TM 55-607/NAVSEA OP 3221 Rev 2
b. 750-Pound General-Purpose Bomb, Palletized Unit Load, Mn17A2. The M117A2 750-pound bomb is loaded
aboard merchant-type ships as a palletized unit load. Two bombs are secured on each pallet by metal straps. Each
palletized unit weighs approximately 1,541 pounds and measures 22.2 cubic feet in volume. These units may be stowed
in any compartment, including tween decks and lower holds.
(1) General stowage requirements. Since the pallet skids are constructed of wood, decking is not required
unless obstructions in the ship's deck make it necessary to provide a level surface for stowage. Unit loads of 750-pound
bombs are positioned parallel with the ship's center line, regardless of the stowage technique employed. Whenever
practical, the loads are stowed nose-to-base. Nose boards are not necessary, provided the nose of one load is aligned
with some portion of the base of another, since the center portion of each base is protected by a metal cover. However,
when rows are offset, particularly as a result of camber and sheet angles, nose boards must be used.
(2) Tween-deck stowage. General principles of tween-deck stowage of 750-pound-bomb unit loads are
illustrated by figure 9-56. The same techniques are applicable in any hold or compartment where hold curvature is not
significant. Stowage proceeds from both ends of the compartment and progresses toward the center. By orientation of
the unit loads in the preferred nose-to-butt position, final voids will occur between butts of the final two rows and will
occur in the central area of the compartment. Nose boards are not required between unit loads if proper end alignment is
maintained, as shown. However, nose boards must be utilized in cases where a bomb would otherwise face a void, or
when bombs are stowed nose-to-side.
9-69
