Description
Igniter M16 is an incendiary explosive igniter used in some earlier models of fire bombs. It consists essentially of hand grenade M15 with the Bouchon fuze replaced by impact fuze M157, an anemometer type, nose operated fuze. A gasoline tank cap assembly attached to the igniter body is used when assembling the igniter to the bomb. A pilot cup attached to the gasoline tank cap attaches the assembly to the body of the grenade with set screws. Two protrusions on either side of the pilot cup attach the igniter to the bomb. The fuze seats above burster C8R1 in the grenade burster well. A threaded igniter adapter is installed in the grenade to accommodate the fuze. The adapter is similar in construction to the adapter in the igniter M15. It is provided with a setscrew, which fastens the fuze in the adapter, and an externally threaded fitting which screws into the burster well in the igniter body. The igniter is filled with white phosphorus (WP) for land bombing and sodium (Na) for water bombing.
Hazardous Components
WP, 0.95 lbs or Na, 0.5 lbs
See Also
Source(s)
TM 9-1385-51, Ammunition (Conventional) for Explosive Ordnance Disposal (1967)
TM 9-1325-200, Bombs and Bomb Components (1966)
OP 2216, Volume 1 - Aircraft Bombs, Fuzes, and Associated Components (1960)
TM 3-400, Chemical Bombs and Clusters (1957)
OP 1664, Volume 2 - US Explosive Ordnance (1947)
USNBD - Bombs and Fuzes, Pyrotechnics (1945)
