Archive for Aerial Bombs

German Aufschlagzünder 13 AZ13 AZ8312 Impact Fuse

Posted in Ammunition & Fusing with tags , , , , , on January 13, 2023 by The Dude

This fuse is off a B1E1 incendiary bomb. It’s coded DKP for Hagenuk Hanseatische Apparatenbauges, Neufeldt & Kuhnke GmbH at Berlin-Tempelhof. It is dated 1942.

This bomb consists of a cylindrical body made of an alloy of magnesium and aluminum with traces of silicon and is closed at its upper end by a screwed plug. One the shoulder of the bomb, three pegs, which also serve to lock the plug, and hold the tail. The base is closed by a plug that houses the percussion fuze AZ. 8312.

This fuze consists of a striker, an arming spring, and a detonator holder. The whole is sealed and held in position by a crimped washer. A safety pin keeps the needle clear of the detonator. The igniting arrangements consist of a detonator relay kept away from the plug by a washer and a cylinder with vents drilled in it. The whole is covered by a mixture that appears to be smoke-producing. The vents in the body of the bomb serve for the release of gases. These vents are normally closed by a strip of Chatterton’s compound.

The main filling is in two parts. The first of a small quantity, in contact with the detonator, serves as a relay. Its composition is not known. The main filling is an incendiary powder mixture of iron, aluminum, etc.

Luftwaffe SD-50 Aerial Bomb

Posted in Bombs with tags , , , on September 20, 2021 by The Dude

Here’s something you don’t see every day. This is a German 50kg General Purpose bomb. I can understand why people don’t collect these things. It’s huge and its almost fallen over on my foot a couple of times. This is the third aerial bomb I have collected, after an SD-2 here and an incendiary BD that I haven’t posted yet. These things aren’t really my core focus but how many aerial bombs do you get offered?