Cutaway model of a British WW2 tailfuze No.53 with detonator No.43Mk1 and booster housing with booster charge.
The tailfuze No.53 is a chemical time fuze without an anti removal device (like the tailfuze No.37).
Functioning is as follows: upon release of the bomb from the bomb rack, the pin that fixates the propeller is pulled out. This propeller is connected to the spindle with fork at the base end of the fuze, rotating the spindle inward. This wil break the glass bottle containing an aceton alcehol mixture with a colouring dye to mark the strength of the mixture. The aceton in the mixture runs downward on a celluloid disc, starting to disolve this disc. The strenth of the mixture descides the time needed to dissolve the celluloid disc. Below this disc a steel ring is placed with an chamfered edge on the inside, keeping six steel balls pushed inward, fixating the conical top end of the spring loaded firing pin in tensioned position. As soon as the celluloid disc is dissolved far enough that the ring can be pushed upward, the balls will be allowed to move outward and release the firing pin. The firing pin wil ignite the firing cap (red) of the detonator No.43 Mk1 which is filled with a mixture of 80% mercury fulminate and 20% potassium chlorate. This will ignite the main charge in the booster, igniting the bomb.
The white paint ring in the V-shaped groove is meant to indicate that the fuze has no anti removal device.
Regards, DJH
The tailfuze No.53 is a chemical time fuze without an anti removal device (like the tailfuze No.37).
Functioning is as follows: upon release of the bomb from the bomb rack, the pin that fixates the propeller is pulled out. This propeller is connected to the spindle with fork at the base end of the fuze, rotating the spindle inward. This wil break the glass bottle containing an aceton alcehol mixture with a colouring dye to mark the strength of the mixture. The aceton in the mixture runs downward on a celluloid disc, starting to disolve this disc. The strenth of the mixture descides the time needed to dissolve the celluloid disc. Below this disc a steel ring is placed with an chamfered edge on the inside, keeping six steel balls pushed inward, fixating the conical top end of the spring loaded firing pin in tensioned position. As soon as the celluloid disc is dissolved far enough that the ring can be pushed upward, the balls will be allowed to move outward and release the firing pin. The firing pin wil ignite the firing cap (red) of the detonator No.43 Mk1 which is filled with a mixture of 80% mercury fulminate and 20% potassium chlorate. This will ignite the main charge in the booster, igniting the bomb.
The white paint ring in the V-shaped groove is meant to indicate that the fuze has no anti removal device.
Regards, DJH
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