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The Bomb Mk IV is hexagonal in shape, having a hollow magnesium-alloy body, and a cast iron nose, with the body cast to the nose in manufacture. A tin-place tail, closed by a tail cover, is secured to the other end of the body by three drive-screws, which also hold a steel striker housing in position in the body.
At the tail end, the body is counter-bored to accommodate an igniting mechanism consisting of a striker, located in the striker ho using, and a steel plate seated at the bottom of the counter-bore and containing- a 1.7-gram detonator. One end of the striker is pointed, and the other end projects through a hole in the striker housing. The edge of this hole in chamfered to permit a thin brass cross, secured to the striker, to be bent and pulled through the hole when the bomb functions. This cross forms a striker support during transit and storage. Movement of the striker towards the detonator is, when the bomb is packed in it; case, prevented by a spring-loaded safety plunger housed in a sleeve. Two vent holes, plugged by cork inserts, are pro¬vided in the tail end of the body and communi¬cate with the space between the igniter mecha¬nism and the bomb main filling. A strip of primed cambric is located in this space. The Mk IVE is identical to the Mk IV except for a black-powder buster charge, just abaft the nose plug in the body cavity, which replaces a small quantity of the termite filler.
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