The 40 mm Bofors projectile covers the shell/projectile component used in Bofors 40 mm anti-aircraft ammunition, with sourced coverage centered on wartime high-explosive tracer projectile construction and U.S. Hoffman Machinery Corporation's World War II production. Marist University Archives says Hoffman's Poughkeepsie plant converted to 40 mm anti-aircraft projectile production around June 1942 and shipped almost 15 million projectiles by August 1945.
U.S. wartime ammunition manuals describe a 40 mm HE-T self-destroying round as a fixed cartridge, with the projectile crimped into a brass or alternative steel case. The projectile details matter because Hoffman's documented work was the projectile body rather than complete gun production.
The Mk II high-explosive shell used a hollow steel casing with a pressed TNT bursting charge and internal nose threads for a point-detonating fuze.
Source: TM 9-1901 Artillery Ammunition 1944.
The boat-tailed base accepted a shell-destroying tracer assembly; the manual says tracer burnout could initiate the bursting charge if the impact fuze had not already functioned.
Source: TM 9-1901 Artillery Ammunition 1944.
Marist's Hoffman archive specifically identifies the Poughkeepsie output as projectiles for 40 mm anti-aircraft shells, not complete Bofors guns.
Source: Marist U.S. Hoffman wartime production.
Marist University Archives says U.S. Hoffman's Poughkeepsie plant began 40 mm projectile production around June 1942 after conversion from laundry and dry-cleaning machinery work.
Sources: Marist U.S. Hoffman wartime production
The same archive says the plant continued projectile production until August 1945 and shipped almost 15 million projectiles.
Sources: Marist U.S. Hoffman wartime production
