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Navigation: Ordnance > Submunitions > United States

US Bomb, 4 lb Incendiary, AN-M50 Series

Description

The hexagonal body of magnesium alloy, weighing 1.25 pounds, has an iron nose plug. There are three vent holes below the primer cap assembly, to assist in initial burning. The hexagonal sheet-metal tail is secured to the body with three screws.

AN-M50XA1 contains 170 grains of black powder in a steel capsule at the nose, replacing a portion of the thermate. The bomb burns approximately 1.5 minutes, until the black powder explodes, scattering burning magnesium over a wide radius.

AN-M50A2, similar to AN-M50A1, is waterproofed around the primer cap and first fire charge.

AN-M50XA2, similar to AN-M50XA1, has an explosive head consisting of a steel nose cap which houses three tetryl pellets, a detonator, and a delay fuse. The delay fuse is ignited and sets off the detonator, exploding the tetryl pellets and projecting fragments of steel and burning magnesium.

AN-M50XA3 is identical to AN-M50XA2, except that the assembly around the primer cap and first fire charge is waterproofed.

AN-M50XA2 and AN-M50XA3 each have a Type A and a Type B. Type A indicates that the delay from impact to explosion is two to four minutes; Type B indicates that the delay from impact to explosion is sixty to seventy seconds.

AN-M50T bomb body is similar to the M50 with the exception that it is toxic. The AN-M50T's toxicity is due to the fact that the ignitable part of the bomb is an alloy of 80% magnesium and 20% cadmium. Upon ignition, the cadmium oxides which are formed produce a toxic gas. There were two methods to discern between the M50T and M50: the letter "T" was indented in the M50T body close to the nose plug, and a green band was painted on the upper end of the M50T body denoting a toxic gas.

AN-M50TA2 is identical to AN-M50A2, except that it contains a secret toxic agent, which does not affect the burning properties of the incendiary. Clusters carrying these bombs will have a green and a purple band painted around them.

AN-M50TXA3 combines the toxic feature of the AN-M50TA2 with the HE feature of the AN-M50XA3. It is identical to the AN-M50TA2 as to appearance, except for a new longer, double-mortised steel nose, hollowed out to contain the explosive charge. Because of the extra length of the nose, the column of therm-64C is 1 1/8 inches shorter.

The M50TXA3 is produced according to only one design or type, which gives a delay on the explosion of the HE charge of from 1 1/2 to 6 minutes. A heat-sensitive detonator 2.556 inches long, which ignites at 300° C. is housed in a hole drilled centrally through the upper part of the steel nose. A 1/16-inch steel disk is placed in the bottom of the filling cavity of the bomb body, thus covering the top of the hole in the nose and insulating the detonator from the heat of the burning bomb. The HE charge consists of tetryl pellets.

The AN-M50A3 is an incendiary bomb. It is hexagonal in cross section and measures 1 5/8 inches across opposite faces of the hexagon. It is used in M32 incendiary bomb clusters.