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Flashbombs are loaded into a photo-reconnaissance Melsbroek, Belgium. c.1944">Melsbroek_Air_Base.html" ;"title="De Havilland Mosquito at Melsbroek Air Base">Melsbroek, Belgium. c.1944 A photoflash bomb, or flash bomb, is explosive ordnance dropped by aircraft, usually military surveillance aircraft">bomb">explosive ordnance dropped by aircraft, usually military surveillance aircraft, designed to detonate Air burst">above ground Above Ground was a band from Christchurch, New Zealand formed in 1983. History Above Ground developed out of the friendship of the four members: Bill Direen (Guitar/Vocals), Carol Woodward (Keyboards), Maryrose Wilkinson (Bass/Vocals) and Stu ...
to create an extremely bright flash of light. These bombs, which are capable of producing light at an intensity of up to hundreds of millions of candlepower, assist surveillance aircraft in taking nighttime Aerial photographic reconnaissance, aerial photos without the need to fly low to the ground which would make them vulnerable to possible enemy detection. Due to the advent of better nighttime optics, satellite imagery, and
stealth aircraft Stealth aircraft are designed to avoid detection using a variety of technologies that reduce reflection/emission of radar, infrared, visible light, radio frequency (RF) spectrum, and audio, collectively known as stealth technology. The F-117 N ...
, these bombs are no longer used by the military.


Construction

There were several models of photoflash bombs, but most had a similar construction and makeup. For example, the M23A1 was constructed of a cardboard tube, capped on both ends with metal "plugs." The tube was then filled with a
flash powder Flash powder is a pyrotechnic composition, a mixture of oxidizer and metallic fuel, which burns quickly and produces a loud noise regardless of confinement. It is widely used in theatrical pyrotechnics and fireworks (namely salutes, e.g., cher ...
"charge" and a fuse. The fuse would be attached to the hanging wire using a standard friction wire, which would ignite the flash powder after a specified delay. In this specific model of ordnance, the flash would last approximately 1/5th of a second after detonation.


Recent events

On 19 July 2015, a World War II-era M122 () photoflash bomb washed ashore at
St. Pete Beach St. Pete Beach (formerly called St. Petersburg Beach) is a coastal city in Pinellas County, Florida. Known as a tourist destination, St. Pete Beach was formed from the towns of Pass-a-Grille, Belle Vista, St. Petersburg Beach and unincorporated Pi ...
, Florida, USA. This led authorities to evacuate the beach and several nearby homes. An
Explosive Ordnance Disposal Bomb disposal is an explosives engineering profession using the process by which hazardous explosive devices are rendered safe. ''Bomb disposal'' is an all-encompassing term to describe the separate, but interrelated functions in the milit ...
team from
MacDill Air Force Base MacDill Air Force Base (MacDill AFB) is an active United States Air Force installation located 4 miles (6.4 km) south-southwest of downtown Tampa, Florida. The "host wing" for MacDill AFB is the 6th Air Refueling Wing (6 ARW), assig ...
responded to the scene and detonated the device.


References

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External links


Pyrotechnics and Miscellaneous Explosive Items, US Navy Ordnance Pamphlet 2213
Page 264
Mulvaney's Ordnance Technical Information System (MOTIS) Ordnance Technical Data Sheet; M122Authorities detonate M122 photo flash bomb that washed up on St. Pete Beach
Bombs Photographic techniques War photography History of photography