TWO VIEWS OF MARK X RELEASE TRAP ON PLANES.
Shows Mark X release trap (Cooper) mounted upon T-rails under wing of DH-4 plane. Bowden control wire and casing connected to fuselage. Two Mark II-B fragmentation bombs suspended—one arming vane retained, the other free.
When the United States entered the war no satisfactory incendiary bombs had yet been produced by any country, and consequently a long period had to be given over to experimentation before quantity production could be attained. We produced two types of incendiary bombs, the first being of the scatter type, designed for use against light structures, grain fields, and the like, and the second of the intensive type, for use against large structures. Later on in our program we abandoned the manufacture of the scatter type incendiary bombs on cable instructions from abroad, as it was found that the wet climate made a bomb of this type of little value. The American intensive bomb, while it had not yet come up to our ideal and was in process of evolution during its manufacture, nevertheless was regarded by our officers as more effective than any other bomb of its type in existence, since it produced a larger and hotter flame.
Our intensive incendiary bombs weighed about 40 pounds each and contained charges of oil emulsion, thermit, and metallic sodium, a combination of chemicals that burns with intense heat. These bombs were used against ammunition depots or any structures of an inflammable nature. The sodium in the charge was designed to have a discouraging effect upon anyone who attempted to put out the fire of the burning charge, since metallic sodium explodes with great violence if water is poured upon it.
Of the scatter bombs we built 45,000 before abandoning the manufacture, an action taken in September, 1918. When hostilities ceased we had out contracts for 122,886 of the intensive bombs and about 86,000 of them had been delivered ready for loading.
One of the large manufacturers of incendiary bombs was the Conron-McNeal Co., of Kokomo, Ind., manufacturers of skates. The company had to equip its plant with new machinery especially for handling this novel manufacturing enterprise. In all, they produced 50,000 bombs and were turning them out at the rate of 400 per day when the armistice was signed. This concern was the pioneer in the manufacture, the subsequent contractors profiting by the experience of the Conron-McNeal Co., and consequently being able to obtain quantity production more quickly than the Kokomo plant had been able to reach it. The Globe Machine & Stamping Co., of Cleveland, Ohio, built 30,000 bombs and 36,400 firing mechanisms before hostilities closed, and eventually reached a production rate of 500 bombs and 1,000 firing mechanisms per day. Parrish & Bingham, also of Cleveland, produced 13,000, and were turning them out at the rate of 400 daily when the production was stopped. The C. R. Wilson Body Co., of Detroit, built 42,562 of the intensive bombs and reached a daily production of 500. The New Home Sewing Machine Co., of Orange, Mass., manufactured 20,000 firing mechanisms for the scatter-type bombs.
One of the interesting phases of the bomb manufacturing program grew out of the necessity for target practice for our aviators. For this work we built dummy bombs of terra cotta, costing about a dollar apiece. Instead of loading these bombs with explosive, we placed in each a small charge of phosphorus and a loaded paper shotgun shell, so that the bomb would eject a puff of smoke when it hit its object. The aviators could see the smoke puffs and thereby determine the accuracy of their aim.