AN-Mk 17 Mod 2 and AN-Mk 44 — These depth bombs are made with round noses welded to a cylindrical steel tube. There is a strengthening disc around the nose and a steel strip along the suspension lugs to reinforce the body. The transverse fuze pocket is 11.9 inches abaft the nose. To prevent ricochet and improve underwater trajectory, a flat-nose attachment is made for these bombs, the attachment being in the shape of a bucket which fits down over the nose and is filled with plaster of paris, increasing the weight of the bomb by 44 pounds. The bomb case is extremely thin.
AN-Mk 41 and AN-Mk 47 — These bombs are constructed with a flat nose, there being a slight taper from the walls to the nose. The body is in three pieces. The sides are tubular with a transverse fuze pocket tube welded in place 15 inches abaft the nose.
Suspension of these bombs is by the usual dual or single lugs, the lugs being welded to the bomb. The single lug is actually somewhat different than is usually found, being in the form of a bracket rather than a lug. Trunnions on a band are for displacement gear in dive bombing.
Instead of employing the box-type tail, these bombs use a drum tail. As seen from the after end, it is circular and has four fins extending at right angles to each other. The fins are spot-welded to a cone which fits over the after end of the bomb. The fins are also spot-welded to the drum shroud. The tail is bolted onto the base of the bomb.
TNT loaded bombs have weight and Mark number stenciled in yellow; Torpex loaded bombs have these items stenciled in blue.
The 325 pound Depth Bomb Mk 17 is TNT loaded but has a light tail assembly; the Mk 17 Mod 1 is the same, except that a sturdier tail assembly is used. The AN-Mk 17 Mod 2 is similar to the Mod 1 but has a larger filling hole.