BRITISH ANTI AIRCRAFT SHELL WW2 - Self destruction

[PETERTHEEATER]

Hello members, I am not a new member myself but only occasionally post here athough I log in from time to time looking for information.

During WW2, the RAF had a bomber training element named 'Bullseye'. Sorties were flown with simulated bombing against UK city targets.

A colleague has found a record that sometimes during these raids the AA defences were permitted to open fire using 'self destroying shells'

As far as I know all heavy calibre AA shell was fuzed for self destruct so, in this case, were the projectiles non standard but frangible yet strong enough to wihstand firing stresses or another type ?

Any ideas?

 

[Gunnerwho?]

Presumably the flying altitude was agreed and fuzes set to burst 1000 ft of something below, when the aircraft were in the agrred engagement envelope. Call it battle innoculation for pilots.

 

[PETERTHEEATER]

Yes, that is the inference. Give the aircrew 'flak' experience but not with a hazard.

 

[al'saad]

those were not SD fuses but MT (mechanical clockwork) fuses.

 

[Gunnerwho?]

An MT fze is a self-destruct fze! It just self-destructs at a time selected by the user.