described in
Ch apt er 8. Section 5, of thi s pamp hlet. The
cylin der is fitt ed w ith a so cket b ase a rra nge me nt
into wh ich fou r c hanne l-shap ed legs may be in­
ser ted to hold the flare up rig ht on the r unwa y.
Ope ratio n: The flare may be init iate d by the
use of the electric squib or by pull on the re­
lease fork which allows th e spring-l oaded firing
pin to str ik e the prim er. The prim er acts di­
rectl y to igni te the fir st fire compsition.
Re ma rks : Air por t Flare M76 is not procure d
by the Navy.
H ig h -A lti tu d e Para chute M or ta r-F ire d
Flare Mk 20 Mod 0
Leng th, i nc he s.......................................... 10.75
Diam eter, inches ........................................ 2.5
Weig ht, p o u n d s.............................................. 5
Hei ght of tra jec tor y, fe e t.......................1,000
Int ens ity , c an dle po we r.......................... 85,000
C o lo r........................................................W hite
Bur ning time, se co nd s................................ 60
Rat e of fall af te r ignit ion, f t/ s e c .............. 16
Use: This hig h-a ltit ude flare i s use d to il lum­
ina te seapla ne landi ng are as a t nig ht, and to
illum inate an island base when low ceilings do
not per mi t prop er visib ility from normal flying
levels.
 GR OU ND PY RO TE CH NIC S (FLARES)

COT TER PIN

-C O V E R

- COPPER WIRE

-S Q U IB

ADHES IVE TAPE

SPACER

PYR OTE CHN IC MIX

Se<f*orx3l V.»w yJew

Figure 207. Target Rocket Flore Mk 1 Mo d 0

CO NF ID EN TI AL - 279
U. S. EXPLOSIVE OR DN AN CE
Fl ar e: The flare con sists of a cylindri cal steel
tube body wi th a copper cup welded to t he closed
end o f the tube . Th e body co ntai ns a n expelling
cha rge , a pyrotec hnic candle, and a silk para ­
chu te. The coppe r cup con tains a fus e assembly ,
a propelling cha rge, 25 gram s o f a combination
smokele ss powder and black powder, and a
sta nd ard shot gun prime r.
Mo rta r: Th e mor tar consi sts of a steel tube
36 in ches lo ng and 2.8 in ches in diam eter . The
tub e is s crewed into a s teel b ase plate 0.75 inch
thic k and 12 inches squa re. The base pla te is
provide d with a cen tra l stu d into which is
pres sed a h arde ned steel firing pin.
Ope ratio n: Remove t he do sin g cap from the
end of the mo rtar . Att ach a 30-foot lanya rd to
the bra ss release pin and ins ert the pin in the
two holes drilled tran sve rsel y abo ut six inches
280 CONF TDEN TIAt-
OP 1664
from the end of th e mo rta r. Ins ert the flare
into the mo rta r so th at it re sts on the release
pin, with the copper end down. Fire the flare
by pulling the lanya rd, thu s removi ng the re­
le as e pin. Th e flar e fa ll s to the bottom of the
mo rta r, firing the prim er. The prim er set s off
the propelli ng char ge and ignite s the delay
fuse. The expan ding gas es force t he cop per cup
away from th e flare and fill th e bo re of the mo r­
ta r. The fla re is propelled 1,000 fee t in to t he air,
at which time the delay fuse ignite s the ex­
pelling charge . The pyr otechn ic candle and par a­
chut e a re expelled, th e ex pelling cha rge ignit ing
the candle.
Rem arks : A suit able b ar rie r should be erected
to shield personnel firing the flare. In case o f a
misfire, wait at leas t th re e minu tes before dis­
assem bling the m ort ar. Clean m ort ar tub e a fte r
firing.
 Part 3 — C ha pt er 10
SHIPBOARD PYROT ECHN ICS
Section I — SU RF AC E VESSEL ITEMS
Distress Smoke Han d Signal A N -M k I
Mods 0 and I
Lengt h, in ch es ....................................... 3.875
Diameter , inches ................................... 1,625
Weight, pound ......................................... 0.37
Descri ption: The signal is encased in a metal
cylindrical body, one end of which is closed by
a soldered cap and pull ring. The case can be
held comfortab ly and safely in the bare hand
duri ng the burn ing period. The signal contains
a p yrotech nic smoke mixtu re and is wa tert ight .
Opera tion: The sealing tape around the end
of the cylinde r is torn off and the paper cap
is removed. The pull ring is brou ght down over
the rim of the can and pressed down, using
the ring a s a lever to break the seal. T he cyl­
inder is pointed away from the fac e; and a quick
pull is exerted on the pull ring, which comes
out o f t he can, the reby ignit ing the smoke mix­
ture. The signal should be held at ar m’s len gth
at an angle of a bout 30°, so th at d rippings will
not fall on the hand.
Rema rks: This signal is to replace th e White
Smoke Grenade, H.C., AN-M8, for emergency
kits in life ra fts and airc raft .
Signa l, Distress— Day and Ni gh t— Mk 13
M od 0
Length, inches .........................................5.12
Diameter , in ch es ....................................... 1.62
Weight, o u n ce s........................................... 6.1
C O N F ID E N T IA L
Genera l: Adapted for both d ay and nigh t use.
Hand Signal Mk 13 contains lx»th the orange
smoke cani ster for daylig ht and a Hare pellet
for d arkness . Like t he Smoke Signal AN-Mk 1
in appea rance and operation, the Signal Mk 13
is small a nd is easily stowed in life-vest pockets,
flight suits, or life raft s.
Descriptio n: The metal out er case i s closed at
both e nds by a soldered cap to which is attach ed
a pull ring. Removing th e soldered cap pulls a
bra ss wire attached to its bottom throu gh a
cup coated with a friction igni ting compound.
Depending on whet her the “day ” or “nigh t"
ring is pulled, the two ends of the case being
distin ctly so mark ed, the smoke mixt ure or the
flare is i gnited. Smoke emission time is ap prox i­
matel y 18 seconds; flare burn ing time is 18
to 20 seconds. The averag e candlepower of the
flare is 3,000 candles. P ape r cups cover th e pull
ring s on each end of the signal.
Opera tion: Afte r the pap er cup is removed
from desired end, a quick pull is given on the
ring. If the soldered cap fails t o come off, bring
th e pull ring down over the side of the can, and
use the ring as a lever to break the seal. Hold
the signal at arm 's length and 30* elevation
while burning. Afte r one end is used, the signal
should be doused in water to cool th e metal
part s. It should then be retain ed for possible
use of the othe r end. Each end is insulat ed and
waterpro ofed from the other .
•
Rem arks : Both ends of the Signal Mk 13
should never be ignited at t he same time.
281
U. S. EX PL OS IVE O R D N A N C E OP 1664

PULL HA ND LE

OUTER
CO N TA IN ER

INN ER
CON TAIN ER
ASSEM BLY

Se ctio na l Vie w

Full View

Figure 208. Dit fre tt Smoke Ha nd Signal A N -M k 1 Type

282 eONFtDEWtAL
 SHI PBO ARD PY RO TEC HN ICS (SU RFA CE VESSEL ITEMS)
Figurn 209. Signal. D iif re n— Day and Night—
Mk 13 Mo d 0
Na vy Rod Ligh t Mk I and Na vy Blue Lig ht
Mk I Mod I
Len gth, inc he s...........................................12.0
Diam eter, i nc he s....................................... 1.25
Bur nin g time, mi nut es..............Blue—1 to 1.5
Red—2.5 t o 3
CONFID ENTIAL
Des crip tion : The flare cons ists o f a paper tube
filled with a pyrot echnic composition and at ­
tache d to a wooden handle. The top of each
flare conta ins a but ton of igniti on mate rial. A
fric tion str ike r is provided with each signal.
Ope ratio n: The flare is ignit ed by scrap ing
the top of the inside cap ag ain st th e forw ard end
of t he pyrote chnic mix ture . Hold the flare in an
inclined position while bu rnin g, to p reve nt dr ip­
pings from burni ng the hand.
Ship's Emerge ncy Id en tif ic at io n Signals
Mks 1—4
Gen eral: The body of each of thes e signa ls
vari es in lengt h accordin g to its design. Each
signal consi sts of a pre ssur e-re tain ing disc and
disc-locking nut, a prime r, a four-g ram smoke­
less-powde r propelling charg e, a copper o btu rat ­
ing cup, a delay tr ain , a n eject ion charg e o f ap ­
prox imat ely 1.1 gram s of black powder, and a
signal of pyrote chnic composition. All signal
cups except the showe r sign als have a par a­
chu te for mid-air suspension.
Ope ratio n: The signal is fired from Signal
Pro jec tor Mk 1 or Mk 1 Mod 1. The signal is
placed in the pro ject or prim er-f irst, where it
re sts aga ins t the reta inin g pin. A pull on the
lany ard removes the firing pin and allows the
signal to descend aga inst the firing pin with
sufficient force to close the valve and fire the
prim er. The pri me r igni tes th e delay tra in and
propelling charg e simul taneou sly. The gases
from the pro pelling c harg e e xpand the o btu ra t­
ing cup un til it is secu red tig htl y in t he bore of
the proj ecto r. Increas ed pre ssu re rup tur es the
pres sure -ret aini ng disc, and th e gases then
escape thro ugh the openings in the rctai ning-
disc locking nut into the proj ecto r bore. The
ga se s propel t he signal appro ximat ely $00 feet.
The ignite d delay tra in bu ms until the signal
reach es approx imatel y the zenith of it s tra je c­
tory , and then ignit es the ejecti on charg e. The
eject ion cha rge ejec ts and ignite s the signal
pyrot echn ics thro ugh a quick matc h and first
fire composition.
283
U. S. EXPLOSIVE O RD NA NC E OP 1664

FR ICT ION STRIKER

CAP

IG N IT IO N
PROTECTOR

FRI CTI ON
IGNIT ER

TUBE

TEAR STRIP

PYR OTE CHN IC C O M P O S IT IO N

HAN DLE

Full V ie w Sh ow ing

Sec I ion ol View 'V

Fi gv rt 21 0- Wovy» Red Ligh t and Nav y Blue Light

284 CONFID ENTIAL

 SHIPB OARD PY RO TEC HN ICS (SUR FACE VESSEL ITEMS)
Mk 1 (S ta r)
I-ength, in ch es ........ . . . . ..................... 5.124
Diam eter, in ch es ................................... 2.49
Color........ . .Red, white, green , or yellow
Burn ing time, s ec on ds ....................... 25 :t5
The closing cup is embossed fo r nig ht iden­
tification. The st ar is parach ute-sus pended .
Mk 2 (Sho wer)
Length, inches ................................ -6-374
Diame ter, in ch es ....................................2.50
Color........................... Red, white, or green
Burn ing time, secon ds................................ 5
This signal is designed to give two dist inct
bur sts, one with a sho rt delay and one with a
long delay. The closing cup is embossed for
nigh t identification.
Mk 3 (Smok e)
Len gth, in ch es ......................................9.124
Diam eter, in ch es ....................................2.49
Color ................Red, black, gr een, or yellow
Burn ing ti me, s ec on ds ........................ 25d:5
The closing cap is painte d with same color
th at is produced by th e signal. The signal is
para chu te suspended.
Mk 4 (Chamele on)
Len gth, i nc he s.....................................5.124
Diam eter, in ch es .................................2.49
Color combinations ... .Red—green—white
White —re d—green
Green —white—red
Burn ing tim e of each color, secon ds..........9
Delay between colors, sec ond......................1
The signal is parac hute- suspe nded and de­
signed to chang e color while burn ing. Oth er­
wise, t he signal is sim ilar to th e Signal Mk 1.
Float Flore Mk 15 Mods 0 and I
Len gth, in ch es ............................................37.2
Diameter, inches ..................................... 6.5
Weight, p o u n d s............................................26
Burni ng time, min ute s.................................... 5
Inte nsit y, ca nd lep ow er .......................100,000
Delay befo re ignition, mi nu tes .................... 5
Use: Floa t Flare Mk 15 Type is used by PT
boat s in illum inati ng enemy ships.
f*717 IO—4 n CO NR O EN Tt A L'
Descr iptio n: The flare cons ists of a wooden
body housin g a pyrotec hnic column and having
a met allic base to provide flotati on st abili ty. T he
top of th e flare is closed by a cone-shaped
ad ap ter which contain s a bouchon grenade-f iring
mechan ism a ttach ed to a celluloid disc. Enclosed
is a 3.5-foot lengt h of time fuse. The st ar te r
composition is atta che d to th e flash end of the
time fuse. Th e il lumi nant compos ition i s n ext to
the st ar te r composition.
Op era tio n: The flare is held horizontally , wi th
the rig ht hand firmly gras ping the bouchon
lever and the le ft h and supp ortin g th e nose cap.
The saf ety key is pulled and th e flare is tossed
overboar d. When the bouchon le ver is released,
the f iring p in is forced by th e firing-pin sprin g
to impinge upon th e prime r. T he prim er ignite s
th e time fuse. The time fuse flashes into a
booste r bag of st ar te r composition, which, in
tur n, igni tes th e flare.
Rem ark s: It is recommended th at one man
hold th e flare while a second man pulls the
saf ety ring.
Mod 1 is like t he Mod 0, exce pt th at i t has a
mechanical clockwork timi ng device—for se t­
ting s from one to 30 minu tes—instead of the
time- fuse device.
Rocket, Wh ite , Marin e Type. Mk I Mod 0
Leng th, inches ............................. 12.0
Diam eter, in ch es ..........................................1.5
Weig ht, po un ds ..............................................2
Burn ing time, se co nd s..................................5
Use: Thi s is a m erch ant marin e r ocket issued
by th e Navy.
Desc ripti on: This rocket signal consists of th e
rocket body, st ar pellets, propelling charge,
clay heading, and closing cap.
Ope ratio n: The rocket is fired by th e Pyr o­
techni c Pistol AN-M8 and reac hes a hei ght of
250 fee t. At the hei ght of its tra jec tor y, the
rock et bur sts. The falli ng part icles bur n for five
seconds.
Rem ark s: This signal will be replaced by the
Rocke t Pistol Signal Mk 3 Mod 0 (Show er).
285
U. S. EXPLOSIVE OR DN AN CE OP 1664

CL OS IN G CA P

SI GN AL BO DY

SH OW ER PELLETS

WH ITE
M A R K IN G O N
CL O SI N G CAP

EJECTION
CH AR GE

DELAY
TR AIN PELLET

PROPELLING
CHARGE

PRIMER

Fufl View
Secbonal View

Figu re 211 . Ship's Emergen cy ide nt ifi ca tio n Sign al Mk 2 (S h o w e r)

28 6 C O N F ID E N T IA L
 SH IP8 OA RD PY RO TE CH NIC S (SU RFA CE VESSEL ITEMS )

PA RA CH UT E signal body

CLOS ING CAP

Poi nte d the ap pr ox im at e
Co lor o f the Smoke

S M O K E CA ND LE /

EJ EC TI O N CH AR GE

DE LA Y TR AI N PELLET

PRO PEL LIN G CH AR GE

PRIMER

Sec tion al View Full View

Figure 2f 2- Ship's Emergency Iden tific ation Signal Mk 3 (Smoke )

CO NF ID EN TI AL 287
U. S. EXPLOSIVE OR DN AN CE OP 1664

CL O SI N G CAP

PARACHUTE

STAR
SIG NA L BO DY M AR KI NG O N
CL OS IN G CAP

k PYR OTE CHN IC

< C A N D L E -------- ❖

EJECT ION
CH AR GE

DELAY TRAI N
PELLET
PROPELLING
CH AR GE

PRIMER

Sectional View
FuM V.ew

Figure 21 3. Ship's Emergen cy Id en tifi ca tio n Sign al Mk 4 (C ha m ele on )

and Sign al Mk 1 (S to r,

288 CO NF IDt NB At
 S H IP B O A R D P Y R O T E C H N IC S (S U R F A C E VE SS EL IT E M S }

PULL RIN G
FIR ING M EC H A N IS M DIS C

> FUZE ASSEMBLY

TIME FUZE

6 6 6 STARTER

T O
BO DY

PYR OTE CHN IC

TUBE X YE LLOW STAR
if iJ > PYR OTE CHN IC

CA ST OR OIL

FL OA T FL A R C K K

------ NO SE CA P SLEEVE

NO SE CA P DISC

Secf iono / Vie w Full View

Figur e 214. Flo ai Flare Mk IS Type

O O N F ID 6 N T 4 A L 28 ?
U. S. EXPLOSIVE OR DN AN CE OP I6 M

C L O S IN G CA P

AD HE SI VE PAPER

STAR PELLETS

RO CK ET C A S IN G

ROC KET PO W DE R

RO CK ET STICK

STICK SO CK ET

STAPLE

C L O S IN G DI SC '

Full View

Figure 215. Rocket. Wh ite. Mar ine Type. Mk 1 Mo d 0

290 C O N F I D E N T tA L
 Part 3 — Ch ap ter 10 — Section 2
SU BM AR INE PY RO TE CH NI CS
Submarine Floa t Signal Mk I Mo d I and Mk
2 Mo d 0
Length, inc he s.........................................18.75
Diameter, in ch es ............................................8.0
Delay, s ec on ds ............................................ 27
Burning time, se co nd s............................... 15
Color................... Black, yellow, green, or red
Use: These float signals are used to mark the
position of n submerged submarine, and for
oth er marki ng purposes.
Description: The firing mechanism consists
of a firing pin, firing-pin spring, firing-pin lever,
and tripp ing lever or lug. Th e ignition system
consist s of a primer, tim e fuse, quick match, and
a st ar te r mixture. The aluminum signal contains
a smoke pot, smoke mixtur e, smoke pot-cover,
and centr al tube. The signal has a nose cap and
release valve.
Operati on: The signal is fired from a sub­
merged submarin e, through a tube, using com­
pressed air as a propellant. As the signal is
leaving the ejector, a tripp ing lever is raised
by contact with a lug in the gun. cocking and
releasin g the firing-pin lever, which fires the
primer. The prim er ignit es th e tim e fuse, which
burns fo r 27 seconds. The signal is buoy ant and
rises to the surface within th e 27 seconds of fuse
delay. The time fuse ignites a piece of quick
match, which, in turn , i nitia tes the sta rte r com­
position. The st ar te r composition sets off the
smoke mixture.
Rem arks: The maximum launching depth is
162 feet.
The Submarine Float Signal Mk 2 Mod 0 is
similar to the Mk 1 Mod 1, ex cept for a fixed
delay of 54 to 59 seconds, a maximum launch­
ing depth of 285 feet, and s tur die r construction.
CONFIDENTIAL
Submarine Emergency Iden tific atio n Signal
Mk 2 Mods I and 2; also Submarine Emer­
gency Signal, Star, Mk 3 Mod s 0 and I
Length, in ch es .........................................18.0
Diameter, inches ...................... 8.0
Burning time, se co n d s................................. 25
Delay, seconds......................................... 27
Color of st a r .................... Red, yellow, or green
Use: These signals are use d for sub ma rine
emergency identification, whet her submerged
or surfaced.
Description: The signal consists of a cylin­
drical aluminum case containing the grenade-
type Py rotechnic Candle Mk 3. The bottom end
contains two delay elements. A single-s tar
candle is attach ed to a par achu te by an asbestos
cord.
Operatio n: The shell is projected from the
stan dard submarine emergency identification
signal ejector , using compressed air as the pro­
pellant. The shell is fired by a lug at its base
which project s beyond th e side of the shell and
rides in a groove in the ejec tor tube- As the
shell is forced through the tube, the extended
lug reaches the end of the groove j us t before
the base of the shell passes t he muzzle door. The
tripp ing lever is pulled back, thereby cocking
and releasing the firing pin lever and firing pin.
The firing pin str ikes the p rimer, and the Hash
from the primer ignites a time fuse. The time
fuse burns while t he s ignal is r ising t o the sur­
face. The delay ignites the grenade-ejection
charg e, which eject s the signal to a distance
of approximatel y 250 feet. At the summit of
the traj ecto ry, the delay trai n flashes in to the
signal-ejection cha rge and causes the pa rachute-
suspended sta r t o be ejected.
291
U. S. EXPLOSIVE O RD NA NC E OP 1664

VA LV E PROT ECTO R DISC ADH ESIV E TAPE

VAL VE

NO SE
VA LV E SPRIN G

SIG NA L TUBE

Full View

DEFLECTOR
FIR ING PIN SPRI NG

Q UI CK M AT CH

SM OK E PO T
> ASS EMB LY
TIM E FUSE

B A S E -------------------
FIR ING PIN LEVER

TRIPRING LEVER

RI NG SPLIT COTTE R
PRlMtR
PIN

Secti onal View

Bottom View

Fig urt 216. Sub/norijia Fl oat Signal Ffk J Mcx/ 1

29 2 C O N F ID E N T IA L
 SH IP BO AR D P Y R O T E C H N IC S (S U B M A R IN E )

NOSE

' han dle W iT h **

:; H; , e T r c o T T E R * 4
[ J TIL •MWEOIATe ' * b
J . If signal is R 1
* ^ £ R T ' safe ty

SH OC K
SPRING

F IR IN G — >
PIN SP RIN G

CO TTE R FIR IN G
Full Vie w PIN LEVER PIN

SI NG LE STA R RI NG
W AS HE R
GRENADE —
Bolfom View

SIGNAL TUBE

GR AD E FF F G ,—
BLACK PO WD ER
C O N T A IN E R (TOP)
PO W DE R PELLET

TIME FUSE
Q U IC K M A T C H —

BASE
FI RI NG PIN LEVER

TRI PPI NG LEVER -

R IN G
PRIMER
Sec hon o/ Vie w

Figure 217 . Submarine Emergen cy Ide nti fic ati on Signa l Mk 2 M od 2

CONFIDENTIAL 293
U. S. EXPLOSIVE O RD NA NC E OP 1664

Re ma rks : Th e Mk 2 Mod 2 is obsolescent, Rem ark s: T his s ignal re places the chameleon-
bein g replaced by the Mk 3 Mods 0 and 1. Th e type subm arin e rock et signa l.
Mk 3 Mod 0 ha s a slig htly diff eren t meth od of The Rocke t Pistol Signal Mk 3 Mod 0
expelli ng th e inner gren ade. The maximum (Show er) is sim ilar to th is signa l, excep t th at
laun chin g dep th is 160 feet. a bu rst show er is produc ed inst ead of a single
Th e Mk 3 Mod 1 is sim ilar to t he Mk 2 Mod 1 sta r.
exc ept for th e following: (1) a delay of 54 to The Rocket Pistol Signal, Chameleon, is sim­
59 seconds. (2) a maxi mum la unch ing dep th of ilar t o th is signal, ex cept t h at a va riet y of co lors
285 feel , and (3) a stu rd ie r con stru ctio n to is obtained .
wi ths tan d pre ssu res a t a lower de pth.
Submarine Emergency Identif icatio n Flares
Pistol Rocket Signal Mk I, Com et; Mk 3, Mk 10 Mods 0— 2. Mk 11 Mods 0— 2, and
Shower; and Chameleon Mk 12 Mods 0— 2
Le ngt h, in c h e s .......................................... 14.0 Leng th, in c h e s .......................................... 9.75
Diam eter, in ch es .......................................... 1.5 Diam eter, in ch es ........................................ 2.00
Bu rni ng tim e, se co nd s.................................11 Weig ht, po un ds ............................................ 3.2
Int ens ity , c an dle po we r.......................... 60,000
Color of single s ta r........ Red, gre en, or yellow Use: Thes e s igna ls a re use d by su rface d sub­
marin es to iden tify thems elves.
U se : Thes e signa ls ar e used fo r emerge ncy
identi ficatio n by surf aced subm arine s. Des crip tion : The flare case cons ists of a seam ­
less stee l tube, one end of which is closed by a
De scr ipti on: The uppe r section or signal stee l closu re disc. The firing mechan ism, which
cha mb er con tain s a pyro tech nic com position and exte nds along th e side of the flare body, is at ­
pow der- ejec tor ch arge. Th e r ocket mot or, which tache d to the base cas ting , which carr ies the
is riv ete d to th e signa l cham ber, conta ins one closure disc and prim er. The firing mechani sm
gram of black powder above a fel t wash er and is enclosed in a br ass hous ing which conta ins t he
58 gra ms of black po wd er , which is the rocket following: <1) a bra ss sh af t held in place by a
elem ent. Fo ur spring-l oaded hing ed vanes, four co tte r pin . (2) a firing p in atta che d to the b ras s
inch es long a nd one inch wide, are att ach ed to sh af t by a s ea r join t, (3) a spr ing su rrou ndin g
the roc ket tub e and fold a nd fit into th e rocket th e firing pin, and (4) a lanya rd att ach ed to
cha mbe r. The rock et cha mb er is an aluminu m th e br ass sha ft. The flare ease cont ains t he fol­
con tain er with a Pri me r Mk 5 in its base. This lowing: (1) a black-p owder char ge, (2) a st ar te r
unit receiv es th e rocket motor. compositi on, (3) a pyro tech nic cha rge, and (4)
Ope ratio n: The signal is fired from th e sub­ a steel cup rivet ed to the case, closing one
ma rine rocket pistol or the Pyro techn ic Pistol end. Two clamps are welded to the flare body
AN-M 8. Release of the tri gg er fires th e primer, for mou ntin g on th e b r a c k e t fixed to the sub­
which ignit es th e o ne-gra m aux ilia ry propelling mar ine bridge.
cha rge . This black-p owder cha rge propels the
Colors— F la res M k l l T ype
sign al cham ber and att ac he d rocke t mot or to BurninR
ab ou t 30 fee t from th e pistol muzzle. At thi s Mk I t Mk 11 Mod 1 Mk 11 Mod 2 Tim*
poin t the 58-gram char ge of black powder, which (se co nd s)
is th e rock et eleme nt, tak es effect and propels Red Green Yellow 10
the signa l to a hei gh t of appr oxim atel y 650 Blacko ut Blackou t Blackout 5
feet . The roc ket elem ent ign ites the expelling Red Green Yellow 10
ch arg e at th e zenith of its tra jec tor y. The ex­ Blackou t Blackout Blackout 5
pelli ng cha rge ignite s the st ar and sim ulta n­ Red Green Yellow 10
eousl y e jec ts it. The s ingl e s ta r falls freel y, and Blackou t Blackout Blackout 5
bu rns out j u st bef ore hit tin g th e water . Red Green Yellow 10

294 CONFIDE NTIAL-

 S H IP B O A R D P Y R O T E C H N IC S (S U B M A R IN E )

N O S E CAP

TUBE— 1

S PYR OTE CHN IC CAN DLE

Full V ie w Sho wing

W at er pr oo f Con taine r

EXP EL LIN G C H A R G E

SPRING

ROCKET POWDE R

VAN E (4)
BARREL

PR IM ER ­ Tail Va ne Asse mbly

C O M E T TYP E Full View
Sectional View

Figu re 21 8. Pi ito l Rocke t Signal Mk t . Com o/

C Q N H D EN T4A E 295
U. S. EXPLOSIVE OR DN AN CE OP 1664

DISC
BLACK POW DER

CANNON
PRIMER

CLAM P SPRI NG

FIR ING PIN > FIRING

M EC H A N IS M

ROPE

PYR OTE CHN IC

mk n
Sectiona l View
MK 10
MK 12

Full V iew ’ ' Full View

Figure 219. Submarine Identifi cation Flar m Mks 10, 11, and 12 Type

2?6 CO NF ID EN TIA L
 SHIPBOARD PYROTECHNICS (SUBMARINE)

Colors— F lar es M k 12 T ype Desc ripti on: The ext ern al appea rance is
Burning sim ilar to the Subm arine Eme rgenc y Signal Mk
Mk 12 Mk 12 Mod 1 Mk 12 Mod 2 Time 2 Mod 2. The shell holds six metal cups 2.75
(seconds) inches in dia met er and 1.875 inches in depth ,
Red Red Green 10 filled with a lithiu m hydr ide paraffin mixtu re.
Blackout Blackout Blackout 5 The base of the shell cont ains a prim er, time
Green Yellow Yellow- 10 fuse and 20-gram cha rge of smokeless powder.
Blackou t Blackout Blackou t 5 Atta ched to the base is a firing mechanism
Red Red Green 10 which is used with the sta nd ard emergency
Blackout Blackout Blackou t 5 identifi cation signal ejec tor.
Green Yellow Yellow 10
Ope ratio n: The shell is proje cted from the
O pe ra tio n: Mount the flare so th at the firing sta nd ard emergen cy identi fication signal e jecto r,
mechanism points towar d the deck. A vertica l usin g 200 pounds p er sq uare inch air p ress ure if
pull on the lany ard forces the bras s sh af t up, possible. The shell is fired by a lug at its base
compr essing the firing-pin sp ring. The s ea r join t which pro jec ts beyond the side of th e shell and
between t he sh af t and fir ing pin is brok en when ride s in a groove in the eject ion tube . As the
the sh af t is pulled appr oxima tely 0.5 inches. The shell is forced thro ugh the tube , the extended
firing pin str ike s the prim er, which igni tes a lug reach es the end of the groove ju st before
small cha rge of black powder. The flash from the base of the shell passe s the muzzle door.
the black powder ignit es the st ar te r composi­ The trip pin g lever is pulled back, ther eby cock­
tion, which, in tur n, ignit es the pyrotec hnic ing and relea sing the firing pin lever and firing
candle. The flare bur ns in four incre ment s of pin. The firing pin str ike s the prim er, and the
10 seconds dur atio n and inte rve ning blackout flash from the prim er ignit es a lengt h of time
incr eme nts of five seconds. fuse coiled in the base of the shell. The time
fuse bur ns for 27 seconds, and then ignit es the
R em ar k s: Mare s th at have been submerg ed 20-gra m cha rge of smokele ss powder, which
below periscope depth should be throw n over­ eje cts th e six cups of l ithi um h ydrid e. When the
board at the first oppo rtuni ty. lith ium hyd ride touch es the wate r, a chemical
The possibilit y of deton ation in any of the react ion occurs which yields fine hydrog en
flares, an d pa rtic ular ly in thos e wi th g reen pyro­ bubbles. The hydrog en bubbles ret urn an echo
techni cs, should neve r be lost sig ht of. For this of th e same ord er and mag nitud e as th at re ­
reaso n, personne l in the vicini ty of the flares turn ed by a submari ne.
should be adeq uate ly shielded pri or to firing.
Rem arks : Fals e ta rg et shells should be seg­
Subm arine Emer gency Identificati on Mares rega ted from pyrote chnics and oth er amm uni­
Mk 10 and Mods are sim ilar to the M ares Mk 11 tion components , and should be kept in a dry
and Mods and Mk 12 and Mods, excep t th at atmos phere .
thes e burn with only one u nin terr upt ed color— When visibi lity is such th a t surfa ce dis tur b­
Mod 0, red ; Mod 1, gre en; and Mod 2, yellow. ance m ay be a haza rd, false ta rg et shells should
not be released from dep ths less than 150 feet,
False Target Shell Mk I Mod 0 ljecause small bubbles or a surfa ced can iste r
Leng th, i n ch es ............................................ 18.0 may result .
Diameter, inches . . . . .................................. 8.0 False Target Can Mk 2 M od 0
Delay, se co nd s.............................................. 27 Leng th, inches ......................................... 19.3
Pers isten ce o f echo, m inu tes ................4 to 18 Diame ter, in ch es ....................................... 3.0
Use: This shell is used to co nfuse and dis rup t Use : False Ta rge t Can Mk 2 Mod 0 has the
enemy und erw ate r echo rang ing. same use a s False T arg et Shell Mk 1 Mod 0.

CONFID ENTIAL 297

U. S. EXPLOSIVE OR DN AN CE OP 1664

Figure 220. Ftr ltt Targ et Shell Mk 1 Mod 0

Des crip tion : Generally sim ilar to the False
Ta rg et Shell Mk 1 Mod 0, th is can is a t ube of
she et steel sealed at both ends, c onta inin g nine
meta l cups filled w ith a lith ium hydr ide compo­
sition . These cups can be released individually
at any desired rat e when used with the new
hyd rau lic- typ e air-o pera ted signal ejec tor. The
cups are sep arat ed by alumi num discs, and a
one-inch metal spac er s ep ara tes th e end c aps of
the ou ter tub e from th e top and bottom inner
cups. Tea r str ips are provided a t eit her end
to open the can.
Ope ratio n: The te ar str ips , the end c aps, the
spa cers on eit her end, a nd the corru gated paper
disc a t the top end are removed, with the can
in a horiz ontal position to pr eve nt d ropp ing one
of the cups. Ins ert one end into the breech of
th e eje cto r abo ut one inch. Pu t a ram me r in the
ot he r end of the can and push the cup s toward
th e muzzle of the ejec tor, un til t he spri ng de ten t
ne ar the to p of th e bar rel drop s b ehind the las t
cup. Remove the emp ty tube. Place the firing
valve on "Vent”. Close the breec h do or and flood
the bar rel from the seA thr ou gh the flood line,

298 CONFI DENTIA L

 SHIPB OARD PYR OT ECH NIC S (SUB MAR INE)
Allowing air to escape thro ugh the ven t line.
When no air escape s the ven t or firing valve ,
clo se the se val ves and open the muzzle door.
Signal (Pepp er} Mk 14 Mods 0— 2 (Pro­
duction suspended)
Le ngt h, in c h e s .............................................27.5
Dia me ter , i n c h e s.......................................... 3.0
We igh t, p o u n d s........................... 19 (app rox.)
Gene ral: The Sign al (Pep per ) Mk 14 is an
expe ndab le exp losi ve nois ema ker for under­
wa ter use. It co nsi sts of a ser ies of aluminum
dis cs, each of which has six tee n sma ll explo sive
cha rge s around its per iphery. E ach d isc c onta ins
a ga sle ss fus e train whic h ig ni tes the cha rges
at one -ha lf second inte rval s and then commu ni­
c a t e s the ign itio n to the succ eedi ng disc s. Ap­
pro xim atel y five min utes of noi se can be pro­
duced. Parac hute susp ensio n is used to retard
the sin kin g rate . A firing dev ice ig ni tes two
del ay -fu se train s. The initia l delay train ign ite s
the first of the expl osiv e dis cs, and the sec­
ondar y dela y train fires a sma ll black-powder
cha rge which eje cts the parach ute. The Sign al
(Pe ppe r) Mk 14 is supplied a s Mods 0, 1, an d 2,
hav ing 30-sec ond, 2-mi nute, and 6-m inute i nitial
del ay s resp ecti vely . Mods 0, 1, and 2 are iden­
tica l, exc ept tha t one exp los ive disc in Mod 1,
and two in Mod 2, have b een replaced by initi al
CO NF IDE NT IAL
Make the pr essur e in t he volum e tank 50 poun ds
gre ate r than sea pres sure , and thro w the tiring
val ve into the ’’Fire" position .
time -del ay disc s. The eff ect ive firing time i s the
sam e in all thr ee Mods, f or practic al consid era­
tion .
Te sts on the initi al product ion of th is d evice
show- tha t abou t 75% of the uni ts may be ex­
pected to opera te to compl etion. It is recom­
m e n d e d tha t, whe reve r poss ible , two or more
uni ts be fired in quick succ essio n to insure func ­
tion ing.
Des crip tion : The si gnal c ons ists of the fol low­
ing com pone nts: f iring devic e, i nitial t ime delay,
seco nda ry tim e dela y, a stac k o f explosi ve-loa ded
dis cs, a cen ter co nne ctin g tube and end disc s to
supp ort t he explo siv e st ack, p arachu te kn ock-off
char ge, parac hute asse mbl y, and packing con­
taine r.
The firing dev ice is identic al in operati on to
the firing dev ice used on the Subma rine Emer­
gen cy Ident ificat ion Sign als. It cons ist s o f a su p­
port, firing l ever, t ripp ing lever, sa fet y pin, and
sa fe ty c ott er pin. When the s af et y cot ter pin is
pulled, it allows the sa fe ty pin to be forced
back by it s spri ng, rele asin g the t ripp ing lever.
On ej ecti on, the tri ppin g l eve r is f orced back by
the end of the trip ping groov e. The tripp ing
lev er lif ts the firing lev er aga ins t the firing
299
 U. S. EXPLOSIVE OR DN AN CE
spr ing and then release s it to fire the primer.
The primer ignite s both t he initial and the sec­
ond ary time delays.
The initia l time delay is a pyrotech nic fuse
tr ai n from the prime r to the f irst of th e explo­
sive capsules. It has th e appro ximat e times as
follow s:
Mod 0........................................... 30 seconds
Mod 1............................................. 2 minutes
Mod 2........................................... 6 minutes
The secondary time delay is a pyrotechnic
fus e train from the prim er to the parac hute
knock-off charge- It is approxima tely five sec-
ons for all thr ee Mods, s tar tin g from the time
of ejection.
The explosive stac k consi sts of a series of
alumin um discs thr ee inches in diam eter and
one-h alf inch thick. Each disc ha s six teen small
300 CONFIDENTIAL
OP 1664
explosive-loaded capsul es inserte d radially
around the periph ery. The capsules are con­
nected by an inter nal ring fuze tra in which is
timed to fire the cha rges a t the ra te of two sh ots
per second. The numbe r of explosive discs in
the stac k varies with each Mod as follows:
Mod 0. 37; Mod 1. 36: and Mod 3, 35.
A cen ter connecting rod and end discs sup­
por t the explosive stack. The secondary delay
and parac hute-e jectio n charge are located in
the cen ter tube. The para chute assembly—
chut e packed in a ca n which is sp lit open by the
ejectio n charge —is screwed onto the end oppo­
site the firing device.
Ejec tion: The signal may be ejected from
eith er the hand or the new hydraul ic air-ope r­
ated ejec tor at any d epth .
u 3 oovumMfMT r an rm c O»r «t o iw