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Remembered Today:

13pdr Shell Identification


gerd.deboeck

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I've found a WWI shell and need some information/confirmation on the identification. It is marked 13Pdr 9CWT so I suspect it's from an AA gun. I also has the markings RL (Royal Laboratories, Woolwich Arsenal), CF (Cordite Full) and a 1916 stamp. It has a 1917 RL Fuse and two sets of inspection marks (H90 & H37) and a lot of other markings on it (shell: 33 - X30 - P - I -arrows- AA - Fuse: N°1 - HT).

Am I correct in thinking this is a recuperated 1916 shell, reloaded in 1917? Is there any way of knowing this was a HE or shrapnel cartridge?

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I've found a WWI shell and need some information/confirmation on the identification. It is marked 13Pdr 9CWT so I suspect it's from an AA gun. I also has the markings RL (Royal Laboratories, Woolwich Arsenal), CF (Cordite Full) and a 1916 stamp. It has a 1917 RL Fuse and two sets of inspection marks (H90 & H37) and a lot of other markings on it (shell: 33 - X30 - P - I -arrows- AA - Fuse: N°1 - HT).

Am I correct in thinking this is a recuperated 1916 shell, reloaded in 1917? Is there any way of knowing this was a HE or shrapnel cartridge?

It is not clear whether you have just a cartridge csae, or cartridge case and shell. I think what you call the fuze is in fact the primer for the cartridge case, as the No.1 was the nornal primer for this round. However I may be wrong so perhaps you could clarify.

You are correct in the interpretation of the markings, but it has not been reloaded as there is no second "F" added to the "CF" stamp.

Regards

TonyE

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Hi TonyE,

To clarify: it's a cartridge case. I've attached a scan, because after reading your mail I had a second look and there could be a second F near the inspection mark.

Sorry about the mix up, and thanks for the help.

post-61729-001150800 1298139989.jpgGerd

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I see what you mean about the character near to the inspection mark, but it is hard to say whether it is a second "F" for a reload. I don't think it is but it is not a particularly clear image.

Just because the case is dated 1916 and the primer 1917 does not necessarily mean a reload. The case could have been made at the end of 1916 and not primed until 1917, but I agree that a primer date of 10 17 would suggest a relaod.

Regards

TonyE

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I see what you mean about the character near to the inspection mark, but it is hard to say whether it is a second "F" for a reload. I don't think it is but it is not a particularly clear image.

Just because the case is dated 1916 and the primer 1917 does not necessarily mean a reload. The case could have been made at the end of 1916 and not primed until 1917, but I agree that a primer date of 10 16 would suggest a relaod.

Regards

TonyE

Thanks Tony,

Maybe this if of some help:

post-61729-052573500 1298206360.jpg

Can one know if this is from a HE or scrapnel shell?

Thanks,

Gerd

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The A punch mark denotes that the case has been annealed, the second A. with a punch mark denotes that the case has been annealed after firing, the H90 and H37 are annealing year code and batch numbers. I agree that the the case has been reloaded. There would be on the base of the Cartridge Red paint Stencilling of the nature of the Cordite i.e. size and Lot letter and Number also the Monogram of the filling station and date of filling.

John

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The 13pdr 9cwt round was for AA work. The gun it fitted was the sleeved-down 18pdr that retained the 18pdr breech, allowing the 13pdr shell to be driven by the charge for an 18pdr. This increased the muzzle velocity from about 1,600 ft/s of the 13pdr 6cwt (i.e. the RHA gun) to about 2,100 ft/s. The case should be swaged down like the RH example in John's photo.

Keith

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Thanks everybody for the info. I had to look up "Annealed" (I've got a degree in chemistry not metallurgy) but all is clear to me now. The case looks just like the one on John photo. It was in my wife her grandmother's garage, but now it stands next to my SRD Rum bottle on the mantelpiece.

Cheers

Gerd

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  • 11 years later...

I have just bought this 13Pr 9Cwt shell case from our local market in Portugal, has a few markings on it 1916 with a 1917 primer. Would this shell have been reused?

  Some of the other markings i do not know.

 Keith

13Pdr shell base.JPG

13Pdr shell primer.JPG

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Most shell cases could be re-used 3-4 times before they were scrapped, that's why you frequently see different dates between the primer and the shell case.

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