AB 1000-2 Container

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CONSTRUCTION: The body is T-shaped in cross section. The longitudinal axis of the container is formed by two sheet steel plates 26.5 by 70 inches. Indented together with circular spot welded pressings and welded along their greater dimensions to two U-shaped girder pieces. Two circular sheet steel plates form the nose and tail bulkheads. A slightly domed sheet steel nose is welded to the nose bulkhead and is reinforced by a tubular steel sheet approximately 8 inches long welded to both the bulkhead and the domed nose. A sheet steel top plate is welded to the upper U-shaped girder to form an arc-line canopy extending 13.5 inches on either side of the girder. The top plate is recessed to recieve the H-type suspension lug and to accomodate the fuze pocket.
   The central support for the tail unit is a steel bar welded to a square plate which in turn is riveted to the tail bulkhead. A flanged circular sheet steel plate is spot welded to the tube and tail cone for added support. The tail fins consist of two layers of sheet steel pressed together, each layer being part of the adjoining quadrants of the tail cone. Fuzes are housed in a thin sheet steel box inside the tail cone and are welded to the tail bulkhead. An inspection hatch in the tail gives access to the fuzes.
   On the under side of the fuze box are two steel clips which accomodate the 4-ounce penthrite charge provided to destroy the electromagnet generating units attached to the bottom end of the fuse. Five sections containing incendiary bombs can be arranged in each side of the center bulkhead of the container. Each section is seperated by semicircular sheet steel seperator plates. The bombs are held in place by five sheet steel retaining bands which are drawn tightly around the bombs and container by turnbuckles. Each strap is held in position at the lower edge of the vertical position by a large split pin anchored to a bracket support which carries a small charge consisting of two detonators. Two rectangular steel plates near the nose hinge outward when the forward band is severed and form air brakes.
   The fuze pocket accomodates the charging head from which siz orange colored cables are led to the fuzes. Two of the cables are connected by a fuze charging attachment to the head of the (89) B fuze; the remaining four cables are connected in pairs to two bayonet joint charging attachments housing the (69) D fuzes. Six leads pass from the fuzes to a junction box in the tail unit. Leading from the junction box are three cables for each of the six points (five retaining bands and the destroying charge on the steel fuze box), plus six black colored cables, all of which are enclosed in a green cover. Four of these leads branch off to each of the five retaining bands (two wires to each det.) and four leads branch off to the self-destroying charge. All detonators on the (89) B fuze circuit are instantaneous while the detonators on the (69) D fuze circuits have delays varying from 1 to 6 seconds, the variance between detonators being 1 second. They are so placed that the 1-second delay is on the band nearest the tail unit, the 2-second delay is next, etc. The 6-second delay detonator is used on the self-destroying charge of the fuze box. On release, an electrical charge is imparted to one of the plungers of the charging head, depending on which of the fuzes is to be used. The fuze functions and ignites a black powder pellet which drives a piston forward. A projection of the piston strikes a soft iron core in the center of a coil of copper wire enclosed within a magnetic sheath. The rapid displacement of the of this iron core induces an electric current in the coil which is passed to the junction box and then to the detonators which sever the band.
   Containers can be dropped from low altitude with the (89) B fuze and instantaneous detonators used to secure a heavy concentration of bombs, or conatiners can be dropped from high altitude with the (69) D fuze and varying delay detonators used. This would give a wide dispersion of the bombs.

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All information for this entry were acquired from Army Technical manual TM 9-1985-2/Air Force Technical Order TO 39B-1A-9 GERMAN EXPLOSIVE ORDNANCE (Bombs, Fuzes, Rockets, Land Mines, Grenades & Igniters)