Weapon Talk ~ Bangalore Torpedo, M1A1
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The original Bangalore torpedo was designed in 1912 by Captain McClintock, an engineer who worked for Bengal, Bombay and Madras Sappers and Miners.
Developed in Bangalore, India, the original design was not intended for warfare, but to clear pre-existing barbed-wire obstacles leftover from the Boer War and Russo-Japanese War.
The World War II era M1A1 Bangalore Torpedo was a pipe-shaped Class V anti-personnel mine-clearing charge capable of blasting a ten- to 20-foot wide path through a minefield or section of barbed wire.
Short connecting sleeves were used to attach the threaded ends of two or more tubes in order to create a longer explosive device. A rounded nose sleeve was placed on the leading end of a tube in order to push the tube through obstacles. The torpedo was set off by placing a blasting cap in the recessed end cap well and igniting it with a time-delayed (electric or non-electric) fuse.
The Bangalore torpedo is still employed today by the United States Army. A modern M1A2 Bangalore torpedo kit contains 10 five-foot torpedo sections, 10 five-inch connecting sleeves, and 1 nose sleeve.
Tube Length: 5' Tube
Diameter: 2 1/8"
Tube Wall: 24 gauge
Weight: 13 lbs. (9 pounds of explosives)
Explosive Type: TNT
Connecting Sleeve: 5" Nose Sleeve: 3 3/4"[/img] -
had to carry one on a deliberate attack. keep thinking how many pieces of me can they find the thing go kar-boom
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Originally posted by fett:had to carry one on a deliberate attack. keep thinking how many pieces of me can they find the thing go kar-boom
it will not go off just like that la. -
ya, i know. but can't stop the grey matter working overtime what....Originally posted by Joshua1975:
it will not go off just like that la. -
The only time I have carried (training) bungalore torpedo was during reservist on a brigade prop test. The excercise was beach defence and my company was the enemy force, which meant no trench digging - HOORAY!!!!Originally posted by fett:had to carry one on a deliberate attack. keep thinking how many pieces of me can they find the thing go kar-boom
We were stationed on Seletar Island and were to use assault boats to simulate an attack from our neighbours. (Apparently our neighbours only have one company of soldiers and a few motorised sampans.)
Some big shot was watching the excercise so no expense was spared.
A few rusty lead pipes with peeling blue paint was handed out to a section of us enemy types.
These lengths of pipes didn't impress any of us and we were at first wondering if our job was to disguise ourselves as plumbers. (Our neighbours are a devious lot, I always say.)
But this was not to be and we duly boarded assault boats with these pipes. While we were still wondering what kind of medieval weapons these lengths of pipes are it was explained that they are called "bungalow torpedoes".
At this time "Saving Private Ryan" hasn't shown yet and we laughed out loud at a bomb named after a type of house. But it was explained these objects were not for demolishing homes of rich people but to blow up barbed wire on the beach.
You learn something useful everyday as a rifleman. -
hahaaa... my hokkian peng thought what mango single hand knife. (mang kua du bi dao)
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blew one up for life firing before... kick-@ss device man...
the OC made everyone sit at the foot of the knoll where the stuff was being blown up and everybody got mud on their helmet at the end of it
the improvised one is even more powder-ful i heard... but only engineers get to blow it up
sigh... what a waste... -
maybe it your luck, my batch had the chance to ignite the improvised Bangalore Torpedo... it because of the 2 pc of iron picket, they just clear away the con wire as it supposed to. that why you think it more powerful as you can see the picket fly.Originally posted by CX:blew one up for life firing before... kick-@ss device man...
the OC made everyone sit at the foot of the knoll where the stuff was being blown up and everybody got mud on their helmet at the end of it
the improvised one is even more powder-ful i heard... but only engineers get to blow it up sigh... what a waste... -
hehe... i fired many stuffs before.
looks like being an engineer not so bad after all...
at least we get to spend more of SAF ammo / $.. ekekeke
nowadays improvised bangalores cannot use iron pickets liao for safety reasons, so it's really lucky you get to fire one with those joshua1975!!
we used two lousy wood as the 'pickets'. hahaha -
blew one b4 too.. knn alot heavier then the fake one we usually use for training..haha... dunno how to run with that real thing man... but very power..