Time bomb

Explosive device whose detonation is triggered by a timer

Aftermath of the bombing at the Bologna railway station in August 1980 which killed 85 people, the deadliest event during the Years of Lead.

Aftermath of the Grand Hotel bombing in Brighton (1984) which was targeted at British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, the result of a time bomb which had been placed in the hotel nearly a month before it detonated. Thatcher wasn't harmed, five others were killed and 31 were injured.

A time bomb (or a timebomb, time-bomb) is a bomb whose detonation is triggered by a timer. The use or attempted use of time bombs has been for various purposes including insurance fraud, terrorism, assassination, sabotage and warfare. They are a frequent plot device in thriller and action films as they offer a way of imparting a dramatic sense of urgency.

Construction

Diagram of a simple time bomb in the form of a pipe bomb

The explosive charge is the main component of any bomb, and makes up most of the size and weight of it. It is the damaging element of the bomb (along with any fragments or shrapnel the explosion might produce with its container or neighboring objects). The explosive charge is detonated by a detonator.

A time bomb's timing mechanism may be professionally manufactured either separately or as part of the device, or it may be improvised from an ordinary household timer such as a wind-up alarm clock, wrist watch, digital kitchen timer, or notebook computer. The timer can be programmed to count up or count down (usually the latter; as the bomb detonates when the time runs out).

Types

Types of time bombs include:

• Delay-action bomb (bombs dropped by aircraft with a delay to increase damage/disruption)
• Improvised explosive device ("home-made" bombs with a delay to allow the person placing the bomb to escape)
• Limpet mine (attached to enemy ships by naval divers)

List of notable incidents involving time bombs

See also

• Fuse (explosives)
• Ticking time bomb scenario (hypothetical justification of torture)
• Software time bomb

References

1. Grady, John (August 15, 2014). "The Confederate Torpedo". New York Times. New York Times. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
2. Gannon, James (2008). Military occupations in the age of self-determination: The history neocons neglected (PDF). Westport CT: Praeger Security International. p. 49. ISBN 978-0-313-35382-6. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 February 2015. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
3. "10 years later, the real story behind Columbine". April 14, 2009.
4. "Incident summary for GDT ID: 199909040001". START. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
5. "Incident summary for GDT ID: 199909090002". START. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
6. "Incident summary for GDT ID: 199909130003". START. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
7. "Incident summary for GDT ID: 199909160002". START. Retrieved 13 April 2020.