Say in a P-51 (shown above), when drop tanks (those with external lines) are released, how are the two connections (air and fuel) released?
Do they shear off and fall with the tank?
Are the lines hardened against fluttering and somehow there's a disconnect mechanism for where they attach to the tank?
Something else?
My attempt in finding photos for an answer wasn't useful (the same goes for trying to check flight manuals), because after all some flights take off without tanks, and the photos I found are old and from far away it's hard to see if there are lines still attached.
This stems from my earlier question: How is fuel drawn from drop tanks in WW2 airplanes?