Description
The E123 cluster munition was designed to achieve wide area coverage of toxic agents.
The E123 bomblet was cube shaped with walls 4.25-inches in length. It had a central burster well and a simple soldered closure. The bomblet was fitted with an internal stiffener plate located at the center of the bomblet and perpendicular to the burster well. The bomblet was equipped with one-inch fins. Subsequent bomblets were equipped with 0.5-inch fins, which were shown to result in better dispersion. Stiffener ribs were provided in the bomblet walls close to the seam formed in welding the bomblet body halves to the stiffener plate. The ribs served to minimize distortion of the bomblet walls by the heat of welding.
The fuze was a mechanical type all-ways fuze that had a centrifugal arming system.
Used with the M30 adapter. Each adapter held 91 cubes. Total weight of agent in an adapter was 173 pounds.
Functioning
Upon release from the cluster adapter, aerodynamic forces would cause the bomb to spin. Centrifugal force would then arm the fuze. Upon impact the fuze would initiate, setting off the burster, which would spread the chemical agent filler.
See Also
Source(s)
Old Chemical Weapons and Related Materiel Reference Guide (2018)
