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Who knows the truth about this
- Thread starter markyakyak
- Start date
This why bomb fuzes used a safety delay before becoming active so if an explosion occurred in mid air it would occur far under the bomber.
However some fuzes were notoriously problematic. The worst case being the one mounted on French torpedoes in the 1937-1041 period. Although an excellent torpedo fuze underwater, it had the very unpleasant habit of self-activating in flight when mounted on aerial torpedoes (apparently did not like altitude pressure variations, while supporting depth pressure variations) and thus a number of random mid-air explosions of aircraft carrying such a fuzed-equipped torpedo were recorded. the result was that the crews decided to block the fuze before taking off - making the torpedo unusable. If in peace time this could pass "under the radar " of the authorities, when ww2 broke out the trick became fast obvious and the crews had to devise an improvised system to activate from the cabin the fuze just before launching the torpedo - but this could not be done on the new Late298 torpedo bomber - this may explain why this bomber was never used in torpedo runs, while extensively photographed on ground with its torpedo hung under the fuselage. BTW to the best of my knowledge there was no attempt at any time to improve the design of this fuze......
However some fuzes were notoriously problematic. The worst case being the one mounted on French torpedoes in the 1937-1041 period. Although an excellent torpedo fuze underwater, it had the very unpleasant habit of self-activating in flight when mounted on aerial torpedoes (apparently did not like altitude pressure variations, while supporting depth pressure variations) and thus a number of random mid-air explosions of aircraft carrying such a fuzed-equipped torpedo were recorded. the result was that the crews decided to block the fuze before taking off - making the torpedo unusable. If in peace time this could pass "under the radar " of the authorities, when ww2 broke out the trick became fast obvious and the crews had to devise an improvised system to activate from the cabin the fuze just before launching the torpedo - but this could not be done on the new Late298 torpedo bomber - this may explain why this bomber was never used in torpedo runs, while extensively photographed on ground with its torpedo hung under the fuselage. BTW to the best of my knowledge there was no attempt at any time to improve the design of this fuze......
The air launched torpedo was a 400mm torpedo "Modele 1926DA".
These are French drawings from the mid 1930s on the fuzing of this torpedo
It seems to have been used both on 400mm torpedoes (aircraft, torpedo-boats and submarines) and 550mm torpedoes (submarines)
They seem quite similar to the drawings/ photos appearing in the USNBDSchool Publication "mines disposal handbook" dated 1945:
and here's a photograph from 1931 from such a fuze on torpedo suspended under a Levasseur PL7.
These are French drawings from the mid 1930s on the fuzing of this torpedo
It seems to have been used both on 400mm torpedoes (aircraft, torpedo-boats and submarines) and 550mm torpedoes (submarines)
They seem quite similar to the drawings/ photos appearing in the USNBDSchool Publication "mines disposal handbook" dated 1945:
and here's a photograph from 1931 from such a fuze on torpedo suspended under a Levasseur PL7.
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Excellent information - thank you very much!
I guess they just left the safety pin in place rendering the torpedo inoperative.......
Interesting if the reports were true since the arming mechanism was typical of the basic contact exploder type - i.e. once the safety pin was removed, the impeller would require approx. 23 revolutions in order to move the firing striker into the arming position. Once armed, either direct head on impact or via the extended whiskers would cause denotation. Perhaps the aircraft wind speed in some cases could cause the impeller to spin thus arming the torpedo, however IMHO I would question whether it could simulate enough air pressure to force the striker mechanism back hard enough overcoming the shear pin /washer in order to cause detonation. As water is a higher density than air, I would have expected premature denotations being reported when these torpedoes were either surface or submarine launched if this was the case.
I have seen quite a few variations of this type of Toggle Lever Pistol design from 1905 onwards - the later ones with the more pronounced whiskers.
I guess they just left the safety pin in place rendering the torpedo inoperative.......
Interesting if the reports were true since the arming mechanism was typical of the basic contact exploder type - i.e. once the safety pin was removed, the impeller would require approx. 23 revolutions in order to move the firing striker into the arming position. Once armed, either direct head on impact or via the extended whiskers would cause denotation. Perhaps the aircraft wind speed in some cases could cause the impeller to spin thus arming the torpedo, however IMHO I would question whether it could simulate enough air pressure to force the striker mechanism back hard enough overcoming the shear pin /washer in order to cause detonation. As water is a higher density than air, I would have expected premature denotations being reported when these torpedoes were either surface or submarine launched if this was the case.
I have seen quite a few variations of this type of Toggle Lever Pistol design from 1905 onwards - the later ones with the more pronounced whiskers.
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I've never heard of scarecrow shells in my fourty years of collecting ammo. Must have been giant shells to give flames and a light trace to the ground looking like a bomber hit.
I do know the Germans used rockets with coloured flares to make it look like pathfinders marked an area, of course following this lead would have ended the bombers dropping their load on an empty area. By night these quick descending flares may have looked like a bomber being hit and crashing. In the dark things may appear different (often larger) than in daylight by absence of reference.
Just my two cents.....
Regards, DJH
I do know the Germans used rockets with coloured flares to make it look like pathfinders marked an area, of course following this lead would have ended the bombers dropping their load on an empty area. By night these quick descending flares may have looked like a bomber being hit and crashing. In the dark things may appear different (often larger) than in daylight by absence of reference.
Just my two cents.....
Regards, DJH
I funny enough saw this on Youtube. I think both side used diversionary tactics to get one over the enemy and to deceive them. I would think if such a scarecrow shell projectile was used as a fake aircraft exploding then it would have to have a bit of a payload, ie you wouldn't find a 88 scarecrow shell it would have to be at least 128mm flak type or as they say rocket.