Gus1914 Posted 25 August , 2015 Share Posted 25 August , 2015 Hello, I’ve been trying to find more information on the internet about the No 85 fuse… Was this fuse only used on a 18 pound shrapnel bomb or did it have other uses… I’m also confused with the time setting on this fuse, would a shrapnel shell explode on the ground or only in the air…? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gus1914 Posted 25 August , 2015 Author Share Posted 25 August , 2015 Hope this file can be seen... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ServiceRumDiluted Posted 25 August , 2015 Share Posted 25 August , 2015 According to the May 1918 Handbook of Ammunition the 85 was used in the shrapnel shells of QF (quick fire) 13 & 18pdr guns. With variants 85/44 for Time High Explosive and 185 Time fuzes for Star and Incendiary shells. The shells were designed to airburst rather than on impact, where a flash was sent down a tube within the shell from the fuse to a bursting charge which ejected a steel plate, shrapnel balls and fuse from the shell, to mangle whatever was infront and below it, rather like a big airborne shotgun cartridge. Getting this right obviously meant careful fuze setting and calculations on range and flight time, and consistency of quality, but gun crews seem to have managed to get very accurate results. To visualise this imagine a cafetiere, the top is the fuse, the filter is the metal plate, the coffee grounds are the bursting charge and the liquid is the shrapnel. A swift upwards pull on the top will eject the contents all over your kitchen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Henschke Posted 25 August , 2015 Share Posted 25 August , 2015 From SS 622 Unexploded Shells, Bombs and Grenades--Method of Destruction, April 1918. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Wade Posted 25 August , 2015 Share Posted 25 August , 2015 I think this photograph came from an Imperial War Museum display? Not completely sure to be honest. Anyway, it's an 18 pounder shrapnel shell cut lengthwise to show what the contents would have looked like: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gus1914 Posted 25 August , 2015 Author Share Posted 25 August , 2015 Thanks everyone for the interesting replies so far... So as this fuse isn’t timed, what would this particular No 85 have been used as…? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Wade Posted 25 August , 2015 Share Posted 25 August , 2015 Correct me if I'm wrong but I thought that's what the increments on the ring were for. It would be set to a desired number increment, loaded, and then fired from the gun. Depending on how much fuse was included through the rotation of that ring, it would go off at the allotted time after firing. Hopefully right over the target. Presumably a spotter would relay results and the timing of the next one could be adjusted to less or more time depending on the previous result. Does anyone have any idea how the increments correlate with distance and/or time to target? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gus1914 Posted 25 August , 2015 Author Share Posted 25 August , 2015 I don't understand how the ring was set either Andy... Your statement about setting, loading and fired sound goods to me... But, I'm saying that on the photograph I've posted the timer ring isn't set so why would that be... would that mean a ground impact also detonated the No 85 fuse but, surely a shrapnel shell wouldn't be set for ground impact... Would a shell be fired and timed and then adjustment made so the shell exploded over the target like you said...? Also, what shell other than a shrapnel shell would a type 85 be used on... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Wade Posted 25 August , 2015 Share Posted 25 August , 2015 It's not set to any particular increment at the moment but the whole thing looks distinctly 'displaced' to me, as if it's been taken apart and then reassembled, which could mean that the original setting has been lost? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ogilwy Posted 26 August , 2015 Share Posted 26 August , 2015 Fuze Nose Time and Percussion No 85. If the shell impacts with an object (I.E. the ground) prior to the delay action functioning then the impact feature fires the Direct action impact element of the fuze. It could however also be fired in the direct role with the fuze relying on the impact to cause it to function only. Why you would want to do this I don't know but I would suggest an 18 Pdr fired in the direct fire role even with Shrapnel would be annoying to anyone close to the impact point!! Rod P.S. SRD, well done mate! Too all others Fuses go into electrical plugs! Fuzes cause ammunition to function. Must go I have to teach Fuzes now!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nigelfe Posted 27 August , 2015 Share Posted 27 August , 2015 The 'fuze length' is set on the fuze, basically the time of flight reflecting the range to the target, corrections for non-standard conditions and the desired Height of Burst (although with shrapnel this was factored in to the fuze length tables). 85 was of course an igniferous fuze, ie is used a burning coil of gunpowder. Basically, setting the fuze meant that the hole leading to fuze initiator was turned to align with the correct spot on the gunpowder coil. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Wade Posted 27 August , 2015 Share Posted 27 August , 2015 Yes, and you can see this clearly in the circular channels in each section of the fuze, the more powder in the channel that it has to burn through, the longer the delay: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
battiscombe Posted 7 October , 2015 Share Posted 7 October , 2015 Following on this discussion i have come across this reference to No 85 fuze indicator strips - any idea what these were? "1031. FUZE NO 85 – STRIPS for INDICATOR. Strips for fuze indicators for number 85 fuze are now available. Indents should be submitted to D.A.D.O.S. 2nd Division on the scale of one strip for each indicator" [7th Oct 1915] https://captainmowbray.wordpress.com/october-1915/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RodB Posted 8 October , 2015 Share Posted 8 October , 2015 Following on this discussion i have come across this reference to No 85 fuze indicator strips - any idea what these were? "1031. FUZE NO 85 – STRIPS for INDICATOR. Strips for fuze indicators for number 85 fuze are now available. Indents should be submitted to D.A.D.O.S. 2nd Division on the scale of one strip for each indicator" [7th Oct 1915] https://captainmowbray.wordpress.com/october-1915/ "Fuze indicator" was a large slide-rule for calculating fuze settings. A separate centre slide (a.k.a. "strip") was used for each fuze type. Dunno why a No. 85 fuze setting would be different to No. 80, I thought their balistics would be identical for a given round. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
battiscombe Posted 8 October , 2015 Share Posted 8 October , 2015 Thanks for that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RodB Posted 9 October , 2015 Share Posted 9 October , 2015 I think this photograph came from an Imperial War Museum display? Not completely sure to be honest. Anyway, it's an 18 pounder shrapnel shell cut lengthwise to show what the contents would have looked like: 18pdrshrapnelshell-small.jpg Reply to post #5 : It's a photo of object at : Canadian War Museum, Ottawa. Catalogue information : Artifact Number 20020045-592 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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