A
delay-action bomb is an aerial
bombA bomb is any of a range of explosive devices that typically rely on the exothermic chemical reaction of an explosive material to produce an extremely sudden and violent release of energy. The word comes from the Greek word βόμβος , an onomatopoetic term with approximately the same meaning as...
designed to explode some time after impact with the ground, with the bomb's
fuseIn an explosive, pyrotechnic device or military munition, a fuse is the part of the device that initiates function. In common usage, the word fuse is used indiscriminately...
s set to delay the explosion for times ranging from a few seconds to several weeks. Such bombs were used widely by British aviators during
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
The bombs were typically used to destroy airfields.
The bombs were also used to cause terror among civilians, because "a delay action bomb striking the roof of a tall building will penetrate through several floors before bursting", and any bomb could have a delay action mechanism.
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A
delay-action bomb is an aerial
bombA bomb is any of a range of explosive devices that typically rely on the exothermic chemical reaction of an explosive material to produce an extremely sudden and violent release of energy. The word comes from the Greek word βόμβος , an onomatopoetic term with approximately the same meaning as...
designed to explode some time after impact with the ground, with the bomb's
fuseIn an explosive, pyrotechnic device or military munition, a fuse is the part of the device that initiates function. In common usage, the word fuse is used indiscriminately...
s set to delay the explosion for times ranging from a few seconds to several weeks. Such bombs were used widely by British aviators during
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
The bombs were typically used to destroy airfields.
The bombs were also used to cause terror among civilians, because "a delay action bomb striking the roof of a tall building will penetrate through several floors before bursting", and any bomb could have a delay action mechanism. Near the end of the war, both British and German bombs became de facto mines, aimed at killing those trying to disarm them, with secondary fuses activated by light, tipping, magnets(used to disable a clockwork mechanism made of metal), or even a secondary chemical fuse.
Sources
- Oliver Lyman Spaulding, Ahriman: A Study in Air Bombardment, World peace foundation, 1939