Hexanite was a castable

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

military

explosive An explosive (or explosive material) is a reactive substance that contains a great amount of potential energy that can produce an explosion if released suddenly, usually accompanied by the production of light, heat, sound, and pressure. An expl ...

developed early in the 20th century before the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

for the

Kaiserliche Marine {{italic title The adjective ''kaiserlich'' means "imperial" and was used in the German-speaking countries to refer to those institutions and establishments over which the ''Kaiser'' ("emperor") had immediate personal power of control. The term wa ...

, intended to augment supplies of

trinitrotoluene Trinitrotoluene (), more commonly known as TNT, more specifically 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene, and by its preferred IUPAC name 2-methyl-1,3,5-trinitrobenzene, is a chemical compound with the formula C6H2(NO2)3CH3. TNT is occasionally used as a reage ...

(TNT), which were then in short supply. Hexanite is slightly less powerful than TNT on its own. The most common hexanite formula (by weight) was 60% TNT and 40%

hexanitrodiphenylamine Hexanitrodiphenylamine (abbreviated HND), is an explosive chemical compound with the formula C12H5N7O12. HND was used extensively by the Japanese during World War II but was discontinued due to its toxicity. Preparation Dinitrodiphenylamine is ...

. Typically, hexanite was used in underwater naval weapons e.g.

warhead A warhead is the forward section of a device that contains the explosive agent or toxic (biological, chemical, or nuclear) material that is delivered by a missile, rocket, torpedo, or bomb. Classification Types of warheads include: * Explosiv ...

s for the

G7a The G7a(TI) was the standard issue '' Kriegsmarine'' torpedo introduced to service in 1934. It was a steam-powered design, using a wet heater engine burning decaline, with a range of at speed. In 1936, the Kriegsmarine's first electrical power ...

and

G7e The G7e torpedo was the standard electric torpedo used by the German '' Kriegsmarine'' submarines in World War II. It came in 20 different versions, with the initial model G7e(TII) in service at the outbreak of the war. Due to several problems, l ...

series

torpedo A modern torpedo is an underwater ranged weapon launched above or below the water surface, self-propelled towards a target, and with an explosive warhead designed to detonate either on contact with or in proximity to the target. Historically, su ...

es and the main explosive charge in aluminium-cased buoyant, moored "EMF"

magnetic mine A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to damage or destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, any ve ...

s capable of being laid by

U-boat U-boats were naval submarines operated by Germany, particularly in the First and Second World Wars. Although at times they were efficient fleet weapons against enemy naval warships, they were most effectively used in an economic warfare role ...

s in of water. This explosive is regarded as obsolete, so any hexanite-filled

munition Ammunition (informally ammo) is the material fired, scattered, dropped, or detonated from any weapon or weapon system. Ammunition is both expendable weapons (e.g., bombs, missiles, grenades, land mines) and the component parts of other weapo ...

s encountered will be in the form of unexploded ordnance dating from the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. The Japanese used this in World War II as explosive compound types 97 and 98.

References

Explosives {{explosive-stub

See also

References