re: History in Pictures is a great twitter feed. Here is one just posted.

quote:

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Aside from markings and casting, I think the fuse is different. Other than that, I got nothing.

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You stepped all over it.

After the Oriskany and Forrestal incidents, the navy started studying ways to reduce the threat of ordinance cooking off. The first bomb with the alligator skin is the result. That coating greatly increased the amount of time the bomb took to detonate if exposed to fire.

The two yellow bands and rough skin means it is termally protected - and thus meant for shipboard service. A Navy bomb.

Standard 'land' dumb bombs had (have?) single band and smooth skin.