Page:Objects Dropped From The Air p02.jpg

2 must on no account be touched or subjected to the slightest vibration.

The German SD 10A, type I, anti-personnel bomb corresponds very closely in dimensions to the SC 10 bomb, and is illustrated in Figure 5. The body of the bomb is steel, 0.6 in. thick, and is 12¾ in. long and 3⅜ in. diameter, and is formed solid at the tail end. The tail of sheet steel is secured to the body by four rivets and four indentations. It is 8½ in. long, and the vanes are 4¾ in. across. The nose of the bomb contains the fuze. The overall length is 21⅝ in. The body is olive green with D 10A stencilled in black, and the figure "14" diametrically opposed in two places. The tail is also coloured olive green, sometimes with red bar between the vanes and stamped "41 ewu 138."

The SD 10A, type II, has the same external dimensions, but has a double steel casing; the outer case being $7⁄64$ in. and the inner casing ⅛ in. thick. The space between these casings is filled with rough ¼ in. steel cubes set in concrete.

(v) Radio-Controlled bombs have been developed mainly for use against shipping. Two types already used are:—

(a) Hs 293 (see Figure 7): A midwing monoplane glider with underslung jet-propulsive unit attached by a cast tripod. The total span is about 10 ft., and the overall length about 10 ft. 6 in. The fuselage comprises the nose, containing bomb of the 500 kg. type with kopfring 1 ft. 7 in. diameter; the centre, housing the radio control; and the tail unit. The glider is noiseless in flight except for a slight hum, and is fitted with a device for destroying the radio-control apparatus should the bomb fail to explode on impact.

(b) PC 1400 FX: A radio-controlled armour-piercing bomb as illustrated in Figure 8. The bomb itself is of the P.C. 1400 type (see appendix A, page 62) with a special tail unit conțaining radio control mechanism and with four large fins on the main body. It is radio-controlled from the bomber aircraft during its fall towards the target, so as to correct for normal bomb sighting errors. No jet-propulsion is used. The overall length of the bomb is 11ft., the span of the large fins 5 ft., and that of the tail unit 4 ft. A device to destroy the remote-control apparatus if the bomb fails to explode on impact is fitted.

(vi) The latest addition to the range is a Parachute Bomb, consisting of a cylinder of sheet steel ⅛ in. thick, and oval in cross-section, 2 ft. 7 in. across at the widest and 1 ft. 4½ in. at the narrowest part. The straight sides are 4 ft. long, and in front is a tapered portion terminating in a flat nose and extending overall length to about 6 ft. A square sheet metal box 1 ft. 4 in. wide and 7 in. deep, which has a four-piece canvas cover, which contains the parachute, projects from the casing, to which it is secured. The parachute sits on a wooden platform with four springs underneath to assist ejection. It has a wire stiffening; is about 5 ft. diameter and is attached to the bomb by 32 cords. Parachutes found have been coloured red, green or blue. The bomb is coloured field-grey and marked "SB 1000/410" and "52 A +." (See Figures 9A and 9B.)

.