A tilt fuze or fuse is a device usually used in the operation of

car bomb A car bomb, bus bomb, lorry bomb, or truck bomb, also known as a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED), is an improvised explosive device designed to be detonated in an automobile or other vehicles. Car bombs can be roughly divided ...

s and other such

detonator A detonator, frequently a blasting cap, is a device used to trigger an explosive device. Detonators can be chemically, mechanically, or electrically initiated, the last two being the most common. The commercial use of explosives uses electri ...

s, relying on the force of a jerk or similar movement for the triggering of the desired explosion.Wilkinson p. 137 The tilt fuze is typically a home-made mercury switch. It consists of a small tube no larger than a medical tablet bottle, made from plastic, glass or some other such material. At the bottom end of the tube, a certain volume of

mercury Mercury commonly refers to: * Mercury (planet), the nearest planet to the Sun * Mercury (element), a metallic chemical element with the symbol Hg * Mercury (mythology), a Roman god Mercury or The Mercury may also refer to: Companies * Merc ...

is placed, while at the cap end are wired two

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electrical contacts linked to a battery and bomb.Cutterbuck (1994) p. 52 This apparatus is then fixed lengthwise to the target vehicle; most usually, the tube is attached to the underside, below the driver or passenger's seat (depending on the desired target and the strength and quantity of the detonators) or within the mudguards. The function of the fuze is such that when it is tilted or moved, the mercury – a liquid metal – will slide down the tube and close the electrical

circuit Circuit may refer to: Science and technology Electrical engineering * Electrical circuit, a complete electrical network with a closed-loop giving a return path for current ** Analog circuit, uses continuous signal levels ** Balanced circu ...

wired to the bomb. Once the circuit is closed, the

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will then be able to bridge the previously open gap and activate the bomb presumably concealed in another part of the vehicle. Such a tilting of the tilt fuze will likely occur over the regular bumps and jerks of the vehicle driving, ascension up the slope of a hill, or the depression of the brake or acceleration pedals, depending on the placement of the tube. Due to the volatility in the conduction of the operation, bombers often take precautionary measures to prevent accidental tilting of the fuze while they are setting up. These often include a timer incorporated with the electric current; the bomber may set a certain time period before the contacts become live, therefore ensuring that the bomb cannot be activated until the bomber is well clear of the area. Tilt fuzes sometimes meet use with the anti-handling devices incorporated into munitions such as the VS-50 mine. The Luftwaffe in World War II are known to have made use of variants of the tilt fuze in their bomb fuzes. Tilt fuzes have been used extensively by the Irish Republican Army and

Irish National Liberation Army The Irish National Liberation Army (INLA, ga, Arm Saoirse Náisiúnta na hÉireann) is an Irish republican socialist paramilitary group formed on 10 December 1974, during the 30-year period of conflict known as "the Troubles". The group seek ...

since 1979.Clutterbuck (1990), p.181

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* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Tilt Fuze Improvised explosive devices Car bombs