Bangalore Torpedo, M1A1

The Bangalore Torpedo is an explosive device consisting of any desired number of slim cylindrical explosive charges in metal containers (i.e. tubes) .
Any number of these containers may be attached to each other endwise .
The Bangalore Torpedo is generally used against barbed wire entanglements and various other relatively light obstructions, but also against anti-personnel mines and similar small obstacles,
and can be turned into boobytraps .
When exploding, the Bangalore Torpedo clears a path 10 to 15 feet wide thru barbed wire . In minefield breaching, it will explode all anti- personnel mines and most of the anti-tank mines, but
in a narrow footpath only !
It is therefore better to use it only in an emergency, as many of the anti-tank mines at the sides of the cleared path may be shocked into a sensitive state, which makes extreme care necessary
in any further mine clearing …
The weapon consists of a group of 10 loading assemblies, i.e. steel tubes filled with high-explosive which are either used singly, or in series with nose sleeves (forward end) and connecting
sleeves (for attachment end-to-end) . It will, besides being used for blasting various types of field obstructions, also be used in bundles as substitute explosive charges in Demolition Snakes,
M2 and M3 series .






The nose sleeve has a rounded point (indeed, it looks like a bullet-shaped object) at one end, for ease in pushing the tube (or more tubes) thru obstacles (sand, shingle, grass, debris), and a
single clip, which holds the nose sleeve in place at the forward end of the tube .
The connecting sleeve is a short cylindrical coupling device, into which the ends of 2 tubes can fit and be held by the three spring clips .
A single loading assembly (or tube) may be used or any number of loading assemblies may be used as required . In assembling 2 or more tubes, a nose sleeve is always pressed onto one
forward end of one tube, then the rear end of the same tube is connected to the forward end of a second tube by a connecting sleeve, and so on until the required number of tubes are properly
connected .
Detonation of a charge in a tube or all charges in a series of loading assemblies may be accomplished by a firing device with blasting cap screwed into the cap well of the tail end of a tube or the
tail end of the last tube in a series .
Please note that the cap well at the end of the tube should be protected with tape or a wooden plug, while the sleeve is being pushed into place .
Detonation may also be achieved by an electric blasting cap with the leads connected to a source of electric current, or by a non-electric blasting cap attached to a safety fuse or a time blasting
fuse and fuse lighter, or by wrapping a minimum of 4 turns of detonating cord around the tube itself in the one-tube assembly, or around any tube in a multiple-tube assembly, and detonating
the cord with a delay-detonator or with an appropriately arranged blasting cap primed by a safety fuse and fuse lighter .
















The M1A1 Bangalore Torpedo is packed in a single rectangular wooden box, which contains 10 x 5-foot steel loading assemblies or tubes, 10 x connecting sleeves, and 1 x nose sleeve .
The watertight sleeves are 5 feet in length and 2 1/8 inches in diameter, they are grooved and capped at each end .
Each end of sleeve loading assembly contains a threaded cap well to accomodate any issue firing device with a blasting cap crimped thereto .
The tubes receive an olive drab coating while markings are yellow .
Weight of 1 section is approximately 13 pounds . 4 inches of length at both ends of each sleeve contains TNT booster .
The explosive contains approximately 9 lb Amatol 80/20 and TNT booster (a later postwar version i.e. Torpedo, Bangalore, M1A2 contains 9 lb composition B and composition A-3 booster).
The wooden box (final packing) has following dimensions: 64 1/8 x 13 3/8 x 7 1/8-in, its total weight is 176 lb .

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"

Remark : a Bangalore Torpedo or Torpedo section may be improvised by using a 2-in diameter metal pipe with a 24-gage wall thickness and approximately 2 pounds of explosive per foot of
length .

There is a T38 Demolition Training Kit which has been introduced for training of personnel in the use of Demolition Materials .
The kit contains a number of selected inert items for training purposes . Normal colors are however retained in order to simulate the actual colors of the explosives .
The inert items used in this Training Kit are to be employed in exactly the same manner and with the same care and precautions as are the explosive items comprising the demolition sets
simulated here !
TRAINING DEMOLITION CHEST – TOP LAYER (A) 26 x 1-lb TNT BLOCKS (B)
8 x M-1 CHAIN DEMOLITION BLOCKS (C) 16 x M-3 DEMOLITION BLOCKS (D)
12 x ½-lb DEMOLITION BLOCKS (EE) CHEST …
Apart from the other ‘explosive’ items, it is important to note the inclusion of 1 TORPEDO, BANGALORE, M1A1, INERT, WITH 1 STANDARD NOSE SLEEVE, 3 STANDARD
CONNECTING SLEEVES, 3 TORPEDO SECTIONS, EACH 38-INCHES LONG WITH STANDARD ENDS, TORPEDO SECTIONS ARE TO BE INERT LOADED TO
APPROXIMATE WEIGHT FOR CORRECT SIMULATION .
All inert items are stamped INERT or DUMMY as may be appropriate in large black block letters, while detonators are perforated with at least 2 small holes in the side wall, to prevent any
confusion with loaded items ! The Kit is contained in a large Chest Demolition Squad with separate packing plans, per layer (of which there are 3) . Apart from the inerted Bangalore Torpedoes,
other items are Haversacks, Priming Adapters, Detonating Cord, Safety Fuse, Wire, Demolition Blocks, Shaped Charges, Firing Devices, Blasting Caps, Crimpers, Friction Tape, Twine, and Knife

Some more info on explosives used in Bangalore Torpedoes :

AMATOL : is a mixture of Ammonium Nitrate and Trinitrotoluene (TNT) . Due to the shortage of Toluene during the early stages of WW1, the British Government developed this explosive and
adopted it as a bursting charge for high-explosive shells . The US Government introduced it for similar reasons . Consequently, it was still in use at the outbreak of WWII . The ingredients are mixed
by weight, i.e. when indicating Amatol 80/20 this is to be understood as 80 % of Ammonium Nitrate and 20% of TNT . Amatol is hygroscopic, insensitive to friction, but can be detonated by severe
impact . It has no tendency to form dangerous compounds with metals other than copper . Amatol 80/20 is a plastic mass resembling wet brown sugar . On detonation the Ammonium Nitrate
oxidizes the excess carbon of the TNT with the result that Amatol 80/20 produces a white smoke on detonation .

TNT : or Trinitrotoluene was already known as early as 1863, but was in fact only suggested as an explosive around 1890 . Its military importance really dates from 1904 . TNT is the principal
constituent of many explosives . It is relatively safe to manufacture, and loading, transportation and storage are not very hazardous based on the fact that it is not hygroscopic . TNT usually resembles
light brown sugar, when pure it looks like a crystalline powder of very pale straw color, it also dissolves readily in ether, acetone, alcohol and other solvents, but is practically insoluble in water, it can
therefore be used in underwater charges ! TNT is one of the most stable high explosives, and it thus may be stored over long periods of time w/o alteration . It is quite insensitive to blows or friction
but can be detonated by severe impact between metal surfaces . When ignited by flame, it burns rapidly w/o explosion . When exploding in closed spaces beware of the poisonous fumes . TNT is
classified as a quick-acting explosive; it detonates at a rate varying from about 21,000 feet per second and burns at 266°F .

Bangalore Torpedoes were of course used by a variety of troops, both regular Infantry and Corps of Engineers personnel – it was a very handy explosive charge for breaching light enemy
obstructions and defenses and therefore very much in use with Assault troops, such as those having to destroy primary obstacles in order to reach major objectives .
During D-Day, June 6, 1944 Normandy Assault, Bangalore Torpedoes were used in large quantities by Special Engineer Brigades, Rangers and Infantry .