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Italian Nose Fuse
- Thread starter Birdseye
- Start date
F
Fuzeman
Guest
allways interesting to see bomb fuze information, what were their bomb fuze displays like ive been told they are excellent.
Birdseye
BOCN Contributor
Frankly, they do not stand out as an independent thing, as it were. I mean that the exhibit on ammunition was sort of small and all of the pieces were integrated pretty well.
F
Fuzeman
Guest
...sorry Fuzeman, have an idea on the tree fuze? Nationality, bombs on which were employed?...or other?
The fuze is in a particular box, this is a special box for EOD school or airmen training?
Wonderful piece...
Best regards Francesco
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These are Italian Torpedo fuzes from WWII as they were also used by the Wehrmacht in the Italian torpedos designated LT 350 in German service.
The torpedo was air delivered. The three fuzes were all different in working principles (and tasks). All three were installed at the same time!
The fuzes were:
- regular fuze for sea targets
- self destruction fuze in case of a missed target
- impact fuze in case torpedo is dropped on land
The torpedo was air delivered. The three fuzes were all different in working principles (and tasks). All three were installed at the same time!
The fuzes were:
- regular fuze for sea targets
- self destruction fuze in case of a missed target
- impact fuze in case torpedo is dropped on land
...the term "torpedo" is incorrect...the originan project has a proper name "Motobomba FFF" (Freri Fiore Filpa), was a air dropped ordnance, used by Italian Air Forces during World War II.
The designation FFF was derived from the last names the three men involved with its original design: Lieutenant-Colonel Prospero Freri, Captain-Disegnatore Filpa, and Colonel Amedeo Fiore.
The FFF was originally it derived from the "ELIA" electric torpedo, naval, (after to brief rectilinear run in water, it performed to rout to spiral that expanding) to particularly proper weapon against formations naval and big convoy or it shaves port, of the count Elia;
the weapon had a 500 millimetres (20 in) diameter electric torpedo which was dropped on a parachute and was designed to steer concentric spirals of between 550 and 4,375 yards (500 and 4,000 m) until it found a target.
It weighed 350 kilograms (770 lb), and contained a 90 or 120 kilograms (260 lb) warhead (tree series known manifactured).
Its speed was max 7 m/sec initial, medium speed 18 km/h ( various sources) and it had an endurance of max 30 minutes, max 9 km total travel.
In the first models it has the fall is braked only by a parachute of around 6 mqs of surface, hooked to the central part of the bomb, which automatically opens to around 130 meters from the water.
In the following models the motobomba will be improved with the addition of an additional parachute, so-called "pilot", of around 1,5 mqs of surface, both hooked to the tail of the torpedo, that you/they reduce the speed of fall of it up to 100 m/sec , able to guarantee a soft impact with the surface of the sea.
It was acknowledged The weapon has tree nose fuze and spaced between them ; all the fuze has a different working principles.
One fuze is intended for engaging hard target, same as impact air bomb fuze, this principles is in order to impact on ground (missed target or hard wind on the dropped zone) or other hard surfaces ( vessel, etc ); this fuze had an simply, same air bomb fuze, armed by arming vane;
second fuze is regular for sea target ( same as torpedo), armed by "water" arming vane;
the third fuze is intended for delay/self distruction explosion after about 30min. , to prevent enemy recover and intelligence activities; this fuze was armed in air travel with arming vane.
Once in water, it stabilizes him to the depth of around 1 m, the mercury swich activate the electric propulsion of it and it begin to complete a rotatory run to spiral increasing for 15-30 minutes (but also 45-60 minutes according to informed sources) to the speed of around 14 knots, up to center an any target on its rout and the impact fuze makes it explode against the alive work of the ship. The attempt to equip the motobomba with a steel magnetic fuze it doesn't have good result: the weapon comes instead provision of a system of self-destruction to up 30 minutes from the impact with the sea water
The initial development work on the torpedo was carried out at Parioli, near Rome. It was demonstrated in 1935 to Benito Mussolini, Admiral Domenico Cavagnari, General Giuseppe Valle and other high officials. Freri later demonstrated it at the Germania works at Travemnde, the Luftwaffe experimental trials centre, and the Germans were sufficiently impressed to order 2,000 examples.
500 were ordered for the Regia Aeronautica, the first planned uses for them in combat to be against the British naval bases at Gibraltar and Alexandria in 1940.
The limiting factor was the fact that only the Savoia-Marchetti SM.82 bomber had the necessary power and range to deliver such a weapon over such a distance
The first attack using the FFF was made on July 17, 1942 when three SM.82s flew from Guidonia against Gibraltar, an effort repeated on July 25, both missions aborted before launch. On the night of August 20, a Major Lucchini conducted a successful mission against Gibraltar and this was followed by attacks on targets in Albanian, Libyan, and Egyptian waters. Aircraft of 32 Stormo attacked Gibraltar once more in June 1941 and in that same month Lieutenant Torelli (based at Rhodes) attacked Alexandria harbour on the night of June 13.
The largest use of the weapon was against the PEDESTAL convoy to Malta on August 12, 1942 when ten Savoia-Marchetti SM.84s of 38 Gruppes 32 Stormo launched them against the convoy south of Cape Spartivento, Sardinia. This made the ships of the convoy alter course, which allowed conventional attacks to penetrate the convoys defences.
By September 1942 the Italians had 80 of the improved Mk 2 version at bases in Sardinia, 50 in Sicily, and 50 more with their experimental (ASI) 5 Squadron.
The Luftwaffe made their first mass attack using the weapon on March 19, 1943 when Junkers Ju 88s launched 72 of them against shipping at Tripoli, sinking two supply ships and damaging the destroyer HMS Derwent. Derwent was subsequently beached with her engine room flooded and although salvaged and returned to England, was never repaired.
The FFF was subsequently used in attacks against invasion shipping at Bne in Algeria on April 16, 1943 and at Syracuse during the Allied invasion of Sicily later that year. On December 2 a force of 105 Ju 88s attacked Bari harbour with FFFs, destroying 16 Allied ships including the SS John Harvey, which had been carrying mustard gas.
It was acknowledged by the Germans as superior to anything they had and American intelligence was eager to get its hands on it after the Armistice with Italy in September 1943.
best regards Francesco
Maybe in Italian. Or not to confuse the Italian designation with what it is technically - an extreme short ranged torpedo.
The German manual is also designating it as a torpedo. Even the US doc you have shown says what you described here - a torpedo...
http://i277.photobucket.com/albums/kk45/genkideskan/Seite-16j.jpg
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...maybe...
Technically, and from the constructive point of view, the principal evidence is the presence of one impact fuze....there are no other airdropped torpedo fitted with impact fuze, with arming in airtravel ..the underwater fuze it began working only if the impact fuze didn't work.
The US image is a part of intelligence study on one bomb recovered in a of the various failed bombing of Gibraltar, Algeri etc...during the war. After the armistice, in 1943, Allied troops captured different samples of FFF, that immediately brought in the United States and in England, for technical studies but few documents were published, even if all bring the denomination of torpedo and not of motobomba, as the builder had denominated, making to derive indeed from a circular run torpedo.
Is a simply a matter of technical terms, the reality' it is expounded by the general operation of the weapon.
After the war, in 1958, new trial on a bomb/torpedos in inventary, underwater behavior and other parameter, they established that the device was still interesting and fully actual.
Best regards Francesco
first two Y and Z type tail uses are regularly found fitted on Italian SAP 100 Bombamina recovered in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
I just love the construction and appearance of italian air bomb fuzes!
Here's a Mechanical Type I fuze used on 3kg /20kg anti-submarine bombs - this is the only one I have ever come across..............
Any thoughts on what the markings are:
"1" in the circle and also stamped on the vane spindle;
"m.750" ?
Enjoy.
Cheers
Drew
Hum, after just reviewing my post, the diagram of the Type I mid-body is narrow and straight, whereas in the photo the body is tapered.....perhaps a later /earlier variation?
Perhaps a Type T?
Footnote: The reference where the diagram and information on the Type I came from (TM9-1985-6) points out that no Type T fuses were recovered as it stated the Italians did not used any chemical bombs.
Here's a Mechanical Type I fuze used on 3kg /20kg anti-submarine bombs - this is the only one I have ever come across..............
Any thoughts on what the markings are:
"1" in the circle and also stamped on the vane spindle;
"m.750" ?
Enjoy.
Cheers
Drew
Hum, after just reviewing my post, the diagram of the Type I mid-body is narrow and straight, whereas in the photo the body is tapered.....perhaps a later /earlier variation?
Perhaps a Type T?
Footnote: The reference where the diagram and information on the Type I came from (TM9-1985-6) points out that no Type T fuses were recovered as it stated the Italians did not used any chemical bombs.
Attachments
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stecol
Well-Known Member
Anti-Submarine ? I say anti-aircraft bomb fuze, specifically for the 20 Kg Bomb (Bomba da 20 c. V.), identified by the truncated cone junction.
"750" are the meters of fall before the explosion, "1" is the identifier of this delay.
There are 8 variant of this fuze, numbered from "1" to "8": the No. "1" was activated after 750 meters, the No. 8 after 400 meters.
Every number identify a step of fifty meters between 750 and 400 meters.
This fuze could act as point detonating, the arming occurs after a fall of approximately 40% of the number indicated on the fuze (i.e. No.1/750 is armed after 288 meters of fall)
20 kg and 3 kg AA bomb were dropped in groups of 8, each with a different fuze setting, to occupy an airspace of 350 meters, which was useful to compensate for sighting errors.
Regards
stecol
"750" are the meters of fall before the explosion, "1" is the identifier of this delay.
There are 8 variant of this fuze, numbered from "1" to "8": the No. "1" was activated after 750 meters, the No. 8 after 400 meters.
Every number identify a step of fifty meters between 750 and 400 meters.
This fuze could act as point detonating, the arming occurs after a fall of approximately 40% of the number indicated on the fuze (i.e. No.1/750 is armed after 288 meters of fall)
20 kg and 3 kg AA bomb were dropped in groups of 8, each with a different fuze setting, to occupy an airspace of 350 meters, which was useful to compensate for sighting errors.
Regards
stecol
Hi Stecol,
Just to clarify, does your reference to the "truncated cone junction" imply this fuze was used on the 20kg bomb rather than the 3kg one? Did therefore the 3kg used the fuze as shown in the diagram?
Thank you for the excellent information and details re the markings - another mystery solved! (Just took me 30 years plus to finally find out!)
Cheers
Drew
