Delay-action bomb
Encyclopedia
A delay-action bomb is an aerial bomb
designed to explode some time after impact, with the bomb's fuze
s set to delay the explosion for times ranging from very brief to several weeks. Short delays were used to allow the bomb to penetrate before exploding: "a delay action bomb striking the roof of a tall building will penetrate through several floors before bursting"; longer delays were intended to disrupt salvage and other activities, and spread terror, in areas where there could still be live bombs, and to attack bomb disposal
workers.
Such bombs were used widely by British and German bomber aircraft during World War II
. One use was to hamper and delay reconstruction and repair of bombed airfields.
Towards the end of the war both British and German bombs became de facto mines
, with secondary fuze mechanisms activated by light, tilting, magnets (used by bomb disposal workers to try to disable a possible steel clockwork mechanism), etc., to kill those trying to disarm them.
Aerial bomb
An aerial bomb is a type of explosive weapon intended to travel through the air with predictable trajectories, usually designed to be dropped from an aircraft...
designed to explode some time after impact, with the bomb's fuze
Fuze
Fuze Beverage, commercially referred to as just Fuze , is a manufacturer of teas and non-carbonated fruit drinks enriched with vitamins. Currently the brand consists of five vitamin-infused lines: Slenderize, Refresh, Tea, Defensify, and Vitalize...
s set to delay the explosion for times ranging from very brief to several weeks. Short delays were used to allow the bomb to penetrate before exploding: "a delay action bomb striking the roof of a tall building will penetrate through several floors before bursting"; longer delays were intended to disrupt salvage and other activities, and spread terror, in areas where there could still be live bombs, and to attack bomb disposal
Bomb disposal
Bomb disposal is the process by which hazardous explosive devices are rendered safe. Bomb disposal is an all encompassing term to describe the separate, but interrelated functions in the following fields:*Military:...
workers.
Such bombs were used widely by British and German bomber aircraft during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. One use was to hamper and delay reconstruction and repair of bombed airfields.
Towards the end of the war both British and German bombs became de facto mines
Land mine
A land mine is usually a weight-triggered explosive device which is intended to damage a target—either human or inanimate—by means of a blast and/or fragment impact....
, with secondary fuze mechanisms activated by light, tilting, magnets (used by bomb disposal workers to try to disable a possible steel clockwork mechanism), etc., to kill those trying to disarm them.