FOREWORD

Nothing in this book is Io be taken as an autho rity

for disregarding the orders and regul ation s laid down in
the Naval Magazine and Explosive Regula tions, the Naval
Cordite Regulation s and Naval Air Stations Magazine
Regulation s. Those publications are the authorit y for the
necessa ry care and precautio ns iu the stow age, handling
and inspection of ammunition of all sorts
R E S T R IC T E D -F O R OFFI CIAL US E ONLY

B.R . 93 2( 19 45 ) (res tri cte d )

HANDBO OK
ON

AMMUNITION

1945

Admiralty, S.W.l
Naval Ordnance Department

J
 Adm iralt y, S.W .l.
February 3rd. 1945.

G.461/44.
B.K. 932 (1945) (Restr icted) Handbook on Am mu niti on, having been appro ved by My Lords
Commission ers of t he Adm iralt y, is p romu lgate d for inform ation and guidan ce.
B.R . 932. dat ed 1935, and C.B . 3032 are her eb y supers eded .and all copies should be disposed
of in accor dance with B .R .i— Books o f Reference and I. l) . Catalogue an d C.B. Form UaD (ty- fi).
paragraph /e A (»'«).

By Comman d oj /h ei r Lordships ,

I'o H ag Officers and Comman ding

Officers of H.M. Ships and
Vessels an d esta blish men ts
concer ned.
 iv

LIST OF CHAPT ERS

I GE NE RA L REMA RKS ON EXP LOS IVES .

IL PROP ELLA NTS.

II I. HIG H EXP LOSI VES.

IV. GUNP OWDE R AND PYR OTE CHN IC COMPOSITION S.

V. CHAR GE WEIG HTS.

VI. CAR TRID GES FOR ILL. GUNS.

VII. CART RIDG ES FOR Q.F . GUNS AND AIR CRA FT CATAPUL TS.

V III . TUB ES. VENT.

IN. PRI ME RS.

X. BLANK CARTRIDGES.

XL PRO JECT ILES .

X II . SHE LL FUZES AND GAIN ES.

XI II. SMALL ARMS AMMUNITION.

XIV . S.A.A. {cm,I,I.}- 1-INCH AIMIN G RI FL E AND 0.22 INCH.

XV. S.A.A. 20-M.VL S.A. AMMUNITION.

XVI. ROC KliT PRO JEC TED DEVIC ES.

X V II. GREN ADES.

W ill. HOLMAN PRO JECT ORS . ILL. 4-INCH MORTARS.

X IX . PYROT ECHNI CS.

XX. LIN E CARRY ING ROCKE TS AND LIN E-T HR OW ING GUNS.

XX L AIRC RAF T BOMBS AND COMPONENTS.

X X II. AMMUNITION PACKAGES.

XX III AMMUNITION EMBA RKAT ION AND SUP PLY .

XX IV ’ MAGAZINES AND SHE LL ROOMS.

XXV. WEA THE R DECK MAGAZINES AND LOCKER S.

XX VI. IARG ETS AMMUNITION

 I

SPECIAL NOTE
Owing to die Wa r ending, cert ain stores described in this Handbook have been withd rawn from
service.
They have not, however, been deleted from this Edition because it is felt tha t their use during
the Wa r 1939-1945 should be on record. Also it would have mean! repr intin g, as the book was
ready for the binders before the correc tions could be made.
A list o f sto res under thi s categ ory is appended, and it will be supplemented by “ P" Series A.E.O.
amen dme nts as required.

Appar atus A.D.

• Bombar dment. Cartridges and Charges.
Cartridges, Aircra ft, Cntapault.
Cartridges for Holman Proje ctor.
Charges, Bombard ment.
Cordite A.S.N.
Fuze No. 125.
Fuze No. 402.
Fuze Time and Percussio n, No. 93.
Holma n Proje ctor.
P. A.C.
Project iles—Chemical Shell.
Proj ect iles —Pape r Shot.
Proj ecti les—Shrapnel Shell.
Pyrote chnics Project iles Illumi nating .
Pyr ote chn ics Roc ket Illu m in at in g.
Q. F. Cartridges Bombardment.
Rocket Flar e Illum inati ng 9 lbs. (Snowflake)
and Shrapne l shell.
Time and Percussio n Fuzes.

iM ll .i n id Wl. l«W?PTSS3 Mm. U/41 t * b «p ,

 V

CONTE NTS
Page
LIST OF Pf.ATE S . . . . ............................................................................................................................................... Xv f
GLOSSARY .............................................................................................................................. . ... x ix
IND EX .............................................................................................................................................. .................... 132
SCHED ULE AND ILLUSTRATIONS OF INSTRUMENT S AND KEY S ... .. . .. 131

CHAPT ER I -GE NER AL REMARKS ON EXPLOS IVES

Pa rti
Definitio n of S ervice Expl osive .......................................................................... 1
Combu stion an d Explosi on ........................... .......................................................... 2
Det ona tion ............................................................................................................. 3
Classification of Explo sives for Se rvice pu rpo ses ................................................................... 4
Sta bil ity and keeping pr ope rtie s ....................................................................... 9
In it ia ti o n ......................................................................................................................... 11
Blast effect, frag men tatio n, dan ger zone ....................................................................... 12

CHAPT ER II PROPELLA NTS

Chief r equi rem ents of a Service prop ellan t ...................................... 15
Cordi te ...................................................................................... 16
Main fe ature s. Sizes. Lott ing ....................................... IS
Full Fla sh p ro p e ll a n ts ......................................................................... 21
Flashlc ss a nd Non-blin ding pro pell ants ...................................... 3ft
Defi nition of a Has hles s C h a rg e .................................................. 31
Types , siz es a nd f e a tu re s ............... ...................................... 36
American pro pell ants —Nitrocellulo se powders ........................... 39

CHAPTE R HI HIGH EXPL OSIVE S

Chief re quir eme nts of Servi ce High Explosi ves ......................... ..................... . ... 55
Classification ............................................................. .................... ... ... 56
In it ia to rs ......................................................................... .................... ... ... ... 57
Fulm inat e of M ercury .............. .................... ... ... .. . 58
I^ ad A z id e ................................................... .................... ... ... ... 6ft
Cap C om po si tio ns ................................................. .................... ... ... 62
Inte rme diar ies ............................................................. .................... ... ... ... 65
Tet ryl Composit ion Expl odin g (C.E.) .................... ... ... ... 66
Picric Powde r ....................................... ... .. . ... 68
T.N .T. Cry stal s ......................... ....................... .................... ... ... ... 70
Shell a nd Bomb Fillings ..................................... .................... ... ... 71
Lyd dite or Picric A cid ..................................... .................... ... ... ... 72
T.N .T......................................................................... .................... ... ... 74
T.N.T . B e e s w a x ..................................... - .................... ... .. . .. . 76
Shell ite ................................................... ............. ... ... 77
R.D.X............................................................ .................... ... ... ... 79
P.E .T. N..................................................................... .................... ... ... «0
Amatol ............................................................. .................... ... ... ... 81
I Bara tol ............................................................. .................... ... ... 83
Tabl e. Schedule of High Ex plo siv es......................... .................... * ... ... 85

r
CHAPTE R IV -GUNP OWDE R AND PYROTECHNIC COMPOS1T IO NS
Gunp owder ............................................................. ... ... ... 9ft
Ingre dient s and prop ertie s ......................... .................... ... ... 92
Service u s e s ............................................................. .................... ... ... .. . 93
Sulphu rless G un po wd er................................................. .................... ... ... ... 94
 vi

P y ro te ch n ic C om po si tio ns ..................................................................................... .. . 95
Il lu m in at in g c o m p o si ti o n s.................................................................................... .. . .. . 97
Si gn al co m po si ti on s................................................................................................. .. . f*8
Sm ok e co m po si ti on s .................................................................................... ... .. . 99
In c en d ia ry c o m p o s i t i o n s .................................................................................... .. . .. . 100

C H A P T E R V -C H A R G E W E IG H T S
D e te rm in a ti o n o f C ha rg e W ei gl t ....................................................................... .. . . .. 105
N om in al , a d ju s te d a n d fix ed W e ig h ts ....................................................................... .. . .. . 106
R ed uc ed Ch ar ge s .................................................................................................. .. . .. . 109

C H A PT E R VI C A R T R ID G E S E O R B .L . G U N S
G en er al R em ar ks ....................................................................... 115
C ar tr id ges . B. L .................................................................................................................. ••• .. . 117
C ha rg e ............................................................................................................... .. . .. . 118
T in fo il ................................................................................................................ .. . ,, , 119
Si lk B ag ....................................................................... ................. .. . .. . 12 0
L if ti ng B an ds .................................................................................................. .. . .. . 121
Ig n it e rs .................................................................................................. .. . 122
Ig n it e r C ov er s . .. .................................................................................... . .. .. . 12ft
C ar tr id ge , D ri ll , B .L ......................................................................................................... .. . .. . 127
M ar ki ng s on C ar tr id ges , B .L .......................................................................................... .. . .. . 128
T y p es o f C ha rg e ............................................................................................................... .. . .. . 129
F u l l ............................................................................................................... . .. •«« 130
R ed uc ed ................................................................................................................ . .. .. . 131
S ta r S he ll ............................................................................................................... .. . .. . 132
Super ................................................................................................................ .. . .. . 133
B om bar dm en t .................................................................................................. .. . .. . 134
Sp ec ia l G u n n er y Sc ho ol C h a r g e s ....................................................................... .. . .. . 138
T ab le of F ra ct io n al a n d R ed uc ed c ha rg es , Ig n it er s, e tc ..................................... .. . .. . 139
C ar d b o ar d P ro te ct in g T ub es .................................................................................... .. . HO
I
C o n ta in er s............................................................................................................. . .. .. . HI
B o x cl o th W ra p p er s .................................................................................................. .. . ... 142
C la rk so n's C as es . .. .................................................................................................. .. . .. . 143

CHA PTER V I I - C A R T R I D G E S E O R O .E . G U N S A N D A I R C R A F T
CATAPULTS
G en er al R em ar ks ................. .. . .. . . .. . .. .. . ... ................. 150
S ep ar at e an d F ix ed A m m un iti on .. . .. . .. . .. . ................. 151
C ar tr id ge ca se s .............................. .. . .. . .. . ................. 153
T in fo il .............................. .. . .. . .. . ................. 157
F e lt w ad s .............................. .. . . .. .. . . .. .. . ................. 158
L i d s ............................................ .. . . .. ... ................. .. . ................. 159
S af et y Cl ips 165
Sp ec ia l C h a r g e s .............................. 168
R ed uce d .............................. 169
S ta r Sh ell .............................. 171
B om bar dm en t ................. 172
Sp ec ia l G unner y Sc hoo l 181
C le ar in g Ch arg e ................ 182
S ta m p in g s on B as e of C as es 186
St en ci lli ng on Ba se of Ca se s 187
M ar ki ng s on th e Li ds of Ca se s .. 188
C ar tr id ges fo r A ir cr af t C at ap ul ts 189
C a s e .......................................... 191
C ord it e ch ar ge 102
P ri m er .............................. 193
S af et y C l i p ................. 194
M et ho d of a s s e m b l i n g ................ 195 HA 'm

i
 Vlll

Section 3 Special Featur es Para,

Driving B a n d s ................................................................................... 267
Double Dr iving B a n d s ....................................................................... 270
Pen etra tive Caps ....................................................................... 271
" K ” and " A.K ." devices ............................................................ 273
Base Ada pter s ................................................................................... 279
Section 4 Piercing Shell
Gene ral Rem arks ............... 281
Armour- Piercin g. C ap p'd (A.P.C.) .................................... 282
Semi Ar mour-P iercing . Capped (S.A.P.C.) ...................... 284
Semi A rmour- Piercin g ( S .A .P .) ................................................ 285
Common P oint ed, Capped (C.I’.C.) ........................... 286
Common P oint ed Bnlliitie, Ca pp 'd (C P I t C ) 2X7
Section 5 High Explosive ilI.E .) Shell
General Remark s 289
Section 6 Oth er Projectiles
St ar Shell .............................................................. ... 291
St ar Shell, 2 -pdr. .............................................................. 296
Smoke Shell, B.E., with a Time F u z e ...................................... 298
Smoke Shell with a D.A. F u z e .................................................. 299 a
Shrap nel Shell ................................................................................... 30C
Tar get Smoke Shell ....................................................................... 305
Practice P rojec tiles ........................................................... 304
Targ et Ship P ract ice Proje ctile ............................................... 305
Proof Proj ecti les or Shot ........................................................... 30€
Pap er Shot ................................................................................... 308A
Dril l Shell ................................................................................... 307
Dum my Shell ................................................................................... 309
Section 7—Markings on Project iles
General .......................... 310
Stam ping s ............................................................................................................ 312
Colouring and Stencilling ..................................................................................... 312
Colouring ............................................................................................................ 314
Po ints an d Caps ................................................................................................. 315
Band s rou nd the body ................................................a................................... 316
. Shell b a s e s ................................................................................................. 317
Stenc illing..................................... .................................................................................. 318
Section 8 —Tracers . Igniters. Trace rs and Igniter s
Trace rs, Shell.................................................................................................................. . 322
No. I, Mark VI .............................................................. ............... 324
No. 13 ............................................................................................................. 325
No. 2, Mark V ................................................................................................ 326
No. 16 ................................................................................................. 327
Nos. 8 and 9 ................................................................................................. 328
Ignit ers, Shell.................................................................................................................. 329
No. 1 ........................................................................................................................ 330
Tra cer an d Ign iter Shell. ..................................................................................... 329
No. 7 ............. * ...................................................................................... 332
No. 14 ............................................................................................................. 333
CHAITE R XI I—SHEL L FUZES AND GAINES
Section 1 General Rema rks
Typ es of Fuze ..................................... 336
Classific ation—D eton ating . Igniferous 337
Sn fct y Ar ran ge m en ts .......................... . 338
Markings on Fuze s ......................... 339
Dyna mical fact ors gove rning design .. 340
 lx

Section 2 Percussion Fuzes Pam .

Percussio n, D ir ec t- ac ti on .......................................................... 346
No. 45 ? .............. ................................................... ..I 348
No. 44 ........................................................................... ... ... 353
No. 118 ........................................................................... ... ... .358
N o. 2 30 ............................................ ' ............................... ... ... ... 399
No. 3«n ........................................................................... ... ... .. . 364
No. 241 ............... ....................................... ... ... ... 365
No. 243 ........................................................................... ... ... ... ... 369
No. 240 .. . ............................................................... ... ... ... 370
No. 248 ... .. . ... 373
No. 251 ............................................................ ... ... ... 37 4
No. 255 ... ... ... 375
No. 259 .......................................................................... ... ... .. . 378
Base. Pe rcu ssi on .......................................................................... ... ... ... 379
Delay fitti ng ............................................................... ... Mi 381
Hot chki ss, Mark IX .. . ....................................... ... ... ... .. . 383
Medium. Nos. 50ft, 501 and 502 ... .............. ... ... ... . 387
Large. Nos. 159, 34 6 and 481) ............... .............. ... ... 391
Section 3 Time Fuzes
Time, Co mbusti on ............................................................... 397
Fuze Powde rs .............................................................. ... ... 399
Tensio ning and d a m p in g ................................................. ... ... ... 403
Fuz e s et ti ng .......................................................................... ... ... ... .. . 408
Escap e Holes ............................................................... ... .. . .. . ... M10
No. 125 ........................................................................... ... ... ... .. . 411
No. 198 ........................................................................... ... ... ... ... 417
No. 400 .......................................................................... .. . ... ... ... 424
Tim e, Mechanical ............................................................... ... ... ... ... 429
Set ting ......................................................................... ... ... ... 429a
No. 2 06 ........................................................................... ... ... ... 435
No. 207 ........................... .. . ... ... 440
No. 211 ............................................................. ... ... ... 441
No. 215 ......................................................................... .. . ... ... 446
Section 4 Time and Percussion Fuzes
General ....................................... •- ......................................... ............... 447
No. 93, Mark 1 ............... .. ... ... ... ............... 448
Section 5- Drill Fuzes
Drill, percussi on, direc t-ac tion fuzes 454
Drill, time fu z e s........................... ..................................... ... ............... 455
Marking of dr ill fuzes ............... ...................................... ... ............... 456
Section 6 Caines
Gene ral ....................................... 457
No. 10 ........................... ... ... ••• ••• ... ... ... 458
No. ft ........................... ... ... ••• »M ... ... ... 462
No. 11 ........................... ............... 463
Section 7 Detona tors for Fuzt s and Gaines
General ........................... 467
Disr upti ve D e to n a to rs ............... ........................... ... ... ............... 469
lgmf crou s D etou ato rs ............... .................................... - ... ............... 471
Filled " A " m ixtu re ... ... .. ... .. . 473
Filled " B " mix tur e and powd er ............... ... ............... 474
Section 8 Miscellaneous
Fail ure an d acci dent s w ith Fuzes 475
Firin g t hrou gh Muzzle Covers ... .. ............... ... ............... 477
Care of Fuzes .......................... ... ............... -ISO
Metal Covers ........................... .......................... ... ............... -181
Kit Plas ters . ............... .. . ... ... ... ... 482
 X

Section £> Fuzing and Unfuzing Shell Paar.

General .......................................................................................................................................... 484
Ins tru cti ons to fuze ........................................................................................ 485
Inst ruc tion s to u n f u z e ................................................................................................................ 486
Time Mechanical Fuzes and Fuze No. 230 ............... .......................... ............... 487
To fuze with. No. 21 1 488
To fuze with No. 230 over Gai nc No. 9 or 1 0 .............................................................. 489
To remove No. 230 and Gaine No. 9 or 10 .............................................................. 490
Fuzes in 14-inch, 15-inch and 16-inch, H.E . Shell. ... .......................... ............... 491
To remove Tim e Combustion fuze in 14-inch and 16-inch II E. shell an d fuze with
Fuze No. 118 .............................................................................................................. 492
To remove Fuze No. I IS in 14-inch and 16-inch H .E. shell a nd fuze wit h a Time
Combu stion fu ze ............... ....................................... ..................................... 493
To remov e a Time Combustion fuze in 15-inch H.E . B.N.E. shell an d fuze with
Fuz e No. 360 .........................................................................: ........................... 494
To remove Fuz e No. 360 in 15-inch H.E. B.N.E. shell and fuze with Time Com­
bustion fuze ............. . ...................................................................................... 495
H.E shell with a Unive rsal Cav ity 4-inch t o 16-inch .................................................. 495a
Tabi c of Fuzes a nd Gaines .................................................................................................. 495

CHAPT ER X II I- SM A L L ARMS AMMUNITION

Section I General Rem arks
Cartri dge Case ......................................................................................................................... 506
Cha rge .................................................................. 508
Bulle t ...................................................................................................................................... 509
Markings and mea ns of id en tif ic at io n...................................................................................... 511
Type s of Cartr idge.
B a l l ...................................................................................................................................... 516
Armo ur-Pi ercin g (A.P.) 517
Scmi-A rmour- Piercin g (S.A.P.) 518
Tra cer ......................................................................................................................... 519
S.A.P. Tr ac er .............................................................................................................. 521
I n c e n d ia r y ......................................................................................................................... 522
Pr oo f............... 523
Bla nk................................................... ............... ... 524
D ri ll .......................................................................... *............................................... 525
Dumm y .............................................................. .................................................. 5126
Observin g ......................................................................................................................... 527
Rifle G renad e Bal list ite ....................................... 528
Rifle Gr enad e Co rdite .................................................................................................. 529
Section 2 Revolver and Pisto l Ammunition
General .......................................................................... 530
Pisto l, R evolve r, No. 1, 0.455-inch ........................... .................................................. 532
Pisto l. Revolver. No. 2, 0.380-inc h 536
Pisto l, 0. 455-inch ........................................................................, .................................... 537
Section 3—Amer ican Small An ns Ammunition
Genera l Rema rks .................................................. .......................... ............... 539
Tabi c of Am erica n Car tridges. Calibres and Colour Mark ings ............. ............... 541

CHA PTER XIV S.A.A. (continued) AIMING RL- LE AND MINIA TURE
RIF LE CARTR IDGES
Aim ing Rifl e C art ri dg es ..................................................... ..................................................... 550
1-inch Ele ctri c. Mark 11 .................................................................................................. 551
l-inc h Percus sion, Mark I ll .......................... .......................... ............... 552
Minia ture Rifle Cartridg es.
0.22-inch C ar tri dg e. .. 553
 x>

CHA PTE R XV—S.A.A. (continued) 20 M.M. C ARTRID GES Para.

General Rem arks ............................................................................................................. 560
Section 1 Oerlikon
British O er li ko n.................................................................................................. ••• 561
Fuzes Nos. 254 and 258 ................................................................................................. 561
Charge ........................................................................................................................ 561
Sie ll fi ll in g .................................... ■................................................................................... 561
Markings an d mean s of iden tifica tion ......................................................................... 562
Typ es of Amm unitio n ................................................................................................. 562
Proje ctile, P ra ct ic e........................... ...................................... 563
Proje ctile, Pra ctic e T race r ..................................................................................... 564
Shell. H.E ., Inc end iary (H. E./I .) ......................................................................... 565
Sftell. H.E ., Ince ndia ry Trac er (H. E./I .,'T.) ... .. .......................... 566
Shell, S emi-A rmou r-l’iercing ,'H.E. /l. (S .A .P ./ II .E ./ I. )................................................. 567
Shell, H.E . ( H .E .) ............................................................................................................ 568
Shell. H. E. , Tra cer (H. E./T .)............................................... ........................... 569
Cart ridge , Drill, Marks I and I I ..................................................................................... 570
Clearing Ch arge .. . ..................................................................................... 572
American Oerlikon ................................................................................................. 573
Types of Amm unitio n, fillings and colou r m a r k i n g s ................................................. 574
Section 2 Hi spa no
General Rem arks ............... 577
Markings a nd inc ans of id entif icati on .............................................................. 578
Types o f Am mun ition ...................................................................................... 579

CHA PTE R XVI -ROC KET-P ROJE CTED DEVICES

Section 1—Projectiles
Rocke ts, " V ” ................................................ . ............... 590
Rockets, " U, " 2 - i n c h .................................................................................................. 592
Tail, propelling ... ... . . . . 593
Tail Fin s .............................................................................................................. 594
S h e ll .......................................................................................................................... 595
Fuze No. 720 .................................................................................................. 596
Action .............................................................................................................. 597
Section 2 - lllum inants
2-inch Rocke t Flare 598
Main com pon ent pa rts a nd o rde r of assem bling.................................................. 598
Tail, propell ing .................................................................................................. 600
F i n s .......................................................................................................................... 600
Flare H e a d .............................................................................................................. 601
Action .............................................................................................................. 602
Rock et, Illu min atin g, 9- lbs. (Snowflake) .............................................................. 603
Action ............................................................. . ...................................... 604
Section 3 Appa ratus, Air Defence (A.A.D.)
Typ e D (I’.A.C.), Mark 11 I N ...................................................................................... 605
Rocket .. . • ........................... .................................................. 606
Main Cont aine r ............................................................. ........................... 607
Main C a b le ......................... . ..................................... ........................ - 608
Lower Pa rac hut e assem bly ...................................... ........................... 609
Action ........................ ..................................... ............... 610
Typ e J , M ark I ...................................................................................... 611
Tail, propel ling .................................................................................................. 612
Head Can ister and Ther mal Fuz e............. »................................................. 613
• '-t i Main Cont aine r .................................................................................................. 615
Action .............................................................................................................. 616
 *xij
l'ara.
M ** I A ..................................................................................................................................... 617
Mai k i t ..................................................................................................................................... 6 ,8
Typ e L. Mark I ......................................................................................................................... 619
Tail, propel ling ............................................................................................................. 62o
Top Conical Can ister .................................................................................................. 022
Lowe r Cani ster ................................................ 623
Action ......................................................................................................................... 624
M a r k H ..................................................................................................................................... 625

<U A P I ER XV II G R EN A D ES
Ham, Gr en ad es............................................................................................................. <SK>
Grena de No. 3 6 M .............................................................................................................. G30
Action ......................................................................................................................... 633
Grena de No. 69, Mark I ................................................................................................. gjjg
Action ......................................................................................................................... 638
Marking ......................................................................................................................... 639
Rifle G renade ......................................................................................................................... 041
Dischar ger No. 1. Mark I ................................................................................................. 04 1
Cartridg e, S.A., 0.303-inch Balli stitc, H, Mark IZ .................................................. 642
Action ......................................................................................................................... 643
P ek in g ................................................... 645

CH AP TE R X V III HOLMAN PRO JEC TO RS. B.L . 4-IN CH MORTARS

Proje ctile, Illum inati ng, No. 1 ............... ••• ••• ... ............... 650 I
Action ....................................... ... ... ••• ............... 652
Project ile. Illum inati ng, No. 2 ............... .......................... ... ............... 653
Holman Cart ridge ......................... . ••• ... ... ............... 654
Bomb, 10-ll>„ Un derw ater No. 1, Mark I, with gas check ... ... ... ............... 655
Action ....................................... .. . ... «•! ... ............... 656 I
Smoke Flo at, B.L.. 4-inch Mortar. Marks 11 or 11 1............... ••• ... ............... 657
Action ....................................... ... ••• ............... 658
Bomb. B.T.., ILF... 4-inch Mortar, 10 lb., Mark 1 ............... ... ••• ............... 659 1
Action ...................................... ........................... ... ... ............... 6tiu

C H A P T E R X IX P Y R O T E C H N IC S
Classification ...................................... ........................... ••• ... ............... 670
Signalling and Navigat ion.
Rocket, Signal, I-lb., Service ••• «•» ... ... ............... 671
Rocke t. Signal. 1-Ih., red. green ... ••• ••• ... ... ................. 674
Cart ridges. Signal 1-ineb and IJ-inch ••• ••• ••• ••• ... ............... 675
Fla re Si gn al ...................................... ... ••• ••• .. . ............... 677
Flume, Flo at, delay , Mark I ... ... ............... 679
Illum inati on.
Rocke t. I-lb,. Magnesium Sta r .. . ••• ••• ... .. . ............... 681
Recogn ition and iden tificati on
Sub mari ne Smoke Candles. General re m a rk s............... ... .. . .. . 685
Candle Smoke, white, Mark I ... .. . i
••• ••• «■» ............... 687
Tar get s for Close Range A.A. Weapons.
Rocket, Tar get . pr actice , I-lb. ... .. . .. . •«. ••• ............... 689
Init iato rs.
Portf ire ...................................... ••• ... ... ... ••• ............... 692
Quick Matc h...................................... ••• ... .. . ... 683
Slow Ma tcl......................................... ... -• «.• ............... 694
Lig ht. S ho rt ...................................... .. . .. . ... ••• ... ............... 695
Fricti on Tub e ............... .......................... ... ... ............ 687
•
r t— 685
Recognitio n n od Identifi cation Signals ess
I FU re Ident ificati on ......................................................................... ( f i .Vo. « .)
i
 XVI

LIS T OF PLA TES

Paragraph
liefer ct m tn
Chapter VI -Cartr idges for B.L. Guns. the text
• Plate J. Car trid ge, B .L , 14-inch, J char ge ....................................... 117
.. 2. Bom bard men t charg e for B .L 6 -inch Mark X II G u t ........................... 134
34. Clar kson ’s Cases, Con tain ers and Boxcloth W ra pj R rs ........................... 141
Chapter VII Cartr idges for Q.F. Guns and Aircr aft Catapults.
Plate 3, Car trid ge. Q.F . 4.7 -inch, Se pa ra te A mm uni tion , filled N ./F.Q./S. 151
Car trid ge. Q.I '. 4.7-inch . S ep ar ate Am mun ition , Idled N.H .................... 156
( artr idg e. Q. F. 4.5-inch, Fix ed Amm unit ion, fi lled N. F.Q./S . .. 152
Cartridge. Q.F . l.S.i nrli Fixed Ammu nition , filled N. H......................... 156
Safety Clips, No. 12. Mark HI , and No. 25, Mark V ........................... 166
.. 2. Bom bard men t Cartr idge. Q.F. 4 7-incli. Murks IX* IX**, X II and x i r
Gun s ....................................................................................... 173
.. 4. Car trid ge, Ca tap ult . Air craf t. 8-inch ................................................... 189
Chapter VIII Tube s Vent
Plate 5. Ele ctri c. 0.5-inch , Mark X ............... 210
Ele ctri c S , 0.5 -inch. Mark VI II ............................................................... 212
Percu ssion, 0.5-inch , Mark VI ........................... 213
Ele ctri c, 1-incli, M ark I V ........................................................................... ... 21S
Chapter IX Prim ers.
Plate 6. Ele ctr ic No. 13, Marks I ’ ami I I ................................................... 224
Perc ussio n No. 27, Mark I ............... 225
Percu ssion No. 9. Mark II I ........................... 225
El ect ric an d Percu ssion No. 14. Mark V ........................... 227
Chapter X Blan k Cartridges.
Plate 7. Q-F. 4.7-inc h. Marks IX . IN *. X II. XI I* Gu ns ........................... 240
Q.F. 4-inc h. Marks V. V” XV. XVI and X V !’ G ins Reduced Mark 11 241
Q.F 3.7-inc h Howi tzer, Mark I I ........................... 242
Q.F. 12-pdr. 12 cwt........................................ 213 |
Q.F. 3- pd r................................ ............................................................... 241
Chapter XI—Projectile s.
Plate S. Shell B.L. Armo ur Pier cing w ith cap. 1 5 -i n c h ....................................... 2S2
Shell B.L Sem i-Arm our Piercin g wit h cap 8-in ch gun " K ” Mark IB. X T . 284
., 9. Shell B.I ( ommon P oin ted with B allistic cap, G-indi gun, Mark X XX V, B.Q. 287
Shell Q .F. S .A.P . 5.25 -inch, A.K. . Mark 11. C.T . 285
Shell Q. F S A P . 4.7-inch . Heavy. Mark V A ....................................... ••
„ 10. Shell B.L. High Explo sive, 8-in ch............................................................... 289
Shell B .L. High Exp losiv e, 6- inch gun Mark X II . A.Q., X.T................. ••• ••
Shell B.L . or Q.F. High Exp losiv e. 1,7-inch. Heavy. Mark VII. A ... ••• ••
r i. Shell. Q .F. High Expl osive , 2-pdr . H.V. (2 figures) ........................... •••
Shell, Q.F . High Exp losiv e, 40 nu n.............................................................
Pro ject ile Prac tice Trac er, Q.F ., 40 mm . ....................................... •«
.. 12. Shell. Q.F . Sta r. 4 -inch , F.A., 35 llx, Mark I B ........................... 291
Shell. Q.F . Smoke. B.E ., 4 .7-in ch, Heav y, Mar k IA ........................... 298 '
Shell, Q.F , Shrap nel, 12-pdr. , Mark X II I ....................................... 300
,. / J . Colou ring of P rojectil es ... ....................................... 314
„ T4- Stf-ncillirtg on Shell ........................... 318
„ rj Tracer. Shell No 1. Mark VI. Ex lem al 321
No. 2, Mark V. I n t e r n a l ....................................... 326
No. 8, M ark LI ..................................... 328
Ign iter , Shell No. I, Mark I ............................................................ 330
Tra cer an d Ign ite r Shell, N o . 7 Mark IV. lid cnuil .. 332
 xvii

Paragraph
Peference in
Chapter X II —Shell Fuzes and Gaines. the text
Plate 16. Percussi on, D.A.I .. No. 45P Mark X 348
„ D.A. No. 44 M ark X with cap 353
„ .. No. 118 Mark II .. 358
.. No. 23 0 Ma rk V 359
.. /7- Percussion, D.A No. 241 Mark 1 365
„ No. 246 Ma rk I 370
.. No. 255 Mark I 375
Time and Percussio n, No. 93 Mark I 448
.. t8. Percussion, Base, Ho tchk iss Mark IX 383
.. .. Medium, No. 501 Ma rk 1 387
Large, No. 480 Mark II 391
.. 19- Tim e, Comb ustion , No. 125 Mark I 411
.. .. No. 198 Mark II 417
No. 402 Mark I 425
Gainc, No. 10 Mark I ........................... 458
„ No. 11 Mark II ........................... 463
Time, Mechanical. No. 2 11 441
Chapter XIII -Small Arms Ammun ition.
Plate 2 l. Rifle a nd Machine-gun Cartr idges ............... 515
,, 22. Revolv er, Pist ol an d Machin e Ca rbine Ammu nition 530

Chapter XIV—1-Inch Aiming Rifle.

Plate 22. Cart ridge . Aiming Rillo, 1-inch 550
Percus sion P ri m e r............. 551
Ele ctri c Prim er ............... 552
Chapter XV 20 mm. Small Arms Ammun ition.
Plate 3J. 20 m m. Oerlik ou Amm unitio n ........................ 560
Colour mark ings (B ri ti sh ).................................................. 562a
„ „ (American) ................................................ 576

Chapter XVI—Rocket Projected Devices.

Plate 2.f. Ro cke t " U," 2-incli ................................................... 592
2-inch Rock et Fla re ................................................... 598
25. Appara tus A.1)., Type D (P.A.C.) ......................... 605
.. .. Typ e J ................................................... 611
„ 26. „ Typo L Mark II ........................... 625

Chapter XVII—Grenades.
Plate 27. Grena de No. 36M (Mills bomb) Mark I. with Gas Check fitted 630
.. No. 69 , Mark I ............................................................ 636

Chapter XVIII Holma n Projec tors. 4- In di Mortars.

P/dAt s$ . Proje ctile , Illu min ating , No. 2 Mark I .......................... 653
Bomb. 10 Ih.. Und erw ater, No. 1. Mark I. with gas check 655
„ 39. Smoke, Fl oa t, B.I.. . 4-inch Morta r, Marks II or 111 657
Bomb, B.L ., H.E ., 4-inch Morta r, 10 lb., Mark I 659

Chapter XIX—Pyrotechn ics.

Pla te 30 . Rocket, Signal, 1 lb.. Service ... ........................ 671
Cartr idge. Sig nal, Red 1-inch Mark XIV T .............. 676
„ „ Green , 1-inch Mark XI T ............... 675
„ .. Red 1|-i nc h Mark V T ............... 675
Flare , Sig nal, Mark II ................................................... 677
Plate 31. Roc ket, Ta rge t, Practi ce, 1 lb. .......................... 68$)
Candle, Sm oke, Whi te, Mark I ... .......................... 687
na m e, Float., Delay, Mark I N ... ............... 67$)
H
 xviii
Paragraph
Reference in
Chapter XX- Line Carrying Rockets. the text
Plate 34. Rock et, Line-carrying Scher muly 2-lb. Mark I ............. ........................... 710

Chapter XXI—Aircra ft Bombs and Components.

Pin ts 3? Bom b. H .E ..M .C ., 500 1b. , Mar k II .................................................................. 731
„ „ S.A. P., 250 lb., Mark V .............................................................. 732
Bomb Practi ce, 10 lb., Mark I ............................................................. ... 738
.. 3.3- Fuze, Percussion, Air craf t Bomb , tail , No. 3 0 M ark II I .. ... ... 722
Pistol. Bomb ta il. No. 30. Mark II I .......................... ........................... 724
I).A., No. 27 Mark I. 1* and I I ...............................................................
.. .. .. No. 44 Mark 1 ................................................. , ...............

Chapter XXII- Ammunition Package s.

Plate 34. Cases, Powder, Cylindr ical, C.E., M. an d C.F., Mark II ... . ... 750
Cases, Powder, Rec tang ular , R.M., R.N ., R.H . and W .. ............... 760
,, 35- Cartr idge Boxes, C.23, Mark II, and C.185 ................................................... 775
Amm unitio n Bo xes, C. 163, C.190, C.87 ................................................. ... 780
Cases, Powder, M.L., C.l 18, C.I1 9 an d C.I21 ................................................... 783
Boxes. A.S.A., H.3 . H.4, H.24 and H.33 ..................................... ......................... 785
Tra nsp ort Packages, C.222, C.217 and C.227 ................................................... 801
Labe ls ................................................. . ...........................fac ing page 117

Chapter XXIV Magazines and Shell Rooms.

Plate ,?6. Floodi ng a nd S pray ing Arrang emen ts—
(1) 6-incb Magazine and Hand ing Room, H.M.S. “ Newca stle " ............... 850 and 854
(2) 6-inch Magazine an d Shell Room, " Fiji " C la ss ...................................... 851 and 854
„ 77 Hoo ding Arrangem ents, II inch Magazine an d Shell Room, ' Kin gGe orge V ”
Class ..................................................................................... ............... S50
Spra ying Ar rangem ents. 14-inch Magazine a nd Hand ing Room, " King George
V “ C l a s s .............................................................................................................. 854
.. 38. Magazine Stowage Arra ngem ents, 14-inch Magazine, “ King George V ”
Class. Pom-Pom Magazine ......................... ,. ....................................... 856 and 857
, 3<j. Magazine Stowage Arra ngem ents, i>-inrli Magazine, " Sou tham pton " Class.
Bottle Rack Stowage Q.E. 4 inch Magazine " A lgerine " Class ............... 856
„ 40. Magazine Ve ntilat ion—Air cooling a nd dr ying , diag ram mat ic arran gem ent ... 860
 x ix

G L O SS A R Y

The def init ion s give n are inten ded to ap pl y to the terms in the sense in whic h they are used in
thi s booh.
An nu lus : In sm all am ts am mu ni tio n, t he var nis hed rin g between the perc ussi on cap an d the base of
the cartridge.
B l a s t The outw ard pres sure o f the ai r caus ed by its disp lac em ent at the po in t of the explos ion or
detonat ion,
C a n n e lu re : /I groove, espe cially a circ ular groove for me d r ou nd a bullet or projectile near its base.
Cap acit y : H'hen used in relat ion to s hell or bombs, the am oun t of exp losive fill in g stated as a p ercentage
o f the total weight o f t he shell or bomb.
Ce ntr ifug al fo rc e: I'he rad ial for ce act ing on a body trave lling in a curve, owin g to the tende ncy o f the
body to c ont inu e trav elli ng in a straight tine
Ch ok ing : I method o f do sin g the neck o f a bag con tain ing explo sive in powd er for m by dra win g it
together into several plea ts and then tyi ng it rou nd icit h sil k thread.
Coning : I meth od o f secu ring a p rojec tile in its case co nsis ting in pre ssin g the mou th o f the case into a
cann elure on the proj ectile .
Crimping . I method o f clos ing the mou th o f a cartridge case ni th u aeries o f smal l fold s, e.g., as a mean s
o f re tain ing the charge in unbu lleted blan k cartridges.
D anger Zo ne : t he space rou nd the p oin t where an explo sion or d eton atio n occurs w ith in wh ich damage
ma y be caused. It ma y be div ide d into two di stin ct areas
(i ) The Bl as t Zone — in w hich p erson s or mater ia! ma y be dam aged by the exp an sio n o f gases o f that
exp losi on or de tonatio n.
(i i) The fr ag m en t Zone in whic h pers ons or mate rial ma y be damage d by fr ag me nts produ ced try
an exp losi on or detona tion. Th e fra gm ent s ma y co nsis t o f po rti on s o f the w alls o f the shell or o ther
Container or ma y be for me d b y mate rial set in motio n by the explos ion,
D r if t: The dev iatio n o f a p roje ctile to the right fr om the plan e o f de part ure due b its clockwise r otati on.
En dot her mic : (o f a chem ical compo und}. Absorb ing heal on its for ma tio n ; lead azid e is an exam ple
o f such a comp ound .

Erosi on: I he wear mec hanic ally produ ced on metals with which they come into contact b y :—
(i ) //*«• mech anica l fri cti on o f the soli d prod ucts o f art explosion.
(i i) Th e scrubbin g action o f the hot gases.
The alternate heatin g an d cooling, e.g„ o f th e bare, by cau sing surfa ce disin tegra tion accelerates the
erosive effect.
Fr agm ent ati on : The brea king up o f th e conta iner o f a n explo sive ; the more viol ent the explo sion , the
small er and more num ero us are the fra gm ent s produced.
Hyg rosco pic : I end ing to absorb moi stur e fr om the ai r ; am mo niu m nitr ate is an exam ple o f s uch a
substance.
Process of pre ssin g the meta l o f a cartridge case into a canne lure on shell or bullet at severa l
In d e n ti n g :
separat e poi nts on the circumfe rence.
In e r ti a :The pro per ly by which matt er cont inue s in a state o f re st or unif orm moti on in a straig ht tine ,
except in so fa r as the state is changed by exter nal force.
M u tile V e lo c it y : The velocity o f d projec tile relative to the mo unti ng at the mom ent it leaves the
muz zle ; sometim es called “ I ni ti al veloc ity."
Ne cki ng : The operation o f reduc ing the- d iame ter o f the mou th o f a cartridge case fro m c hamber diame ter
to p roject ile diame ter, res ulti ng in the fo rm ati on of the conv entio nal ‘ b ottle-sha ped " cartridge t he
operation ma y also be use d to fi x a bullet in its case, with or w itho ut an add ition al operation such as
inde ntin g.
O. F. M .: Obsolete fo r f ut ur e man ufac ture .
Pene trati on : Ho ling o f a rmo ur caused by shell burs t on or nea r its surface.
Per fora tion : Passage o f shel l th rough arm our i n a fi t con ditio n to b urst on the far side.
 XX

R e m a in in g V e lo c ity • T h e ve lo ci ty o f a p r o je c t ile , r e la t iv e to t i e g u n f r o m w hi ch it w a s fi r e d . a t a n y
po in t of the traject ory.
Ringing : .4 method o f secur ing perc uss ion caps in sm all arm s cartridges ; the meta l o f th e lip o f the
cap chamber is forc ed inw ard s over the base o f the c ap.
St ab bi ng : A sim ila r process to “ ri ng ing ," but sm all p ort ion s on ly o f the lip o f the cap chamber are
press ed in to retai n the cap.
St em m in g: A process used to p res s CJE. into Ike var iou s channels o f som e fu ze s. I l is done by han d
with a wooden dr ift . Rochets, ligh ts, etc., are driv en or stemm ed wit h the rochet com posit ion in a
sim ila r ma nne r, but a mal let is used wit h the drif t.
S t r ik in g V e lo c it y : The velo city of a projec tile, relat ive to the target, a t the p oi nt o j im pact .
S w e a ti n g : The jo in in g o f two meta l surfac es pr ev io us ly coated w ith solder by pla cin g them in contact
a n d ap ply in g heat un til the solder run s.

Ti m o o f fl ig h t: Th e tim e a proj ecti le tak es to reach the po int >f impa ct, reckoned f ro m the mom ent it
leaves th e m u zz le o f th e g u n .
Tra jec tor y : Th e p ath described b y the centre o f gra vity o f a projec tile in fl ight.
Ver tex : Th e highes t po in t o f the traject ory ; also know n as the “ culm ina tin g p oi nt .”
 1

CH APT ER I

GEN ERA L REMA RKS ON EXPL OSIV ES

DEFI NITI ON OF SERV ICE EXPL OSIV E
1. An explosive is a subs tanc e or a mix tur e of sub stan ces in wliich, in suita ble condi tions, it is
possible to init iate chemic al c hange which will proceed with grea t rap idi ty thr oug hou t the mass and
conv ert it into larg< qua nti tie s of hea t and gases. It is char acte rist ic th at thi s chemi cal chang e
prop agat es itself thro ugh tin mass of explosi ve from the place of initi ation witho ut furt her supply
of ext ern al energ y or mate rial. Tlie energ y libe rate d by the small laye r of explosi ve immed iately
subj ect ed to the initi atin g impulse is sufficient to ca use the exp losion of the nex t la ye r; the energy
from this laye r cau ses the exp losion of the nex t, and so on.

COMBUSTION AND EXPLOSIO N

2. The p henom enon of com bustio n is familiar , and it is well know n th at dif feren t su bs tan ce s burn
at different rates . Ordi nary combu stion is a process by which sub stan ces com bine with the oxygen
of the air, and therefo re the ra te of combu stion is limite d by the am oun t of oxy gen prese nt and the
rat e at which it can be suppli ed. If, however, the oxygen req uire d be closely assoc iated with the
c o m b u s ti b le in s o m e o th e r fo r m (:v. fo r in s t a n c e in g u n p o w d e r , w h o re t h e c h a r c o a l a n d s u lp h u r ar c
the comb ustib les and the oxygen is suppli ed in the potas sium nitr ate) comb ustion can proceed
inde pend entl y of the atmo sphe ric oxygen and with in the mass of the mix tur e itsel f. This ca us es a
very much inorc rap id rate of com bustio n, which can lx? still furt her increased by confin ement in
some vessel, produci ng wh at is kn ow n as explosion.
Explosi on is a combu stion whose velocity varies from ab out a foot a second up to abo ut 1,t.KX> feet
a second. This veloci ty is con stan t for a given s ubst anc e, and und er con stan t c ondi tions of pressure,
tem per atu re, etc.

DETONATION
3 . The expl anat ion of the phenom enon known as deto nati on is outsi de the scope ot this boo k,
bu t it may be sai d to be a n actio n closely allied to expl osion thou gh far more rapi d in cha ract er. It
proceeds thro ugh the h u lk o f t h e e v p lo s iv e in th e fo r m n f n w a v e k n o w n n« I Hr* d e t o n a t io n w a v e
T h e deto nati on wave in servic e explosives varie s from abo ut 10,000 to 30, 000 feet per second,
accordin g to the chemical nat ure , physica l cond ition and degree of con fin em en t of the explosive.
Deton ation is char acte rised by its powerful sha tte rin g effect, the re su lt ol the extr eme ly high Iucal
pressu res Which the almo st inst anta neo us actio n produces .

CLASSIFIC ATION
4 . The rat es of com bustio n obta ined with differe nt explosives var y accord ing to tin ; man ner in
which they a re cont aine d .uni the metho d of the ir initi atio n ; a rough classificatio n has been ado pte d
in which explosi ves with rate s of com bustio n abov e app rox ima tely 1.000 feet per second are. in
gener al, classified as High Explos ives and the rema inde r a n; Explo sives or Low E xplosives.
5. For Servi ce purpo ses explosiv es are placed in the following c ate go rie s:—
(1) PRO PEL LA NTS or Low Explosives . These are used for the propul sion ot proje ctiles
from gu ns and Sma ll Arms.
(2) H IG H EX PL O SI VE S. Th ese a re use d lor disr upt ive purposes.
(3) EX PLO SIV E COMPOSITION S. These include Gunpo wder, and pyr otec hnic and oth er
compo sition s which cann ot be deto nate d.
Note.— In cert ain cond ition s (1) can be used in the place of {2).
0. The c h a n g e s in v e lo c it y o f c o m b u s ti o n d u r in g th e p r o g r e s s o f explosion of ft o o li d © xp lo oi vu
rising to the maxi mum veloci ty known as det ona tion may be divide d int o thr ee periods
(1) Ignitio n. Durin g thi s the veloci ty of decomp osition increases from zero to tha t of
ig ni tio n; ignition is com plete d when the he at evolved by decompo sition exceeds the
heat lost by rad iati on anti conduct ion.
(2) Explos ion.— The explosio n the n proceeds at a uniform velocity, prov ided the pressure
remai ns con stan t. The pressure rise may ho sufficiently rap id to cause deto natio n.
(3) Detonation. This pro ce ed s at a max imum velo city o t sev eral t hou san d f eet a second, which
is almo st unaffocted by ext ern al pressur e,
7. Propell ant? are ignit ed and explo de at a veloc ity depe ndin g ou the su rro u^ lm g pressur e,
which s hould no t rise so rap idly as to caus e de tona tion.
8. High explosives of the In iti ato r ty pe, when i gnit ed in c onditi ons of con finemen t, r api dly reach
the deto nati on stage.
High explosives of the. Int erm edi ary and Shell filling typ es are det ona ted by picking up a
det ona ting wave from an adj ace nt deto nati ng explosive.
 2

CH. I.

ST AB IL IT Y A N D K EE PI NG PR O PE R T IE S

9. One of the princ ipal consi derat ions in the choice of an explosive for a par ticu lar purp ose is
its sta bil ity or keeping pro pert ies in cond ition s likely to be met with in service Expl osive s vary
widely in thei r sta bili ty in stor age, espec ially in warm climate s. Dete riora tion may be due to :—
{11 Chemical Instab ility (i.e., a na tur al tend ency to decompose slowly, fre que ntly ac cele rated
by impu rities or l>y the prod ucts of decom |xisitio n). With the maj orit y of Service
explo sives the effect of chemical det erio rati on is a loss of efficiency. With prop ellan ts,
il.-composition may proceed so r apid ly as to lead eve ntu ally to the form atio n of sufficient
heat to cause spon tane ous ignition
or (2 .1 Change in the Ph ysical Condi tion br ought abo ut by high t einj icra turc s, acce ss o f moistur e,
etc . Physical chang es include the meltin g, freezing or cry stall ine chan ge of the explosive
or any of its com pone nts, the abso rpti on of wa ter from dam p atm osph eres and the loss
of volati le co nst itue nts.
10. Cont aine rs f or exp losives are mad e of, o r c oate d with , ma teri als which do not inte rac t with
the expl osive o r p roduc e d eter iora tion o r da ngero us substa nces.
IN ITI AT IO N

11. The jwr ticu lar met hod of initi atio n is decid ed by the na tur e of the explosi ve and the
circu mstan ces in which it is used.
Explo sives var y cons iderab ly iu sensit ivene ss, th at is to say, in the case with which the y can be
init iate d. Fulm inat e of m ercu ry is de ton ate d by ve ry slight friction , bu t T.N .T. can with stan d blows
of some violence.
In practi ce, sen sitiv e high explosi ves a rc det ona ted c ith er by flash or uu elec trica lly-h eated wire,
by percussion, friction or bv pricking with a needle.
Less sensit ive high explosi ves ar e det on ate d by det ona tin g a small char ge of a more sens itive
e x p lo si v e in rl n« r con tac t w it li th em . For ex a m p le , in sh el l fil le d w it h H ig h Explos ive a v er y em ai l
char ge of an In iti ato r (r.g., fu lm ina te of Mercury or Le ad Azide) init iate d by flash or percus sion is
used to det ona te a larg er char ge known as an Int erm ed iar y («•£., Composition Explodin g) whose
det ona tion in tur n det ona tes the main char ge (c.g., T. N.T.) .
Explos ive co mpos itions and pro pell ants are usu ally init iate d by flame from an igniferous mix ture .
Poor init iati on or igniferous init iati on of a high explosi ve will lead only to explosion, Poor
initi ation may be cause d by a lack of close con tac t. On the oth er han d, man y high explosiv es if
ignited, and if iu sufficient bulk or con fineme nt, may bu rn fiercely enou gh to pro ceed to deto nati on.
12 -1 4.
 3

CHA PTE R II

PROPEL LANTS
CHIEF REQUIREMENTS
15 Th e chief r equi rem ents of a prop ellan t are :—
(1) To have a Regular am i Readily Controllable Rale of Burn ing \ce .. regular b allistics) .—A
regu lar rat e of bur nin g and a stead y develop ment of pressu re are obtai ned by usin g a
colloidal (i.e., gelati nized) explosive of a uniform composition which can burn only from
th e exposed surfaces, laye r by layer. Th e amo unt of surfac e expose d govern s th e rate
of burn ing. The size (t.r., the diamet er) of the coni dete rmi nes the rat e of burn ing as.
for a given charg e weight , a num ber of s mal l .cores offers mor e surface tha n a few large
ones. If requir ed, the surface area can be furth er increased by making the propella nt
in tubu lar, mu lti- tub ula r or slott ed tub ul ar form, or in discs or Hakes. In th is way
pro pell ants o f id entic al compos itions Can be used n w eapons varyin g from a revo lver t o
a b ig gun.
(2) /7> be Smokeless and leave no Residue.— Smokelvssness is imp ort ant from a tactica l
sta ndp oin t. Residue has a practic al significance as ho t smoul dering fragm ents re­
mainin g in the bore a rc dange rous . solid residue fouls the lx»re and increases erosion.
(3) To be. free from Mu xtie Flush and Back Plash .— In addi tion to disclo sing the posit ion of
th e ship, muzzle Hash is apt to dazzle or blind the contr ol an d bridge person nel or the
gun laye r. Back flash is dange rous to personnel and may ignite cartr idges or oth er
inflamm able mate rial nea r the breech. Bot h muzzle flash an d back Hash arc du e to the
form ation ol incom pletel y bur nt gases at high tempe ratures . These gases igni te at the
m u z z l e w h e n co m in g in to co n ta ct w ith th e outside ai r alt er t h e p ro je ct ile has left the-
gun a nd also on adm ixtu re with air when t he brc txh is opened .
♦
(-1) No t Io cause Erosion o f the Bore.—Erosion is du e to the washi ng actio n of the hot gases,
and is caused par tly by the ir high veloc ity, but mainly by the ir high tem per atu res. The
ra pid h eatin g ami cooling to which the Ixwe of a gun is s ubj ect ed furt her tends to dis in­
teg ra te the surface meta l. The use of a propellant with a low heat value is there fore
adv ant age ous an d lea ds to a reduction in wear.
(5) Io be easy to Ignite.— Most projiell auts are relatively difficult to ignite, and (with certai n
exce ptions ) gunp owd er i gniter s ar e used.
(6, To be Stable in Storage and Transport. Prope llants differ from most othe r explosives in
th at they underg o a con tinu ous thoug h stow process of- decomp osition. Direc t sunl ight ,
he at and dam p acce lerat e the rat e of decomposi tion. The cond ition of propellant-, in
stor age is asce rtain ed by jx-riodical t ests. Decomposition is accom panied by a n e volu tion
of beat and the form ation of free ac id s; if the former is not dissi pated and th e lat ter
ar e not neutrali sed, decom positi on is acce lera ted and may eve ntu ally become so rapid
as to cause spon tane ous ignition. Cool, dry storage and th e addi tion of stabi liser s to
neu tral ise the free acid s prolong the " lif e " of a propell ant.
(7) To be unaffected by Moistu re and Temperature:—Ti n gener al effe ct of moistur e, if abso rbed
by a prope llant, is to cause irreg ular ballisti cs. In addi tion , dam p tends to prom ote
chem ical dete rior atio n leading to inst abil ity. Exposure fo r short periods to ext rem e
tem per atu res may lead to physica l chan ges in Lite prop ellan t, but these arc usua lly only
tem pora ry.
(8) No t to be undu ly sensiti ve io Impact or Friction.
(9) No t to require un duly bulk y charges.
(10) No t to give off poisonous or irritating fu mes .

CORDITE
16. The first English smokeless " po wd er" was calle d Cordite, because th e mat eria l was man u­
facture d in the form of cor ds o r st icks , it c onsists esse ntial ly of a co lloidal mix ture of nitrocellulos e
and n itrog lyce rine w ith a sta bilise r to check dete rior atio n. Off er su bsta nces ma y also fir- inco rpor ated
j to reduc e o r elim inate " flash " on tiring.
The term now embrace s ma teri als of various com position s and forms, and the physical form of
I the different type s is identified by app ropr iate let ter s :—
No le tte r = Cord.
T Tub ular .
M Multi tubul.u *
i S Slot ted tube.
K Ribbon.
D Drlllr.I
G Grooved Rocket Cord ite on ly.
i X Cruciform J
 4
CH. 11.
Some cord ites pro duc e a large flash on firing, and to overc ome this dis adv ant age llasliless a nd non-
blindi ng cor dite s have been intro duce d.
17. This deve lopm ent has occasio ned the grou ping o f cordit es into :—
(I) /• » // flash .
f2J b'las hkss and rum-hltHdi-ng.
Main features o f cordite.
18. Bur nin g.— It is slow b urn ing . The initia l pres sure s arc com par ativ ely low and pressur e on
the proje ctile in the here is well susta ined .
Smofc.—T he pro duc ts of explos ion of cord ite ar c ent irely gaseous, but a cert ain amo unt of
yellow smoke is prod uced outside th e b a n d and some smoke comes from the gunpo wder igniter.
F/«J», -On firing. Ful l Hash cor dite prod uces a larg e flash by reason o f the high prop ortio n of
incompl etely bu rn t gases (hydrogen and carbon monoxide} which ignite on coming into c onta ct with
the outs ide air.
£ » s iw .—T he calorific value of the prope llant has a conside rable effec t on the ra te of e rosion.
Prop ella nts of th e flashlcss or non- blin ding type s, ow ing t o thei r low he at values , arc consider ably
supe rior to Cor dite S.C. as regar ds wea r effect.
/gn i/j oh.—Cord ite is difficult to ignite. Most B.I. . charg es are fitt ed with gunpow der ignit ers
to reinforce the flas h from the tube . The smal ler the dia me ter of the sti cks the m ore easily th ey will
ignite.
Storage.—Cordi te is not a tho roug hly sta ble subs tanc e. From the da y it is made a slow but
conti nuou s decom posit ion goes on, prod ucin g acid s which, if not rend ered innocuo us, accele rate the
rate of decom positi on. Stabiliser s suc h as miner al jell y or carb amit e are adde d to neut ralis e these
acids. The high er the tem pera ture of storag e, the mo re rapi dly c ord ite det erio rate s. The life of a
" Lot ” of pro pel lan t in the Nav al Servi ce is assessed for stora ge a l tem per atu res n ot exceeding 90" F.
Storing at hig her temp erat ures involv es a redu ction ol life Exp osur e to low tem pera ture s is un­
desirable, as thi s ma y result in e xud atio n of nitro-gl ycerine . For these reas ons all cord ite exc ept tha t
in Small Arms Amm uniti on is perio dical ly inspec ted an d tested .

Sizes o f cordite.
19. In gene ral, (lie size of c ord ite is ex presse d in tho us an dth s of an inch , and the figures follow
the s ymbols den otin g c omposition an d shape.
Cord.—The s ize given is the di am ete r of the dry cor ds.
Tubular. The figures g.ve the exte rnal and inte rna l dia met ers of the tube as it leaves th e die.
Th us H.S.C./T. 124 058 indica tes th at the tube s, when presse d, have an ext ern al dia met er of
0.124-inche s an d an i nter nal dia me ter of tl.058-inch>-s. (An nulu s - 0.033-inches.}
M ullitubular.—The figures giv.- the ‘ mean web thicknc.v. " in inch es. "W eb thi ck less " is
defined a s the min imu m distanc e betwe en an y two bo und ary surfaces.
Ribbon.—Th e figures give resp ecti vely the thic kne ss and tin width, e.g., 014 x 048 indic ates a
thicknes s of 0.0 t4-i nch es and a wid th of 0.048-inc lus.
Scroll.- -The figure gives th e thick ness , e.g., S.S.t .00 8 ind ica tes a thi ck ne ss of O.IXl8-incbes.

Lotti ng of cordite .
20. A " Lot " of cordi te is defined as " an ar bi tr ar y qu an tit y of cor dite of a ny one size, of the
sam e composi tion and mad e in the same factory’ duriug a l imite d jv riod ol tim e '
Each lot is g iven a " Li t Num ber " when bond ed for accep tance l ire Lot Num ber cons ists o l
two pa rts , a l et te r or grou p of letter s a nd t he numera ls Th e lett er s are symb ols o f the parti cula r mak er.

FULL FLASH PROPELLANTS.

Cordite S.C. {Solventless Caibamitc}.
21. Cordite S.C. is a hom y s ubs tan ce of s em i-tr ans par ent nat ure var yin g in colour from ligh t to
dar k brown.
Solv ent less r efer s to the m eth od of man ufac ture . Ca rba mit e is the stabi liser.
Cordite- S.C. is easy to handle an d is not affect ed imm edia tely by wa ter oi mois ture. It bu rn s
with regu larit y, an d is much more sta ble chem ically th an the olde r ty pes of cord ite, bu t, neverth eless,
is sub ject to a grad ual dete riora tion.
New Cordite S.C. is light in co lour, but as the ca rba mi te is use d up the cord ih develojw t da rke r
colour which is on indi cati or ol its rem ain ing life. I>. tcrio rat ion is ver y slow in good co nd lio ns of
stora ge ; it is mor e rapid i n co nditio ns o f hig h storag e tem per atu re, d irect sun ligh t or co nta in nation .
In good con diti ons Cordite S.C. lias ve ry littl e smell. 11 is poiso nous owing to it s nitro -glycc rine c onten t.
Cordite S.S.C. (Scroll Solventless Carbami te).
22. Scroll co rd ite is in the form of a plea ted or cor rug ate d she et, char ges are formed by rolling
up a c orru gate d she et with a pla in s hee t to space the cor ruga tions . This c ord ite was developed as an
alt ern ativ e to 1LS.C./T. It is used in Bom bard men t charge s. C.S.S.C. (Cooler S.S.C.) lias been
developed to give a g rea ter degree of flashlessness tha n S.S.C.
 5
CH. II.
Cordite S.C./T. (Solventless Carbam ite Tubular}.
23. Cord ite S.C./T. is mad e from frag men tary lots of old cor dit e S.C. pressed into tub ula r form.
It was i ntro duce d for bal listic pu rpos es and is used in la rge sizes fo r ca tap ult charges.

Cordite S.U. (Solventless Carbami te Rocket!.

24. Cordi te S.U. (forme rly S.C.R .K.) is a large tub ula r cordite simi lar to S.C./T. It is us ed as a
char ge for Rock ets U

Cordite H.S.C. T. (Hotte r Solventless Carbamit e Tubula r!.

25. Cordi te H, S.C./T. has a gr ea ter nitr og lyc eri ne cont ent tha n Cordite S.C., and thu s a higher
calorific value ; it is also more rigid. It is used for sm all calib re guns . 6 -pdr. and below.

Cordites M.D. and M.D.T.

26. Cxirdite M.D. was d evelop ed owing to the excessive erosion cause d to the bore of the gun by
Cordite Mark I. It had the same ingre dien ts a s Mark I. hu t the pro port ions were " modified ” (lienee
M.D.) to produ ce a co de r prop ella nt. Cordi te M.D. is now obsolescent.
Cordite M.D.T. is C ordite M.D. pressed in tub ula r form to increase the burni ng surface . It is
used in Small Arm s amm uniti on.

Cordites M.C. and M.C.T.

27. Cordite M.C. ha s the same compositi on as Cordite M.D.. except th at th e s tab ilis er is cra cked
minera l jelly to improve the sta bili ty. Mineral jelly is less efficient tha n car bam ite, and the safe life
ot Cordi te M.C. is there fore less tha n th at of Cordite S.C. Cordi te M.C.T. is used for small calibre
guns. Thes e typ es of co rdit e are also obsolescent.

Cordite W.
23. Cordite W is a Land Servic e prope llant and is simila r to Cordi te M.D. (or M.C.) with
car bam ite replacin g minera l jelly.

Cordite W.M.
29. This is also a La nd Sen dee prop ella nt and is simila r to Cordite M.l). with carb ami te
par tia lly repla cing minera l jelly.

KLASHLESS AND NON-BLINDING PROPELLANTS.

30. Flash less prop ellan ts were origin ally intro duce d for St ar Shell, bu t the ir use has been con­
side rabl y e xten ded . The y are now used for full charg es for gun s up to B L. 6-inch calib re. Inv esti ­
gat ion s a re in band for tlashless full c harg es for guns abov e 6- inch calibre .

Definition of a Flashless charge.

31. A tlashless char ge is defined as "o n e which is unlikel y to a tt ra ct the att en tio n of the naked
eye unde r norma l atmo sphe ric condi tions at range s of 3,000 to 4.000 yar ds .” 'This applies to
obse rvati on at nigh t.
32. In cer tain gun s full flashlessness ha s nut been achiev ed up to dat e, bu t it has been
found possible to sup pre ss the flash to suc h an ex te nt th at it does not blind the Bridge and Control
personnel Thes e cha rges are known as " Non- blind ing."
33. The advantages ol flashless pro pell ants over bull Flash prop ellan ts a r e : -
(f) Bridge and Contro l personne l are not blinded by flashes of their own guns.
(«) The posit ion of the tiring ship is not revea led by gu n flashes.
(iii) There is less wear on the gun.
34. Th e dis ad va nta ge s a re :—
(i) The y p roduc e more smoke.
(»f) Ih ey prod uce a gre ate r conc entra tion ol toxic prod ucts and oth er gases which though
non-t oxic are very irr ita tin g to the nose and eyes.
(»*"») The charge s ar e hea vie r and larg er for t he same ballistic s ; thi s m ay pre clude the ir use in
exis ting B.L. guns abov e 6 inch calib re owing to the lim itati ons of the gun cham bers,
amm unit ion hoists, etc.
35. Flashle ss cord ites are deno ted by the generic let ter N (Nolite). Ot her let ter s are suffixed to
indi cat e the special cha ract eris tics of the prope llant.
36. The type s of this gro up in supp ly a r e :—
Cordi te N/F. Q. NQ/S. A.S.N.
N/F.Q/ S. N.Q /S/P . HN /P.
N/F.Q/1VS.

4
 b
CH. II.
The suffix lett ers in dica te speci al cha rac ter isti cs as follows
Q. The inclusion of a sm all am oun t of sod ium cryol ite.
F. The use o f wood cellulose.
S. Slo tted tube.
P. 'flu 1 inclusion of a small amou nt of potas sium su lphate .
37. A Solventle ss flashless prop ellan t known as A.S.N. has tee n rec entl y intro duced - The let ter
A indi cate s th at the prop ellan t was orig inat ed by I.C .I., Ltd ., at the ir Arde er facto ry.

Cordite H.S.C./K./ T.
38. This is a non-blin ding c ord ite which was intro duce d origina lly for the 2-|xlr . Mark VI II gu ns ;
it is now supers eding H.S .C./T The le tte r " K " deno tes the inch sion of a sm all amo unt of Pota ssium
Cryolite.

AMERICAN PROPELLANTS
Nitrocellulose powders.
39. The typ es of America n nitroce llulose jxiwders are N.C.T.. N.H .. and F.N .H.
40. N.C.T. (nitrocellu lose, mul ti-t ubu lar) con sists of nitrocellulo se in colloid form stabili sed by
diphe nylam ine. It is h ygroscop ic, and is of 1918 or ear lier man ufact ure.
II The mode rn powders, N.H . (non-hygroscopi c) and F.N .H. (flashless, non-hygro scnpic) arc
somew hat similar, the ir compos ition varies as the ma nuf actu rers use diffe rent com positi ons to reduce
the abso rpti on of mois ture and flash. Unlike the cord ites these pro pell ants do not con tain nit ro ­
glycerin e.
42. Dip hen yl-a min e i* a mo re eff ect ive sta bil ise r th an m.n eral jett y be ing co m pa ra bl e wit h
carb amit e.
The pro pell ants va ry in colour from a light amb er t o a dar k brown or black and arc in the form
of sho rt cylin drica l gra ins with one or seven axial perfo ration s.
43. The diam eter , leng th and web thick ness of the grain arc caref ully designed to prod uce
the requ ired ra te of burni ng. The criti cal dimens ion in thi s respect is the web size or thick ness of
propel huit betwe en the per fora tion s measur ed radi ally at the en d o f the cylin drica l grain. The mean
of this dimensio n (to l/l.OCKMnch) is give n as the size for the propella nt and follows th e symbo ls of
composit ion.
44. Thes e pr op Hants bur n more slowly and more uniform ly tha n Cord ite S.C., an d are therefore
cooler a nd cause less erosio n ; and vari atio ns in charge tem per atu re do not affect, the ballist ics to the
same ex ten t.
The tlasli produ ced by nit roc ellu los e powders is n ot so g reat as th at from Cordi te S.C. The flash
produ ced by N.H. in guns of low ve locit y is v ery smal l.
With all three prop ellan ts the re is slig htly mo re smo ke tha n with Cordi te S.C. and an appre ciable
increase in blast.
45. In common with all prop ellan ts mad e from nitrocellulo se a slow cont inuo us decomp osition
which is acce lerat ed by heat or direct sun ligh t tak es place. Dipheny lamine has been found to lie
very effectiv e in contro lling thi s dccomjx>sition.
46. As high tem per atu res cha nge the den sit y of these prop ellan ts, pre cau tion s mus t be take n to
prot ect them from hea t. Any mark ed chang e in the amo unt of so lven t will resul t in a chang e in
ballist ics an d the p rop ellan ts a rc pack ed in a irt igh t packa ges to guar d ag ains t such changes.

47-54.

I
 7

CHA PTE R III

H IG H E X P L O S IV E S

CHIEF REQUIREMENTS.
55. Tin- chie f requ irem ents of a Service High Explos ive ar e: —
(1) Fie/crtcc and Paver. — To produ ce the gre ate st passible sha tte rin g effect so th at the
maxi mum damage can be caused with a give n qu ant ity of mate rial.
(2) I nsensitivencss to Shac/r and Friction.--- W it h the exception of Ini tia tor s. High Explosives
shou ld be a s i nsen sitiv e as possible to shoc k or friction
(3) Stab ility and Storage. Their p rope rties mu st not alte r appr ecia bly duri ng storage*.
(4) To be unaffected by Ditmp or extremes of Temperature.—Many High Explosive s becom e
ine rt if dam p and speci al precau tions mu st be tdeen to pr ev en t ingress of mois ture.
Abso rbed m oistur e ma y also cause chemi cal actio n re sult ing in the format ion of d an ge r
ously sensi tive comp ounds . I.ow tem per atu res are norm ally harmles s, alth oug h the
explosi ve may be rend ered mor e difficult to de to na te ; high tem per atu res ma y cause
pa rti al liquefac tion of th e explosive.
(5) They shindd not form undesirable compounds aith Milttls. Various High Explosives react
chem ically with cer tain subst ances giving rise to objcctionabl** pr odu cts and con tam ina ­
tion, e.g., T.N. T.. picri c aciil (lyddite) an d amatol react wi th alkalin e sub stan ces and
am ato l an d picric acid react with many meta ls. If m etallic comjKiunds ar e form ed they
may be very sensitiv e, which is d ang ero us; altern ative ly, the y may be innocu ous with
a corres pondi ng r e d n e t in n in e ff ic ie n c y , w h ic h is undesirabl e Contai ners for explosiv es
are made of or coated with mater ials whic h d o no t intera ct wit li the explosive or pro du ct
eit he r dete rior atio n or n dange rous compo und.
(6) Density. A high de ns ity is necessary' t o reach the maxim um ra te ol deto natio n and to
ma int ain the con tinu ity of the explosive s yst em against " set-b ack " on tiring.

CLASSIFICATION.
56. For th e purpose s of this Hand book , Service High Explosives arc classified in to :—
(1) Ini tia tor s.
(2) Inter med iarie s.— Used to pick up the small hut conc entra ted shock given by the In itia tor
and trans form i t into a sufficiently violent wave to d eto nate th e main filling.
(3) Shell and Bomb Fillings.

INITIATORS
57. In itia tor s are explosives used to det ona te or expl ode other explo sives. As they ma y only
be used with sa fet y in a small qu an tit y whose det ona tion would not. by itself, cause comp lete
det ona tion of a main shell or bom b filling, an Int erm edi ary is used.
When det ona tio n is requ ired th e Ini tia tor mu st de ton ate w ith violenc e when subje cted to flash,
friction or percussion.
Where c ombu stion is t he requir emen t the Init iato r must develo p an inte nse Hash when subj ect ed
eith er (1) to percus sion, as in the percus sion cap of a Smal l Arms Ca rtrid ge, or (2) to hea t, as i n an
electric Tube.
A grea t va rie ty o f explosiv es p rodu ce c ombustio n effects, b et only fulm inat e of merc ury an d lead
azide are use d t o init iate deton ation . These two explos ives a re f requen tly mixe d with o the r ing redi ents
to modify the na tu re of the explosion.

Fulmina te of Mercury.
58. Fulm ina te of merc ury, the mercuric salt of f ulmin ic ac d, is a n endo ther mic com pou nd con ­
sisting of small gre y or brown cry sta ls havi ng in bulk the appear ance of fine sand ; it is s ometim es
bleached white by the addi tion of coppe r sal ts duri ng manufa cture. I t is poisonous an d noil-
hygroscopic.
It detonates with violence, a small i nitia l im pulse b ring ing it rap idly t o its full rat e of de tona tion .
The almo st ins tan tan eou s explosive decomposition of a substance ol such high density produces
the intens e b low requir ed to de ton ate an explosive in con tac t with it. It is more s ensiti ve to imp act
and frictio n th an m ost high explosiv es a nd can be d eto nat ed by flash ; bu t to ensu re gr eat er c er tai nty
of action it is usu ally mixe d with oth er subs tanc es whic h ignite more readi ly.
As its ex trem e s ensitiv eness lim its the qu an tit y which can be used in a shell, an exploder syste m
conta ining an inte rme dia ry is nece ssar y with com par ativ ely insensitive mai n fillings.
Fo r tra nsp ort in bulk it must be kept unde r wat er, only very small qua nti tie s being dri ed at a
time as req uire d. In the dry sta le f ulmi nate of m erc ury is trans porte d in me tal conta iners an d grea t
 8
CH. III .
car e mu st be exercised in hand ling them . II is alwa ys pac ked in a met al con tain er as any leaka ge
of so s ensi tive an explosive would be very dangerous.
War m, da mp sto rage has a harmf ul effect, decomposing it and ten din g to cause in tera ctio n with
its met al cont aine r. In the prese nce of moi stur e it is read ily decompose d by most me tals (copper,
bras s and iron). It can be s afely filled a nd compress ed int o me tal cont aine rs if gr ea t car e is take n
It mu st be well confined to obta in the full effect. Cont aine rs ar e varn ishe d to prev ent moist air
ente ring .
Warm , dr y stora ge renders it inert and inca pabl e of init iati ng det ona tion , especially when used
in a small qu an tit y a nd compressed , as in 4- and 5-g rain deto nato rs.
Expo sure to extre me tem per atu res or dam p for a short perio d may nut have an adve rse effect,
bu t these cond ition s sh ould be avoi ded if possible.
59. Ful min ah of mer cury is used in fillings for de ton ato rs anti igni tory caps. In the la tte r it
is used in various m.x ture s term ed Cap Compositions .

Le ad Az ide .
60 . Lead azide, i com poun d o f lea d an d nitrog en, is an en doth erm ic co mpo und consis ting of very
small white cry stal s having in bulk the ap p ea ra n c e of fine sand ; it becomes greyish brown if expo sed
to light. Practically insoluble in cold wate r, it decompo ses if hea ted with wa ter for a long period.
Its prop ertie s are sim ilar to those of fulm inat e of merc ury, and like it, is poisonous.
Lead azide deto nate s with violence when subj ecte d to shock or fricti on or when ignite d by flash
even when un eonfmed. I t is sli ghtly less sen sitive to percussion tha n the fulm inat e c ompositio ns, and
when used in detonators, may requ ire the addi tion of a sensitizi ng laye r of det ona tin g compositi on
on top of the azide.
It Is more stab le in stor age tha n fulmi nate of merc ury, lxiti g unaffected b y warm d ry con ditions.
It is not rend ered insensiti ve by wa ter ; on the con tra ry, it may becom e more dang erous if stored
wet for a ny leng th ol time on acc oun t of the slow gro wth of large c rys tal s which are ex trem ely sensi­
tive. If expos ed to the atm osph ere, especia lly when dam p, it is gra dua lly decompose d by carbo n
dioxid e and loses i ts exp losive power.
When compress ed in closed det ona tor s, its life is prac tical ly unlim ited. I t has a high dens ity
and, com pare d with fulm inat e of merc ury, a small er qua ntit y' is requ ired to init iat e det ona tion in
oth er explosives.
61. Lead azide is used as a tilling for d eto nat ors mid for this pur pose is sup erse ding fulm inate of
merc ury, on acc oun t of its sup erio r sta bili ty. Fo r percussion det on ato rs a laye r of a sens itive cap
compos ition is added as it is not sufficien tly sensi tive and reliable to func tion alone.

Cap compositions.
62 F n lm tn n ta of n w ir n r y m iv od w it h o il ie r su bst an ce s is us ed as a p ri m ar y in v ai u of in it ia ti n g
an explosive reac tion a s dis tin ct from a de ton ati ng shoc k. These mix ture s, known as Cap C om po st
tions, are used in various det on ato rs and percussi on caps which are eith er pierc ed by’ a needle or
st ru c k agai nst an anvil by a percussi on strik er.
63. The ingred ients com mon ly included in Cap Compos itions and the ir respe ctive purposes
are :—
Fulm inat e of Mer cury ............... ... Sens itivity .
Potassium Chlo rate ... ............... Aids burn ing and increases heal, evolved.
Antimo ny Sulph ide ........................... Prolon gs the flame effect.
Gunpowd er .......................................Aids flame effect and diminishe s violence.
Sulp hur ............. .. ... Dimini shes the violence and reduce s ignition
te m p er at u re .
Groun d Glass ...................................... Increa ses fr iction effects.
64. Chara cteris tic compo sition s a re :—

METHODS OF IGNITION

COMPOSITION PERCUSSION PRICKING BY NEEUIJC FRICTION BAR

(S.A. Cap) (1.7 gr ain deton ation) (Fric tion tubes)
Mercury’ fulmi nate ............... 8 6 — 1
Pota ssium chlora te ............... M 6 12
Ant imo ny su 1plurle IS 4 12
Gunp owd er ........................... 1 —* 1
Sul phu r ........................... I — 1 '
G ro und g laa a ... I

Note.— Thu figures in the Ta ble ref er to p ar ts by weight. i

 9
CH. II I.
INTERMEDIARIES
65. An Int erm edi ary is a high explosivi which is less sen sitiv e th an an In iti ato r hut more
sens itive tha n a main filling.
Tile func tion of an Int erm edi ary is to link up an d reinfor ce the expl oder syst em of a shell or
bomb by acce lerat ing an d inten sifyi ng the deto nati on wave. The Int erm edi ary must be read ily
det ona ted bv the In iti ato r and . by the violence of its det ona tion , must cause a comp lete deto nati on
of the main filling.

Telry l or Composition Exploding (C.E.).

66. C.E. (the Servi ce nam e for trin itro phe ryl- mc thy lnit ram ine ) is formed by the actio n of a
mix tur e of nitr ic and sulphu ric acids on dimet hyl-ani line. It is a pale yellow cry stall ine subs tance
with a meltin g-po int of 129° C.. soluble in aceton e benzen e, etc ., bu t insolub le in wa ter and not
.hygroscop ic.
It is a violent high explosive of gre ate r power tha n lydd ite or T.N. T. and more sens itive tha n
picric acid, read ily inflamm able and easily deton ated. Ir is not used as a main filling exce pt in
cer tain Small Arm s amm unit ion, e.g., 20 nun . Hup ano.
I t respo nds read ily to the impul se of an Ini tia tor and its viole nt det ona tion ensure s comple te
det ona tion of a main filling ; it is more insensiti ve tha n fulm inate of mercur y.
It underg oes decomp osition on melti ng, anc for thi s reason is used in the form of pow der or
compressed pellets. It is less s tab le in s tora ge than T .N.T ., b ut it docs no t underg o serio us dete rior a­
tio n in Service condi tions. Chemicall y a neu tra l s ubst ance , it does no t rea ct read ily with ma teria ls
it is likely to come int o con tac t with in the Service. Alkalis decompose it, bu t it is unaff ected by
exud ation from T.N. T. Picri c acid lessens its stab ility , and for thi s reaso n C.E. is not used as an
expl oder in lydd ite shell. It does not requ ire the use of lead-fre e conditi ons. To facilit ate filling
oper ation s and to av oid the form ation of dus t, it is sometim es g ran ula ted o r " corned " by' trea tm ent
with a solut ion of gum arab ic.
67. C.E. is used a s a filling for the maga zines of gaincs and det ona ting fuzes. It is also used in
Exp lode rs of shell and bom bs, in compo site deto nato rs and a s a m ain filling fo r ce rtai n Small Arms
amm unit ion, etc.

Picric Powder.
68. Picric Powd er is a mix tur e of am moniu m p icr ate (48 parts ) and potass ium nit ra te (57 par ts).
It is a bri gh t yellow cry stall ine sub stan ce prepare d by mixi ng the finely ground ing redi ents in the
dr y sta te. More sensit ive tha n picric acid, it ignites from a flash and bu m s rap idly to deto nati on
when sui tab ly confined. It s chemi cal sta bil ity is good provid ed it is kep t dry . To pre ve nt in ter ­
actio n with met als the sam e pre cau tion s a re necessary as for picric aci d.
69. Picric powd er is used as an exp lode r in cer tain lydd ite filled shells when the explosion is
brou ght abo ut by mean s of a flash from gunpo wder and not by a det ona tin g system.

T.N.T. crystal s.
70. T.N.T. cry stal s are exte nsiv ely used in Exploders . Owing to the ir susc epti bilit y to T.N .T
exu dati on from the shell filling t hey are bein g supers eded bv C.E. , e xcept in lydd ite or shell itc filled
shell.

SHELL AND BOMB FILLINGS

71. High explosive fillings for shell and bombs are ver y insens itive and difficult to deto nate .
Shell fillings m ust be sufficie ntly inse nsiti ve to with stan d the shock of discharge from a gun and in
Pierci ng Sh el l to w it h st a n d the shock of imp act w it h ar m o u r. Sta bil ity in stor age is im por tan t as
tilled shell can not be inspe cted so easily as propella nts. Moisture may affect a filling b y increasin g
its volume and forcing s ome of the tilling from the shell nr bomb b y par tiall y dissolving a cons titue nt
of the filling or causin g chemi cal action . When a shell bu rst s the deto nati on of the filling should
provid e smoke for spot ting .

Lyddite or Picric Acid.

72. Picric Acid or Lrinitrophenol, when cas t in shell, is known as Lyd dite It is obta ined eith er
by the action of sulp huri c and nitr ic acids on phenol (carbolic acid) or less dir ect ly from coal tar
lienzene. Picric acid is a yellow cry stal line solid m eltin g al 121.6° C., and is slig htly soluble in cold
wate r. •
It is a violent high explosive , more sensit ive tha n mo st main fillings, but it requires a powerful
det ona tin g impulse to give comp lete deto nati on. If th e det ona tin g impul se is insufficient, a milder
explosion is produ ced and some of the filling remains unexp loded. It is not sufficie ntly insens itive
to wit hst and imp act on arm our an d is th us unsui table for armo ur-pi ercin g project iles.
Picric acid is very stab le in stor age provided it is kep t dry . It is not adver sely affected by
tem per atu re, and is especiall y suita ble for s tora ge in ho t c lim ates on acco unt of it s high m eltin g-po int
and freedom from imp urit ies of a lower m elting -poin t. As m oistu re agg rav ates the tend ency to form
 10
C H. II I.
dan ger ous co mpou nds with metal s, gre at care mus t be tak en in sealing shell. It is a medium acid
and reac ts with me tals and ma ny com pound s to form sal ts known as picr ates . Some picr ates ,
par tic ula rly lead picr ate, are ve ry sensit ive to shock an d det ona te with violence when stru ck or
ignite d. Picr ates arc a source of dang er, since the y can functi on as ini tiat ors and brin g ab ou t the
det ona tion of lydd ite in con tac t with the m. Grea t care is tak en to preve nt the ir form ation ; a
pro tec tive film is v arni shed betwe en the acid and the surface s of the me tal cont aine rs and lead -free
ma teria ls on ly a re u sed. Copal v arni sh (lead-free), spra yed on the inside of pr ojecti les an d c ont aine rs,
prixluc es a n c lastic re sist ant layer.
On com plete det ona tion lydd ite gives a black smoke of carbo n pa rt ic le s; on incom plete
det ona tion , the smoke is ting ed with yellow.
73. Lyd dite was fo rmerl y used as a m ain filling for High Explos ive shell. Becau se of th e diffi culty
in Idling a nd the prec autio ns necessar y to prev ent inter actio n with metal s, it ha s been replac ed by
less reac tive explosives, exce pt in shell to be stored in ho t clim ates. The prin cipa l use o f picric acid
now is as an ingre dien t of Shellite.

T.N.T. (Trinitrotoluene).
74. T.N. T. is formed by the action of nitric and sulp huri c aci ds on tolue ne, a liqui d simi lar to
benz ene and obta ined from coal ta r or Born eo petro leum . It is a pale yellow cry stall ine solid
pra ctic ally insoluble in wa ter and is not hygroscopic, bu t is readi ly dissolved by organ ic solvent s
such a s benz ene o r aceto ne ; it is poisonous. The S ervice use s two gr ad es ; Grade 1 has a m elting -poin t
not below 80" C.. and Grade II not below 79.5® C. It is a viole nt and powerful high explosive, only
slig htly inferio r in thes e resp ects to picric acid. It bur ns read ily when ignite d and considerable
qu an titi es hav e been bur ned with out explosion occurring . Ra the r more insens itive tha n picric acid,
i t s s t a b i l i t y in a l l g r t t d o is s a t is f a c t o r y , a n d the re i-. n o d a n g e r o f s p o n ta n e o u s i g n i t i o n . W i t h th e
lower grade s, exu dat ion of oil may occur in warm cond ition s of stora ge : this oil is explosive in
cha ract er, and if it shou ld get int o the screw thre ads of shell it might give rise to pre ma tur e explosion
on tiring. A powerful impulse a nd st ron g conf inement are necessary to ensu re satisfactory deto nati on,
especia lly when in the cast cond ition 1 N.T. is not adv erse ly affecte d by tem per atu re and is a
relat ively non -rea ctiv c subs tanc e. Free from acid pro per ties when pure, it has no t the tend ency as
picric ac id to form sensit ive salts .
On comp lete det ona tion T.N.T . gives a black -moke of carb on pa rti cle s; on incompl ete
deto nati on the smoke is grey.
T.N .T. is sup ersed ed by R.D .X. /T. N.T . as the main filling f or all cal ibre s of H.E . s hell. T.N .T.
is th e main tilling for all Piercing Shell be low 8-in ch.
75. T.N.T . is als o us ed a s a filling for bombs, dep th char ges and oth er high explosi ve muniti ons.
It has supe rsede d g unc otto n for d emol ition charge s. It is als o us ed in the form of pressed pellets for
Explo ders and det ona ting fuzes.

T.N .T.- B.W .X.

76. For armo ur-pie rcing shell the sensitiv eness nf the T.N. T. tilling may be reduc ed by an
adm ixtu re of beeswax. Tins filling is fed into the shell by a special process (Pa ra. 264) It is
also used as a main filling in H.E . air cra ft bombs.

ShcUitc.
77. Shell ite is the nam e given to cast mi xtu res of picric acid and dini trop heno l. Ihe mix ture
normally employe d con tain s 70 pi r cent, of picric acid and 30 per cent, of dinitr ophe iiol. It is a
yellow crys talli ne -olid melti ng at app rox ima tely 76" C. Il possesses the poisonous prop ertie s of
di nitrop henol and should be hand led with care. Shellite is a violent and power ful High Explosive ,
only sligh tly inferio r in these respe cts to picric acid. It is ra the r more insens itive tha n picric acid
to wh idi it is sim ilar in sta bil ity and keeping pr oper ties. As bo th of its ingre dien ts are acid, shellite
requ ires the same pre cau tion s aga inst co nta ct with metal s as picric acid. It has a comp arati vely
low mel ting poin t which is an adv ant age for main filling.
78. Present polic y is to use shell ite as the mam filling for all Pier cing Shell 8-in ch cal ibre a nd above.
It is also used as a main filling in A.P . airc raft bombs.

R.D .X.
79. This is the most powerful mod em explosive used as a shell main filling. It is ap pro xim ate ^'
30 to 50 p er cent, more powerful tha n T.N.T .
Like picric a cid and T.N.T ., R.D.X . is a tri nit ro compou nd. I l is too sensit ive to be used alone,
and in the Service it is m ixed with T.N.T . or beeswax. R.D. X/Be cswa x is used for Q .F. 2-p dr. H.E.
shell, 40 mm. Bofors. and is also inte nde d for use in Piercing shell. R.D .X./ T.N .T. is the presen t
main filling for all calib res of H.E. -hell.

P.E.T.N.
80. P.E .T.N . (Pi nta-c -ryth ritol -b-ir anitr ate) is more sens itive tha n R.D .X. . ami must be mixed
for S ervice piirj»M‘s w ith a nitr o body or an inert dead enin g agen t. Mixed with T.N T. it is known
as Pen toli te, the usual inix ture consisti ng of equa l pa rts of the two ingredi ent-.
 11

CH . II I.
Pcnto lite (P.E.T .X/T.N .T.50 /50) has on ly been used for 20 min. Oerlikon H.E . shell of Atneriran
mak e and 20 mm. Hispa no H.E . shell. It has been appro ved as an alte rna tive tilling to C.E. for the
magazines of all nose face s an d gaines.

Amatol.
81. Amatol is a mechanic al mix ture of ammo nium nitr ate anil T.N .T. The con sti tue nts are
mixed in var ious pro por tion s which ar e in dica ted by a fraction following the na me, for exam ple, Amatol
60/40 con tain s 60 per cent, ammo nium nit ra te and 40 pe r cent. T.N.T. The first num ber al way s refers
la ths perce ntage of ammo nium nit ra te.
The Am ato ls are powerful and violent main bur stin g charge s. Ra the r more insens itive than
T.N .7.. they are sa fe to handle . Th ey reta in the poisonous and irri tan t pro pert ies of T.N .T. The y
deton ate powerfu lly when sui tab ly init iate d, but being com parat ively insens itive the y requ ire a
special explo der syst em to give comp lete deto nati on Ammonium nit ra te is very hygroscopic, and
amatol s also hav e thi s ra the r serious defec t. Moist ammon ium nit ra te when in con tac t with copp er
or its alloys forms sensit ive blue cryst allin e explosi ve salts. This defect requir es the prev ention of
access of mois ture to an explosive charge and the varnishi ng of all coppe r-con taini ng comp onent s
with which the explosive ma y come into con tac t.
82. Ama tol is used as a main filling in bombs, dep th chr.rges, mines ami large demoli tion charges.
It is not used as a filling in Nava l Se rvice Shell.

Baratol.
S3. Bara tol is a mechanic al mix ture of barium nit ra te and T.N. T. Barium Nitrat - is a much
heavi er subst ance th an ammo nium nitr ate, and, weight for w eight. Bar ato l i- inferio r to Amatol as
an explosive, altho ugh volume for volum e the re is littl e diff m nee. Baratol i> nor hygroscopic nor is
it mat eria lly affected by high tem per atu re of storage. It does nu t at lack copp er to form sensitive
salts . It det ona tes even when not tamp ed.
8-1. Bar ato l is u sed as a main tilling for Hand or Rifle grenades w h o -e deto nato rs are conta ined
in cooper shea ths.
85 SC HE DU LE OF HI GH EX PL OS IV ES

MELTING IGNI TION RATE o r power (Lead FIG URE OP

KX PLO tlYE PHYSI CAL COLOUR POINT TEMPE RATU RE DE NS IT Y DETO NATION block te st) IN9 EN S1T IVE NK S3 Para, in
STATE feet/ sec. (Picric ac id (Picric a cid USE RUMARCS Tu rt
DE GR EE S CEN TIG RAD E - 100) - 100)
Picric A d d (Lyddite) Cryst als Int ens e Yellow 121.6 Above 250 1.6 (cast) 23.925 100 100 72
T .N T. (Grade I) Cryst als Pa le Yellow 76-80 240 1.56 (cast) 22,935 99 115 lulling for shell and
torp edo h ea ds , 74
explo ders for sh el l;
demoli tion charges.
Shell,U 7O/3C Cr yst ab Yellow 76-100 Above 250 16-1.63 (cast) 22.440 85 116 Filling for piercing shell 77

K. D. X. Crystals White 202 213 1.7-1.8 27.720 164 68 Teo sensit vo to 79

(absolute) b e u se d a lo ne

P. E. T. N . Crysta ls Whi te HO 145-150 1.73 (absolute) 27,390 165 40 Too scnslt ve to 80

be used alone
Fulminate oj Mercury Cryst alline Whit e, Gr ey or — 160 4.43 (absolute) 14.850 39 10 Det onat ors an d caps. 58
Powd er Brown
Le ad A tide Crysta lline Wh ite or Buff — Above 250 4.81 (absolute) 14.850 37 15 to 25 Deton ators 60
Powder
Cap Composition Compressed Black — Abo ut HO — — — 7 t o 10 I gn ifcrons cap s and 62
P ow der deto nators.
C.E . (T eoyi: Crysta ls Pale Yellow 120 180 1.45 to 1.55 24.816 120 70 Filli ngform agazin csof
(pressed) detona ting fuzes and
ga iu es ; prime rs for 66
mines, de pth c harges ,
e tc .: explo ders for
shell an d bombs. Also
20 mm. shell fillings.
Picric P on d" Powd er Orange Above 250 I 45-1 .55 87 Ex plo de r for lydd ite Mix ture of
(pressed) an d shell ite fillings. AtnnuHLum 68
I’icra te <&
Potassium
Ni tra te
Guncotton Fibrous Wh ite 187 1.67 24.090 (dry) 115 (dry) As a con stit uen t of
Solas (v et a bsolute ) 93 (wet) cord ite. —
10- 1.2 Abou t 18.150
(wet pressed) (wet)
Diuitrop hetuj Crystals Yellow-Brown 110-114 Above 250 1.64 (cast) 20,196 60 Over 120 As a con stit uen t Of Not used as an e xplosive
shellite. alone.
Amm onium Nitrate Crysta ls Wh ite 170 — 1.72 (absolute) 4.950-8.250 — Ove r 120 As a con stit uen t of Not used as an explosive
am ato l. alone.
A mated 80/29 Solid Light Yellow 235 1.25-1.5 16.764 127 111 to 120 Bombs, large
z (pressed) demo lition charg es. 81
60/40 if •• •» 1.5 (cast) 21.450 Mines, Depth Charges.
Nitroglycerine Liquid Colonrlesa 13 188 1.6 24.75O-26.4Ot 160 13 As a con stitu ent of Too sensitive to
cord ite. tie used alone —

86-89
 13

CHA PTE R IV

GU NP OW DE R AND PYR OT EC HN IC COM POSI TION S

GUNPOWDER
90. Gunp owder cons ists of pota ssium nitr ate , charco al and sulp hur mixed tog eth er in the
appr oxim ate pro port ions 75 : 15 : 10. Gun powd ers co ntai ning tin ingr edie nts in somew hat different
prop ortion s are used for special purpo ses, such as the propellin g char ge f«»r rocke ts, the time rings
of fuzes, etc.
The three ingre dien ts are gro und toge ther in a moist cond ition and the mix ture is compress ed
and dried. The press cake prod uced is broken up and the grains thu s formed are sieved to obta in
powders of homogeneous grain size and to rem ove d ust and lumps. The grains, which var y in col our
from black to brown, acco rding to the typ e of charcoal used, are usual ly glazed ; this is e ffected by
polishing in a rot atin g dru m, eith er with or withou t the ad diti on of a litt le grap hite .
91. Powders of the following d iffere nt grain size ar e in Service :—

British standard sieve

SIZE
Passed by Retained bv

P.3 (Pebbl e p o w d e r ) ...................................... J inch jj incli

G.3 ............................................................... •1inch h inch
G.7 ............................................................... J inch No. 8 sieve
G.12 ............................................................... No. 8 sieve No. 16 sieve
G.20 ............................................................... No. 16 sieve No. 25 sieve
G.40 ............................................................... No. 25 sieve No. 52 sieve
Mealed p ow de r..................................... No. 15iJ sieve No. 24(1 sieve

Ingredients and Properties.

92. The ignition tem per atu re of gunp owde r varies betwe en 285 C. and 300 f ., accord ing to
the na tur e of the powd er and the rat e of heat ing. It is thu s read ily ignite d hv flame o r s par k, and
for th is r eason is w idely use d a s a priming . Although it ca n be s ubje cted to m oder ate shock or friction
witho ut ignition , it may be ignite d by a com parat ively light blow if nipp ed betwe en Irani surfaces.
When ignited, gunpow der burn s vigorou sly with the evol ution of cons idera ble qua nti tie s of white
smoke ; more tha n half (56 pe r ce nt.) of the prod ucts of com busti on condense to solids on coo ling to
ord ina ry tem per atu res. This prod uctio n of smoke and of solids which caus e r apid fouling of weapon s,
are two o f the maj or disa dva nta ges of gunp owd er as a prope llant .
The prop ertie s of gunpo wder a s an e x p lo si v e are det erm ine d by its phy sical nat ure . Since it is a
mechan ical mix ture of subs tanc es, none of which are thems elves explosive, react ion must tak e place
betwe en parti cle and pa rti cl e; as a resul t of this, gu npow der can not be d eto nat ed, am i produc es its
full e xplosiv e effect only wh en cause d to ignite in a suf ficiently co nfined sjxice. The ra te of explosion
is determ ined by t he size, comp ositio n an d den sit y of the gra ins ; c.g . a fine, ungl ared powder consisting
of light, porous gra ins bur ns more rapi dly than a coarse, highl y glazed, dens e powder.

Gunpo wder can he sto red indefin itely in a cool, dr y place. In dam p condi tions, however, it
absor bs moist ure and cakes toge ther with the result tha t its r-xplosivr prop ertie s are impaire d.
Ex ces siv e we lli ng u itty ca us e th e sol uti on an ti seg reg atio n of som e of tin- p ota ss ium n i l i u l v , a n d w he n
tha t happ ens its expl osive pro pert ies a re not fully restored hy drying.
Metal tools for working with gun|x>wdcr are made of copjx-r o r bronze to minim ise the risk of
accid ental ignit ion from sparks.

Service uses.
93. Gunp owder is used for a v ari ety of purposes in the Sendee , e. g. :—
(») Ign ite rs for C artrid ges, B L.
(«) As the dela y com positi on in fuzes and games.
(Hi) Magazines of fuzes, tub es and primers.
(tv) Time rings of fuzes.
(;>) In the form of grain s or perf orat ed pellets for the conn ecti ng jx llets in fuzes.
c
CH. V.
(w) Bu rs tin g charges for Shrap nel and Base Eje cti on shell.
(f/» i Com bur t ibl c nu np ut. itin n* . r . i; . pr in tin g, quicl cmn tch and enp com pos ition s.
(er oj i barges of B .L . an d Q.H. bl.m l ■.11 nidges .
(nJ Pro pel lan t charges fo r rocke ts, signal car trid ges and oth er pyr ote chn ic stores.

Su lph url css gu np ow de r.

94. Su l|il nir h s- gini|MK.\<l’ 1 is a m ixt ur e >1 70 p ar ts of pota ssium ni tra te a nd 3(1 p ar ts of cha rcoa l.
Il- , pi tip ei le are v» r\ sim ila r to tli nw of or di na ry gun pow der , mid it b iim x I t o place of gun pow der
in tores win re con tac t occurs w it h ma teri als wh ich are adve rsely affecte d by su lp hu r nr wh ich for m
•ei tsi’ iv e mi xtu re s w it h it. Thus-, co mp osit ions co nta inin g magne sium o r chlo rate s are prim ed w it h
MU lplu rlcv i gunp owd er.
PY RO TE CH NI C CO MP OS ITI ON S

95. Pyr ote chn ic com po siti on * ..i« . wi th lew ex ce ptio n*, solid mi xtu res . Most of them in the
loose c on di tio n are ca -il y ig n it e d and some bu rn ex plo siv ely . The com pos ition s ai- all mi xtu res of
x id is in g r i . i i i p i . i i i i . E t o which ol io 1 iii go <li< i l l * m a \ h o<ld. <1 lo t sp i r i f i r purp . St - Amon g
the rornm on fuel* ore mn gn i'.. iiin i, al iim iti iu m , -ili oo n, cal ciu m fil ic id e, nine. 1ha rr o. il, m ilk -s u g a r,
.la nh ami u -i ta ii i 11.1 inr.il m id sy nth eti c resins. I lie ox idis ing comp ounds incl ude the ni tra te s of
pota ssium , sodium ba riu m and s-t rol ltiu m ; the chlo-latcs and |M-rclihiru1e.s of pot ass ium an d bar ium
and :hc oxides or perox ides of iro n (ham mer-.- tale) manganese, ba riu m and st ro nt iu m Ow ing to th e
grea ter dang er in v o k 'd in th ei r use, 1ompus ii u rn. <n iit iim iii g eliln rute s .m il t* 1chlo ride s nrn avoide d
when- possibl e. Th e othe r ingre dien ts wh ich al e added may play 110 • sv nt ui l pa rt in the com bus tion
bu l -ou ter cer tain Hjx-cial pro per ties an the com pos ition . Thu s, dr yi ng oils , waxes, na tu ra l and
n r t ii r ii il resi n* an 1 ti cd to pro tec t powd ered ii u k il s in the com pos ition s fro m co rr os io n; ther e
ma tf ria ls also assist lli e 0 .iis ol iih ili oi i tri com pos ition s wh ich hav e to bn pressed.
'h ro m at es and bor ic aci d are also used to pro tec t me tal lic co ns titu en ts fro m co rrosio n. (In ins or
sp irit soluble varnishes ar« sometimes used a*, bin der * when the com pos ition is to lx* gran ulat ed or
npp ltcd as a paste. Halo gen comp ound s. such as me ta llic 1h h u iil i *» att<l organ ic l om pn md s c on tai nin g
a high pro, xir li on o f c hlo rin e, are emp,i>ye«l to in te ns ify Harm- co lou r. R el at iv el y in er t ma ter ials such
as g iap bite , c arho nnt es, ox al nl rs a nd i li in a cl ay m av lie added to n- gi ila t' Ila rat e of bu rnin g.
-Ms. Py rot ech nic com pos itio ns are prepare d by m ix in g the pre vio usl y gro und ingr edi ent s by
sievin g (M i l l .I D M . l u l l ' l l : I s. iiv r The ra le of bu rn in g and st .ib ii •. f a ir t : .un , k isi thu 1!-<• »n-i«li-i;i ld v
1II11I11I by the H ill’ ll, ss o f ti ll riig n d ient s. and t il l’ is thc ref oii * clo s-iy con tro lled ; III p a it im la r.
magnesium is ava iiab le in six grades dif fe rin g i n th e size of the part icle s a nd th e bul k de ns ity and eac h
gra tis has its special app lica tion s.
In Setvl. • store* pyr ote chn ic <oni|x «d riiu w an req uire d to Ij ii ii i in a teg ula r and co nt rol led
m a n u r. In or de r to en -ur c this I hey a re usu ally com pres.Mil und er a hig h pressure, soine tinn-s di re ct ly
in to th e store md som etim e* as a bare pd l. t or in to a pap er or me ta l case wh ich is then assembled
int o tin store. H i. ' ta lc and re gu la rit y of liu rn in g ure ulna dependent on the f ir e «->• j»,s- o f the p ro ­
ducts o f com bust ton, and th is mu st be pr ov ide d lo t in the design cd s to ic .
ri ii u y py rot ec hn ic com pos ition s an sens itive to fri ct io n and ore eas ily ign ite d b y a spa rk. Th ey
must no t, il ii -i e fo re , h r s u b je c te d to blown o r gr in di ng fr ic tio n , mid must he con solid ated b y str iu lil y
appl ied pressure in shield ed presses. Xa tlT cr ru us to o ls , w it l im it sh arp poi nts o r edges are used w hen ­
eve r possibl e,
S rvice l om po sit ioi i' 10 stab le when pe rle ctl y dr y. I f m ob tu n gai n* acc es s to the c om pos ition
(c.g., thr ou gh in iti ec riv . Ma tin g o l the store) dc te iio nr iio n may set in ra pi dl y, pa rt ic ul ar ly in those
rum .osit ions ro n la iti in g alu mi niu m nt magnesium.
I’y ru hx littl e 1o iup o-. itlo iv nn cla w lf in l acc ord ing to (h ei r ip * ns i llu m in at in g, signa l, smoke and
incen diary comp ositi ons.

Illu m inn tin g comp osition s.

97. Th e' ' giv e mi inten se lig ht and are Used in star shell. Hares, tracers , flash bomb s, etc.
Most com pos ition s o f this t yp e arc m ix tu re s <4 m agne sium am i an ox id isi ng a g e n t, ce rta in oth er
in gr .d ic nt * ma y lx* added to colour the flame

Sigra l compos itions.

98 . Th is- aie used In sign al ra ck ed , signal ei rtr id ge s, signal (hires, etc . h i these sto rm a
dis tin cti ve effect is necessa ry, th is is achie ved p a rt ly by the design of the stor e (f.g ,, the expu lsion
of stars) and p a rt ly by th e com pos ition s (c.g.. the emiss ion of colou red lig ht ). The col our ed effect is
■ in. »i t >x u - in ,. 11 ■ bi 11 b . blorah orox dutt 4 the i u pr ia l me taT : e tr o n ti u n a l i a give red ,
bar ium salts a green sodiu m salts a ye llo w and c opp er salts a blue effect. The v is ib il it y of th e colou rs
is somew hat dependent on the atm osp her ic con diti ons .
Comp ositio ns fu r 11.1 in da ybg hl signa l ' must produc e a la rge am oun t of lig ht and are .im ilut to
ill iu lin at iu g «ii ii|M isir ioi) s. Colou red sm ok c- i (sw Smoke l-t im po rill on s, /tu rn 99) are sometime s used
as day ligh t signals.
Co mpo sitio ns bu signal', (h .lgii. d fn l nig ht ir< do md have t o produc e mi much lig ht a-- the co lli -
ixisiti on-. for da yli gh t n-. , .md a pleat- 1 va rie ty <d in g i< ri b iit s can be used as the fin I. c.g., char coal,
starc h, at nr. nil resin.

J
 15
CH. IV .
Smoke compositions.
99. Smoke is em ployed eithe r for screening o r fo r signalling, and the type of comimsi tion used
depends on th e purpose to wh ich it is to he put.
Smoko used for screeni ng pu rpo se; Is usual ly white. Il is prod uced by disp ersin g a clou d of small
|>itrticl< e> w hi ch a tt r a c t m o is tu re fr om the. a ir an d th u s pr od uc e a .le as e fog. T h e p a rt ic le s may be
produced by dispersing a hygroscopic liq uid such as chlorsulphon. c acid, fumin g sulp huric acid oi
tita niu m tetrac hlorid e, b y bur nin g pho spho rus in air. or b y producing zinc chlori de vap our by the
combustion of zinc or zinc oxid e wi th hexachlurnethane or carbon tetrac hloride.
Tlie white phosphorus is Idled int o shell (para .‘J02). X)n tri ng the shell, the phosphorus is
sca tter ed by an explosive charge anti ign ites spontaneously in the air. Though produc ing a good smoke,
phosphorus is no t sa tisfa ctor y owing to the tendency o f the smoke to ri se o il the gr ound ( pillar ing).
The hexachloroethane and carbon tetrac hlorid e compositions are fille d int o generators and
ignite d by means o f a hot prim ing composition . Hex achlo roetii an: smoke conta iners may be base-
ejected from shell (para. 298), bu t carbon t etrac hlorid e composi tions are used only in st at ic generators.
These compositions produce a satisfa ctory smoke which shows no tendency to pi lla rin g; they are.
however, liahl, to deter ioratio n in the prese nce of small q uan tities of water, ami the co ntainers must
be well sealed.
In order to increase the vis ibil ity of shell bursts, shells containin g some fum yl may lx- used.
This is an explosive mix tur e (T. N.T .—amm onium nit rat e—an ini oit un i chloride) which produces a
pu ll of smoke when it is detonat ed. (Para. 290.)
Signal smokes ar c used in a small number o f stores for da ylig ht signalling. Red and orange smokes
arc used ns distress signals b y dinghies, and certa in coloured smote signals are used by submarines
The comjMisitions consist of a solid dyes tuff mixe d wit h m ilk -su gir and potassium chlorate . The
sugar and potassium chlorate produce a flame s ufiic ient ly hot to vaporise tin dye bu t not so hot as
to decompose i t.
Calcium phosphide ignites on conta ct wit h water, produc ing both smoke and Hann. Marine
markers lor b oth day and night use and submarin e smoke candles are fill ed wit h this mater ial.

Incend iary compositions.

100. Phosphorus and pyrote chnic composition s conta ining povd cretl alu min ium or magnesium
produce heat on combu stion, and therefore have an incendiary’ effect. The rmite , which is a mi xtu re
of iron oxide and alu min ium powder, is also used as an incendia ry m ateria l.
Magnesium m etal , whi ii heated to its m. ltin g p oin t, hum s m a it wit h evo lutio n-of intense, though
localised, heat, an ti is a very efficient ince ndia ry mate rial. It is used in the standar d -1 lb. Incendiary’
bomb, some ther mite being used to melt the metal.
In some cases a liq uid hydroc arbon (c.g., petro l or benzol) is used for incend iary purposes. To
prevent too rapid combustion and excessive scatter of the fuel it s thickene d by the add itio n of a
small amount of a suitable gelling agent
Incendiary’ agents may be used in bombs, shell o r S.A.A.

101-104.
 13

CHAPTER V

CH AR GE W EI G H TS

DETERMINATION OF CHARGE WEIGHTS.

105. Pro pell ant charges are dete rmi ned to gi ve :—
{1| The maximu m muzzle velocity possible w ith a certain size of cordite with out exceeding
a g ive n pressur e, o r
(2) a cer tain velocity to meet definite requirements.
/Vcha rge ma y lx- mad e up to a Nominal Weight, an Adjusted Wright n r a Fixed Weight.

NOMINAL WEIGHT.
106. The charg e weight requ ired is calcu lated theo retic ally and check ed by a firing tr ia l in a
gun . From the results of this firing a c orre cted cha rge weight s calc ulat ed for subseq uent use ; this
weight is k now n as the nominal weight of the charge. Charge* a re filled to a nominal weight when
accu racy of muzz le’veloci ty is n ot of prim ary impo rtan ce, e.g., charge* for St ar Shell, Target Smoke
Shell, and Gu nne ry School Special Charges.

ADJUSTED WEIGHT.
107. Lots of cor dite of the sam e nominal size diffe r slightly from eac h oth er in ballistics. With
a view to minim ising differences betw een Lots the gene ral practice is for th e ac tua l weight o f a charge
to be adj uste d for each Lot. To calc ulat e the adj ust me nt required, thr ee (or in smaller gun s, five)
round s of n omin al charge weight of each Lot arc fired und er s-.andard co nditi ons again st a sta nd ard
Lot of cordi te. Adj ustm ent is ma de on the result s of these rounds by calc ulati ng the amo unt of
cord ite of the sam e Lot to be add ed to or withdr awn from the nominal char ge weight to obt ain a
certa in veloci ty ; this ve locit y d iffers for ea ch typ e of g un and is known as “ t he velocity o f adj ust*
inai t.” An adjusted charge of a I.ot should, within the limits of experimental error, give correct
ballis tics in ;« gun in the sam e st at e of wear as tha t used for its proof. In guns in oth er stag es of
wear some s mall differences in ballis tics between the Lot s may be exper ience d in spite of the ad ju st ­
ment of the charge, as the loss of veloc ity due to wear of the pun differs to some ex ten t from I.ot to
Lot ; with Cord ite S.C. the err or d ue Io ibis should lx- small.

FIXED WEIGHT.
108. In cert ain guns the ballist ics of Luts of Cord ite S.C. are found lo lx- s ufficiently reg ula r
from Ixit to I.ot to enable proof to be disp ensed with and a fixed weight of cha rge to be a dop ted , hi
such cases the fixed charge-we ight is an avera ge of the ad ju ste l c harges o f Lots alrea dy proved .

REDUCED CHARGES
109 Alth ough Lots are ad jus ted to give as far as- possible the same muzz le veloc ity wit h their
full charg es, th is adju stm ent cann ot be guara nteed to hold w ith thei r reduc ed charges. Good sp read s
canno t be ex pect ed with reduced char ges of Cordite. S.C. if mixed Lots are used in the same broad side
or salvo, tho ugh the effect w ith Cord ite S.C. will not be as se rious as it used to be w ith Cord ite M.C.
Supply conditio n* may sometimes necessi tate the use of thre e-qu arte r cha rges made up of a half
charg e of one Lo t and a qu art er c harg e of ano the r Lo t. Such charges can not be expe cted to give
corre ct ballist ics, and the ir use shoul d he restr icted to firings where spre ad is of minor impor tance .
The above rema rks an redu ced charges appl y only to those guns in which the reduced charge
is a fractio n of t he full charge.

110-114.
 17

CHAPTER VI
CAR TRI DGE S FOR B.L. GUNS
GENE RAL REMA RKS

115. Fo r safety, prote ction , convenience in handling and rapi dity in loading the propella nt
charge fo r a B.L. pin is packed into a silk bag (with o r with out an igniter} and is termed a “ Cartridge,
B.L."
The charges for the larger B.L. guns are too heav y and bulk y to be handled in the form of a
single ca rtrid ge and the charge is div tded into fra cti on s; each fraction is made up in to a Cartridge,
B.L. These Fractional Charges ar e identified by their fr ac tio n, e.g. ' }, char ge," “ | charg e." etc.
Parti cular s o: Fracti onal Charges a pprov ed for the various B.L. g uns are set out in the Table in
para. 139.
Cartridges, D.L. arc cylindrical, except certa in Sta r Shell Ca rtri dge s; wh ich a re sh ap ed like :»
du m b be ll t o e ns ur e th a t th e ig ni te r k in lin e w ith th e ve nt
116. Charges f or B.L. guns using a .4-inch or a ,5-inch tube requir e one or more gunpowder
igniters. Igniter s are not fit te d to each of the Fractio nal Charges f or B.L. gun s 14-inch. 15-inch a nd
16-inch. a nd the open end of the bag of those Fracti onal Charges w ithout an ignite r is closed with a
silk do th disc of the same co lour as the hag. Cartrid ges, B.L. for 6-inch Mark XX II guns and below
have the open end of their bag closed with an igniter.
Charges for B.L. g uns using a 1-incli tube (6-inch Mark XX III and 8-inch) are not fitted with
an ignite r a s the Hash from the tube is powerful enough to ignite the bare charge. A red silk cloth
disc is sewn to the cart ridg e in the place of the igniter.
The n umbe r of igniters approved for full a nd reduced charges f or the various gu ns is giv en in the
Table in fiara. 139. Cartridges, B.L. m ust lw loaded into the gun with the igniter or th e red silk cloth
disc of the igniterless charge towar ds the vent.

CART RIDG ES, B.L. Plate 1

117. The components of a Cartridg e. B.L. a re :—
(i) The charge.
(i») Tinfoil.
(h i ) Si k bag with an igniter or silk cloth disc an d lifting hands.

The Charge.
IIS. ITie bundling of the cordite foi a Cartridg e, B.L is det ermine d by tin overall length and
diam eter lo which the complete cartr idge must conform and to the dimensions of the gun chamber,
hoists, et c. For example, the charge for th e B.L. 15-inch gun is made up into tour Fractio nal Charges
whose co rdite is cut into lengths of ab out 24} inches. The c ordite is formed into a cylindrical bundle
and tied with silk webbing to ensure rigidity. The exac t weight depe nds on the adju stm ent of tin-
part icul ar Lot of cordite used and each Fracti onal Charge weighs app roxim ately 108 lbs.

Tinfoil.
IIP. Tinfoil :s used with most C ar tri dg es , B.L. t o pr even t copper ing of th* Ixwo of the gun. (Load
foil m ay be used as a subs titut e.) Where foil is used t he word TOIL is stencilled on th e hag .
On firing, the tinfoil is volatilised ami the hot surface of the bore is spraye d with minut e p article s
of molten tin-lead alloy of a much higher temp erat ure than the bore. Alloying of the copper left by
the driving band takes place very rapidly an d the deposi t, which is of a brit tle or powdery natu re, is
largely remove d by the rush of gas or by the driving band of the next round ; any residue is easily
removed if the bore is cleaned with a wire brush.
Tinfoil in cartridges for B.I.. guns 6-inch and above is used in the form of thin circula r discs
which are approx imatel y two- third s of the diam eter of the cartrid ge. The discs are placed in the
botto m of th e cartrid ge b ag and are covered with .a shalloon disc which is then sewn in.
1 Th. tinfoil in Fract iona l Charges for B.L. 6-inch gun s is fitted in the ends of the J and J charges
which are laced together.
The tinfoil in Cartrid ges for B.L. guns below 6-inch is wrapped round the charge.
Cartridges, B.L. with double the usual amo unt of tinfoil may be fired to clear copper deposit in
the bore, an d for thi-.'purpose add itiona l tinfoil is sti tche d ro und o r across the botto m of the cartridg e.

Silk Bag .
120. The silt cloth bag into which the charge is (racked is termed a " Cartridge, B.L., E m p ty ."
The mater ia, for a cartri dge bag must possess sjx-cial q ualitie s
• (»') It must he s trong enough to sta nd the wear of handlin g and trans port.
 18
CH. VI.
(«»’) Il shoul d have good keeping q ualities a nd should not be seriously .affected by chemical
actio n ol the explosive, and
{Hi) On firing, it should be en tirel y consumed in the gun. It must not leave any smouldering
fragm ents or s parks in the chamb er o r bo re.
Silk do th satisfie s these r equirem ents, and the maj orit y of cartrid ge b ags for charges over 10 lbs.
.a weight arc of sil k d oth .
Cream serge may be used for b ags for cha rges up to 10 lbs., but it is un suita ble for ce rtain pro­
pellants.
Substitutes fo r b oth silk cloth an d silk webbing are under going tr ials an d may be in troduced .
Lifting Bands.
121. Lifting Ban ds of tap -, webbing or braid are fitte d to all Cartridge bag s ILL. (except those
.'or B.L. 6-inch Mark .XXIII guns (para. 141)) to assist the ir removal from the magazine cate. The
atest cartridges are fitted w ith a " Harne ss " form of band.
The Lilting Band s are removed when the charge is withdrawn from its magazine case to be
passed to the gun. If the retu rn of the charge to its case is permitted by N.M. & E.R . the l if ting
Hands and Cardboa rd Protecting Tub e {if fitted) should be replaced.
During hostiliti es, cartridg es for B.L. guns 4.7-inch an d below have only the last cartrid ge o f a
layer in a case fitte d with a Lifting Band.
Lifting Ban ds a re st ill fitted to all reduced charges wi th a s talk end and wit h only one igniter
In older Cartridg es, B.L. above 6-inch, liands are passed through fairlends of silk or shalloon
braid on the sides aud the bottom of the bag and the end s are secured with u bow hitc h ; this typ e
of band is obsolescent.
For convenienc e in handlin g, some old er cartridge s lo r B.L. guns M-inch and above have liftin g
beckets sewn lo th e hag at the non-igni te nd end. End beckets and fai rka ds for lifting bands are
obsolescent.
X
Igniters.
122. There are two types of ign iter—the Plate Ign iter and the Concent railed Igniter.
Plate Ignite rs (Plate 2) consist ol two discs of red shalloon, sewn together at the edges, with a
silk d ot h or cream serge d isc sewn to the under side. The shalloon discs are divided into parallel
compart ments which are filled with K.F.G.2 or G.12 p owder, this ensures an even distr ibutio n of
gunpowder. Tin igni ter i s fitted over the open end of th e cartridg e bag. and its silk clo th or cream
serge disc prev ents t he co rdite perfor ating the shalloon disc.
Concentra ted Igniters (Plate z) ensure grea ter reg ular ity in ignition and, hav ing a smaller exposed
area than the pla te igniter, afford be tte r protecti on aga inst flash. They a re fitte d to cartrid ges for
B.L. guns 14-inch. 15-inch a nd Ifi-inch. These igniters hav e similar com pin ent s to Plate Igniters,
but the stitching i s in concentric circles. The ign iter is of less diameter tha n, an d is recessed into, the
end of the cartrid ge.
Igniters are marke d as follows
(>') Cont racto r's initials.
{»») Ca libre of gun.
(«'»») Lett ers " I G " followed by a le tter or nu mber denoting the pa tte rn of igniter.
Igniter Covers.
123. Ignite r covers a re fitted o ver igniters to protect them from flash an d damage in handling
and transpor t.
121. Some c artrid ges for B.L. guns 8-inch and below are fitted with an igni ter cover of double
silk cloth secured by a drawstring. The cover fits Over bo th the igniter an d tbe end of the cartr idge
and mus t be re moved before the carl ridge is loaded. Becket s {coloured reel) are also fitted lo fa cilita te
the removal of th e cover. The cover is marked “ Remove Rear Cover before firing.
125. Tear-off Discs, a form ol ignit er cover now obsolescent, were fitted to cartridges for B.L.
guns II inch aud abov e. Ibc Tear-off disc consists of a millboard disc covered with silk cloth an d
nar ke d with a red cross II is f itte d over the igniter an d is torn off before firing, i.c., at the las t
stage in handling the cartridg e. In late r pat tern s the silk cloth overlaps the edge of the cartr idge
and i s draw n in with a draw string of wh ite tape.
126. The late st type of cover is the “ N on-Removab le Ignite r Cover." This cover is of red
odoure d three-ply fabric {tinfoil with cashmere facings) sewn to a wall of silk cloth in the form o f a
cap. It is fitte d over the igniter and the l xittom ol the cartr idge b ag and is sewn to tbe igniter and
the bag. Il is n ot removed before firing.
I'he cover is sup plied for all ign itcred cartrid ges for B .L. guns using a ,5-inch Tulxi.
Cartridge, Drill , B.L.
127. Drill ( 'a n ridges arc cd wood with a lead or iron core- foi weight ; t hey are covered with raw
bide. The ends ar e painted red with the word " DRILL ” in white lette rs. These ca rtridge s ar c used
fjr loading drills an d have the same weight and outside dimensions as the Service charge.
 19

CH. VI.
Drill ca rtrid ges for the BL . S-in ch gu ns ha ve sjxmg- rubb er p ads a t cacli i nti t o p revent damag e
to the cordite hoist buckets.
Cartridges. Drill, Loading Te ache rs reproduce the flexibili ty of a Service cartrid ge and consist
of lengths of rope , jute , ln nn oi maniila bunched tog eth er and containe d in a canva s bag. When
representing ignitere d cartridges the y an fit ,..I w ith . . . i i.jet. r, drill ' These cartridges have
red coloured can vas ends w.th th e word "D R IL L ” in bla ck ; the words DRILL, LOADING
TEACH ER a re pri nte d on th.- side in black.

Markings.
128, Cartridg- bags are mar ked as follows
On one side
Numera l of th e cartr idg e a nd the word " Foi l.”
Init ials or t rade mark of ma ker of the bag.
Nat ure of gun -Jarid m ark of gun in the cas*- of B.L. B-inch. Mark X XI II) ,
Weight of charge.
Na tur e and size of cor dite used.
Fra ctio n de noting size of charge, c.g.. J. etc .
RE Pd —denotes th at the cart ridge has been repaire d.
On the other side :—
Le tte r " N .“
Lot numb er of cordite and sub-lot num ber, if applicab,
Monogram of fi ling st atio n.
Date of tilling (month an d year).

TYPES OF CHARGE FOR B.L. GUNS

129. The types of charge for B.L. guns arc ;—
Full Charge. Sup er Charge.
Reduced Charge. Bombardm ent (’barge.
S tir Shell Charge. Special G unnery School Charge.
Full Charge.
130. The Full Charge is t ie Service ch arge for a g un. I, may Ik made up in to a single Car tridge,
B.L. or i nto Fract iona l Charges. Fo r B.L. 6-inrh guns a 3 charge and a J charge are laced together
to form one cartr idge .

Redu ced Charg e.

131. The Reduced (harg- is u sed for pr actice tiring, and unless i t is a Special Reduced Charge,
usually consists -of one or mote F racti onal Charges.
Parti cular s of Reduced Charges approved for the vario us B.L. guns an set out in the Table in
para. 139.

Star Shel l Charge.

132. Special reduced flashless charg es for St ar Shell are made up into a single Ca rtridge ,,B.L.
for B.L. gu ns 4-in ch and 4.7-iach.

Super Charge.
133. A, pres ent tin use of S uper Charge.' is confined to a limited num ber id B.L. gun- (Cinch.
Mark X II and 15-inch, Mark I. w hose role calls for a l onger range than the Full Charge will provide.

Bombardment Charge. Plate 2.

134 Bombardm ent Charges are special reduced ch arges winch give shell a ste ep angle of descent
at shor t ranges.
135. Charge* are in supply for B.L. gun s 6 inch. M ark XII and 6-iuch. Mark XXI II. They are-
similar in mak e-up for each gun, excep t that the charg e for the 6 inch, Mark XII is fitted wit h a
gunpowder i gniter, while th at of t he B-inch, Mark XX III is ignitcrlcss.
136. The ch arge, consisting of Cordite S.S.C. in two portion s, is su pplied fully assetnbltc and is
known as Bombar dment Charge No. 2.
The core of Portion No. 1 is of “ Stalk " cons tructio n, the stalk being eccentric to th.- body.
Porti on No. 2 is saddle shaped and is secu red to the stalk of Portion No. 1 by two ties of shalloon brai d-
Bomb ardme nt Charge No 1 consist s of the core or Por tion No. I o nly. To- adjust to Bombardm ent
Charge No. I the shalloon br«jd is un tied and Portion No. 2 removed.
 20
CH . V I.
137. Portio ns removed ill adju sting c h a r g e s arc to he thrown overboa rd in deep water. When
this is n ot possible. they arc to be de alt with a s directe d by Article -12 of N.M. & E.K.
Packages c ontaini ng Bombar dment Charges a re stencilled " BOM."

Speci al Gunner)- School Charges.

138. Gunn ery Schools are supplied with special reduced charge s (less than normal reduced
charges). The charges may be made up with old Cordite or Cordite which is co nsidered no longer
suita ble for Service.
139. Tabl e of F raction al a n p Klu uce u Charges ano I gn ite rs .

B.I.. c.vx FRAl itonaj NUMBER OF tG M JE KS RE UU CE P ( HAKCK

CHARGE

16-inch .......................... i ..... Two pe r F un Charge ............... i

15-inch i
14-inch J i ..... Two per Full Charge ............... 1
8-inch .......................... | an d [ No ig n it e r............. ...............
6-inch. Mark X X III ...
6-inch earlier
4.7-inch t
.............. iand J
1 a nd J No i g n it e r......................................
One on e ach h'ractional Charge ... I
Spe cial Red uced
4-inch J Special Charge One ............. ,.
Charge

CARDBOARD PROTECTING TUBES. CONTAINERS, WRAPPERS AND

CLARKSON'S CASES. Phtfr 34.
Cardboard Prote cting Tubes.
140. Cartridges. E.I.. with " S talk " front ends have Cardboa rd Tubes fitte d loosely over the '
stal ks to prev ent distortion duri ng stowage in the magazine cases.
Overall Lifting Binds are passed thro ugh slots in the Cardboa rd Tubes, and when the bands
a r t r e m o v e d th e C o id b u tu d T u b e s w il l a ls o In w it h d ra w n .
Cardboard Tu bes must not be loaded into the gun wi th the cartrid ges, and each tube is stenci lled
" Tube, Protec ting Stalk only—not to be hwded into the gun ."
Containers. Plate 34.
141. Cartridges, B.L., for 6-incli, Mark XX III guns arc supplied in cylindr ical rolled pap er
con tain ers in which they arc packed in the ir magazine cases. '
The C ontainer s a rt flashproof ami each holds a full dt arg e. They pr otec t the ch arge from flash,
both when in its magazine case and durin g its passage to the gun. The y m u s t not be loaded into
the gun.
Thr flashproof d etachable lid is secured by a webbing harness and a quick release bu ckl e; the
joint between lid and body is r endere d flashli ght by a boxclot b skirt secu red by a ” ga rter ’’ spring.
Containe rs are bakelite varnishe d and title d with lifting tape s ; they are sto utly made but require
careful handlin g and tru st not be d ropped with a charge inside.
Bo xd ot h Wrappers. Plate 34.
142. The wr ap p rs give, protec tion similar to tha t afforded by Containers. They arc supplied
for Cartridges, B.L., It r 8-inch guns, and may be introduc ed for l arger calibres. They arc removed
in the handing room.

Cases, Cartridge (Clarkson's). Plate 34.

143. Clarkson's cases are supplied to hand-worked B.L. guns on transfe rable mountin gs for
tran spo rtin g cartr idges between th e magazi ne and the gu n. They are als o supplied for B.L . 8-inch and
15-inch tur ret s for secondary loading.
The c ases are of Clarkson's m aterial and are flashproof. Clarkson's ma terial is cork with a n o uter
cover ing of stou t leather. The lid. in the form of a cap, is secured to the body by a lea the r hinge
and fastening. Leathe r lifting becke ts ar e fitted.
144-149.

0
r
22 ’
CH. VI I.
Charges lor st ar -hell. target smoke shell, special reduced practice, 3-pdr. and special Gvnncrv
School charges ar c filled to a r.ominal we igh t; othe r Q.l*. charges are usually tilled to an adjuste d
charge weight, billing to a fix'd charg e weight ha s been a ppro ved for certain guns.
155. Flashlc ss charges (pira. 36) arc approve d lor both Sepa rate and Fixed Ammunition
Cartridge s with a cordite llashbss charge, are filled by the same metho ds as tho se filled with cordite
S.C. Greater difficulty is experienced in ignitin g Flashlcss propeUant and a gunpo wder igniter in a
worsted bag may be fitted in t ic c entr e of tin- bundle of cordite. A white cr oss on the base- of the
cartr idge case den otes th at the charge us flashlcss o r non-blin ding cordite. Thi s marking is not used
for st ar shell charges .
156. When using Ameiic ai prope llant (para. 39) tin? grains are filled into the cartrid ge case
loose. A ca rdbo ard cup is shellacked on ton o f the pro pella nt and a car dboar d dista nce piece is placed
between the cup an d the base <f th e shel l to ensu re that th e gr ains a re retai ned round the primer and
to as si st m keeping the charge mm pact . The same prim ers are used as' for c ordi te S.C. A green ba r
on the base of th e cartr idge Ci.se deno tes American prope llant .

Tinf oil.
157. Tinfoil is fitte d in Q .F cart ridg es to preve nt coppering of tin- bon- of tin gun. It is approved
for all Q.F. amm uniti on except Sep ara te Ammunition fitte d with white nteta l lids which ac. as a
sub stit ute for tinfoil.
To de-co ppcr a bad ly coppered gun firing Separ ate Am munit ion, addi tiona l tinfoil may be I irown
into the. gnu cha mbe r between lie proj ectil e an d the cart ridg e. If addi tional tinfoil is requir ed when
tiring Fixed Ammun ition, cartridges s pecially made by th e Armament Depot mus t be used.

Felt Wads .
158. F'elt wads are obsolescent, bu t may be found in old types of cartrid ge ; their function is
to prevent movem ent of the charge aw ay from the prime r.

Lids, Q.F. Cartridge.

159. Cartri dge case lids {except Bom bardm ent Ca rtridg es and Back Firing I'arget shell cartridges)
an: flanged cor rug ate d discs of w hi te metal, weakened by a number of radial slit s; some types a r e
perforat ed in the c ent re. Thro? or four notches are cut in the flange. The l id is secured in the case
by bending over th e tongues of the case info the notches. The joint lx tween the case a nd its lid. is
sealed with K.D. cement. On firing, the white metal disc volatilises and the tin const ituent acts
as a decoppering agen t.
160. A specially strengt hened lid with f our notch es is u sed in cartrid ges for guns fitted with power
ramming.
161 Fut ure supplie s of Q.F. cart ridg es may be fitted with plastic lids In this eve nt tin bil for
decoppering purpose s will lx incorpor ated in the cartrid ge.
162. Hie lids for the Bombardm ent Cartridg es (except 5.25-incli) and tie- Back Firin g Target
shell ca rtridg es arc leatherhoard cups wit h beckets.
163. Early supplie s of lids lor use with trac er have the ir centr es perfo rated. The perforation is
Coveted with a disc of ba tiste (waterproofed cambric) and n pape r disc is shellacked to the under side,
of the lid. The hole ensures a free passage from the charg e to the tracer. This tvp, is obsolescent.
164. All cartr idg e lids m ust be inspec ted before firing to ensure that they are well secured n the ir
cases. Tile mom entu m of the charge while loading might force a loose lid int o the chamber . in d if
the charge is sepa rate d from th r p rime r a niissfire or hangfire will result. For marking, see pare. 188.

Safety Clips, Q.F. Cartridge. Plate 3 .

165. Brass or steel safe ty dips are- fitted to cartr idges with percussion or combined electric a nd
percussion primers as a protection from accidental blows which might tin- tin- percussiou cap. l li. v
must lx- removed before loading.
Safety clips a n: not fitted to cart ridg es for autom atic guns nor to cart ridg es fitted with electri c
primers.
166. No. 12. Mark III and No. 25. Murk V an- typic al of the safety clips in supply.
(1) No. 12, Mark III , is a dome with three arm s wh ich form spring clips. The arms ft! o ver
the flange of the case and seenre t he clip. The dome is positioned ove r th e percussion cap.
(2) No. 25, Mark V, is a dome with an out er circu lar disc. The disc ha s three prongs a nd a
becket. The. clip i-. secure d in t he base of a Case In the prongs (in earlier Marks by press-
stnd-s) and the dome is po sitione d over the percussion cap. The becket assists the wi th-
draw-al of the clip This type of cli p is used wirli all ca rtridge s which may be required
to pas s up pusher hoists, c.g., Q.F. -1-inch. Mark XVI*, 4.7-inch cases.
167.
 IB
CH. VII.
SPECIAL CHARGES FOR Q.F. CARTRIDGES
168 . Q.F. cartridges are also sup plied with the following types of charge :—
Reduced Charge. Special Gunn ery School Charge.
Sta r Shell Charge. Clearing Charge.
Bombar dment Charge.
Redu ced Charge.
169. Reduced charges a re used mainly for bombard ment with II.E .. Smoke B.E. , and Chemical
B.E., ami ca n be us?d for prac tice til ings when aut horised.
170. The full charge fo r Q.F. 5.25-inch guns consists oi a reduced charge and an '* Increme nt "
or core which is fitted with a lifting hand.
The conversion of 5.25-inch to a reduc ed charge must take place on the weath er deck under
cover, as follows
The case is pla ted on its base on a piece of frit on th e fl at w oo de n deck. T h e ta n g s a t the mout h
of th e case are raised sufficiently (by a special tool) to allow th e lid to be removed . The core inc rement
is withdra wn by its lifting band and the lid is replaced so tha t the rim sl ots ar e in line with the tangs
and the flange is in conta ct with the mo uth. The t angs are then bent to their original position using
a 12-oz. phospho r bronze or brunstee l hammer The mouth of the case is gauged to ensure tha t
the converte d cartridg e will load freely into the gun. The “ gauge, cartrid ge, 5.25-inch, Mark I."
Should go freely down until its level steel s urface is ei ther level with or below the mouth of the case ;
if the gauge wilt not go down, the distor tion can normal ly be rectified by a few ligh t taps with the
12-oz. hammer. (Src Schedule of Implements , page 131.)
Star Shel l Charge.
171 Special reduced flashiest charges are supplied for firing sta r shell. Sta r shell for Q.F. 5.25-inch
guns can be fired with a flashless Full Charge. Sta r Shell for firing with full charges a re u nder design
for all guns using separat e loading ammuni tion (except Q.F guns 4-inch Marks IV and V) an d Q.F.
4.5-inch guns using fixed a mmun ition. When these shell are availa ble they will use a fuze No. 215.
A s a means of identification at night the flanges of case s with sta r shell charges are milled.
Bombardment Charge Plate 2.
172. This typ e of charge m ay be use d with ce rtain Marks of Q.F. g uns 4.7-inch mid Q.F. 5.25-inch.
The special reduced cha rge is designed to give shell a steep angle of descen t at shor t ranges.
173. The Q.F. 4.7-inch, Marks IX, IX**B and X I1, XI I* B Bomb ardmen t Charge co mp rise s:—
(1) The Core or Portion No. 1.
(2) Portion No. 2.
(3) Portion No. 3.
174. flic various charg es an made up as follo ws:—
Bombard ment Charge No. 1.—Th e Core only.
Bombar dment Charge No. 2.—The Core and Portion No. 2.
Bombard ment Charge No. 3 .—The Core and Portions Nos. 2 and 3.
The charge is supplied as Bombar dment Charge No. 3, and is secu red in the ca rtrid ge case by a
leath erbo ard cup with a becket for it s remov al.
175. To adju st to Bom bardm ent Charge No. 2.—Remove t he leathe rboar d cu p a nd withdr aw the
charge from the care. Unfasten the brai d and remove Portion No. 3. Portio n No. 2 and the core
are tie d t oget her wi: h the braid and replaced in the Case. Care mu st lx- tak en to see tha t the prime r
fits in th e rece ss in the core. The case is closed b y replacin g th e leath erboa rd cup.
To adj ust t o B o m b ar d m en t C h a rg e N o I, flu? c h a rg e is w it h d ra w n a s a b o v e a n d P o rt io n s No n. 2
and 3 are removed. The char ge, consisting of the core only, is replaced in the case so th at the prim er
fits in the reces s anc the case is closed by replacing the leath erboa rd cup.
The Portions removed in adju sting the charge arc to be thrown o verbo ard in dee p wat er. When
this is no t possible, they a r e to l>e de alt with as directed by Article 42 of N.M. &• E.R.
176. The Bombard ment Charges for Q.F. guns 4.7-inch, Mark XI and 5.25-inch comprise the
Cole and Port ion No. 2.
177. The charges are made up as follows :—
Bombardmen t Charge No. 1.- The Core only.
Bombardment Charge No. 2.—The Core and Portion No. 2.
The charge is supplied as Bombard ment Charge No. 2.
178. To adjus t to Bombard ment Charge No. 1, the Portion No. 2 is removed and the Core is
replaced in th e case which is dose d by repla cing t he le ather boar d cup. The case for the Q.F. 5.25-inch
Bomb ardmen t Charge is closed with the Service white meta l lid, which mu st be removed and replaced
in the same manner as when conver ting to the reduced charge for that gun (fwra. 170). The ties
securing Portion No. 2 are dyed red.
179. The Service Reduced charge can also be used for bombard ment in Q.F. guns 4.7-inch
Mark X I and 5.25 fetch.
 24
CH. VII
ISO. To preve nt the weight of th e charge forcing th e lcathe rboar d cup ou t of th e case, c artridge s
must be hand led with great care a t all times.
Shell must always be ra tuned home before loading the cartridg e, and an improvised r ammer
must lx? used for the purpos?. In no circumstance s may shell he ramme d home by means of the
cartr idge a s this will damage th e charge.

Special Gun nery School Charge.

181. For Gunn ery School firing special reduced charge.-* (less than normal reduced changes) are
supplied ; these may be made u p wit h e ld cordite or cordi te which is co nsidered no longer suita ble
for Sendee.

Clearing Charge.
182. Clearing charges are at prese nt supplied for Q.F . guns 4.5-inch . I inch V.S. 50 ca l; 3-inch
U.S. 50 c a l; 3-inch V.S. 23 c d ; 3-inch 20 cwt. (in Submarines) ; 2-pdr. .Marks II*. II*C. and VI II ;
and 40 mm. (Bofors).
These cha rges provide a rapid means of clearing a gun firing I’ixed Ammun ition in the event of
a projectile, jamme d in the bore, b eing sepa rate d from its cartrid ge case on unloading.
Before using a Clearing Charge the gun c hambe r mu st be examined to ensure th at no part o f the
cartrid ge case or charge has been le ft in the chamber.
On no accou nt must the Ch aring Charge lx- uswl as a blank cartridge.
183. Clearing charges—-4.5-inch guns, a special cartr idge with a shorte ned case and a edu ced
charge.
183a. For th e V.S. guns, a short ened case and a full charge.
183b . For th e 3-inch 20 cwt. gu ns, a s hortene d cas e an d a full charge.
184. The Clearing Charge for th e 2-pdr. gun s has a shortene d case. The charge is the normal
full charge a s a reduced charge would not produce p rop er functioning of the mechanis m of the gun.
185. The Clearing Charge for the 40 mm. Bofors gun has a shortened case, but the charge is a
reduced charge.

MARK INGS ON Q.F. FIX ED AND SEPA RATE AMMUNITION CARTR IDGE CASES

Stamp ings on Bas e of Cases.

186. The following markings m ay be stam ped on th e base of Q.F. ca rtrid ge cases (Diagram I) :—
(»') Calibr e and mark of gun.
(„) Mark numeral :>f em pty case.

FIG . I. STA MPI NG S ON BASE OF . Q. F. CA RT RI DG E CAS K.

(»ri) Ye ar of manufacture.
(«'v) Tra de Mark (<>- initial s) of make r of t he case.
(«') Lo t nu mb er of batc h o f cases.
(w) * following th e mark of c ase deno tes a conversion which ad vanc es th e m ark.
(vj7) /h denotes that th e cas e is accepted for service.
(loti) N. denotes for Naval Service.
(».v) G , den ote s all ocati on to G u n n e ry Schools.
 •£>
CH .V II
(x) S following the m ar k of th e c ase de no tes r ep ai r by rebu shin g.
(xf) Milled rim s de note c art rid ge s for s ta r she ll an d drill.
(xjY) T he w ords " B RI I-l " o r " DR IL L, PU SH E R HO IST O NL Y, " whe re a ppl icab le.

NATURE OF AMMUNITION
DISTIN GUISH ING LE TT ER S AS APPLICABLE .MA RK CC CARTRIDGE
,Rn C. Rn .WA.OR MA.ETC.Ol
PROPELLANT MANUFACTURER OT NUMBER OT PROPELLANT
AS APPL ICAB LE)^ ,
- L O T PA RT IC UL AR S
CO RD IT E

WHERE APPLICABLE, FOR rU ZE PARTICULARS, AS APPL CABLE

CARTRIDGES WHlCW HAVE FOR FIXED AMM UNIT ION WHEN SHELL
CEEn 5'C WE D in re ad y - IS FIT TE D WITH FUZES NOS. IBP. R «. OR
use." lo ck er s — — 4SP. OR WIT H A BASE FUZE

GAINE PARTlCUL AO S ----- .P A C t FO R AN* FU RTH fR

(WHERE APPLICAB LE) LABORATORY MARKINGS

F.ILER (m o no gr am A W oateV -- ' ,Y REQU IRED FOR HA AMMUNITION

FORI OT A’ MKS- V V K X V GUNS
SPECIAL LABORATORY
MARKING AS APPLICABLE

ARRANGED FO R FA WITH GAINE 4 FUZE

I’

•I
ARRANGED FOR SEPARATE A M M U N IT IO N
(WIT H AMERIC AN PROP ELLA NT)

DISTINGUISH.T«G LF TTE RS
o r fr o pe ll an t man ufa ctu rer ATURE OF AMM UNIT ION

A LUMINOUS CROSS PAINTED ACAOSS RK OF CARTR IDGE

BASE <X CART RIDG ES FILLEO WITH
FULL SERVICE CHA RGE S OF FLAiHLESS QT NO. OF PROP ELLA NT
PROPELLANT TO DISTINGUISH NAD
OR HF Q fu ll SERVICE CHARGES
'R OM OTHERS FL LE O WITH A NC fl-
TH tR LABORATORY
FLASHLESS NATURE OF CORDITE MAR KING S IF REOUIRFD

GAINS PARTICULAR'—
(WHERE APPLIC ABLE )
FIL LE R (MO NO GR AM & OAT£)_

SP EC IA L LA BO RA TO RY
MARKINC

AFR ANG ED FOR FA. WITH GAIN E 4 FUZ E

I (F IL L SER VICE CHA RGE S OF FLA SHL ESS P R C P E L l ANT)

1-- G . 2 CARTRIDGES, Q.F ., (FI XI ID & SEP ARA TE) EXCEP T 2 PPR ., 3 PD R. , AND « PD F.
TYPIC AL ARRA NGEM ENTS OF STEN CILL ING ON CART RIDGE BASES

I
 26
CI1. VII
Stencilling.
187. 'Hie following markings are stencilled in black acro ss the base of Q.R. c artrid ge cases 12-pdr.,
3 inch and abov e and on the side of the case for 6-pdf. and below. Markings are made with silver
nitr ate, black pai nt being permissible only when time is shor t
(0 Distinguis hing ma rk of cordite m anuf actu rer. lot n umbe r of cordi te, and sub-lot where
applicable.
(»*) Mark of cartridge (in /\rab ic numerals) on cartrid ges for Fixed Ammunition. This
includes the type and . where applicable, a lett er denotin g the C..R.1L of the sl rll a nd
" T ” if t racer is fitted.
(»7») Monogram or initials of the filling station.
(»»•) Date of filling (month an d year).
(v) ” R EDU CED "d en oti ng " Reduced Charge, ” where applicable .
(w) The n umbe r of the G let ter auth orisin g th e design, if the charg e is made up to a sketch
design for use in G unne ry School firings o nly.
(w») II.A. (high angtr) as app licab le on certa in cases.
(ti n) Blank ca rtrid ge cases are stencilled ” BLANK ” on the base.
(« | " BOM " den otes a Bomb ardm ent Charge.
(*) B.F . T.G.T. denotes a Back Firing Target Shell Charge.
(xi) Fo r Fixed Aovnun itinn, Fuze and Gaine parti cular s as applicab le. (See Fig. 2.
diagram 1.)
(«») PA PE R SHOT (if applicable).
(xtii) Special Labor atory mark ings as applicable.

Marks on Lids of Cases.

188. The following markings ar e stamp ed on the lids of Q.F. cartrid ges :—
(») Mark nume ral.
(ii) X, denot ing fo r Naval Service.
(iii) /Jv denotin g accep tance for sen-ice.
(ir) Manu facture r’s initials
(v) Da te of manufac ture.
(pi) Calibre and maik of gun.

CARTRIDGES FOR AIRCRAFT CATAPULTS. Pla ie 4.

189. Cartridges for Airc rtft Ca tap ult s are made up on board on the wea ther deck under the
instructio n of th e Directing Odicer.
190. The cartr idge s cons st n f :—
(a) Cartri dge case.
(it) Cord ite charge.
(iii) Percussion primer (No. 10)
(tv) Key for screwing in pri mer (No. 105).
(v) Clip, Q .F. Cartridge.
(:■») Shalloon braid securing tape.
Cases and Saf ety Clips are packed in a wooden box. Cordite cliarges (each in a cardbo ard contain er)
are packed i n meta l cases (five co ntain ers in a case).

Cart ridge Cas e.

191. Cartridg e cases were formerly of b rass, but a re n ow of steel, the y are designed on the same
lines as Q.F. cart ridg e cases fcr S epa rate A mmunition with two slots cu t d iame trica lly opposite near
the mouth . The two ty pes of steel cas e are No. 1, Mark II I (for a 6-inch ca rtridg e) and No. 3. Mark
II I (for an S-inch cartridge).
Cases m ay be used a number of time s so long as the ir shape is main tained . After each shot wi th
an 8-inch case a stra igh t edge m ust lx? applied to the bas e to ensure tha t no convexit y is present ;
if t here is c onve xity it must be corre cted before f urth er use with a " Tool, reforming cartri dge, ca ta ­
pu lt.” This tool consists of a damp piece (to engage u nde r th e rim of the case) a nd a pressure screw
which is ope rate d by a han d spanner.
The 6 inch c ase is a s tronger typ e, and no tool is supplie d.
 27
CH. VII
Cordite Charge.
192. The charge is Cordite S.C./T. A ring of small cord Cordite S.C. or a bundle of Cordite
S.S.C is used to a ssist ignition.
It a cha rge is removed from its ca rdbo ard cont aine r an d is not fired it canno t be r eturn ed to the
ship ’s magazine, bu t must be d ealt with in ac cordanc e with Article 75 of Naval Cordite Regulations
1939.

Primer.
193, A No. 10 Percussion Prim er is screwed into the primer hole with a special key (No. 105).
The c ap of the prime r ca nnot be s truc k acciden tally when the special key supplied lor insert ing and
removing primers is tire d. {See Schedule of Keys, page 131.)

Safety Clip.
194. A safet y clip. No. 25 Clip. Q.F. cartrid ge t ype , is fitted.

Method of Assembling.
195. The primer is screwed into the case and a S afety Clip is fu nd . The propella nt is removed
from its conta iner and inserted into the case with the cordit e S.C. or Scroll n ext to the primer. It
is secured by detachin g the length of tap*, reeving it throu gh the slots in th e case an d knotti ng the
end-, tau t in fro nt. The c artridg e is loaded a nd fired with the tape in place. The tape must be well
secured to prevent the prope llant moving forward against th e baffle, as afte r one or two rounds
have been tired the baffle is hot enough to cans, a prem atur e ignition of the charge if there should
be c ontac t. Cartrid ges should always be handled with the mouth inclined upwards.

196-204.
 28

CHAP TER VIH

TUBES, V EN T

GENERAL REMARKS
205. Tubes, Vent , are used in B.L. guns to ignite the gunpowder ignite rs of Cartridges. B.L.,
or the ignitcrlcss charges of B.L. guns Cin ch, Mark X XI II and 8-inch.
The tube fits i nto the tube :h amb cr in the rear of the vent axial of the gun.
Q.F. cartr idges f itted with a Tube and ada pte r are igni ted bv a Tube, Vent. {Parti. 223.)
Tubes, vent, seal any escape of the propellant gases toward s the rear thro ugh the vent (or
adap ter).
206. An esc ap e of prop ella nt gases, would cau se
(,') Erosion of t he vent.
(»'»') Inefficient sealing
(t'/'t) Difficulty in ext raction of fired tub es.
(iv) Damage to the lock of th e gun.
Sealing is ac hieved by making the Tube a dose but eas y fit in the vent an d by so designing it
tha t, on firing, the front portion expa nds and seals any esca pe of g as between tube a nd ven t, th e
intern al arra ngem ents p revent at escape of gas through (h r base of the rub.- and the lock o r breech
mechanism of the gun preven ts the tub e being forced to th e rear.
207. On tiring, a " flash consisting largely of burn ing gunpowder pelle ts is shot frorr the
magazine of the tub e into the gunpow der igniter of the Cartridge, or the ignitcrlcss cartridge s of
ILL. guns 5-inch, Mark XX III . n<l 8 inch, and the charge is ignited.
Electric Tubes are supplied in thr ee sizes, •1-inch. ,5-incli and 1-inch. Fo r identific ation their
flanges arc plain and .smooth.
Percussion Tub es are supplied in ,4-inch and .5-inch sizes. For identific ation four notches are
cut out of the flange.
Electric ,5-inch Tubes for guns wit h strikerless locks are known as " S “ tu be s; the y have a
raised contac t piece
20S. The grea test care in handling is necessary with each type o f tube. Elec tric tubes can be
rendered completely unserviceable by rough trea tme nt. It is usual to tes t them with a megger b fore
firing, and the de c trie d resistance should lie between 0.9 ohm and 1.1 ohm. Percussion tube* arc-
liable to fir. nr become dangerous with roug h t reat men t or shock.
The se veral sizes in each type of tub . differ only in minor d etail. To s ave repet ition, tin- three
types of the ,5-inch tube will be described.

TYPES AND NATURES OF TUBES, VENT

TUBES, VENT. .5-INCH.
209. These Tube s are u sed as follows :—
(») B.L, IB-Inch, Mart I gun has a st rikerle ss lo ck and uses Electric S Tubes.
(it) B.L. 15-inch, Mark 1 has a strikerl ess lock nnd uses eith er Elec tric S Tubes or Pe r­
cussion Tubes.
{iii) All othe r B.L. guns have ord inar y locks (except B.L. 6-incli, Ma rks VII, XI and XX III
and B.L. 8-inch) and use eith er Electric Tube s o r Percussion Tubes.
Tube, Vent, Electric, .5-inch. Mark X. P/afc 5.
210. The body is machined out inter nally to take the circui t and scaling devices. 'Hie i nternal
arrang ement s include a gunpowder m agazin e, contac t pieco, elxinit- insula ting cup and bridge plug
assembly. The bridge plug assembly comprise- a copper plug, copper pole, c ent ral insulated copper
wire and a bridge wire.

Action.
211. The tub e is fired by passing electri c curre nt thro ugh th e lock of the gu n. con tact being Made
between the str ike r of the lock an d th e cont act piece of the tube. The curre nt passes along the
insul ated coppe r wire anti the bridge wire, and to eart h by way of the tub e b ody. When the bridge-
wire gets hot the pr imin g of gu no tto n d ust a nd th e po wder in the magaz ine are ign ited ; the resulting
flash ignites the igni ter of the Cartridge. B.L.
Escape of g as throu gh th«- base of the tube is sealed by the bridge plug be ing forced rearwards,
its base fitting into the small coned s eati ng in the body ; th e gas-check on its forward end expand s
and helps th e se aling.
 29
CH. VI II
Tube, Vent. Electric S, .5-inch. Marks VII and VIII. Plate 5.
212. The action of this tube is similar to th at described above. The con tact piece is " proud ”
of lh- base a nd is seated on a vulcanised paper washer when screwed i nto the eboni te cu p.
Tube, Vent, Percussion, .5-inch, Mark VI. Plate 5.
213. The tube is machined out internail}' to tak e the ca p holder anti strik er assembly. The
inter nal arran geme nts include a gunpow der magazine, anvil, percussion cap, cap holder and the
strike r assembly. The strik er assembly comprises a strike r, str ike r sleeve, strik er holder and hard
brass shearing wire.
Action.
211. I he tub e is tired by the Striker of the lock impinging on th e s trik er of tin? tube. The st rik er
wire, an d fires the c a p T h e fl a d i fr om th e c a p p ac&csi
o f t h e tu b e i s d r iv e n fo rw a rd , b r e a k s th e sh e a r
through the fire holes and the powder in the magazine is ignited. The resultin g flash ignites the
igniter of the C artridg e. B.L. Tin- percussion cap is retaine d in plaoc by th e st rike r an d striker holde r
and preven ts the escape of gas through the base of the tube.

TUBES. VENT, .4-INCH.

215. This size of tube is us ed in B.L. g uns 6-inch, Marks V ll and XI, Tile percussion type is
also supplied for O.P . ca rtridg es fitted with a Tube and Adapter.
Tube. Vent, Electric, .4-inch, Mark XII.
216. The tube is of simila r constr uctio n to the ,5-incli electric tube .

Tube. Vent, Percussion, .4-inch, Mark XI.

217. This tube does not contain a perfor ated pellet. The fire holes are sealed wit h white d brown
paper.

TUBE. VENT, ELECTRIC. 1-INCH. Plate 5.

218 The tube is used with B.L. g uns 6-inch, Mark XX III and 8-inch. I In flash produced is
so intense th at a gunpowd er igniter is not required to ignite the Cartri dge B.L. Tile tulx is larger
tha n, b ut in oth er respects is simil ar to. the ,5-incli E lectric Mark X. The t ront of the flange is square
and not bevelled.
Mark IV is supplied. Marks I and Il l ma y be encoun tered, hut the y are obsolescent. No
percussion tu be of this size is manu facture d.

B ril l Tubes.
219. Tubes represen ting .4-inch and 5-inch Percussion Tubes and l-ineli Elect ric Tubes are
supplied for drill purposes. They arc identified by being blackened all over anil having vortical
inden ts in the ir bodies a nd milled bases.
'Hie Electric Brill Tu be has a me tal conta ct piece and it s m outh is closed by a wooden plug.
The Percussion Drill Tube has a recessed base which is till, d with a har d rubbe r pad sec ured by
a metal holder.
Markings.
220. The following marking s will be found on the base of a tulx- : -
(0 le tt e r **S ." where applica ble.
(if) Mark of tube.
(tif) Manufa cturer's initi als o r t rad e m ark.
(ivj Lot n umber.
(v) Acceptance mark J/h ).

Pac kin g of Tub es. Vent.

221. Tubes are packed in a flat tin box which is sealed by a soldered tear-o il band. There ar e ten
tubes in a box. and each b ox is labelled with d etail s of its contents.
" O peration |xipcrs " are enclosed in each box of tubes and should al ways accom pany a report
of failure.
Tubes are stowed in a special locker in the Gun ner'- store room. Lockers are fitte d near the
guns for a ready-use supply of tubes in action .
222.

D
 I

30

CHAP TER IX

PRI ME RS
223. Primers art- fit ted in Q.F. cartr idges to ignite the charge. They a re screwed into the prim er
hole of the case and form an integ ral par t of the cartr idge . Inste ad of the conve ntiona l priner, cart­
ridges for the Q.F . guns 12-jxlr. 12-cwt. and 4.7-inch, Mark V* may be Fitted with an Adap ter to
take a .4-inch percussion tube and Igniter.
Primers for Aircraft Catapult Cartr idges a nd Blank Cartridges ” to lx* made up on board ” are
‘upplied in boxes. All other Q.F. cartr idge s are supplied fitted with primers.
The types of primer are—Ele ctri c, Percussion and th e combined Elect ric and Percussion. Each
class of p rimer is identified t y a numbe r, and tlie types and numbers at presen t arc ;—
Primers, Elec tric Q.F. C irtrid ge Nos. 13, 17, 22, 2 4, 32 and 35.
Primers. Percussion Q.F, Cartridge Nos. 1. 2. 5, 9. 10. 11. 12. 15, 16. 23, 26. 27 and 33.
Primers, Electric and Percussion Q.F Car tridge Nos. 14 an d 19.
The design and components of the Primers, as ill ustra ted, are t ypical of each class.

Primers, Electric Q.F. Cartridge. Plate 6.

224. The Elect ric Prim«T is s imilar to the Percussion Primer, e xcept th at a bridge plug assembly
is sub stit ute d for the cap. aavtl and cone seal.
Electric primers differ from o ne a noth er mainly in th e size of the body and in th e size and shape
of the magazine.
The acti on of a typical Electri c Prime r on firing i s :—
Th,- stri ker makes contact wi th the cont act piece, complet ing the circui t through the central
insulated copp er wire, bridgi wire, cop per pole and hack t o e arth through th e body. The bridge wire
gets hot and in turn the gur.cotton dust, the gunpowd er pellet and the powd er magazine are ignited.
The flash from the magazine passes through the flash holes a nd ignites th e charge of the cartridge,
(lun pressure is preven ted from escaping to the rea r by the sealing action of the bridge plug which, on
settin g back un de r pr essure, sea ts more tigh tly in its recess.
Nos. 17, 22 and 24 m ayb e repai red and refilled.
Primers, Percussion Q.F. Cartridge. / ’/«/<■ 6.
225 file Percussion Pri ne r con sists of a body which co ntain s a cap, anvi l, cone seal and screwed
plug, and a powder magazine. The Body is flanged a t the base and screw-th readed exte rnall y j us t
above t he flange. The two slots in tin1 b ase ar e for the key. Magazines of the various primers differ
in size and sh:.|x>. and they nay he secured to the front of or incorporated in the body.
226. The a ctio n of a typical Percussio n Prime r on firing is
rh e cap is ignited by tin- blow from th e s triker. Flash passes throug h the fire holes in the an vil,
past the cone sea l, through ihe lire hole s in the screwed plug and ignites t he powder in the naga zine .
The resultin g flash parses through the flash holes and the charge of the cartr idge is ignited. Tin-
pressure- set up in the magazine forces the cone seal o n to its seating and the cordite gase s ar e thus
prevente d from escaping to th e rear.
Nos. 1.9. 10. 11 and 15 may lx- repaired and refilled.

Primer s, Ele ctr ic and Perc uisi on Q.F . Cartridge. Pla te 6.

227. The combined Electric and Percussion Prim er may be fired b y eit he r method. '.Tie body
and mechanism of No. 14 and No. 19 arc similar, but No. 19 has a smaller magaz ine.
The action of a typical combined Electric and Percussion Prime r i s :—
Percussion firing.—On fcrcussion from the stri ker the cent ral pole and strik er bridge arc driven
forward, shearing the three shear wires. The rim on the strik er bridge driv es the cap agai nst the
screwed anvil and the flash passes through the fire hol es; in turn , the gunc otton dust , gunpowder
pellet and the powder in the magazine a rc ignited. Gun pressure is prev ented from blowing brick by
a shoulder behind the striker se ttin g down on a soft copp er washer.
Electric firing. Ihe action of the primer is simi lar to that of t he Electri c Primer.
No. 14 ma y be rep aired and refilled.

Markings on Pri me rs.

225. (i) Serial number of prime r,
(»») Mark numeral of primer.
(io) N, denoting Naval Service.
(fv) Ini tia l or monogram of filling station or t rad e mark or i nitials of firm filling the prime r.
 31
CH. IX.
(r) Dat e of tilling (month an d year).
* (ri ) Lot number of primer.
(vii'l Con trac tor's initials o r recognised tra de mark .
Afa r. The use of acceptance marks is d iscontinued, but the former sym bol 4^ may
be encountered.
225). If a repa ired and refitted p rimer is used the existi ng marking is bar red out and, a fter repair,
\ the following marki ngs a re added :—
(i) R o r M after the mark numeral of primer.
(«) N, denotin g Naval Service, if not alrea dy s o marked.
(mi) Con trac tor’s initials or recognised trad e ma rk of r epairing firm.
(if) Month a nd year of r epair.
(») Lot Number.
(:>;') Con trac tor's initials o r recognised trad e ma rk or mon ogram of s tat ion refilling.
(fm) Mo nth an d ye ar of refillin g.
Tools and keys are dealt with in Schedule of Keys. (Page 131.)

Markings on Adapters.
230 The following ma rks are. st amp ed on the base of an adap ter
(i) Mark numeral ol ada pte r.
(iT) N. denoting Naval Service.
(Hi) Manu facture r’s initials.
(if) Date of ma nuf act ure (mont h a nd year).
(p) Lot number.
A'vZc.- The use of acc epta nce marks is d isconti nued, but the former sy mbol 4v ma y
be enc oun tere d.

231-234.
 32

CHA PTE R X

BLAN K CAR TRI DGE S

GENER AL.
235. Blank Cartridg es a rc issued to saluting ship s fur saluting guns ; in special cirai msta nces
they ma y l>e use d for signalling purposes.
The main functions of Blank Cartrid ges are to produce a loud report an d to cr eate as much smoke
as po&sible. Th ey are used wit hou t a projectile. Cordite is unsuit able for blank charges because
(1) it is smokeless, and (2) it will not give a sufficient report nr burn compl etely w ithout a projec tile
to tamp the charge.
Normal ly, the compon ents for Q.F. Blank Cartridge s are supplied for making up on board, but
in certain small sh ips a p roporti on of t he outfit is su pplied made up.
Klank cartridges suppted to ships for guns other than saluting guns are- made up by the Armament
Depots.
236. ILL. Blank Cartridge s consist of a gu npow der charge packed in a silk cloth or a ce am serge
hag with a shalloon bo tto m; the mo uth of th e b ag is ch oked with doubled, sewing silk. The car tridg e
is hooped by means of silk or shalloo n braid s passed throu gh fairlcads sewn to the bag.
237. Q.F. Blank Cartridges consis t of a gunpo wder charge packed in a silk do th , cream serg e ot
shalloon bag an d contained in a Q.F . cartrid ge case. Early marks of Q F Blank cartridges have a
felt jacket ov er the lug . but thes e am obsolete for future- manufactur e.
238. Q.F . Blank Cartridges an- made up on board unde r tin supervision of th e G unner in a place
above the water line.
The procedure is :—
(») Examine the cartr idge case. It must be perfectl y clean an d dry and a correct lit in
the gun chamber. Cases may be used a num ber of times provided they are clean,
unspli t and fit into the gun chamber.
(tti Insert a primer (or a Tube Group for those 12-pdr., 12-cwt. cartridges so designed).
If a percussion or an electric and percussi on p rimer or tube group is used a S afet y ('lip
must be fitted.
(Hi) Stand the case on it s base.
(iv) Inser t the clnrge (with choked end up), wad an d o the r com ponents as required.
(v) l’lact- tin- metal guid e ring or the ring inserting cup, as requir ed, over the mo uth of
the case.
(«') Insert the leathe rboar d cup in the guide ring or the ring inserting cup as required ;
press home with th e wooden d rift in th e manner indicat ed by the instru ctiona l label.
Note. If diffi culty is experienced w ith a 3-pdr. or 6 -pdr. charge owing t o t ightne ss,
it should be lightly rolled. The charge must be a tight tit hi the case.
239. Cases are only tu be filled as required. Cartrid ges made up and not require d for imux-diate
use should be retur ned to the ir boxes for restowagc in Che magazine (Article 262 N.M. & E.R.). Safety
clips (if fitted} should first be replace d on the cases.
Before cartr idg e cases which ha ve been tilled on boa rd a rc retur ned to a N aval A rmament Depot,
they must be emptied and the printe rs removed. Charges should be replaced ill their metal-Lned cases.
Q.F. BLANK CARTRIDGES.
Cartridges, Q.F., Blank, 4.7-inch, 4-inch and 3-inch 20-cwt. P/ufc 7.
240. The Service Q.F. cart ridg e case is used. The charge consists of L.G. or G.I 2 jow der en­
closed in a silk cloth or cream serge bag.
Cartrid ges with percussion or combined electric an d percussion prime rs have the bottom of the
bag closed with a shalloon disc. Those fitte d with electric primers hav e the bottom closed with a
pocket which fits over the [rim er magazine The front end of lhe bag is closed by choking with sewing
silk.
The charg e is loaded itt o the bottom of t he case an d above it are placed a m illboard wid, a split
paper ring and a leatherb oard cup. The cup is pressed into th e split paper ring (with the drift supplied)
and on to th e wad above the charge and prev ents tin- lat ter moving forward. The cup is furt her
secured by shellacking.
The charge is ignited by an electric, percussion or combined electric and percussion prim er as
required.

Cartridges, Q.F., Blank, 4-inch, M arks V- V* \ XV. XVI and XVI*. Reduced Mark II. Plots 7.
241. Strips carrying three gttns are supplied with Blank Cartridges with a special redu <<l . baiee
for salu ting purposes.
The cartr idge case is tie servic e case with a brass sleeve secured to it by screws through th e base.
A reduced charg e of 1 lb. is loaded into the sleeve and secured by a leather ixiard cup.
 34

CHAPT ER XI

PKOJECT ILES
SECTION I—GEN ERA L REMARKS

250. Projec tiles in use in th e Service fal l into thro* main groups . -
(i) Piercing shell.
(»*) High Explosive shell.
(iii) Miscellaneous shell, including prac tice sh ot.

FACTORS INFLUENCING DESIGN

The design of a ll types of shell is influenced by the following fact ors:
Travel down t he bore.
Flight in the air.
Effect desired at end of flight and damage to th e target.
Travel down the Bore.
251. A projec tile requires a stro ng base to with stan d chamb er pressure, and the walls mi st be
thick enough to withs tand the accelera tion forces an d side slap. The tilling must not " set back"
on acceleration. Projectiles for a given gun must be of appr oxim ately the same weight, so th at they
leave t he bore wit h the same muzzle velocity.
Flight in the Air.
252. One o f the principal forces which affect a projectil e in flight is th e resistance of the air .
It is necessary to reduce this resistance to the projectile to a minimum in order to obtain
(i) The maximum range a t any given el evation .
{«) The maxim um st rikin g energy at any given range.
(»'«) The sho rtest time of flight at any g iven range.
(tv) 1lie grea test ding er space at any range.
Given the weight, diameter and muzzle v elocity of a projectile, the princi pal factors affe cting ail
resistance a re the s hape of the projec tile and its steadiness.
The resis tance offenxl to a shell by the air i s affected by the shape of its head and of its base
behind the drivi ng band.
253. The chi ef factor affecting he ad resistance is the length of head and not the actu al curva ture.
Experi ments indica te that an ogival shape is superior to a conical. Lengths of h ead up to S-calibre
radius have been found effective in reducing air resistanc e if sa tisfac tory steadi ness can be obtai ned
with such long shell. Where perfor ating qu alities are r equired shell must ha ve a comparatively blun t
point, and this lia s led to the ad optio n of a ballistic cap for cer tain Piercing Shell.
Steadim->< depends on th- physi cal const ants of tin- shell and on the amount of spin imputed by
the rifting. A long shell, such as an H.E ., requires a higher rate of spin tha n a relativel y short shell,
such as an A.P.C., and is liable to fail for accura cy in a w orn gun at. an earl ier stag e tha n the sh orte r
shell, owing to loss of spin from th e sm oothin g of i ts d rivin g band.

NOMENCLATURE FOR DESCRLHING THE SHAP E OF HEAD.

254. The sha pe of th e head is descrilx-d as cithe r of " n " c.r.h. or " u/in c.r.h
In the first case, the head is a tm e ogive, s truc k with a radiu s of “ n ” calibres with th? centr e
in the plane contai ning the skoulder.
In the second case, the leig th from sh oulder to tip is the same as the leng th of a true " n " c.r .h .
but the head is stru ck with a adius of " in " calibres with the centre in a plane below the shojld er.
The modern shell (see Fig. 3) is designed so t ha t the height CD (often r eferred to as the " ballisti c
length ”) is the governing factor in the shape of the head, th e radius of the curv e AED being of secondary
importance.
Thus, true 3 c.r.h. would mean th at arcs of 3 calib res radius are stru ck with thei r cent res on
the line AB produced.
3/6 c.r.h . would mean that the lengt h CD was due to 3 cal ibres ra dius a nd the curve AFD wa s ol
6 calibres radius.
3,'oo c.r.h. would mean that the len gth CD was due to 3 calibres radius and the head was conical.
AGD being a st raig ht line, is considered a curv e ot infinit e radius.
This system of nomenclature was adopted to ena ble an exact definition of any shaped head to
lx- given for design purposes.
 35
<'H. XI .
255. Pr ev iou sly , she ll were r ef err ed to by the ca lib re leng th of th e ma in str iki ng radi us. Th is
was of use o nly whe n the he at was a tru e ogiv e. If th e ma in rad ius , how eve r, ha ppe ned U» be str uc k
from a po int belo w th e line of sh ou lde r AB, it migh t be an yth in g up to in fin ity for an y height CD
Thu s, qu oti ng th e mai n rad ius gave n o in dic atio n of th e tr ue s hap e of the he ad.
Th e sys tem gives latit ude in des ign to ena ble th e co nt ou r of the shell jui d luze to be ma de to
coinci de, since, hav ing the e.i.li, req uir ed , the len gth CD can be de te rm in ed ; also , the lengt h and
bre ad th of th e fu ze bei ng known, th e c ur se AIT ) can bo eas ily a dju ste d.

(All lines an d po int s of refe rence to th e rig ht of a ■c rt ic il thr oug h po int A to be con side red as
hav ing th ei r com ple me nts sym me tric ally to th e left of a ver tica l thr ou gh po int B.)
Cl) — Ballistic Le ng th = L inches AH - nd
AB Calibre of She ll = d inches AK - 2nd
AH

CK 2ml -
AH - Radi us of Cu rve E = n c.r.h .

AJ *= „ „ „ 1* = n/ m c.r .h
AD - (Stra ight line ) „ G = n /» c.r.h

Formul a to deter mine ballistic Irnglb.

256. Angles ADK an d ACD are ri gh t ang les an d by sim ila r tria ngl es : —

_L = 2, 1( 1 -7»
7 , _ L

I. 8 - n d » - -d» d a- (4n — 1)
5 - ------
•1 *

Hence L - ~ In I ~ Ba llis tic Len gth in inches .

Hius for a 6-i nc h calibre—

The l en gt h CD for 2 c.r. h. = 7.94 inches .
„ ,, CD 4 c.r .h. — 11.62
.. CD „ 6 c.r. h. = 14.39 „
Servic e Nom encla ture.
'257. Shell ha vin g he ads of m ore tha n 2 c.r. h. ar e iden tifie d by th e let ter s A, B, C or D afte r the
Mark of the she ll (fa ra. 312).
Fo r ex am pl e:—
Mark I I I den ote s a shell o f 2 c.r .h. an d un der .
„ I I IA „ ov er 2 c.r .h. and u p to 4 (inch)
„ 11IB „ „ „ 4 c.r .h. „ „ 6 „
.. IH C .. „ „ 6 c. r.h ...............8 ..
.. II ID .. „ 8 c.r .h.............. 10 „
 3G
< H XI—SEC TION 2
For shell with Crtuponnd sha pe ol head the procedure adop ted for n omenc lature is as follows :—
N'-w designs of projectiles, if designed to range the same as an existing type, arc given t he same
let ter as tha t type . If, however, a new type is not designed to range with any existing Mark its
Ittllis tic qualiti es are assessed with a view to giving it an equivale nt or Service c.r .h.
It will he >ccn, therefore. tha t the nominal c.r.h. sometimes differs mate rially from the actua l
c.r.h ., and it is dangerous Io use the formu la withou t ascerta ining the true conditions.

Damaging the Target, etc.

258. Piercing p rejectiles are intend ed to perfo rate the side o r de ck of a ship and afte r a certain
dela y to burs t inside, Miidim. fragme nts sideways and forwards into its vital* In additio n, the
deton ation will p rod ux .bl ast which will damage light bulkhea ds and hatches.
In general, assuming un iform deton ation , as the "c ap ac ity " of shell is i ncreased so the size of
the fragme nts become -mailer and their velocity higher, while the blast effect gets greate r To
prod uce maximum dun age th e capacity of tin shell should he as g n at as the piercing require ments
or the st reng th and hng th ol the shell will permi t.

CH X I. SEC TIO N 2—H . E. FIL LI NG

CHI EF REQUIR EMENT S
259. The chief requirem ents for a satis facto ry high explosive tilling a re :—
(») That the explosive can be filled in to t he shell in a sufficiently dense form and in such a «
manner tha t cavi tation does not take place and th at tin filling does not "s et ba ck "
on acceleration of the shell.
A fairly high de nsity of the tilling is essential because. firstly, the deton ation is more violent, and
secondly, if the filling is not dense enough to prevent setti ng hack on accelerati on, prem ature s may
occur with a sensitive tilling such as lyddit e. With less sensitive fillings the air gap left between the
exploder system and the tilling may decrease the inten sity of the deton ating wave and cause loss of
power in the detonatio n.
(i'») Th at lli< exp lod er sys tem is su ita ble an d will amp lify the de ton ati ng wav e ini tia ted
by the fu ze sufficiently t o det ona te completely' th e main filling.

EXPLO DERS.
250a. An exploder system is employe d to amplify the impulse given by the fuze. This impulse
may be Dc tonati vc. when provid ed b y a fuze or gaine filled w ith C.E. , or Ignito ry, when a flash-giving
fuze is used,

Exploders for Deton aive Impulses.

26f>. In all def aul ting system s an impulse of sufficient inte nsit y must Ire im parte d to the main
charge to insu re its complete deton ation . A comp arative ly in s f ii s i t i v e tilling such as cas t T.N.T. m ay
be broug ht occasional}’ to comple te deton ation by the fuze alone, hut some additi onal impulse is
usual ly required.
The simple exploder consists of a bag or pellet of high explosive which augm ents the impulse
given by the fuze or gain e. Explode rs of thi s type are used when the main filling is one which is
unlikely to " set back " when t he shell is fired
U n- e x p lo d e r m us t re m a in in eonhiet w it h th e f u z e a* th e d e to n a ti o n w av e lo se s p ow er ra p id ly
in air . Any air ga ps in the system of fu z., explode r anil main tilling .ire detri ment al to the efficiency
of the shell. To m ainta in c ont act between the fuze anil the-cxplo der t he practice of compressing the
explode r was adopted.

Exploders for Igniferous Impulses.

261. Base fuzes are m ainly of the deton ating type, hut some of the igr.iferous ty pe remain for
use in small l yddite o t powder filled shell. With the Igniferous type the expl oder syst em is ignited and
bum s w ith an increasing degree of violence unt il explosion of main filling occurs. The time required
to bring about explosion is such th at tin burs t does not take place un til the target ha s been pe netra ted.
Willi igniferous fuzes in H .E. filled shell th e expl oder is norm ally p icric powder.

METH ODS OF FILLING.

262. The m ain tilling explosives for Piercing a id High Explosive shell are
(i) T.N.T. eithe r " Poured,” “ Block " or mixed wi th Beesw ax.
(li) Shellitc.
(in) Lyddite.
(»*■> K.P.X /BAV .X. R.D.X ./T.N. T.
 37
CH. X I—S ECT ION 3.
T .N .T .- Pou red .
262a Molten T .N.T Grade 1 is poured int o shell throug h the fuze holes (base or nose, os app lic­
able) in three operation s. On solidification the spac e between the top of the tilling and the under
side of the Base Ad apte r or fuze socket is filled in w ith beeswax composi tion (Kit composition) aga inst
which the top of th e paper tube is pressed Io form an effective seal. The shell is then fitted wit h an
Ex plo der and fuze.
A gauge is used with bise fuzed shell to de termin e the numbe r of glazed board d iscs tob c i nserted
under the exploder : these e isure th at , when the fuze is screwed home, the re is sufficient compression on
lh« Exploder to trans mit its impulse satisfa ctorily to the Explo der and to the tilling.
With bas«‘ fuzed an d lase anti nose fuzed shell, a co pper gas chec k plat e and a gas check cov er
plate and screwed ring are then fitte d.

T.N .T. Blo ck Fillin g.

263 This method of tilling is used with c ertai n b ase fuzed Shell. The bloc ks are made by pouring
molten T.N. T. into hard grey pap er containe rs. Two or more blocks are prep ared for each shell
according to iU size and tle v are construct! d to suit the cavit y of th e shell. Afte r filling, the Base
Ada pter is the n scre w’d home. T N.T. adjus ting discs are used to bring the exploder cavity to the
required dep th, and the shell is the n fitted with its Explo der and fuze and do sed in the san e manner
as with a “ P oure d " T.N.T.

T.N.T. Bee swa x.

264 A m ixtu re of T.N.T'. and Beeswax is fed in to the shell by a special screw tilling pro co s and
exploder cav ity is then cut out . Other arran gem ents are similar to those for T.N.T. block and
th e
poured filling*.

Shcllite and Lyddite.

265 The m ethod of tilling is similar t o tha t for " Poured ” T.N. T.

R.D.XBAV.X.
266. Th e filling is pressed in pla ce hot. formers being used to sh aj ie tin- cav itie s for th? fuze and
the T race r a nd Ignite r or Igniter.

R.D.X/ T.N.T .
266a. Thi s tilling is pressed int o the shell in a m ann er similar to T.N. T. “ p oure d." It is scaled
by a layer of pu re T.N.T, to prev ent interac tion betwee n the li.D .X. and th e fuzing ar rangemen ts.

CH. XI SECTIO N 3- SP E C JA L FEAT URE S

DRIVING BANDS. 7-7g. I
267 A Driving Band it a ban d or ring of soft rnel al atta che d to a p rojec tile near its jase.
Its functio ns arc :—
(»') To r otat e the projec tile.
(*») To cen tre tht p rojecti le in the bore.
(»'«) To pr event jTOpe^lajit g as esc apin g pa st the projectile.
As the projec tile travels down the bore the drivi ng edge-, .if the laiuls exert pressn e un and
engrave the drivin g band and the projectile is rota ted
268. To give the maximum steadi ness the band should be tilted as near to the Ixjso ol the
projectile as possible.
In prac tice this is lim ted b y :—
(») The tendency for a baud placed too ne ar the base to ca use eddy waves which altcct
ballistics.
(it) The tendency for a pressed-on b and to tear off th e metal behind it owing to th e force
of engravin g; sufficient metal must be left in rear of the ban d to give the necessary
shear strength.
(<») The necessity for the band being in front of the stream-lining.
{iv) The necessity with fi xe d Ammunit ion tor the driving band to be lar ettougi forward .
to allow the projec tile to be firmly s ecured to the cart ridg e case.
Dri vin g ba nd s are usuall y o f c op pe r or copper alloys. Of these alloys cup ro- nic kel i s used where
a metal sligh tly tougher tlu n copp er is required. Ban ds are made of duct ile material s« th at the
materi al may be correctly displaced when the Ixuul i s engraved. The mate rial must l>e sufficiently
strong to sta nd s tress under the highes t pressure in tin gun and must offer, from ro und to ro und, a
uniform resistanc e to engraving s o tha t the ballistics of the gun arc not affected. In addi tion. the
design must provid e for the displaced metal, otherwise this will be liable to project o r fan i rregularly
from the band, an d cause variable resis tanc e in flight a nd Consequent inaccuracy .

<£>
 38

C I I. XI —SECTION 3.

Zz ZAZ Z \ 25
14 IN CH a ABO VE.

CUP0O HI<XU C O 'W t tUPIIO -MI CK U

8 IN C H . ft IN C H MK S X X H T O S X 1 H GU NS .

6 IN C H 5 -2 5 IN C H .

4 7 IN C H . 4 5 IN C H .

j— Z Z Z Z Z —Z Z |—

4 IN C H FA. 3 IN C H .

S £ 2 S i i

i
- 4
CH liU CUTS
ACNOS) HIM.
I
1

M ETHOD OF A TT A C H IN G D R IV IN G BA ND S.

FIG 4— TY PE S OF DRIV ING BANDS

 X)
CH. XI—SK< HON 3.
The d riv ing band is finely atta ch ed to the proje ctile, being forced by a press into a groove rou nd
the shell. Th in- are a nu mber of waved ribs a round the groove to preven t the ba nd slip ping round ti n
shell ; chisel cu ts a re made across these ribs to allow the air in the chann els between the rib s to
escape when th e driving band Is being pressed on.
269. Drivin g Bands fall b road ly into two categories— the " Gas-Chock " and the " H um p"
{») 'I he gas-check hand indudes an und erc ut lip or second slope near the tear nl In- band,
which is of a larger diam eter t han the rema inder of the ban d. When the band trave ls
forward a nd is compressed by the shot seat ing the lip is forced hard down on the metal
in rear of it and pre ven ts the escape of gas.
(»») Hum p bands are sim ilar in shap e but have no gas-check grave.

DOUBLE DRIVING BANDS

270. High er velocities and pressures in modern gun s hav e necessitated longer ban ds. These arc
made in two port ions and are term ed Double Driving bands. The bar.ds arc intend ed to overcome
the mechanical difficulties of pressing a v ery wide single Kind on a shell. Doubb Driving bin ds have
been introduced for shell forB .L. gun s 6-inch, Mark X X II I and S-ineli.
When Sep arat e Ammui ition is loaded the highest part of the driving band takes again st the
Coned shot Seating of the gun, in some instances for a d ista nce of J-inch, an d so brings the projecti le
to rest. No pa rt of the driving ba nd comes into co ntac t with the rifling unt il the gun is tired.
With Fix ed Ammunition, the drivin g band is a fract ion of an inch clear of the shot seating of a
new gun.

PENETRATIVE CAPS.
271. Steel Pene trativ e Caps are fitted to Armour Piercing and Common Pointed shell.
The c ap is fitted over the nose of t he projecti le a nd ts secured firmly t o its head. Its function is
to assist the br eak- up of th e hard face of th e p late and ens ure th at the head of the shell is not shatte red.
Shell fit ted with penetr ative cap s are referred to as " capped " and th e lett er " C ’’ is ad ded to
their nome nclatu re, c.g., A.P.C., C.P.C.
Caps for A.P.C. shell arc of hard steel and are inlended lo pulverise live hard face of the plate .
Caps for C.P.C. shell are of ver y soft steel and the y suppo rt the poin t of the shell on impa ct.

BALLISTIC CAPS. Plate S

272. Ballisti c Caps are hollow thin steel domes, eith er ogival or conical, fitted t o -
(») Piercing shell to increase their c.r.h. and so decrease the air resistance.
(if) Pra ctic e projectiles fitte d with tin- " K “ device.
(irij Practice projectiles fitt ed with the " A. K. " device.
Ballistic cap s are screwed and notc hed to the hearts of t he shell o r their pene trati ve caps, an d may
be t run cat ed or perforat ed lor use with the " K " o r " A .K." device.
Their ligh t weight enables a long head to he used witho ut adversely affecting the balance of t he
projectil e and so the disadvantage- of lengthening the actu.nl head of the projectile to give a. large
c.r.h. is minimised.
Projectiles fitted with ballistic caps mus t be handl ed with special care to avoid distor tion or
loosening of th e relativ ely weak cap.

" K ” AND " A.K ." DEVICES

273. The " K " or " A.K.” devices arc fitted to cert ain types of p iercing shell an d practice pro ­
jectiles so t ha t the firing ship may identify the (all o f it s own shot by the colour of the splashes. The
outfit for a s hip are all of the same colour.

•* K ” Device. Ftof r 8.
274. This device consists of a ballisti c cap which has
(«) A suitabl e w’ight of coloured dyestuff. The colours supplied arc red, yellow, green
and white. White is an emp ty head wit hou t a tilling.
{»') A " K " adap ter an d a conta iner with a C.E. pellet.
<«•'»> A percussion D.A. fuze No. 241 or No. 248.
The fuze functio ns on impact with the water, the device is exploded an d the dyestuff colours th e
water.
275. The “ K “ device is fitted to
(i| 14-inch, 15-inch and IB-inch A.P.C; shell.
(•«) 8-inch S.A.P.C. shell.
(in) 6-inch C.P.B.C. Hea vy shell.
(if) 14-inch, 15-ire:h an d IB-inch Practice projectiles.
 40
CH. XI—SECTION 3.
“ A.K . Devi ce. Plate 9.
276. The ba lli st ic cop of ibi s dev ice is in tw o par ts, the for wa rd pan being a removab le cap.
Coloured dy es tu ff is insert ed in the ba llis tic cap. Th< removable cap has po rts or ap ert un s an d is
covered w ith a brass cap. Th t f ixed part of the ba llis tic ca p has po rts which ire fit te d wi th brass plugs.
On the fa ll of shot in the water ac tio n is in iti at ed by the water ente ring the fro nt por ts and forc ing
the dye stu ff thr ou gh the re al p b rt s The effect is s im ila r to th at of the " K " device.
277. The " A .K ." devie r is fi tt e d t o : —
(»') 1.5 inc h to 5.25-inch S A I’ , w ith ba llis tic caps.
(«’») 8- iii ch and below P rac tice pr ojec tiles.

Filling Dye stuff or Chang ing Colo ur on Board.

278 " K " and " A. K? shell and Practice uro jec tiles w ill no rm all y be issued to ships in a
co nd itio n for fir in g, but in case i t is necessary t o fi ll dy es tuf f or change colo ur on b oard. the follo wing
is tin procedure
. (t) '* A' ” ifew e.
(a) Slack back fixing screw securing adaplei or plug reprcsvtiling adapter.
(t») Unscrew a dapter o r plug repres enting adapte r.
(c) E xt ra ct bags of dye stu ff.
(</> Inse rt the requi site hags of d yr st uf l, tie d tog ethe r i n line, cakin g care tha t suffi cient
space is left in th e c ap ca vi ty for the lowe r pa rt o f the ad ap ter whe n inserted .
;«•) Replace adapter, using Ma rk V I lin in g to make an a ir tig h t jo in t between adapter
and adapte r s eati ng on the end o f the ba llis tic Cap.
(/ ) l ighte n fixin g s crew and c over hole w it h Mar k VI luti ng .
(«) “ .1.K ." device
(a) Unscrew the fr ont po rti on o f the ba lli st ic cap.
(5) Ex tra ct tin bags of dyestuff.
( 0 Inse rt new bags as r equired.
fi /i Replace the fro nt po rtio n of the ba llis tic cap, using Mark VI lu tin g on the thread s.
H ie fo llo wi ng notes are far the guidance of officers in charge o f the wo rk o f ins. rt in g or (ha ngi ng
the dye.
(a} Enq uiri es indicate; th at the dyes used io thi s co un try ar c no n-to xic , la e y are,
howev er, in the for m of a ve ry fine dus t and the inh ali ng of an y dust for long
periods is nju riou s.
(b) The bags are tre ate d to rend er the m imp erv ious to the dye, nevertheless, some
escape must be expe cted . Th< po sit ion selected for the wo rk should, there fore, be
such th at the d rau gh t moves f rom the ope rato r to the shell and not vjoe versa.
(c) A ny ra tin g who wishes to wear a face mask shoul d a pp ly fo r one to the Sick Ba y.
The wea ring o f su ch a mask is n ot g ene rall y necessary.
(rf) The dye wd l sta in the skin and the st ai n can not be remo ved in a single washing ,
bu t w ill cocue o ut gra du ally in the course of iw o or thre e days.
Note.— A small qu a n tit y of a pa te nt s tain remo ver is issued by armament depots
when iss uiig u new colour . In st ru ct io ns art; on the tin , it can be used fo r removing
stain s on the sk in on ter min atio n o f th e work.
(c) Woo llen cloth ing w ill be pe rm an en tly sta im d. bu t the sta ins on cot ton clo thi ng
can be washed ou t.
( /) The men should wea r ove ralls tied a t the wrists .
(g-) An y rat ing s uffe ring fro m or prone to an affec tion of th e skin shoul d not be em­
ploy ed inse rting o r chang ing the dy e An y rat ing who develops ski n ir ri ta tio n
wh ile so employ ed should Ik- im me dia te ly wi th dr aw n fro m the work .

BASE ADA PTER S

279. The rea r end of the Cavi ty o f base fuzed shell is dosed wi th a pl ug known as a base adap ter.
The a dapte r is screwed in to t b shell and the base fuze is screwed int o the ada pte r. The ba~ ; adap ter
is screwed in to the shell an tic loc kw ise to preven t it s bein g unscrewed by the rot ati on o f the shcIL
The thread s are coated wi th R.D . ceme nt (except in blo ck fill ed shell) to ren der them gas tight and
wa te rti gh t . in most shell a coppe r washer is fit te d un de r th« flange of th e adap ter for the samo
purpose. In blo ck fille d shell t he base a dapte r thread s :t i ma tod w itl i li lt in g In fa cil ita te unscrewing
the base ad ap ter if it is necessary to remove the fil lin g (" Poured " fille d shel l can on ly lie emp tied
by bo ilin g o ut).
The or ig in al ob jec t of the base ad ap ter was to assist man ufact ure of shell and fa cil ita te the
inse rtion o f the. co nta ine r a nd the fil lin g In cer tain Co nditio ns it wm, foun d th a t on plat e per fora tion
by Pierci ng she ll there was dis to rti on of ti n shell bas<. base ada pter. fuze an d expl oder system. Fo r
.ex am ple , when a Piercing shell perf ora tes arm our plate obl iqu ely the shell tends to straigh ten out.
and in doin g so its rear pa rt wi ng s rou nd , strik es the li p of the hole in the pla te a nd the shell base,
base ad ap ter an d fuze may be bro ken oi l, even in less -severe con diti ons the fuze may Ik- damaged.
 41
CH. X I—SEC TIO N 4.
< To pro vide for these p ossibilities the old solid plug type of b ase a da pt er has been superseded by
the Relieved Base Adap ter in Piercin g Shell 8-inch to IS inch.
t 280. In th e lladu ekl Relieved Base Ada pter (PJafe 8) the thread s of tin: ada pte r are some
distance in adva nce of the actua l shell base. Th< inner ring is fitted behind the ada pte r -.o supp ort
the walls aga inst the pressure of engrav ing the drivi ng band. When a shell with this type of ada pte r
perfora tes a plat e the wall-, in rear o f th e adapt* i tlir ad s may be forced in . drawn tn the re ar o r even
wrenched off with out affecting th e actum of the fuze.
Then is an oth er type of relieved base, similar in principle to the Hadfiel d design, whose walls
are supported again st the engraving pres sure by a pla te ac ross the base in stea d of b y the nne r ring.
t Eith er design may lx- enco untered in 8-inch S.A.P.C. shell.

CH X I. SECTION I PIE RC ING SHE LI

GENERA L REM ARK S.
281 Piercing shell are designed to perforate thick armour at battle ranges and. after perforation
and a certain delay, tn burst ellectivi lv sending fragm ents sideways and forwards into the vita ls of
the targe t. The shell h ave thick hea ds and walls and so produce large fragm ents and a g<x>d forward
effect. Their capa city is small
Piercing she ll a re base fused. They are fitte d wit h a de tona tive explode r system ; an igtiiferous
explode r syste m may be fitted in some shell of early types.
A copper gas check pk te fits over the fuze and is held in position l»y a steel Cover plate, or a
No. 8 or No. 9 tra cer secured b y a screwed ring. Lat er Marks of large base fuzed shell are i tt e d with
a guide ring t o ensu re th at the cover plate or trac er doe s not turn when tigh tening up th e screwed ring.
Where an Optional Delay l-'uzc is used its “ se ttin g " device is con tained m the base cove r pl ate
of the shell or in the No. 8 tracer (if fitted). The types of se tting d evice an d their method ol op. rat ing
are set out in para . 382

t Armour- Piercing Capped (A.P.C.) Shell. Plate 8.

282. A.P.C. shell arc of forged steel hardened (treated) to withstand the shock of impact and the
» various stres ses imposed when perfo rating armour, especially at oblique angles. Shell an designed
to perforate thic k armou r and, aft er a certain delay , to burs t effe ctiv ely; every consideratio n is
subor dinate to this end. K »tl» a Pen. tra tive Cap and a Ballistic Cap are fatted. The Penet rative Cap
is sweated to the head of the shell and is addi tional ly secured by its sk irt, being pressed into notch es
1 formed nn t he ogival portion. Capacity* is small so a s to provide stren gth for pen etratio n.
The ca vit y for th e main filling is lined with an al umini um contain er. A c avity is lef t u the rear
end of t he tilling into whici one or more a djus ting discs and the Explo der are lilted . tin Exp lode r
I is u nder sligh t compression when the fuze is screwed in.
283. \.P .C. >hell are supplied for 14-irich. 15-inch and 16-ittch guns.
They are filled with Shellite exc ept the earlier mar ks of 16-inrh which arc filled T.N.T. blocks.
The ca pacity i s about 2A p-r cent
The E xplo der filling for a Shel lite main filling is P icric acid ; for a T.N.T. main filling it is T.N.T.
or «• E.
Large base percussion fuzes No-. 158. I58A or 159. are used. The fuze is screwed into the Base
Ad ap ter a nd p res sed clos e ig ai ns t th e Ex plo der pell et to en sur e th at lire impu lse is tra ns m itt ed to
the main tilling.

Semi-Armour-Pi ercing Capped (S-A.P.C.) Shell. Pla te 8.

284. S.A.P.C. shell arc for use against lightly arm oure d ships. The y are similar in design to
A.P.C. shell, but their arin otr piercing properties are rela tively inferior because of their greater cap aci ty.
S.A.P.C. shell are supplied for 8-inch guns.
The filling is cithe r Shcllite wi th a Picric acid e xplo der or T.N.T.,i'B.W.X. with a T.N.T. or C.E.
exploder. In earlier mark* the filling is T.N.T. " blo cks " with a T.N.T. exploder. The rap aci tyd s
about 5 per c ent.
z Large bas e percussion luxes, Nos. 345 or 346, an; used. If used with Tra cer, a No. 8 Traa- r is fitte d.

I Semi-Armour-Piercing (8.A.P.) Shell. Plate 9.

285. S.A.P. shell are cither u ncap ped (monobloc) or fitted with a ballis tic cap.
S.A.P. slid l are supplied with Sepa rate or Fixed ammu nition for 1’2-pdr. 12-cwt.; 4 -i lt d t;
4.5-inch ; 4.7 -inch ; 5.25-inch guns.
The filling is T.N.T. “ pou red ” with a C.E. exp lod er; older types of filled Lyddite .-.liell art-
still in the Service. The cap acity is about. 4 per cent.
• T.N.T. filled shell are fitted with medium base fuzes Nos. 500 or 501. Lyddite filled shell are *
fitted wi th fuzes Nos. 121* Special or 500. If used with tra cer , a No. 9 T rac er is fitte d.
 42
CH. XI —SECTIO N 5.
Common Poin ted Capped {C.P.C.) Shell.
286. Certain C P.< shell are used against u narm oure d ships an d light targ ets. The c ap is :>f soft
mild steel and altho ugh this contrib utes to the perfora ting properties, the shell can only be relied
upon to perfora te thin armou r and rema in intac t. Designed originally for po wder filling, S0R1! shell
have been con verte d to lake T.N.T " poured." The m ethod of filling and exp loder system are similar
to those of A.P.C. shell.
C.P.C. shell a re supplied for 6-inch and 15-inch guns. The capacity is about 7 pe r cent.
Large b ase percussion fuzes, Nos. 158, 159. 345. 346 or 480. ar e used according to calibre. This
type of shell is obsolescent.

Common Poin ted Balli stic Capped (C.P.B.C.) Shell. Plate 9.

287. C.P.B.C. shell ar e at presen t supplied for 6-inch and 14-inch gu ns; they are semi-ar mour
piercing shell fitt ed with ballistic caps .
The filling is T.N.T. or T.N.T./B.W.X.. dependent on the degree of insnnsitiveness req uin t when
atta ckin g a rmour ; some older types a re Shellite filled. The metho d of tilling an d the exp loder system
arc similar to those of A.P.C. shell. Th e c apac ity is from -1 to 6 per cent.
Large base percussion fuzes. No. 479 or 480. are used. If used wi th Tra cer a No. 8 Tracer is fitted.

Common Poin ted (C.P.) Shell.

288. C.P. shell are of ca st or forged steel, unbur dened . They were design ed for 2-pdr. to 6-inch
guns a nd are powder filksL C.P. shell a re obsolescent.
The fuzes used are Hotchkiss. Nos. 12 or 15. accordin g to calibre.-

CH. XI. SECTION 5—HIGH EXP LOS IVE (H. E.) SHE LL. PZa/c 10.
GENERAL REMARKS,
289. ILE . shell have a roach high er capac ity than Piercing Shell and are designed to cause
damage by the force of thei r hi rst o r b y fragmentation. Th e max imum efficiency of a High Explosive
shell is obtain ed on ly by its complete- deto natio n. Th e degr ee of det onati on or of explosion na v be
judged by the appe aranc e of the bu rst and the colour of smoke produced. (Para. 71.)
High Explosive shell are d f orged steel with walls an d base in one piece. The mate rial and the
thickness of t he walls have an im por tan t hearing on the efficiency of t he shell. To o btain maximum
cap acit y consist ent with adequat e stre ngt h the walls are tapered , becoming thicker towards the
base. A shallow recess is bon d out o f the Ixise and a steel Base Plate is screwed or caulked in to
guard against th e possibility .;{ undet ected flaws th rough which gases from th e charge might escape
on tiring and i gnite the main filling. The bas e pla te is forged hi th at the grain goes across the plate
and not through it . its diameter is a ppro xim ately three-quarters of the calibr e of the shell High
Explosive shell designe d to take a n inte rnal No. 2 Tracer have a thicker base a nd a slightly reduced
capac ity
The inter ior of the shell i- copal varnished, to give a smooth surface an d preve nt corrosion of
the steel by the tilling.
The appro ved main filling for H. E. Shell of all calibres is R.D. X./T .N.T. Formerly the main
fillings were T.N. T. or Lvdiiitr. R.D .X.'B .W. X. is a ppro ved for Q.F. 2-pdr. and 40 mm. (Bofors)
ILL Shell. (Plate II.)
The Expl oder s ystem may be eith er Deto nativ e or Iguiferous, accordin g to the tilling and the
fuze employed.
The fuze and exploder con tainer a re screwed in to the nose of the shell Some shell may be fitted
with a nose bus h. Explod er c ontain ers are used with shell 8-inch a nd above.
290. The maj ority of Q.F. High Angle shell are suppli ed plugged and fuzes are fitted on board.
Shell taking Fuze No. 211 are suppli ed fuzed.
In High Angle H.E. shell a smoke hox may be fitt ed below the exploder so t ha t the burst may
be more easily observed (j>ara. 99). As a result of tr ials it is considered that the presence of a smoke
box is unnecessary in medium cal ibred H.E. shell, and the y ate being om itte d from future supplies
in order to obt ain some increase in letha l effect.
All I LE. shell are nose fused with the exception ol certa in Marks of 15-inch which ar e base anti
nose fuzed (B .N.F. ), The s -leered fuze depends on the calibre of the shell a nd the service for which
it is re quired ; gaincs arc also fitted where necessary. <$. 2
In the eve nt of 15-iuch BN .E. shell being used agai nst targ ets which th e common pointed shell
• were designed to atta ck, a special ste el nose plug is supplied to replace Fuze 380. B.N.F. shell are
lilted with a copp er gas check plate which is held in place b y a b ase cove r p lat e and screwed ring, j
 43
CH. XI SECTION 6.

CH. XI . SECTION 6 OT HER PROJ ECT ILES

Star Shell. Pfofe 12.
291. Th e function of Sta r Shell is to i llumina te a p arti cul ar are a or a definite target.
The fo ile d steel shnll is of the Base Ejec tion typ e and contain s a para chut e w ith an illuminating
sta r atta che d. The shell walls arc made to have the minimu m st rength c onsist ent with their ab ilit y to
withs tand the pressure set up on disc harg e; this is to allow the maximu m accommodation for the
para chu te an d star . For Star Shell charges see {para. 171).
292. St ar shell of thC base e jectio n type a re supplied for all guns 12-pdr. 12-cwt. t o 5.2S-inch.
Fuze No. 198 is used with shell 4-inch and below Fuzes Nos. 206. 207 and 215 are used w ith
shell 4,5-inch and above with cert ain exceptions. Fu tur e policy is to use No. 215 only, however.

A c t io n .

2 9 3 T h e f u n c t io n in g >f t h e f u z e i g n i t e s the powder b urster. The resul ting explosion ignite s the
priming composition of the sta r, frac ture s the sheari ng pins a nd ej ects th e burnin g s tar an<l parac hute
from the base of the she l. The parac hute opens ou t, rights itself, an d allows the burning sta r to
fall g ently, open end downwards.
294. Th e use o f Sta r Shell is limited to certai n minim um ranges ; below- thes e ranges, t he str ain
imposed on th e para chute by tin- high remaining veloc ity may cause fra ctu re of its shrouds.
There are two types of para chut e, the original type and a much stron ger type recently intr o­
duced. Shell fitted with the original typ e arc marked with a red s tar on a white disc. Shell containi ng
the stronger type are marked w ith a green sta r on a whit e disc.
The following tab le shows, fu r each calibr e an d for each of t he types of p arac hute , t h ’ minimum
range for cor rec t functioning with the present star she ll charges. If fuzes are set to burst at shorter
ranges, par ach ute failures are likely to occur.
The h eigh ts a t which the shell should be set to bu rst are shown in th e last column. These heights
are selected t o give the best illumi nation of the targe t consi stent with th e minimu m dazzling of directo r
crews, a nd are intended U cau se the st ar to cease to burn when it has fallen to abou t 2fW feet from
the water. Th ey d iffer in detail front the sta nda rd ” 2.000 feet height of bur st " for which most ships
have, cal culat ed the ranges to se t on the range dials of the starsh ell gutis and some revision of the
" ranges to se t ” will b e necessary.

MINIMUM DI ST AN CE S
OLD TY PE N EW TYP E HEIG HT AT
EQUIPM ENT PARACHUTE PAKA CHC TR W-HI lt BUR ST
(R ED s t a r ) (GR EE N STAR) SHOULD OCCUR

Yards Yards Fee t

Q.F., 5.25-in., Mark I ............... 6.200 2,600 2.200
Q.F., 4.7-in., Mark XI ............. •• 4,200 1,100 2.200
B.I... 4.7-in.. Marks I- and 11 i

Q.F.. 4.7-in.. Marks IX and X ll / ............... 1,800 I.<100 2,200

Q.F., 4.7-in., Mark VIII 1.800 1,000 2,200
Q.F.. 4.5-in., Marks 1. Il l md IV ... ... 3,200 1,000 1,700
Q.F., 4-in., Mark XIX ............. ••• 1,000 1.000 1.700
Q.F.. 4-in.. Mark XVI ............. 1,700 1.000 1,700
Q.F., 4-in., Marks IV, V asd XII . 1,000 __ 1,700
Q.F., 3-in., 2 0-cwt................................ .. . ... 1,000 — 1,200
Q.F., 12-pdr.......................................... ... 1,000 — 1.200

j 295. Th e approxim ate times of burn ing are

3 - inch
20-cwt................... ... ............... Abo ut 20 seconds.
4-inch ..................................... , . About 25 seconds.
4.5-inch .. ... .............. ............... Abou t 25 seconds.
•
4.7-inch ............................................................ .. Abou t 25 seconds.
5.25-incli ... ............................................... Ab out 30 seconds.

Care m ust be taken to pre ven t disto rtion to the shell base and t he shell must not be allowed to
fall on its base. The access of wa ter to the base should also be avoided.
 41
CH. X I—SECTION 6.
Star Shell, 2-pd r.
296. This is a nose ejection Sta r Shell It has an H.E. Shell body tilled with a St ar ins tead of
high explosive. A dumm y fuze is retain ed by weakened stud s .A No 1 or No. 3 Ignite r is fitted
and a bur ster pellet is superimposed.

297. Ihe Igni ter actuat.-s th e bur ster pelle t. The resulting explosion ignite-, a nd ejects the S tar
throug h the no se ‘of the shill. The re is no para chut e. With No. 1 Ign iter the star is elected at
3,000 yards. Wit h a No. 3 Ig nit er the range is 5.00(1 yards. The time of burning of the -t ar i-
abou t 4 seconds.

Smoke Shell, B.E., with a Time Fuze. Plate 12.

298. The fun ctio n o f th.s e shell is to crea te an offensive o r defensive .smoke screen. The shell
is of the base ejec tion type. The base is closed by a base p lug which is e ith er screwed in or secured
by shearing pin s These .dell are now obsolescent.
The shell a rc in supply for Q .F guns 4-inch, I 5 inch, 4.7-inch and 5.2 5-inch
Time fitw No. 198 is used.
zlr/fbM.
299. The functioning of the fuze ignites the ejecti on charge. The re sulti ng explosion ignites tin
containers, blows off th e bate plug and ejects the cont aine rs from the shell The containers fall to
the ground and emit smoke, lor ab out two minutes.
A fuze leng th setti ng should be used which will ensu re tha t all shell bur st and eject thei r con­
tainer s in the air . 1h. most su itab le height of eje ction is 2 “ 30' a bove the line of sight. Containers
ejected from a shell at this heigh t follow the traj ecto ry of the shell bod y in th eir flight. With a
traje ctory th at gives a lower%angle o f descent the containers tend to bounc e. If a li.E. Snr>k<- shell
bursts and ejec ts on graze there is a possibility of the co ntain ers being buried an d not em itting smoke.
Smoke Shell with a D.A. Fuze
299a. Shell to indicate the positio n of burst in bomba rdment are being designed. They will
give a large and clearly visible b urst of low pers istence and wall be fired wit h a full charge. Ranging
and accuracy will lx- the sa ne as the H.E Shell with which they are to lx- fired.
Shrapnel Shell. Plate 12.
300. This .shell has a forged ste el body, lead a ntim ony bullets embedde d in resin, n c entra l tube
and a powder burs ter.
Time fuzes Nos, 93, 80, 400, 401 or 402 are used.
Tlic shell walls arc made to the minimum stren gth consistent with the ir abil ity to withs tand the
pressure set up on discharge so as to allow the maximu m accommodation for the bullets which are
kept in place by res in; the resin also provides more smoke for obse rvati on purposes. A powder
burst er in a tin cup fits in to a recess in the bast' of t he shell an d is co nnected by a central tub e to
the fuze socket. The cu p is iaten ded to confine the pow der which mi ght exp lode on shock of discharge
if i t were loosi and also be liable to get nipped between the disc an d the shoulder.
Above the cup a steel disc res ts on an annul ar shoulder formed in th e interior of the shel l to
protect the cup from damage when the bu llets set back on the shock of discharge . The cen nil tube
screws into the disc and one end fits into th e mouth of the cup.
Action.
301. The explosion of the bur stin g charge blows oft the head of t he shell (which is only lightly
atta che d to the body) and ejects t he bullets. The veloci ty of th ese is chiefly due to tlw remaining
velocity of t he shell. The explosion sweeps the bulle ts, the bead of the shell and the fu « clear of
the hody, a nd the bu llets are sprea d o ut forwards in th e form of a cone,
Targ et Smoke Shell,
302. This shell is made of steel an d has a filling of phosphorus . It is fitte d with a con tainer h aving
an exploder, a time fuze and gaine or a No. 211 fuze. On b urstin g, a whit e smoke cloud is formed
in th e sky and provides a target for anti-a ircra ft practice or assists in finding the direction and velocity
of the wind. The shell are filled throu gh a taper ed hole in the shell wall wh ich is closed by drivin g
in a tapere d steel plug. Tin explo der consists of a T.N.T. pellet in a steel contai ner fitted und er a
nose fuze and gaine.
Target Smoke Shell a re in sup ply for Q E. guns, 3-inch 20-cwt.. 4-inch. 4.5-inch. 4.7-inch and
5.25-inch.
Tin fuzes Nos. 19S. 20K 2117 and 401 arc used with a No, 8. 9 or 10 gaine. except 3-inch 20-cwt.
guns using the I2A lbs shell which fit a fuzz- No. 185 wit h a No. 2 gaine. The No. 211 fine is also
used.
Chemic al Shell.
303. B.I.. and Q.E. Chemical Shell are descrilred i n the Addendum in this Handlwiok.
 1

45
CH. X I-S EC TI ON 6.
Practice Proje ctiles.
304 Pra ctic e Proje ctiles are m ade of iron or steel an d may be solid or hollow. Sendee projectiles
which hav e been condemned nay be conve rted and used as Practice ; they are emptied a nd b roug ht
up to weight by filling with inert ma tte r of the same de nsit y a s t he original tilling and plugged. Some
Practice proje ctiles are supplied a t “ loading tea chers " an d should no t be used for any oth er purpo se.
Hig h Angle Pra ctic e Projec tile? ar c sup plie d for gu ns 8-m ch and below. They ma y be con ver ted
1I.E. shell, but shell manufactured as a separate store with out a base plate an d employing a modified
design of c avit y are preferable. Ph- tilling consists of powder anil smoke pellets. The rear of the
Cavity in.iv be tilt d vnth a wooden block. Projectiles use the same time ("/<•- as th e com spou ding
H.E. Service shell A numb er of tin- fuze hole threa ds ar e cut away so t ha t when the shell tilling is
ignited th e fuze ma y blow out easily, thus enabling th>* main shell body to co ntinu e forward utbrexken.
The puff of smo ke indicates the positi on of burst .

Target Ship Pra ctic e Projectile .

305. Target Ship Practice Proje ctiles are designed to break up immed iately on impact ami to
cause the minimu m amount cf dam age They are- of steel and an- hollow. Fo r convenience io man u­
facture the nose may 1*? closed with a conical shaped p lug. The walls are weakene d con sistent with
their abili ty to with stan d tit? pr essu re set up on discharge and to assist breaking up on impact.
Projectiles are not to be fired if any att em pt lias been made to ejec t them from a gun or if they
appe ar to have been d amaged by rough usage. The projectile s may btt supplied for B.L . S-irirh iguns
for firing pract ice at Target Ships.

Proo f Pro jec tiles or Shot.

•*66. Proof Project iles or Shot are made of steel an d have the same weight as the con es winding
service shell. Th ey are usually solid, but they may be hollowed o ut and the ir length increased to
achieve steadin ess. They are tl.u nosed and cylindrical so as not to pen etra te too far into t ie b ut t.
Proof Projectiles or Shot are used at gun trial s and at Che but ts for testi ng guns and for the de ter ­
mination of c harge weights.

Paper Shot.
306a . These are used to te st the m oun ting s of guns, which canno t, owing to thei r tjosition, fire
sende e pro jectile s. The shell and char ge a re designed to cause th e same a mount of recoil as c service
projectile and to break up on ejection .

Drill Shell.
307. Drill S hell are supplied for loading practice an d as a rule represe nt H.E. shell, lhe y are
sometimes fitt ed with a nose bush havi ng a 2-inch fuze hole a nd are issued plugged.
B.L. 3-i nch Drill Shell are mad e of wood with a bra ss now, haw fittings and a strengt hening
bolt t hrough th e centre, an d ire muc h l ighte r th an the Sen dee s hell
B.L. 6-inch Drill Shell are mad e of wood anti filled with lead ; they have a brass nose. base
fittings anti a str engt henin g holt throu gh the centre. They are appro xima tely the same weight a s the
Service shell. The Q.F. 4.7-nc h Sepa rate Ammunition Drill shell a re designed on similar lines.
A type of Drill Shell has been introduced for some new equ ipment s which is made of cast iron ;
it is of the same weight a s its corres pondin g Service shell and has the con tour of an II. E. shell wit h a
Time fuze. The nos. is shaped to cle ar th e o peration of the teeth of a fuz '-w itin g machine ; the shell
is supplied for lo ading and fize- setti ng drill.
fhe 3 .7-iilch Howitzer drill shell is a s teel c anva s co vered drill shell
Drill shell for pushe r bu sts arc supplied for B.I.. guns 6-inch and 8 -inch. They are made of
iron or are Prac tice projectiles speci ally supplied for th e purpose ; they are ap prox imat ely thr we ight
of th e Service shel l. Drill shell for p ush er hoists arc also supplied fo r Q.F. gun s 4-iuch an d 4.7-inch.
308. Drill cartri dges for Q.F. F ixe d ammu nition are supplied for loading drill. They an- appro xi­
matel y the sam e weight and have the sa me outside dimensions as the Service shell. They are made
of wood, have bras s ends, and may also have brass b an d s; u strengt hening bolt passes th rough the
centre. The nose end of 3-inch an d above has a 2-inch fuze hole to take a time fuze for practic e
setting.
Drill c artri dges for Q .F. ?ixed am munit ion for special use in pusher hoists consist of an em pty
Q.F. cartrid ge case wjth ii steel shell. A stri.ngtlleliillg bolt passes th rough th e centre of th e case, one
end screws in to t he base of the projec tile and the oth er in to the base of the case.

Dum my Shell.
300. Dum my shell are supplied for B.I.. guns 15-inch and 16-inrh for loading practi ci. They
arc made ol wood, have a lead or c as t iron core an d are covered with raw h ide. They weigh 340 lbs.
!•:
 46
H XI —SECTION 7.
<
CH. XI SECTION 7—MARKINGS ON PRO JECT ILES . Plates 13 uwrf 14.
310. Projectiles arc Marked, i.e.. Stamp ed, Coloured and Stencille d, a s a means of ide ntification .
Projectile* 2-pdr. and above are at presen t marke d in the following m an ne r:- -
(»} The Manufa cturer of the emp ty shell places on it certa in STAMPINGS, and in some
cases pa int s the shell the appr opri ate body colour.
(it) The filling co ntra ctor is usu ally ic sponsible for :—
(<») Painting the shell with the appr opri ate colour, except where this has already
'teen done.
(i>) Painting the coloured kin ds, an d
(c) The stencilling.
n»»? c o lo u ri n g a n d s te n c il li n g a re k e p t u p t o d a t e b y th e A rm am en t D ep ot s as th e pr oj ec til es
pass through thei r hands from time to time.
311. Markings may be divided in to :—
(1) Stampings.
(2) Colouring and Sten cillin g.

STAMPINGS
312. These refer to the em pty shell. The t ype of shell or filling is someti mes shown b y sta mping
so th at in th e event ol the pain ting becoming oblit erate d the shell can be identified.
The positions of the stamp ings are :—
(?) Projectiles used for F ixed Ammun ition on the body above the drivin g band.
(i?) Other projectiles, on the base.
The following stamp ings will be found :—
(») Calibre and mark niuner.il of shell, (llow. if applicable.)
(f t) Manufac turer’s ini tials a nd lot number.
(*7t) Date of co mpletion of ma nufacture.
{»!') H. er L. denote s he avy or light shell, where appli cable.
(r) C.S., B.S., or F.S. de notes cas t steel, bar steel or forged steel (for shell),
(ef) C.I. deno tes cas t iron (for Pra ctice projectiles).
(rfi) P denotes P ractice.
A.P.C.—Armour-Pier cing capp rd.
S A.P.C. -Semi-armour-Picrcing capped.
C.P.B.C.—Common pointed ballistic capped .
C.P.C.—Common pointed capp ed.
S.A.P.—Semi-armour-piercing.
S.M K - Target smoke shell.
SMK. B.E .—Smoke shell with base ejection.
CHEM. -Che mic al shell.
( HEM. B.K.—Chemical shell with base ejection,
(n n) After mark of shell
Adenotes over 2 c.r.h. and up to 4(inch)
B •< •• "I c.r.h . ,, ,, ,, 6 .
See also para . 2S7.
C ,. 6 c.r.h. .. „ „ 8 „
D „ „ 8 c.r. h................. 10
(« ) Q alter the mar k of shell denotes shell specially made to stan d the pressure of the
6-incli, Mark X II gun. Shell for late r high pressure guns, 6-inch, Marks XX II and
XX III do not have this letter .
(.v) N.T. or T . denotes shell is fi tted for trac er.

COLOURING AND STENCILLING.

313. Projectiles ill supply arc pain ted and stencilled as applicab le to eith er of the methods
illustrated in Plate 14 where, for convenience, they are referred to as the " Old ’’ method and the
" Present " method.
Fut ure policy is for a universal system of Markings for the Services. This sta ndard ised method
i-. being det ermine d by th e In te r -S e r v ic e A m m u n it io n nn d A m m u n it io n P a c k a g e M ar k in g C o m m it te e
and will be published in due course in a special pamp hlet, H K. 1202.
 47
CI I. X I SECT ION 7.
COLOURING.
The Bodies.
314 Th e Bo die s of proj ecti les arc pa int ed before th ey are tilled, as follows
Dul l or I f .E. Yellow ... . Shell tilled or su ita ble for filling wi th high explo sive
{which docs not inclu de gun pow der) .
6>«k ......................................Smoke Shell B.E.
Grey Che mic al Shell.
Di li I Yellow , top h alf ; 1
Smok e Sh ell.
Bla ck, bottom half.
Blac k ............... All ot he r proj ecti les, inc lud ing thos e filled or su ita ble
for fillin g with g unpo wde r.
.\<?te —Tw o sha des of yellow ar e empl oyed in shell pa in tin g :
Dul l Yello w ........................... Den otes she ll filled IL E.
Br igh t or " Pra ctic e'' Yeiknt? ... Den otes t h at th e shell is for pr ac tic e purpo ses.
Point s an d Caps.
315. The se ar e pa int ed the sam e col our a s t ie lxul y ex cep t
Sh rap ne l shell ........................... Red.
Shell filled Sh ell itc ........................... Green.
Sh oul der s of t ar ge t Sm oke Slu II . Dul l (H .E .) Yellow.

Bands rou nd th e Body of the Proj ecti le.

316. Note.— Ly dd ite filled she ll ha ve only th e r ed filling b and .
Red rou nd head or shoulder Shell filled with ex plosiv e.
Red above the Driving Ba nd Shell fi tte d wi th live trac er.
If'kite above Red filling ban d S.A. P. or S.A.P.C . shell. A W .- E a r ly S AP . shell
have no Wh ite ban d.
Whit e {-inc h wide ott the body Cen tre of gr av ity for 15-inch s hi II.
Whi le i-in ch w i d e ............... Posi tion for g ra b or. 16-inch shel l.
Green or Green and Hlaeik on the Shell filled T.N .T. or Head tilled T.N .T. If a fra ctio n
body or s ho ul de r........................... such a s 93 7 is show n ab ov e th e gre en >and, it
de no tes T.N .T Beeswax : some shell ma y also
have B W X sten cille d in line with th e fracti on.
Two Green with Practice Yellow H. E. spcc inl bom bar dm ent Pra ctic e. T.N .T. filling.
between. <
Prac tice Yellow ... .............. Pract ice Proje ctile s an d Ta rge t Smo ke Shell.
Tw o pract ice Yellou Targ et s hip practice.
Blue .. . ... .. . ... Shel l f illed R. D .X .B .W .X .
Blue feith T .N .T . stencille d Mo w Shell filled R.D X T N.T.
bund
Blach zig-za g ... .............. Ra da r.
Blac k ......................... . H. E. Drill shell.
White zig-zag broker in three place s A. R. shel l.
with A R xiencillid in the gaps.
" RO P E " below the A R denotes
the ty pe o f filli ng
Shell Bases.
317. Th ese ar e pa int ed the sam e colou r a s th e bod y. Fix ed am mu nit ion shell, tilled ly ddib . have
the por tion of th«? shell below the dr iv ing ba nd an d the ba se spec iall y clean sed a n d final ly pa int ed gr ee n
The col our of th e Gasche:!: C over Plate or Disc Trac er of bas e fuze d she ll an d th e & m ir d Hin g,
which su rro un ds th e cov er plate , de no te th e fuze fit ted : -

SCR EW ED R IS C GASC HECK COVER PLAT E OR DEN OTE S

DISC TRACER

Re d .. . Red .................................................... Fu zes w ith ou t del ay acti on

Wh ite ... .. . «-• Red .................................................... Fu ze Nos. 158A. 159
W hit e ... Red with gre en b a r ............................ •1 •» 158
Yellow R e d .................................................... »» •• 345 A. 316
Y e lk n v .. • •• ... Kei with green bar ... II .. 345
Blue .. . Red .................................................... tt II 479. 49 i
Blue .. . ... .. . Red with green b a r ............................ •• •! 479
Red .. . ••• Red w ith green b a r ............................ •• •• 500, 501
Re d Rod wi th Yellow ba r •« (l 502
Red ............... Red w ith W hi te b ar ............... It •« 551
CH. Xr —SECTION 7.
STENCILLING. Plate 14.
318. The following general stencilling will I>e found where ap plicable on the cap, shoulder, body
or baso (during bortilitiec ce rtain relaxa tions arc al lo w ed ) :—
(»') Calibre, with How, if a pplicable (not on 6-pdr. and below).
(»«) K or AK and colour of d ye.
(mi) H or L or Weight, e.g.. 35 lb. (not on 6-pdr and below).
(n) The mark of the shell, i.e., type of shell, mark numeral, c.r.h. ((wra. ‘2X7), and T or
N.T. if trace r is fitted. With Fixed Ammunition thi s is prefixed by the lett ers F.A.
(not on b-pdr and below).
(’■'} 1 Z D on shell (except Q.F. 2-pdr. and below) which a re fuzed, serial n umbe r of fuze,
Mark, da te of tilling, tilled kit number and mak er's initials. Projectiles 8-inch and
abov t have thes e m arkings stencilled on the base as well a s on llie body.
(t>>) G on ihell fitted with a gain c with the Nu mber a nd Mark of gainc. dat e of filling, filling
lot number, and m anu factu rer's initials.
(wi) Monogram of filling statio n.
(viri) Dat e of filling, m onth an d y ear.
(ix| L.G. or symbol as applicable on powder filled shell indicatin g nat ure of powder.
fx> EXPL, BAG (or PEI.) on shell fitted with exploders with natu re and t i n - l ot n u m b e r
of exploder if of P.P. or P.A. (picric powder or picric acid).
(xi'i On plugged shell for practice , the filling is indicated :
S A L T ..........................Salt.
F.S ..........................Powde r subs titut e.
(H. i.S. ) ............... H.K. subst itute .
(xfi) N fo r Naval Service.
(xiri'l 70/3 0or o ther fracti on on Shell filled Shellite, T.N .TJBc cswax denotes the composition
of the filling.
(.nr) SMK BOX or " S " on GREE N DISC on H.E. Shell 6-inch and below demotes shell
fitted with smoke composition in box.
{**•) V on oppos ite sides of the head denote s fitte d with Universal Cavity.
(xw) R denotes Radar.
(mV) I. or S in the brea ks of the zig-zag ban d d enot es the use of Long or Short band Radar.
319. The following special stencillings m ay be found
- (»i lb Lit. on 3-incfi l b l b. projectiles.
(•’», >n three places, on all 14-inch projectile s and above , indicates positio n of
'X centre of gra vity ; 15-inch projectiles have the horizontal lines extended
k j round the body to assist in placing the gr ab ; 16-inch projectiles have a
grab mark indicat ed in additio n to the centre of grav ity ma rki ng; the
grab marki ng consists of a I-inch white band broken in three* places
equally space d with the wortl GRA B stencilled in white in these spaces.
(»»») A on 3-pdr. and 6-pdr. indicate s anneal ed shell.
{’’') projectile prepare d for tr acer.
(») Z r \ projectil e fi tted with night tracer.
<ri) projectile fitted with Mark V or late r tracer.
The symbols in (iv), (v) and (vi) arc applicable to shell fitted for o r with N'os. 1 and 2
tracers.
(«») projectile fitted with tracer.
Q numbe r of trace r.
+ mark of tr acer.
320. The following markings arc applicable to shell Q.F. 2-pdr. fitted with Ignit er or Trace r and
Igniter
(») X s \ shell fi tted with Igni ter No. 1 Mk. I (long time to self-destruction),
(•’’) Z i\ fitted with Ignit er No. 1 Mk. II (short rime to self-destruction).
(»«) Z t \ / s\ s hc D f i t , c d w i t h Trace r and Ignite r No. 7 Mk. IV (with long time to
self-dest ruction).
(it-) shell fitted with Tracer and Igniter No. 7 Mk. Il l (with shor t time to

(v)
e
321. On Sta r S M I: —
self-destruction).
Projectiles Q.F . 2-pdr. filled for d ark ignition tracer.

(i) A red sta r on a white disc.

(ti) A green s tar on a white d iw denot es a 97-ineh Mark I II parac hute fitted.
(nt) A le tter and number or numb er below th e disc denotes the st ar composition used.
 49
CH. X I— SEC TION 8.

CH. XI . SECTION 8—TRACERS. IGN ITER S. TRACER S AND IGNIT ERS.

TRACERS. SHELL. Plate 15.
322. The tra ce r is fitted into th e base of a proje ctile and its compositi on filling bums wit h a
bright light to allow the flight to be observed.
Dark ignition tracer s with a trac e which is not evid ent until the projec tile is some d ista icc Iroin
the muzzle of t he gu n ar e in supply.
On firing shell fitted with a tra ce r t he gases g enera ted by the charge br eak down the brass scaling
disc of tin tra ce r an d ignite th e S .F. G2 powder. The trace r compositi on bur ns slowly during flight
and produces a light sufficiently b righ t to be used by da y as well as b y night.
323. Th e typ es of tracers are :—
(i) 7 he External ' racer, which protr udes from the base of t he shell and is only used with
Fixe d Ammunition projectiles.
(it) The Inlen uil Tracer, which is used with Sepa rate Am munit ion projectiles and in some
Fixed ammunition. (See also Plate 3.)
liii) The Plat Bai t Tracer, which is used with piercing shell witli large base fuzes. It is
also used with m edium base fuzes in cer tain 5.25-inch shell an d below.
Tracer, Shell. No. 1. Mark VI.
324. Tra cer No. 1. Mark VI. is an external tracer whose cylindrical bras s body is closed w ith a
brass cap. Th e body of the tracer is bo red and screw-threa ded extern ally at each end, at the front
to screw in to th e base of the shell, and at the rear to receive the cap. A hole is bored through the
Centre of the ca p and closed by a brass sealing disc 0.005-inch thick sweated lightly over it' The
filling consists of abo ut 100 grains of composition S.R.247, which is pressed into the tracer body.
At the cap en d and on top of th e co mposition four gr ains of S.R. 247P composition are pressed with
four grains of S.E.G .2 powder to se rve as a priming composition. A space i s left between the primi ng
and the cap to form a gas cl am ber . This T racer is used in Fixed Ammun ition othe r th an 2-pdr.
Mark VIA is now in supply. Tt is filled S.R.372 a nd gives a bright whit e to red light >ii firing.
The burnin g tim e is s omewlat shor ter tha n with S.R.247.

Tracer. Shell. No. 13.

325. Tra cer No. 13 h as been develope d to supers ede Trac er No. I. It is m ade o f steel, an d its
tilling consists of 34 grain s of composi tion S.R.372 prime d with 12 grain s of composition S.R.399.
It is used witli Fixed Ammunition except 2-pdr

Tracer, Shell, No. 2, Mark V.

326. No. 2. Mark V, is an inte rnal trace r. The principa l differences between this and the No. 1
Mark VI trac er are :—
(i) The c ap is screw-threaded extern ally and screws i nto the bas e of the shell.
(*») Bot h b ody and cap arc made of steel.
{iii) The filling is about 84 grains of composition.
Mark VA is now in supply. 1< Is filled S.R.372 an d gives a bright whit e to red light on firing
The burning tim e is so mewkit sho rter than with S.R.247.

Tracer. Shell. No. 16.

327 This trace r is an intern al trace r for use wit h Sepa rate or Fixed projectiles of a l calibres
prepared for it . The trac er should not be removed from the shell except on special in st ru ct io ns .

Tracer, Shell, No. 8 and No. 9.

.'128. Thes e steel tlat ha * trac ers consist of a thic k flanged disc Th e disc lias two drillings at
ng ht angles int o which the composition (S.R.247) and the priming compositi on are pressed. A thin
brass disc is in-.rt in tin- rear ot th e trac er covering the tra cer com pt&t ioa, Tin- tra ce r composition
channels are plugged afte r tiling. The trace r is s ecured over the base fuze by a screwed ring. The
trac er base, form s the gas check cove r p late ov er t he fuze.
The difference between t he No. 8 a nd No. 9 trac ers is t ha t No. 8 has the Delay Setting arra nge ­
ment in the form of a removable screw in the base.

IGNITERS, SHELL.—TRACER AND IGNITER, SHELL

329. The Igniter is a device lilted in Ute base of 2-pdr II.E. shell to insun; sdf-destiUCtion ol
the shell if the fuze is not operated by a given time.
The Tra cer and Ignite r is a similar device combining the functions of tra ce r an d self-desli action,
and is fitted to 2-pdr. H.E. and 4 0 mm. II.E . shell.
Outf its f or 2-pdr. are fitted w ith Ignit er No. 1 and Tracer an d Ignite r No. 7. and the percentage
is varied from time to time.
 50
f H X I-S EC TI O N 8.
Outfits for 40 mm. H.E, shell arc a UK) per cent. Tra cer a nd Ign iter, an d eithe r No. 7 or N o. 14
may be lilted.
'J lie design and filling cf each device is such tha t, on firing, the compositi on is igni ted ?ithc r by
tlu Hash p roduced when the anvi l str ike s the cap on the s hock of d ischarge, or direct from the flash
of the cordite.

Ign iter , Shell, No. 1. H a lt 15.

330. Ign iter No. 1 comprises a body (containing the ignition arran gem ents comprising .in anvil,
stir rup spring, cap-ho lder, cap and cap an vil), a pressed steel wasl nr, a lead sealing disc, g unpowder,
priming composition, igniting composition and a gunpowd er pellet or loose gunpowder.
Action.
831. On the shock of discharge the cap-holder s»:U back. straig htens ou t tlu stir rup spring, and
carrie s the- cap o n to the central projecti on on th e in side of the anvil. I lie ca p compo sition is fired by
the blow bet ween this cen tral projecti on and the cap anvil.
Ihc result ing flash pastes throu gh the hole in th e cap-holder to the gunpowder in h e uppt-i
chamber . The firi ng of the cap blows out t he lead m ; ling disc and the ignito ry assembly, it also ignites
the gunpow der, the priming com position, and the dela y composition. When the delay coinpi i>ilion
has burned for the prescribed perio d, its flame pene trate s through the hole £n the pressed washer and
ignites tlie gunpow der pellet or loose gunpowder. 11k flash is thus passed to the shell filling and
explode s and des troy s the shell 7-71 sees, afte r tiring.

Tra cer and Ig ni ter Shell, No. 7. P/o /c 15.

332. 1racer and Ignite r No. 7 is similar in con structi on to the Ignit er No . 1. The upper cham ber
i>s lightly large r in diamet er an d its method of functioning is more elab orat e by the addition of the
tracer cc reposition . When t ie flame reaches the up pe r part of the tracer composition it ignites the
gunpowdi r at th e top of t he bedy wliich in turn igni tes th e gunpo wder pellet resulting in the explosion
and break up of the shell, "lie tim e of burning is 7-7} sees.

Tra cer and Ign ite r Shell, N<x 14

333 This Tra cer a nd Igniter is an example of direc t ignition from the flash of the charge. A
heat relay unit is screwid on Io the forward end of the bod y to improve th e self-destructio n arr ang e­
ments. The trac er composition is retaine d at the re ar end on a celluloid disc, which pro tects the powder
hut docs not resis t the Hast from the charge, fi le tim e of burning is 12 sees. This Tracer and
Ignite r has been developed lor th e 40 nun. lf.E . (Bofors) shell.
334.
 51

CHAP TER X II

SH E L L FU ZE S AN D GA IN ES

SECTION I—GEN ER AL REMARKS

335. The d eton atio n or explosion of the bur sting c har ge of a shell is no rmal ly initia led by m eans
of a fuze. Except in Fuzes No>. 254 and 253 types, the deton ation or explosion of a fuze is initiat ed
by a pointe d str ike r piercing a sens itive detona tor.

TYPES OF FUZE
336. Fuzes ar e grouped into :—
(i ) Percuss ion. *
(»'»') 7T»«c.
• (»7f) 'J'tnu an d Percussion.

CLASSIFICATION
337. Fuzes arc classified " Deto nating " or " Igniferou s " according to the typ e of explosive
filling in thei r magazine .
The magazine of a De tonating fuze is filled with C.E. or P entoli te ; these fuz.es init iate detonat ion.
The magazine of an Igniferous fuze is filled with powder and t his type of fuze init iates explosion
Igniferous fuzes cannot by themselves initia te deto natio n, and if deto nati on is require d a gainc is
fitted. All Time (except No. 211). Time and Percussion and certa in Percussio n D.A. fuzes are
igniferous.

SAFE TY ARRA NGEM ENTS

338. Arrang ement s are a abo die d in fuzes and gaincs to ensure tha t they are safe
(t) Durin g storage and tran spo rt.
(»'»') On the shock of d ischarge from the gun.
(ill) Durin g flight.
Arming.
338a. This is a mcchani ed eve nt which is designed to take place as th e shell le aves the muzzle
of the gun. Before the fuze is a rme d it should not be capab le of being pu t into operation by any
rough usage or b y any drop in any position which is likely to occur in the service.
As a rule, the moving parts of a fuze are securely locked together, an d the y can only be unlocked
and the fuze " a rm e d ” by the par ticu lar combinatio n of forces to which the fuze is subjec ted on
project on from a rifled gun. No oth er combination of forces will arm the fuze, an d the safety arrang e­
ments are in effect a combination lock to which firing from a rifled gun is tin key. Mechanical locking
and armin g arra nge men ts vary with the type of fuze.

Marking on Fuzes.
339. All em pty fuzes are stam ped :
(») Num ber of fuze and mark .
(it) N for Naval Service.
(Hi) Contr actor 's initials or recognised trad e mark.
(»'r) Dat e of manufacture.
(v) Lo t numbe r of fuze.
When rilled, the following informa tion is a dd ed :—
(vi) Init ials of contra ctor or filling station.
(i’i») Dat e of filling.
The colou ring of the cover plate an d screwed ring is given in Chapter X I (para. 3I7 .

DYNAMICAL FACTORS GOVERNING DESIGN

340. Four dynam ical factors are avai lable for the pu rpose of arming or act uating fuze?, namely :
(/') The rapid acceleration of the shell in Hie bore,
(»i) Pressu re of the propellunt gases on t he b ase ot the shell.
(ill) The rotat ion of the shell.
fin) Th e retard ation due to impac t.
 52
CI I. X II SEC TIO N 2.
The Rapid Acce leratio n of the Shell in the Bore.
341. Under acceh at ion an ythi ng loose inside a fuze tend s to se t-bac k nn d this tenden cy i-.- used
with devices such as inertia pellets, arming-sleeves and dete nts to act uat e or to arm fuzes. Pellets
are small loose cylinders ol meta l (usually) holding the deto nato r or tin- strik er. The force of
set-b ack causes a lighting-pellet in a Time-fuze to fly h ack on to a needle and ignite the time ring
of the fuze. Prematu re set-back may he preven ted by a spring in the form of a stir rup or a helix.
Pellets are used in Base fuzes to set-fo rward on impact . Deten ts ate small bolt - which lit longitu dinally
in a fuze as par t ot the locking arrang ement : they are kept in place by a spiral spring.

Gas Pres sure .

342. In the older t yp e of Base fuzed shell th e pressure from tin propellant gases is u tilised to
cru -h in a pressure plate which is usually a ttac hed to a spindle. The forward move ment of the spindle
unlocks the moving par ts an d arms the fuze.
In those modern xise fuzes with a Delay Pitting , pressure from tin propella nt gases njwrates
the pressure pla te of ti c fuze to bring the Dela y tit lin g into operation.

The Ro tati on of the Shell.

343. Centrifugal force is utilised to with draw s afety bol ts, open shu tte rs. unwind tape:-, or remov e
component s nec essary to arm the fuze.

The Re tard atio n due to Impact.

344. Impact may lx.- used to function a fuze by (I; causing pellets In Id back by creep springs
to ” set- forwar d ’ owing Io Iheir own inert ia, or (2) crushing- in some portio n of the fuze, llic " set-
forward ” force due to the retar datio n of the shell caused by the resistance of the air must be
provided for.

CII X II SECTION 2.—PERCUSSION FUZES

345. Percussion fuzes are classified :•—
(1) Pznwrsh w. D iw / Action w D .A.
(2} liase Percussion.

PERCUSSION , DIRECT ACTION

346. Percussion. f> A. fuzes an? used with nose fuzed H.E. shell inte mh d to bu rst on impact.
A direct blow on the nose of the fuze forces tin str ike r i nto the deto nato r and the result ing flash
deton ates the fuze magazine. These fuzes are usually fitte d with a disru ptive deto nato r (see para.
469). During flight there is a te ndenc y for the ham mer o r needle t o set-b ack and as this might opera te
the fuze prem aturely tac needle is held by a spring s hearin g wire or disc, or prote cted from air pressure
by fitting a ligh t cover over it.
347. Safety arrang ement s in these fuzes protect the head cf the fuze prior to loading and seal
the flash of the de to rat or from the magazine of the fuze .should the deto nato r ignite or det ona te
prema turely.
Arrangem ents usually consist o f :
(») A me tal cap (to lx- removed before loading).
(a) A shu tter which opens under the action of centrif ugal fore- set up by tin rotati on of
tin pro cctil e. The shu tter is held in p osition by a spring until the spring is overcome
by centrifugal force.
(»'«) In certain fuzes, i.e.. 45P and 44. a safet y pm is passed through the shu tte r t o secure
it. The safety' pin is withdraw n before binding.

Fuz e, Perc ussio n, D.A.I., No. 45 P (Powd er Pilled ). Plate 16.

348. This fuze is for use with 12 |xlr. to 6 inch H.E. shell
The design an d c omponents of the Mark X fuze ar e shown in the illustra tion.
• A'iJ/c. -This fuze and No. 44 are not intercha ngeable on account of the difference in the ex plode r
systems of the shell in which th ey ar e f itted (see also para. 479).
Safety Arrangements.
349 The fuze embodies the following safety arrangeme nts.
(1 Tin- steel hammer is prote cted by a bayonete d jointed cover and a safet y cap. It is
held dea r of the det ona tor by a steel shearing pin.
(2) The ceir.rifugally opera ted safel y shu tter is held by a spring and a safe ty pin in such a
position th at it ’ blocks the fire channel between the deto nato r and the magazine. A
hole connects the space between the hamm er a nd det ona tor with the space below the
cap an d provides a vent in case ot accidental firing of th e detonator.
(3) During light, the steel hamme r is held cle ar of th e det ona tor by the sheari ng pin.
 53
CH. X II —SECTION 2.
Before Loading.
350. Immed iately before loading the pin securing the co ver is withd rawn to allow the co ver ami
safet y ca p to be re moved. The safet y pin is at tac hed to the sa fety cap by a Ixcket and the removal
of the cap pulls out the safety pin. In the even t of the shell not being tired the safety pin and the
cover with safety ta p must he repla ced a nd secured by the securing pin. If difficulty is encountered
in replacing the safety pm the fuze must be re turn ed to a Naval Armam ent Depot.

/Ic /to x— Oh Firing.

351. The rotat ion of the projectil e causes the safet y shu tte r to swing aga inst the pressure of its
spring so tha t a hole comes into lim with the centr al lire channe l ami deton ator.

A clivn—On I inpad.
352. Iln steel hamm er is forced down ; it shears the shearing pin and the strik er is driv en into
the deto nato r. The result ing Hash passes through the bob- in the shu tter and fin.-s the fuze magazine.

Fuze, Percussion, D.A., with ta p, No. 44. Plate 16.

353. In the various Marks this fuze is used with 3-pdr. to 15-inch 11.E. shell.
The design a nd compon ents of the Mark X fuze ar c shown in the illustra tion.
The safet y c ap is secured to the b ody with a bayonet joint . The ca p s ecuring pm and safe ty pin
are- coupled togethe r and secured to the rap with a whipcord becket. The cap securing pin passes
throu gh the cap to prev ent it from being turn ed and accidental ly removed The safe ty pin passes
through the cap and into the body to the shu tte r space and preve nts the shut ter from moving.
(See Hole to para. j/ S. )

Safe ty Arrangements.
354. Ihe fuze embodies the following saf ety arran geme nts
(») The strik er needle is c arried on a thin copper disc c lear of the det ona tor and is pro ­
tected by the saf ety cap.
(fi) The cent rifng ally operat ed safety shu tte r is h eld by a spring and by the safet y pin in
such a p osition th at it blocks the lire channel between the deto nato r an d the ma gazine ;
the fire ch annel is filled with C.E.
(iff) During flight, the needle is held clea r of the de tona tor b y the needle disc.

Before Leading.
355. The cap securing pin and safe ty pin are withdraw n and the safet y cap is removed. The
withdraw al of the safety pin frees the shu tte r In the event of th e shell no t being tired the safe ty ca p
and pins must be re placed. If any difficulty i s experienced 111- fuze should be carefully removed from
the shell and thrown overboard.

Action— On Firing.
356. The rotati on of the projectile causes the safe ty shu tte r to swing o ver against the pressure
of its spring so tha t a hole comes into line with the central fire chan nel : the hole is filled w ith C.E.

Action— On Impact.
357. T h e n ee d le di sc is c iu s li e d iu w a id s .1111) i lie needle pierces tile deto nato r. The resultin g
flash passes through the sliu tter and the fire channel to the fuze magazine.
Fuze, Percussion, D.A., No. 118. Plate 16.
358. This fuze- is for use with :
(i) 3.7-inch, I l-inch, 15-inch and 16-inch H E, shell.
(ft) 6-incb (Mk. XII guns) Chemical Burs ting shell.
The design and compon ents of the fuze are shown in the illustra tion.
I he fuze is similar to No. 230, b ut. as it has a larger magazi ne it is used witho ut a game.

Fuze, Percussion, D.A., No. 230. Plate 16.

359. This fuze is for use with :—
(f) Gaines Nos. 9 or 10 in 3-ineh 20 cwt. to 8-inch I-I.E. shell.
(if) Gaine No. 11 in 4.5-inch, 4.7-inch (Marks IX. XI and X II guns), 5.25-inch a nd 8-inch
Chemical Bu rsting shell.
(iff) 4.7-inch Targ et Smoke shell.
The design and component s of tin fuze are shown in the illustration.
For instructio ns for fuzing ami m i- fu zi ng sh el l, see paras. 487, 489 ami 490.
 54
CH. XI I—SECT ION 2.
Safety Arrangements.
360. The fuze embodies the following safety arr an ge me nts :—
<•> Ik e striker , protected by a safety cap an d stri ker cover, Is held down before firing
wit h i ts po int in a hole in the sh utt er lo cking weight, in th e pos ition shown in the Plat e.
I he s hu tte r i s th us h eld and. in cons equence, the det ona tor is preven ted from coming
int o line with the str ike r a nd the tire channel . The s tri ke r is held down by th e stri ker
sleeve which bears a gains t the collar on th e striker. The stri ker sleeve is held down
by four loose segments fitted between it and the bottom of the guide bush. The
segme nts ar e he.d in place by the armi ng sleeve which is kept up by a n arming spring .
Th e s trik er spring a t the top of the str ike r is k ept m compression while the fuse is in
th e “ u narme d '* sta te.
{«) Accidental ignition of the deto nato r will nu t ignite the magazine as the de to ia to r is
not in line with, the lire channel. Shou ld the det ona tor lire accide ntally, the gases
gene rate d will fuss up throu gh the vent holes into the space roun d the arming spring.
{tit) Durin g Hight, tic stri ker is kept clear of the det ona tor by the stri ker spring. The
striker head i - zrotcctc d from air pressure by the stri ker cover,
Before Loading,
361. The saf ety cap is removed and the 'h ik er cover, which must on no account be tampere d
with, is uncovered. In the event of t he shell not being tired the safety cap mu st be replaced. If in
the course of loading , the striker cov er becomes d ente d or forced inwards, the fuzed shell must be
placed aside for nn- fuzing. Tic d ama ged fuze sh ould he relu me d to a Nava l Ahiiam cnt Depi t.

zlc/ion -4?n Firing.

362. Th- arc lc.ration of Hu shell causes the armi ng sleeve to set kic k against its s pring to a
position clear of the four segments. Rotati on of tin projec tile causes the segm ents to be flung out
of position. This allows th e striker spring , wlu'ch ha s been in compression, to force the striker up,
thereby w ithdr awin g it clear of the s hu tte r locking weig ht. Centrifugal force t hen swings the locking
weight and shu tte r, thus bringing the detonator into line with the striker an d flash channel. The
fuze is now armed .

Action—On Impact.
363. The strik ei cover is c rushe d in. The stri ker is driven down an d its point pierces the
deton ator. The result ing flash passes through the lire cha nnel to the magazine.

Fuze, Percussion, D.A., No. 36OC.

364. Thi s f uze is used, without a ga iue, under the maz ak or zinc a lloy ca p of the 15-inc i H.E .
(B.N.F.) shell l or h ombard meJt purposes.
It is similar to the No. 11€ fuze exc ept that
( (t) Th e strik er head is sha ped d ifferently.

(it) The fuze is fitted with a steel safety cap on manu lactm , ; the cap is replaced by a
light water tight cover when the fuze is sc rewed into the shell.

Fuze, Percussion, D.A., No. 311. Plate 17.

365. This fuze is lor use with :
(1) 2-pd r. L.V., 3-pdr. and 6 -pdr . II.K shell
(2) The " K " device with 6-inch C.P.B .t'. shell, and S-inch S.A.P.C.
It superse des No. 131 an-1 No. 240. The design anti component s of th e fuze are shown in the
illustr ation.

Safety Arrangements.
366. The fuze embodies the following s afety arr ang em ent s:—
(«') The centrifugafly opera ted safety shu tter ts held by a spring anti a dete nt in such a
position th at it blocks the fire channe l betwee n the deto nato r and the magazine.
(>'») Durin g flight, the stren gth of t he needle disc keeps the needle clear of t he detona tor.

—On Firing .
367. The iner tia of the dite nt cause s it to set back against its spring, thu s freeing the ■hutter.
The rotat ion of th e projectile ca uses the dctci lt to topple and Rxk back und er the shoulder of the
deten t hole. Tho shu tte r swings op en and its fire chan nel comes into line with the deton ator an d
with the fire chan nel o l th e magazine.
Action—On Impact.
368. The needle is forced into th e deto nato r. The resul ting flash passes along the fire channel
of the sh utt er to the fuze magazine.
 55
t i l . X II - SECTION 2
Fuze, Percussion, D.A., No. 243.
369. This fuse is used wit h 2-pdr. H.V. H.E. shell It has now b een superse ded by No. 246. to
which it is simila r ex cept th at the la tte r embodies delay arrang ement s.

Fuze, Percussion, D.A., No. 246. P/ole 17.

370 . This fuse sup ers ede s No. 243 an d is us ed wit h 2-p dr . H.E. shell in mult iple II. V. close
range equipments.
The design and compo nents of the fuze are shown in the illus tratio n.
Safety A rrangements.
371. Tin- fuze embodies the following saf ety arr an ge me nts :—
(/) Tin- str ike r is held away from the de ton ato r by half-collars, which are retain ed in
position by the sa fety ferrule.
(«) The s hu tte r blank s off the firing ch annel between th e det ona tor an d the magaz ine.
Action—On Firing.
372. The acceleration of tin shell cause s the armin g ring to set back, 'lli is forces the safet y
leti ule over the cet ona tor holder, thu s releasing the half-colla rs Centrifu gal force then causes the
half-collars to fly ou t leaving the st rike r s uppo rted only by tin shea r w ire : an d the shu tte r to swing
open agains t the pressure of its spring . The hole in the shu tte r is thu s broug ht into line with the
det ona tor and tin hole leading to the magazine. The fuze is now a rmed.
Action— On Imp ed.
372a. The disc in the nose is cru shed in and the st rike r is forced down, shearin g t he she ar wire.
The point of the strik er pierces the d eto nat or and the result ing Hash passes tliroug h the holes in the
sh ut te r and baffle to the dela y ring an d thence to th e sleeve an d magazine. The d elay arre sts the flash
for a sh ort time, causing the shell to bur st at from two to six feet beyond the po int of impa ct.

Fuze, Percussi on, D.A., No. 248.

373. This fuze is for use with “ K " device in shell I I inch, 15-inch. 16-inch, A.P.C. or Prac tice
projectile s. In addition, it may be fitte d to " K ” device shell appro ved to use Fuz e No. 241. The
safe ty arran geme nts and action are similar ro Fuze No. 241, hut it has a weake r creep spri ng.

Fuze, Percussion, D.A., No. 251.

374. This was the original fuze for the 40 m.m . Il. E. shell (Bofors) ; it was superse ded by
No. 255 (described below) to which it is simi lar, excep t th at the la tte r embod ies d elay arran geme nts.
The safe ty arran geme nts and act ion arc simi lar to thos e of No. 255.

Fuze, Percussio n, D.A., No. 255. Plate 17.

375. This fuze sup ersedes No. 251. and is used for <.).!•. 40 m.m. H.E. Shell (Bolors).
The design and com ponen ts o f the fuze are shown in the illustra tion.

Action On Firing.
376. (») The ferrule sets back on the shuck of discharge and take s the sti rru p spring with it.
When the spring load exceeds the “ set-b ack " force on the armi ng sleeve, the la tte r
moves forward uncovering the two balls which fly outw ards owing to centr ifugal
force. The str ike r an d hamm er a re left free an d are in the " arme d ” position.
(•♦) On th e shock of disc harge the second ferrule a lso s e t s back on to a le ad w as ht -i a m i takes
its st irrup spring with it. The two pa rts of the s hu tte r now se par ate and fly outwa rds
under cenirifugaJ fo rc e; thi s allows the det ona tor pellet, on the actio n of the spring ,
to move backw ards and come into con tac t with the lacc of the stem med plug. The
deto nato r p allet is locked in this position by a pai r of co llars which, und er centrif ugal
fore-?, fly o utwa rds into an ann ular groove in the body.
Action— On Impact.
377. file nose of the fuze is crush ed in and the hamm er driv es the str ike r into the deto nato r.
The res ulting flash ignites the de lay composit ion, the lead azide and the C.E. in the det ona tor pe lle t;
the dela y composition gives a sho rt delay. The C.E. in the stemm ed plug is igni ted and deto nate s
the C.E. or Pcnto lite in the fuze magazine.

Fuze, Percussio n, D.A., No. 259.

378. This fuz< superse des Nos. 251 and 255 for use in Q.F. 40 m.m. H.E. Shell (Bofors). The
con tou r is simila r to fuze No. 255. The interna l mechanis m is a modified a nd improv ed version ul the
No. 246, a nd the safety ar rang eme nts and action are similar to No. 246.
 56
CH. X II- SE CT IO N 2.
BASE PERCUSSION
379. Base percussion fuzes ar e supplied to ship s fitted in shell, These luzes are designe d in the
following sizes, as follows
H ot ch ki ss ................................... 0.77-inch
Small ........................... 1.15-inch
fuze holes.
Medium ......................... 1.6-inch
Large ...........................2-inch
Base percussion fuzes come into action when the forwa rd v elocity of the shell receives a sudden
check instea d of depend ing on a blow on the nose of th e fuze. Ibis involve s th e use of a c omp arati vely
hea vy iner tia (percussion) pelle t carry ing a det ona tor (or needle) loosely enclosed in a cham ber, and
cap ab c of moving forward . The iner tia pellet is prev ente d front making conta ct with the needle
or deto nato r u ntd the forces which come into pla y on firing unlock the mechanism which immobilises
it. On impa ct the shell loses veloci ty, bu t the pelle t, by reason of its iner tia, cont inues on with
ncglig.ble loss of velocit y and the de ton ato r strik es t he needle ; the resul ting Hash ignites the magazine
of th e fuze . The iner tia cont rol action produces a slight dela y in the functionin g.
380. Saf ety arra nge men ts may consist of a sh utt er, ce ntrifug al holts, det ent s or pressu re p lates.
Prem ature ignition of the det ona tor durin g flight due to the " creep ing actio n " of the pellet
un der decel eratio n is avoided by interp osing a light creep spring in fron t of the pelle t. The pellet
mu st compress the creep spring before the needle can pierce the det ona tor and the stre ngt h of the
cree p spring is such th at the pellet is re tain ed on its seatin g until the forward movem ent of the shell
is sufficiently checked. The gre ate r the degree of sensitivene ss requ ired in a fuze, the light er is t he
cree p spring fitted.
Delay Fitting. Plate 18.
381. Certa in large base percussion fuzes incorp orate an optiona l Dela y f ittin g (e.g., Nos. 158 and
159 types). When the fitti ng is used a delay is obta ined in tl»? function ing of the fu ze and. thu s, in
the burst ing nf the shell.
Shell using fuzes wi th a Delay Fit tin g are se t Dela y or Non-Delay by means of a Set ting Device
in the base cov er pla te o f t he shell or No, 8 Trace r, cove ring the fuze.
When set to Delay, pressure from the prope llant gase s is a dm itte d to the pocke t in tin- base
cover pl ate o r No. 8 Trac er. The pressure a cts on t he coppe r gas check plat e of the shell, wh ich forces
the pressure plat e of the fuze forward, causi ng its tape red spindle to fit i nto a recess in tire o pen side
of the flash ch annel and the flash chan nel is thu s blanked . When t he percussion arran geme nts of the
fuze function on impa ct, flash from the fuze de ton ator passes through the u nob stru cted flash chan nel
to the Delay F itti ng which arr est s i t for a sh ort time before it reaches t he fuze magaz ine. f
When se t Non-Dela y, gas p ressur e is exclud ed from the pressure pla te. On impa ct flash from the
deto nato r reaches the ignition cha mbe r by' pas sing ove r the Lead of the pressure pla te in the cross
channel and thu s avoids the delay fitting.
382. The type s of set ting device are :—
(1) A Selling Plug in Hie base cover plate of the s hell—The plug is turn ed and set by Key
No. 88. Dire cting arro ws are engrave d on the cover plat e to indica te the meth od of
se tt in g .
To -ret D {Delay) the plug is t urn ed in the. dire ction indicat ed by the arrow until it is flush w ith
the base c over plat e and back aga ins t the stop screw.
To set to N.D . [Non-Delay] the plug is screwed hard home in the direc tion indica ted by the
arrow When s etti ng to N. D ., it is im por tan t th at the sett ing plug is turn ed as far as possible in the
directi on indic ated by th e arrow, and th at noth ing oth er th an Key' No. 88 is use d in the process.
VZhen shell with thi s typ e of Set ting Device are embar ked the sett ing of the Plug should be
checked by visual exam inati on. When set Delay' t he chamfer of the plug is har d back against the
sto p screw When set Non-De lay the plug intr ude s abou t 1,10th inch into the cove r plat e and two
to three thre ads are visible.
The function ing of Non-D elay arra ngem ents in the fuzes will be impaired if alte rati ons to the
setti ngs are made frequ ently, and these should l>e ordere d as seld om as possible.
(2) A special gas-sealing Copper Screw in the base coier plate or No. 8 Tracer. Tin- key slot
in the head of the co ppe r screw is in the form of a squ are recess, and Key No. 150 is
Specially p rovide d to insert or remove th e screw " For Delay Remove Screw " and a
Directing arrow (correspondi ng to the right- hand thre ade d screw) are engra ved on the
cover plate.
When t he requ irem ent is Delay the screw is remo ved.
When the requir emen t is Non-D elay the screw is left screwed HA RD HOM E, or is re-in serted .
Screws remove d for the Delay sett ing should be carefu lly preserved for re-insert ion when the re­
quireme nt is Non-Delay.
Fuze, Percussion, Base, Hotchkiss, Mark IX. Plate 18.
383. This fuze is used in 3-pd r. and 6-pdr. poin ted steel powder filled shell and also in 2-pdr.
C P . shell.
The design and comp onent s of the fuze ar e shown in the illus tratio n.
 SI
CH. XI I—SECTION 2.
The percussion pelle t compri ses a brass cy linde r filled with lea d alloy in which the needle holder
and t he needle are em bedde d. The needle h older and the percussion pe llet ca nno t m ove a nd th e creep
spring is h eld in compression.
Safety .-Irrangetnents.
384. The fuze embodies the following s afety arr an ge me nts :—
(1) The needl e holder is embedde d firmly in the percussion pellet and the poin t of the
needle i s level with the top of the pellet. In this positio n the poin t of the needle cannot
reach the d eton ator .
(2) Afte r firing and durin g Hight, th e nee dle is kep clea r of the de ton ato r b y th e cre ep spring,
Action -On Firing.
385. The shock of discha rge caus es the percussion pellet to set bac k over the needle holder.
The alloy at the bott om of the pellet cushio ns against tie bott om of the fuze, a nd a port ion of the
al by is dovet ailed into the un der cu t recess. This forms a weak connectio n between the percussion
pellet and the body and assists in checking rebou nd which otherwise- migh t cause pre mat ure action .
The cre ep spring ex pand s a nd assis ts in holding the pellet hack. The fuze is now armed.
Action—On Impact.
386. On impact the percussion pellet sets forwa rd and overcomes the connect ion formed by the
doveta iling of the alloy into the recess and the pressu re exert ed by the creep spring . On setti ng
fonvard the percussi on pellet carries with it the needle holder, and in consequence the needle pierces
the det ona tor. The resu lting flash passes thro ugh the flash hole in the cap and ignites the filling of
the shell.
Note. Owing to the small space avail able and because shell fuzed with differe nt Lot Nos. may
be s upplie d in the same box, the Lot Nos. of these fuzes ere om itte d from the marki ng of bo th the
shell and the boxe s which are mar ked " fuzed " only.

Fuze, Base, Percussion, Nos. 500, 501. (Plate 18) 502, and 551.
387. These " Medium " siz e d eton atin g fuzes ar c all simila r in design.

Na 501.
No. 501 fuze, which is illu stra ted in the Plate , emb ixlc s the princ iples emp loyed in all Medium
base fuzes, an d its design a nd com ponen ts a re typic al of the series.
This fuz<- is for use w ith 12-pdr to 5.25-inch S.A P. shell and supersedes No. 500.

No. 502.
No. 502 fuze is similar to No. 501, but has a weake r creep spring.
This fuze is for use with 4.5-inch. 4.7-inch (62 lb.) and 5.25-inch S.A.P. shell.
The base of the fuze is pa inte d Ye/fotr.
No. 551.
No. 551 fuze is similar to No. 501. but ha s a weake r cree p spring.
This fuze is for use with 15-inch C.P. shell and 15-incn H.E. . B.N .F -hell.
The Base ol the fuze is p ain ted B'AjTv.
No. 551, Mark II is in supp ly and has a large magazine.

Safety Arrangements.
388. The fuzes em body the following saf ety ar rang eme nts : -
(i) The iner tia pellet holding the det ona tor is prev ented from moving forward on to the
needle by the upp er and lower c entri fuga l twits The uppe r c entri fuga l bolt is held in
positio n by the det ent.
(i») In the ev ent of the de ton ato r firing acci denta lly before the fuze is a rmed the flash will
not ignite the main filling as
(а) The flash hole in the iner tia pellet is b lanked by the maskin g b olt.
(б) The pellet seati ng on the base of th e chamlx-r forms a gast ight joint .
(c) The sealing b all blan ks off th e flash hole in the body.

Ac'ion— On Firing.
389. Acceleration of the projectil e causes the det ent to set back agains t its sprin g ; centrif ugal
force causes the d eten t to top ple, locking itself back un der the sho ulde r of the det ent hole. The upper
centrifug al bolt, the lower c entrif ugal bolt , toge ther with the maskin g bolt and the sealing ball with
its retain ing bo lt, fly outw ards. The pellet is now held away from th e needle b y the cree p sprin g only,
and the flash ch annel is clea r w ith the excep tion of the sea ling at the bott om of the pellet. The fuze
is fully armed .
 58
CH X I! SE CT IO N 3.
.•k/Mw Impact.
390. The pelle t is carrie d forward by its own iner tia and, overcomi ng the creep sprin g, carri es
the deto nato r on to the needle. The coned front end of the pellet jams tigh tly in the narrowin g
entr ance of th e ne edle c ap and prev ents the pelle t rebou nding The Hash Ironi the de ton ato r passes
along t he flash ch annel of the pel let, past the mask ing bolt and int o the bo ttom of the pellet chamb er,
the fks li then passes the ball thro ugh the cross chan nel to the perf orate d powd er p ellet , and ignites
the C £ . filling in th e i gnition cha mber. The pressure an d heat from the explosion of this pellet passes
to th. C.E. in the vertic al channe l anil th e C.E. pell et in the magazine.

Fu ze, Per cus sion , Base, Nos. 159. 346 an d 480. Plate 18.
391. These " Large " size de tona ting fuzes ar e a ll similar in design. Their main difference is t he
stren gth of the creep spring ; fuzes used in the larger calibre shell have weak er creep springs. The
fuzes inco rpora te the optio nal dela y fitting whose setti ng devices a re described in para. 382.

No. 480.
No. 480, which is illu stra ted in the Plate, embod ies the principle s employe d in all large base
fuzes an d its des ign and com ponen ts are typic al of the series. No. 480 is us ed with G-inch C.P.B.C.
or C.P.C. shell and supersedes Nos. 479 and 479A.

No. 159.
No. 159 fuze is used with AT'.C. shell S-inch an d abov e and with 15-inch C.P.C. shell ; it sup er­
sedes Nos. 158 an d 158A
No. 346.
No. 3 46 fuze is used with 8-inch S.A.P.C. sh el l; it supersedes Nos. 345 and 345A.

Safely Arr ang eme nt.

292. The fuzes emb ody the following s afety arr ang em ent s:—
(?) The ine rtia pellet holdin g the de ton ato r is p reve nted from moving forwa rd on to the
needle by upp er and lower cent rifug al b o lt s; the upper centrif ugal holt is held in
posit ion by the det ent .
(«») In the eve nt of the det ona tor tiring a cciden tally before the fuze is arm ed the flash will
not ignite the main tilling as
(a) The flash hole ill the iner tia pellet is blan ked by the maskin g bolt.
(b'i The pellet seatin g on the base of the cham ber fonn s a gastig ht join t.
(r) The sealing ball blan ks off t he flash hole.

.'Icfwza- On Firing.
293. Acceleration of the projec tile causes the det ent to set back aga inst its spr ing ; centrif ugal
force causes th e de ten t to topple, locking itsel f back und er the shou lder of the* de ten t hole. The upper
centrifugal bolt , the lower centrif ugal holt, toge ther with the masking holt and the scaling ball with
it?. r eta ini ng bo lt , fly o u tw a rd -. T h e pe ll et is now hold a w a y fro m th e nee dle by the cre ep sp rin g only
ami the flash ch annel is clear with tin exceptio n of the seating at the bott om of the pellet. The fuze
is fully armed .

Action—On bnp acl -Set “ Delay."

£94. The pellet is carried forward by its own iner tia and overcom ing the cree p spring , it drives
the dsto nat or on to th e needle. The cone d front end of the g nz e pellet jams tigh tly in the narrowin g
entran ce of the needle ca p and prev ents the graz e pellet rebound ing. The flash from the det ona tor
passes along tile flash chan nel ot the pelle t and past the masking holt int o the bott om of the pellet
chamber, along th e open side of the cross chan nel to the delay fitting and thenc e to the perfor ated
powder pellet and the ignition cham ber, The pressure and heat from the explosion of the powder
pellet p asses thro ugh the small hole in the screwed plug and brings abo ut the deto nati on of the C.E.
in the verti cal c hanne l an d the C.E. pellet in the magazine.

Action—On Im p a c t— S et ‘'Non -De lay ."

395. On imp act flash from the det ona tor reaches the ignition cham ber by passing over th e head
of th - pressure plat e in t he cro ss cha nnel and thu s a voids the dela y f itting.

CH. XI I—SECTION 3.—TIME FUZES

396. T ime fuzes (except No. 402) can be set to function at a prede termi ned time aft er firing.
T he se fu z e s a rc cl as si fi ed
(1) Tim e Combustion or Powder Burn ing Fuzes.
(2) Tim e Mechanical Fuzes.
With Time fuzes the space s between the ri n g s (».c ., between the cap anil top ring and between
the bod y a nd the botto m ring), set-screw holes, safe ty' pi n holes and the escape hole discs a re c overe d
 59
CH. X II —SECTION 3.
with " waterp roof compositi on." It Is es sential th at waterpro ofing should not be destro yed, as it
enables the fuze to reta in its serviceab ility. Instr ucti ons for dealing with any fuze whose water-
tightn ess m ay hav e been im paired are given in N.M. & E .R.
TIME COMBUSTION
397. Time Combustion fuzes ar e illu stra ted in Plate 19. The fuzes con sist essen tiall y of a body
contai ning an ignition arran gem ent, two rings (filled with fuze powder) surro undin g a centr al stem
and a magazine below the rings. The arran geme nt for igniting the fuze powder consists of a pellet
which car ries e ithe r a det ona tor or a needle. On firin g, th e pellet sets back and the needle pierces t he
det ona tor ; the r esel ling flash igni tes t he fuze powde r whose, time of burni ng will have been re gula ted
by the settin g. Wl.cn the corre ct leng th of fuze powder has burne d, a flash is conveyed to the fuze
magazine . The explosion of the magazine causes the shell to bur st eith er by direct ignition of the
shell filling o r thr oig h the medium of a gaine.
398. Safet y arrang ement s comprise :—
(») The needle and det ona tor are kep t apa rt until the gun is fired. This is effected by
holding the needle pellet and the de ton ator hold er apa rt by a helical spr ing or a stin Up
spring. In some fuzes a safet y pin. to be removed W o re firing, is als o prov ided.
(j't'i While the fuze is s et to " SAF E " accident al ignition of the det ona tor will n ot ignite
the fuse magazine, as the fire c hanne l to the magazi ne is blank ed by a solid portion
on the bott om (revolving) ring. Ignition of the det ona tor will ignite the top ring
which will hu m ou t with out igniting the bott om ring.

Fuze Powders.
399. The compositions filled into the ann ula r grooves in the time rings are terme d " Fuze
Powd ers." The y an- usually ordi nary fine grain gunpo wder pressed into the rings under certain
specified pressures to give a definite time of burning.
One ring is capable of being revolved on the fuze body so th at the length of time of burni ng of
the fuze powder may be varied . By this means the fuze may l>c s et to burn for a fixed time.
4C0. Several classes of fuze- p owders are used in Naval Service and an; disting uished by name s
indic ative of t he ti n e tak en by such powders to bum throu gh No. 80 fuze rings o r b y nu mbers.
401. Powders in use ar e: —
(»') 22 seiotuis / ’ow irr.— For time rings of No. 80/44 fuze s; also for the top rings of No.
192. No. 124 an d No. 198 fuzes.
{«) jo powder.—For the time rings of No. 181 an d for th e top rings of No. 93 fuzes.
(i»7) R.D. 202.—This is a long burni ng powder and is use d for the botto m rings of No. 93,
No. 124 an d No. 198 fuzes.
(it,) S. R. J04.—This is a short burni ng powder of good regul arity and is used for tilling the
botte m rings of No. 44M) fuzes (top ring ha s no filling).
(v) S.R. 22?.—This is a 25 seconds powder of good regula rity and is us ed for filling both
top and bot tom rings of the lat est Combustion typ e Time fuze.
402. Some fuzes (z.g., No. 93. whose lower ring is filled with R .D. 202 composition) are distin guished
by ha ving the lower ring colou red red.
With the exception of R.D. 202 com positions, the slower burni ng powders are- more difficult to
ignite tha n the faster burni ng powders ; the y are- also more’ liable to stop burn ing durin g flight,
especially when fired at high angles.
Both the ro tation al vel ocity of the shell and the a tte nu ate d pr essures exp erienced at high al titu des
uffect the burning d fuze powders. The hi ghe r fhe spin mid the gre ater the angle of elevatio n, the
longer is th e time of burning o btain ed. Both of these c auses have the effect of increasing the difficulty
of keepi ng the composition alight . Thus, it is neces sary (especially for fuzes for th e small er gun s a nd
for high angle ammunition) to use (I) quick-b urning powders which conta in a comp arati vely low
percen tage of carbon in the charcoal used, or (2) a powder which is v ery hot burni ng. This is the
pres ent pract ice with No. 192 and No. 198 fuzes.
Composition R.D. 202 (in which length of bur ning h as b een a chieved at the exp ense of accuracy)
is adver sely affected by th e baro metr ic c onditio ns m et wit h at hig h altitu des. With moder n powerful
A.A. guns at high quadr ant elevation an occasional blind must therefo re be expecte d.

Ten sion ing an d Clamping.

403. In most fuzes the ca p is screwed down so tha t the torq ue required to move the time ring
lies withi n definite imits, and these fuzes are known 03 " tensi oned fuzes."
In a few older fuzes the rings are- tig htl y clamp ed in position. These fuzes are known as
" cl amping fuzes." To move a nd set the rings of clampin g fuzes the top cap or nu t m ust be eare d up
the bott om ring meved to the requir ed setting and the top cap or nut screwed down tight . Fuzes
No. 181 and No. 93 arc clamping fuzes.
The tensioning or clamping of th e ring of Time fuzes ensur es th at the se ttin g is not accid entall y
alter ed. It also gmr ds against any movement of the rings when rota tion al velocity is impa rted to
 fin
CH. XII —SECTION 3.
the shell by the rifling of the gun. If he avy vibra tion is exper ienced the setti ng of pre-set fuzes may
alte r. If pre-s etting is essential the set ting of such fuzes is to be ch eeked at frequ ent inte rval s, and
in a ny case a fte r hea vy vibr ation ha s occur red.
•101. I he tensioning of the time rings of combustion time fuzes ma y alte r owing to varyin g
clim atic condition-.
(l) With normal ly tension ed fuzes, the tension ing may become eith er gre ate r or less.
(tt) With clamped fuzes the tensio ning may decrease so that the time ring can be turn ed
by norma l app licati on of fuze se ttin g key. If fuzes are fired with com para tive ly loo?/'
time tings the re will proba bly he irregu lar resu lts o r prem atur e bursts.
405. Where the ten sioning is less tha n the sta nda rd laid down in the next para grap h, the fuzes
may be retensio ned an boar d a s describ ed below.
The sta nda rd of tens ioning to be main taine d is :—
(») Fuze s as in para . 404 (»).—The time setti ng ring should requ ire a firm pressure to set
when using the hand fuze set ting key. ft should not be possi ble to tur n the time
setting ring with the linger a nd thum b.
(»»’) Fuze s as in para. 404 (it}.—With clamped hir es it should not be possible to turn the
time setti ng ring with reasonable pressure using t he hand fuze sett ing key.
jNSlruclioHS fo r ifu rta sin g ten sion o} fuz es , fa ra . . /o/ {»).-—
406. (»I Ease hack the two smal l set screws near the top a full t urn each.
<«) Fit th? kev provided fkev No. 133 for fuzes Nos. 198 an d 400 or key No. 141 for fuzes
No. 401).
(Hi) Hold he shell or fuze firmly and screw down the top of the fuze,
ftv) Test the tension lit acc ordance with the sta nda rd laid down and adju st if necessary,
(v) Screw up the set screws.
(vi) Set fuze to " safe ” nr setti ng ordered.
(w») Replace the waterp roofing composition R.D.1154.
Ins tru ctio ns fo r da mp ing fuze s, para. 404 ( i t ) :—
407. Similar action is tak en when clamp ing fuzes to th at laid down for increasin g the tension,
excep t tha t the fuze must he Set to the correct sett ing before clampin g hard down.
407 a. Occasional checks on the tension ing of the combu stion time fuze should be take n when
carryi ng out inspections. It is not the policy to ease the tensionin g of uncla mped fuzes which are
app are ntl j' stiff, as the stiffness m ay be d ue to da mp havin g p ene trat ed or corrosion being presen t in
the time rings. Easing of tension in stiff fuzes may lead to prem atu re burst s.
Fuze Setting.
408. The amo nrt of fuze powder to he burn ed is regu lated by the angle throu gh which the
bott om ring is turned. Grad uatio ns are cu t on the body of the fuze to enable this angle to be read
off a nd an arrow or line is cut on the exte rior of the movable ring,, or vice versa. The grad uatio ns
on the bod y a rc a rbi tra ry divisio ns chosen to obt ain the requisite degree of fineness of set ting ; they
do not necessarily represe nt minut es, degrees of ar c or seconds of time.
409. Fuze scales are publ ished to indicate th e t imes of flight corresponding to tin- va rious se ttings.
The movemen t of th e bot tom time ring may be (f) b y hand, using the su itabl e setti ng key ; (ii)
by a han d se tte r; (1:1) by a fuze set tin g machine. Slot-, ar e formed in. or stud s project from, the
ring to ena ble it to lie tu rn e d .
(•'or han d setting with a key the position of the slots or stud s is of little import ance, as the ring
is revolved until the gra dua tion requir ed appear s opposite tin- arrow.
With some types of hand set ter or fuze sett ing machine the position of the slots or stu ds must
be acc urat e and care m ust be taken to avoid damag ing or dist ortin g them. On no accoun t should
the y be used for a ny p urpos e othe r than sett ing the ring with’ the appro ved key. set ter or machine.
Escape Holes.
410. In all linu- fuzes (except No. 185) the time rings have radia l exha ust channel s or escape
holes through which the gases gene rated may escape into the atmosph ere. These escape holes are
closed by escape holt discs. An efficient seal is issential to prev ent direct access of burning gas at
high pressure from the gun (which would cause .1 prem atur e by flash overt and also to preven t
moist ure reaching the composition duri ng storage . Prem ature s are occasionally experience d in sub-
calib re guns with No. 124 fuzes, when flash from ch amb er gases enter s the escap - holes a fter the discs
have blown oil but before th e projectile, is cle ar of the pare nt gun.

Fuze, Time, No. 125 Plate 19.

411. This fuze is for use with 2-pdr. to 6-pdr. common nose fuzed shell and has superse ded No. j.
124 ; It Is s mal ler than bu t sim ila r in de-dgn and act ion to No. 198.
t

61
CH. X II —SEC TION 3.
The flash channe l between the det ona tor and the top ring is filled with mealed powder. This
gives a sligh t de lay in the ligh ting up of the top ring an d is inte nded as a guar ante e aga inst the shell
burs ting in the p are nt gun when used in sub-ca libre gu ns.
The bott om ring has ra tch et tee th arou nd its periph ery to engage the a uto ma tic fuze s ette r. Xo
ew er is fitted.
The design and comp onent s or the fuze are shown in the illus tratio n.

Safety Arrang ements.

412. The fuze embodies the following sa fety arran geme nts :—
(») The det ona tor is ca rried in a pellet which is held cl ear of th e s trik er needle by a stir rup
spring housed inside the sleeve. •
(«) Accide ntal ignition of the det ona tor will not ignite the magazine while the fuze is set
” SAKE, ’’ as th e flash holes in the rings a re bl anke d in thi s p osition.

Before Fir ing.

413. The fuze is set by turn ing the bot tom ring until the set ting ma rk is in line with the re­
quired gra dua tion on the uppe r ring.

Action—On Firing.
414. The ine rtia of the de ton ato r pellet causes it to s-t back on to the needle which pierce s the
deton ator. The res ultin g Hash pa sses th rough the flash hole and ignites the compos ition in t he top ring.

Action—Duri ng Flight.
415. The fuze powder in the top rin g bu ms rou nd until it ignit es th e p owder pelle t in the channe l
leading to the bot tom ring. The fuze powd er composition in the bott om ring is ignite d and bum s
until ft ignites the powd er p ellet at the head of the channel leading to the magazine . Escap e holes
are drilled in the time rings at the position where the trai n of powder is commenced. Each hole is
filled with a perfo rated powder pellet a nd closed by a bras s disc, which is blown o ut a nd allows th e gases
to escape as the pow der bu rns.

.Mtcm—On Bu rst.
416. Th e flash passes along the cha nnel and ignites tb> powder in the magazine . The flash from
tliv maga zine passes thro ugh the weakene d port ion in thi centre of the closing plug and ignit es the
exploder.

F o e , Time, No. 198. Plate 19.

417. This igniferous tim e fuze is of 2-inch gauge and s tensioned .
The fixed npp. r time ring i s grad uate d 0—22 The movable lower ti me ring is en grav ed with the
setti ng mark .
As an A.A. fuze No. 198 has been largely supers eded bv Nos. 206, 207 and 211 fuzes.
418. The fuze is for use with
{«) 12-pdr. t o 8-inc h H .E . sh ell .
(ii) 12-pdr. to 4-inch St ar shell (except 4-incli Mark XVI ).
(Hi) 4-incli to 5.25-inch Smoke sh ell B E .
(»w) 5.25-inch a nd 6-inch Chemical B.E. shell.
(u) 4-inch, 4.7-inch and 5.25-inch T arg et Smoke shell.
(yi) 12-pdr. to 8-inch H.A. Pra ctice pro jectiles.
(uh) 12-pdr. Falling T arg et shell.
The design and comp onent s of the fuze are shown in the illust ration .
The screwed wat erti ght cover mu st be remove d before fit ting fuze to shell ; the co ver ma y then
lx tem pora rily replaced.

Safety Arrangements.
419. The fuze embodies the following safe ty arra nge me nts :—
{«) The d eto nat or in its ho lder is ke pt de ar of the needle by a spring.
(ii) Acciden tal ignition of the det ona tor will not ignite the magazine while the fuze is set
" SAF E " as the flash holes In the rings are blanked .
Before Firing.
420. T he cover i-. unsc rewed and remove d. The fuze is set bv turn ing the Iwttu m ring until its

F
 62
CH. X II— SECTION 3.
Action— On Firi ng.
421. The ine rtia of the d eto nat or h older causes i t to stt back on to th e needle whi ch then pierces
th? det onat or. The result ing flash passes thro ugh two flash holes an d ignite s the fuze powder in the
top ring.

Action— During Flight.

422. The fuze powder in the to p r ing bu ms ro und until it ignit es th e powder pellet in the channe l
leading to the bot tom ring. The fuze powd er in the bottom ring is ignite d and bu ms un til it ignites
th? p owd er pell et at the hea d of the cha nnel leading to the magazine . Escape holes are drille d in the
time r ings at the position where the tra in of powder is commenced. Each hole is filled with a per forat ed
powder pellet and closed by a bra ss disc which i s blown out and allows th e gases to escape as the powder
bums.

Ad iim —On Burst.

423. Flash passes along the ch annel and ignite s the pew der in the magazine. The flash from the
magazine passes thro ugh the weakene d po rtion in the cen tre of the dos ing plug and ignite s th e explod er
or deto nate s the ga ine (where fitt ed).
Tile No. 198c is sim ilar to No. 198. except th at pa rt ci the screw thre ad which holds the fuze in
th? nose of the shell has been remov ed. The cuta way of the threa d allows t he fuze to blow ou t ea sily.
No. 198c fuzes are used in c erta in H.A. Pra ctice proj ectiles and these are sten cilled appr opri ately .

Fuze, Time, No. 400.

424 Th is is a. sh or t bu rn in g fuze for use w ith :—
(») 12-pdr. t o I6~inch H .E. shell (with a gaine).
(ii) 4-inch a nd below (except 3.7-inch) Shrap nel shell.
(lir) 12-pdr. to 8-inch H.A. Pra ctice projectil es.
The body of the fuze and the saf ety arra nge men ts are simila r to those of No. 198. Mark II
{Flute 19). Two add ition al flash chann els are bored from the centr al space roun d the spring to the
to j lime r ing. Th e top time rin g is em pty, an d flash from the d eto nat or p asses s trai ght to th e botto m
ring which is filled with S.R.304 fuze powder.
The tota l time of burni ng of the fuze is 9 seconds, “o disting uish thi s fuze from the No. 198.
its lower ring is coloured with blue lacquer.

Fuze, Time, No. 402. Plate 19.

425. This fuze is for use with Shra pnel shell only in 12-pdr. H.A. and II.A./L. A., 3-inch 20-cwt.
and 4-inch (Mark XIX ) guns in D.E.M .S.. Fas t Lin ers and Oilers. The fuze mu st not be used with
H.E. sh ill The design a nd com ponen ts of the fuze are shown in the illus tratio n. The time of burning
is fixed so tha t the shelf is explo ded at 500 yar ds range and no fuze- settin g is require d.

S a fe ty Arrangements.
126. Th e de tn nn to r ho lde r ir. h eld aw ay fro m th e tlr ih er nee dle by th e c.pring.

Action—On Firing.
•127. The d et on ato r holder sets back agai nst the spring and the needle pierces the det ona tor.

Action—D uring Flight.

428. The flash from the det ona tor passes thro ugh the flash chan nel and ignites the dela y com­
position which cau ses a cert ain dela y before igniti ng the powder pe llet and magazine.

TIME, MECHANICAL
429. The m echani sm of this ty pe of fuze is des igned to run at a prede termi ned ra te af ter the fuze
is armed. As th e rat e is l ittl e affected by the rota tion al velocity of the projec tile in which it is fired,
th? time of ru nning or time of bur st is pract icall y cons tant in a ny typ e of gun. The design i s cajxablc
of being used in nearly all equi pmen ts, provid ed the time of flight is known, even thoug h the range
tabl e d ot s not include a scale for the act ual fuze. The mwh anica l time fuzes in supp ly are Nos. 206,
207. 211 and 21 5; the y differ only sligh tly in design.

Fuze Setting.
429a Time Mechanical fuzes are inte nde d to be se t prima rily b y m echanic al fuze set ter s, and the
grad uatio ns pr ovid e a seco nda ry me ans of set ting b y eye w ith a ha nd key.
The bixl y •»» bas e p iec e is gi ad ua lc il e xt er na lly f ioi u 0 0 to 2 14. Th e low est se tti ng at. w hich thes e
fuies will fun ction is 0C/7 ; with fuzes fitte d w ith the muz zh safet y bridge piece se ttin gs less th an this
will give blinds.
Fuzes arc set by rot ati ng the dome in a clockwise direction viewed from the poin t of the fuze.
 63
CH. X II —SECTION 3.
430. The fuzes are issued set " safe " and mus t be in this condition before using the mechanical
sett er. If a fuze is dist urb ed from the " s afe ” sett ing, it m u s t be care fully reset " safe " before it is
se t by a mechanic al sett er. Small revers e settin gs to ad jus t over-set fuzes may be mad e, bu t main
sett ing m u s t be in a clockwise directi on only Fuzes are not compromised by sett ing an d may be
reset a numb er of ti m e s i f requ ired. I f h e a v y v ib r a ti o n is ex pe rie nc ed , th e s e tt in g o f pre-s et fuzes
may alter. If pre -set ting is essential the setting of such fuzes is to be checke d at frequ ent inte rval s,
and in any case af ter he avy v ibr ati on has occ urred.
Although the m ost satisfactor y’ sett ing is pro bably’ t ha t done by th e mech anica l fuze set ter, good
sett ing to the grad uati ons by han d key is possible if care is exercised. These grad uat ion s a lso form
a rough check for the mechan ical sett er. Par ticu lar care is r equired when sett ing with a han d key.
The key is mark ed with an arrow to indic ate in which direc tion to r ota te.
It ii im por tan t to en sure th at the fuze is still set “ safe " afte r the remova l of the cover, especially
when it has once been set.

431. The safet y arra nge men ts are simila r to those in Percussion D.A. fuzes, and differ fund a­
mentally from Combus tion Time fuzes as no det ona tor is stru ck on tiring the gun.
432.
433. Consid eration has been given to the use of time mechanical fuzes for bom bard men t, as this
would simplify drill, and the su pply of fuzes to ships taki ng par t in assa ults. Tria ls h ave shown tha t
unde r e asy c onditi ons a time mechan ical fuze will f unctio n on impact , blit at small angles of descent
or on soft ground the re will prob ably be a high propo rtion of blinds. I'he shell b urs t is cau sed by the
crush ing in of t he he ad and nose, t hus tiring the de ton ato r of th e fuze or gaine, and th is trai n of action
mus t e ntail a longer d elay tha n when a direc t actio n fuze is cmplcyed, whereas rap id initi ation Is most
desirable for bom bar dm ent shell.
434. Wlieneve r possible, dire ct action fuzes should be used for bom bard ing, bu t when the guns
tha t are bei ng used for b omb ardm ent mus t also b e a t imme diate readiness to repel airc raft , the use o f
time mechanical fuzes is accep table unle ss a larg e p ropo rtion of the targ et is soft ground.
For fuzing and unfuzi ng shell, (see paras. -137 and 433).

Fuz e, Time , No . 206 .

435. This fuze is for use with :—
(*) 4-inch to 8-inch H.E. shell (with No. 9 or No. 10 gaine).
(si) 4-5-inch to 5.25-inch Sta r shell.
(iii) 5.25-inch a nd below T arget Smoke shell.
(«•) 4-inch to 8-inch II.A. Pract ice project iles.
Son e difficult y m ay be ex perien ced on removi ng f uzes supplied in the cylin ders No. 202. Should
this occor and the fuze cover become unscrewed from the fuze, the fuze itself must he unscrewed
from the cyli nder b y means of the fuze fixing key.
The m echanism is sim ilar to tha t of th e No. 211 fuze (Plate 30).
On impact with thin steel plat ing fuze No. 206 with a No. 9 gain e will a lso det ona te the shell.
At short rang es th e gain e d eto nat or will lx- act ua ted by the Crushing in of the fuze bo dy, even i f th e
fuzes are set " S AFE " : at longer range s or at oblique impa ct it is desira ble tha t fuzes should be
set to bur st well beyon d the targ et.
For in stru ctio ns for fuzing and unfuzing shell, see para. 487.

Saf ely A rrangem ents.

436. The fuze embod ies the following sa fet y arra nge men ts —
(i) The stri ker is kept awa y from the det ona tor by 1 cam -shap cd foot which rests on a
pillar. Should any fault in the mechanism allow the foot to coine oft t he pillar before
the fuze is rot ate d, furth er move ment of the striker towa rds the det ona tor is arres ted
by the centrif ugal safe ty catc h which engages the foot and becomes locked. Sub­
seq uen t rota tion of the fuze will not free this lock, and a fuze fired in thi s condition
will be blind.
(ii) During flight, the ce ntrifu gal safe ty catc h o pens 'and does not inter fere with the strike r
which is released afte r the passage of the “ SET " tim e.
(iii) The clockwork mechanis m canno t be sta lle d w Imu* Lite fuze is se t "S A F E ." as the
trig ger safety’ catc h pre ven ts the trigger from setti ng bac k and freeing the hand . As
long a s the fuze is set " SAFE ” the trigge r safety cat ch is reta ined und er the trigger
by a stud which proje cts from the inside of the dome.
 64
( H. X II —SECTI ON 3.
(z'p) .Vi). jc6 Mar k I I fuzes have been introduced into the service and have a device con­
sisting of a bridg e piece which pre ven ts the han d of the clockwork mechanis m from
rising until the mechanis m of the fuze lias run appr oxim ately one second This
prev ents pre mat ure bu rst s occurri ng just inside the muzzle of the gun.

Before Loading.
437. The w ate rtig ht ca p is un screwed and remove d. The d ome is set to the re quire d fuze len gth.
This oper ation shears the dome shear ing pin and also allows the trigg er saf ety cat ch to come out
fo nt und erne ath the trigger.

Action On Firing.
438. (i) 'Ute locking ring s ets back , shearin g the. small riv ets b y which it is held , and its bott om
edge is c ut into by tin- locking pins in the base piece. As the locking ring is keyed to
tin- dome any fur the r turn ing of the dome relativ e to the base piece is prev ented .
(j{) The trigger sets back and frees the hand thus allowing the mechanis m to sta rt. The
hand revolves anti-clockw ise, and the hand sprin g cont inues to force it aga inst the
unde rside of the hand race.
bit I Th< rota tion of the proje ctile causes the centrif ugal safe ty catc h to swing ou t clear
of the cam on the strik er.

Jcft'en—Duri ng Flight a nd an Burst.

4:10. The han d revolves unt il it comes in line with the ga te in the hand race. The hand sprin g
farces the hand thro ugh the gate and the end of the strike r l ever is relea sed. This allows t he st rike r
to tur n so th at its foot drop s oft' the pillar. The strike r spring forces the stri ker down so th at its
point pierces the det ona tor. Flash from the det ona tor ignites the po wder in the magazine .

Fuze, Time. No. 207.

440. This fuze is for use with the same shell as No. 206 fuze and also with 4-inch, Mark XVI,
and 4.5-inch to 5.25-inch St ar shell, and 4.5-inch and 4.7-inch Chemical B.E.
The fuze was i ntro duce d as a stre ngth ened form of No. 206. but is now being superse ded by No.
211 for H.E . shell.
The Safe ly Arrangements and action are identical Io tho se of No. 206. The Mark II I design is
fitted with a bridge piece, which p rev ent s the han d of th e clockwork mechan ism from rising until the
mechanism of the fuze has run app roxi mat ely one second. This pr eve nts pre ma tur e bu rst s occurri ng
just inside the muzzle of the gun.

Fuze, Time, No. 211. Plate 20.

441. The fuze can be used with
(») 4-inch to S in ch H .E . sh el l.
{«) 5.25-inch and below Target Smoke shell.
This is a deto nati ng fuze embod ying a ga in e; it is superse ding No. 206 fuze in all H.A, equip ­
ments in which the co mbin ation of No. 206 fuze an d No. 10 gain e is approv ed.
The design and comp onent s are shown in Plate 20. The mechanis m is housed lower in the
body tha n the No. 206 fuze to impro ve the stre ngt h of the fuze ami its abi lity to resist stresse s on
firing.
Fo r inst ruc tion s for fuzing and unfuzing shell see paea. 487 an d 488.

Safely Arrangements.
•112. The fuze embodies the following sa fety arra nge me nts :—
(i) The str ike r is kep t away from the deto nato r by a cam- shapc d foot which rests on a
pillar. Should an y fau lt in the mechanism allow the foot to come o ff the pillar before
the fuze is rota ted , furt her movem ent of the str ike r towa rds the de ton ato r is arrest ed
by the centr ifugal safe ty catc h which engages th e foot and becomes locked. Subse­
que nt rotat ion of the fuze will no t free th is lock a nd a fuze fired in thi s con dition would
be blind.
(nJ During flight the cen trifu gal safe ty c atc h opens an d does n ot inte rfere w ith the st rike r,
which is released aft er the passa ge of the " set ” time.
(it'i) The centri fugall y ope rate d sh utt er blank s off the passag e between the det ona tor and
the magazi ne. A det ent holds the SliUtte? in the " SA FE " position.
(»w) The bridge piece prev ents the hand ot the clockwork mechanis m from rising un til the
mechanis m of the fuze has run for appro xima tely one second. This pr< ven ts p rem atu re
bu rst s occur ring inside the muzzle of the cun.
 63
CH. X II —SECTION 4.
Before Leading.
443. The wate rtigh t cap is unscrewed and removed. The fuze is set by turn ing the dome to the
required fuze set ting ; this ope rati on shears the dome shearing pin.
Action—On Firin g.
444. There arc tw o scr ies of actions, namely , tho se caused by se t-ba ck (which occu r simultaneou sly)
and th ose caused by the rot atio n of tin projectil e.
In the- first series
(») The locking weigh ts set back and force the ocking pins into the sp ate betwe en the
dome and the body, thu s pre ven ting a ny furth er rela tive move ment between them.
(f*) The trigger set-- bac k and frees the han d, thus allowing the mechanis m to sta rt. The
hand revolves anti-cloc kwise and the hand spring cont inues to force it agains t the
under side ol the h and race.
(«*) The det ent set s back again st its spn ng and frees the shut ter.
In the second series :—
(*) The centr ifugal safe ty cat ch swings clear, allowing a free passage for the foot on the
stri ker when it dro ps off the pillar.
(ft) The det ent topples and locks itself back under the sh oulde r of the det ent hole.
(or) .As the shu tte r is no longer held by the dete nt it slides over aga inst the pressure of the
sh utt er spring-, into the arme d posi tion .

Action—Duri ng Plight and on Bu rst.

445. The hand revolves until it conies into line with the gate in the hand race. The hand sp ring
forces the han d throu gh the ga te and the e nd o f t he str ike r leve r is re leased. Th is allow s the stri ker
to turn so th at its foot drop s off t he pillar. The str ike r spr ing forces the str ike r down and its point
pierces the d eto nato r. Flash from the de ton ato r ignite s t he C.E. in t he stemm ed chan nel in the sh utt er
and the magazi ne is de tona ted.

Fuz e, Tim e, No . 215 .

446. This fuze is fo r use w ith 4.5-inch to 5.25-inch St ar shell.
The safety arrangements and action are similar to those of No. 207. Mark III fuze, with a longer
time of runni ng. (Maximum ol 80 seconds.)

CII. XI I SECTION 4.—TIME AND PERCU SSION FUZES

447. These are Time fuzes embod ying a percussion mechanis m which works on the inertia
principle.
l' h e fuze will function on imp act before the time mechanism is due to function or if the time
mechanism fails tn function corre ctly. These fuzes an- obsolescent.
The safe ty arra nge men ts are detail ed in the desc ript iot of the No. 93 fuze.

Fuze, Tim e, Pe rcu ssi on , No. 93. Mark I. P/ofe 17.

448. This fuze is for us e with 6-inch to I3-inch Shrap nel shell. It is a clam ping fuze and its design
anti co mpo nents ar e shown in the illus tratio n.

Safety .4rrangements. *
449. The fuze embod ies th e following sa fety arran geme nts :—
Time Po rtio n—(t} The time pellet carry ing the det ona tor is prev ente d from falling on the
needle by a sti rru p spring and a safe ty pin.
(*'*') While the tuze is set to SA TE , accid ental ignition of the det ona tor
will n ot ignit e the magazine as the flash holes are blank ed.
Percussion Portion.—The percussion det ona tor is prev ented from moving forward on to the
percussi on needle by a steel kil l interp osed between the top of the pellet :uid the top of the
rec ess in th - body of t he fuze. It is also r etain ed by th e stir rup spri ng taki ng u nde r th e brass
ferrule.
Before Loading
450. The safet y pin is removed, flic cap is cased back (righ t-han d screw), the bottu m ring is
set to the fuze setti ng ordere d and the ca p screwed down again. No atte mp t should be made to
rep-ace the sa fety pin once it has been removed, and if n ot required for im media te use, the fuze must
be removed horn the Shell and throw n overb oard.
 67
CH. X II —SECTION 7.
Action— On Firing .
460. The det ent set s bac k agai nst its spring and frees the shu tte r which moves, und er the
influence of ce ntrif ugal force, u ntil the det ona tor is i n the cent re line of the gai ne between the needle
and the fire channel.

Action— On Burst.
461. The g ases pr oduce d b y the ignition of the magazine of the fuze force th e needle of the gaim
back on to the det onat or. The det ona tor dis rup ts and sta rts the chain of deto nati on which passes
throu gh the C.E. in the fire c hannel in to the ma gazine of th e gaine.
Caine, No. 9.
462. This gaine is similar to No. 10, except th at it is manu factur ed in lead free mate rial, and
therefo re c an be u sed in shell filled w ith high explosive conta ining Picric Acid.
Gain e, No. 11. Ptitto 19.
463. This gaine is for use with
(»') 12-pdr. 12-cwt. and 3-inch H.E . shell.
(>’») 4.5-inch, 4.7-inch, 5.25-inch, 6-inch (Mark X X II I guns) and 8-inch Chemical Burs ting
shell.
The design and compo nents are shown in the illust ration .
Safe ty Arrangement.
464. Tin centri fugall y oper ated shu tte r blank s off the channel between the det ona tor and the
fire channe l of the magazine.

Action— On Firing .
465. Centrifu gal force causes the shu tte r to swing over agai nst the pressure of its spring. The
stemm ed chan nel in the shu tte r is thu s broug ht into line with the det ona tor and fire chan nel of the
magazine.

Action— On Burst.
•100. The gases pro duced by the igniti on uf the fuze magazi ne c ause the d eto nat or of the gain e to
disr upt . The c hain of deto nati on passes throu gh the C.E. in t he shu tte r and the fire channel into the
magazine of the gaine.

C1I. X II —SECTION 7.—DETO NATORS FOR FUZ ES AND GAINE S

467. A " true ” det ona tor is one which on initia tion will tran sm it a wave of deto nati on to the
high explosive filling of a fuze or gaine.
The term " det ona tor " has been used rat her loosely and it became cus tom ary to refe r to caps
filled with an igniferous compositi on as deto nator s.
Both tru e de ton ator s and igniferou s compositio n filled deto nato rs ar c f itted in fuzes used in Naval
Service, and to avoid confusion true deto nato rs will be referre d to as “ D isru ptiv e ” deto nato rs and
igniferous compositi on filled deto nato rs as " Igniferous ” deto nator s.
The grea test care is take n to en sure th at deto nato rs arc correc tly made, th at the y are clean and
* th at no loose fulmina te or igniferous composition is on the exter ior. In spite of prec autio ns it is
possible tha t over-sen sitive deto nato rs may some times be passed into the send ee, and it is therefore
of the utm ost impor tance th at deto nato rs or fuzes contai ning det ona tor s should be very carefully
handled .
468. Fulm inat e of mercu ry and igniferous compositions are liable to d ete rior ate and to become
unserviceabl e with ti m e; the rat e of dete riora tion of igniferous composi tions is veiy much less than
th at of pure fulmina te.
No age limit is plac ed on the life of det onat ors filled with igniferou s com positions or on composite
deto nato rs filled w ith ignif erous compositi on a nd lead azide. A life of te n years is placed on d eton ator s
of pure fulmina te. The speed of de terio ratio n is incr eased with the temp erat ure of stor age.
I
DISRUPTIVE DETONATORS
•169. Disru ptive deto nato rs are fitte d in Percussio n D.A., and Time No. 211 fuzes and in all gaincs.
The cont ainer is of copper and the filling consists of (i) a to p la yer of " A ” mixt ure a nd a bott om
laye r of lead azide, or (ii) a charge of pure fulmi nate of mercur y.
Deto nato rs filled in t he first man ner have the le tte r " Z ’’ suffixed to thei r n omencla ture.
Disru ptive deto nator s are initi ated by a direct blow from a sha rp har d needle which causes a
molec ular disru ption and a wave of de tona tion is prop agat ed to the fuze magazine.
 .68
CH. XII— SECTION 7.

470. The severa l types of disru ptive deton ator used a n

4-grain detonator (filled fulmina te of No. 18 fuze
mercur y) now superse ded for curren t No. ISP fuze
filling b y the 5-grain “ Z " No. 19A fuze
No. 451' fuze (Marks II. V II/ II. V ll —•♦,'11
XI/ II)
No. 131 fuze
4-grain detonator (filled C.E. and lead No. 11 gaine {Mark IIZY)
azide)
5- grain detonator (filled fulm inate of No. 44 fuze (all ma rks up to and including
mercur y) now superseded for cu rrent Mark X)
filling by the 5-grain " Z " No. 451• fuze (Marks M il . V II f* . X)
No. S gaine (all mark s up to and including
Mart IV)
5-grain " Z " detonator (filled compo­ No. 44 fuze (all m ark s a bove Mark Xi
sition " A ” and lead azide) No. 45P fuze (Marks VH** **Z;II . v i l l - Z .
X Z. XI Z/ II)
No. 117 fuze
No. 118 fuze
No. 230 fuze
No. 230P fuze
No. 240 fuze
No. 241 and 24S fuze
No. 360 fuze
No. 360 C fuze
No. 211 fuze. No. 720 fuze
No. S gaine (all m ark s a bove Mark IV)
No. 9 end 10 gaint-
No. 11 gaine (Mark I)
5- grain detonator (filled A.S.A.) No. 750 fuze (magazine deto nato r) as alt er­
native to the 5-grain " Z "
6- grain detonator (filled C.E. and lead No. 254 fuze (Marks II and IV)
•azide) No. 253 fuze (Mark I)
JO-grain detonator (filled fulm inate ol No. 2 gaine (both det ona tor and gaine are
mercury) obsolescent)
■J.S-grain " Z " detonator (filled compo­ Fuz e b om b Hy dro sta tic No. 1
sition " A " and lead azide)

IGNIFER0US DETONATORS
471. Ignifcrou s deto nato rs ignite gunpo wder by flash and the ir usual functi on is to ignite the
powder filling of a fuze magazine.
These d eto nat ors co ntain one of two typ es of filling according to the ir service :—
(A) Detonators for Base fuzes, the percussion pa rt d Time and Percus sion fuzes and Nos.
243 and 246 fuzes cav tilled en tirel y with A umjUiuc. This type of filling is also used in
Fuzes Nos. 206 an d 207.
(B) Special det ona tor s for Time and th r time part of Time" and Percus sion fuzes, filled
app rox ima tely ha lf a nd hall with B mix ture and a powd er pel let.
472. A and B compos itions are mix ture s of the following substa nces :—
A MIXTURE B MIXTURE.
I'uim inaie of Mercury ... ... 6 p ar ts b y weight 11 per cent, by weight.
CMorale of potash ... 6 p ar ts by weight. 52.5 pe r cen t, by weight.
Ant imo ny sulphide ... 4 pa rts by weight. 36.5 per cent, by w ei gh t.

Ignifcrous Detonator s, Killed “ A " Mixture.

473. These det on ato rs arc made in thr ee sizes—3, 2 and 1.7 grain. They ar e designed lo be
struc k by a needle on the top and an fitte d in the following f ixes :—
J-grain detonator ............... All med ium and larg e base percussion fuzes.
No. 206 fuz el .... . , .
, > li me mechan ical fuze.
No. 207 fuze J
2-grain detonator .............. luz e, percussion, base, H ot ch ki ss .
i.y -g ra w deto nato r............. ■. No. 81 fuze 1 (Time a nd p ercussion fuzes—percus sumor range-
No, 93 fuze ; men!)
v ° o ta /U 7 ' " ’’t h , a r Sv r *l u l e '» det onat or.
No. 246 fuze i
No. 720 fuze With larger hole in the deto nat or f or percussion
arrang ement .
 69
CH. X II —SECTION 8.

Igniferous Detona tors, Filled " B " Mixture and Powder.

•174 This typ e of de ton ato r is used in tlx- tim e arran geme nt in Time. Time and Percussi on and
fuze No. 720, Marks I to 111. These det ona tor s a re more sq uar ely shap ed than the plain igniferous
deto nator s a nd are designed to be str uck by a needle on the botto m.
The de ton ato rs fitte d to th e di fferent type s of Time fuze differ sli ghtl y i n filling a nd con struc tion,
but are all made on the abov e lines.
As a n examp le, the weights of explosive filling in the det ona tor for fuze No. 198 a r e ;—
1.1 gr ains de tona ting com position " B ."
1.41 grains of gunpowder.

t il. XII SECTION 8.—MISCELLANEOU S

Failures and Accidents with Fuzes.

475 Blinds or " Pr em atu re s" ma y occur with any type of fuze. They may also occur
through a fault in the shell or its filling q uite apa rt from the misb ehavi our of the fuze.
With percussion mechanisms a blind usually indicates th at the main det ona tor of the fuze has
failed to fin:. W it h time m cc lin nU nw it may mea n th at {1} the d eto nat or of th e igniti ng a u a u g c ii ir u i
lias failed to function , or (2) the time rings have failed to ignite, or (3) the time ring havi ng ignited,
the fuze pow der has failed to cont inue burn ing or to convey the flash to the magazi ne. The net
result is the same in all cases—the fuze does no t function .
Blin ds in fuzes m ay be due to any one of a large num ber of causes or even to a combin ation of
causes which it is impossible to dete rmin e witho ut investig ation. One of the non-t cchni cal reasons
may be the failure to remov e the safe ty pin or/a nd safe ty cap.
The term " pre ma tur e ” appli ed to a fuze indic ates th at some po rtion of the fuze has functioned
socner th an was i nten ded, with the re sult tha t the shell filling is expl oded prem atur ely.
476. By reason of the Safet y Arra ngem ents in Fuzes a pre ma tur e act ion of the fuze det ona tor
will not alway s resu lt in the prem atu re explosion of the shell. In fuzes, however, where there is
nothin g to p rev ent the Hash from the det ona tor reach ing the fuze magaz-ine t he pr em atu re action of
the de ton ato r will result in the imme diate explosion of the fuze. A pre mat ure ignition of a fuze
deto nato r may result in a shell burs ting when the gun is fired a nd before the shell has had time to
reach th e muzzle. A simi lar ac cident may occur ow ing to a defective shell or filling.
It is imp ort ant when repo rting prem atur es to tak e great care to ensu re th at full jxarticulars of
the shell, the fuze and the charge used in the gun are reported to the A dm ira lty ; this will enable
the ma tte r to be fully inve stiga ted and avoid suspicio n bei ng t hrow n on the fuze o r o n the she ll when
the oth er is real ly responsib le for the acciden t.
P re m at u re s in fuzc< m a y b e d u e t» a larg e nu mbe r o f cau se s, a n d i t is impossible wit hou t thorough
investiga tion to de te rm in e the cause of any on e accid ental explosion.

Firing throu gh Muzzle Covers.

477. Base fuzed shell are not liable t o p rem atu re if fired throu gh a muzzle c over, e ven if th e cover
is coa ted with ice. Nose fuzed shell may pre ma tur e if fired thro ugh a muzzle cover, and if the y do
not the y will p rob ably be blind.
47S. For Guns, 2-pdr. to 12-pdr. inclusive.— When muzzle covers of any na tur e are in p lace, whet her
or not the y are likely to be coal ed with ice. the first round fired should be a prac tice proj ectil e or a
base fuzed shell.
479. Fo r Guns, 3-inch and above;
(»} When circu mstan ces a re such th at through out the whole p eriod duri ng which the guns
are likely to rema in l oaded, formatio n of ice is not liabk to occur, all shell, whet her
base fuzed o r w ith direct action fuzes (including K device shell) or time fuzes, m ay be
fired thro ugh muzzle covers if condi tions make it desirab le to keep cover s in place.
The except ions to the above are fuzes Nos. 44 and 45P. Shell fuzed with these fuzes
are not to be fired thro ugh covers, and when the y are in use an d it is nec essary to keep
covers in place, the first round mus t be a prac tice projec tile or a base fuzed shell.
(«) When ice is liable to form, ba se f uzed shell awl K de vice shell may still-be fired thr ough
the covers, bu t shell fuzed D.A. or those lute d with time fuze’s should no t be fired,
A practi ce proje ctile (or a base fuzed shell, according to circumst ances) should be the
first roun d tired.
Afote. Cart ridge , Q .F . 40 mm. Prac tice (weighted and plugged shell) mu st be used lor 40 ntm.
Bofors gun s an d not Cartrid ges O.P. 40 mi n. Proje ctile Practice (fuzed and filled S.K.274).

t
f
 70
CH X II —SECTI ON 9.
Care of Fuzes.
•ISO. Instructions for the care of fuzes suppli ed sepsrately in tin cylin ders ate se t out in the
N.M. & E .R .s.
Should the waln tigl ilne s-. of fuzes supplied in their ((i np jn en t shell lx comp romised in a ny wav
(f.g . by removing th e pin or by setting of a lime ling) ti n t fuze, if n ot imme diatel y fin d, should be
regarded as unfit for service, and the comple te rou nd re tim ed to a Naval Arma ment Depot a, the
earliest opp ort uni ty.

Meta l Fu ze Cover*.
••HI. Metal fuze covers h.ive prov ed superior to rubber covers.
Metal covers ar e not to be removed un til a bsolute ly necessary, due regard b eing paid to oper ation al
and we athe r con ditions.
Ill th e event of fuze failures the rou tine rep ort (Form No. S.114S(;) ) is t o stat e the period of
tin i' between the removal of t he fuze cove r ami firing, together with any remar ks as to weath er con-
dit im s, etc. , Io which the shell may have been exposed before and during th at period . and which
may be helpful in d eter min ing the c ause of the failure.

K it Plasters.

482. Kit pla ste r, form a method of waterproofi ng an l a means of prote ction for flu es of shell
in nad y-u se racks in exposed positions. Inst ruct ions for rise are cont aine d iii N.M. & E.K.
The plaste rs consist essent ially of a conical canvas cap soaked in kit compositio n and placc-d
river the now: of t he fuzed shell. They can lx readily removed by th e beck ets without th e iim- of a
key or o the r instr ume nt, Kit plasters a rc supplied for No 44 fuzes,
483. th e method to be used when fittin g a pla ster is :—
(i) Remove any grease from the nose of the fuze.
(i'i ) Heat the compos ition in uu ord inar y gl uepot. It should remain at full he at for abo ut
15 m inut es befor e it is used.
(in ) Men hand ling th e plasters sho uld rub a littl e miner al grease over t he ir h and s t o p reven t
the compo sition adhe ring. »
(if) Place a p aper cove r (supplied with the p laster) over the nose of t he fuze to prevent the
compositio n adhe ring to th> fuze.
(f) Dip tlic plaster into the compo sition and keep it there for one minu te, so tha t it ma y
lx well sat ura ted .
(w) Lift (lie p laster from the compositio n and allow it to cool until the compos ition is no
longer runn y.
(i-irj Two men should each tak e hold of two loops and pull the pla ste r quic kly over th e
nose o f the shell, seams ou t. The seams shenud then b r pressed down with a suita ble
piece of wood.
(v»n) Finally, dip the nose of shell 4.7-inch and below into th e hot compositio n til l the c om ­
position just covers the junc tion betwe en the b otto m ol th e pla ste r und the shell. Wit h
shell above 17-inch. app ly a coat of composition with a brush. Scrap - off any com ­
position which ru ns down on to the body of th e shell when it is stoo d on its base.
(»x) To facil itate removal of th e plas ter, a becket of sp un ya m s hould he rove through all
four loop s ol tin- plaster. A tug on t hi s becket will pull a ll four loops at on ce.

CH. X II —SECTION 9.— FU ZIN G AND UNF UZI NG SHE LL

GENERAL.
484 Kegiilation:. concerning the safe ty precautio n* ti bn observed while fuzing and unfit ting
shell are set out in N.M.E.R.
Shell (>-pdr. and below a nd all shell for subma rines are supplied fuzed.
As a wartim e measure H E . shell 5.25-inch and belowfitt ed with Fuzes No. 206 or No. 207 a re
wipplied fuzed.
In sliips other I ban D.E.M.S., Fast Liners an d Auxiliary Vessels, II.E . shell lor use with Time
Comb ustion fuzes are sup plied plugged, with g ainc s in p osition (il f itted ). Certai n H.E. shell for use
with Percussion, I).A., Fuzes, are also issued plugged.
For D.E M.S., Fast Liners ami Auxiliary Vi-.-ch, slid below fi-mch ar e supplied fu&ed ; 6 inch
•hell are issued plugged an d are fuzed on bo ard with as sistance from Naval Armam ent S upply peno nm I.
All components that screw into the bas e of a shell (r.c., bas e fuzes, tracer s)-hav e left- han d screw-
thread s. Nose fuzes have righ t-han d screw-threads.
 7!
CH. XI I -SECTION 9.
INSTRUCTIONS TO FUZ E-G EN ERA L.
485. («) Ease the " g rub " or fixing screw in the nose of the shell right bac k Io ensure tha t it
clears th e thr ead s of th e pl ug . Th e sc re w n c es s wi ll b e fo un d ful l of lu tin g.
(»'»') Unscrew the pl ug from the fuze hole an d remove th e plug and washer. Was hers which
are sometim es fitte d roun d the head of a No. 8 gaine should not be removed. If the
plug cann ot be unscrewed with the service fuze key. the shell is to be landed at the
first o ppo rtu nit y at a Nava l Armam ent Depot.
(i»i) Wipe the thre ads of the fuze hole to ensu re th at no explosive, is le ft on them.
(tv) Coal the thre ads of the fuze with Mark V h tin g. taki ng care th at no luti ng is applied
to the Ixittnm of the fuze. Place a fillet ol Mark VI luti ng or R.D. 1205A unde r the
washer. No lu brica nt oth er tha n Mark V luti ng i s t o be used ; it is t o he ap plied with
a new brush . Mark VI lutin g is tac ky and sho uld be appli ed with a wooden spa tula .
(v) Sec th at the gainc is sc rewed home. With a No. 8 gain e thi s is done by feeling with
the fingers th at the hea d of the gaine is belo.v the s urrou ndin g w asher (care b eing ta ken
tha t the pressu re plat e of the gaine is not touch ed) : with oth er gaine s it is done by
feeling th at the gainc itself is not loose. If th e gain* is not sen-wed home the shell is
to be retu rne d to a Naval Arm amen t Depot.
(vr) Fit washers to the fuzes as follows
Nos. 44 and 45P—no washers.
Percussion, D.A., Time. Time and Percussion—a cop per asbe stos washe r unless a
washer has a lrea dy been fitt ed.
(vii) (a) Ins ert the fuze an d screw ho me, using ro mo re force tha n can be appli ed by hand
with the sen dee fuze key. Hi e washer m ust lx? ke pt cen tral so t ha t no pa rt of it
prot rude s beyon d the side.
(6) Fuzes fittin g G.S. fuze holes Nos. 44 and 45P fuzes) are screwed in by the ir
I caps, which are slott ed across or provided with a squ are recess in the top. The
cap tur ns the fuze by the bod y pi ns, on t o which the ra p fits with a bay one t join t.
t It is n ot alway s possible. because of tbs tape r of the G.S. hole. Io screw the fuze
far enough in for t he unde rside of the head to bea r o n the bot tom of the recess in
the nose bush and a sligh t prot rusio n of the fuze is to be acce pted ; a fillet of
•o Mark VI lutin g is appl ied in the recess in the shell und er the head of the fuze. It
is essen tial with fuzes havin g a scrcw-r.own wa ter tig ht safe ty cap and tight enin g
plug (c.g.. No. 45P fuzes) th at the tighteni ng plug should be in the screwed down
I positio n when the fuze is in the shell.
(c) Fuze s fit ting 2-inch holes are screwed in by th e body. The fittin g k ey take s into a
groove or hole in the body. Thus , in l ine fuzes with wa ter tig ht covers the cover
mu st be remove d before screwing in th t fuze.
i
(</) Time a nd Tiine-a nd-Perc ussion fuzes must be se t SAF E before they dre insert ed.
(viii) Screw the grub screw firm ly home. Fill up its recess with lutin g. Mark VI.
(fx) Prot ect the head of the fuze from dam p. This i s ap plicab le only to No. 44 and earlier
mark s of No. 451*. which hav e no wate rtigh t cap and have not alre ady been wat er­
proofed in depo t.
The proce dure is :—
(<») Unt ie the knot in the becke t of the safet y pin. The becke t is rove thro ugh the
crown of the safe ty cap. No. 44 fuzes. Marks X and lat er, do not hav e a beck et.
(fr) Remove the securing pin or pins. In No. 44 fuzes, Mark X and late r, this also
removes the safe ty pin.
(c) Remove the safe ty cap carefully so as to avoid any stra in on the becke t of the
safe ty pin.
(d) Exam ine the Pet tma u cemen t over the head of th e fuze to see th at it is sou nd and
in good cond ition ; if it is not in good co nditio n the luti ng may work down into
the fuze an d sa tur ate the d eto nato r Fuzes wh ich are not in good condit ion should
lx- retu rned to a Nava l Arm amen t Depct.
(«•) Coat the top porti on of the fuze with Mark IV lutin g, placing a thick lay er over
I the head of the flize. In appl ying luting to the head of a No. 44 fuze care must
be take n to avoid depressi ng the needle disc as thi s will fire the d eton ator .
(/) Reeve the becket of the saf ety pin through the crown of the safe ty cap.
I - (g) Replace th e s a fe ty ca p
(h) Replace the securing pin or pins and open out the split ends. In fuzes No. 44,
Mark X and later , replace the safe ty p in ; if any difficult y is enco unte red in so
J doing the fuze should be re moved and returned to a Naval Armam ent Depot unless
it is like ly to be. tired in the nea r future-.
 -

72
CH X I I — S E C T IO N 9.
()) Re-kno t the becket of the safe ty pin.
Note.— In futur e m anu fact ure the lutin g m iy be appl ied to the he ad of the fuze at
1
the fuze-filling factor y. No f urth er w aterproof ing on boar d will be necess ary
with these fuzes.
(x) With D.A fuzes stencil the word " FUZE D " on the shell with the special vermi lion
pain t,

INSTRU CTION S TO UN FU ZE GENE RAL.

486 Unfuzing shell is ca rried ou t by r eve rsin g the oper ation s jus t d escribed
(»j Ease the gTub screw right back.
(ii) Unscrew the fuze with the Service fuze key (using no more force t ha n can be applied
by hand) . If the fuze cann ot be removed bv this me an s the fuzed shell mus t be re­
tur ned to a Naval Armam ent Depot at the first oppo rtuni ty.
(»i») Exam ine the fuze to see tha t no par t of it remains in the shell . 11 a |K>rtion remains
in the shell, the shell is to be handl ed with care, kep t in the horizont al position and
lowered overb oard in deep wate r. The rema inder of the fuze should be hand led with
care and throw n overb oard at once. In no circums tances should any att em pt be made
to remove a portio n of a fuze rema ining in a shell on board H.M. Ships.
(»T) Ins ert the plug, with leathei washer und er tin flange, and follpw a procedure similar
to th at in {««), ( if ) and (vii) id para. 48$. The thre ads of the plug m ust he wiped cleau
before applyin g the luting. Screw up the grub screw and fill its recess with lutin g
Mark VI. Care is to be ta ken tha t the correc t type of pl ug is placed in the shell
(v) Strike throu gh the word " FUZE D ” with vermilion paint.
(vi) Replace the fuze in a tin cylin der and seal it.

TIME mechan ical fuz es and FU ZE NO. 230 .

•187. Shell supplied fuzed with No. 20 6, 207 or 211 fuzes may also be used with Fuze No. 230
over Gallic No. 9 or 10 a nd vice versa. When a No. 211 fuze is fitte d on board in place o f a ny other
fuze an d gaine, the “ G.9 ” or " G.10 " marking on the shell should be erase d o r barre d ou t and if a
No. 21 1 fuze is bein g replaced by oth er fuze and gaine, the " G .9 " or " G.10 " as applicable, should
be ad de d by s ten cil to d e n o te t h e p re se n c e o f a gai ne.

To Fu ze with Fu ze No. 211 .

488. Ease ,h> grub screw fully back and remove tin- plug (with leat her washer) by mean s of
Key No. 48, Mark I. or a suit able screw driv er, fakin g care tha t the compo nents of t he exploder system
arc not. sp lied from the shell. To ensure th at all the compo nents are in place a " gaug e," dep th of
cav ity, nlh d H.E. shell. No. 7 is sup plied, l i e cauge should 1m- applied to the she ll cav ity, using the
longer end of. the gauge which is marke d “ NOT GO." The bott om of the gauge will rest, withou t
pressure, on the explo der in the cav ity and the flange should be just de ar of the nose of the shell. If
the gauge, witho ut undue pressure, touche s the nose of the shell on both sides the shell should be
re-plugged anti retur ned to a Naval Arm amen t Depo t at the firs, oppo rtun ity.
It the gauging is correct screw in the fuze (which has a copp er asbes tos washer secured to it)
using Key No. 89, Mark III (Schedule of keys, page 131). Screw th e gru b screw firmly home and
fill the recess with luting, Mark VI

To Fuze with Fuze No. 230 over Gaine No. 9 or 10.

469. Ease the grub screw fully back and remove the plug No. 20 (with lea the r washer) or fuze
No. 211, taki ng car e tha t the comix>ner.ts of the explod er s ystem arc not spil led from the shell. Gauge
the cav ity with gauge No. 7 as described ab ove for No. 211. Ins ert gaine No. 9 or 10 by means of
Key No. 69. Mark II. The gaine. when screwed down, need not make metal -to-m eta! conta ct with
the seatin g in th« shell, bu, should give firm compression ,0 the explode r system. Undu e force is
not to he used . Apply gau ge No. 7 to the fuze hole using the end marke d " GO " afte r insertio n of
gaine. The flange should make meta l-to- meta l con tact with the nose of the shell. If gauging is
correct, insert I-'uzc No. 230, using Key No. 121. Mark I (taking care th at the copper asb estos washer,
which is p rovided with th< fuze, is in place). Screw the g iub strew firmly home. Fill the recess with
luting, Mark VI.

To Remove Fuze No. 230 and Gaine No. 9 or 10.

49 0. Ease the grub screw fully back an d u nscrew Fuze No. 2311 (with the C. & A. washer) and un­
screw the gaine. using the sanu implem ents as those for fuzing describ ed above. No undue force
should be used. The shell can then be fuzed with Fuze No. 211 or plugged with Plug No. 20 ; the
preca ution s and gauging as set out in para . 488 being observe d.

FU ZE S IN 14-1NC H, 15-INC H AND 16-I NCH , H. E. SHEL L. Fi g. 5

491. These shell, when prepare d for time fuzes, are marke d with the word " T IME " in two
places on the nose. It 15-mch ll .E . shell hav e zme alloy Caps in place, the caps should be removed
and left off afte r fuzing. The app roved lutin g is Mark V II or Vll m.
 73
C II . X I I — SE CT IO N 9.
To rem ove Time Comhunt fon Fuze* in 14-inch nn d 10-in ch H.E . She ll and Fuze wi th Fuze No. 118,
492. («> Sla ck back (h r fix in g m o w .
(4} Remo ve the tim e fuze w it h key No . 89 and replace in its tape-b anded cyli nd er.
(c, Rem ove t he g aine No . 9 o r It) w it h k ey No 69 and place si m ila rly in its cy lin de r.
(<Z) Ins ert exp lode r, 3 oz. C E. |ic llc l, wi th lif ti n g band.
(/I Usi ng gauge No. 9 test th e dep th of cav ity, and if c or re ct. Ins ert two tra cin g clo th discs
on to p of th e exp lod er. Gauge N o. 9 is a " N ot Go " gauge, an d when used, the b ott om
of th e gauge w il l rest, w ith ou t pressure. on d ie e xpl ode r, 3 oz. C.E . pel let, in the c a vi ty
and the flange should be jus t cle ar of th< nose of th e shell. Shou ld th e ca vi ty be of
inco rrec t de pth , the stroll must be rc ti ir n e l to the nearest Na val Arm am en t Depot,
(/ ) InM Tt fuze No. I IK w it h Copper asbestos W.lshci under flange w ith Key s No 113 or
No. 121, usin g lu tin g whe n and as de scr ib'd on the Diag ram .
fg) Tig ht en the fix in g screw and cov er w ith luting as call ed fo r on th e Dia gra m.
(A) At i his stage t he ste nc illin g of th e wor d ' Tune " in t w o places sho uld lx* Cnrred thr ou gh
hu t not ob lite rat ed , in md ei tha t it inn y be know n (ba t thi s shell can lie e x p lo d e d to
tak e a gaine an d tim e fuze,
To remo ve Fuze No. 118 in 14-in ch nnd 16-inch H.E . S hj ll and Fuze wi th a T im e Combus tion Fuze.
49 3. (a) Slack har k th e fix ing screw
(A) Remove the fuze No. 1( 8 w ith K ey * No. 113 n r No. 121 mid r epl an In It s tape bande d
cjd ind cr.
(c) Remove the tw o tra cin g clo th discs and li t ou t the exp lode r, 3 oz. C.E. pel let, usin g a
hook made o f brass w ire . In order to en su e tha t all com pone nts are i n place an d s u it ­
able fo r rece iving a sli gh t compressio n upen the in w rt lo n of No. 9 or Id gain e, a gauge,
depth Of cavity filled 11 E. shell No. 7, is suppl ied, A p p ly this gauge to th e shell ca vi ty
using the lon ge r end of the gauge1 marked “ N ot G o. ” The Im tto m of -the gauge wi ll
rest, wi th ou t pressure, on the cxp lod eri ng u n it in th e ca vi ty an d the flange sho uld be
jus t clea r of th e nose o f the shell, If t il t gauge, w ith ou t undu e pressure touches the
now of the she ll on b oth sides, the x hc ll s ho ild lx- replug ged and re tu rn ed to all Arm ame nt
De pot at tin* fir st o pp or tu ni ty ,
(if) I f th e gaug ing is corre ct in * it gid nc No. 9 or Id w it h Key No . 69
<e) A p p ly gauge No . 7 to th< fuze h ole, using the end mar ked " Go af te r i ns ert ion o f ga ine. ”
The flange sho uld make met al to m et al cont act w ith the nose o f the she ll I f in cor rec t,
the shell sho uld he ret urn ed, plugg ed w il l plug fuze hole 2-iuc h No. I I to the nearest
Na va l Anu nni' iil Depot, On no are oun t »l uu kl plu g fuz> hole 2- inc h No. 13 be inser ted.
(J) I f th e dept h is corre ct ins ert fuze No. 4tX>, placi ng a copper-asbestos wash er und er th e
flange, or fuze No. 401, whic h has a copper-asbestos washer secured to it. w ith Kev
No. 89. using lu tin g where and as described on the Diagra m.
(tf) Tig hte n the fix in g screw and co ve r wi th lu tin g a. ta ile d for on the Diug rum .
(A) I'he word T IM E sho uld lx- re- sten cille d ou the shell.
To rem ove a Tim e Com busti on Fuz e in 15-i nch H. E. , B.N .F. Shell and Fuze wi th Fuze No. 360.
494. (<a> Sla ck back the fix ing screw.
(A) Remove the lim e fuze w ith key No . 89 an I replace in its tape-b anded cy lin de r.
(f) Re mo ve the ga m e No. 9 o r Id w it h key No 69 and place si m ila rly in Its cyli nde r
(</) Remove the tw o tra cin g clo th discs, li ft ovt the exp lode r, 26 dr am C.E pe llet , toge ther
w it h the thr ee glaze board discs place d at th e unde rside betwee n the pe llet and li ft in g
ban d, using a hook made of brass wire.
• fr) Ins er t exp lode r, 5-oz. I N T pe lle t, w ith li ft in g baud , follo wed by tw o trac ing clo th
discs.
9 ) Us ing gauge No . 9 test the dept h of ca vit y. Gauge No. 9 is a “ N OT GO " gauge, and
when used th e bo tto m of the gauge w il l res t, w ith ou t pressure, on the tra cin g clo th
discs in the ca v it y and th e flange sh ould bt ju s t clear o f nose o f shell. Sho uld the c a v it y
be of inco rrec t dep th, th e shell sho uld be returned to th e near est N av al Arm am ent Dep ot.
(g) Ins er t fuze Ni». 360 w ith a copper washer under the fliui ge w ith keys No. I 13 or No. 121.
usin g lu rin g sp ar ing ly on the thre ads. and al so on lir e ci)p|x-r- is bosto * washer to make
ju i effe ctiv e seal. A t th is stage fuze No. 360 should have the sa fet y cap removed and
the wa te rti gh t cove r i n place.
iVo/e.- In the even t of the sli ell Ix-in^ requ ired for use aga inst tar get s whic h the
comm on po int ed shell were designed to att ack , a special -te< l nose plug w il l be s upplied
to replace the No. 360 fuz n.
(A) Tig ht en the fix in g screw and cov er w ith lut ing .
(■#) Assemble tin * v ine alloy cap , u sing lur ing spa ring ly on the thre ad mid also on tin flange.
(A) A t th is stage t he ste nc illin g of th e wor d ” I I ME ” in tw o places on the ln ad sho uld lx-
ba rre d thr ou gh bu t no t ob lite rat ed , in ord er tha t it rnu y be kn ow n tha t thi s shell can
he exp lodere d to tak e a gaine and tim e fuse.
 74
CH. X II—SEC TION 9.
To remove Fuze No. 360 in 15-inch H .E., B.N.F. Shell and Fuze with Time Combustion Fuze.
495. («) Remove zinc alloy cap.
(6) Slack back fixmg screw.
(c) Remove fuze No. 360 with keys. No. 113 or No. 121, and replace in its tape-b anded
cylinder.
(d) Remove the two tra cing cloth discs a nd lift out the exp loder, 5 oz. T.N.T. pellet, using
a hook made of brass wire.
(<■) Insert exploder. 26 dr. C.5 . pellet, with thr ee glazelxiard discs between the liftin g b and
and botto m of the explode r and follow by the insertion of two tracing cloth discs. To
ensure tha t all comp onents arc in place and suita ble for receiving a slight compression
upon th e insertion of No. 9 or 10 gainc, a gauge d ept h of ca vity filled H.E . she ll No. 7 is
supplied.
.Apply the gauge to the shell cav ity, using the longer end of the gauge marked
" NOT GO.” The bo ttom of the gauge will re st, witho ut pressure, on the exploderi ng
unit in th e cavity, and the flange should be ju st clear of th e en d of th e nose of th e shell.
If the gauge without undue pressure touche s the nose of the shell on bot h sides, the
shell should be re-plugged an d r etur ned to an Armam ent Depot at the first o ppo rtun ity.
(/) If the gauging is corr ect, inse rt gainc No. 9 or 10 with key No. 69.
(g) A pp ly ga u g e No . 7 lu th e fu ze ho le , us in g th e c u d tu a ik c d " G O aftc i inse rtion of the
gain e." The flange should make meta l-to- meta l con tact with the nose of the shell. If
incorrec t, the shell should be retu rned plugged with plug fuze hole, 2-inch No. II . to
the neare st Naval Armam ent Depot. On no ac count should plug fuze hole. 2-inch, No.
13 be inserted .
(A) If the dep th is correct, inser t fuze No. 400, placing a c opper-a sbestos washer under flange,
or fuze No. 401 which ha s a co pper asb estos washer secured t o i t, using lutin g sparingly
on the thre ads and also on the copper-a sbestos waslier to make an effective seal.
Note.—On no accoun t should an att em pt be made to replace a zinc alloy cap on a
sh e ll t h a t h a e ti m e fa z e in pl ac e.
(/■) Tig hte n the fixing screw and cover with luting.
(k) The word " TIME " should be re-stenci lled on the shell.
H. E. SHE LL WI TH A UNIV ERSA L CAVITY 4-IN CH TO 16-INC H.
49 5 a . Shell fitt ed with a sta nda rd size of uni versal dep th of ca vit y ha ve been re centl y in troduc ed
tn permi t an exchang e of fuzing arrang emen ts to lie carrie d ou t on board.
A list of shell so fitted with the appr opri ate fuzes and their explode r units are set out in the
.Addendum to thi s Handbook. These shell will have the let ter ” U " stencill ed on opposi te sides of
the head as a mean s of identification.
Shell which h ave trace r fitted are not to be fitte d with Fuzes Marks 56 and 60. When Fnz.es
Marks 56 o r 60 are being fitted LUTI NG must not be used on the thre ads of fuze, fuze hole, screw,
or screw hole ; thes e m ust
(l) be wiped clean of luting
and
(2) b e d r y b ef o re iiu nr +i on o f th e fu ze am ! g r u b sc re w .
Luti ng is to be used only on the undersid e of the coppe r-asbest os jo intin g washer unde r the fuze and
for tilling the recess o ver th e grub screw when the screw is home.
Fuzes together with their appr opri ate expl oder un its are packed in m etal cyli nders and are supplied
read y for in sertion into the shell cavit y. A lifting band is fit ted to the explode r unit and enables it
to be lifted as a whole. It must be used when the explode r unit is withdrawal from or inserted in
the shell or cylinder.
To Exchang e Fuzing Arrangements.
E asc th e g ru b sc re w f i ll y b a c k , u n sc re w a n d re m o v e t h e p lu g o r fu ze , o r fuze a n d g a in e (ae
applicable) front the shell. With draw the exploder unit from the shell. These arran geme nts should
then be placed in the appr opri ate meta l cylinder, which should be marke d suita bly with a label for
identi ficatio n purpo ses and dosed. When placing a gaine in its cy linder care must be take n to ensure
th at the plasti c washe r of the cy linder is positioned below the plasti c ad apt er with the gainc intrudin g.
Hie gainc must be screwed into the ada pte r a nd the sho ulder below the threa d on the gaine mu st be
flush with the top face of the washer when the washer and the a da pte r axe in cont act. This ensures
th at the gaine will not exert any undu e pressure on the explode r unit or permit play between the
bot tom of the gainc and the explode r unit.
Remove the fuze, or fuze and gaine require d, and the explode r unit and the packi ng from the
cylinder. Inse rt the exploder unit into the emp ty cav ity of th e shell, felt e nd first, followed b y two
traci ng cloth discs. When a gaine is being fitted it mus t be screwed home on to its seatin g with
Key No. 69. Mark II, to ensure t he c orrec t compression of th e expl oder u nit. Check thi s by applying
Gauge No. 7 to the fuze ho.e, using the end marked " GO " aft er inser tion of gain e. The flange of
the gauge s hould mak e metd -to-m ctal con tact with the nose o f th e shell. Screw th e fuze home with
its appr opria te key and screw th e g rub screw firmly home.
 75
CH. X II —SECTION 9.

WASHER .C OPP ER ASBES TOS

MUST B t PIT TCB MERC UNL ESS
ALRE AOT A S I EM BLEB TO ru xs
exp -.obxr
T IM E TO I t NO.4 0 0
M « > O , 401 C EXP LOW R
WITH

nx ih t

t TRACING CLOTH

SH ELL B L H IC H EXPL OSIV E 14 INC H HEAVY MX. IY B AND 16 IN CH MK. 116

FI TT ED FOP T IM E FU ZE , ANO ME TH OD OF CFA NCE OV ER TO D A FU ZE N O II B
- AS FIREO AFTER REMOVAL OF FJZE COV ER OR CA R

SHEL L FI TT ED WITH BASE FUZ E NO SSI A N ) TI M E NOSE FU ZE WITH

CA IN E NO .9 OP IO. AS FlP ED AF TE R REMOVAL OF FU ZE COV ER
NOTES ZINC ALLOT CA P l» HOT TITTCO IN T N I* COM BIN AT ION

STEEL N X E PLUC TO
SEPLACi XUXt NR MO
C A R P t* 4 » *« » T n « AU ft Tl sx *. s u l w r « p
WASHER

ZI N C ALLOT
CAP

W A T tm C N T
COVER

T D K MO.>40 WITH
SAXI T T CAP
It M O rC O AN P EKPL OBtP CXPLODCR
WATERTIGHT C O VM » OX C L > 0Z -C 4 .
SUBSTITUTE 0

SHEL L FI TT ED WITH BASE FUZ E N0. 5S I AND SHELL FIT TE D WIT H BASE FUZ E N0. 5S I AND
D A. NOSE FU ZE NO- 3 6 0 UND ER A ZI N C NOSE PL UC (RE PR CS ENT INC DA NOSE FUZ E
ALLOY C A P -A S FI RE D NO 3 40 AND Z IN C ALLOY CA pJ -A S FIRE D

NOTE:
X JO IN T TO BC MAB E WITH LU TI NC MX . VII
Y UM OtR SIO T OX CA . WASHER TO BC
COA TTO WITH LU TIN C M X .V II
THREABS O l PLUC OB X U X t TO B t COAT1 0 WITH
LUTI NC U X iM P lU C C tO O S X U X tO SHELL ARE TO
NA TZ I N I ACT * C » X » INSER TEB WITH LU TIN C MS-VII
ANO T B t RECESS C O M P L lT tL T P IL U O WITH
LU TI NC U S. VU A XT EB TH E SCREW IS HOM E

FIG . 5.— FU ZE S IN U IN .. 15-IN. ?.N1) 16-IN. SHE LL,

 76
CH. XTI—SECTION 9.
496. FUZES AND CAINES IN USE IN THE NAVAL SERVICE

TYP E AND
SERVICE NO. PARA. PLATE pko jec th . es is OWN REMARKS
OF FUZE NO. WHICH USED

Percussion, Direct
Action.
19A — — H.E. 3 p dr. and O.F.M.
6-pdr.
45P 34* 16 H.E. 12-pdr. to For anti- ship use against
6-inch thin plate s
4-1 35.7 H.E. 3- pd r. to For bom bard men t
15-inch
117 — — Smoke Shell 6-inch
Smoke Shell 6-inch
(A.Q.) Or Fuze No. 118
( hemical Burstin g 6-inch
with out a Gaine Mark XJI J
118 35s 16 H.E . Shell wit 1- 3.7-i n c h.
out Gaine 1 4 - i n c It
to
16-inch
Chemical Bursting 6-inch,
w it h o u t a G ai n e M ar k X I I
230 359 16 H.E. Shell Willi 8 inch and
Gaine below
— — Target Smoke 4.7-inch
— — Chemical Bursting 4.5-inch to
with G aine No. 11 8 - i n c h.
exce pt 6-
inch Mark
XI I
360C 364 — H E .. B.N.F . 15-inch
(witho ut Gainei
240 __ — H F. 2-pdr LV . O.F.M.
241 36.5 37 H.E. 2-pdr. I..V. Supers edes Nos. 131 and
3-pd r. a nd 24ft
6-pdr.
" K " device Pro- 6-inch atxl O.F.M
jecti les 8-inch
243 - __ — H.E. 2-p<lr H.V. —
246 370 37 H.E. 2-pd r. H .V. Super seding No. 243
248 3*59 " K " device Pro- 6- in ch to Modified No. 241 to
jectiles 16-inch allow use with reduced
charg es as well as full
charges
251 374 — H.E. 40 tntn. Bo- Superse ded by No. 255
lors
(British)
252 375 — Incend iary 20 min. British and American
Hispono ma nuf act ure O.F.M.
253 577 — H.E and H.E I. 20 nun British and American
Hispono man ufac ture
254 5^ — ll. E ., H.E ./J. and 20 mm.
H.E ./I.T . Oerlikon
20 nun.
Hispono
255 375 37 H.E. 40 nint Supersedes No. 251 •
Bofors
258 5*3 — ILE ./I. and 20 nun. B ri tis h m an uf ac tu re
H.E ./I. T. Oerlikon only
259 37 s H.E. 40 turn —
Bofors
Percussion. Rase,
Hotchkiss 3S3 jS Steel Shell 3-pdr. and
fi-pdr
C.P. Shell 2-pdr.
Percussion, Base,
Small
293 — — S.A.P. 2-pdr.
 77
CH . X II SEC TIO N 9.

TY PE AN D
SE RVI CE NO. PAR A. PLATE PRO JECT ILES IN GUN HEMARKS
OF FUZE NO. WHI CH USE D

Perc uss ion, Base,

Medium.
12 — — C.P . Shell *

12F — — C.P . Shell 12-p dr to Le ad -fr ee me tal . We ak

• 4.7-i nch ru ed c ree p spri ng
12F. R. — — C.P . Shell 1
12W .F. C.P. Shell
12F — . S.A .P. Le ad- fre e me tal . F or
Specia l an d below use un der ba se co ve r
p la te s . W e ak en ed
cr ee p spri ng
500 &7 — S.A .P. 12-pdr. to Su pe rse des No. 12F
5.25-i nch Spe cial
501 3S7 ft ) 18 S.A .P. 12-pdr. to Su pe rse de s No. 500
5,25 inch
502 .3 ^ 7 (»'*) S.A .P. 1.5-inch, We ake ned cre ep sp rin g
4.7-in ch
<62 lb.)
an d 5.25-
inc h
551 j A'7 (t't t) — C.P. ) We ake ned cree p sp rin g
H .E ., B.N .F. • 15-inch

Per cus sio n, Base,

Large .
15C — — C.P.C . filled po w­
de r abo ve
15 —* — C.P.C . filled po w­ 5-inch an
de r abo ve
15 wi tho ut dela y — — C.P.C . filled po w­ 5-inch ►Obsolescent
der
160 A .P .C .; C.P.C. ; 5-inch at,
C.P .B.C . tilled abo ve
she llit e
158 C.P. C. filled T. N. T. 15-inch
A.P.C . filled
T.N .T. 14-inch .
15-inch Supersedes No. 16D
and
158A — — A.P .C. filled 16- inch
shel lite
159 C.P.C . filled T.N. T. 15-inch
Sup erse des Nos. 158
A.P .C. filled S an d 15SA
T. N. T. o r shell ite a
345 — — S.A .P.C. filb d
T.N.T.
S.A .P.C. filbd • Sup ers ede s No. I6 P
345A — —
shell ite
346 3 9 ' (f it ) — S.A .P.C. filb d Sup erse des Nos. 345 an d
T.N .T. or shell ite 345A
479 C. P. B. C. ; C.P .C.
- or S.A .P. filled
T.N. T.
Su pe rse des No. 160
479A C. P. B. C. ; C.P.C .
or S.A .P. filled
she llite
480 3 9 ' (0 18 C.P.B. C. ; C.P .C. Sup erse ding Nos. 47 9
or S.A .P. filled an d 479A
T.N .T. or she llite
Tim e, Combus tion
80/41 — — H. E. (16 l b) 1 Obs oles cent

121 — — C.N .F. O.F .M.

G
 78
C tt X II -S E C T IO N 9.

r—>
TYPE AND
SERVICE NO. PARA. PLATE PROJECTILES IN GUN REMARKS- 1 ": !
OF FUZE NO. WHICH USED
Tin e, Combustion
nn /d.
125 4 " 29 C.N.F. 2-pdr., 3- Supersed es No. 124
pdr. and Mean Time set full 16.9
6-pdr. seconds
185 — — Targe t Smoke 3-inch Obsolescent
(124 lbs.) 20 cwt.
19 8 4‘7 J9 H.E . with gaine 12-pdr. to Mean l ime set full 45
8-inch seconds
St ar Shell 4-inch and
below
Smoke Shell H.E. 4-inch to
5.25-inch
Chemical B E. 5.25 - i n c h
and 6-inch
T a r g e t S m ok e 4-inch, 4.7-
with gainc • inch and
5.25-inch
H.A. Pra ctice Pro- 12-pdr. to
j e c ti le s 8 in c h
F al li n g T ar ge 12-pdr.
Shell
400 424 — H.E. Shell with 12-pdr. to Mean Time set full 9.7
• gainc 16-inch seconds
Shrap nel Shell 4-inch and
below (ex­
cept 3.7-
inch)
H.A. 1’racti cc Pro- 12-pdr. to
jectfles 8-inch
•101 — — H E. Shell with 12-pdr.. 3- Mean Time set full—
gainc inch , 4- Mark I, 16.7 seconds
inch. 14- Mark I I. 17.55 seconds
ineb, 15-
inch and
16-inch
Shra pnel Shell 4-inch and
below, (ex­
cept 3.7- O bs ol es ce nt . Be ing
inch} used as a tem pora ry
Tar get Smoke She 1 5 .2 5 -i n c h measure for projec-
with gai nc and below tiles me ntio ned
H.A. Pract ice Pro- 12-pdr.
jecti lrs 8-inch
F a ll in g T ar ge 4-inch
Shell Mark-, V
and XVI,
4 . 5 - in ch
and 5.25-
inch
402 425 Shrajin el Shell 4-in ch and Intend ed to functi on at
below (ex­ 500 yar ds range
ce pt 3.7-
inch}
Time, Mechanical.
206 435 — Il. E. wit h ga inc 4-inch to Maximum time of run-
8-inch ning —43 seconds
St ar Shell 4.5-inch to
5.25-inch
Target Smoke 5.25'in ch
Shell aixl below
H.A. P ract ice Pro- 4-in rh to
jectiles S-incli
 79
CH X II SECTION 9.

T 7P E AN D
SER VIC E NO. PARA. PLATE PRO JEC TIL ES IN GU N REMA RKS
OJ FUZ E NO . WHI CH US ED

Time, Mechanical-
con/</.
207 H.E. with gaine 4 inch to il- Maximum time of ru n­
inch ning—43 se conds
St ar Sh ell 4-inch
Mark XVI.
4.5-inc h Io
5 25 inch
Chemical B E. 4.5- inch anil
4.7-inch
Target Smoke 5. 25 in ch
Shell and below
H.A. Pra ctic e Pro ­ 4-inch to 8-
jectiles inch
211 44> 20 I I .E. w i t h o u t a 4-inch t o 8- Combined Fuze and
gaitie inch Gaine
T a rg e t Sm ok e 5. 25 - 1n ch M ax im um ti m e of ru n ­
Shell wit hou t a and below ning—43 seconds
ga in e
215 44$ St ar Shell . 4 .5 - i n c h . Maximum time of run ­
5.2 5- inc h ning 80 seconds
(in Cruisers
and above)
Time and Percus sion
80 Shra pnel Shell 3.7-inch
93 17 Shra pnel Shell ♦4-inch to
15-incli
Caines
No. 2 Tar get Smoke 3-inch Obsolescent
(12* l bs ) 20 cwt.
No. 8 HE. 3-inch to 8-
Used in conj unct ion
incli with No. 2 $) or Time
Targ et Smoke 4-iuch and
4.7-inch Fuzes
No. 9 jf>2 HE. in h to Superseding No. 8. Can
8-inch. be used with shell fill­
14- inch. ings conta ining Picric
15-inch Acid
(B.N.F. )
and 16-inch
Target S moke 5 .2 5 -i n c h
Shell and below
No 10 75* *9 HE. 3-inch to Superse ding No. 8. Can­
8-inch. not be used with shell
14-inch, fillings c ontai ning Pic­
15- inch ric Acid
(B.N.F.)
;.nd 16-inch
Tar get Smoke 5.25-inch
Shell and below
Nt II $3 19 H.E. ;2-pd r. and
3-inch
Chemical Burst ing 4.5-inch
Shell to 8-in ch
(except
6-inch
Mark XII )

497-504.
 80

CH AP TE R X I I I

SMA LL ARMS AMMUNITION

SECTION I.—GENERAL REMARKS
505. Sm all Ar ms Am m un iti on is use d w ith rifle s, mochi no guns, mac hine carbi nes, sub-m achin e
ij u n i rev olve rs mid pisto ls.
Hie te rm " Sm all Arm s t art ridges " inclddes the complete round car t ridg e case. percussion
ca p, pro pe llan t charg e and bu lle t.
A ll Sm all Arm s car trid ge s, wi th the exceptio n o f the fa xt rid gn , A im in g Ri fle 1-inch El ec tri c, are
tire d by p- m is sio n, rind the resulting flash ignites- th e pro pell ant charge.
A m m un iti on of B rit is h design tor rifles, mach ine guna and mach ine carb inen of th e calibniN
0,30 3-inc ll. 7.92*01111., 9-mn i., 0 .5-i nch (Vic ker s and Br ow nin g), an d 0.5 5-inc h i s de alt w ith in Sections /
an d 2 of th is Ch apt er Am m un itio n of Br itis h design fo r revo lvers and pisto ls o f the calib res 0.45 5-
inc h and 0.38 0-inc h, is dea lt w it li in Section ,7, and Americ an Small An ns a m m un itio n in su pp ly, oth er
t han O erl iko n, In Sccti«m 7
Am m un iti on w it h special features is di uc ril x' d for 20 m m. guns in C ha /tl tr X I V ; for I -inc h
Ai m ing R ifle and 0.2 2-in vli M in iat ur e R ifl e in Chapte r X V ; cu d for rif les fitte d w it h Grenade D isc har ger
in C'Mpter X V I I I

CARTRIDGE CASE.
506. Cases (except D ri ll ari d Du mm y) are ot s olid dra wn brass. Th eir des ign is on sim ila r lines
to tha t of the Q.F. case fo r a gun. exce pt th at a Cap Cl um be r and An vil arc recessed in the base
instead of 11 prim er. Two lire holes are dr ill ed thr ou gh the bo tto m o f t his recess. The case is tap ered
from base to sh oulde r an d Inis n b ottl e-n ec k near the mo uth to .secure tin- bullet
507. There are tw o typ es of case
(«) Rimm ed.— X ri m or flan ge Is for med rou nd the base to po siti on tl ie ca rtr idg e and assist
its ex tra cti on . AH 0.3 03-in ch cart ridg es arc rimm ed.
(»») R im lt s x - A gro ove is eut rou nd nea r the haw t o assist ex tra cti on The case is pos ition ed
by its shoul der seating on tin , " lend " or for wa rd tape red end of the ch u m lx r. A ll
rifle and machine gun cartridges except OMl-inch are rimless,
The cop per o r brass percuss ion cap is pa rtl y fill ed wi th Cap Comp ositio n. It is pressed in to the
ca p cham ber, w ith the com pos itio n ha rd agains t the An vi l, and is secured b y stubb ing or rin gin g.
I t must f it ti g h tl y al l round so tha t there can be no ewup.* of gas between the cap and the case on
firi ng . Va rnis h is a ppl ied between the c ap ami th e case to make the j o in t wate r mid gas li gh t
A beeswax m ix tt u c may be fille d in to the cannelure of the bu lle t to ren de r the um in un iti oi i
wa te rti gh t. An alt er na tiv e and more mod ern me tho d is to var nis h th e neck o f the u s e in te rn al ly or
t he bullet ■exrcrnally before in se rti ng i t in th e case.

PROPELLANT CHARGE.
508. Th is is p ack ed in th e car trid ge case.
Tlie ch ief p rope llan ts ar e :—
(1) C vr di tf iM .b .T .
(i i) Ne on ik. Tin nc on ib s arc nitro cellu lose tuw doh t, us ua lly in ti n form of graphite *d
flakes , com pos ed of gela tinis ed nitro cel lulo se wi th dip hc ny hu ti inc as sta bili se r and
coate d w ith a mod eran t.
W ith a cor dite char ge a glazed boa rd or Str awb oard disc is inse rted between the bu lle t and th e
charge. It s fu nc tio n is to co nt rol the guscs a t the moment of discharge, lessen barre l wea r and th us
increase th e accu racy of the fli gh t of th e bullet

THE BULLET.
509. Th is has a cy lin dr ic al body , an ogi val head anti a flat or bo at- tail ed base (except Tracer,
win h hnv > ..p. i, I. . | ((Uii posi te .uni hie. an eiiv elu p im r , iin l.u i .1 tilling. Bu lle ts in..\ I •,
reinf orce d by the ad dit ion of one or tw o sleeves between tin- en vel op' mid tlie cur e o r fil lin g.
Envelopes are of
(t) Cu pro -nic kcl (sil ver c o lo u r) ;
(»») G ild ing me tal (coppe r c o lo u r) ;
Sal t steel, coate d w ith one of these substances externally an d/o r in te rn al ly .
(lit)
Ductile materials are used so th a t on en gaging th e ril lin g there is ne ithe r t oo m uch str ain on the bu lle t
no r un due wear on th e rif lin g.
 81
CH. X II I—SECT ION I.
The featur es of the core and/ or filling var y with the type of c artridg e.
Non nall y. one or two cann elure s a re cut in the body of the bullet nea r th e base, and the bullet
is secured in the ca rtri dge case by in den ting and /or coning t he c ase into the cannel ure,
5 1 0 . A bulle t diffe rs from a p r o je c ti le o r s h e ll in t h a t having no driv ing baud it is made to engage
the rifling o f the rifle o r gun by
(*) ” Set up ” {i.e., exp ansion of t he Ixtse of the bullet).
(«) Being slig htly larger in diam eh r tha n the bore of the ntl- or gun.
The tra jec tor y or line of flight of a bullet is influenced by gra vity an d air resista nce, and tin;
ext ent of th e r esistance depen ds on such fa ctors as angle of elevation, muzzle ve locity, rotat ion, weight,
shape, etc.
The weight and muzzle velocity of bullets of the various type s of cart ridg e of the same calibre
vary, and when mixed type s are fired from a belt or tnag izine the bullet-, will not follow the same
line of flight To ensure acc ura te shootin g with mixed types of cartr idges , moder n cart ridg es are
" r,tatched " so th at at a given range all bullet s will r ea ci the same point or tar ge t. Matching is
effected by adju sting the weight or shape of the bull ets or the q ua nt ity of the prop ellan t charge.

MARKINGS AND MEANS OF IDENTIFICATION. PfoA* 21.

511. Typ es of cartr idges may be identified b y :—
(t) The colour of the varnis hed ring or annulus. Sum, types 61 cart ridg e have the tips
of the bulle ts coloured in addi tion, and the colour of the tip thu s provides the me ans
of identi ficatio n and A'OT the colo ur of the annu lus.
(*») Ea ch ty p of ca rtr id ge ex ce pt Ba ll ha.-, n code le tt er st am pe d o n th e b ase ut th e ease
precedin g th e m ark numera l.
(w») The mar k num eral is sta mpe d on the base of the case.
512. Code.

SERIAL CARTRIDGES cor-K COLOUR OF ANNU LUS

NO. LETTER

1 Ball Nil Purple

2 Prac tice I* Purpl e
3 Armo ur-Pie rcing (A.I'.i w Green
4 Semi-Arm our-Piercing (S.A. P.J F Green
5 Tracer G Red
6 Ince ndia rv B Blue
7 Proof « Yellow
8 Blank or Bullet ed Blank I. Nil
9 Drill D Nil
10 Dum my U Nil
11 Observing 0 Black
12 Explosive K Black
13 Grena de 1)i$cli&rgcr 11 Colourless
14 Smoke Gener ator Discharger E Colourless
15 Self de stroyin g Y According to rules set out below

513. Inc end iary cartr idges and special tra cer for use by airc raft have the tip - of the bullets
coloured as a means of identifica tion
Short range day trac er .....................................W hite
Shor t range nigh t trac er ..................................... Grey
Ince ndiary ......................................... ............... Blue
A colour-varn ished annu lus of the app rop riat e co de colour is also used.
Where a cart ridg e possesses more tha n one chara cteris trc (c.g., S.A.P. tracer ) and therefore
conics u nde r two or more serial numb ers, all the rele vant code let ter s will be used. The sequence of
the code le tte rs and the Colour of the annu lus is go vern ed by the following or der o f precedence :•
Q. O. R, W, F. B. G, Y. P.
Thus. S.A.P. trac er, serial Nos. 4 and 5. h as code lett ers EG in thi s order, and the an nu lus colou r is
green, since I* precedes G.
If the prope llant is oth er than cordit e, a let ter is sta n ped on the cart ridg e case to denote the
nat. ue of the propellant
T .. . ... ... .. . .. . ... Black Puwdvi.
Z ......................................................................... Nitro-cellu lose or Ballisti te.
514. The following par ticu lars are sta mp ed on the base o t a cart ridg e case ;—
(») The man ufa ctur er's initi als or tra de mark
 82
CH XI II—SECTION 2.
(»»') Yea r of man ufac ture (usually only the las t two figures}.
(iii) The distingu ishing le tte r or let ter s deno ting the typ e of cartr idge .
(it>) The mark nume ral of the cart ridg e followed, w here necessary, by the lett er denotin g
the na tur e of the pto pd lai il.

CH. X II I—SECTI ON 2. TY PES OF CART RIDG E. Plate 21.

515. Tin cartrid ge case, percussion cap and propellant describ ed in Section I at e typic al for
Small Ar ms amm uniti on of Brit ish design for rifles, ma chine guns, mach ine carb ines and sub -machi nc
guns.
'The prese nt typ es of ca rtrid ge are :—
Ball. Armour- Piercin g |A.P .), Semi-A rmour-Pi ercing (S.A.P.), Trace r. S.A P. Trace r. Incend iary.
Pro>l, Blank. Drill, D umm y and Observing.
The comp onent s for a type of cart ridg e arc similar in Is vario us calibres, differing only in size
or amount.

Cartridge, S.A. Ball, Plate 21.

516. No Code Let ter, Annul us Colour- Purple.
The cart ridg e is supplied for all calibres exce pt 0.5-mcli Browning for use agains t personnel.
The bullet envelope is of cup ro-nicke l, gilding meta l, or steel co ate d with c up ron ick el or gilding
rac til. It s core is lead ant im ony with an alum inium , plasti c or fibre rip, or mild steel with a lead
antimo ny tip. The tip may be adj uste d to the corre ct weight for the req uire d b allisti cs and balances
the bu llet to ensure accu racy in flight. ’Hie 9 m m bulle t has n o tip.
N ot e:—Amer ican 0.5-i nch Browning is in sup ply. Cartridge s for Vickers an d Browning 0.50-inch
machi ne guns are no t interc hang eabl e ; the y differ in length and oth er dimensions.
Cartridge, S.A. Armo ur-Pier cing. Plate 21.
517 Code le tte r W. Annul us Colour—Green.
Cartr idges are in supp ly in the following cal ibres :—
7.92-inm. 0.303-inch, 0.5-inch (Vickers), and 0.55-incli.
The bullet is specia lly reinforced to att ac k arm our plate. It lias an envelope of cupro- nickel,
gilding meta l, or steel coat ed with cupro-n ickel or gilding metal, a sleeve of lead an tim on y and a
core of hard steeL The perfo rating power of the bullet is depen dent on the strik ing energy of the
tor e and the ang le a t which it strik es the plate . On imp act with arm our pla te the core will perfo rate
and the envelope and sleev e will flat ten out and sup port the poi nt of the core duri ng the first ins tan t
of pene tratio n, actin g as a lubri cant to assist its passa ge throu gh the plate.

Cartridge, S.A. Semi-Ar mour-Piere ing.

518. Code Lett er F. Annulus Colour—Green.
The c artri dge is in supp ly on ly for t he 0 .5-inch Vickers i i ach iue g un. It is simil ar to A.P., except
th at th e core of its bullet is of mild steel.

Cartridge, S.A. Trac er. Plate 21.

519. Code Le tte r G. Annulus Colour—Red.
Cartridge s arc in sup ply in the following ca lib res :—
7.92-min., 0.303-inch, 0.5-inc h (Browning) and 0.5 5-in cl.
Trac ers arc sometim es referre d to as " Ball Trac er " to dtstin guish them from S.A. P. Tracer.
This type of cart ridg e enables the line of fligh t of th e bullet to be observe d to assist in correc tion
of am .
The bullet consists of a n envelope, a core, a filling a nd a washer. The enve lope is of cupro-nick el,
gilding me tal or steel coat ed with cupro-n ickel or gilding me tal. Th e core consis ts of a front section
of lead anti mon y and a rear section is a solid draw n copper cylinde r. Primin g and trac er compo­
sitions are filled into the rear section and its base is sealed with a brass washe r with a cen tral hole.
On tiring, th e hea t from the pr opel lant gases ignites the priming and trac er compositi ons which bu m
with a brig ht light and allows the flight of the bullet to be observed.
Dark ignition trac ers with a trac e which is not evide nt until the projec tile is some dista nce from
the muzzle of the gun are in supp ly for cert ain calibres.
The object of this type of tra cer is to minimise blinding ai night ami to prev ent the gun laye r
being confu sed by die trace just outsi de the muzzle. To some ex ten t the y also avoid disclosing the
position oi the gun.
520. The tra cer bullet is ol lighter weight than Ball or A.P. and , by reason of the burni ng away
of ti c trac er composit ion, its weight decreases duri ng flight. In consequence and as a resul t of the
 83
CH. X II I -SEC TIO N 2.
i.fleet produced by the burn ing trac er composit ion being forced o ut of the re ar of the bulle t, the tr a­
jectories o f tra ce r bulle ts diffe r from those of oth er bullet s. Trace r cart ridg es are mat che d-up with
othe r type s of cartr idge , hu t the y are nat ura lly less destr uctiv e tha n Ball or A.P ., and ar e liable to
foul t he ba rrel. This la tte r d isab ility is overcome by mixing the various typ es of car trid ge in th e belt s
and magazine s. The leng th of trac e fr.e., time of bu rni ng is regu lated by adju sting the tra cer com ­
position.

Cartridge, S.A. Semi- Armou r-Pierc ing Tracer.

521, Code Le tte r FG. Annulus Colour—Green.
This cart ridg e is in sup ply only for the 0.5-inch Vickers machi ne gun. It is simila r to Trace r,
except tha t the front section of th e core o f the bul let is of mild steel.

Cartridge, S.A. Incendi ary. Plate 21.

522. Code Le tte r B. Annulus Colour—Blue.
Car trid ges are in sup ply in the following c alibres
7.92-mm ., 0. 303-inch, 0.5-inch (Vickers and Browning).
The car tridge is used prim arily to att ac k airc raft. The se nsi tivi ty and ince ndia ry effect of the
bullet is such th at it will perf orat e the skin of an airc raft wit hou t ignition and pen etr ate its self-
scaling tan k and ignite the petro l.
The bull et cons ists o f an env elope, sleeves, b ase discs an d a tilling of Incendiary' composition.
The ear ly marks of 0.3 03-inch were filled with white p hosp horu s ; these are now o bso lesc ent
Cartridge, S.A. Proof.
523. Code Le tte r Q. Annulus Colour—Yellow.
Cartr idges are in sup ply in the following calibre s
7.92-mm., 0.303-inch, 9-mrn., 0.5-inch (Vickers) and T55-inch.
This is a Ba ll ca rtri dge with an increa sed prop ellan t charge which gives a highe r pressu re. It is
med for provi ng guns.

Cartridge, S.A. Blank.

524. Code Let ter L. Annul us Colour Nil.
The cart ridg e i s special to 0.303-inch calibre . It has no bullet and its ma in purpo se is to make a
loud rep ort.
The prope llant charge co nsists of 10 gr ains of sliced cor dite Mark 1 Size 20, or 15 grain s of nit ro­
cellulose. A strawb oard wad is fixed abov e the charge in th j neck of t he case which is closed by necking
a id crimping .

the corr ect ones ma y be fo un d; for examp le, a rejec ted Ball case may be used and the Ball mark
numera l remains .
Cartridge, S.A . Dril l. Pl at e 21.
525. Code Le tte r D. Annul us Colour—Nil.
Car tridges are in sup ply in the following c ali br es :—
7.92-mm., 0.303-inch, 9-mm., 0.5 -inch (Vickers), a nd 0.55-inch.
These cart ridg es are used for train ing purpo ses ; they may also be included at the en d of belts
o. cart ridg es for machi ne guns to remind the gu n’s crew to reload. The original type of case is
chromi um-pla te with thr ee vert ical grooves which are pain ted red. There is n o prop ellan t charge or
percussion ca p. The recess forming the cap ch amb er is prin ted red and le ft emp ty.
Since the comme ncement of hosti lities ano the r type of case has been intro duce d. This case is
an or din ary brass service case with four holes bored in t he side and the recess forming the cap cham ber
is left emp ty.

Cartridge, S.A. Dummy.

526. Code Le tte r U. Annul us Colour—Nil.
Cartr idges are in sup ply in the following calibre s -
7.92-mm., 0.303-inch, 9-mm ., 0.5-inch (Vickers), and 0.55-inch.
The car trid ge is used by inspe cting officers and in depots and is not in supp ly to ships. It is
similar to Drill, bu t lias a plain case ; the bullet is of gilding meta l. The weight and balanc e of the
cartri dge are the sam e a s tho se of Ball.
Cartridge, S.A . Obser ving.
527. Code Let ter O. Annul us Colour—Black.
The cart ridg e is in supp ly only for 0. 303-inch calibre. 'The bullet makes a small pufi of smoke
on imp act . The cart ridg e is used for train ing purposes to as sist in obser vation of firing.
 8-1
CH. X II I- S E C T IO N 3.
Th e cupro-n ickel envelope lias a hall- bored ill th e nose which is closed with a plug of fusible
metal. Phosp horus an d powdered alum inium are filled int o the envelope which ha s a lead core. The
base is soldered. (The tips of the bul lets are varnished black.) Tins car trid ge is ob solescent.

Cartridge, S.A. Rifle Grenade, Ballistite, Mark 1Z.

528. ('ode Letter H. Annulus—colourless. The fro nt half of case is black .
These car trid ges are used with |1) Rifles fitted wi th Dischargers, and (2) Bombs, B.L. H.E .
4-incll, Mortar 10 lb. Mark I. They a re blank cartridg es with a charge o| app roxi mat ely 30 gra ins of
balli stite. Balli stite is a mix ture of soluble nitrocellulose and nitro glyce rine, and is ra the r mor e
powerful tha n cor dite ; it is m ostly used as a sporting powder. The mouth of the case is closed wit h
a glazed hoard cup and is not crimped.
Note.—These cartr idges must N O T be used with (1) a rodde d gre nad e, <•.£., Rifle M.L. E., as
the ignition of th e ball istite is much too rapid and dang erous pressures would be produce d ; NO R
with (2) Smok e Flo at, B.L. 4-inch Mort ar, Marks II and il l

Cartridge, S.A. Rifle Grenade, 0.303-in ch. Cordite.

529. Code Le tte r H. Annulus- -colourless. The case is black all over.
These car trid ges are used with (I) Rifles M.L.E. (line throwing), and (2) Smoke Moats, B.L,
4-inch Mortar, Marks II and 111. Th ey are blank cartr idge s wi th appr oxim ately 43 grain s of Cor dite
M.D. The mou th of the case is cl osed with a glaze! boa rd cup an d is not crimpe d.
Note.—These cartr idges must N O T b e used with (1) Rifles fitted with a discha rger as the pro ­
pellan t does not bu m rapid ly enough to ensure complete ign iti on ; NO R wi th (2) Bomb, B.L. H .E .
4-inch Mort ar 10 lb., Mark I.

CH. X III SECTION 3. REVOLVER AND PISTOL AMMUNITION

Plate 22.
GENERAL.
530. Each of the man y designs of Revolver and Pist ol requires special ammun ition, but the
vari ation s are . in the main, minor o nes. The c artridg es ar e compos ite a nd hav e the same main pa rts
as the rifle cartr idge . The case may be rimmed, rimless or semi-rimless an d have one or more fire
holes. The met hod of ignition is t he sam e as for t i l t rifle c artridg e.
531. The typ es of c artri dge are
Ball, Proof, Blank and Drill.
The mark ings and metho d of ident ificat ion (except Proof) are the sam e as the correspon ding
type of rifle cart ridg e.
The a mm unit ion described may b e consider ed typica l of t he pre sen t s uppl y.

PISTOL. REVOLVER, No. I 0.455-inch.

Cartridge, S.A., Ball.
5(12. No Code Let ter. Annulus Col our—Purple.
The solid dra wn brass case is rimm ed and has a ca p chamb er and anv il recessed in the base.
Two fire holes are drilled through the botto m of t he recess. The b rass or cop per cap is filled with cap
composition and secu red by ringing. The charge fc cor dite or nitrocellulo se.
The bullet has a cupro-nickel envelo pe and a lead ant imo ny core. The canne lure is tilled with
beeswax mix ture and the bullet is secured by rolling th e mouth of the ca se ; it may be further
secured by inde ntin g the case i nto th e cannelure.

Cartridge, S.A., Proof.

533. Code L et te r Q. Annulus Colour—Yellow. Th e c ase is a reddish coppe r.
The case and cap a re the same as for Ball. The charge of c ordit e or nitrocellulo se is l oad ed to
give a pressure of 7 tons.
The bulle t is of lead antim ony an d has thre e cannelures. It is secured by coning the mo uth of
the case anil rollin g the case int o the top cannelure.

Cartridge, S.A., Blank.

534. Code Latter L. Annulus Colour—Nil.
The case an d cap are the same as for Ball.
The charge consist s of a ppr oxi ma tely 8 gra ins of g unpow der. Two f elt wads are placed abov e
the charg e and th e mou th of the cas e is crimped to re tai n the wads and th e charge.

Cartridge, S.A., Drill.

535. Code Le tte r D. Annulus Colour—Nil.
The white me tal or brass case is rimmed and has thr ee v ertic al groove s pain ted red. The cap
cham ber recess is filled with a red fibre pad secured by thr ee s tabs.
The bullet is of lead anti mon y an d has t hree cannelures. It is se cured l>y coning the mo uth of
the case and rolling the case i nto the top cannelure
 85
CH. X II I—SEC TION I.
I PISTOL, REVOLVER, No. 2. 0.380-inch.
Cartridge, S.A., Ball.
536. No Code Le tte r. Ann ulus Colour—Purple .
The case Is rim med with the base o l the run bevelled all. lli e bullet has a cupro- nickel or gilding
metal e nvelope and a lead ant im ony core. It has two cannelures , the lower being filled wit h beeswax
mixture. The bu llet is secur ed by coning the mou th of the case into the u ppe r c anne lure and rolling
the ca se int o the lower one.
Cartridges, S.A., Proof and Drill are simila r to corresponding types in 0.4 55-inch cali bre.
, Cartridge, S.A., Blank has a charge of app roxi mat ely 5.5-gr ains of gunpo wder which is cover ed
Ia’ a felt wad.

PISTOL, 0.455-inc h.
Cartridge, S.A., Ball.
537. No ('ode Lett er. Annul us Colour—Purple .
Ammun ition of thi s calib re is similar to tha t for the Pistol Revol ver No. I with the following
va ria tio ns :—
The case is semi-rimless p. r . it has a groove cut round its base above the rim) and has three
fire holes.
The bullet lias a copper , nickel pla ted envelope with a lead ant im ony core. It has one cann elure
ai d is secured by coning the mout h of the case into the cannelu re.
538. Cartridges, S.A., Proof, Blank and Drill, differ from Pistol Revolver No. I amm uni tion in
tha t the cases are semi-r im le s s a n d (nx<vpf Drill) hav e three fire holes.

CH. X II I—SEC TION 4 —AMERICAN SMALL ARMS AMMUNITION

530. Small Arms Ammun ition of American design and man ufa ctur e is in supp ly for wha t may
1> consid ered essentia lly America n calibre s of Small Arms, namely , Rifle and Machine Gun
030- inch ; Thomson Sub-Machine gun, and Smit h an d Wesson revo lver 0.45-inch ; and Browning
Machine gun 0.5-inch. Amm unitio n is a lso in sup ph ' for the 9-mm. carbine.
Cart ridge s arc similar to Briti sh amm unit ion ex ce pt :—
(i) Cases arc of the rimless type. The anvi l is a se pa ra te un it and is f itte d i n the percussion
cap {termed " primer ") before thp la tte r is inse rted into the case. Rifle an d Machine
gun cart ridg es have one fire hole.
i {»'»') The prop ella nt charge is nitroce llulose powder.
(Hi) The bulle t envelo pe {termed " j ack et '') is of gilding meta l and is copper coloured.
The base of the bullet ma y be bo at-t aile d or flat (except Trace r which is open). The
bullet is secure d in the case by crim ping the mou th of the case int o the cann elur e or
where the re is n o canne lure (e.g., 0.45-inch) by coning.
{iu) Markings and Means of Iden tifica tion :—The means o f identif ication is by varn ish co lour
marki ng the tip s of the jack ets. The American code of colours is the same as the
British code, with the excep tion of A.P.. which m a y b e e it h e r H a r k n r g r e e n T h e
colour-v arnished ann ulu s indic ates th at wit erpr oof varn ish has been applied . The
code l ett er sy stem is not used.
540. The base of the cart ridg e may be stam ped with the initials of the man ufac ture r, yea r ot
man ufac ture and calibre but there is no uniform stand ard. Briti sh man ufac ture d amm uniti on for
American c alibr es has the tips of the jack ets coloured and base marki ngs in addi tion.
Small Arms cart ridg es of America n calib res will n ot lead into Brit ish weapon s of appro xima tely
ti e same calibre . Fo r exa mple, the base of the 0.30-inch cartrid ge (rimless) is sm aller than tha t of a
0.303-inch cart ridg e (rimmed) bu t the diam eter of its case is larg er and is too big for a 0.303-inch
ride, gun or links belt. Similarly. 0.5-inch Vickers and Browning car trid ges ar e not interch angeab le
as the y differ in leng th and in o th er dimensi ons a s st ate d above.

541. TABL E OF AMERICAN CAR TRID GES

CARTRIDGES CALIBRES COLOUR OF 111’

Ball 0.30 -inc h; 9-m m. ; 0.45-inch an d 0. 5-inch Nil

AB. 0.30-iin li ami 0.5-inch Black or green
Tracer 0.30-inch and 0.5-inch Red
Tracer with dar k ignition 0.5-inch Orange
Tracer (short rang e day) 0 30-inch White
Incend iary 0.30-inch and 0.5-inch Blur
Di mm y (Drill) 0.30-inch, 0.45 -ind i an d 0.5-inch Nil
A I’./Ince ndiary 0.5-inch Silver

512 549.
 96

CH APT ER XIV

S.A .A .(c o« /.) — l-IN CH AIMI NG R IF LE A N D M IN IA T U R E R IF L E C A R T R ID G E S

1-INCH AIMING RIFL E CARTRIDGES. Pfofc 22.

550 The 1-inch Aimin g Rifle Cartr idge comes within the definit ion of Small Arms Ammunition ,
but il differs from typ e by having a prim er, electr ic nr percussion, inste ad of the usual percussion
cap . It is suppli ed in hulk. 96 round s in a box. A.S.A.. G.S.. If. 4.

Cartridge, Aiming Rifle, 1-inch Electric, Mark II.

551. The cartri dge comprises a cart ridg e case, prim er, charge and bullet.
The solid drawn bras s case is rim med bu t is w itho ut the usual pronou nced bottl e-nec k to receive
and secure the bulle t. It is lacquered inte rnal ly with the exce ption of the thre ads of the prim er hole
and tha t port ion which supp orts the bullet . The base of the case is m arked with the man ufa ctur er's
initials nr tra de mark , the le tte r N. and the mark numera l of the ca rtridge .
The brass prim er comprises a body a nd magazi ne in a single un it. It is screwed into tile pritnci
hole a id the joint is made tig ht with a fibre washer. A brass con tact pin. insul ated from the body
by ebonite bushes . is fitted at the base. One end of the bridge wire is s oldere d to the jxfint of the
conta ct pin and the oth er to the body. The recess is filled with gunc otton dust so as to su rroun d the
wire bridge. The charge in its magazine is g unp uwd n G.2O a m i the magazine is closed b y a glaze-
boar d cu p shellacked in position
On firing, electr ic c urr ent is passed from the con tact pin. The bridge wire gets hot and the gu n­
cotto n dust and the magazi nes are in tu m ignite d. The re.su ting flash ignite s the cord ite charge.
The c harge consists of a bou t 160 grain s o f cordi te. Mark I, size 3.
The l ead- antim ony alloy bullet weighs app roxi mat ely 10-ozs. Its two canne lures are filled with
beeswax m ixtur e. The rear end of the bullet is reduc ed in du me ter a nd a coppe r cup is pressed on
firmly and turn ed in on the bullet

Cartridge, Aiming Rifle. 1-inch Percussion, Mark 111.

552 The cart ridg e is sim ilar to Electric , Mark II. but is f tte d with a percussi on primer.
The percussion prim er has an anvi l and magazi ne formed int ernal ly. The magazine is filled with
a gunpowder pellet.
On firing, flash from the ra p ignite s the magazine and ti c result ing flash ignites the propellant
charge. Gun pressu re is pr eve nted from blowing back by the soft coppe r c ap s eali ng in the body.

MINIATURE RIFL E CARTRIDGES.

0.22-inch Ammun ition.
553. Tlie nom encla ture of am munit ion o f th is cal ibre is " (a rtr tdg e, Kim Fir e. 0.22 -lnch, Mark I."
and the pres ent Service typ e of ca rtrid ge is known as " Non -Rust ing.”
The t erm “ Rim-F ire ” denot es a cart ridg e w ithou t a percussion cap. The fold of the rim of the
case is hollow a nd is charg ed with ca p compos ition.
Cartridge s a re su pplied in c ardb oard boxes of 100; 100 boxes ar e packe d in a qu art er M.L. case.
Ih e cart ridg e co mprises the case, char ge a nd bullet.
The case is of copp er zinc alloy, solid dra wn.
The cha rge is u sually' black powder. Cordite, nconitc or othe r n itrocellul ose powders may , how­
ever, be used accord ing to the par tic ula r ma nuf actu rer' s practice.
Ihe bullet is made of so ft lead. It is roun ded a t the head and ha s thr ee shallow cannelu res. usually
lubric ated with beeswax mixt ure. It is sec ured in the case by coning, necking or crimping.

554-559.
 87

CHA PTE R XV

S.A.A. (cont.)—20 mm . CAR TRI DGE S

SECTION 1—GENE RAL
560. 20 mm. ammu nition is in supply for
(>) Oerlikon and Polsten guns.
(«'») The Hi spano gun.
Oerlikon and Hispa no amm unit ion are not intercha ngeable . The base of the Oerlikon case is
of less diam eter tha n its hotly, whereas the dimensions of the base and body of the Hispano case arc
almost identical.
The cartr idge s for eac h gun have similar compon ents and compri se—case, percussion cap, pro
{reliant charg e an d a shell or projectile.
Tile cases ar e ritnless a nd thei r brass percussion caps are secure d by ringing.
The steel shell arc fitte d with a copper drivi ng band and, excep t Semi-Armou r-Piercing which
arc dos ed with steel nose plugs, a percussion D.A. fuze is screwed in. A cann elure is c ut below th e
drivin g b and and the shell or proje ctile is secur ed in the case b y indentin g.
Pra cti ce projectiles are not fitte d with a fuze.

SECTION 2 OERLIKON
BRITISH OERLIKON. Plate 23
561. The designs and com ponen ts of typical amm unitio n are shown in the illust ration .
The fuze fitt ed is No. 254 or No. 258. Each is a Percussion, Direct Action fuze having no moving
pa rts ; the crushin g of the fuze on impa ct act uat es the deton ator. At action range s the fuze will
perf orate the skin of an aircr aft witho ut functionin g, bu t it will o perat e on impact with wing s pars,
petro l tan ks or oth er heav y stru ctur es. At very sho rt ranges the fuze will fu nction on impact with
the skin of an aircr aft. The No. 258 is the more sensitiv e fuze and is in sup ply for H. E. /I and H.E ./LT
for Naval Service.
The propellant charge is nitro- cellulose. Hake or cho pped tube.
The shellfilli ng is C.E. or T. N.T. C.E. is obsolete for fut ure manu factur e.
The outside of the shell below the driving band is varnishe d to rende r the joint between shell
and case wate rtigh t.
AH futur e Oerlikon trac er of Britis h man ufac ture will hav e Dar k Igniti on. (Sze par a. 519.)

Markings and Means o f Identification.

562. The type s of amm unitio n arc identified by the colour marki ng on the shell or projectile.
The fuze can be i dentified :■—No. 254 is pain ted the same co lour a s the shell. No. 258 is no t paint ed
excep t for a blue spot on the nose.
The Lot Numbe r of the shell or projectil e, the con trac tor' s initia ls a nd, if appli cable, the lett ers
D.l. (indicati ng dark ignition tracer ) are stamped on the side of the shell or projectil e. Projectiles
for Drill (except Drill, Marks I and II) have no stam ped markings.
The base of the cartri dge case is stamp ed as follows :—
(j) Init ials or trad e mar k of the man ufac ture r of the case.
(»»') Oe. (i.e., Oerlikon).
(i»'») The let ter " Z " (denoting nconi tc filling).
(iv) Year of m anu factu re of case. e.g., '44.
Note. -Oerlikon amm unitio n of " new " British manu factur e will be stam ped with detail s of the
lot numb er a nd ty pe of amm unitio n on the cartri dge case ju st in fron t of the base groove. It will be
shown thu s
5. 167/H .E./I .T.
These detail s sh ould be quo ted in all repo rts de aling with d efective ammu nition.

Types o f Am m un itio n. Plate 23.

562 (a) The p resent typ es of amm unitio n a nd the colou r ma rkings arc :—
P ra c ti c e ................................................. Lead Grey.
Practi ce T ra c e r ...................................... Light Green.
H.E. Incend iary .......................... Signal Red.
H.E. Incend iary Trac er..........................Bright Green.
 88
('l l XV-SI-X riON 2.
S.A.I’./ HE ./L .............................. ... Red with white tip.
H .E ............................................................Buff.
H E . Trac er ...................................... Ligh t Blue.
I’nxil ... ... .......................... Lead Grey with red hand roun d the body.
Drill. Mark 1 ...................................... Black with DRILL in White Letters.
Drill, Mark II .....................................Wood, uuju inte d.

Projectile, Practice . Colour Lead Grey.

563. Ih e steel projec tile is hollowed to make the weight correct and the nw* jn 'pointed to give
I hr required ba llis tic s; the hose it dos ed with u steel dim

Projectile, Practi ce Trac er. Colour Light Green.

SH-I. Tin- proje ctile is si mila r to Practi ce, hut lor the purpose ot ballisti c matc hing the nose is
i- pointed Hie body to p anlv filled with tn oor odmpovitton On firing h it from tne propellant
giLses guile s the tim er compositio n which burn-, for approx mutely 3 | seconds.

< Shell, H.E., Incendiary. (H.E .T,. Colour -Signal Red.

565. Tin- lilllug comprises an increm ent of Ince ndia ry rnin jiositi on with T.N.T . superimposed
and pressed in ; a wax ed lasting clot h disc w pi ra te s l he T.N. T tilling from the i ncend iary composition
Oa i mpa ct, the fuze det ona tes the T.N.T . filling a nd the det ona tion ignites the incen diary com­
position.
Tit- inclu sion of in cend iary compo sition results in an e xtreme ly high tem pera ture on deto natio n,
and this is very effective for igniting petrol

z Shell, H.E., Incendiary. Tracer. iH.E./I. T.) Colour Bright Green.

566. The shell is open at bo th ends .not is divided into two compurtmc ntx. The forward com-
ixtrtin nt is tilled with an increment of I ncen diary fn nip mi tlm with I N T superimp osed and pressed
in ; a waxed lasting .doth sepa rate s the T.N.T. from the incendiary comp ositio n. The rear com­
par tm ent i s Idled with tracer c omposition . A tld n bn us closing disc lit* over the trace r com position
an d is retain ed in position by a s teel washer which is secured into the base of th e shell.
Oa firing, heat from the propella nt gases me lt- the cea tre of the dosi ng disc and ignites the
trac er composition which burns for appr oxim ately 3} second* On impa ct, the fuze deto nate s the
T.N.T. filling and the deto nati on ignites th e incendi ary com x»sltion.

Shell, Scmi-Arm our-Pierc ing H.E. I. (S.A.P..1LE. J.) Colo.tr—Red with Whi te tip.
567 This s hill is similar to- tin II E I but a deto nato r is superimposed mi tin- tilling and the
hea d of the '.hell is closed with a steel now plug The idioll b det ona ted mi impact with arm our plate
or heavy meta l stru ctu re and the incen diary compositio n is ignited.

Shell, H.E. i H.E.) Colour—Bull.

5(58 The shall is -similar Io the II.E ,'I except for the illing, which is entir ely high explosive.
This type of ammu nitio n is now obsolescent.

Shell. H.E. Trac er (H.E./T .) Colour Light Blue.

N59. Th e shell is si milar to the H.E ./] ,T except for t he tilling, which is e ntir ely high ex plosive.
Thi s type of ammu nitio n is now ol«ol<scent

Cartridge, Drill. Mark I. Colour Black with DR ILL in White.

570. Thi s car trid ge and CAR TRID GE, DR ILL , MARK II (described below) arc suppli ed tor
magazine lo ading prac tice and mu st not Ire loaded int o the gun. The proje ctile is o f cast iron.
The boat' of tin- cisw is stam ped
(0 Oc.
(if, Lette r " I> “ (d enotin g " Drill and I N (denoti ng Mark I Nava l,.
(iff) Date of filling Irarred out.
Ihe i ap is n movml and a r«-d auiiiihin Is pai nted.

Cartridge, Drill, Mark II. No colour marking.

571. The h ardwood cartr idge is stam ped :
(f, Oe.
(if, Let ter D "a nd U N .
(fif, Con trac tor's i nitial s or recognised t ra de mark
(iv, Year of man ufactu re, e.g., *44
 89
CH. XV—SECTIO N 3.
Clearing Charge.
572. The clear ing charge compri ses a shortened Mjrvice cartr idge case with a full charg e. The
propella nt is r etai ned by a glazed boa rd cup.
A on e-roun d magazine is supp lied to facilita te the use of clearing charges.
The maga zine is suita ble for an y mark of gun.

AMERICAN OERLIKON. Piute 23.

573. H.E ., 1I.E ./I and H.E ./T amm unitio n i f American design and man ufac ture are in suppl y.
The case an d shell are similar to those of Bri tish design .
The fuze. No. 26. is a Percussion, I).A fuze which is a n ada pta tio n of the British No. 254 and
functions in a sim ilar mann er. The propella nt chzrge i s grap hite tu bu lar neon ite. The high explosive
tilling is eithe r C.E . or Pen tolit e Pen toli te is now obso lete (fir fut ure manu factu re.
574. The type s of amm uniti on and the filling are* distingu ished by the colour marking on the
slicll.
The base o f the case is sta mp ed :—
(f) Con trac tor' s initial s or trad e mark.
(if) Yea r of man ufact ure.
(iff) 20 mm.—Mark II.
575. The following p artic ular s are marke d or the side of the case in indelible blue ink :—
(f) Ini tia ls of filler.
(ft) Lo t Numb er in j-in ch letters.
576. The pres ent types of am muni tion in supply , th ei r filling and colo ur marking s a r e :—
H.E . ... ... ... ... C.E. ... ... ... White.
H.E . ... ... ... ... Pentolite ... ••• ... Yellow.
H. E. T. ... ••• .. . ... C.E. ... ... ... Light Grey.
H .E .T .... ... ... Pentolite ... ... Dar k Blue.
H. E. I. . ... ... .. . C.E. ... ... Red.
H .E .l. ... ... ... ... Pentolite ••• ... Pink.

-
SECTION 3 -« lS P A N O

577. A typ ica l ro und is sh own, for comparison wi th Oerliknn, in the i llus trat ion. (Piute 23.)
The fuze fitt ed is No. 253. A modified Ocrhko n fuze. No. 254 Mark IV. is appro ved as an
alternative.
The p ropell ant charge is nitro-cellulose powcei Th e high explosive filling is C.E.

Markings and means of Identifi cation.

578. The typ es of a mmu nitio n are identified by t he colour marking s on the shell or project iles.
The ba se of the case is sta mp ed:
{», Man ufactu rer's init ials or trad e mark.
(if) Yea r of manufac ture'.
(fit) 20 mm.
»
The colo ur of the annu lus is purple for ill typ es of amm uniti on except Dummy, which is
uncoloured.
The mark ings stam ped on the side of the shell are
(f) Lo t Numb er a nd las t two figures of the year of filling.
(ft) Fillin g c ont ract or’s init ials o r tr ade mark .
(iff) Mark of complete rou nd and type of propell ant.

Types of Ammunit ion.

579. The presen t types of amm uniti on in sapplv and the colour marki ngs on the shell or pro­
jectil es are :—
B a l l ............. . ......................... . ...........................Black o r blued.
Tra cer ......................................................................... Black wi th T in Red, or r ed ban d.
A.P. /T. (Day, ..............................................................Black body , white tip an d white
1 band.
 90
f.H . XV -SECTION 3.
AiP. /T. (Night) ..............................................................Black body , whit e ti p and green
band.
Top ha lf of body ...................................... Buff.
lo w e r h a lf of bo dy .. . .............................. Re d.
Nose o f fuze ..................................................Green or Red.
A.P ........................................................................................ Black with whit e tip.
S.A. P. In ce nd ia ry ..............................................................Red with white tip.
Dum my ......................................................................... Black or blued.
No red baud is pain ted on shell to den ote tha t they are tilled.
H.E . and Ince ndiary are obsolescent.
The above amm unit ion is simila r to the corres pondin g Briti sh type s of Oerlikon amm unitio n
des orbe d earli er in this Ch apte r, excep t the following :—

Cartr.dge, S.A., Ball. Colour Black or blued.

nSO. The projec tile is hollow an d a incta l closing disc in the base pre ven ts the en try of gases
into lie projectil e.

Cartridge, S.A., Armo ur-Pier cing (A.P.), Colour Black with White tip.
581. This ammunition is for use aga inst armo ured fighting vehicles and arm our prote ction in
aircraf t
The p rojecti le, which has no tilling, is of armour- piercing stee l and its poin ted tip is f itted with
a moulded plasti c cap. The le ngth of the cart ridg e is the same a s Ball, and the amm uniti on can be
used ji all typ es of ma gazin e and in bell s. La ter m ark s are witho ut a cap a nd have eith er an ine rt
tilling or a spigoted base plug.

Cartridge, S .A., Ar mour -Pierc ing Trace r i'A.P. 'T.'i. Colour Bh ck bo dy, white tip an d w hi te or gr ee n
kin d abov e the dr iving ba nd.
SSIa . The projec tile is of armou r-pier cing steel and is uncapped . There are alt ern ati ve fillings
for IJay and Night tracers.

Cartridge, S.A., Semi-Ar mour-Pi ercing Incendiary (S.A. P./i). Colour—Red with White tip.
582. This amm unitio n has been develope d for the igniticu of airc raft petrol tan ks pro te ct ed by
armour plate.
The s hell is an H.E . shell body filled with incen diary ccmjwsi tion, or alte rna tive ly, filled with
in ce nd ia ry compos ition and having a det ona tor superimposed. The hea d is closed with a steel no se
plug.
On impact with arm our p la te o r hea vy met al str uct ure the shell bre aks up and the incen diary
composition is ignited. The perf orati ng power is less than that ol A.P.

Cartridge, S.A., Dummy. Colou r—Black or bilk'd.

583. Hie cartridge comprises a sta nd ard cast- with thrrx holes drille d in the side abou t three
inches from the base, a wooden distan ce piece, and a " ball ’’ projectil e secured by sweating and
rolling.

5S4-5&'.
 91

CH APT ER XVI

ROCKET-P ROJE CTE D DEVICES

SECTION I—PRO JEC TIL ES
ROCKETS " U ’’ (UNROTATING).
590. These proje ctiles consist of a cord ite rocket or Tail, Propel ling, with a shell screwed into
the head . Th ey are launch ed from the rails of a proje ctor inste ad of bein g fired from the conv en­
tional gun, and are not rot ate d. Unlike the am mun ition of a gun, the charge forms an integra l pa rt
of the pr oject ile and trave ls with it in Hight unt il consumed.
59 1. The original nomenclature, w m R ock et , U n ro ta ti n g , Pr oj ec til e (U.P.) , b ut with the ext ension
ill the use o f rocket projec tion, thi s was chang ed to Rocket " U ” (IJ deno ting Unrot ating).
Some of the adv ant age s an d disa dvan tage s o f rocket projec tion of shell are :—
Advantages.
(i) The capa city of the shell of a Rocket " U " is gre ate r tha n th at of a shell of similar
calibre fired from a rifled gun.
(if) Lower acceleratio n obv iate s the necessity for stre ngt h again st pressure and set-bac k,
(ftf) Projectors are ligh t and simple.
(in) Absence of “ deck thr ust " on launchin g.
(r) Absence of gun wear.
(p i ) Ease and rap idi ty of man ufac ture as a comple te unit , i.e., proj ecto r and projec tile or
oth er device.
Disadvantages,
(»') Iz ss acc uracy.
(it) Lower av erag e an d striki ng velocity.
(iff) Slower loading.
Lack of accu racy is p art ly comp ensat ed by using multi ple proj ector s winch lire salvoes varyi ng
up to 20 rounds, and thu s it need not be a disad vant age as a shot gun effect is obt ained.

Rockets, •• U," 2-inc h. Plate 24.

592. The 2-inch rocket " U " is an ant i-ai rcra ft device.
Only on e typ e of shell is fi tt ed to these rockets, namely , the H.E. shell.
The main compon ents of a ro und are Tail. Propel ling, Tail Fins. Shell a nd Fuze These part s are
supplied separ ately for assembly on board and ar e assemble d in the following order
(«) Tail Fins t o Tail, Propelling.
(if) Shell to Tail, Propelling.
(iff ) Fuze to Shell.
Dism antlin g is do ne in the reverse order.
593. 77tc Tail , Propelling. is a welded st eel tube w ith a shell ring secured into the head by studs .
Below the shell ring the Head Ob tura tor, a cu ppe d disc of thin shell steel, seals the head end ol the
Tail. Propelling, aga inst leakage of gases. The vent uri (nozzle) is welded into the oth er end of the
Tail, Propelling The bag of silica gel in the ven turi is for desiccati ng purposes. The botto m
ob tur ato r prev ents any linka ge of gas pas t the vent uri. The charge of cord ite S.U. is cast ella ted at
the head : it rest s in the tu be a nd is su pport ed at the tail by a grid. A magnesium compositi on ign iter
inco qjora ting an electric puffer is fitted in the C3stellation of the charge.
Elect ric leads from the ignit er pass thro ugh the annul us of the cord ite to four brass con­
tac ts nea r the tail orifice. The con tac ts (two positive and two negati ve) are wired so th at prope r
conta ct is made with the knife-edges of th e mounti ng, irres pectiv e of the angle at which the roun d is
loaded.
The tail orifice is seale d b y a tinne d plat e d osin g d isc secur ed in position by R.l ). Cement No. 1.
Th e Tail , Propelling, will n ot sdf-pr opeL If the re should be accid ental ignition of the cordite with
a round in an unassembled sta te, the Head Ob tur ato r (which is withou t the supp ort of the base of
a shell) will blow out and the prod ucts of combu stion will escape from both ends of the tube.
594. Tail pin s (4), of steel plate, are insert ed into slots in the tube ; they are driven back by
means of a wooden hamm er an d latch ed in posi tion.
595. The Shell is of the High Explosive type filled with 9 ozs. of T.N.T. It is screw-t hreaded
near the base t o screw in to the shell ring of the Tail. Propelling. On firing, the shell gives support to
th e Hea d Obtu rato r.
 92
CH XVI—SECTION 2.
596. The Fuze, No. 720, is a wind vane aimi ng, dire ct actio n type which arm s at a dist anc e o i
appr oxim ately 75 feet from the projec tor. The self-des truction device ope rate s at a short range of
4.5CO feet (4 | seconds) ; no shu tte r is incor pora ted. An internal and an exte rnal det ent prevent
the wind vane rota ting unt il the ro und is tired. The extern;.! det ent is visible and liouy-s into a slot
cut nto the skir t ol the wind vane cap. Un firing, acceleratio n causes bot h det ent s to set hack
The wind vanes of the fuze are then free to ro tat e ; appr oxim ately five comple te tur ns of the
wind vane in a n a nti-clock wise di rection (looked at from the nose) will put the fuze int o a d irec t acti on
functionin g condit ion at the same time releasi ng t he time striker, and the fuze will de to na te -11seconds
later. Add itiona l safe ty is provid ed by a safe ty spli t pi n which is pass ed thro ugh the sk irt of the wind
vane cap and fuze body . The safe ty pin prev ents rota tion of the wind vane cap in eith er directi on
and mus t be removed before loading. The pin is secured ir. position by means of wire which take s
round the body of the fuze and is s ealed with a lead seal.
The fuze is not wat erti ght am i mus t lx1 pro tecte d from the we athe r by applic ation s of Grease No. 0.
in accordance with the instruc tions.
Action.
597. The rock et is launch ed by electric curre nt initia ting the electric puffer. The magnes ium
composition igni ter and the cord ite charge are ignite d The pressure of gas set up by the burning
cordite disperses thro ugh the ven turi and provid es the impetus to the rocket. The cord ite hu m- fur
appr oxim ately .S second. dur ing which period the rocket is accelera ting.

SECTION 2—ILLUMINaNTS
2-inch Rocket Flare. Plat,- 24.
598. The Rocket Flar e is launch ed from a spe cial Pro ject or which is a tta ch ed to a gunsb ield. at
an de ra tio n of IMF. It is set to bur st at 5.000 yar ds at an app rox ima te height of 2,<KX) feet ; the
flare bur ns for 70 seconds.
Tlie handb ook. B .R .q s j Ha nd bo ok fo r the 2-it ich Rocket Flare, should be cons ulted fur general
instruc tions, main tenan ce and detail.
599. The round is supplied for as sembly 011 boar d and comprises tin* following main jx irn Tail,
Propelling, Fla re Head and Fins (4).
The ord er of assembly is :—
(t) Fins t o Tail, Propelling.
(m) Flare Head to Tail, Propelling.
609. The Tail, Propelling. is simila r to the Tail, Propelling, of a 2-inch Rock et " U," except
th at the Hea d Ob tur ato r is not perfo rated. The fins are identical to those of the Rocket " I 1."
601 The Flare Head Container is a tinn ed pla te c ylinde r with two cann elure s nea r the base. The
canister , cont aini ng the illum inatin g flare candl e with a para chut e assem bly at ta ch -<1. is insert ed in
the Container. The Ballistic Cap fits on the forwar d end of the Con taine r, to which it is secure d with
adhesive tape. The Base Socket is secured into the othe r end of the Cont aine r by inde nting the
cannelures ; it con tain s the Therm al Eje cto r which screws into the shell ring of the Tail, Propelling.
The T herm al Eje ctor consists of a steel base plat i with a septum of accu rate ly machine d thickn ess
in the centre.
The low er en d of a pie ce of Bic kford 's Fuze -prim ary delay) cu t to bur n app roxi mat ely 22 seconds
makes intim ate con tact with 2 i grain s of 1..D.N.R . (lend-d initro-ie sorcinate ) which is stemm ed int o
the septum recess. The upper end of tlu- Bi ckfo rd's Fuze projec ts i nto tin magazine which c onta ins
appro xima tely 4(l grain s of G.12 gunpow der (prim ary ejection charge). A short piece of Bickfo rd's
Fuze {secondary delay) cut to bu m for 3 seconds pro ject s from the base end of the can iste r : the
lower end is in close prox imit y to the prim ary ejectio n charge, and the upp er end proje cts into n
magazine cont aini ng 40 grains of G.12 gunp owde r (secondary ejection charge).
.4<7w»
602. On launch ing the rocket , heat from the cord ite prope llant is tran sm itte d throu gh the Head
Obt ura tor and thin sept um of the Ther mal Ejec tor and ignites the L.D .X.R ., which, in tur n, ignite s
the lower end of the Bickfo rd's Fuze (prim ary delay). After 9. 18 or 22 secon ds {depending on the
mark used) the prim ary ejectio n charg e is igni ted, and the canis ter i s ejecte d from the co nta ine r in a
forward directio n.
The Bickfo rd's Fuze {secondary delay) is init iate d by tin flash front the prim ary ejecti on charge.
Three seconds late r the secon dary ejectio n charge is ignited and its action ignites the candl e and
ejects the para chu te, c able and candl e in a forward directi on from the canis ter. The par ach ute opens
when eject ed from the can iste r a nd the light ed candle is suspended in mid-air Tin- purpo se of the
seconda ry dela y is t o allow tho veloci ty ot th e can iste r to fall to a speed at which it is safe to ejec t
the ia re an d the para chut e assembl y w itho ut break- up.
Rocket, Illumin ating, 9-lbs. ; Snowflake).
603. This stor e is an illui nina nt and is used in locati ng enemy submarines;
The c ylindr ical z-inch Ponder -file d steel rocket is simi lar to App arat us A. I) Typ e D ; in ad diti on,
it is fitte d with tail fins (4). The Parachule Head cont ains a para chute wit h a sta r and ig niting arra ng e­
ments. lh c roc ktt is-launche d from a Pro ject or Type A or B of App arat us AT). Type D, .using lh -
appr opria te 60 g rain cartrid ge.
 93
Clf . XV I—SECTION 3.
Action.
604. When the rock et reaches the vert ex of its flight, ab ou t 1,500 feet or more, the bu rst er is
ignited by the burn ing rocket composi tion. Its actio n ignites the st ar and expels the par ach ute and
lighted star from the rocket head. The para chut e opens our a nd the burn ing sta r is suspen ded from
i t ; the s ta r hu ms for ab out Gt) seconds.

SECTI ON 3 APPA RAT US. AIK DEF ENC E (A.A.D.1

Apparatus A.D., Type D. Plate 25.
(Pa rach ute and Cable—P.A.C.)
60 5. T h is device suspe nds a cable from a par ach ute above the firing sh ip. The cable is rendere d
letha l on the imp act of an att ack ing airc raft , a nd airc raft must c ithe r keep at a he ight which prve hidts
accu rate bombing or chang e course.
The Hand book should lx cons ulted for gener al instruc tions, maint enanc e and detai l.
Hie Mark 111, N consists of the following m ain component par ts—Rocket with Par ach ute Head,
Main Conta iner. Main Cable and Lower Par ach ute Assembly. The assemble d amm unitio n is te rm ed
" A ppar atus A.D . Type I) " : it is tir ed from a " Proj ecto r A .A.l). Type 1).“ (Abbre viation P.A.C.).
606. 7‘Zw Rocket is a powder-tilled 2-inch steel rock et with a tin para chu te head att ach ed. A
38-inch d iam eter para chu te and a small gunpo wder b urs ter are packed in the para chut e head . The
pain ted c anva s cover atta ch ed to the para chu te he ad tits over the o utsid e of the muzzle of the proj ecto r
and prevents access of wat er into the barre l. Two s tirr up s and a bridl e are atta ch ed to the ro ck et ;
the bridle h as a bo ut five feet of cabl e whic h is covered wit h xsbestos at the roc ket end and fitte d with
a spliced ey e lor shack ling to the Main Cable. Before securing the rock et tail to the Main Cont ainer
the lid o f th e Cont ainer is re m ov ed an d th e to p lo op of th e K .B . Cable is secu red by its swivel to th e
rack et's wire ta il ; a shor t portio n of the wire tail is coiled d own int o the Main Contain er. The lid
is jmi med on So as to nip the rocket tail, and it is retai ncc in place unt il it is disl odged by the pull
of the rocket.
607. The Ma in Container is a cylindr ical iron box which has two concen tric com part men ts.
The ou ter c omp artm ent cont ains the Main Cable and th e inner contain s th e Lower Par ach ute Assembly.
The lid is de tach able . The Main Con taine r is lash ed to the deck.
608. The Ma in Cable consists of 400 feet of K.B. IL) wire with a loop at each end an d a swivel
on each loo p. One swivel is attached to the win? ta il of the roc ket bridle and tl v oth er to the Lower
Para chu te Assembly.
609. The Tenner Parachute Assemb ly compris es a 38-inch diam eter par ach ute and a small trail
parac hute . The large r par ach ute is packe d in canv as and bund led and the small trail par ach ute is
attac hed.
deftow.
610. The 60-grain gunp owd er c artr idg e e ject s the rock<t from the Proje ctor and also ignit es the
rocket compos ition. When the rocket reaches a heig ht of ap prox imat ely 550 feet, the burni ng rocket
composition ignit es an d expl odes t he gu npow der char ge in the p arac hute head a nd th e u ppe r para chu te
is ejected. At thi s stage the lower p ara chu te assem bly will be approximately 150 feet abov e the sea.
the lower par ach ute will still h- bundle d, but the trai l para chute will b e open. The lower parachute
remains in its bundle un til the impa ct of an airc raft with the cable. On impact the trai l par ach ute
pulls the ripcord and releases the lower par ach ute which opens an d renders the cab le " leth al."
Appar atus, A.D. Type J. Plate 25.
611. The o bjec ts an d means of oper atio n of this device ire sim ilar to tho se of the A.A.D Type D.
Type J Mark I e ject s a 6 o0 ft . 2{ ton cable.
Tin- Handb ook B.R.2%)Ppf, Handbook for the Ap paratus Type J . should be consu lted tor gener al
instru ctions , main tenan ce and detai l.
The Ap par atu s is suppli ed in th ree main component perts, (») t he Tail, Propelling. (»») the Head
Canister and Th ermal Fuze, anti (»»») the Main Containe r.
The roun d is assemb led on issue to ships. The fully assem bled rou nd (including the I ail,
Propelling) is "A pp ar at us A.D. Tvp J ." The Appa ratus is launch ed from a " Pro ject or A.A.D.
Type J-”
612. The Tail, Propetiing, is simila r to the Tail. Propelling, of a 2-inch Rocket " U ,” excep t
tha t
(») The head ob tur ato r is not perfo rated.
(it) The re a re no fins or fin slots.
(i«) A s hort sti rru p is weld ed to the exte rior of the base of the tube.
(iv) The ven tur i is closed with a tinn ed pla te closing disc. The flexible rub ber pigtail
cont aining the tiring leads is pa ssed throu gh the closing disc ; con tac t s tud s are omit ted.
613 The Head Canister and Thermal Ti ce .—-The He ad Canis ter is of tinn ed plat e and contain s
a 62-iuch p ara chu te ; il is m ade integ ral with the cas t itoi eject or cup by solder ing. The lower cii •
cumference of tin- Head Canister rests inside the eje cto r cup on a piston or diap hrag m. The base of
the eje cto r c up is screwed into the shell ri ng of the Tai l. Propelling. Provisi on is made in its bas e for
the Ther mal Fuze which is a sep arat e unit.
tl
 94
CH . XV I—SE CTIO N 3.
614. The Ther mal Fuze consists of a steel base pla te in th e cent re of which is a thin sep tum of
accvr atelv machi ned thickne ss. The lower end of a piece of Bickford' s Fuze (cut to burn approx i-
mat?ly 41 seconds) makes inti mat e con tac t with the L.D.N.R . (lead- dinitro -recorc inate) stemm ed
into the sept um recess. The uppe r end of the Bickfo rd's Fuz e pro ject s into the magazi ne which
contain:- appr oxim ately 100 grains of G.12 gunpo wder On assembli ng the Head Canis ter to the
Tail, P ropelling, the base of the Th erma l Fuze is in close conta ct wit h the Head Ob tur ato r. On firing,
heat is tran sm itte d throu gh the Hea d Ob tur ato r a nd Septum and ignite s t he L.D. N.R., which in tur n
ignites the lower e nd of the Bickfo rd's Fuze. After 4J seconds t he Bickford' s Fuze ignites the G.12
gunpowd er in tin magazine and sufficient pressure is produced to shea r the soldered connection
between the Hea d C aniste r and the Eje cto r Cup. By means of the force e xer ted by the Ejec tor Cup
Pistan the Head Canister is forced u p f reeing t he 62-inch parac hute , which i s conne cted by its shrouds
to t ie E ject or Cup.
615. The Mai n Container for the Mark I App arat us is a sealed cylindr ical iron box with two
concentric com part men ts ; it has a heavy non-w atert ight cov er for tran sit purposes. The Main
Containe r Is cla mped to the Proje ctor. A GOO-foot length of 2{-ton mu lti- stra nd cable is coiled in the
Outer com part men t. One e nd of the cable is secu red to the swivel in the sealed lid of the Contain er,
being secured to the stir rup of the rocket by a pin. The other en d of the cabl e is secured by a swivel
to ti e bund led lower par ach ute which is conta ined in a tina cd-p latc can iste r tn the inne r com par t­
ment. The lower par ach ute with its sh rouds is packe d in a canv as bund le. The bund le is cl osed by
ring? thro ugh which is pass ed a cord a tta che d to the Trail Para chut e. The T rail Par ach ute is 20 inches
in diameter. It is co ntai ned in the tinn ed- plate c ani ste r a nd op ens aft er leaving the Main Co ntainer.
Action.
616. The Par ach ute Head is blo wn off and the upp er para chut e ejected. At thi s stage the lower
para chut e and the trail para chu te hav e been ti lt ed appr oxim ately LJtXMcet abov e the sea. The com­
ponents suspende d from the 62-inch top parachute are in th? following or der : Ejec tor Cup Spent
Rocket Tail and Sti rru p—600-fcet of Cable—Lower Para chut e in Bundle—Tra il Para chute .
The lower par ach ute remai ns bundle d unt il the impa ct cf an airc raft with the cable. On impact
the trail par ach ute pulls the slipcord and releases the lower p arac hute . The lower para chu te opens
immed iately and rende rs the cable ‘‘let ha l." The up per and lowe r parac hut es are the same size a nd
both ex ert an equ al pull on the aircr aft.
Mark I A Appara tus.
617. The Head Caniste r. Thermal Fuze and Tail. Propelling, are simila r to those of Mark 1. The
Main Cont ainer is not sealed by a tinn ed- plate closing disc It is fitte d with a heav y non- wate rtigh t
cover for tran sit purpo ses which need no t be u nshipp ed before firing. The inner can iste r is wat erti ght,
and its lid. secure d by soldering, is r ipped off on unspooting the cable. Drain holes ar c fitte d in the
bottom of the Main Contain er.
Ma rk I I Ap paratu s.
616. This differs from Marks I a nd IA in tha t the cen tral guide tube is conical and the length of
cable is a ppr oxi ma tely 825-feet. This typ e of the cen tral guide tube enable s the rocket to reach a
height of 1,100-feet (again st 800-feet) and the Therm al Fuze delay is increased to appr oxi mat ely
GJ seconds.

Appar atus A.D., Type L. Mark I.

619 The object of thi s device is to lay a cur tain of aerial mines suspen ded from para chut es in
the pat h of low flying o r d ive-bom bing airc raft .
The Handbook, B.R.8 43. The a-inch Rocket, T A M .. Mar k V Moun ting, should be consult ed for
general instr uctio ns, main tenan ce and detail.
Ammun ition is assembled on issue to ships and comprises the Tail, Propellin g and the Canis ter
Assembly. The fully assemble d round is terme d *' App arat us A.D., Type L. " 'Hie Ap par atu s is
launched from a 2-inch Rock et F.A.M., Mark V. Mounting.
620. The Tati , Propelling, is a modifica tion of the Tail, Propelli ng, of the 2-inch Rock et " U.”
The con tac t stu ds are om itte d. The two trun nion s are welded on to the tub e to accom moda te the
scimip . The plug sc rewed into the shell ring clos es th e head of the tub e ; if the plug is rem oved the
rocket is non-sclf-prop ulsive in the eve nt of acci dent al ignition. A 12-fnch steel sti rru p is a ttac lied
to the t runn ions on the rocket tail. One end of an lS-inch steel conne cting rod is secured to the st irru p
and th e o the r to a link on the Top Conical C anister. Electric leads pass from the ignit er to a flexible
cab tyre cable which in tur n passes thro ugh a mechanically-join ted weak link to a moulde d rubbe r
socket on the mounti ng.
621 The Canister Assembly comprises the Top Conical Canis ter and the Lower Canis ter. The
caniiters are joi ned by the ove rlap of t he sleeve of the To p C wis tcr. l hc joint is m ade wat erti ght by
a rubbe r ring and a mixt ure of luting.
622. The Top Conical Canis ter is of light gauge steel or tinned plat e and co nt ai ns :—
(») The 45 inch diam eter par ach ute to ear n- dowr the spent rocket tube.
(it) 6-fee t Main Supp ort Para chut e.
(i»t) 6-incli Bomb St eady Par ach ute and Weak Link.
 93
CH. XV I—SECTION 3.
(/v) Upper Explosive Link in bomb housin g,
(?) Three retain ing cords which are contro lled by the explosive link and hold these par ts
in position in the canister .
fta') The Bomb. The bomb has a light case and a filling of appr oxim ately 8-oz. oi poured
T.N.T . I he d eto nat or is held io a shu tte r kep t ou t of line with the str ike r by a clock
spring. Under sufficient wind pressure the wind vane moves the shu tte r and brings
the det ona tor in line with the stri ker . On impa ct with an airc raft the firing pin is
forced in by the universa l s trik er ring an d the de tona tor, being in line with the stri ker,
is fired by percussion The bom b can be armed and unarm ed by large varia tions in
air speed and no self-des truction devi ce is fitted.
623. The Lower Canistci is a lso of light gauge steel or tiuued plate, and is moun ted on a base
plate, 11 co nt ain s:—
(»') A cen tral tube to assist nnspooling the wire.
(»»■> 1,000 feel of 19 s.w.g. piano wire coiled in a meta l shea th. One end ot the wire is
secure d by a swivel to the head of the bomb ; the othe r end passes through the split
in the ce ntra l tube an d is secu red to the sp ring wire shock absorber
(»»i The drag pa rach ute assembly with a 32-inch para chut e in a bag is secu red to the shock
absorber. The four retain ing cords which are contro lled by a lower explosive link
prev ent the para chut e opening on the initial sna tch at pick up.
(»i') The electric leads for ig niting the del ay fuzes leave the base of the can iste r in a shor t
flexible c ab-t yre cable and plug into the lower socket of the mounti ng. The electr ic
circ uit for the three fuzes initi atin g respecti vely the rocket , the upp er explosive link
and the lower explosive link is arran ged in “ Series " so tha t failure of one fuze will
usually' prev ent the oth er two being i nitia ted.
Action.
624. On launch ing, the rocket and the dela y fu zes in the up per and lower explosive link s of tlie
Canis ter Assembly are initi ated sim ultaneo usly. Tlie rocket take s up the top conical can iste r and the
wire in Ilie lower can ister is unspoolc d. When the wire is hilly unspooled the d rag par ach ute assembly
is picked up. the snatc h tension being kept within safe limits by th<- long shock absor ber. The top
conical can iste r reaches appr oxim ately 2,600 feet before the upp er and lower explosive links are
opera ted. On the oper ation of the uppe r explosive link the bomb and para chut es are pulled out.
The 45-im.li nickel .support par ach ute is connect ed to the M ee t Main S upp ort Para chu te by a weak
thre ad which b reaks when th e rocke t pa rach ute is fully pulled o ut The oper ation of the lower explosive
link removes the cons traint from the drag para chut e bag and leaves the para chut e free to pull out
on the- impact of an aircr aft with the wire. The bomb will not arm until an aircr aft strik es the wire.
On imp act , the drag parachute opens and the weak link secur ing the 6-fcet Main Sup port Pa rac hut e
will part . The bomb is then pulled down on to the wing of the airc raft by the drag para chut e. The
bomb is arm ed by rota tion of the wind vane due to its veloc ity thro ugh the air on the wav. It is
stead ied in flight by the S-inch Bomb Stead y Para chu te which ac ts as a drogue.

Mark II Apparat us. Plate 26.

625. The Mark II App arat us is identic al to Mark I App arat us, exce pt tha t
(j) The piano wire coil is 1,500 feet in leng th.
{ri'J Nn shock abso rber is fitted.
(t ri ) One side of the slot in the ce ntral tube -is flar ed slight ly to assist nnspooling.
(if,') The lower c ani ster is marke d with a vertic al black line to indic ate the position of the
slot in I lie cen tral tube. The cani ster should lx loaded into the proje ctor with this
black line away from the proje ctor rails, t.c., clearly visible to the loading numbe rs
when facing the trou t of the projector.
626. The metho d of function ing is iden tical with the Mark I. The height atta ine d at sepa ration
is li ttle less th an th at of the Mark I (abou t 100-feet), b ut the area covered, 1,900-feet to 400-feet, is
50 per cent, grea ter. Und er advers e condition s the effective operat ional time, i.e., before the drag
para chut e hit s th e wate r, is reduced to a min imum of 20 seconds from th e oper ation of th e t op explosive
link.

(>27-629.
 96

C H A P TE R X V II

GRENADES
HAND GRENADES.
Grenade No. 36M. Plate 27.
630. Grenade No. 36M (kno wn res the M il l' s bomb) is an ant i-pe rso nne l bom b w it h a dan ge r
zone on det ona tion of ap pro xim at ely 400 ya rd* . The grenade ha- a cast iro n bw lv wh ich i» fille d
with hig h exp losiv e.
The body is ov al and it s ex te rio r is gro ove d to prov ide a g ri p to the band and also to assist
frag me nta tion . T lie centre piece is screwed in to the base and retai ned by ti n Base Plug .
The high exp losiv e til lin g. Ba rn tol 20,NO, is fille d in to the Im dy thro ugh the li ll in g Hole in the
Mo uld er. The h ill in g Hol e i- closed by a screw -threa ded plug. Hie bu lk of the ma in fi lli ng is
separated from the de ton at or of the Ig ni tin g Set by an n ir gap interp osed l>v tin S tr ik er Chambe r,
a id th is disadvantage res ults in uneven fra gm ent atio n.
631. The Ce ntre Piece is of alu m ini um or tinn ed brass and compris es tw o adjacent chambers,
l ie sma ller cIii ii h Imt receives the de ton ato r and t- em pty u n ti l t lv grenade is prin ted . The larg er
or S tri ke r C ham ber is pos ition ed in the cent re o f the body mid c ont ains the S tr ik er and St rik er S prin g ;
tl c head of the S tri ke r p rot rud es th rou gh the c irc ul ar hoi-* at the to p ; the opeaung in rhn base receives
the c ar tri dg e end o l the Ig n iti ng Set.
The steel S tri ke r it flange d at the Iw v to - at the spring. Its fir in g face. Iia pi d for ri n i- li ii ii g . is
notched to allo w the escapu of gas th rou gh th e flange The st rik er ‘.ha lt passes th rou gh the bo dy I
it is n otch ed at th e to p t o receive th e S tri ke r L ev er. Hie S tr ik er Sp ring is com pressed betwe en the top
of the cha mbe r an d the flange of the Str ike r.
The St rik er Le ver is n cur ve d steel lever piv ote d on * fulc rum for me d on I h c b ody of the gre nade.
It fits clo ud y t«i th e bo dy an d i» retained in position by a sp lit pm passing o ve r it an d thro ugh the
fi k ru m brack et The short end of th e level ti ls in to a not ch on th e St rik er and h o kh it up against
tin- ac tio n ol the co m p ri se d spring.
The scre w-th read ed B ase Plug seals t he base of the grenade.
Th e Ig ni tin g Set comprises a De ton ato r, Sa fe ty Fuse, 0.2 2-in cli R im -l in -. Cup and a z inc all oy
Cap Cham ber Th e Cup sits in the Cap Ch am ber wi th on e end of the 1’ ur.e at ta ine d. The Fuz e i»
formed in to a U-s-hape to su it the Cen tre Piece in to w in h the Set litx , and its oth er end is cri in| ied
into the De ton ato r.
632 . Ther e are tw o typ es of Ig ni tin g Set ; these va ry on ly in the tim e of bu rn in g of the fuze.
The Set in prerx nt sup ply has a 7-becotuh fuze w hich is eoUmted y ello w. The o th f I Si t li as a 4-scc< intis
Itz e ; it is coloured whi te and has a rub ber Ii.ii h I round it wh ich sho uld n ot I k- removed as it is a means
o' id en tifi ca tio n at nig ht.
A’e/Z — Bef ore pri min g (ins ertin g the de ton ato r) al l signs of wa ter pro ofin g and /or grease are to
he remove d fro m aro und th e st rik er ou tsid e the bod y and unde r t he st rik er lev er. The si n ke r sh ould
then he tested fo r freedom in accordance w ith B .R . 787.
In fu tu re .'W.M grenades w ill be issued to shipa w ith th e st rik er wate rpro ofed by li g h tl y ap ply ing
grease This sh ou ld lx remove d before pri mi ng , but the mechan ism need not Ire str ipp ed if the
str ike r is free.
Action.
633 In pre jKir atto n fot .i< tin n, t in- B um Plug is m w w i t l and the Ig ni tin g Set c ar ef ul ly ins erte d ;
the Base Plug is the n replace d and sc re w ed fu ll y home In prepare Got, for imm edi ate u»c, t he Saf ety
Pin is w ith dr aw n a nd th e St lik c t Le ve r he ld do wn b y h at <1. A lte r t he grenade is t hro wn the expansion
o: the S tri ke r Sp rin g forces the S tr ik er Lever awa y from the body ; the le ve r pi vo ts on tlu- fu lcr um
a id is thr ow n clea r. The ac tio n of the Sp rin g causes th e St rik er to imp ing e on an d lire the Cap.
'Ihc re su ltin g flash ignit es the Fu te whic h bu rn s fo r 7 neconds o r 4 seconds (ns app licab le) before
ign itin g the de ton ato r, wh ich then deton ates the main lill in g. Can' i t to be ta ken that p rim ed grenadet
are imp rint ed before u-t urn let tto re or package.
634. M ar kin g. - The bo dy is va rnis hed . A rin g of red-crosses is (M in te d o n the sho ulde r to denote
tha t th e grenade is fille d. A green b and is pa int ed at the lower en d to deno te the typ e of filli ng .
635. Pm /tin g. Grenades are pack ed 12 in a woo dei box mar ked " Ha nd Grenades, 7 seco nds”
(or " -I seconds,” if appl icabl e). A bi» . plug ke y and t i l co nt ain ing 12 ig ni te r sets is packed in each
box.

Grenade No. 69. M ar k I. Plate 27.

636. t his grenade is a ligh t (K'lcusnion Han d Grenada w ith a dange r zone of np pro xim uh -ly
3J y urda .
Th e bak elit e bo dy is in tw o po rts , whic h an- screwed toge ther . A k in d is milled rou nd the
ext erio r to pro vid e a g rip to the hand . The hea d o f the b od y is recessed and sc rew- threa ded to receive
the Mech anis m Ho lde r wh ich con tain s tin S tr ila i Med ianis m. A Safe ty Cap w ith mi lle d ex te rio r
 97
CH. XV II.
liti o ver the Mechanism Holde r an d is screwed io it ; a strip of adhe sive tap e is stuc k ob lique ly acros s
the joint of the Body and Saf ety Ca p to prev ent the l at te r unscrew ing p rema turely .
The Killing Plug and the Base Plug with a small rubbe r plug ar e lilte d in the lower par t of the
lx d y. Th e Ba se Plug close s th e bas e o f t he D et on at or Sleeve w hich is a bak eli sed pa per Lube jnxsitinned
in the cent re of the Body. The Sleeve c onta ins a No. 46 De ton ato r and is immed iately below the
Percussion Cap of the Str ike r Mechanism.
A h igh explosive main filling of Amatol 80/20, Lyddite , or Ba rato l 20/80, is filled in to the Body
through the Fill ing Bole.
637. The Str ike r Mechanism comprises the Strik er. Sin ke r Spring. Percussion Cap. Cap Pellet .
Lead Ba ll. Closing Cap an d Saf ety Bol t with Safet y T ape atta che d : the oth er end of the Sa fety Tape
carries a lead weight, th e Saf ety Bolt passes thro ugh holes in the Str ike r and Mechanism Holder
and holds the Stri ker m position. Tbe Safety Tape is wo uld round the Mechanism Holder in a pre­
pared groo ve a nd is fina lly house d ben eat h t he Safet y Ca p Io keep the Safety Bolt in position. When
the Sa fety Cap is in position the S trik er c anno t move forward ag ainst the Percussion Cap.
/Id rca .
638. In pre para tion for action the Base Plug is unscrewed and the Deto nato r Sleeve e xamin ed
for obstru ctio n, rough edges, cracks, et c. The Det ona tor is carefully inser ted, open end first, the Base
Plog is rep laced a nd screwed fully home . In prep arat ion for imm ediat e us e the st rip of a dhes ive tape
is pulled from t lie Safet y Cap a nd the Ca p is remove d ; afte r rem oval, the Safet y T ape must be held
in po sitio n by the forefinger and lliuinb’ unt il the grenade is throw n. After the grena de is thrown
the Lead Weight att ac he d to the S afety T ape causes the T tpc to unw ind and pu llo ut the Saf ety Bolt.
The Stri ker is th en free t o function the Percussion Cap under th e a ctio n of th e lead ball which has an
**d l ways " action on imp act. On imp act, the Su ikc i impinges u i i and fires Ute C ap and th e flash
ignites t he det onat or, which deto nate s the main filling.
639. Mar king .—A ring of red
crosses is p aint ed oil the up per bod y to deno te tha t the gre nad e is
lill.-d. The lower body is pain ted
Io deno te the type of fifing, as follows :—
Amato l 8 0 /2 0 ...............
{-inch g reen band.
Lydd ite ..............
{-inch green ban d with " Lyd .” stenc illed on the hand in {-inch
whit e le tters .
Bara tol 20/80 {-inch green band with " Bar. 20 /80 " stencill ed on the band in
{-inch black lett ers.
640 Packing. —Each packag e con tain s 34 unpri ined grenad es and 2 cylind ers ot 17 deto nato rs
Nc. 46.

RIFLE GRENADE.
641. Rifle Gre nades are tired from rifles li lted with Dischargers. The G renade in s uppl y in Nava l
Service is the No. 36.M fitte d with a Gas-Check Plat e.
The Gas-Check Plate is a circ ular steel plat e ( 2|-i nch es in diamet er) with a small screw in i ts ce ntre
to screw in to the bott om of the Base Plug. Tbe Pla te is a sid ing tit in tin- Discha rger a nd rests on an
ann ular shoul der formed in the met al of the cup.
Discharge r No. 1, Ma rk I, is used wit h th e No . 1 rifle. The bar rel of t he Di sch arg er i3 cyl ind ric al
(w.th an inside diam eter of 21 inches) and is thre ade d inter nally to receive the Locking Base. Near
the lower e nd a slot forming a g as po rt is closed by a sliding shut ter which can be c lamped in position
by a Clampin g Nut. The locking base is thr ead ed on the outsi de to fit the barre l and has a cen tral
hole thre ade d to receive the adj usti ng screw, the top of which is slo tted to tak e the poin t of the
bayon et. Below are two claw levers which engage in the d ot te d si des of the nosecap of the rifle.
642. Cartridge S ./L , o.jo j-fw A. Ballistile, II Mar k IZ is used to eject the gre nade. {Para. 528.)
Ac'.ion.
643. ITie gren ade is primed an d placed in the Dis cha rger ; the Split Pin is with draw n and tbe
grenade is pushed fully home an d the rifle tired. On th e prenad<- being eject ed from the Discharger
the S afety L eve r i s released ami the action of the grena de is the same as when hand -throw n.
644. Mark ing.— The gren ades are mar ked simila rly to the Hand Grena de No. 36M.
645. Packing.— Box G.5 Mark HI or G.36.
12 grenades.
12 Igni ting Sets in a tin ned plat e cyli nder.
14 Cartridges bal list itc ill a tin- pla te box.
12 gas-check plates .
1 Key.

646-649 .
 86

CH AP TE R XVI II

HOLMAN PROJEC TORS. ILL. 4 INCH MORTAR

PROJE CTILE, ILLUMI NATING .
Projectile, Illumin ating, No. 1.
650. The stor e is used as an illum inant. This par ticu lar design is lin'd only from Holman Pm-
jeste rs, Marks IIA or IIS. No. 1 Air or No. I Stea m is stenc illed on the body. The Proje ctile has
a cylin drica l body of tin plat e which con tain s a cot ton para chut e, flare unit and an ignition and
ejecti on ch arge of gunpowder. The flare un it is att ac he d to the Pa rac hut e an d is pos itioned wit h the
igti tion char ge at the forwa rd end next to the Stri ker mechanism ; the Par ach ute is below this
assembly and nearer the tail. The cast-ir on conical nose co nt ain in g th e Str ike r mechanis m is fixed
securely to the front of the bo dy ; the tail, with four fins, is light ly att ach ed to the rear end.
651 The Stri ker mechanism comprises the strike r, strike r cover, .410 ca rtrid ge and a leng th ol
Safety Fuze ; the op erat ing unit consists of u st ri ker , a shear wire a nd a Saf ety Pin. The Safel y Pin
is w ithdraw n before loading.
Jf/tOK.
652. On firing, the str ike r sets back, break s the shear wire and impinges on the cart ridg e cap.
The flash ign ites the S afety Fu ze an d a fte r a period of delay the gunp owde r ejec tion charge is ignited.
Th e re su lt in g ex pl os io n ig ni tr. i th e fla re , bl ow s off tin- tail , am i ejec ts tin par ach ute and flare. The
flare bum s a t a high tem per atu re. The par ach ute an d llan are eject ed app roxi mat ely 7 s econds after
firing, and the flame b urn s for a minimu m of 30 seconds. Al 45° el evat ion this repre sents a hei ght of
325/420 fee t at a range of 330/360 yar ds.

Projectile, Illumi nating , No. 2. Plate 2S.

653. Thes e are fired only from the cartrid ge-op erate d Proje ctor, at pn.-x nt tin- Holman Pro ­
jector, Mark Il l. The Proje ctile is similar to the " N o. 1," exc ept th at a gas-chcck is at tac hed by a
tulip sp ring to the tail. " No. 2 Cordi te ” is sten cilled on Ihe body.
In oper ation , the gas-chcck sepa rates from the Proje ctile when the Proje ctile leaves the muzzle
of th e Proje ctor. The par ach ute and flare are ejecte d approx imatel y 11 seconds af ter firing, and the
flare bum s f or a minimu m of 30 sec on ds . At 35° ele vation thi s r epre sent s a height of 400/525 feet at
a range of 770/1030 yards ,
Holman Cartridge.
654. The Cartri dge for the Pro ject or, Mark 111, has a brass boun d case. Tin mou th of the case
is dose d by a celluloid cup, A prote ctin g cap is fitted o ver the cup and must be remove d before loading.
TI k- charge of 16 gramm es of Cordi te W.M.T. is initi ated by an igni ter conta ining 20 grains of gun­
powder T. S. 2; a celluloid cup sep arat es the ignite r from the charg e. The ignit er is init iate d by a
per cuss ion cap filled with cap composition.
Cartr idges are supplied in tin- plat e boxes of 20.

BOMB, 10-Ib. UN DE RW AT ER No. 1, .MARK I, WIT H GAS CHE CK. Plate 28.
655. This h igh exp losive bomb is for use aga inst the two-man su bmarin e. It is fired from Holman
Project ors. Mark HI or may be throw n by hand.
The design and co mpon ents of the bomb are shown in t he illustr ation.
The bomb c onsist s of a lightl y bu ilt, welded cylind er fitt ed with a ta il ; a nose ad ap ter is thre aded
lor the fuze, which functio ns und er hyd rost atic pressure after being projec ted into wate r It has
a fixed settin g which o per ate s at a dep th of 20 f eet. The filling is a ppro xim atel y 4 | lbs. of T.N.T .

656. Remove the safet y pin and adhesiv e tap e cov ering the hole s in the cap of the fuze. When
tin fu ze ente rs the wat er hyd rost atic pressu re acts , through the holes in the cap , on the rub ber dia ­
phragm and also on the rub ber s hu tte r bellows. The fuze is a rme d by the s hu tte r being forced over
against the shu tte r spring, bringing the det ona tor in line nith the strik er. On reaching the prope r
depth the hyd rost atic pressure ope rate s the rub ber diaphr agm and forces the str ike r head and the
strik er down until the levers arc in a horiz onta l position, thu s compressing the stri ker springs.
Imme diatel y on passing the dea d cen tre the stri ker springs re-asse rt themselves , drivi ng the str ike r
int> the d eto nat or and firing the fuze, and the main filling is deto nated .

SMOK E FLO AT, B.L ., 4-IN CH MOR TAR. MA RK S II OR HI . Plate 29.

657. The design and com ponents are shown in the illustr ation. The main compo nent pa rts at e—
balsa wood cylin drica l float, uicta l cont ainer , celluloid conta iner and met al prot ectin g cup.
The cylind rical float has a cen tral steel smoke emission tube which is att ach ed to the lid ol tin-
metal con tain er and secured by the split lip of the tube being tu rne d over on to a stee l washe r. The
 99
CH. XV III .
float i s boun d with fabric tape. La ter mark> may lx* of o the r mate rial, hut this will not affect the
epe rati oa of the store.
The m etal cont aine r holds the smoke compos ition. It h as a perfo rate d ce ntra l ste el tube wrap ped
in prun ed m us li n w it h a la y e r o f priming composit ion be tween the musl in a n d the smoke com positio n.
The celluloid conta iner, with the prop ellan t charg e ol Balli stite , is ceme nted to the co ntaine r.
The metal cup is fitte d to p rot ect the charge an d must l>e removed before the round is loaded.
A Cart ridg e S.A. Rifle Gr enad e 0.303-inch cord ite L is used as the prim ary charge to lire the
mo rtar (para. 559). The bal list ite char ge of the Smoke F loat is th e secon dary charge.
Tin- range a t full eleva tion of 30 ' is ap prox ima tely 550 yard s. Should the min imum range, abo ut
50 ya rds, be requir ed, remove the balli stite charge, elevate the mo rta r to ex trem e eleva tion and lire
with the prim ary cart ridg e only.
Over land the range can he increased by app roxi mat ely 2<X> yar ds if the Smoke Flo at is fired
withou t its balsa wood flo at. To remove the h ard g rey pap er di sc from the to p of the float, p rise up
the serr atio ns of the cen tral lube with a flat chisel and a pair of pliers. Tak e off the steel washer
and pull the b als a wood c ylind er from the cen tral tube , In this condit ion the float is loade d as usual,
»>., with smoke box to the rear.
Action.
658. The flash from the prim ary cartri dge ignites the ball istite charge of the smoke float and the
float is ejecte d from the mor tar. At the sam e time flash passes up the ignit er tube of the smoke con-
tu ne r and ignites the priming and smoke compositions .

BOMB B.L., H.E., 4-INCH MORTAR, 10-lb. MARK 1. Plate 29.

659. The main compon ent pa rts o f t he bom b arc —Fuze No. 152 or a plug, Body with nose and
tail ada pte rs, and Tail.
Fuz e No. 152.—This is a Percussi on D.A. fuze whose design and com pone nts are shown in the
illust ration .
Safet y a rran gem ents :—
» (») A safe ty cap is fitte d which mus t be removed before firing.
(if) The det ent holds the ball in such a position as to keep the stri ker down. The strik er
point engages in the side of the sh utt er, thus keeping the det ona tor, which is h eld in
the shu tter , out of line with the flash channel in the magazine.
660. O11 firing, the det ent set s back agai nst the de te st spri ng allowing the ball also to set back
into a pocke t. This allows the stri ker , unde r the actio n o f the stri ker spring, to move forw ard and
the str ike r poin t disengages from the shu tte r. The shu tter moves ove r, u nder the acti on of it s sp ring,
and the det ona tor com es in to line with the stri ker and the flash cha nne l of the magazine . The fuze
is the n fully armed . On imp act the cap is c rushe d in drivi ng the stri ker into the det ona tor and the
resultin g flash det ona tes the magazine.
661 Bod y.—The stee l bo dy is filled with ap prox imat ely 2 lhs. of T. N.T. A cav ity is moulded in
the head of the filling i nto which is fitt ed a pap er tube. The la tte r con tain s the C.E. explo der and
receives th e lower p ar t of the bo dy of t he fuze. The he at is closed with the nose a dap ter, into which
the fuw* or a plug is sc rewed The bott om is cl os ed wi th a ta il a d ap te r w h ic h is screw thre ade d ill
two gauges, one to secure i t into th e bo mb a nd th e o the r to receiv e th e tail.
662. Tail.— The Tail compris es a perf orate d steel tube with four fins, each of which has two
lightening holes. The tail holds the prope llant cartridge s and also keep s the bom b ste ady in flight.
The t ube conta ins a cartri dge in a celluloid cont aine r, a dosing plug havin g an open Hash hole and a
hardwood plug to fill up the surp lus space. The fins are arran ged so th at one pair of opposi te fins
cont ains sprin g reta inin g c lip s; these grip the barre l and position the bomb on loading. Two aug ­
ment ing cart ridg es, ea ch in a celluloid conta iner, are fitte d opposi te to one ano the r in the angles forme d
ty pai rs of adj ace nt fins, a nd arc he ld i n position by a length of spr ing wire w hich has a hook at ea ch
end. The wire is threa ded thro ugh the re ar lighte ning hd e of ea ch fin an d hooked to form a ring.
The fabric cover fitted over the ta il pro tec ts the ca rtrid ge from the weath er, and is secur ed with
tape at its mout h.
Action.
(563. The cart ridg e used to fire the mo rtar is a Rifle Grenade 0.303-inch Ball istite II Mark IZ.
On firing, flash f rom t his ca rtrid ge passes throu gh the flash hole in the ta il pl ug an d i gnites the primary'
cartridge in the perf orate d tail tube which in tur n ignites the augm entin g cart ridg es in the fins by
way of the pe rfora tions . The result ing pr essure p roje cts ’he bomb.
Note.— III futur e, to avo id damag e to th e augmen ting cart ridg es duri ng tran spo rt, bombs will be
supplied wit hou t the ir augm enti ng cart ridg es fitte d. Ten augm entin g cart ridg es (in two card boar d
• tubes) will be pac ked i n ea ch b ox of five bombs .
To pr epar e a bomb for firing, fit t wo aug ment ing c artrid ges t o each bo mb a nd remove th e inst ruc­
tion label. If the bombs are not fired, th en, befor e the y are landed, remove the augme nting cartridge s,
ic tu ni the m to the ir tube a nd replace the instr uctio n label.

664-669.
 100

CHA PTE R XIX

PY RO TE CH NI CS

670. Pyro tech nics are used in Nav al Service for the following pu rp os es :—
Signalling and Navigat ion.
Illum inatio n.
Recognition and Identific ation.
Tar gets for Close Range A.A. Weapons.
Ilisplay .
Pyrotec hnics for use in airc raft an; describ ed in Air Publications.

SIGNALLING AND NAVIGATION.

Rocket, Signal, 1-lb., Service. Plate 30
671 The design and com pone nts of th« rocket an shown in deta il in the illus trati on. The long
stick a atta ch ed to the case to keep the axis of the ro cke t par allel to it s t raj ec tor y : the m etal socket
is glued to the out side of the case an d is also ho und with twine or glued tape.
The r ocket may be tired from a Machine, Rocket, Signal or a Rocke t. Upr ight , Firing.
'Hie upper cylinder, of rolled p aper , con tains 23 white sta rs. A small cha rge of rock et comp osition
or sulp hurless mealed powd er Is insert ed bet ween the d ay plug a nd the adja cent tier of star s to assist
lighting-up a nd ejectio n. The h ead of th e upp er cyl inde r is elided with a pap er disc, which is covered
with a millb oard con e ; the o the r end is secured to the case and the jo int is sea led with pap er stri ps.
The case, of rolle d p a p r, is choked near the base to form a w ilt It is thr eade d inte rna lly below
the choke to receive the plug ; if closed by a millboar d disc it is left plain. The charge of rocket
compositi on is filled so as to leave a cav ity. ,
Action.
672. When the wooden plug is remove d the vent is exposed and the Rocket is read y to lx- p ro­
jected On firing, combu stion of the powder priming in the choke ignit es the Rocket composition.
The ignition of the com position causes a pressure of gas in th t rocket, and thi s gas, escapin g throu gh
the v*nt, presses agains t the air and propels the rocket . Wlxn the gr ea ter pa rt of the Rocket com­
position has burn ed, combus tion sprea ds throu gh th e cav ity and the primin g hole in the d ay filling
to tlx Rocket composit ion in the up per cylin der a nd the sta rs ar c ignited and ejected. Eje ctio n takes
place a t a heig ht of a bou t 900 feet, and the s tar s bur n for a ppro xima tely five seconds.
The Rocket is pain ted dra b. A whi te inst ruct iona l label is secu red round the case. »
673. Mar king .— The following inform ation is stencilled on the upp er cyli nder and sta mp ul on
the plug
Con trac tor’s in itials or trade mark
Dat e o f ma nufa cture .
Lo t No.
When tired from a Machine, Rock et. Signal, the rocket is ignite d by a Frict ion Tube (see
paragraph (597). When fin d from an Uprig ht, Firing Rocket, the vent ol the Rocket is ignite d with
a portfire.
Packing. Each rock et is pa cked in a tin cylin der, the cylinders are suppl ied in woo den packag es.
The wooden screw plug in the vent pre ven ts self-propulsion in the ev ent of accid ental ignition ;
a rocket so f itted will hur st on ign ition. The wo oden plu g mu st lx rem oved when the rocket is required
for use. As a warti me exped ient the wooden plug has been replaced by a card boar d disc secured by
a paper seal. Should the pap er seal be broke n, the rocket must lx- re-sealed in its tin and kep t in
a dry place on deck for " first use " ; it mus t not be re-strwed in a magazine . When prep aring
a rocket for use in " Upr ight s.” the pap er seal shou ld not be broken unt il it is inten ded to fire the
rocket.

Rocket, Signal, 1-lb., Red or Green.

674. The action ol these rock ets is simila r to the I-lb. Service Rocke t, and they arc fired from
a Rocket, Upri ght, Firing . The upp er cylin der is l arger than tha t of the Service Rocket and has a
rounc cap . The sta rs are packe d with and ignite d by quick- match which se ne s to open the head
, and s ra tte r the st ars. A sulphur less mea led powd er is s prinkled among st the st ar s to assist ignition.
The ro cket case is pai nted a dra b col our an d the upp er cylind er th e col our of the sta rs i t c ontains .
T he ru m b e r of st ar* differs fo r th e va ri ou s m ar k s of e ac h eo lo ir .

Cartridges, Signal, 1-inch and lj* inc h. Plate 30.

675. These cart ridg es are tired from a Pistol Signal, 1-inch o r I j-uich.
Each cart ridg e cont ains a single, star, Red, Green or White.
 I

101

I CH. XIX .
For identific ation a pap er label is atta ch ed to the d oli ng disc anil on it is p rint ed the colour of
, ti c par ticu lar s ta r ; an app ropr iate ly coloured band is also on the body n ear th e mout h. Forme rly,
for identificatio n a t n igh t, the rims of cases wen- mil led all round for a Red sta r, plain for a G reen s tar,
arid milled half way roun d for a Wh ite star
On Cartrid ges. Signal, l-inc h only these mean s of identifica tion are bein g superse ded by an
enbo ssed impression on a m etal disc a t the m outh . A CTOS repre sent s a R ed sta r, a tria ngl e a Green
sta r a nd a circle a Wh ite st ar ; cart ridg es so m arked hav e no pap er label affixed t o the closing disc.
Cart ridge s art- packe d in brown pape r pac kets in metal lined eases labelled to in dica te the colour
i of the st ars.
l-inc h are packed 4 in a w ra pp er ; 120 ca rtrid ges in i J M.L. case.
I {-inch ar e p acked 2 in a w ra pp er ; 66 car trid ges in a { M.L. case.
The l-inc h and the lj- in ch cart ridg es arc simila r in design, altho ugh the re are vari atio ns in
ccnst ruction for the different colours in each size.
The Cartr idge, Signal. l-inc h, Red descr ibed below, may be take n as typ ica l.
Cartridg e, Signal, I-inch. Red. Mark XIV.T. Plate 30.
676. The case is of wax -impr egnat ed pap er and conta ins th e prope llant charge, a sta r w ith ignite r
pellet, a sup por ting felt washe r for the sta r, and pap er and millbo ard closing discs.
AiltOH.
On firing, the prop ellan t ignites an d ejec ts the s tar , w hich bur ns brigh tly.
Where cond ition s p erm it, the pi stol sho uld be lashe d :o a sup port abov e th e ho ad s of per son s in
the vicin ity and fired by using a lany ard. Whe n thi s is no t possible, the pistol should be held at
full a rm 's l ength above the hea d of the firer, who s hould ke?p his he ad down alte rna tive ly, the pistol
may lx* tired from a cla mp, as illu stra ted in O.U.5440, Visual Ma terial Handbixik .
In all condi tions of firing personnel should sta nd well ch ar .

* Flar e, Sig nal . Plate 30.

677. This flare has a rolled pap er body with a hand le of wood or rolled pap rr. The body is
charged with flare compos ition topp ed with priming and mat ch compo sition . Above the match
composition are a millbo ard washer, a disc and a “ tear-off ” tap e, which are covet ed by a brown
jx-per d isc. If the hand le is of wood, a Icath crbo ard cup is fitted at its base ; the cup is coated
with stri ker composition and secured by a lead capsule aad a " tear-off " tap e. It the hand le is of
jx-per, a wooden plug cover ed with stri ker compo sition is insert ed in the base.
Action.
, 678. Rem ovr the Icath crbo ard cup {by pulling off its ” tear-off " tape ) or the wooden plug.
whichever is f itted . Pull off t he " tear-off " tap e at the h?ad. Rub the Icat hcrb oard cu p or wooden
plug ag ains t the mat ch compositi on in the bead and the fla re composit ion will bec ome ignited ; the
action is simi lar to strik ing a mat ch aga inst its box. The burni ng Flare must be held at full arm'-,
length abov e the head.

Fiame, Float, Delay. Mark I. Pla it 31.

679. The Marne Moat is used for navig ationa l purposes by Aircra ft Carriers.
There is a delay o f ap prox ima tely 15 min utes bet ween th e time of ign iting the saf ety fuze a nd the
ignition of the Maine Signal. The Flame Signal will bum for app roxi mat ely 6 min utes af ter its
ignition.
The body, of steel, is cylindri cal, and has two chambers The uppe r is a buoy ancy ch am be r;
tt e lower receives the base pla te which holds the tiring mechanism and a steel con tain er filled with
flame produci ng compos ition (amorp hous phosp horus). The centr al tube passes from the lower cham ber
thro ugh the buoy ancy cha mbe r ; the cham ber is sealed with a thin lead tin-foil di sc ; the disc is
capable of rup tur e und er the gas press ure gene rate d by' the Float .
The firing mechanism compri ses a strik er, spring , cut-down 9 mm. cart ridg e case and a length
ol No. 18 safe ty fuze. The fuze ensures a de lay between the tim e of firing a nd the ignition of th e Flame
Signal. The st rike r is p ie-cocked and held by a hand- opera ted forked pla te placed bene ath its head .
. Accidental remova l of this pla te is prev ente d by a safet y cover which is screwed ov» r the stri ker
mounting.
Action.
680. Pun ctur e the whit e disc on the side of the float with the piercing tool provided . Unscrew
the s afet y c over an d pull the loop of the pull-off fork ed p la.e. This release s th e st rik er which fires the
cartri dge cap and ignites the sa fety fuze. After the requisite dela y the fuze ignites the primi ng and
the flainc p nxluc ing com positio n in th e co nta ine r an d a flame sign al i s em itte d from the ce ntr al tube.
Th e Moat should be throw n over boar d aft er any cleared inter val of time less tha n 15 minu tes,
after th at it will s ta rt flaming.
 102
CH . X IX .
IL LU M IN AT IO N. I
Ro dt* t, 1- lb . Mag nesi um Star .
681, T hi s roc ket has a pap er bod y w it h magne sium stars packed in to the head. I t is fired by a I
pu ll-o ff fri ct io n arrang emen t wh ich ign ites a Bi ck fo rd delay fuze As th is ty po of ig ni tio n is lia ble
to failure u po rtf ire o r oth er means of ig ni tin g the rock et shoul d alwa ys lx« u vui lahl e. Expo sure Io
wet w ill q u ic kl y rende r these ro cke ts useless and th e number kept for ready-use should 1m? res tric ted
to o ie , if pra ctic abl e ; and th is should be kept as d r y -is possible A ft e r expo sure to th e we ath er fo r
a xvcck ro cke ts sho uld be rega rded as unser vice able and thr ow n ove rbo ard or ret urn ed to a Depo t fo r
de str uc tio n. Present supplies are in no n- wa ler tig ht packag es; can to keep the m dr v is there fore
ve ry necessary.
The rock et is fire d from a Roc ket, U pr ig ht , Firi ng.

2-i nc h Ro cke t Flare.

882. .Sec Cha pter X V I , Ro ck ot- Pr oje cte d Devic es, para. 508.

Ro cke t, Il lu m in a t in g , tt-lb*. (Snow flake |

883. S m Ch apter X V !, Ro cke t-P roj ect cd Devices, para. (5(13.

Proj ectile *. Illu mi nat ing , Nos. 1 and 2.

88-1 .See Chapte r X V I I I , Ho lma n Pro ject ors, para , 88 >

RECOGNITION AN D IDEN TIFIC ATIO N.

Sub mar ine Sm oke Candles ,
885. Smoke Candles are dischar ged from th e signal ejec tor of a submerged sub mari ne. Tin -
act ion of sea wa ter on cal ciu m phosphid e generates flame an d smok e, and these are em itte d from
th e mouth of a ce nt ral tube whe n the can dle reaches t he surface.
On the ca ndle bein g pro ject ed the base plat e rema ins in the eje cto r and ma y be used again.
886. Bu rn ing Is usu ally In tw o pe rio ds : —
(i j a per iod of effi cie nt bu rni ng when the smoke is em itt ed in consid erable volu me and
d e n s it y ;
(i t) a pe rio d of ine ffic ien t bu nt in g when a th in wisp of smoke is e m itte d.
Af te r the period of effici ent burn ing tin- flam e and mink e become g re at ly reduced ow ing to th e
u ct im of (li e wa ter ad m itte d wh ile the candl e is ris in g to th.- surface. I l the wave a ctio n b such as to
cau s in te rm itt en t en try of ad dit ion al wa te r while th-- candle i- flo ati ng , tin- flame and smok e w ill be
st im ilated . In ver y c alm wa te r thi s w ill not occu r a nd the candle w ill bu rn ver y feeb ly f or some tim e.

Candle, Sm ok e, Wh ite . Mark I. Pla te 31.

887. Th is can dle is lor use in shal low water Tin- ti l- p la te bo dy has tw o com par tme nts , tli-e
smoke gen era ting cha mbe r co nta inin g ca lciu m pho sph ide and the buo yan cy cham ber. Th e cen tral
smoke em ission tube passes fro m the smoke gen era ting ch amb er th rou gh the buo yan cy cha mbe r and
is sealed w it h a plug . A sa fet y pin is fi tt e d th rou gh the cen tral tub e and plu g. The base plat e is
suppl ied sep arat ely an d b a tta che d to the plug by a securing pin imm ed iat ely lx lore loa ding . Whe n
the base pi nt '- in a ttac hed the .ife tv pin is w ith dr aw n and the candle i lo ad 'd in to the eje cto r tu lxj .
Th e design and compo nents are shown in de tai l in the illu st ra tio n.
I f the candle is remo ved fro m the eje ct or inste ad of be ing fire d th e safe ty pi n mu st be replaced
at oace ; care must be taken no t to separate the candl e and the b a y pla te unless the saf ety pin is in
posit ion.
A dim.
888. On tiri ng , th e base pla te and th e plug rema in in the ejecto r. Af te r lea vin g the ejector th-e
candle tu rn s upside do wn and rises to the surface . The severance of th e plug fro m the cen tra l tub e
allo ws sea w at er to en te r the tu be an d reach the cal ciu m phosphide. Flam e and smoke are generated
and are e mi tte d fro m the m ou th of the tub e when the candle reaches t he surface*.

TARG ETS FOR CLOSE RA NG E A. A. WE AP ON S.

Roc ket , Tar get, Pra cti ce . 1- lb ., Marks !♦ and II. Pla te 31.
689 T hi s rocket provi des n targe t for firi ng pract ice lo r close range A. A. weapons. It Iio ii m -.
a para chut e (dyed blo od red) to wh ich u sta bili sin g we igh t o i cla y or gla s. is atta che d. Elie head i s
closed by is wooden con ica l cap . The cho ke end o f the rocke t is d ose d by a pap er disc paste d ove r
th e end of the bo dy .
The ig ni tin g arrang emen t consists of a piece of No. 1 1 saf ety fuze , one end of wh ich passes
th ro ig h ti n side of ti n body in to the choke. I he end of the fuze ix ifp iit ed by the in a tc ll atta che d,
fu r lonv enic nce of ojx* ratio u, to the body .
The roc ke t is f ire d from a Mach ine Roc ket. S ign al or a Ro cke t, U pr ig ht , F iri n g. On reac hing the
ver tex of it s flig ht a smal l pow der bu rst er expels the para chut e and it s weigh I.
 102

CH . X IX .
ILLUMINATION.
Roc ket. 1-U>. Mag nesi um Star. . ,
J

Page 102. Af ttr para grap h 684 rnscrt new para grap hs 685 68 8 attache d

RE ST RIC TE D
REC OGN ITIO N AN D ID EN TIF IC AT IO N SIGN ALS
Gr ena de, S ig n al , No . 65
6S5A. The Grenade No. 65- is a recognition signal which can be fired.—
(u) from the upper deck of surface cra ft and surfaced submar ines -from •'» pist ol, grenade.
2i-in ch (this is a pistol, signal, 11-inch. modified b y fittin g a discharger cup) ;
(b) from submerged subm arin es the gre nade is loaded into a f loat, signal, submerged, and fired
trom the under water signal ejector. On reaching th e sm face the bursting cha rge of the
float is exploded and the grenade is ignite d and projected int o the air.
685B. To ensure corr ect insert ion into th e disc harger cup of the pistol or the grenade c up of the
float, the top end is marked " Lo an into D ischarcer this knu upwards ", a nd a circle is embossed
for purposes of identifica tion at night.
Action
686. Th e flash on discharge of the pistol or from the btrs ting charge of the float, signal, submerged,
ignites the priming an d flare compositions. The burning grenade can he projec ted to a height of 150 feet.
Instru ction s and Notes concerning the use of Grenad?, No. 65, n th e Pistol, Grenade, 2 1-inch :—
687 («) The pistol must be secured at 70 degrees elevation in a quick-ac ting brac ket or latch
securing to the ship' s struct ure. The pistol m ust ne ver be fired by hand.
(6) B reak t he breech of the pisto l, in sert a ca rtri dge and d ose the breech.
(c) Remove the rubbe r cov er from the pistol and insert the gre nade (legend up) in the discharger
cup and r eplace the rubber cover.
(d) Do not cock t he pist ol u nti l necessary.
(c) The rubber cover shou ld al ways be in place over the mout h of t he discharger cup whenever the
pistol is shi pped (whether it be loaded or not) to exclude w ater. Firin g with a flooded pisto l may
burst the pistol or cause t he failure or p remat ure o f the signal.
( /) th e pistol can be fired safe ly with the rub ber cover on and it is pr eferable to do th is rather
than to remov e the cover and ris k rain or spray.
(g) If th ere is no time to unlo ad the pistol before diving, the car trid ge and grenade arc to be thrown
overboard afte r surfacing.
(h) Th e p istol should be clean ed afte r ever y 20 rounds t o rem ove gunpow der residue from behind
the extr acto r, boiling the p art s in fresh wat er if necessary (this should norm ally b e done in d epo t ship).
(i) Th e rubbe r cover shoul d be replaced by a new oac whenever it shows signs o f deterior ation,
wear o r stre tching .
Flare, Identification
688A. This is an ident ification signal for use betwee n submarin es and aircra ft. The b ody is made
of steel and contains a flare candle. Two bra cket s a rc lilted to the exte rior so th at the flare may be
atta che d t o a ship ’s stru ctur e for firing. Tin; head is closed by a diaph ragm and the base b y a closing
cup. The firing mechanism, which is screwed into the sideof th e head an d parallel to the body, consists
of a stri ker , clutc h, spring. 0-4I 0-in . car tridg e cap, gunpowder jiellet and a firing lanyard. A safe ty pin
with a sho rt lany ard at tach ed passes through the firing mechanism a nd is secured by a coppe r wire.
dd«o»
6S8B. When the flare is secured for firing, the safety pin is removed by pulling its lany ard and
breaking th e copper wire. Th e firing lanya rd is tlicn pulled and the spring is compressed ; when the
spring is fully compressed the clutc h opens and releases t h; strik er which flies forward unde r the action
of the spring and fires the ca rtrid ge cap. The flash fron. the c ap ignite s the gunpowder pe ll et ; the
flash from, the gunpowder pellet passes down the tube and ignites th e flare candle. The pressure
generated blows oil the scaling disc in the head of th e flare and the flare bur ns and gives th e pre-arranged
signal. Th e flare candles are vario us colours an d a re identified by the typ e n umber which is stencilled
on the bod y of the flare.
(G.82M}64.—Amendmen t No. 24)
A.F.O. P.496,55 Amend ment No. 24
 103
CH. XIX .
690. The difference between the Mark 11 and Ilie Mark 1* rocket is that the Mark 11 has a cotton
p.r ac hu te wherea s the Mark I* h as a pap er one.
Mark 11 and Mark I* roc ket s arc interc hangea ble.

INITI ATO RS.

601. Th e following are used as i niti ato rs lor various tyjx 's of pyr ote ch nic s:—
Portfires.
Quick -matc h.
• Slow-match .
Light, Sh ort G.S.
Frict ion T ubes .
Portfire.
692. A Portf ire is used lor igniting purposes. It consists of a cylin der. IGj-inches long and
4 inch in diam eter , made of stou t brown pape r pa tte d, rolled and turned in at. one end Hi form a
bottom . A holder is supp lied Th e c ylind er is filled with portfire com positio n in the form of pellets.
A s mall hole is bored in the top pelle t and prim ed with mealed powder. A portfire may be lit by a
slow-match or by any othe r han dy means, and as a rule canno t be extin guishe d by water. It will
bum for abo ut 8 minute s. To pu t it out. cut off th e burnin g end.

Quick-Match.
693. Thi s is used part icu larl y as a priming. It is m ale of co tton wick soa ked in a mixed solution
of mealed powd er and gum and dus ted over with mealed powder befo re it is qu ite dry. When not
enclosed it bur ns a t the rate of one ya rd in 15 t o 3 5 seconds. When enc losed it bur ns a lmo st inst an­
taneously.
, Sbw-Match .
694. Th is is used tor keepi ng a light going in cond 'tion s where mat che s cann ot be used. It is
mide of pure hem p slightly twist ed and boiled in a Icy of wat er and wet ashes. It may also be
nu<l«- by b oiling in a solution of JSozs. of sa ltpe tre to I gallon of water. It bum s a t the ra te of one
yt rd in eight hours. About tour yar ds o f it go to th e pound, and it should be dem anded by weight.
Ljglit, Short, G.S.

I 695. This lig ht is used lor ignit ing purposes. It consists of a pap er c ylin der containi ng a column
of light-giv ing composition. The top of the composition is covered wit h a primed cam bric cotton

I disc, sme ared with ignitin g co mposit ion, covered and protecte d by a millboa rd disc and a pa pe r cap
on which is glued a piece of tape for s tripp ing purpo ses. At the botto m of t he compositi on is a plug
of clay. A beechwood handl e is i nse rted into the botto n of the c ylin der and bears again st the clay
plag. The handl e is secured to Che cyl inder by shellac a nd is recessed at the lower end an d fitted
with a wooden plug. The top end of the wooden p lug is coated w ith ignit ing composition. Th e light
bvms for abo ut 2 m inutes. The cylin der is pa inte d dr ab with " Light, Sho rt. G.S..*' and the Mark is
Stencilled in whit e on the side.
zk/iwi.
696. To ig nite the light, tea r oft th e disc and pull out the plug. Draw t he prime d end of the plug
lightly aCrOSS the prepa red surfac e, holding the light so t ha t it point s aw ay from the body. On no
account is th e prepare d surface to be struck with the plug.
Frictio n Tub e.
697. Fric tion Tubes are used to ignite rock ets fir.'d from a Machine, Rocket, Signal . The
Fricti on Tube has a cylindrical bod y of Solid drawn c opper. About £-inch below the head a bulge in
the side of the tube, with a small ho!.- oppo site, forms a sea ting for the crown of a nib piece. I he
nib piece has a s mall tire-hole in i t s underside and is soldered in The tu be is filled with G.20 powder
from nib piece to mou th and is closed with a cork plug. The friction bar. which fits int o th e n ib piece,
is roughened at the sides, slightly twisted at the end s and smeared with a priming compo sition . The
nib piece is pressed un to the sides of the friction bar and the joint is sealed with shellac varnish. Ihe
projecting pa rt of the friction ba r has an eye into which Ihe hook of the rocke t machine o r a lanva rd
• is fitted.
| Action.
698. Hk lanya rd is str etc hed and then pulled shaip ly to with draw the friction bar. The re­
sulting flash ignit es the primi ng composi tion which in turn ignites the G.20 powder and th e tube is
fir?d.
r ”
FIRE WO RKS BOXES .
69$). Signal Rockets, 1-lb. Service. Portfires . Sho rt Lights a nd Red blare s, are supp lied to ships
packed in Firewo rks Boxes, la rg e and sm all. Rocke ts. Mb. Red and Gree n, Flares, Green an d Cart­
ridges, Signal, 1-inch, are sup plie d in sepa rate containe rs.
 KM
CH. XIX.
Firewor ks boxes cont ain the fallowing st o re s:—
Stores Large Box Sm al l Box
Lights, sho rt .. ................................... ••• ... .. . 12 8
Portf ires, common ........................... ... 20 10
Rocke ts. Signal, 1-lb. (Service) ... ••• .. . 30 12
Flar es, Signal. Red .......................... ... «•« 8 4
Firewor ks are stowed in thei r packag es in the firework magazine or firework tan k, whiche ver is
fitte d. Th ey may also lx- sto wed in shell rooms provided nc othe r explosive excep t Classification
<irn up V is stowed therein.
7(0. The following f irework boxes are fitted mi deck or elsewhere a nd are replenishe d Irora the
firework magazine or tank
(r) Night signal box.
(ii) Sea boat box.
(rri) Boats magazines.

Night Signal Box.

711. These ta xe s are packed with fireworks for signalling, and conta in
3 signal rock ets in tin cylinders.
24 friction tubes.
2 short lights.
I pistol, signal. 1-inch.
13 1 inch signal cart ridg es, 6 ol each colour
The boxes are prov ided with a lock an d key a nd ar e t o be placed where they are read ily accessible
as they may be required at a mom ent 's notice. The rock et rnachin- rigged with a rocket and stick
in it ready for use and some spar e stick s are always to be kept close to the box. Two boxes arc
supplied to flag ships, one to oth er ships.
Sea Beat Box.
7C2. One box is sup plied for each sea boat an<l conta ins
4 shor t lights.
1 pisto l, signal, 1-inch.
24 1-inch signal cartr idge s, 6 green, 6 red and 12 white.
The Gu nner is to repor t to the C apta in on proceeding to sea th at a proper ly equip ped Sea Bo at' s
box is in each sea lioat. Ev ery evening at sea he will satisfy himself th at it is the re and rep ort
accordingly.

Boat 's Magazines.

7C3. These boxes arc packed with a ready use supp ly of am mun ition and fireworks in case of
prolonged d ut y in a boa t armed with Q.F . or machi ne guns or rifles only.
There are two type s in th e service, na m ely :—
(»') A Bo at' s Magazine which co nt ain s:—
204 ro unds of pi stol ammu nition.
1 lea the r p ouch (cases, cart ridg e. 204 rounds, pistol),
1 str ap (or di tto.
1 key for m etal-li ned case.
1-lb. slow-matc h.
2 portfir es.
2 1-lb. signal rocket*.
These ma gazine s will o nly be sup plied until stocks arc exl.alisted, when they will be s uperse ded
by Gig's Magazine s fo r all services.
(»7) A Gig’s Magazine c onta ins : -
96 round s of pistol amm uniti on in a pouch with a stra p.
I signal rocket.
1 portfire.
1-lb. slo w-match.
1 key lor metal-l ined case
7(14-709.
 1(15
Tr
I

CH AP TE R X X

LIN E-C AR RY ING RO CKE TS AND LIN E-T HR OW ING GUN S

LINE-C ARRY ING ROCKE TS.
Pocket, Lin e-C arry ing , Schc rmuly , 2-l b. Phi,- 31.
710 Tl ii» roc ket is used for m u y in g u lin e and !• A n d fro m a Pist ol, Roc ket, I in e-C arr yin g
Sch crm uly . The p is to l c ar tri dg e c on tai ns IK g m in i <>l ('. 2 0 po wder (Ca rtrid ge. Rockot, Line-Carrying.
Sch crm uly} . On firi ng , the cart ridg e ignit es the rocke t com po sit ion and eje cts the roc ke t fro m the
muzzle of the pist ol.
Th e roc ket is of steel w it h a lin e atta che d to it * tell It * design and com pon ents are show n in
i ii* ill us tr at io n.
Th e steel n xl , 17-inchea lo ng, is secured tn the outsi de o i the tube hv ri ve tin g o r sta bbin g. A
special jj-i nc h or J-in ch line is at tac hed to the rea r end of the rod
Separate boxes an* pro vid ed for j-in ch un<l finc h lue s, Can must be tok en to *•<-,- tha t the box
mod b th e correct: one l or tl ie line liv in g s towed in it .

Inst ruc tion s for Us e.

71 1 (i) See tha t the l in e is pr op er ly coi led down lo r run nin g.
(tf) Make the iulwi ari l end fast in the ship.
(»»») Ta ke the fr rt- end and Lend it on to the eye of the ta il win* o f t he rocke t.
(»») Gra sp the pi st ol w ith th e lef t han d by li e " bar rel handle ” and hold it ho riz on ta lly
in fr o n t of th e body, muzz le to the fro nt an d the breec h open,
(v) Take the rocke t in tin* righ t Imn d mid place i t home in the muzz le of the pist ol.
(r i) In se rt a car trid ge w ith the rig ht hand an:] close th e breech b y bri ng ing the pist ol gri p
up to th e ba rrel .
(mi ) Ele va te the pis to l to an angle o f 30°, hold it fi rm ly , dose to the bo dy , w ith the left
han d at the bar rel hand le and tl ie rig ht hand at th e pis tol gr ip
(v iii ) Co ck the pis to l w ith th e thu mb o f the rig ht hand. I i is then rea dy fo r fir ing .
(».t) Sen t ha t the rang e Is clear and th at the line is clear out sid e th e left arm
(.v) Ho ld the pi st ol at an ele vat ion o f 20° a id fin: it.
W ith no win d the range using n J-inch lin e is a pp rox im ate ly 20t) yards ; using a |- in ch line it is
15b yard s.
Rock et, Line- Carry ing, Sch crm uly, I-I b.
712. Th is roc ket is sim ila r to bu t smal ler th an the 2 lb. roc ke t. W ith m* win d it has a range of
115 ya rds w ith a J-inc h lin e and 7(1 yards w it h a fi n c h line.

Rocket, Lin e-C arry ing , Sch crmu ly, 6-l b.

712a. This rock et has a J-inch l in e a nd a range of BUG 350 yards. 11 is fo r sup ply to I 'ommis-.ii >n<d
Rescue Tu g* A special Sch crm uly Pis tol (L ib . and cart ridg es are supp lied.

LINE -THR OWIN G GUNS.

713. The tw o type s of line thr ow ing gun in the Service an* tie* I.m i Thr ow er, Sho ulder , Coston
(whic h is nbsole.M cn l) and the Rlll e, M I I* (0,3 03-i iicli, long).

Line -Thr ower , Shou lder, Cost on.

714. The Coston gun lia s a sh ort barre l an d the pro jec tile is load ed in to the muzzle . A special
fcreech-loading blank ca rtr idg e is sup plie d fo r the gun (Ca rtri dge , S.A. Re min gto n, U.M.C ., 50,70.
Ha nk) . The pro jec tile consist s of a rou nd m ild steel hat wi th a lin e attached Det aile d ins tru cti on s
for asse mbling, load ing m id fir in g are issued w it h each gnu and mu *t lie follo wed . B rie fly summari sed,
these a r e -
(») Co il down th e line free for r un ni ng in the b ox pro vid ed o r in a Clar kson 's case.
(i»j A tta ch tlie lin e tn the pro jec tile . If a win* t a il is n ot pro vid ed , t he line sho uld be we tte d
w ith in three fact of tin* pro jec tile to prevent it*, being burn ed by tin: ll.i sl i of the gun.
(»»i) Loa d the pr oj ec tile in to the muzz le of the gun .
(rr) Loa d the b lan k ca rtr idg e in to th e br rrc h.
(v) Rest tin b u tt of the gu n on the. d ir k or again st a stan chion .it an elev atio n of about
2b and lir e it .
(w) Th e cham ber and em pt y ca rtr idg e ca-- should bo inspe cted af te r e ach ro un d. I f
the ca rtr idg e case is sp lit an y piece of brass rem aini ng in the cha mbe r s houl d be
remove d.

I
 106
CH. XX.
Rifle. M.L.E. (0.303-inch, long.,
715. This rifle has superse ded the Coston Gun. The pro jic tile is loaded into the muzzle and a
Cartri dge S.A. Rifle Grena de, 0.303-inch Cord ite H. is used to tin- the projecti le.
Detail ed inst ruct ions for assembling, loading and tiring are issued with each rifle and must be
follow 'd. Briefly s ummar ised, these are :—
{»’) Att ach the line to the projec tile and coil it down a s for the Coston gun.
(»») Load the proje ctile up to its collar in the muzzle of the rifle.
{iiij Load the blank car trid ge into the breech.
(tv) Fire the rifle from the shou lder at an eleva tion ol abo ut '20* On tiring, the face should
be kept clear of the st ock ; the trigg er should b? pulled with the tip of the finger a nd
the par t of the hand between the first finger an d thu mb should be kept well cl ear of
the bolt.
(v) If a mis sive occurs the rifle sh ould be unloaded. The bore should then be examine d
to see tha t it is cle ar a nd so th at the rifle is ready for reloading and firing a gain. This
will safegua rd agai nst rhe possibi lity of there hiv ing been a " puff sho t.”

716-719.
 107

CHAPTER XXI

AI RC RA FT BOMB S AN D T H E IR CO MP ON EN TS

GENE RAL REM ARK S.

720. This cha pte r d eals briefly with aircraf t bombs and thei r com ponents . Air Publi catio ns and
Naval Magazine and Explosive Regulations must be consult ed before an y att em pt is mar k to fuze
or unfuze a bomb.
The regula tions to be observ ed on boar d ship with regard to airc raft bombs, and the ir com­
ponen ts, and the responsibilit ies ol the Gun nery Officer and Air Gunn ery Officer are set oui in the
Naval Magazine an d Explosive Regulatio ns.

FACTORS INFLUENC ING DESIG N.

The s hap e of airc raft bombs Is de term ined to a great, e xte nt by the need to achieve steadi ness
in flight. Bombs are not requir ed Io w iths tan d stresses such as are set up on the disc harge of a shell
from a gun and their walls are not made o f so thick meta l. They ha ve a lar ger ca pac ity than a shell
of the san e weight designed for a similar purpose , bu t they have less pen etra tive power,

EXPL ODER SYSTEM.

721. The ” relay " syst em—deton ato r, expl oder and main filling—is fitte d lor the det ona tion of
H.E. bombs. The det ona tor is fitted in con juncti on with a pistol or is conta ined in a fuze which is in
effect a combined pistol and del una lm . Tin- ex pl in lei (C .E . ui T. N .T .J is fitte d iu a pock et in the
main tilling.
The deto nato r or fuze can be arrang ed to give a delay , if requir ed, between the time the bomb
strike s the targ et and the deto nati on of the main filling. It is conven ient to describe a bomb as
" fuzed " to den ote tha t it is lilte d ready for use. whet her t h e actu al arra nge men ts consist of a fuze
or of a jiistol and deton ator.

FU ZE S FOR H. E. BOMBS. Pla te XL

722. Fuzes embody Safet y Arrang emen ts, Init iatin g Deto nato rs. Delay Increm ents and charges
known as " Magazines." When a bomb is released from an aircr aft the vanes are freed by the
removal of some form of device and thei r r otat ion “ arm s ” the fuze. When h andlin g fuzes care must
be take n to ensur e tha t they at e not acci dent ally brough t to the " armed " or dange rous conditio n.
Bombs return ed from a flight may have a fuze which has become arme d and special preca ution s are
alway s necessary.

PISTO LS FOR H. E. BOMBS.

723. In th e maj ority ol II. F.. bombs a syst em of simplified fuzing has been adop ted, and the
mechanical and explosive par ts of the fuze are provided and inserted in the bomb as sep arat e com­
ponen ts, i.e., the pistol is pur ely mechanical and the det ona tor conta ins the delay increm ents and
magazine. With both tail and nose p istols it is ini porta nt to ensur e tha t the sa fety arran geme nts are
corre ctly in posit ion when tilted .

Plate 33.
T a il Pist ols.
724. The tai l pistol consis ts of a pisto l l>ody and a str ike r held in positio n by a creep spring.
When in the " s afe " position the st rike r is also retain ed by an arming nut screwed o n to it s rear end.
On release of the bomb the nut is sc rewed oft the stri ker by the forked connec ting rod and arming
vanes foiming pa rt of the tail unit. When the nut is unscrewed the str ike r is retain ed by the creep
spring and the pistol is then " arm ed." On deceler ation of the bomb due to impa ct, the str ike r will
fly forward ag ains t the weig ht ol the spr ing on to the d eto nato r. Typica l ex ampl es of ta il pistols arc
the No. 20, which has a poin ted strik er and the No. 28. which h as a blunt stri ker with a small point .
Each is we d with its own special type of d eton ator.

Nose Pistols.
725. The nose pis tol consis ts of a pistol body an d a stri ker held in positio n by a sh ear wire. The
forwa rd end of the strik er has a " mushroom " head which, on impact , driv es the stri ker to th e rear,
break ing the she ar wire. The mushroom head is prote cted by a cap . In some t yp es ol pistol the arming
vane of the cap screws oft on release of the bomb, and in oth er types it is released by o the r me ans.

SAFE TY ARRA NGE MEN TS OF FU ZE S AN D PISTOLS.

726. Fuzes ami Pistol s have arran geme nts designed to rende r the bomb harmless in the even t
of a crash Landing, accidental dropping oi jettiso ning over friendly terri tory . An arming vane (whose
action in fuzes is to release a shu tter and brin g the det ona tor into line wit h the strik er) is usually
 108
CH . X X I.
employ ed fo r ibi s purpose, bi n (usi ng at ta ch m en t* may I*- ti ll e d in ‘-'•me smal l bomb *. In ad dit ion
(«• these ar ran gm ent s a Shearin g Wir e o r a Creep Spri ng is us ua lly fit te d.
727. Th e fol low ing devices ma y be fit te d to pre ven t the arm ing vane rev olv ing before the bom b
is rdeused :—
(i) A I'ra iM it Pin wh ich la remo ved W o n - Ibo nir crn fl tak e* o ff or. al te rn at iv el y, a S afe ly
Fo rk wh ich ma y. or may no l, be remo ved b fo re the ai rc ra ft take s off, depe ndin g on
the ty pe of bo mb carr ier.
(»',) A w ir e rove th rou gh the ar m ing van e and kep t in po sit ion by sp rin g clip s (or. in olde r
designs, a stop att ach ed to a cl ip wh ich fi t- ov er the arm ing spind le). Th e w in (or
clip ) is connec ted to the bo mb ca rri er , ami the means o f releas ing the bo mb prov ides
for wi th dr aw al, un it's * It is req uire d Io d ro p tl in bom b "s af e. ”
P ut in # AUach mtnls. W il li some sm all bom bs (not til te d wi th arm ing varies) att ach me nts am
fit te d to th e bo mb ca rri er to kee p the bo mb in a safe co nd itio n wh ile it ts o n the ca rri er . As soon
a ■ llie bo mb is released it becomes " li v e ." Such bombs cann ot be jet tiso ne d “ safe."
S lu rr in g I I, 'm eiinl Creep Spri ngs, In ad di tio n to llie arm ing vane llie st rik er is held of l lir e
d e lo ia to r b y a shear ing wi n or a cre.-p spri ng wlu>-< -I n n g ll i is «b -igned to -n il ope rati ona l n-*e
h u t provide-, some sa fel y if th e bom b is ac cid en tall y dropp ed a few feet.

DETO NATO RS FOR H.E . BOMB S.

728. A bomb «!■ lo na to r co nta ins a sm all am ou nt of ver y viole nt hig h exp losiv e wh ich is in iti at ed
b y the st rik er on the pis tol im pin gin g m i a percussion cap.
The tw o mai n I ypes are :
(1) " Sensitive " ■nii tabl r fo r use w ith a -ha rp po int ed st rik er , ami
(2) zl, ie» 7" for use w ith pis tol s ha vin g a blu nt stri ker .
The ex ter na l d ime nsio ns of each ty pe a re the -ame. Excep t in insta ntan eou s d et on at or s, " a co lum n
o f d elay c om pos itio n of a suit abl e bu rn in g le ngth is insc rtcc be tween lli e cap o f th e de to na to r and the
" in iti at or ” or ma in til lin g of th e de ton ato r. De ton ato rs have lli e len gth of de lay w rit te n in the head
.»ml each ty pe bus a di sti ng uid un g col on, band We ight s o f explosive , are give n in No te * on Na val
d im s a mi Ar m am en t Store.*

Detonat or-Burs ter.

729- T hi s is a spec ial de ton ato r for use in pra cti ce bombs. In ad di tio n to ac tin g as an in it ia to r
it rr ie . a charge jKiw erf ul enough to o pen the bo mb ea v

BOMB TA IL S.
730. Ta ils fo r bomb s of 100-lbs. an d heav ier art: sup plie d as sepa rate com pone nts ; th ey arc no t
assembled to bombs u n ti l reu uir ed fo r service. Ta ils are designed to be rea dily a tta ch ed to the bom b
b y tii rn bu i'k le d ip s ; these c li ]» must I k : fus ioned Io p rev ent the ta il becoming displa ced. I ails used
in ii n ju n c ti o n w ith pis to l* hav e arm ing vanes w hic h are In e il by ll u wi th dr aw al of a spr ing safe ty
c lip when tin , bom b la released. The van es rev olv e the arm ing spi ndl e nt whose inn er end I* a fo rk ,
whic h engages a second for k on the arm ing nut o f the pist il.
Tail s used in co nju nc tio n w ith fuzes do not req uir e arm ing vanes as these are com pon ents of the
fuze.

TYPES OF BOMBS.
731. Bomb-, ma y be c lassifie d br oa dly in the follo wing gro up s:—
(1) Sem i-ar mo ur- pie rcin g (S A P,> or arm ou r-p ier cin g ’ \ I’ .
(2) General Purpose (G .l ’ .j
H .E . Ho m li* (3) Mediu m Ca pa cit y (M C.)
(4) An ti-s ub ma rin e (A S.)
(5) An ti-p ers onn el.
(6) Inc en dia ry.
(7) Practice .
(8) D ril l.

S.A.P. (P lat o 32) an d A.P. Bombs. Examp les 250 -lb* . and 500-l bs. S.A.P.
732. S.A .P. bom bs are designed fo r at ta ck on arm our pl at e of s hips or on oth er h ig h ly resis tant
target s Th ey are m ade of go od q u a lit y s lcr l, hea t treat ed Io give a ha rd pe ne tra tiv e po in t and have
tough wall s. The -Hape is stre am line d to o ffer low resistance Io a ir flo w ami to ob tain hig h st rik in g
vel ocit y T he ir cap ac ity is abou t IS pe r cent The damage <jiiim <1 wi l l lx- due to f rag me nta tio n rat he r
tha-1 b las t. De ton ati on is in it ia le d by a pis to l and de ton ato r or by a fuz e in th e ta il. I lie fuze or
deto nato r embodies a delay suf ficie nt to a llow pe rfo ra tio n u f an arm our ed dec k be for e det ona tion .
Ar mo ur -P ier cin g bumbs are si m ila r to S.A .P bombs, bu t h a v more he av ily bu ilt heads and a
rel uti ve ly -m ulb 'i cap aci ty.

General Purpose Bombs. Exam ple 250-Ibs. G.P.

733. These bomb s are used for at ta ck on u var iet y of tar get s again st wh ich the pe rfo rat ing
q u d it ir s o f S.A. P. bo mb - an 1 not o m ut ia l. ll u v have a ll iin n e i bo dy Ili an ll u S.A.P. bom b am i u
 RIO
CH. XX I.
cap aci ty of appr oxim ately 25 per cent. The blast effect is g rea ter tha n with S.A. P., but the main
damag e is caused by fragm entat ion. A pistol and det ona tor is inse rted in eithe r the nose or the
tai l of the bomb. A nose p istol mus t functi on Itefore it is b roken or cr ushed by imp act, and for this
reason an i nsta nta neo us d eto nat or is fitt ed with it This a rrang eme nt reduces the cr ate r effect. When
a dela y is required the suit able det ona tor should be used along with a tail pistol.
Medium Capacity Bombs. Example. 500-lbs. M.C. Plate 32,
734. These bomb s hav e a g rea ter cap acit y than G.P. bombs, and con sequ ently hav e a n increased
■ blast effect and produ ce smaller fragm ents. The ir pisto l and det ona tor ar ran gem ent s a rc simila r to
those nf G.P. bombs.

Anti- Subm arine Bombs. Example, 100-lbs. A.S.

735. These are special-p urpose bombs as the ir name implies, but they may be suita ble for othe r
targ ets if a gre ater bl ast effect tha n th at given by G.P. bombs is requi red. Dependin g on type , e ither
a nose fuze or a tail pistol and de ton ato r m ay he em ployed
Ant i-Pe rso nne l Bombs.
736. 1 hesc are sm all bom bs of 20-lbs. to 4O-lbs. designed to give a large num ber of small fragme nts
on h tonxtio n The 40-lh. G.P . bomb is suita ble for this purpose ; it is fitted with a nose pistol and
de ton ato r only, hut in oth er respec ts is simila r to the large r G.P . bombs. A para chut e atta chm ent
may he title d.

Incendia ry Bombs.
737. The main tilling of these bombs is incen diary In the 25-lb. Ince ndiary bomb the pistol
is built into the bomb at th e tail end. Oth er types have a nose fuze.

PRACTICE BOMBS. Plate 32.

738. These are sma ll bombs (about 10-lbs.}. The)' have a cast-ir on or plasti c moulded nose
screwed to a con tain er filled w ith cithe r a smoke c ompositio n for d ay prac tice or a flash or flare com­
position for night pra ctic e. Night practice bombs are supplied filled. Day practice bombs may be
suppli ed with out the smo ke filling, which is issued sepa ratel y. The bomb is filled Iocallv before use.
The p istol is buil t int o the bomb, and on im pact the st rike r shea rs a wire an d fires a deto nato r-bu rster .
Drill Bombs.
739. Any of the above type s of bomb are sup plied for i nstr ucti ona l and drill purposes and differ
only from service bombs in tha t the ir tilling is inert.

Ma rkin gs on Airc raft Bombs.

740. Stencil markin gs on the bomb give the following i nform ation :—
(i) Nome nclatu re a mi mark.
(m) Gross we ight.
(Hi) Where filled and d ate of filling.
(to) Lot Number.
(v) Dat e a nd pla ce o f la st exam inatio n.
(r») Design num ber of m etho d of filling of Bomb (where applicable}.
741. Colour markin gs are used as follows :—
(‘I H.E. Iximbs are coloured green (earlier b ombs were yellow).
[it) A red band neat the nose indicates th at the bomb is tilled.
(Hi) A w hite ring a dja cen t to the red identities an S.A.P. bomb.
(t v ) Two whit e rings, one eith er side of the red. deno tes A.P.
(v) A plain green band den otes a T.X .T. tilling—" T. X.T .” is stencille d on or ne ar t he b and .
(w) A criss-cross ed green band, with a fraction below, deno tes an ama tol rilling of high
grade.
(vitf A plain green ban d, with a numeral abov e and a fracti on below, denote s an amatol
filling of low grade.
(w«) Ince ndiary bombs a re pain ted a dull red.
(t.T} Pra cti ce b ombs are p ain ted whi te ; two green band s den ote a smoke com positio n tilling
and two bl ack ban ds a flash compositi on.
(x) Drill bombs are pain ted black with a yellow band.
iVofit.—The new s yste m of col our m arkin g, common to all Services, to d eno te the explosive filling
will be f ound in B .R. 1202.

742-741.
I
 110

CHA PTER XX II

AMMU NITION PA( KAGES

SECTIO N 1.—GEN ERA L REMA RKS

745. For the purpo se of thi s c ha pte r Ammun ition Packages ar e groupe d as follows :—
(1) Package s stowed on hoard with the ir amm unitio n (e.g., Cases for cartr idge s, B.L.
Q.P. Cart ridg e and Ammun ition boxes).
(2) Packa ges for the tran spo rt of am mun ition (which are not stowed in the ship, .
The weight, dimensio ns and con ten ts nf the vario us packag es are included in “ iVofes on Nava l
Guns an d A rmament Stores."
746. Packages cont aini ng anmn miti on mus t be hand led with great care, and the inst ruct ions in
the N.M. & E.Rs . ca reful ly obse rved. Rough usage of packag es m ay res ult in :—
(«) Damage to the cont ents. This ma y caus e missfircs, hang-fires or prem atur es.
(«) Ix»ss of air-tig htness . This will cau se a loss of efficiency.
(»»») Jam min g of lids of cases. This will cause loss of time a nd possibly a redu ction in the
rat e of tire in action.
747. Ammun ition packages mu st n ot b e raised or lowered quick ly. Ample tim e should be allowed.
Em bark ing and disemb arking amm unitio n should never he tre ate d as an evolut ion or as a m at ter
of competi tion between ships. If a package catc hes or jam s in such a way th at dama ge may he
caused to it or it s ha ndles the package should be se t as ide an d carefu lly ex amine d ; if th ere is damag e
or suspicion o f damage, the packag e mus t be retu rned to an Arm amen t Depot for t est.
Care must be tak en to prev ent wat er gett ing into packages, par ticu larl y packa ges of alum inium -
silicon nr galvanis ed iron ; filled packages sho uld not be expo sed to hea vy rain.
Packag es are rendere d wea ther- tight and air- tig ht by the use of lutin g, der mat ine rings or
lub ber rings.
Luting is a thick pas te which does no t dr y easily ; it is placed between m etal surfaces or in channel s
to form an air- tigh t joint. Il is also used to rende r metal or tin lined cases and cart ridg e and
amm unitio n boxes wate r-tig ht. If possible, luti ng should be exami ned at inte rva ls of six mont hs
to te st its efficiency ; lids of packages are not to be removed specially for this purpo se.
Derm atine is a rub ber compo sition : when a rin g of d erm atin e is pressed into the groov e ar oun d
the lid or opening of cer tain cases it forms an air- tigh t seatin g for a flange.
748. The sealin g devices of packag es mu st be examine d on emb ark atio n and packa ges with
broken tap es or seals are to be ret urn ed to the Naval Armam ent Depo t with a repo rt of the circu m­
stances. When retu rnin g filled amm uniti on packages those with brok en seals are to l>e kep t sepa rate
and the Ar mame nt Depot informed.

CH. X X II—SEC TION 2 PACKAGES STOWE D ON BOARD WIT H TH EI R

AMMUNITION
CASES.
749. Cartrid ges. B.L ., are packed in cylindr ical or rect ang ula r flashproo f cases of alum inium
alloy, steel or brass. The cases are stowed to perm it easy access, i.e.. so tha t the con ten ts can he
with draw n w ithout moving t he case in its stowage. The abb rev iate d n omen clatu re den otes the shape ,
e g . " t E " —Cylindrica l " E .” " K.N ." Rect angu lar “ N ." Cases are usually sealed by affixing
two sta tion monogram labels over the joint of lid and body ; some cases hav e sealing labels fixed
over the ends of tap es. " C.E .," first supplies of " C.F." and “ R.N ." cases h ave th eir own indiv idua l
sealing arrang ement s.
Cases and certa in car trid ge and amm unitio n boxes requ ire met al keys to op en and close them.
The keys var y in shape according to the typ e of lid ; they ar e usually hung in a conv enie nt position
in the magaz ine, A list of keys is set out in paragraph 772. with illu stra tion s in the Sch edule of Keys
on page 131.
CA SES . POW DE R. CYLINDR ICAL. Pl at e 34 .
750. Fract iona l charg es for H.L. 14-inch, 15-inch and 16-inch guns are packe d in cylindr ical
Cases with the ignit ered end of the Cartr idge. B.L. towa rds the lid. The cases are of sheet brass or
steel, jointe d w ith r ive ts or welded an d s treng then ed by cir cula r band s. The lid is secu red by fea thers
or lugs ta kin g u nde r recesses in th e run of th e case : it is rende red air- tigh t by a rub ber or der mat ine
ring. Tin- b otto m of the rase is stren gthe ned . Cylindrical cases should neve r be rolled along the
drek .
 CH. X X II—SE CTION 2.
“ C.E.” Case. Plate 34.
751. This case holds throe l/t> charge s for a B.L. 16-inch gun. The case is of brass and strong
end rings improve the ilashtigh tness. It has three handle s. Cardb oard liners provide furt her an ti­
flash prot ectio n and facil itate the withd rawa l of cartr idge s. (To assist withdr awal the lifting baud
of the second cartri dge is att ac he d to th at of the third. ) The lid is secu red by a locking ring whose
six lugs d rop into grooves in the en d ring. A screwed ri ng revolves inside the locking ring.
Sealing is effected by two lead alloy seals ea ch passing throu gh a hole in the end ring of th e case.
The head of the seal bear s the monogra m of the closing sta tio n : the oth er end is rivet ed into a
cou nter sunk recess in the end ring an d impressed with the monogram of the stat ion. Th e air testing
plug is cover ed w ith a small brass disc bearin g the monogram of the closing sta tion and is soldered in
jxisition.
752. To open.—Ship the “ Key, Case. Magazine, Xo. 1 " over the bar running diame trica lly
across the screwed ring and turn in an anti-clockw ise direc tion until the lugs in the locking ring are
in line with the slots in th e end ring of tlx case. Remove th e lid. If the locking ring is not moved
w he n th e sp ri ng c at el i is in co n ta ct w it h it s st o p , th o ca tc h sh ou ld bi. w it hd ra w n an d ro ta ti on c on ti n u ed
unt il it is aga in in c ont act with its sto p, when a fur the r a tte mp t to move the lockin g ring should be
made. If the lid is difficult to with draw when th e lugs on the locking ring are in line with the slots
in the end ring the " leve r, opening, C.E. case " should be used to prise the lid an d free t he derm atinc
ring front the jo int face.
753. To close.— Place the spring ca tch anti-clockw ise to it s stop. Inse rt the lid in to th e end ring
of the case, ship the key and tur n in a clockwise d irect ion until the locking ring reaches the limit of
its trav el. With draw the spring catc h and cont inu e the rota tion unt il the ltd is hard down. The
spring ca tch should be depresse d again if more than one revolu tion is needed to close the case.

•• M ” Case. Plate 34.

754. This case holds two } ch arges for a B.L. 15-iuch gun. The case is of br ass or steel and has
a hand le of copp er wire c overed with leat her ; late r Marks hav e a metal handle Stre ngth ened end
rings improve the flashtight ness ; cardlx tard liners pro rid e fur the r anti- flash prote ction and facili­
ta te the withdraw al of cartrid ges. Cases were origin ally designed with a lid at each end. but were
conv erte d by having one end perm anen tly closed ; this end is pai nte d blue. The set screw in th e
end ring at the lid end can be screwed home to prev ent the lid falling off dur ing tran spo rt. This
screw is removed before opening the case and must be readi ly acce ssib le: durin g hostil ities, all the
screws should be re moved. There are tw o small holes in the case and one in the lid and the sealing
label is secured by tapes.
755. To open.—Remove the set screw (if fitted). Ship the “ Key, Case, Powde r, Cylindrical
' L ' and ’ M ’ No. 4 or 5 o r ' M ’ No. 6 " (as supplied) and tur n in an anti-cloc kwise direc tion until
the lugs on the locking ring are visible in the slots in the end ring of the case. Remove the lid. If
Key No. 6 i s supplied the lid can be lifted clear with it. A lever is provided to assist opening.
756. To close. Place the lid in the mout h of the case so tha t the lugs on the locking ring ent er
the inclined groov es in the case. Tu rn the lid in a clockwise dir ection using t he Key pro vided. Undue
force should not be used, but an airt igh t joint is essential. The lid is prev ente d from tur nin g by
screwing home the set screw

“ C.F.” Case. Plate 34.

757. This case holds two J charge s for a B.L. 14-inch gun. The case is o f brass or steel with a
solid botto m. Il has only one handle . First supplies hav e a brass body with stren gthe ning ban ds .
modern cases have circum feren tial corrugat ions. All ‘ C.F .” cases have two locating bands to
engage the wriggle bars of the magazi ne stowage. The case is sealed by affixing two linen stati on
monogram sealing labels un opposite sides over the junc tion of lid and end ring.
758. To open.—Remove the locking pin by pulling the toggle. Ship the " Key. Case, Magazine,
No. 4 " and tur n the locking ring in an anti-clockw ise direc tion. When the lugs on the locking ring
are visible in the sl ots in the end ring of the case, the lid with the locking ring atta ch ed will b e held
on the ke y b y the two spri ng c atch es and ca n be w ithdr awn from the case.
759. To close. The lines on the locking ring and the lid should be opposi te before the lid is
shipp ed on the case. Ship the key on the lid and inser t the lugs of the locking ring into the slots in
the end ring of the case. Make sure th at the slot for the lockin g pin is opposite the holes in the end
ring when the lid is fitte d. Turn the locking ring in a clockwise directi on unt il the liil is secured.
Before unsh ipping th e key make sure th at the locking pin can be ins erte d in on e o r o the r of the holes
in the end ring aiid, if necessary, adj ust the positio n of the locking ring. Unship the key and insert
the locking pin, open out the ends of the spli t pin (locking pin) so th at the pin is held in position.
Stick a piece of a dhesi ve tap e over the wire t o k eep the toggle in position.

RECTANGULAR CASES. Plate 34.

760. Charges for B.L. guns 8-inch and below and Charges. Air craf t, Ca tap ult, are suppli ed in
rect ang ula r cases of alumin ium alloy or sheet brass, cor ruga ted or inde nted to give stre ngt h. The
en ds a re so lid and are secured to the body by vario us means. Wood linings a re fitt ed in some Old
ty p e ca se s to p re ve n t ir re gu la r fi tt in gs in th e en d s o f th e ea se s in ju ri n g th e ca rt ri d ge s. W oo d or c.U il-
boar d pack ing pieces in the shape of stools, cyluide rs, etc ., may be supplied for conveni ence of -
«-
 112
CH. XX II. —SEC TION 2.
packing and unstow ing or for ensu ring firm stowage. Packing pieces of ca rdb oar d are covered with
a prese rvati ve, usua lly bake lite varni sh. Wooden packing pieces are rnildrcw proofed .
The openin g for the lid may be in the cent re of or in a co rner of one end. Cases are stowed to
permit easy access, i.e.. so th at the co nte nts can lx* withd rawn w itho ut movin g th e cas- in its stowage.

“ R.M.” Case. Plate 34.

781. This case holds five I or ten J charg es for t he B.l. 8-incli gun. It is of al umin ium alloy and
brass with rive ted join ts. The l id, which lifts in one piece, com prises t wo p art s, namely , the lid pro per
and the locking hand le {a Star shap ed piece of meta l whose ends lak e in inclined recesses r oun d the
lid openin g). The two bro nze hand les are on the top of th ; ease.
762. Tv open.—Ship the Key, Case, Magazine, No. 3, and tur n the locking ri ng in an anti-clockw ise
directi on until the lugs on the locking ring an- free of th e grooves in the body . Remove the lid.
763. To close Insert the lid. Revolve the locking handle in a clockwise directi on, using the
key, un til the lid is f elt to be har d down.

‘ R.N " Case. Rto/d 34.

764. Th is case holds tive car trid ges pa cked in card boar d c onta iners for B.L. 6-inch, Mark XX III
guns. It is of alum inium alloy and the ends ar e welded :o the body . Tin- two met al band ies are
recessed in the top. The locking device is a bras s cove r plate or locking ring with four lugs.
765. To open.—Ship t he Ke y.Case, Magazine, No. 2, and tur n the lock ing ring in an anti-clockw ise
directi on un til the lugs on the lockin g ring are free of the grooves in the body. Remove the lid.
766. To close.— Inse rt the lid. Revolve the locking ring unt il the lugs are home in the grooves
at the lop ol llic case, his eit the key an d lum clockwise un til the lid is har d down.

" R.J .” Case (Cartri dges for 8-inch guns).

"R .H. " Case (Cartridg es for 6-inch. Marks XX II and XXI I* guns.) Plate 34.
767. The locking arra nge men ts of these cases are similar.
To open.—Ship the Key, Case, Magazine, No. 1. and turn the locking ring in an anti-clockwise
directi on unt il the lugs on the lockin g rin g are free of the grooves in the bod y. Remove the lid.
768. To chu t.— Ins ert the lid. Ship the key and tur n in a clockwise d irect ion ; the lugs o n the
locking ting mus t be ca rried home to the ends ol the grooves in the top of the case. W ien home,
the label recesses on top of the case and on the locking ring will be appr oxi mat ely in line. The turning
move ment mu st be c onti nued unt il the lid is felt to be hard down.

" T,” “ W ” (Plate 34) •• S," •• R " and “ C ” Cases.

760. These cases hold cart ridg es for B.L. 4-inch, 4.7-i ich or 6-inch gun s. The cases are simil ar
and ar e typi cal of th e older cases still in the serv ice. The corru gated bras s sid es ar e rive ted to flanges
on the top and botto m. The lid is secure d by a locking ring and is op erat ed by a key. (5 #
para grap h 772). The cases are sealed wit h linen monogra m sealing labels.
770. To open.—Ship the key and tur n the lockin g ring in an anti-cluckwi.se direc tion unt il the
lugs on t he lock ing r ing are free of tin groov es in the body Remove th e lid.
771. Tv close.— Ship the lid and locking ring so th at the arro ws on the locking ring and on the
body of the case are opposi te. Ins ert the lugs of the locking rin g into the groo ves m the body. Ship
tin key and tur n the locking ring in a clockwise dire ctio n niitil the lid is hom e in the case.
772. L ist of Ks vs
Kry, Case, Powder. Rec tang ular , No. 5 ... " W " Case,
r " R " I1 I-V .
„ ,> „ ' .. No. 4 ... - V* T - I I - I I I .
f " O " Marks 111 IV, VI-V II.
" S ” Marks IV-V.
It tt tt No. 3 ...
•• " T ” Marks V-VI.
/ ' W ’’ Marks 111-IV.
I* tt No. 2 ... / • ' f " Mark IV.
” \ “ O " Mark V.
Key'. Case, Powder, Cylind rical, M. No. 6
It •• M L. & M. No. 5 ... r " L " Marks HI . III *. IV & VI.
- V M " Case.
>t *» •• L. & M. No. 4 ... do.
It •• L. No. 2 “ L " Mark I.
It tt It tt L. No. 1 ” L ” Mark 1.
Key. Case. Magazine, No. 4 " C.F ." Cawcs.
It ,, No. 3 ........................... " R.M." Cases.
II » • No. 2 " R.N. ” and Cata pult Cases.
M >• It No. 1 ••• ••• ••• " C.E .......R .H ,” and " R .J .”
II >t » No. 1 Special ............... ... do.
 113
CH. X X II .—SEC TION 2.
BOXES FOR Q.F. AMMUNITION.
773. Boxes for Q.F . sep ara te load ing cartridge cases are called " ( ar trid ge Boxe s," and boxes
fo Q.F fixed amm uniti on ar c called " Ammun ition Boxes." The boxes are rec tan gul ar and are of
wuotl, alum inium alloy or steel. The y h a v e vari ous metho ds o f locking. These and oth er boxes are
na rk ed with a code lett er to ident ify the con ten ts ; Ihe num ber aft er the code le tte r deno tes the
aeries in the class The c ode of le tter s is as follows :—
F.......................................................... Projectiles .
F. . ............................................. Fuzes.
C.......................................................... Q.F. cartr idge case s a nd Q .F. fixed amm unitio n.
B ...................................................... Bombs and accessories.
G.......................................................... Grena des and accessories.
H ...................................................... Small Ann s A mmun ition (A.S.A.).
M............................................ ........... Miscellaneous.
T............. ............................................ Tubes, Vent.
Fie le tte r and a num ber are bra nde d or engr aved on eaca end of th e box.

CARTRIDGE BOXES.
774. All ca rtri dge boxes (except C.185) are of tea k or o the r hardw ood and are lined with tinned
copper or tinn ed pla te. Stre ngth enin g ban ds are fitte d as necessary. The handl es arc of galvan ised
iron, steel wire rope or grum mets with leat her or can vas grips. The lid of the older typ e of box is
secured by a locking pla te which engages four meta l bol ts; the plat e has an eccent ric action and is
operate d by a rect ang ula r key. The moder n I kix li d is fa st e n e d b y c a tc h le v ee s w hi ch a r e h e ld d o w n
bv spl it pins or by a has p se cured with a tur n buckle. Lids are re nder ed wate rtig ht by filling lutin g
into the recess arou nd the top of the lining.

Box, Cartridge. C.23 Mark II. P/a /c 35.

775. This box holds six c artr idg es lor Q.F. 4-inc h, Maries V-V** guns. It is of hardw ood and has
a metal lining. It is fi tted with two wire hand les The lid is secur ed by lou r c atc h levers which are
held down by spl it pins.

Box. Cartridge, C.185. Plate 35.

776. This box holds four cart ridg es for Q.F . 4.7-inch •’uns. It is of galva nised steel a nd its lid
screws do wn on to a rubb ei oi derrn atine joi nt. The two wire handle s are at the sides. Three steel
diaph ragms reta in the car trid ges in place ami a sto p (wl.ich fits over the bases of the cartr idges )
prev ents lengthwi se move ment . Tape is thre ade d through the hand le and roun d the cent re pin of
the lif ting p lat e an d kno tted . A linen seali ng lab el is affixed ove r th e knot and the ends of the ta pe.
777. '/'<» open. —Turn the hand h in the cen tre of the lid anti-cloc kwise and remove the lid.
Remove t he c artr idg e stop by unscrewing the wing nu t in the centre: ; use Key, Box. C artrid ge, No. 2,
if ac cessary . With draw the cart ridg es from the box.
778. To dose.- Inse rt the four cart ridg es in the box and assemb le the cart ridg e stop on the
c e t t r e sp in d le . T ig h te n u p t h e w in g n u t, u ^ in g K e y N o. 2. A s a im b k t h e li d a n d ti g h te n u p o n the
hand le ill a clockwise directi on.

AMMUNITION BOXES.
779. All Ammun ition boxes (except C.190) are of te al or hardwo od and ar e lined with tinne d
copper or tin ned plate. The ha ndle s a rc of steel or win rop? w ith leather grips. The litis ar c secured
by c atch lever s held in place by sp lit pins.

Ammun ition Box C.163. (Plate 35). C.163C, C.273.

780. Eac h o f th ese boxes holds two round s of Q.F'. 4.7-inch amm uniti on. They ar e of har dwood .
Ti n lid is s ecured by two hinges and is fasten ed by cat ch levers held down by spli t pins. A frame
witli diap hrag ms and suita ble jxicking pieces is fitte d inside to prev ent move ment of the rounds .
Inst ruct ions for replacin g fired cart ridg e cases are on the inside of the lid of the box. C.I63C and
C.273 boxes differ from C.163 on ly in tha t lliey arc loug ir in orde r to accom modat e roun ds fitted
with No. 211 fuze. The C.163C box is a conv erte d C.163.

Ammunit ion Box €.190. Plate 35.

7S1. This box holds 30 roun ds lor Q.F. 2-pd r., Mark VIII and XIV guns if packe d in bulk (the
rounds stowing heads and tails) or 28 ro und s belt ed in two ar tic ula ted belts . The bel ted roun ds will
only stow proper ly in one way. i.e the way in which they are pa cked on issue. If unloa ded and not
used they must be stowed in the same way or the box will be stra ine d on closing. The box is of
galvanis ed steel . The lid is the comple te top of the box, and it hinges on and is fast ene d by two
hasps. The l oaded box shou ld Ik kept uprig ht as otherwi se th e weight of the am mun ition ma y break
the inte rnal wate rtigh t seal.
Linen monogram sealing labels are affixed o ver the hasps.
 114

CH. XX II. —SECTION 2.

Ammun ition Boxes C.216 and C.219.
782. Ammun ition Q.F. 40 nun*. fBofors) is pecke d in boxes €.21 6 and €.219. Each is a rectan­
gul ar steel box with a hinged lid which is fasten ed by two sprin g clips. A piece of tar red strin g is
passed throu gh the loop of each clip, kno tted on each side, passed thro ugh a hole in the stu d and
secured.
The C.216 box holds 24 roun ds in 6 charg ers. The C.219 box holds 24 rounds , each in a ca rdbo ard
conta iner.
CASES , POW DE R, META L OR TIN -LIN ED.
783. These packa ges a rc used for small comb ustibl e stores and fo r bo at work. They are of wood
and ar e lined w ith tinne d c opper or tinn ed plate. The l ids of the older cases a re s ecured b y two screw
bol ts which are withdr awn by a special key. Lids o f tin' lat er ma rks are secured by a brass catcli
which engag es in to a sl ot in the side of the case. There are th ree sizes of meta l am i tin lined cases
Whole. Half an d Quar ter. The following types of amm unitio n m ay be con taine d in these cases
Whole C a s e :- C.118 (P la k 35} and C.122.
7.680 rounds 0.303-inch rifle, bla nk
10 ro unds 4.7-inch B.L. o r Q.F. blank.
130 roun ds 4-inch Q.F. blank charges.
96 roun ds 3.7- inch Q .F. blank charg.
Half Case: C.119 Plate 35] and C.123.
3,400 roun ds 0.303-inch rifle, blank.
50 roun ds 3 -pdr. Q .F., blank , charge s 11-oz.
37 round s 6-pd r. O.F., blank, charges 15-oz.
30 round s 12-pdr., 12 cwt. blank charges.
20 rounds 6-pdr. Q.F.. blank ca rtridg es.
25 roun ds 3-p dr. Q.F. . blank ca rtridg es.
30 roun ds 3-inch H.A., blank charge s or 4-inch blank reduced charges.
5 bel ts Maxim, tilled.
168 roun ds cartr idge s, signal. 1J inch
306 rfiiinrln cartridg es, «ii(jn»l. 1-ineli
Quarte r Cas e: C.121 (Plate 35) and C.124.
1,200 round s 0.303-inch rifle, ball, for boats.
840 roun ds 0.303-i nch rifle, ball, in char gers.
1.450 roun ds 0.303-inch rifle, blan k.
10,000 rounds 0.22-inch K.F.
66 roun ds cartr idges , signal, I.J-inch.
120 rou nds cartr idge s, signal. 1-inch.
100 roun ds cartr idges , safe ty fuze.

SMALL AR MS AMMU NITIO N BOX ES (A .S. A. i.

784. Small An ns A mmuni tion is prov ided in various typ es of wooden boxe s which have a tinne d
plat e lining or tinne d plat e contai ners. The lining is liable to dete riora te, and the oldest amm unitio n
in the ship must be used first. Linings of all b oxes pass ed up for firing p racti ce should be lifted out
and examined. Il a lining is def ective boxes of the same d at e are to lx- ex amine d and. if necessary,
the amm uniti on is to be exchan ged at the first opp ortu nity . Exp osur e to dam p may cause dis­
colora tion or corrosion of Small Arms cartri dge cases in ch ar ge rs; discolor ation does not affect the
servic eabili ty of the amm unitio n, bu t where there is marke d corrosion, the amm uniti on should be
retu rned at an early opp ortu nity .
r. I s . t l ma a a a 1• a a m a ,1 . ■> . , I Aaa a^a Aaa l .1 V. A ll . A O O r t A V 'l I I I '
 IIS
CH. X X II. —SECTI ON 2.
A.S.A. Box, Half, Naval, H.3. Plate 35.
787. This is a " Half " A.S.A. box. It is small er bu t of simila r cons truct ion to the " Whole "
A.S.A. box. It has a galva nised iron wire hand le al one end. The lid is secured with a bras s split
pin which has a T-shap ed hand le at tach ed. To op en - withdr aw the split pin, slide bac k the lid and tear
off the cove r of the lining.
788. The following amm unitio n may be conta ined in this typ e of box :
828 rounds 0.455-inch revolver.
360 rou nds 0.303-incli, ball, in charg ers.
500 roun ds 0.303- inch, ball, for m axim gun. in cartons .
480 roun ds 0.303-inch, ball, for Lewis gu n, in ca rtons.
500 roun ds 0.303-inch, rifle, b lank
35<• round s 0.303-inch, ball, in bandoliers.
500 rou nds 0.303-inch. trac er
Box Ammun ition, S.A., H.24. Plate 35.
789. This box co ntai ns th ree tin- pla te boxes, each of which holds 100 rounds of 0.5-inc h car tridg es
in an a rtic ula ted bel t. The box ha s tw o ga lvanised iron wire han dles ; it is closed w ith two hasps.
Box A.S.A. H.33. Plate 35.
790. This is a special box lor 20 mm. Briti sh Oerlikon amm unitio n and it holds 306 roun ds in
bulk with suita ble packin g pieces. It has a screw-on lid. The lining is of zinc or tinn ed plat e with
a rip off soldere d lid.
Boxes. U.S. Oerlikon.
791. There are two typ es of American man ufac ture d box for American man ufac ture d Oerlikon
Ammun ition. One ty pe, a wooden box simila r to Box A.S.A. H .33. ho lds 3<X> round s. The o the r type,
a steel box somewhat similar to C.216, holds 180 rounds.
Pain ting of Packages.
792. All packag es for gnu amm uniti on, fireworks, torp edo, mining and dep th charge explosive
compo nents, exce pt those specified in paragraphs 7&i an d 794 below, are pain ted a STONE colour.
793. Packa ges pa int ed the following col ours con tain store s as shown :—
GRE EN .......................... Target smoke ammu nition.
GR EEN (stain) .. A.S.A., bundle d, belted , or in ca rton s o r Signal cartr idges .
BROWN ... •............... K.A.F. store s f or F .A.A.
, BROWN (stain) ............... A.S.A., in cha rgers.
RE D .......................... Blank gun amm unitio n.
RED .......................... Cases, tr ans por t, det ona tor an d explosive.
BLACK .......................... Drill an d dumm y a mmu nition .
Y E L L O W .......................... Bombs.
GRE Y .......................... Flo ats, lach rym ator y, and gen erators .
794. The following packag es are not pain ted exte rnal ly or inte rnal ly ap ar t from special
ma rk in gs :—
Cases, magazine, made of alum inium-silic ou alloy.
Cases, wood, packing.
Boxes, projectile.
Packa ges o f galva nised steel.
The following packages are no t pai nte d inter nally :■»—
Caws, magazine
Cases, powder, cy lindri cal, and rec tangu lar.
Cases, cordite.
Cases mad e of gal vanise d steel.
Special Markings on Packages.
795. The following markin gs will be found :—
Tw o R ed Bands .......................... All packag es conta ining explosives except those
pai nte d RED.
i Dark B lue Bands .......................... Packa ges for non-explosiv e Naval arma men t
stores. including drill and dumm y amm unitio n
boxes.
P ractice (Bright ) Yellow B ands ... Q.F . tar ge t s moke amm unitio n boxes.
Tw o Light B lue Bands ............... Boxes, c artri dge, airc raft, cat apu lt,
H.V............................................................P ackages for Q.F . 2-pdr. High Veloci ty A mmuni­
tion.
White Cross ......................................P ackag es cont aini ng a full charge of Flashless
cordit e (not St ar shell charges).
Green Bar ...................................... Packa ges co ntain ing American Prop ella nt.
Black or Whit e " Zig Zag " ............... Packa ges co ntain ing H.E. (Radar ) Shell.
 ne
CH. XX II.— SECTION 3.
796. To a ssis t rapi d identifica tion of (he TY PE of projectile con tain ed, all packa ges lor FIX ED
AMMUNITION an - marke d with a coloured bar : ti n - bar is p rin ted on the cen tre cross ba tte n of the
lid or on the side bearing the label and on pack ages for I inch and under , where pract icabl e, at an
angle to an edge. The colours are as follows
L ight B lu e .......................... .. . II.A. Practice
D ull Ye l l o w .......................... ... Common, LI.E.
Practice (Bright) Yellow ... ... Practi ce
R ed ....................................... ... Shrap nel Not applic able to Wartim e
W hite .................................... ... S.A.P. packages.
B lack (broken bar) ............... ... C.P.
Black ...................................... ... C.N .F.
Other Markings.
797. Contai ners, filled with explosi ves, which a re removed irom packages duri ng use and handlin g
in H.M. s hips will have the word " Explosive " ove rpr inte d in red on the label and will no t have red
ban ds (v ide para grap h 795.1 Cardb oard cont aine rs for car tridg es. B.l ... and Charges, Airc raft, Cat a­
pult are pai nte d with two re d b and s an d will be ar an N.13 Laht i.
Wooden pack ages of new man ufa ctur e for fireworks will be fireproof ed and the let ter s **F .P ."
cu t or bran ded on each end.
One end of “ M " cases is p ain ted bl ue to indic ate tha t this end is p erm ane ntly d ose d, as stat ed
above.

Markings on A.S.A. Boxes.

7H8. Small Arms amm unitio n in char gers is packed in brown -stain ed bo xe s; .ammunition in
bundles, c art ons or belt s is pac ked in green- staine d boxes.
A definite indica tion of the type of amm unitio n packed and its Mark can only 1k- obta ined from
the lab els; for classificatio n labe ls are print ed in the following d istin ctiv e colo urs;
Gro up VI (except blank) ............... Green, on white grou nd.
Blan k .................................................. Red on blur gro und.
Grou p IX ..................................................B lue on white g round .
Grou p XI I ...................................... Brown on white g round .
Drill or dum my ........................... Black on cerise groun d.
Ince ndia ry am mu niti on. .. ■............... Red s ta r on white ground.
799. Each typ. of --mall arm s cart ridg e up to and including 0.5-inc h is identifi ed by a symbol .
The symbol is prin ted on tin label in the pro per grou p colour and is ove rpri nted in black with the
code letter and, where necessary, the Irct.te indicat ing the natu re of the prop ellan t. The symbols
are displayed on large disti nguis hing labels, one on each side of the box. The lair ds also conta in
the following inform ation ;—
The num ber of rounds.
Nomenc lature.
Method of packing.
Dale .nut inspectio n mar k (for new typ e boxes}.
A small d istin guishi ng label is also affixed a t each e nd of the box. On th ese a re prin ted the sym bol
and (except ball and signal) the char acte rist ic name, /.<•., tr acer, armo ur-pie rcing , etc.
SCO. To fac ilit ate identific ation in the dar k of 0.303-inch cha rger packe d amm uniti on and of
0.303-in. ammu nitio n p acked in oth er tha n the normal metho d fo.g. .ball and tra cer belted togeth er)
raise d m etal let ter s ar e affixed to the end of A.S.A. boxes so packed.
Tire ide ntifi catio n lett ers will b e: —
CC ... char ger pocked.
X ... an y oth er unusu al packing.
Tiu's will be ad diti ona l to the m etho d at prese nt in forts fur ident ity mg am mun itio n in the da rk
i .c .:—
Belt pack ed—A " V " shap ed wood pie ce a t each end.
Carton packe d -One bal lon a t each end.
Band olier packe d—No ba tte ns a t end.

CH. X X II —SECTION 3.—PAC KAGES I OR TH E TRAN SPOR T OF AMMl NIT 10N

(WHK H ARE NOT STOW ED IN TH E SH IP)
BOX, AMMUNITION, Q.F., 4-INCH, MARK XVI* GUNS.
Ammunit ion Box C.222. Plate 35.
801, I'his box holds two roun ds of 4-incli, Mail; XVI* fixed amm uniti on. It is ol sit el and
co ns is t of two halve s in which cradle s to su ppor t the rounds are Secured. It is jointe d l ongi tudin ally
and ti e jo int is ma de by a rub ber gask et. The packag e i - sec ured b y thr ee wing nut s, the cen tre nut
being d rilled and scaled by a wire sea l, flu wire i- threa ded throu gh the hole in the small brack et
 LABELS

N . SOI
 117
CH. X X II —SECTION 4
and the wing uu t and the ends of the wire are sealed with a lead disc, which is impressed with tin1
Statio n Monogram o l the Naval Armament Depot which sealed lie pack age, Two wooden packing
pieces a n' fitted, one nt each end ol the box. I'he p acking piece? ensure tha t the tapes of cartrid ge
clips are not caug ht in the joint of the box a nd the clips pulled oil. Packing pieces m ust always be
kept in place during handlin g and tran spor t and the tap e tucked down befor e closing the package.
7’e Often.
802. T< prevent damage to the packing pieces the package should be opened as follows
Sluck Isuck and remove t he three wing nu ts. Key. Box, Ammuni tion. No. 3. should he used if
necessary. Remove the lid b y lifting b oth handles simultaneously ; lifting one ha ndle only will split
the packing pieces. Remove th e packing pieces an d the rounds and then replace the packing pieces
in the box.
Tv Close.
802a. fla re t he ro unds in the cr adle. Fit the packing pieces in place, mak ing sure tha t the tapes
on the clips are well tucked down. Fit th« lid of the box and screw down evenly on each wing nut
Key, Box. Ammunition, No. 3, should lw used as necessary.

Ammunition Box C.290.

803. This box holds two rounds of Q.F, 4-ineh, Mark XVI*. fixed ammuni tion. It is of steel, and -
is of similar sliajx' to the €.222. which it sii , k rsedes.
The lid is at the end and is seemed by ban lo ll s ; the se an tighten ed or released b y a " high
speed." or b race type spanner.

Container, Ammunition, Q.F.. 4.5-inch Gun. C.217. PAr/c 35.

804. This contai ner ho lds one ro un d of I 5 inch fixed ammun ition. It is of rolled paper and its
lid is secured by a webbing harne ss am i quick release buckle ; sealing ey elets are provided in the
buckle and sec urin g straps . The con taine r is sealed by a wire thre aded throug h the eyelets an d secured
by a lead dUc.

Containers, Cartridge, Q.F., 5.25-inch Gun, C.227. P hf c 35.

4.7-inch Mark XI Gun, C.228.
4.5-inch Gun. C.279.
805. These contain ers each hold one cartrid ge of (.) F. separate ammunition, They an- of roHod
paper and .»rr si milar in design to the containe r C.217.

CII. XX II - SE CT ION 4.—LABELS.

HCK4 A1 packages containin g Government explosives have a. Station label or lead seal and a
combined Group and Government Explosive label. Usually they have .also a Contents label affixed
to them.

Station Label. Dingmtn 5.

807. This white linen label has two parallel bla ck stripe s with the Statio n monogram between
them . Two ol these labels are placed on each package by the packin g or repacking stati on to
indicat e where the package was sealed. The labels are affixed to co ver the joint between the lid and
the body, over n hasp or tin knot ol t he sealing tap es ; so long as both labels a n intact the conte nts
may be accept ed as correct.

Croup and Government Explosive Label. Diagrams 1, 2 and 3.

80S. file siz< of packages* used for the public conveyance of ex plo siv e is l imited by the Board
of Tr ade, but the limitatio ns do not appl y to packages containing Government Am munition Stores.
These packages have Group an d Governm ent Explosive labels to indicate th at they contain Govern­
me nt explosives of the Group number specified in N.M. & E .R’s. The Group numbe r is in the centre
of the label
Sometimes Group Stowage ashore and afloat are not identical, and m th is <vent a Composite
label is affixed. (Diagram ). The explosive is classified fo r general purposes under the Group number
which forms the nume rator and for t in special purpose of stowage in H.M Ships u nder the: Group
numbe r which forms the denominator.

Contents Label. Diagram 4.

809. A Contents Label is affixed to- Q.F. Cartridge and Ammunition boxes and to most packages
containing s tores filled with explosive giv ing full partic ulars of ti e content s, it is put in the most
convenient place for reading, stowage usbore and afloat being tak en into considerati on.

810-811.
 118

CHAPT ER XX III

AMMUNITION EMBAR KATION AND SUPP LY

EMBARKA TION OF AMMUNITION.
815. Ammunition is as a rule emba rked from lighters but ii certain conditi ons em barkati on may
be c arried out with the ship alongside a jett y.
Embar kation invo lves :—
(1) Lifting the ammun ition on board and
(2) Striking it down to magazines and sh ell looms.
Hoisting inboard is us ua lly by an am m un iti on de rri ck or a ge ne ra l nerv ioe de rr ic k. Ai rcr aft
cranes are also used for hoisting in tin- sm all er packages. In small ships, shell may be embarked
through side s cuttles and packages em ba rk ed thr ou gh wo ode n ch ute s.
Hois ting Inboard.
816. Arrangements for hoistin g inboard include :
(t-) Screw-grabs for shell alxive 6-inch calibre.
{») Scale-boards for shell of 6-inch calibre and under and for Q.F. ammunition in con­
tainers. Scale boa rds are wooden tray s slung from the fo ur comers by wire ropes led
to a c entra l ring. Various sizes are used according ro th e ma xi m um load wh ich ca n be
lifted by the derrick or crane.
(tri) Special slings of va rious kin ds for cordite cases and for the large r boxes.
(a>) St ee l ca rg o n et s fo r th e sm all er pa ck ag e' .
(v) Webbing st ra ps or two-legged slings tor pom-pom and similar boxes.
After the ammuniti on has been placed on deck it is struck down a line of hatche s to the magazines
or shell rooms. An addition al operation may be necessary, for example, boxed Q.F. ammun ition to
be stowed in bottl e racks must first be u nboxed.
Main arma ment ammuniti on for capital ships requires special arrange ments for striking down.
Shell or cordite cases are lowered inboard and placed on a transport ing trolley or on a " peramb u­
lato r " which is wheeled along the deck to the embarking hat ch. The peram bulato r is placed over the
open hatch and the shell or the cordite case lifted by a fixed davit ; the peram bulato r is removed
and the shell or the cordite case is struc k down.
817 . Arrangeme nts tor striki ng down inc lud e:—
(i) Screw grabs for horizontal handling of 15-inch shell in older bat tleships .
(if) Six-legged slings for 15-inch cordite cases in older battleships.
( ii 'j) Combined slings and screw grab s for main armament shell and cordite in Nelson,
Rodney an d late r battleships .
(iv) Mechanical endless chain or wire hoists in reverse a nd operat ed by hand.
(v) Various ty pes of slings, bags or strop s for o th er ammunition rounds or lioxes.
(vi) Carriers, hand, for 4.7-inch shell.
(v»») " Cruets ” or carriers, ammuniti on, quadr uple, an d quadruple shell bars. (See para. 828).
(yiii) Carriers, ammunition, single or double. (See para 826.)
818. Typical ammunitionin g arrangement s, e.g., for a modern cruiser of the Fi ji Class, are as
follow s:—
Six-inch shell are hoisted inboard by ammunit ion derricks and struck down in bags by whip
and power bollard through a run of h atches direct to shell room Cordite cases are hoisted inboard
and s truck down in slings in a similar ma nner.
Fixed ammun ition for th e 4-inch guns is hoisted in by the aircraft cran e and stru ck down by means
of the endless chain hoists {made reversible for this purpose) or in cruets through hatches by whip
and power bollard.
Boxes of pom-pom and small arms amm unition are hoisted in with the ammun ition derrick and
struck down b y power or hand-operate.d whips through hatche s and scuttles to the magazines.
AMMUNITION SUPPLY.
Sly. The supply route from magazine or shell room to the gun is usually broken and transp ort
is ill one or more stages in a horizontal o r vertic al direction.
Means of horizontal transport include :—
Trolleys or barrows.
Overhead rails f itte d with travelling grabs which may b>- moved by hand or by power.
Conveyors, hand or power op erated.
H an d- th ro ug h sc ut tle s.
 119
CH. X XI II.
Means of vertical transport include :—
Hand-u pa a n d V a u g h an c h u te s, st e e p ly in cl in ed c h u te s pas si ng th ro u g h th e d e ck s up
w h ic h t h e u h iia ih i t io n is p u s h e d b y h a n d . F u r 1 .5 in c h f i x e d a m m u n i t i o n po w er openitcd
hand-ups are used.
Whips. .Ammunition may be hoisted throug h one o r more decks eithe r by hand o r by means
ol a n electric bollard.
Hoists forming part of the gun mounting.
Endless wire hoists.
Endless chain hoists.
. Endless whips.
820. In capi tal ships overhead rails are fitte d in the shell rooms for con veying main armament
shell from the bins to the hoist in hydraulically ope rated grabs. Special facilities a rc also provided
lor conveying co rdite charges to the scuttle, in King George I' and Kelson classes i nclined chutes
w it h sh a p e d w oo de n ro ll er s ar e fi tt e d , a n d in Queen Elizabeth and Royal Sovereign classes sp ec ia l tr oll ey s
carr y four charges.
821. Ammunition for Q.F. guns 4-inch, and 4.5-incb, and for 4.7-inch guns othe r th an those in
turr ets is supplie d d irect from the magazine to the deck below tlx? gun or to a compart ment on the
gun deck. The rounds are transferred from the top of the hoist by way of ’ hand-ups ” and " shell
chutes " to the gun deck and into the read y-use lockers,
822. In small ships where amm unition has only a shor t journey to the gun deck, an endless whip
is f itted which e xtends from t he deck of the magazine t o the deck head a t the top of t he hoist. The
whip ha s two hooks arrange d so tha t one t ravels up when the oth er is on its way down ; two ro unds
a t a ti m e c an be h o is te d u si n g e it h e r bag s o r si ng le ca rr ie rs .
823. Difficulty in arrangin g a rapid supply of ammunition to close-range armam ent may arise
through :
{*) Inconvenient location ol the magazines in relation to the guns. In allocating space
such items as main machinery and main and secondary armame nt ammuniti on take
precedence.
(til The necessity for stowing more than one type of ammunition in t he same magazine.
(iii'l Ammunition being packed in boxes. Boxes must he hoisted singly b y whip {usually
worked by an electric bollard).
To overcome this delay a proportion of amm unition is stewed unboxed in Ready-Use Lockers
and in boxes in Ready-Use Magazines and/or Magazine Lockers. (Paras. 887 anti 868.)
824. Alterna tive supply arrangem ents vary according t o the ship and to the restrictions imposed
by considerat ions of weight and means of opera tion. In large ships, where the primar y method ol
supply is b y power, t he secondary supply arrangem ents arc through a line of hatche s using a single
whip with bags o r carrier s hoi sted by a bollard hoist (where possible) or by hand. In small ships the
secondary supp ly arrange ments ar e often t he main route of su pp y lo r pom-pom and oth er ammunitio n
for close range weapons.

AMMUNITION SUPPLY APPLIANCES.

825. Various ap pliances and devices arc used for the supply and safe tran spor t of ammunition
from magazines and shell moms t o gun positions. A list ol the principa l devices is set ou t below with
brief rema rks on the purpose for which they are used. The appliances used to supply guns mounted
in tur ret s are not included a s detailed descriptions of these are given in the various gun mounting
handbooks.
 120
CH. X X II I.
A l - r i . IA K C E
Pow er operated
Dred ger hoist Ho rizo nta lly pla ced bu cke ts attac hed
to m oto r drive n endle ss ch ains
Chain hois ts (E.C. Amm unitio n hoi sted vert ical ly by
hoists) an d En d­ " hea ds ” at tac he d to motor-
less wire hoists driv en endless ch ains
Motor boll ard hois t •Single wh ip with —
(double or single (0 Shell or cart ridg e bags
drum) {»») Carr iers, amm unit ion, single.
doub le and qu adru ple
(in ) Carri ers, she ll, ha nd , an d ca r­
riers, shell, qua dru ple
(»v| Slhigs (for box ed ammuni tion)
Mechanica l han d-u p Chu te wit h mot or- driv en sprocket
wheel and be lt Angle of chu te 45°
app rox .
Mechanical con vey or Hori zont al chute' with motor -driv en
belt
Hand operate d
Han d-u p chu tes ... Chu te with cam and handwo rked
wire ha ul u p, fitte d b etwe en deck s.
Angle of chu te 45 ' appr ox.
Han d c onveyo r ... Chut e, gener ally por tab le, fitte d a , a
conve nien t inc lina tion dete rmin ed
by the max imu m supp ly height
and minim um deli ver y h eigh t p er­
missible
Am mun ition hand* Chu te fitt ed betw een decks Rounds
up are push ed up by han d. Angle of
chu te 45° (a pprox .)
Vaug han chu te Chut e and han d Worked pulley,
Angle of ch ute 15° (approx.)
Car rier h and -up ... Whip w ith a carr ier at one end and a
ba lan ce we igh t a t th e ot he r
En dle ss w hip End less whip with hooks att ach ed,
and she ave s a t top and bott om of
hoist (dia met er o f sheav e, 7 inches)
Han d-u p plat form s Bu ilt -u p o r ha ng ing pla tfo rms ,
usual ly fit ted with bac k rest and
bod y belt tor the sa tet y ot the
op era tor in a seaway
Hand -dow n Sloping chu te with spri ng buffer ar
th e lo wer en d
Miller’s flaps Hinged ha lf p lat es o r gr ati ng s (flaps)
fitt ed with ret urn spri ngs. Usually
a toggle or lead ball on the whip
open s t he flaps ; when th e a mmu ­
niti on which is being hoist ed has
passed thro ugh , the sprin gs close
th e flap s. Ai ra ng ci iic ut s ar c mad e
for pinni ng the flaps in the open
posit ion
Han d-th rou gh su p­ Sh utt ere d open ings in bulk head
ply sc uttl es thro ugh which amm uniti on is
pass ed an d pl aced on a tr ay (where
fitte d) on the receiv ing side
A'ofr—(»') Where expos ed to the wea ther , coamings and wa ter tig ht covers are titl ed to the
open ings in the deck thro ugh which chu tes a re worked. I'he cove rs shou ld be so fi tte d th at the y can
be plac ed in posi tion , if requ ired, while the chu te is rigged.
(fij In gen era l, the cljp tcs arc po rta ble and suita ble stow age is to be prov ided for them
when unrigg ed.
PUKrostt rvK w tu in Vs tn
Hois ting B.I.. 6-inch shell and co rdit e
(in Cl arks on's cases)
Hois ting Q F. fixed am mu niti on, Q .F
ca rtri dg es (sepa rate), Q.F. 4.7-inch
shell
Various, includ ing th e following :—
B.L. and Q.F . shell an d cart ridg es
Q.F. fixed a mm unit ion
Q.F 2-pd r. and $.A amm uni tion
in bo xe s
Sup plyi ng Q.F. 4.5-inc h fixer! am mu ­
niti on
For tra nsp ort ing Q.F. 4-inch or 4.5-
inch amm unit ion
Sup plyi ng Q.F. 4.7-inch shell to gun
posit ions. Not consi dered pra c­
tica ble for a weight hea vie r tha n
62 lbs.
For suppl ying 4.5 -inch a mm uni tion to
gun case mate s in posi tions where a
fixed mech anica l conv eyo r would
he unsu itab le
Sup plyi ng Q.F. 4-inc h fixed am mu ­
niti on suit able for deck heig hts of
7-9 ft.
.Supplying Q.F . fixed am mu niti on. In
some cases the chu te has been
ad ap ted for use in hois ting Q.F.
2-p dr. amm uni tion in boxes
Hois ting Q.F. 4-inch or 4.5-inc h fixed
amm uni tion from a lower to an
up pe r ma gazin e
Su ita ble for hois ting shell and ca rt­
ridg es in bags oi a rou nd of Q.F.
fixed a mm uni tion in a car rier , am ­
mu niti on, single
For posi tions where owing to re­
str icte d space it would not be
possibl e to lit a chu te hand -up
For supp lying am mu niti on from an
up per to a lower ma gazin e or shell-
room
Fi tte d in amm uni tion tru nk s where
there is a poss ibili ty of rou nds fall­
ing down th e trun k when unhoo king.
The y are not fitt ed where Q.F.
car trid ges or fuzed s hell a re hoist ed
unle ss prov ision is m ade to p rev ent
lliv fla ps w in in g in to c on ta ct wi th,
and dam agin g, the amm uni tion
Fi tte d where necess ary thro ugh bu lk­
head s of she lter s and deck houses
to gun pos itio ns in des troy ers
and sloops. Used also in some
maga zines where u bulk head divid es
the maga zines in to two sep arat e
com par tm ent s
 121
CH. X X II I.
CAR RIE RS. AMM UNIT ION AN D SHE LL.
Carriers, Ammunition.
826. The desig ns in gene ral service hold the following, qua ntit ies of ammu nitio n :—
Single typc—Qne roun d of fixed ammunition.
Double types—Two rounds of fixed ammunition.
Quadruple types—(*) Four rou nds of lixed ammunition.
(«*) Four Q. F. cartridges.
( i l l ) T wo Q.F. cartr idges a nd two projectiles.
The qua druple type is commonly known as an ammunit ion " c rue t." The double and quadruple
types have f ittings for guide and hoisting wires a nd arrangem ents for retainin g t he a mmunition. The
cartridges rest on rubb er pads.
827. There are three designs of qu adruple carrier for fixed amm unition and cartridg es : —
(i) The " all-round " type : Rounds are loaded into a nd removed from ei ther side. This
design can.not conveniently be used where space is rest ricted oil one or two sides and is
therefore being superseded.
(*7) The " one-stay ” type : Rounds are loaded i nto and unloaded from one side only.
(iii) The " straight-through " type : Rounds are loaded into a nd unloaded from eithe r one
or two sides.
The guide wires of (it) a nd (iif) may be so arranged tha t the ca rrier in tr ansi t revolves thro ugh an
angle up to a maximum of 99° in orde r th at the rounds may be unloaded where required if restriction
of space will not permit the o rthodo x arrangem ent. The double and quadrup le carriers are hoisted
by a whip and bollard a nd the hoist is usually trunk ed up.

Carriers, Shell.
828. Two designs of carriers have biwn in troduce d i nto the service
(1) Carriers, Shell, Hand. Steel, for Q. F., 4.7-inch and Q.F., 4.5-inch (s eparate loading) guns.
Ilie carrier consists of a tapered steel -ring with a wire handle : the handle is secured
to th e ring by a handle clip. The ca rrier is used in place of a bag or strop for hooking
to th e hoist whip or to a Carrier, Shell, Quadruple. With the exception of ships fitted
with endless chain hoists th e carr iers a rc on the shell in stowage, thus avoiding th e use
of rope grommets.
(2) Carriers, Shell, Quadruple, Q.F., 4.7-inch, Marks IX-IX *. XII and XI I* guns.
The car rier consists of a cross bar, with a n eyebolt for lifting, fitted with guide tubes
at each en d ; on the under side are four hooks for hoisting projectiles in Carriers, Shell,
Hand. The carrier is hoisted on guide wires by a whip and bollard and the hoist is
usually trunk ed up.

Bands, Lifting, B.L., 6-inch Projectiles.

829. These are similar to Carriers, Shell, Han d. They are supplied t o ships mounting B.L., 6-inch,
Mark XX III guns (except those fitted with sliding shell stowage) for removing projectiles from the
upper tiers of the shell bays.

8M -S 34 .

K
 122

CHA PTE R XXIV

MAGAZINES AND SHELL ROOMS

GENERAL REMARKS.
835. Explo sives carried tn H.M. Sliips arc classified into Gro ups according to the ir general
char acte rist ics. A Group is ide ntified by a num ber an d has its own par ticu lar conditi ons of s torage,
*'•*«. in Magazine. She.l Room. We athe r Deck, e tc. Where possible, eac h Group is to be stowed in a
sepa rate com part men t, and if this accom modati on is not availa ble the Groups must be stowed in
accor dance with the regulatio ns in X.M. & E.R .
Magazines an d Shell R ooms in H.M. Ships are given the max imum i mm unit y ag ains t pene tratio n
by shell an d bombs by sit ing th e c omp artm ents b elow the w aterline w here pract icable and a s low as
possible in the ship, and by arm our prote ction.
836. En addi tion, arra nge men ts are requir ed :—
ft) To prevent flash from shell o r bom bs reaching the Magazine.
(a) To pre /en t the prop agatio n of cor dit e fires outsid e th e Magazine, »,<•., throu gh the
train oj amm unit ion from gun to magazine .
f»«) To provide? suit able venting to Magazines and Ha nding Rooms.
(ip) To flood the con ten ts of th e Magazine.
(v) To spra y the con ten ts o f th e Magazine.
<ri) To drenc h the con ten ts of t urr et hoi sts and Hand ing Rooms.

PROTECTION AGAINST FLASH OR PROPAGATION OF CORDITE FIKES.

837. Pro tect ion agai nst fl ash en tering a Magazine is generally ma de in th e form o f -
(») Flash tight arra nge men ts in the gnnh ouse , working cha mb er and tru nk of tur ret
mountings.
('») Regulation s limiti ng (i) the num ber o f charges in tin hoists a nd waiting positio ns in
course of sup ply, and {«) the num ber of cases in the Magazine from which Die lids mav
be removed.
(-lii) Handing Room s for B.I.. amm uniti on at the botto m of the tru nk or hoist sep ara ted
from the Magazine by flashlight bulkhea ds. There m ay be an addi tiona l Handing
Room i t the top o f the hoist (t.g., 6-inch hoists in Roy al Sovereign Class).
<»») In Q.F. .Magazines with hoists in th e magazine the deliv ery end of the hoist may be
eith er at the deck M ow t he mou ntin g or in a fla shtight comp artme nt on the gun deck.
Endless Chain <E.C.) hoists for Sep ara te Ammun ition are flashtigh t, but those for
Fixe d Ammunit ion are not flash tight.
In some small ships wher e conside ration of weigh t precludes th e fitting of elabo rate flashligh t
arra nge men ts, amm uriti on ma y be hoisted by whi p and electrical bo llar d up an open tru nk from
Magazine or Handing Room to the deck below the gun deck.
838. In power-worked m oun ting s le ath er apr ons protect the Hariding Room from flash passing
down the ga p between the revolv ing tru nk and th e fixed stru ctu re of the ship. I he dcor s throug h
which amm unit ion is loaded int o the cages of hoi sts are flashtigh t an d flash can ent er only at the
mome nt when the charge is passin g into the cage. Access doors, which open outw ards from the
Magazine, are fitte d in bulkh ead s divid ing the Magazine from th e Han din g Room. These doors would
not prev ent t he ent ry af flash on the explosion of a charge in the Han din g Room and a pro-.ectivc door
of thin pla ting (also opening out war ds from the Magazine) is fitte d on the oute r side ol the access
door. Th e pro tecti ve doo r is l arge r tha n the access d oor and can be opened clear of thi lat ter. In
actio n the access and pro tect ive doors should be kep t dose d.
839. Charges are passed from Magazine to Han ding Room thro ugh a flashtight sent tie in the
bulkh ead. Generally, the ar rang eme nt consists of a cylindrical rev olving drum fit ted in a fixed casing ;
the drum is recessed to ta ke a charge. The fixed casing is fitt ed into a n openin g in t he bulkhe ad, one
opening of the casing faci ng th e Magazine and th e othe r opening facing the Hand ing Room,
When the recess in the dru m faces th e Magazine the charge (including its co ntain er, wrap per or
Clarkson ’s case, if used) m ay I>e inserte d. The dru m of the scu ttle is tur ned by hand u ntil the recess
faces th e Han din g Room in to which the charge is withdr awn on to a tra y. As the drum revolves , its
surfac e com plete ly closes one openin g in the casing before the recessed porti on reaches the othe r
opening. Th e clearance between the dr um and the casi ng is very small, and th e passage of fl. sh between
Handi ng Room and Magazine is ob stru cted in all posi tion s of the drum.
With flas htig ht scuttl es for charges 6-inch an d below the axis of th e rota ting drum is usuall y
vertic al ; wit h scuttl es for heav ier ch arges it is usu ally horizon tal, the cha rges rolling out an to a tray
in the Hand ing Room. When th e scutt le is n ot in use the water tight ne ts of th e bu lkhead is mai ntain ed
by fitti ng a W .T. door over t he open ing on the Han ding R oom side.
 123
CH. XXI V.
840. Tn King George V Class 14-inch co rdit e cha rges are passed from Magazine to Hand ing Room
through a tube fitte d at each end with flash tight co ve rs ; the co vers are so arran ged th at only one
end of the rube can be opened at a time.
Where Clark son's cases a re used in supp ly from Magazine to gun sep arat e retu rn tubes are fitted
down which the emp ty cases are dropp ed from the gun decks. Usually the fall o f the cases is broke n
by fitting a can vas slee ve which can be triced up. In som e shi ps th e retu rn tubes are led dir ect into
Handin g Rooms, care being take n to keep the open ing some dista nce from the Magazine hat ch ; a
scuttl e worked by a peda l is fitte d on the gun deck and so ar rang ed tha t it remai ns closed when not
actu ally in use.
Shell m ust be prote cted from a direc t hit . b ut there is littl e dang er o f th eir being ignite d by flash.

VENTING ARR ANG EM ENT S.

841. If a cert ain qu an tit y o f co rdit e is hom ed in a closed com par tme nt, e.g., a Magazine, a rapid
rise of pressu re resul ts, and in conseq uence the rat e of burn ing is acce lerat ed and the pressu re may
become so high th at sealed cordit e cases in the com par tme nt will collapse, thei r con tent s become
ignite d and eve ntua lly the whole c om par tme nt will be blown up.
Expe rime nts and trials in the vent ing of Magazines hav e been carrie d out. Valuable inform ation
has been obta ined from a meth odica l syst em of reduced scale ven ting trials which have been verified
by full scale tria ls. The aim of the inve stiga tions was to discov er a simple metho d of limitin g the
pressure reached in Magazines by as certa inin g the necessa ry vent ing are a and vent ing pressu re
The main facto rs a ffectin g the problem are
(>) The qu an tit y of co rdi te burn ed.
{») The pressu re at which the ven t o perat es.
(nt ) The are a of the vent ing ape rtur e.
Ot her fa ctor s of lesser im port ano? are :—
(t) Wh eth er the vent is into the open air o r i nto ano the r com partm ent.
(*») The volume of unoc cupied s pac e in the com part men t.
(iii) The degree of e xposu re of the cord ite.
(ft?) The size of the cordit e s ticks.

Formu la for Ad equ ate Venting Area.

842. Thr ven ting pressure has the most dire ct bea ring on the maxim um pressu re reach ed. The
first requir emen t for s afe vent ing is a low vent ing pr es su re ; this in itself may not be enough an d a
second requ irem ent is a sufficiently large area of ven t. A deta iled ana lysis of the tria l d at a indica tes
tha t an ade qu ate vent ing area is give n bv :
A = 5 ^ /3

where A is the are a of vent in s qua re feet and W is th e weight of cord ite in pounds. A ven ting an a
of th is amo unt nn d. -r na tal ma gazin e o r ha nding roo m c ondit ions will prev ent the maxim um pressure
exceeding abo ut 35 to 40 lbs . per squ are inch, provi ded the ven ts ope rate at abo ut 25 to 30 lbs per
squar e inch Magazine str uct ure s app ear ca pabl e of wit hsta ndin g this pressu re m ome nta rily wi thou t
serious inju ry, bu t the vent s will necessar ily reduc e the efficiency of the wa ter tig ht subdivision,

Conclusions from Trials.

843. The prin cipa l lessons lear nt from the tria ls were :—
(f) Th- con ten ts of a Magazine should be prot ecte d so tha t fragm ents or flash cannot
pen etr ate to the Magazine.
(«) The amo unt of cord ite exposed bar e s houl d b e kep t to a minimum.
(iii) A stren gth ene d ven ting case is req uired for shi ps not prot ecte d a s in (?).
(iv) Ventin g arra nge men ts should be provid ed in Magazines and Hand ing Rooms of ships
not pro tec ted as in (*).
(v) Pro tec ted charge s give a mar ked degree of add ition al safet y.
(w) Ventin g pla tes should pref erab ly be in single unit s of sufficient size to provi de the
ven ting are a requ ired. Th ey should be site d so th at the press ure canno t be deflected
from them by obst acles, etc. Venting should be thro ugh the roof of the com partm ent
whereve r possib le.

Present Arrang emen ts.

844. The presen t position of magazine ven ting is th at since the intro duc tion of Cordite S.C
(and the increased ca rt in its man ufac ture , inspe ction and tests) the risk of spon tane ous ignition to
a point at which it becomes dange rous is negligible. The arran geme nts fitted are there fore inten ded
prima rily, if not enti rely ,r as prec autio ns and safeg uards und er actio n cond itions and are designed
accordin gly. The venting" of Magazines into Han din g Roums is cunaid cied wtuitg po lky . because
with such an arra nge men t the exposed cord ite in the Hand ing Rooms will become ignited and the
 124
CH. XX IV .
vents betw een the Migazinc arid Hand ing Room now being open the pressure and flash in the
Magazine will be actually increa sed so tha t the Magazine is p ract ical ly certain to explode . Venting
front a Magazine must there fore b e direc t to com par tme nts above an d so to the open air.
On th is hypoth esis th e following is t he prac tice in operat ion :—
Capital Shi ps.
845. Th e qua ntit y of expos ed cordi te in the Main Armam ent Magazine in actio n condi tions is
such th at if it becomes ignited the rise of pressure will be more than the exist ing cor dite cases can
sta nd unles s the venting area is very large. Even with perfectly free venti ng it is not oe ra in that
the whole Magazine will not lie blown up. The prov ision of large vent ing areas is dire ctly opposed
to the princi ple of prorid ing the Magazine with the maxim um prot ectio n against shell bombs.
Splinters an d flash, and it is t here fore t he a ccepted policy not to vent the Magazines hut to position
them an d pro vid e them with th e maximu m arm ou r protecti on.
Hand ing Rooms are in a d iffere nt category- becau se there is o nly a limited amo unt o f cordite in
the m at an y time, and ventin g can be ar rang ed with out prejudi ce to arm ou r p rotecti on. Vent plate s
are fitted in the roofs >f Ha ndin g Rooms and ov er t o give v entin g u p thro ugh the bar be tte .
Cruisers
846. Th e qua ntit y of expose d cordi te in ti-mch and 8-inch Magazines is cons iderab ly less than
in a ba ttl es hip 's Main Arm ame nt Magazine and the Cordite cases ar e relativ ely stronger. It has
therefore been found possible to a rrang e for efficient venti ng direc t to the open air. If the- Magazine
H.i vhe s a nd those hatches imm ediat ely over are secured bv only two clips (i.e., one on ca .h of the
sides next to the binge) the ha tch will vent before the pressur e become s explosive and the area is
sufficient tn prev ent a dange rous rise of pressur e, even if all the expose d cordi te bccan n ignited.
Hat ches th us secured are also" sufficiently tigh t aga inst (lash from above . Similarly, th e manholes
over Hand ing Rooms should ha ve only the cli p o ppos ite the hinge engaged.
Destroyers, etc.
847. Jn small and lightly con stru cted vessels cd the dest roye r type th r Magazine st ruc ture will
usually disrupt and v.-nt bclort- a dangerous pressure is reached, In the action state the hatches
to maga zines are in .some cases necessarily open j at othe r times wa ter tig ht ness is consider ed of
majo r impo rtanc e. Furth ermo re, the Magazines are som etimes s towed with F ixed Q.l*. A mmunition,
shown by tri al and war experien ce to be r elativ ely sa fe. Thus, in these ships no ve nting arran geme nts
are prov ided and when not ope n for access, passag e of ammu nition , etc., hatc hes shoul d be fully
secured.

Summary.
848. Inst ruc tion s and req uire men ts for the venti ng of Magazines are now summa rised in
Handbook o j Damage Control ; these instr uctio ns apply- to all Magazines 8 -inch and below, including
Magazines 6 -inch and below in Royal Sovereign Class. They do not app ly to othe r Capita l Ships.
Th e inst ruc tion s are that cer tain doors and hat che s may be require d to act as ven ts to Magazines.
Doors in th is category shoul d be partially- clipped. Hatc hes below the deck imm ediat ely above the
deep wate rline should l>e par tia lly clipped and thos e higher up shoul d be closed but no t clipped.
Tlie hatc hes in questio n sho uld be those in the mos t d irec t lin e ab ove Magazines. In p ar tial clipping
the two cl ips neare st ihe hing ed sid e (but not on th e hinged side) s houl d be used.
In cer tain modern cruiser s the Main Arma ment Magazines c omm unic ate direc t with ti e tur ret
str uct ure s. As there is a s ufficient vent up the tu rre t str uct ure s it is u nnec essar y to leave t he Magazine
hatc hes in the v enting cond ition and they sh ould the refo re b e fully c lippe d and secured.
Modified locking irra nge me nts have been i ntro duc ed con sisting of a lock to secure one of the two
clips which arc " on ” in the ven ting st ate ; this docs n ot r eta rd ve ntin g of the hat ch itself.
TO OBTAIN THE MAXIMUM BENEFIT FROM THE VARIOUS SAFETY EEYICES
NOW FIT TE D IN THE MAGAZIN ES AND HAND ING ROOMS O F H.M. SHI PS, IT IS ES SEN­
TIAL r il A l T il l. QUANT ITY OF CORD ITE EXPO SED BE K E PI TO TH E ABSOLUTE
MINIMUM.

FLOODING ARR ANG EME NTS .

849. Arrang ement s a rc fitt ed to Magazines and Shell R ooms so t ha t each can be flooded from the
Sea. The sys tem is ngu lat ed by a seacock and a flooding v alve, bo th of which must be opened to
adm it wat er to the compartment.
One or more flooding va lves arc fitt ed to each Magazine an d Shell Rcx»m. Where the sjacock is
used solely for flooding a gro up o f Magazines an d Shell Rooms, one flood-v alve only is require d for
each com partm ent in th, grou p, and is fitt ed to the flooding b ranch do se to th e co mpa rtme nt. If the
handwhe el worki ng th? seacock and the handwheel working the f looding valve can be oper ated from
the same posit ion both arc ke pt closed until requ ired. Alt erna tive ly, if the handwh eels .ire some
dista nce ap ar t the seacock is open ed before the ship goes into action. Where the seacock is used for
oth er purp oses ad dit ioi al valv es ar e fi tted to isolate each grou p of flooding bra nche s from th e seacock.
Recent policy for new con stru ctio n o mits di rec t flooding t o Small Arms, Pyrote chnic, Pom Pom,
Sub-Calibre and smaller maga zines ; reliance is place d solely on the spray ing arr ang em ent s referred
to in fa r a. 853.
 125
CH. XX IV.
Gearing for Operation of Flooding System.
850. Seacocks and Hooding valve s are worked by rod gearin g from vario us ope rati ng positio ns.
For mer polic y in const ructi on prov ided these positio ns :—
(») In the Handin g Room or where the re was no Hand ing Room the outsi de entr ance of
th e Magazine.
(m) In the Hooding cabinet or Hooding loc ker in a positio n easy’ of access and . if possible,
with prote ction .
(in ) An inte rme dia te position.
Typical arrang eme nts are shown in Plate 37 George V Class) an d Plate 36 (H.M.S. Newcastle}.
851. The pres ent policy is to lit rod gearin g und er prote ction whenev er possible a nd the various
ope rati ng positio ns are :—
(») In the Hand ing Room.
{»«) Above the Magazine and und er prote ction .
(»f) In a positio n s epa rate d f rom the Magazine in a fore an d aft directi on and in a diffe rent
W.T. division of the ship.
Typical a rran gem ents are shown in Plate 36 (F iji Class). It will be seen from the pla te tha t,
con tra ry to normal practi ce, the Shell Rooms are flooded from the fire main ; thi s is because they
are situ ate d above the wate rline an d theref ore can not be flooded from the sea.
Cod er normal cond ition s the handwh eels at the upp er positio ns are pinned and the coupling
in the lower posit ion kep t conne cted and locked to the shaft. In action the uppe r position is to be
unpin ned and the lock at the lower positio n rem ov ed ; the cot ter , however, is not to be withdr awn,
bu t t he pin provid ed is to be inse rted in pla ce of the lock to prev ent the co tte r w orking out. blooding
can then be effected from cith er position. The uppe r rod gearin g can be ins tan tly uncou pled if this
is found necessary thro ugh damag e or oth er causes, bu t unt il the necessi ty arises it should remain
in gear .
852. In some olde r sh ips inst ead of the norma l handwhe el at the upp er position a deck plat e is
fitt ed at which the gea r rod term inat es in a squar ed head for o pera tion by a large T spann er. This
arran gem ent is now obsolescent and is on ly reta ined where it would he inconve nient to incorp orate
the up-t o-da te arran geme nts. »
The locking arra ngem ents of the syste m are designed to guar d agai nst mistake s. Len gths of
shafti ng can be discon nected elsewhere by removi ng tape red pins. The Hooding valves can then be
ope rate d by an y form of pipe wrench tha t would grip th e lowe r p ar t of the rod gear.
An aut om atic air escape valv e is f itted to the crown of each Magazine a nd Shell Room to allow
the air to escape when flooding. A pipe is le d from thi s valve to a positio n well ab ove the wa terlin e.
Wher e the height of the wate rline abov e the com part men t is insufficient to ope rate the air ■•scape
valve a simple exh aus t pipe is l ed to the open.
Au a da pt er is suppli ed for flo odi ng wh en in dr y do ck . It ia fit te d ex te rn al ly to th e sea co ck and
conne cted to the sho re water main s b y hoses ; the valve s for flooding are worked as thoug h the ship
was afloat.
Suctio n Pum ps are now fit te d gener ally to Magazines and Shell Room s. In some olde r ships only
Shell Rooms are so fitte d and Magazines, if flooded, m ust Ik- cleare d of wat er by means of port able
pumps.

SPRA YIN G ARR ANG EM ENT S.

85 3. Arran geme nts are fitt ed in the Magazines of all Capita l .Ships a nd Cruisers for spra ying the
amm unit ion stowage with water Supply is from the fire main servic e dire ctly over the Magazine
and is ind epen den t of the Flooding Syst em. Shell Rooms h av e no spray ing arra ngem ents .
A screw-down valve (kicked " open ") is fitted in eac h bran ch pipe near to tire fire mai n. A second
valv e called a *’ spraying val ve ” is fi tte d in the branc h nea r t o or inside the Magazine. Each valve
is op era ted by rod gear and han dw hed . A mu d box is fitt ed in tin- bra nch on the fire main service
side of the spray ing valve. Inside the Magazine p erfo rated cop per pipe s w ith bran ches and sp rink lers
are arr ang ed so th at the fron ts a nd top s of a ll cases can lx? spra yed. A lead is also arra nge d to the
co rdi te scu ttle tor sp ray ing a charge io lire scu ttle and for thi s purpo se a sprin kler is fitte d on each
side of tire bulk head sepa ratin g Magazine a nd Handin g Room.
Sprink lers m ay he d etac hed for cleaning . A dra in hole w ith a Saveall is fitte d at the low est poin t
of the spra y pipe betw een the spray ing valv e and the sprin klers for the purpo se o f de tec ting leakage
in lire va lw .
To pr ovid e a read y supp ly of wate r in a Magazine a bran ch is led off tlie Spra ying Service abov e
the spra yin g val ve. It is controll ed by a screw-do wn valve i n t he Magazine and is fitted to ta ke a hose.
Th is ar ran gem en t odao p ro vid es a test for the syste m a s far a s th e spray ing valve.
 126
CH. XX IV—SEC TION 2
Gearing for Operation of Spraying System.
854. Spra ying valves arc ope rate d by rod gearing from any of the f ollowing p ositions :—
(») An uppe r posi tion, us ua lly the flooding c abi net o r locker.
{t'lj A position just outs ide the entrance to the Magazine an d close to the valve.
(h i ) In t he Magazine.
Pres ent policy is to provide ati oper ating position for each spray ing valve sep arat ed fn m the
Magazine in a fore an d aft direc tion and in a different W.T. division of Hie ship.
Typical arrangements for exi sting ships ar e shown in Plate 37 (King George V Class) and Pla it 36
(for II.M.S. Newcastle}. Modified arran geme nts fitted in more recent ship s in accordan ce with war
experien ce a rc shown in Plate 36 (F iji Class).
The valve wheel ill the ca bin et is locked by a pin ; the rod g ear can he dis connected only in the
Magazine or Hand ing Rnc-m. When the locking pin is in place the valv e can be oper ated only by
ttnldcklng and enterin g the cab inet . Magazine or Hand ing Room. In act ion the cabine t is unlocked
and the pin remove d so that the spra ying gea r can lx- o per ated from any' position. The coup lings in
the Magazine an d Handing Room (where f itted) allow the valve to be opene d from these positions if
damag e to the upp er position has jamm ed the gear. This arran gem ent also allows personnel in the
Magazine or H and ing Room to disconn ect the upp er rod gear and close t he s praying v alve shoul d it
have been open ed front the ou tside by mistak e or unnecess arily.
The spra yin g system is par tly abov e arm our prot ecti on and ma y the refo re be p ut ou t of action.
In some ships rut u pper and a lowe r fire main arc fitted, the lower main being below armour. Spraying
canno t lx* ca rried ou t direct from t h e sea bec ame Magazines, as a rule, are not sited far enoug h below
the water line to allow of z s ufficient pressu re of wate r.
When in d tv dock a hose is connected from the ship 's fire mam to a sho re m ain for sprayiiyj.

DRENCHING ARRANGEMENTS.
855. A d rench ing system is fitte d to deal with th e drenching of e xposed c harges in the working
cham ber and Han din g Rosin. Drenc hing is su pplied from the pressure, ma in in 14-inch an d 15-inch
ships w hich use wate r a s the press ure medium. Ships with oil as the press ure medium have a special
lead off t he fire main.

CH. XX IV —SECTION 2.—MAGA ZINE STOWAGE

MAGAZ INE STOW AGE.

856. The following are the meth ods of stowi ng amm unit ion in Magazines
Cylind rical metal magazine cases arc stacke d in tiers, and arran ged so th at the stren gthen ing
bands nf the upp er cases rest on th e band s of t hose below. Cases are stowe d at a n angle of a pprox i­
mate ly 5° to th e fleck, being in cline d downwards tow ards the gang way to facili tate the remova l of
charges. Ho rizo ntal movemen t is pre ven ted by " wave d bat ten s " which are secured above each
second tier o f cases. These ba tte ns a re meta l stri ps and fit betwee n the stren gthen ing band s of the
adjac ent tiers of cases. Plate 38 shows s towage in tie rs in 14-inch Magazines of King George V Class.
Q.F. stowag e may b* arran ged in nests consis ting of cylind rical con tain ers known as ' bo ttle
racks " which are buil t into a specia lly cons truct ed fixed framework. (Plate 39). No ba tte ns are
require d witli hotti e rack stowage as a special clip is fitte d which presses agai nst the base of the
cartrid ge case an d reta ins it in th e rack ; the clip is easily moved b y spe cial tools when ex trac ting the
cartr idge or roun d from the con tain er. An impro ved design of spring -loade d reta inin g clip is now-
being fitted.
Where free access to all rac ks is not possible, “ rolling stowage ’* ma y be fitted . This lorm of
stowage cons ists o f bot tle ra cks bu ilt in a frame m oun ted on rollers and f itte d with a s tead ying roller
at the to p ; th e frames occupy' app roxi mat ely half th e gangw ay space. When the rounds have been
removed from the frames an d fro m t he fixed bott le r ack s no t blocked b y th e frames, the em pty frames
may be mo ved to give access to th e remaining bo ttle racks.
857. Wi th bulk stowage, i.c., amm uniti on in cases an d boxes, vert ical wooden b att en s are fitted
at t he front , sid e an d rea r to pre ven t movem ent. The front, and side b att en s are porta ble but th e rear
ones are fixed. The tops of the b att en s are secured bv keep-pi ns, sp ring clips or oth er appr oved means.
Plate 38.
With cas es and boxes which r ema in stowe d wh ile the amm uniti on is withd rawn , e.g., Car tridges,
B.L . and some Q.F. ammuni tion, port able ba tte ns ar e fitte d at the junc tion of t he cases s o th at the
lids m ay be r ead ily accessible.
Fo r othe r stowage ti e front ba tte ns arc fitted at the middle of each tier of boxes so th at only
one tie r or row of boxes ls freed a t a time. When th is meth od is appli ed to high stowages of small
Ixixes it has th e disad vantag e th at in heavy' wea the r the porta ble ba tte ns ma y require shor ing in
place, and when removed may expose a dangero usly hi gh tier ; in these cir cumsta nces an arran geme nt
 127
CH. XXI V—SE CTION 3.
of fixed vertic al front ba tte ns and port abl e horiz onta l ba tte ns a rc provid ed. Thes e verti cal ba tte ns
(made of channe l or T-bar) divide the stowage into bays, two boxes in width . The remova l of a
ho ri zo nt al batten frees two or four boxes accord ing to th e de pth of th e stowage.
'fh e Stowage fitte d in any magazine is not to be alte red with out special aut hor ity .

SHELL ROOM STOWAGE.

|“
i 858. General ly, shell arc stowed hori zont ally in bins.
The drivi ng band s of shell a re norm ally pro tec ted by rope gromm ets. These are remove d just
boforv llie shell i« p a s v d up Io th e gun. With the excep tion of ship s fitt ed with Endles s Chain hoists.
Carriers , Shell. Han d, Steel are used in the place of nope grom mets on shell for some mark s of Q.F.
4.7-inch guns.
MAGAZINES.

middle
ven tila ting
Arra
tray are
is unloade
are
set ou dt in
arra nge
of stowage and
CH. XX IV—SE CTIO N 3.—VEN TILA TING

A special form of stowage know n as " sliding shell stowa ge." was fitte d in the 5.25-inch and ,6-inch
Shell859.
Rooms someents
o fngem recen t cruiser
firstN.M.
s a ndfor
prov ided
and &when
menitt has
in thi s shel l arthe
renewing e stowed
air inverti cally in tray
Magazines and s the
in three tiers.nsThe
regu latio
E.R .cleared the uppe r tra y is low ere d; finally the lower tra y is
raised to prov ide easier handl ing of the shell. Sea experien ce has expos ed cer tain di sad van tag es in
this The
type usual is a been
Suppaban
ly tru nk d(lifted
done in thewit h st
late an cons
electric fan) inand
truct ion an rExh
favou
Forme rly, cooling arra ngem ents were also fitt ed in Magazines of Capi tal Ships and Cruisers. Since
bin sto w ag e.
the intr odu ctio n of the mod em prop ellan t it has become unnec essar y to cool charges excep t those
in a " hot ” Magazine (i.e.. a Magazine a dja cen t to a ho t com par tme nt such as a mach inery space).
of aus
the t normal
for

tr u n k .

Bare charge s of Cordi te S.C. have a tend ency to give off tox ic fumes which are increa sed by
hum idit y and he at and may cause rapid exha usti on of personnel und er extre me tropi cal conditio ns.
To pro tect personnel from these effects mod em Capi tal Ship s arc fitte d with an Air Conditi oning
Pla nt to sup ply a ir which is p arti ally dried an d cooled to th e Magazine.
860. The Air Conditi oning Plant, tre ats air draw n (1) from the open, or (2) from the Magazine
itself, i.e., when the plan t is ope rate d ou "cl ose d circ uit.” Plate 40 shows typi cal ven tilat ing
arran geme nts.
Static Dehumidifiers .......................... ..... "
86 1. S ta ti c de hu m id if ie rs . Type “ B " (Pa tte rn No. Boo) are to be install ed as necessar y to
reduce t he humi dity in t he magazines and there by assis t in main taini ng the con ten ts in a dry sta te.
Dehumidifiers should be insta lled on a scale of one per 600 cubic feet of magazi ne space.
In ord er to achieve maxim um efficiency from the dehumid ifiers, it is desirable tha t hatc hes to
magazines should b e drop ped whilst inspectio ns ar e in pro gress. Loose wa ter on the deck or in bucket s,
derived from the periodic tes ts of spra ying o r flooding or from any oth er source, should be removed
completely. Dehumidifica tion is best accompli shed by prev entin g ingress of wat er or moist air and
not by frequ ent react ivati on of units.
Each dehum idifier is fitt ed with a sighting por t, the spac e und er which is filled with indic ator
gel. This ge l is normal ly blue when dry, bu t tur ns pink when sat ura ted with moisture. The routi ne
for reacti vati ng saturated dehumid ifiers is l aid down in N.M .E.R ., Art icle 170, clause (6).
To react ivate , the dehumidifiers are placed in an arm atu re bakin g oven or the like for two hour s
at 250" F. Galley ovens must not be used.
(G. fllSJi(64. -Ame ndm ent No. 22.)

f
■

128

CH AR IE R XXV

WE AT HE R DECK MAGAZ INES AND i.ockers

865. The se types ol stow age may be gr ouped as follows :•—
(1} Exper iment al ex plosives magazi nes,
(2) Ready-use ma gazines.
(3) Ready-use kic kers and racks.
(4) Miscellaneous explosives lockers.
(5) Weath er d eck ma gazines.

EXPERIMENTAL EXPLOSIVES MAGAZINES.

866. The se magazines are f itted exclusiv ely in aircr aft carrie rs for the stow age of var ious explosive
airc raft stor es which, unti l the ir chara cteri stics hav e been dete rmin ed by experien ce at sea, ar e not
classified as belonging to an y par ticu lar Expl osive Group.

READY-USE MAGAZINES.
867. As a rule, ready-us, magazines arc com par tme nts fitted for the -.towage of amm unitio n (or
mult i-bar relle d guns ; the y are usually fitted wit h prote ctive p lati ng. On bulkh eads exposed to the
direct ray s of the sun th ey are l agged inter nally w ith 2-incli thick asbe stos. Vent plat es a re fitted in
suitable bulkheads and arc provided with a special rubber joint which combines watertightness with
ease o f v enti ng. Flooding arran gem ent s (and so metim es spr aying ar rang eme nts) are pro vd ed , supply
being from t he ship 's fire m ain service.
The obj ects of the re ady -use magazi ne ar e to p rovi de a r apid and conti nuou s su pply lo ready -use
loc kcr x^f td to economise in th e num ber of personne l requir ed for amm unit ion supply.
The com part m or s Stow as much am mun ition as is con sidered ade qu ate for an action, and they
should h e rep lenish ed from t he betwecn-deck magazi nes du ring a lull.

READY-USE AMMUNITION I.OCKERS AND RACKS.

868. Stee l lock.r.- and rac ks are fitted to prov ide stowage at gun positio ns (other t han tur re ts or
between dec k mountings) for a ready-use sup ply of amm unitio n. The lockers are flashli ght and
wate rtigh t and are designed to stow unbox ed am mun ition , i.e., Fix ed rounds , Q.F. Cartrid ges and
Cartr idges , B.I.. in Clarkson's cases. Lockers or rack s for amm uniti on in cas es o r boxes may still be
found, but the y are lxing rep laced by those m entio ned above.
Rea dy Use Lockers for close range arm am ent usually stow linked or belte d amm uniti on or
magazine drum s.
It wa s formerly the genera l prac tice to stow shell in racks a t th e gun positions with the result
th at , espe ciall y in smaller vessels, shell were expose d to the weat her. Fuzes were thu s rendered
unserv iceabl e and in Arctic cond itions shell were frozen in thei r rack s and were useless as a read y
use sup ply . Wate rtight lock ers now replace shell racks for 4.7-incK shell and below, in destr oyers
and sma ller vessels.
The locker s now ti lted ar c usually of j-in ch plati ng. Trial and exper ience h ave establ ished tha t
these lockers will ve rt before the cont ents explode . Light typ e locker s have no prote ctive value
agai nst shell fire or air a tta ck an d the y ar e enclosed within the pr otec tive screen of flic gun wh erever
pract icabl e.

MISCELLANEOUS EXPLOSIVE LOCKERS.

809. Loc kers are pr ovid ed for expl<>si\-,s which, on accou nt of the ir Gro up •I ISSXfication, arc not
to be stowed below the we ath er deck or with oth er explosives. Th ey are usuall y of light plating
and wat erti ght and in cer tain instan ces are fitted with flooding arra ngem ents .
Typ ical examples arc :—
Tar get Smoke Shell.
Smoke Floats.
Smoke Grenades,
liom bs, Incendiary.
Bom bs, Practice. Smoke.
Roc ket s **U .”

WEATHER DECK MAGAZINES.

870. We ath er Deck Magazines are fitted for the stowage of explosives and pyrot echnic stores
which, accord ing to the Regula tions, mus t not be stowed between decks.

871-874,
 I2SI

CHA PTE R XXVI

TARGET AMMUNITION
FALLING TARGET SHELL
875. This is a d ose r ang e anti- aircr aft tar ge t.
Ext ern ally , the shell resem ble norm al service base ejecti on st ar shell. They are in suppl y for
12-pdr., 4-inch , Marks V an d XVI. 4.5-inch an d 5.25-inch guns.
Th ey can lx? used bot h as a visual and a Ra dar targ et in calib res 4-inch to 5.25-inch. The
Tracer shoul d be visible in brig ht sunshine. The Rad ar targ et is provided by the Reflec tor unit.
Tire 12-pdr. can, however. Ik used as a visual tar ge t only.

4-inch, 4.5-i nch and 5.25-inc h.

876. These shell ar e fit ted with a time fuze No. 401, below which are a 1-oz. (G.12 gunpowder)
burst er an d a reflector u nit. The reflector unit consi sts oi three dipole steel tube s filled, hall with
t-ace r comp ositio n and half wi th lead to increa se the rat e of fall. Th e tube s a rc linked in series b y a
flexible wire to a cen tral colum n ; the column head has a coppe r disc ob tur ato r at it s top end to
assist ejecti on.
* 877. The fuze initia tes the burs ter. The resu lting explosion ignite s the trac er composi tion in the
reflector unit and blows off the base of the shell. The reflector un it is ejected and th e tra cer c om­
position burn s while it is falling
The normal burnin g tim e is 65 seconds.

M 12-pdr.
878. I his she ll has a fuze No. 198, a 2 dr. (G.12 gunpowder) bu rste r, and a long ste el sta r case
tilled wit h sta r composition.
879. The fuze initi ates the burst er. The resul ting explosion igni tes the sta r compo sition and
Hows off the base of the shell. The burnin g s ta r is ejected.

BACK FIRI NG TARG ET SHE LL

880. This n. w type of un ro tat ed shell is inte nde d foi practice firings with ra da r insta llatio ns
and to a limited degree simu lates a dive bombi ng att ack ; it gives rad ar indicatio n which can be
recorded on the install ation
The shell are in calib res 4-inch. 4.5-inch an d 5.25-inch and can be identified by the markin g,
viz. : black body. a yellow zig-zag band broke n with the lette rs B .F .; and the word " EI.AR E ”
s-cncilled in white.
Specia l reduced charg es only must be used with these projec tiles. Th e car trid ges can be dis-
t nguish ed by the mou th of the case bs-ing closed with a leat herb oar d cup and the bas e stencilled
E.F ., T.G.T.
881. The shell consists of a cylind er fitted with an ada pte r on to which screws, a t one end, a
removabl e-flat end ed head, an d a t the o the r end, a f abrica ted tail. The overall length is appr oxim ately
Jive feet. On the tail drum , four small loading stop s are fitted to tak e up agai nst the sho t seatin g of
the gun cham ber.
The she ll, whose time fuze No. 390C is f itted in the a da pte r u nd er t he h ead , lias a p owde r b urs ter,
a c ordit e ejection charge in a celluloid con tain er, and a pressu re pla te (floating pisto n). Below this
the targ et flare (which con tain s the rocket) is co nta ine d in split sup por ts, the rocket ta il tube being
forward of the flare. Fixed t o the rocket tail is a w ire mesh rad ar aer ial secured to thr ee arm s which
when fr et from the split sup por ts are act ua ted by thr ee springs the reb y spread ing the wire mesh.
882. (I) Before the pr oject ile is loaded into th e gun, the se t screw in the. head is to be slacked back
sufficiently to allow th e head to be unscre wed a nd re moved, the fuze is to be se t a nd the head screwed
back in place, par ticu lar car e being take n th at the set screw is s crewed har d home.
(2) The vent screw, to which a label is at tac he d, must ne xt be removed from th e head. The
h;a d of thi s screw is sufficiently proud of the mai n diam eter to preclu de final loading, an d its removal
fc also necess ary to ensure corr ect functioning of the fuze by allowing the escape of the gases from
the bur nin g of the fuze p owd er time rings.
(3) Th e projec tile must be handl ed and loade d carefull y into the cham ber and pushe d home
with the appr opri ate ram me r until the stop s on the tail engage th e shot sea tin g; no undue force
should be applied.
The fuze setti ng and ang le of eleva tion for a par ticu lar prac tice will be dete rmi ned by the
app rop riat e traj ecto ry cha rts.
 130
CH. XX VI.
883. The func tioni ng <f the fuze mag azine ignites t he powder bu rste r a nd cordit e eje ction c harge,
and in turn the rocke t tail, cord ite and targ et flare are ignited.
The targe t flare is ej ected un de r action of the press ure plat e ; the splat suppo rts, driven to the
rear , she ar the thr ead s securing the fabric ated tail whic h falb a way, as d o th e split support s.
The bur nin g targ et flare speed s towar ds the firing ship, the rad ar aer ial being exten ded under
actio n of the spring s.

ROCKET GLIDE R TARGET

884. The ta rg et is a model glide r with a wing span of 45 inches, and is used on a shore Tange.
It was origi nally designed for firing prac tice with Thom pson sub-mac hine guns.
885. The equi pme nt consists of (I) A Model glide r with a rocke t mot or, and (2) a >pecial
launchin g cat apu lt.
The fuselage, wings, tailplane a nd fins of the glider are covered by a st rong out er skin of special
m at er ia l; its tailp lan e mounting is hinged so th at it can be adj uste d for trim. The rocket motor,
fitted in the unde rsid e of the fuselage, consists of a rock et tube , ada pte r and stri ker sub-assembly
ventu ri, percussi on cap and a cor dite charge.
The ca ta pu lt performs the following acti on :—
(1) Th e rocke t motor is init iate d by its fi ri ng mechanism.
(2) Imp etu s from the ela stic cords launches- the glider. Once launched , the mea ns of
sust aine d prepu bion is provid ed by the rocket motor.

BRITISH 2-INCH ROCKET, TARGET

886. This r ocke t provides a movin g targ et whose sp eed is from 250 to 400 k nots. The rang e is
appr oxim ately 5,000 yards. The mea ns of launchin g -the rocket a r e :—
(1) On board ship.—From, a Modified pro ject or, which has a hea vy wooden cros s as a base.
(2) On shore.—Trom an Unmodified pro ject or, which is secured by pressing the feet and
spa de into the groun d.
The Tar get Handboo k should be referred to for gene ral instr uctio ns, main tena nce and detai l.
887. A r ou nd co ns bts of the fallowing m ain par ts Propellin g unit. Tar get Head a nd Pi m (4).
The orde r of assem bly is :—
(1) Fin s to Propelling Un it.
(2) Tar get Head to Prop ellin g Unit .
Dism antlin g is done in the revers e order.
TI IE PRO PEL LIN G UNI T is a shorte ned 2-inch Rocket U. The tub e is 2 J-inchcs in di ame ter
and 20|- inch es in length.
TH E TAR GE T HEAD is a bod y tube w ith a weight and a ballistic ca p atta ch ed to the forward
end and a s ocke t containing the de ton ato r a nd the ign iter a t the rea r en d. Two candle s, each with a
priming co mpositi on a re con tained iti the body. There are four ven t holes in th e casing for each cuidl e
and for p rote ctio n the holts arc cover ed by lassola stic s trip s.
888. After launchin g, the pres sure of gas develo ped hy the cord ite in the rocket ope rate s a
reversible diap hrag m and strik er, an d the det ona tor b exploded. This ignit es priming compositio ns
and in turn t he c andl es arc ignited (A burs ter en sure s th e sa tisfa ctor y i gniti on of the forward pr iming
composition.) The candles bu nt simu ltane ously, the lasso lastic str ips are bu rn t off and t he gases an d
flames escape thro ugh th e vent hol es. The flamin g rock et trav els at a high vel ocit y to the en d of its run.

ROCKET TARGET, PRACTICE, 1 lb. See Para. 689.

-Of»Cv Z //4 4 t ’• A I W
 131

SCHED ULE Ob IMPLEM ENTS AND KEYS

Indf* No.
SHE ET 1
1
Key No. 89 ... ..............................................................
2
Key No. 121, Mark I N ........................................................................
3
Key No. 69, Mark II .........................................................................
4
Key N o -115, Mark I I I .......................... ..........................
5
Key No. 153. Mark I I .................................... ..........................
6
Key No. 52 .............................................................
7
Key No. 105 .............
8
Key No. 68 .....................................................................................
y
Key No. 128 ..................................................
SHE ET 2
1(1
King, insertin g a nd removing lid, 5.25 -in., Mark I ..........................
Tool, rec tifying mou ths of Cartri dge Cases, Q.F. 5.25-inch. Mark 1 11
Tool, opening tang s of cartri dge cases, Q.F. 5.25-inch No. 2. Mark I 12
13
Key, cases, powder, recta ngula r, No. 3, Mark II ..........................
14
Key, cases, powder, cylindrical, No. 3, Mark UN ..........................
15
Key, case, magazine, No. 1 .............................................................
16
Key. case, magazine, No. 2. Mark III ...............
17
Key, case, magazine. No. 3 .............................................................
IS
Dr ift , 5.25-inch, Mark ...........................................................................
 132

INDEX
Pa nt
Bom b(s). Ai rcr aft , Co mp on en ts
Acces s Doo rs lor M aga zine s De ton ato r-B ur ste r . 720
Ad apt ers , Base ............. De ton ato rs for 11. E. bo mb s 4 .. . 728
Ad ju ste d Cha rge W eig ht s ............... Fuz es fo r H .E . bom bs .J. 4.4 . 722
Aim ing Rifle, 1-tnc h. Ca rtri dge . S.A. In iti ati on of .. . . 721
A.K. D e v ic e .......................... M ark ing s. . . 740
A m at ol .................................................... No&c P isto ls ............... . 725
Am eri can A.S.A . ........................... Pisto l* .. ......................... .4 4 723
Pr op el la nt s Rc cu tet iou s .. . ... .. . .. . . 72o
.. Pro pe lla .nt s in Q.F . Cartridge-; Sa ic tv a rra ng em en ts. Fuz es an d Pist ols . 726
Oc rii ko n Box es ............... Ta il pis tol s ................ . 724
„ O cr iik on Shell Ta ils ................ 730
Am mon ium n i t r a t e ........................... Bon ibfa ), Ai rcr aft . Drill ••• . 739
Am mu nit ion beocen ... ............... llo mb (s) , Air cra ft, H. E
C.I63 ...................................... Au ti-P em onn el ... .. . . 7:46
C-19O ............................ A.S ....................................... *4 4 , 735
C.21 6 an d C .2 I9 ............... G.P . ... . 7X1
€. 22 2 M.C....................................... ...4 ... 734
C.290 S.A .P. an d A .P ., .. . .. . . 732
Am mu nit ion , Em ba rk at io n ... Bo nib fs). Air craf t In ce nd iar y ............... . 737
Ho isti ng in bo ar d ............... .. .. P ra c ti c e .. . .. . ... . . 73S
Str iki ng down. .......................... Bo m b B.L. H. E « inch M or ta r 10 lb. . Mark 1 . 6*59
Typ ica l a rra ng em en ts .. . 10 lb. Un de rw ate r No . 1 Mark 1. w ith gas
Am mun itio n. Fi xe d an d Sep ara te chock ................ . 655
Aiu mu uii ion Pa ck ag e Bo rnl xir dm en t C ar ln dg ta , Q. F. .4 * . 172
Am mu niti on Su pp ly „ Charg es, B .l - .. . . . 134
Ho riz on tal ........................... fuze s. Use of Tu ne, Mec hanic ; 1
Ov erh ead r a d s ... ............... fuzes ............... . 433
Q. F. 4-mcli . 4 .5-iu ch a nd 4 7- inch gu ns B ot tl e Ra ck S towa ge .. . I>> . . 856
Re ady -us e Lo cke rs and Ra :kn ... Bo xc lot h w r a p p e r s .............. . . .. •.< . 112
lte ad y- us e M a g a z in e * ............... Box es, Am mu nit ion ... . 779
Sec ondar y ar ra ng em en ts ............... .. A S A .............................. .. . .. . . 784
Sma ll Shi ps ........................... .. Ca rtr idg e ................ . 774
Ve rtic al ... .. ............... .. Fire wo rks .............. . 699
Am mu nit ion S up pl y Ap plia nce :. Ta ble uf Br iti sh 2 -in ch Ro ck et T ar ge t 886
Ant i-P ers onn el. A irc ra ft, Bomb*
A pp ar at us A .D. T yp e D. fP.A.C.) ...
............................. J Mfoi 1, lA a n d II
L M ki. 1 an d I I .. . c
A.P . Air craf t Bo mb s
A.P . C art rid ge. S.A. MX?
A.P. C. Shel l ... Ca p Com pos itio ns 4. 4 . . 62
A.S . A irc raf t Bo mb s ... Ca rba rn ite .. . ................ .. . ... . . 21
A.S.A. Boxes Ca rd bo ar d Pr ot ec tin g T ab es ................• . . 140
CS IM ................ Ca rri er Ha nd -u p ................ .. . ♦.. . 825
H3 Ca rrie rs, Am mu niti on ••• . 826
1124 ................ Ca rrie rs. She ll ................ ............... . 828
H3S ................ C ar tri dg e Boxes
C.» , Maris H ................ . 775
C.I 85
Cnr tard ges, A irc raf t, C at ap ul t
B Me thod o f a s s e m b li n g ...............
Ca rtr id ge s. B.L . ............................
Bac kfir ing ta rg e t She ll Fr ac tio na l Cl iarg es ......................
Ball, Ca rtri dge, S A ........................................ Du ll. B. L........................................
Ba llis tic C a p s. ...................................... Ca rtr idg es for Ho lma n Pr oj ec to r, Mk. I ll
Ball tslit o, Ca rtr id ge , S A. 0.30 3 inch , H .I Z Ca rtr idg es, S.A . (Am erica n! for rifles, ma chi ne gun s
Ban ds, Lif tin g B .l - 6 inch Projactilfia etc . ............... ... . 539
Ba rat ol .. . .. . . .............. .. .. (Br itish ) fo r rifles, ma ch ine gun s.
Base Ad apt ers ................ etc . ... .. . >>.
Bas e Pe rcu ssio n fuzes (s « «Ao Fuzes) Ma rkin g an d m ean s o f ide nti fica tio n
M a tc h in g .............................................
Bla nk Ca rtri dges, B. l...........................
Mar king on Ca rtr id ge s. S.A. .........................................
P a c k in g .................................................. Aimin g. Rifle . Fi nc h. El ec tri c, Mk. II
Bla nk C artr idg es. Q. F. ,. „ .. Pe rcu ssi on. Mk. I ll
Mark ings on ..................................... Ar mo ur- Pi erc ing (A .P .)............................
P a c k i n g ................ Bal l ...................................................
Bla nk Ca rtri dge s, Q.F . to I k j Made u p o n b oar d Bl an k .....................................................
Pac kin g Dril l .............. : .. . •>.
Blan k C art rid ges . Q-F . 4.7-iii ct. 4-inch , 3-tn <h 20 D u m m y ........................... ..........................
cw t........................ " ... 240 In cen dia ry .........................................
4-inch Marks V - V , XV. Ob ser vin g .........................................
XV I and XV I* reduced. Pro of ............... .. . .. .
Mark 1 1... Fo r Re vo lve rs a nd Pi sto ls
3.7- in ct Ho wi tze r Rim fire 0.22-in cl) ... .. . .. .
12 pd r. I2 cw t. Rifle Gre nad e. 0 303 i nc h Ba lUs tile . II. Mark
6-pdr., 3-pdr....................... Rifle G ren ad e. 0.30 3-in cli Co rdi te II. Mk. II
Bla nk Ca rtri dge s. S.A . S.A .P............................................................
B l a s t ............................ S.A .P. T rac er .. . .. . ...
Bo at ’s ma gaz ine ; Tr ace r .....................................................
 133

Pa ra. Para
Cartr idge, S.A.- coni. Drill Bombs, Aircraft 739
20 m.m. Hispa no (sr# also Hiapano) 577 Cartrid ges, B .L .... . 127
„ Ocrlikon (American) 573 Q .F ... . 308
„ .. (British ) («« also Ocrlikon I 56) S.A. ... 525
Cartrid ges, Signal, l-inch an d lj- in rh «75 Fuzes 454
l-inc h Red. Mk. XIV I U7ti Shell ............... . :*>7
Cases. Car tridge (Clarkson's) 143 Tillin'. .............. 219
Cases. Cartr idge. Q.F. ............... 153 Driving Ban ds ..; . 267
Cases. Po wder, C yl in dr ic al ............... 7ft) .. Double 270
C.E .............................................. 751 Dumm y Cartrid ges, S.A. . 526
C.F................................................. 757 Sh el l............... 309
M. ....................................... 751 Tub es 220
Stowage of .......................... 8ft? Drv Dock. Flooding arra nge men ts in 852
Cases. Powder, Metal n r Tin-L ined 783 .. Spray ini; arr ang eme nts in 854
Whole Case. C.118 a nd C.122 .. 783
Hal f Case, C 119 and C.123 ... 783
Qu arte r Case, C.121 a nd C 124 783
Cases. Powder. Rect angu lar 760
K.H ................................................ 767
767
§4. ::: ::: ::: 761
E.C. Ho ists .. . ................ ••• ... . 825
R.N ................................................ 761 Em bar kat ion of Anuuu iution ... .. . 815
T. W. S. R and C ............. 769 Endless Whip ............... «•« ••• ... 825
C.E. (Composition Exp loding) 66 .. Wire H oi st s............... ... .. 825
Chain (E .C ) Hoi sts 825 Exp erim enta l Explos ives Magazines 866
Charge Wei ghts ............. ... ••4 ITO Exp lode r System in Projecti le
N om in al ......................... 106 explosiv e ,. ........................... 11.260
Ad jus ted .. . ............. ... 107 Explosion ....................................... ... 2
Fixed ............. IDS Blas t effects ......................... ... 12
'* Danger zo ne ................ .. . .. 12
Reduced ............. ... ... 109
Charges for B .L. guns •44 129 Definition o f ........................... ... 2
B o m b a n lm e u t............. ... 134 Fra gm ent zon e .. . ••• 12
Full ......................... 130 Explosive s, Classificati on of Serv ice ... 4
Ignitcrles s ••• 116
11o .. Cont aine rs for .. 10
Reduced ............. ... ... 131 Definiti on of Send ee ... 1
Special Gunne r)' Schoo! 139 Init iati on .. . ... »•« ... 11
Sta r She ll .............. 132 Sta bil itv and Ueesumr prop erties ... 9
Supe r Charge 133
Clearin g Charges ... 182
O cr lik on ......................... at* 572
( lips. Cartridges. Q.F. .. . 166 F
Combustio n ... " .............
Comp osition. Explodi ng (C-E.| ... ... 66 Falling Tar get Shell ... . 875
Concen trated Igni ters ........................... 122 Felt Wads .............................................................. 158
Con tent s Label s for A mmu nitio n Box es and Cart­ Firew orks' Boxes ... .. . ... ... ... 699
ridge B oxes ..................................................809 Bo at's Magazine ...........................................703
Copal varni sh ... ......................... 72.28 9 Gig’s Magazine .. 703
Cordite, Main f eatur es ............... •............... 18 Nig ht Signal Box .......................... ... 701
1-ot, Definition of ... ......................... 20 Sea Boat Box ...................................................... 702
Sizes ... ... ... ... ... ... 19 Ste am Boat Box .. . ... ... ... 704
Fl&shkss and Non-bli nding ........................... 30 Fixed Charge Weight ....................................... 108
Definibun of a Fkishlcss c h a rg e ............... 31 Flame, Flo at, Delay. Mk I .......................... . (479
A.S.N................................. 37 Flare. S ig n a l............... 677
H.S .C/ K- /T. 38 Plcuhlctsc and Non -Bli ndin g Pro pell ant . 30
N. T y p e .......................... 35 Flashless C harge. Definition of .. . 31
H .N ./ P .................................... ... 35 .. „ for Q.F. Cart ridge s ... ... 155
Full i-lash .................................................. 21 Flooding Arra ngem ents in Magazines an d Shell
M.C. an d M.C.T............................................... 27 rooms ...................................... ... ... 849
M.D. and M.D.T............................................. 26 F.N. H. P r o p e l la n t .......................... •• 1 41
S.C..................................................................... 21 Fra ctio ns! C h a r g e s .......................... ... 115
S.C./T................................................................ 23 Frag ment Zone 12
S.S.C.................................................................. 22 Fragm enta tion . Definition of ... 12
S.U.................................................................... 24 Fric tion Tubes .. . ............... ... 111 697
W. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Full Cha ige ... ........................... ... 130
W J t f 29 Full Flas h Pr ope llan ts ............... ••4 «44 21
C.P. Shell .................................................................. 288 Fulm inat e of Mercury ............... ... 58
C.P.B.C. Shell ...................................................... 287 Fuze. Aircraft. Bomb ............... ... ... 722
C.P.C. Shell .. 4 286 Fuze Powde rs . .. . ... 399
Cont ainer s ...................................... ... 142 Fuze(s). S h el l...................................... ... 335
Amm unitio n ..........................................................804 Blinde ,. .. . .. . ... *4 » 175
Cart ridge ...................................................... 805 Care of ... ......................... ... 489
Fo r Cartr idges , B.I.. for6 -tnc h, Mk X II I guns 142 De ton atin g ........................... ... 337
Costo n Line-Throwing Guns .............................714 Det onat ors f o r ........................... ... ... 467
Cream Serge fo r Cartr idge bags ... 120 Dynam ical facto rs avail able for arm ing and
functio ning ............................ ... 340
D Fu my t hrou gh muzzle cover s ... ... 478
Fail ures and accid ents with ••• »•« 475
Danger Zone of Explo sion or Deto nation 12 Ignlfe rous ......................... . ... 337
’ De nn atin e ............................ 747 Ki t Plas ters 482
Dete nts 311 Markings on ... 339
Deto nation ............. 3 Meta l covers .......................... ••• 444 481
Deto nato r-Bu rster ............... .. 729 l’nsmatura s in ... ... 475
Deto nato rs for Ai rcraf t Bonitfe . 728 Safe ty arra ngem ents Obje cts of ... 4. 4 338
,. for F uzes an d Gaines .. 467 Shell supp lied fuzed ............. -f .. 48»
Dinitr ophen ol .............. .77.85 Shell supplied plugged 444 484
I )ipli«iiyLnnin»- 49 Ta hi r and «lv»IV'iwwl with 491
Dredge r Howls ............... 825 P ercussion, D.A........................ 444 ... 345
Drenching A rrange ments .. 855 D ri ll...................................... 4 .4 .4 4 454
4- ^ertueaqidi^lc-VS ... r*-t
 135

Para. Para.
Markings on —fo nt. Pr oje cti les .............. ................ • 2W
Fuz es ......................... .. . 339 Bac kfir ing T ar ge t Sh ell • 880
H an d Gr en ad es <5 34. «« Ba llis tic Cap s ... .......................... 272
I g n i t e r s ......................... ... 122 Base Ad ap ter s ........................... •• 279
Lid s o l Q.F . Ca rtr idg es .. . 188 Che mica l S hel l .. . .. .. . 303
Pack ages . Am mu nit ion ... 792 Col ouri ng o f .....................................................313
P r im e r s................ ... 228 Desig n, Fa ctu m i nflu enc ing ... .. . 250
Pro jec tiles .. . 310 Dril l Shell .....................................................307
O. F. C artridg es ... .. . 18*5 Dr ivin g B a n d * ....................... — 267
Q. F. Bla nk C art rid ge s .. . 246 Dou ble D riv in g B an ds ... ... - • 270
Tub es. V.S. ... 221 Ex plo de r sys tem in Sh ell filled wi th hi gh ex ­
M.C. Ai rcr aft . Bo mb s .. . 734 pl os iv e......................................... 259
Mec hanis ed Co nv ey or ... 825 Fa lli ng T a rg e t Sh el l 875
.. H an d- up ... ... 825 Fu zin g She ll. In st ru ct io ns f o r ......................... 485
M er tu re F ul m in at e ... ... 58 H .E . shel l ................ 289
Met al Co vers for fuz es .. . 181 Fille d T. N. T.— Po ur ed . 262(a)
Mil ler's f l a j w ................ ... 825 .. T.N .T. Blo ck fill ing . 263
M ill s'B om b ... ... 830 .. T .N .T /B .W .X 284
Minera l J e l l y ................ ... 18 .. Sh rll ile .............. ................ 265
Mo tor Boll ard .. . 825 „ L yd di te ............................ 265
Muzzle Cov er*. In st ru ct io ns fot bri ng th ro ug h ... 478-9 .. R.D.X .i'B.V V.X.................................... 286
„ R .D .X ./T .N .T ..................................... 266
" K ' a nd " A .K " d evi ces . 273
N M ar ki ng s.. .................................................. . . 310
No me ncl atu re for de sc rib ing sh ap e of pro je:
N.C.T. P ropell ant 40 254
41 til e he ad ...
N .H . Pro pel lan t
Ni gh t Sign al Box 701 Service no men clature .......................... 257
Paper Sh ot .. . . ... 306 a
Nit roc ellu lose Po wd ers 39
Ni tro gly ce rin e................ 85 Pe ne tra tiv e C ap s .. . ............................ 271
Pie rcin g Shell .. . .. . .. . .. . -» 281
Nom inal W eig ht Ch ar ge 106
725 A.P .C................................................................ 282
Nose Pi stols .. C.P. .. . ........................................ 288
Non .rem ova ble Ig ni te r Cov ers 126
C.P.C. ... ........................................ 286
C P .B .C ............................................................ 287
0 S.A .P................................................................ 285
S.A .P.C ............................................................. 284
Obs erv ing . C ar tri dg e S .A ................................. . 527 Practice Projectiles .............. 304
Oc riik on Am mu nit ion {sre al to Ca rtr id ge s. S.A.) . 560 Pro of Pr oj ec til es or S ho t ............................ 306
Ame rican ... .......................... 573 Shel l su pp lie d fuzed ... ... .. . 484
Clearing Cha rges ............................ 572 ... .. plug gori ............................ 484
Drill. Mks. I an d II ............................ 570 Sh rap ne l Shel l .. . .. . ............... 300
H.E. SheU ........................................ 368 Sm oke Sl icll, B E „ w ith a T im e F u/ e 298
H .E ./ I. She ll ........................................ .. 565 Sm oke Sh ell wi th a D. A. Fuze 299 a
H .E JI /T She ll .......................... .. 566 S ta r Shel l ................ 291
ll .E ./ T She ll ........................................ .. 560 „ .. 2- pd l.. . 296
Mark ings on a n d m ea ns of iden tif ica tio n . 562 Ta rge t Sh ip P ra cti ce 305
Pi ac tic c pr oje cti les ............................ .. 563 Ta rg et S ruok e S hell 302
Pr ac tic e T ra ce r P rojec tile* 564 Vn fnz ing She ll ... 488
SJ LP ./H JB ./I Shel l ............................ .. 567 Pr op el la nt s ............... 15
T> 7* »o f ....................................... . 562(a) Flash lcs* an d No n-b lin din g 30
Ful l Fla sh ................ 21
In iti at io n of ................ 11
Ame rican 39
V.A.C. [m alt o A pp ar at us A. I). Ty pe D) 60S IT ot ec tin g t ub es ................ 141
Pac kage s. Am mu uit ion 745 Pr ot ec tiv e Doom foi Ma gaz ines 838
Am mu niti on Box es ............... 770 Pu m p Suc tio ns 852
Boxe s A.S.A................................... 784 Py ro te ch ni c C om pos itio ns ... 95
Cartridg e Bo xe s.......................... 774 Py ro te ch ni cs 67o
Case. Po wd er . Cyl indr ical 750 6S7
„ Me tal or Tin Lined 783 Ca rtr idg e. Sig nal. I as id 11-mch . 675
„ Rec tang ular 760 Fi rew ork s' Boxe s ... • ... .. . 699
Lab els for ........................... 806 Fla me . Fl oa t. Delay , Mk. I . 679
Mar king .. . ... .. . ... 792 . . f l a r e , Sig nal . - — .. . 677
Tr an sp or t Pa ck ag es ............... 801 In iti at or s for .. . 691
P.F ..T .N .................................................. SO Pro jec tile s, lU un uo at ia g. Nos. I an d 2 550. 653
Pe nto lile SO Ro ck et. Fla re. 2-inc h .. . .. . 6SS
Per cuss ion Fuz ea (*« alt o I-uz.'S) .. . 345 Ro ck et, Ill um in at in g. 9 lbs . (Snowfl ake) .. . 603
It er at es .. ... ............... 72 Ro cke t. 1 lb. Ma gne sium S ta r .. . 681
Pic ric Acid (« r Ly dd ite ) ............... 72 ,, Sig nal, I lb. Rod. Gree n .. . 674
Pic ric Pow der ........................... 68 .. ,. „ S e r v ic e ................ , 671
Pie ici ng Shell («f* I Tojec tiles) 281 Ta rg et. Pr ac tic e. 1 lb. 689
Pist ol. Ai rcr aft , B om b ............... 723 -,..6 8 5
.. Rev olve r No . I Ca rtri dge , S.A 532
.. .. N o. 2 .. 536
.. 0.45 5-in ch .. 537 Q.F . C artridg es ............... .. . 150
Plat e Ignite r .. . .. ............... 122 A ni er ita n pr op el la nt s for .. . 39
Po rtfi res 692 Bla nk .......................... 237 . 240
Po wd er Bur nin g Fuz es (z « oho Tim e C om bus tio n „ " to be m ad e n p on Ixiand " ... ... 238
Fuzes) ........................................ ... ... B o m h a id m e n t.............. .. . 172
Pr ac tic e. A irc ra ft, Bom bs ............... .. . ... 738 Cha rge s lor ......................................... ... 154
Lock ers for ............................ .. . S69 Clea ring Cha rge s ............................ ... 182
Pr ac tic e P ro je c ti le s ........................... .. . .. . 304 Dri ll .................................................. :. .. . 3(18
Prim ers, Q.F . C ar tri dg es ............... 223 Fix ed Am mu nit ion .. . ... ... .. . 152
E le c t r i c ........................................ ••• 22: Flas hlcM Cha igc a ... ................ ... 155
Percu ssion ................ .. . .. . 225 Ij d s ..................................................... .. . 159
Ele ctric an d Perc ussi on ... 227 Ma rkin gs on l ids ......................................... .. . 188
M ar kin gs ........................................ .. . -•» 228 Mark ing* s ta m pe d on cases — 186
Pro jec tile . I Hum ilia ting . N o. 1 650 Ma rki ngs sten cill ed on have o f ca ses ... ... 187
.. .. No- 2 ............... 653 Re duc ed ......................................... .. . 169

•' G re na de . S igna l. No. 65 685 ”

' Fl am , Ide nti fic ati on 688"
 -

136

Para, Para.
Q.F. Cartridg es—tmif. St at io ns L ab els .. . . .. ... ... SOT
Safe ty Clips ............. 166
Sep arat e ...................................... 151 Sulphuring* Gunpo wder ... ............... ... 94
Special G unne ry School Chaigea 181 Supe r Charge# ... .'. ....................................... >33
Sta r Shelf .............. ... 171
Tinfoil in .......................... 157 T
Quick M a tc h ...................................... 693 Table o f
R
Frac tion al Charge* Reduced Chargi:*. ign iter * |3:>
Fuzes ... .. .. .. . ... ............... 491
R.D .X................................................... 79 High Explosive s ...................................... 85
R.D.X ./BAV .X..................................... -... ' ... 2<trt Tail Pistols. Aircr aft. Bombs ... .. . 724
R.P .X ./T .N .T......................... 266(a) Tails. Aircr aft. Bombs ...................................... 730
Read y Use Loc kets a nd Racks ... 86 8 Tar get Ship Pra ctice l’rojectiles ... ... 305
,. ., Magazines 86/ Ta rge t Sm oke S h e l l ............................. 3W2
Reduced Charg e firings ... ... 109 .. Lockers f o r ......................................................869
Reduced Cha rges for B.L. guns ... ... 131 Tear Ofl Discs .................................................. 125
Ta bl e of Approv ed Cha rges .. . ... ... 139 T c tr y J.................................................. <S<
Redu ced Charges for Q.F. Car tridges ... 18" Time an d Pe rc us sio n Fu ze s (lez alto Fuse s) ... 447
Instructions to con vert 5 25-tnch Cart ridge s .. 170 Time Combus tion Fuze s (sec alsoFuzcsl ................. 397
Removable Ign iter C o v e rs ............... ... 121 Time Composi tions (Fuze Powders) ...................399
Revolv er an d Pistol Cartridge s. S.A. 530 Tim e Mechanical Fuze s (» « also Fuzes) ............... 429
Re tu rn Tu be s fo r C lar kso n's Ca ses ... .. . 84 0 Tinfoil in Cartridge*, B. l................. _ ............... U9
Rifle Grenade s .......................... •». 641 „ in 0 .F . Cartri dges ........................... ... 151
Cartrid ges. S.A.. 0.303-inch. T.N. T............................................................................ 74
Balli stite H. Mk. IZ 528 „ Beeswax ............... ... ... 78.264
Cordi te, Mk. II .... 529 .. Block. Method o f f i l l i n g ...............................263
Ri fle M .L L e . L tne-Thtowing............... •la ... 715 .. Crystal.* ................................................ 70
Rim-F ire Ca rtridg e. S .A., 0.22-mc h. Mk. I $53 .. Pout ed. Method of filling ... 262ta)
Rocket Flar e. 2 -in ch ... 598 Tracer. Ca rtr idg es. S.A.................................................519
.. Illum inatin g, 9 lbs. (Snowflake! ... 603 Tracer(s), Shell .................................................322
1 lb. Magnesium S tar •K 4.. 681 No. 1. Mk. VI ...................................................... 324
.. „ Red. G r e e n ............... 874 No . 2. MIc V I ......................................................328
.. „ S i g n a l ........................... ... 671 No. 8 an d No. 9 328
.. .. Tar get Prac tice, lib. ••• •.I 689 No. 13 325
„ Gl id er T ar ge t ... 884 No. 16 327
.. 2-inch Tarc et. Bri tish . . 886 Tra cer s am i Igni ter* . Sh el l . .. .. .. . ... 329
.. Targ et par ach ute ............... ... 689 No . 7 332
.. “ U " ............................................. ••• 590 No 14 333
.. “ U " 2-inch ............... ... ... 592 Tr an sp ort P ac ka ge s (« e Packages. Am munition) .. . 301
,, Lo cke rs for ... ... ... 88 9 Tube. 1-Tktton ......................................................w
Rolling Stowage ........................... a.I ... 858 Tub e G r o u p .................................................................. 23"
Tub e. C ardb oard Prot ectin g ........................... 141
S Tubes. V e n t ..................................... .. . 205
732 Drill .................................................................. 219
S.A.P. Aircra ft Bombs ............... Markings on ......................................................221
Car trid ge. S -A . ................. ... ... 518
285 Means of Ident ificati on ...............................207
.. S h e l l ......................................
... ... 284 .4-inch .................................................................. 215
S.A.F’.C. Shell ............... ,5-inch .. . ... ... ...........................210
S.A.P. Tr acer Cartr idge, S.A. ... ... 521
Scbcrn iuly Line-Carry ing Rocket . 1 lb. ... ... 712 1-inch . .................................................218
P a c k in g ..............................................................222
...........................................2 lb. ••• 710 S to w ag e..............................................................222
8 lb. ... 71 2 a
Ins tru ctio ns fo r use ••• 711
•••
S hu ll (i» z .tr io Projectiles)
Fillings, Merited of tilling ... ... 282
250 u
Shell F uzes (s#e also Fuzes) . ... ... 335 Unfuzin g Shell, Ge ner al Ins tru ctio ns ... ... 488
Shell Rooms. Flooding ... ... 849 Fuzed w ith No. 211 ...................................... 487
.. .. Stowage ... ... 858. .. No. 230 and Gam e No. 9 o r 10 ... 190
V en til at in g............... ... S6» I l and 16-nicli H .E . fuzed w ith T ime Combus­
Sh el h te ... ... ... 77 tion ... 492
Metlxxl of filling w i t h ............... ... ... 385 .....................D.A. ... 493
Sho t .................................................. ... ... 306 15-inch H .E. fuzed w ith Time C ombus tion ... 491
Shrap nel Shell .......................... .. . 300 .....................D.A...................................... 495
Silk C loth for Ca rtridg e bags ... ... ••• 120 Unive rsal Ca vity ................................................. 49 5 a
Signal Compositions ... ... 98
Signal Car tridge* ............. ... ... 675
Slow M a t c h ...................................... ... 694 V
Small Arms Ammuni tion (see also Ca rtridg es. S.A.) 505
Smoke C omp ositi ons.......................... ... ... 99 Vaughan Chute ..................................................825
Ca lciu m Ph os ph ide .. . 09 Ven tilatin g Ma gaz ine s ............................................ 859
Carb on Tet rach lori de Compositions ... ... 99 „ Shell Rooms .......................................... 8M‘
Fum yl ....................................... .. . 99 Veutir.g. Magazines and Hand ing Rooms ... 811
Hevac hloroe thane (x imp isiti ons ... 99
Whi te Phosp horu s ...............
Smoke Floa t, B.l. ., 4-inch Mor tar. Mks. Il a nd II I 657
... ... 99
w
Ixx-.kers for ... ... 889 Wad*, Feft ...................................................................158
Qnvvyo f itlcM 1yx'k»*T5i for 869 We athe r Deck Magazines and Lockers ...................885
Smoke Shell. B .E................................. ... ... 29 8 Exp erim ental Explosive Magazines ............... 866
Smoke Shell. B.E .. with a Tim e Fu ze .•« 293 Miscellaneous Explosive Lockers ............... 889
Sm ok e Sh ell wi th a D. A. Fu xe .. . .« 29 9 a Ready-nve IxjcItMs and Rac ks.. . ... ... 868
Special Gu nnery School Charges for B. l.. guns ... 138 .. M ag az in es .......................................... 867
.. .. Q.F. Car tridges ... ... 181 We athe r deck Magazines .. . ... ... 870
Sprayin g Arrang ements. Magazines ... 853
Sta r Shell (see alto P roj ect ile s) ... 291
.. ..
■2-.-0.
C ha rg e B 1 gun «
... ... 296
132
z
..................... 2-F - Cartridges ... 171 Zone, Da ng er ............. . ... ........................... 12

i.ntii'MMi w» looi.iffwa Uui. r /B T. * n tip h

> ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 C A R T R ID G E . B .L . 14 IN C H . 8 4 L B . 9 O Z
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LENGTH 24-75 INCHES

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CARTRIDGE FDR O f 4 7 INCH MARKS K TO K O E f
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 plate j

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 PLATE 6

PR IM ER , PER CUS SION , Q .F . CARTRIDGES PRI MER , ele ctr ic , O . F. Cartridges

N O -2 7 MA RK I O . F. 2 POUNOER NO. 13 MARK I ’ AND H
SCALE y
M A C A Z IN E CE NT RA L
IN SU LA TE D
C O PP ER WIRI G U N C O T TO N
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PR IME R, PERCU SSION, Q .F CAR TRI DGE S NO. 9 MARK III

BOD Y
LASH HO LES,

M A C A Z IN E
DO M E

S H EL L A C K ED PA PE R E N V E L O P E
W IP O W O CR C H A I
« C O N T R A C T O R ’S IN IT IA L S O R TR AD E M AR K

LO T NUMB ER
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M O N O G R A M O F F IL L IN G ST AT IO N
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SHELL B L . A R M O U R PI ER CI NG . W IT H C A P S H E L L B L . S E M I A R M O U R PI ER CI NG . W IT H C A P PLATE 8
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 SHE LL B .L . SHEL L O F. S A P 5 2 5 IN C H AK . MA RK H C I
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DATE o r F IL IN G (M ON TH & TEA R)

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COLOURING OF PROJECTILES

C LD ME THO D
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70
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 P L A TE 1 4

STEN CILLI NG ON SHELL j I L N U IL L _ IN < j UN o r lt L L .

OL D METHOD PRESENT MET HOD
O F GU N
CAL6 RE. C F GUN

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CO NT RA CT O RS IN IT IA LS
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N K 'f lF R O F EXP LO OE R NUM BER & DATE O F F IL L IN G FUZE

MAK ERS NI Tt AL S & MARK OF FUZ E M M B cR OF FUZ E

IARK ING SHO WING seri al NUM BER

LO T NUMBER S DATE OF FI LL IN G FUZE
OF TRAC ER
SERIAL Ru MB EP OF FUZ E -R E D BAND FO R FIL LE D SHE LL
S A P AND S A P C S K L L HAVE A WHITE BAND
«E0 SAW; FC fl H X tQ 5KLL ABOVE T K RED BAND
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— CEN TR E OF GRA VITY MARK
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AL L S K I 1 S MARK ED V FO R NAUR. SERVICE BED BAN D FO R SHE LL FI TT E O W IT H LI VE TRA CER

TYP ICA L BASE FUZED SHELL TYP ICA L BASE FUZED SHE LL
A P C C P C O R C P B C FI LL ED SHELLfTE A P C . C P C .O R C P B C FILLED SHELL fTE

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MARK O F TRACER
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FI LL IN G CO NT RA CT OR S INITIALS
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FU ZE . PERCUSS ION FU ZE .PE RC US SIO N. BASE . ME DI UM rU ZC .F CR QJ SS lQ N, BA SE. L AR GE

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REVOLVER . PIS TOL ANO MAC HINE CARBIN E CARTRIDGE AIM ING RIFLE [“ INC H
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