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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Shell Fuse ID Please


Seadog

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Hello, Norman - It's a British Type 100 graze fuse, manufactured in May 1916 ("5 16"). I don't know the maker ("PP"), but I suspect that Tony will tell us. Regards, Torrey

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100 Number on British fuzes. Graze Fuze. Designed, tried and approved in 10 days, poorly manufactured. Introduced 1915. Obsolete 1921.

101 Number on British fuzes. Percussion Fuze. Attempt to overcome 100s weak points. Introduced 1916. Obsolete 1921.

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In basic terms to detonate the contents of the shell be it high explosive (percussion fuse) or shrapnel balls (time & percussion).

See

http://www.passionco...lection_gb.html

Norman

A few photos of mine which may be of interest, click on image for description

Click open photo in new window for full-size on Flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/glosters/sets/72157631610391644/with/8019190725/

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Just viewed Seadog's images and.... wow!....I immediately recognised something from about 50 years ago !

In the hearth on my grandmothers cottage I recall this highly polished brass object which my brother and me used to play with.

Now I know it was a shell fuse and can recall the horizontal sections of it and that it had symbols on it. It was able to be dis-assembled into ring sections rather like a puzzle. Also recall a few polished shell cases in the cottage.

My grandfather served in a Siege Battery so he clearly was the source! Could it have come from a 9.2" howitzer round I wonder?

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Hi Derek, glad you enjoyed looking at the images. I am no expert but I think that the 9.2 shell would be fitted with a base fuse to obviate the total disintegration of a nose fuse on such a big and heavy shell when striking the target. Also I believe that the 9.2 would use bag charges not the brass cartridge cases that we are familiar with. No doubt other members will comment on this. Mind you the 9.2 was an awesome weapon firing as it did a 290lb high explosive shell a distance of 10,000 yards in its Mark 1 configuration (From Allied Artillery of World War One by Ian Hogg)

Regards

Norman

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In this image of a British 12in Howitzer there appears to be nose fuses on the shells so I may be wrong about the base type.

Norman

From - Der Weltkrieg im Bild

3577560031_68f4573276_z.jpg

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