Guest Brooklyn Posted 12 February , 2013 Share Posted 12 February , 2013 I am trying to find out more information about this shell that an old friend has in their possession, a hand down from their Grandfather who was in the war. Unfortunately Grandfather is long gone. It is fairly normal 15cm casing except that it a lot longer than any pictures or information I have found so far. It stands approx 80cm tall. I have included a photo of the base showing date and at the top of the photo is a crown on top of the M. I would love to know more about this shell. Would it have been used during WW1? Would naval ships have carried this or was it solely for cannons in the field? How on earth would any soldier have picked this 8.3Kg of brass up and brought it all the way to Australia in their baggage? Too many questions. I hope someone can shed some light on the likely history of this particular Polte Magdeburg shell. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cnock Posted 12 February , 2013 Share Posted 12 February , 2013 Hello, some info to start: the shell case is for a German naval gun used in WWI, and manufactured in July 1911. Cnock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikB Posted 12 February , 2013 Share Posted 12 February , 2013 If it's naval, maybe it arrived in Oz from one of the German Hilfskreuzer that carried 15cm guns and operated in distant waters. Presumably it could even be from WW2, for example from the Kormoran, as these ships carried guns of WW1 vintage ? The German light cruisers in WW1 (Emden, Koenigsberg, Dresden etc.) that fought far from home normally carried only 10,5 cm guns - so it's not easy to think of a German WW1 warship it could easily have come from. Regards, MikB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cnock Posted 12 February , 2013 Share Posted 12 February , 2013 the 80 cm long casing is normal length a shorter 15 cm shell case was 55 cm of length Cnock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyE Posted 12 February , 2013 Share Posted 12 February , 2013 Plenty of German WWI ships carried 15cm guns. Have a look here and scroll down to "Historical Weapons" http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNGER_Main.htm Regards TonyE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cnock Posted 12 February , 2013 Share Posted 12 February , 2013 During WWI 15 cm guns were equipped with wheels and used as field artillery (15 cm Feldkanone L/40) or used as coastal artillery (see pick) indeed many warships carried 15 cm guns, and some were used again in WW2 on German merchant raiders, although firing newer type of shells Cnock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikB Posted 12 February , 2013 Share Posted 12 February , 2013 Plenty of German WWI ships carried 15cm guns. Have a look here and scroll down to "Historical Weapons" http://www.navweaps..../WNGER_Main.htm Regards TonyE Of course they did, but not many that operated in pacific/australasian waters. If the case wasn't brought over from some European theatre - and the OP suggests its size and weight could've been a problem - I was thinking of German ships with guns of this calibre that might have been working closer to where the case was found. Regards, MikB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Brooklyn Posted 12 February , 2013 Share Posted 12 February , 2013 So, would I be safe to say that 80cm casing makes this a naval gun rather than a field artillery gun? Anyone got any idea how much a shell and casing packed ready for firing would have weighed? Hopefully in the next few weeks I may be able to get a little bit more information from the current owner to establish a bit more of it's provenance. I still have this image in my mind of this soldier squeezing socks and underpants inside the casing and then trying to squeeze this casing into his duffle bag for the cruise back to Australia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyE Posted 13 February , 2013 Share Posted 13 February , 2013 Sorry Mick, but as the OP mentioned coming home on the troopship I assumed it had been obtained in Europe. Brooklyn - The "Crown over M" means the case was accepted for the Navy, but of course if the gun was for any reason transferred to the army then the ammunition would have gone with it. Regards TonyE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cnock Posted 13 February , 2013 Share Posted 13 February , 2013 as I said it was used as fieldartillery, but it stays a naval gun of origin Cnock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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