At Gallipoli the shrapnel resin was too hard causing the shells to break up badly, and so the gunners boiled the shells before use.

That reminds me …………………….. http://1914-1918.inv...owtopic=6730

[2003........Well I never: doesn't time fly when you're enjoying yourself]

From an account written in 1916 by Col. A. C. Fergusson who commanded the 21 (Kohat) Mountain Battery at Gallipoli

Our shrapnel shell broke up so badly that we had to boil them before using.

Certainly an interesting twist on ammunition preparation

Boiling Shrapnel Shells Well one would presume that without direct fuse action the shell would not explode. Once got near to an unexploded 155mm when putting out a fire on the range....theory was it would not explode......though all effort to ensure fire all around it was extinguished was felt the best course of action rather than testing the theory.

Some interesting thoughts fromGeoff Parker

Just a guess but I would assume that "broke up so badly" means that the

shrapnel balls did not disperse properly upon detonation. The shrapnel balls

are held in situ by a resin compound of some description and as these shells

were likely manufactured in India it is possible that the incorrect compound

was used and instead of the detonation scattering the balls they broke up in

chunks still attached to the compound, thereby doing less damage.

I would go on to assume that boiling the shells prior to firing liquidised the

compound so that shrapnel balls would disperse correctly on detonation. How

they would go about boiling the shells god only knows, possibly by pouring boiling

water over them, I certainly would not want to be around if they just threw them

into boiling water.

Though I would echo Michael DR's ideas

The idea of standing any where close to a boiling cauldron full of shrapnel shells does not appeal to me either. I think that your idea of pouring boiling water over them sounds more likely. However its still not a comfortable thought to a one-time infantry man, but then what do we know