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Sprengbrand C 50 Incendiary Bomb

Over-All Length: 42.5 in.
Body Length: 28.0 in.
Body Diameter: 8.0 in.
Wall Thickness: 0.15 in.
Tail Length: 16.0 in.
Tail Width: 11.3 in.
Total Weight: 75 lbs.
Type Of Filling: Burster Charge: TNT, Fire pots: Thermite in electron containers, Triangular: Thermite containers.
Weight Of Filling: 20 lbs
Charge/Weight Ratio: N/A
Fuzing: (25) B or (28) A impact fuzes; (89) B aerial burst fuze.

CONSTRUCTION: This bomb is smilar to the 50-kg SC Type III in its external features, differing only in that (1) it has a single-piece machined steel case; (2) the base plate is attached by aluminum shear screws instead of steel screws; (3) a filling plug is located in the nose of the bomb. The bomb is filled with TNT as far back as the fuze pocket. A steel diaphragm just aft of the fuze pocket divides the bomb into two sections. In the fuze pocket is located a bakelite gaine containing a black powder biscuit and a steel-encased gaine containing a delay pellet and detonator, the whole assembly being held in place in the base of the fuze pocket by a leaf spring. A hole leads through the after side of the fuze pocket and through the steel diaphragm to a silk bag of black powder, which serves both as an igniting and expelling charge for the remaining contents of the bomb body. The incendiary units are placed around a long triangular hollow steel column. Three double girds are placed in annular fashion around this column. Each pair of grids has four orange-colored biscuits of highly inflammable material pressed between them. These biscuits are ignited by the flash from the black powder expelling charge and, in turn, ignite the small incendiary units directly and the quickmatches of the six large units. The explosion of the black powder charge also shears the aluminum screws securing the base plate and ejects the incendiary elements over an area of about 100 yards. About 1 second after explosion, the delay element in the booster reaches the detonator and fires the TNT charge in the nose of the bomb.
SUSPENSION: The bomb may be suspended either horizontally or vertically by an eyebolt.
COLOR AND MARKINGS: The body and tail may be painted blue-grey or dark green, while the base plug is red. The small incendiary elements are painted brown, while the firepots may be bright red or green.
REMARKS: The bomb contains, besided the TNT charge, 6 fire pots and 67 small triangular metal incendiary elements.

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)

DISCLAIMER: The information presented here is for historical and educational purposes only. The Warbirds Resource Group is not responsible for any misuse of this information and does not condone the illegal use of explosives in any way.

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