A delay-action bomb is an aerial bomb designed to explode some time after impact with the ground, with the bomb's fuses set to delay the explosion for times ranging from a few seconds to several weeks. Such bombs were used widely by British aviators during World War II. The bombs were typically used to destroy airfields. The bombs were also used to cause terror among civilians, because "a delay action bomb striking the roof of a tall building will penetrate through several floors before bursting"^[1], and any bomb could have a delay action mechanism. Near the end of the war, both British and German bombs became de facto mines, aimed at killing those trying to disarm them, with secondary fuses activated by light, tipping, magnets(used to disable a clockwork mechanism made of metal), or even a secondary chemical fuse.

[edit] References

[edit] Sources

• Oliver Lyman Spaulding, Ahriman: A Study in Air Bombardment, World peace foundation, 1939

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