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3.7in Projectile?

D

dwparkes

Member
Ordnance approved
Premium Member
Hi

This item was recently dredged up off the UK coast. The dia is approx. 90 mm but I suspect that it is 3.7in. I would be grateful for any assistance in identifying the item and the fuze.

Many thanks

David Parkes
 

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Things with fuses usually have stuff that goes bang inside them !!!!!!!!!! Since you cannot see inside it please treat it as a live item . If it were me I would contact the correct authorities .
 
glevum said:
How many grooves are in the driving band?
Click to expand...

I've another pic - not that it helps a great deal. Just out of interest, the item was taken back across the channel and
handed-in!?!?t was later disposed of by an EOD team.
 

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Ah well, that makes it more difficult. If you had an accurate count of the rifling grooves it would have narrowed it down a bit.
 
I doubt this is a 3.7" A.A. which was QF fixed. There is very little space behind the driving band and no cannelure to ensure a good attachment to the cartridge case, so I would suspect this to be a QF separate. The 3.7" A.A. had both a cannelure on the base of the projectile and one on the driving band.

TimG
 
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TimG said:
I doubt this 3.7" A.A. which was QF fixed. There is very little space behind the driving band and no cannelure to ensure a good attachment to the cartridge case, so I would suspect this to be a QF separate. The 3.7" A.A. had both a cannelure on the base of the projectile and one on the driving band.

TimG
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Many thanks TimG - this is causing much head-scratching!
 
I was wondering if it might be a 3.7" Mountain Howitzer HE round with a 44 fuze in an adaptor.

I have not managed to find a drawing of one.

It looks pre war to me.
 
glevum said:
I was wondering if it might be a 3.7" Mountain Howitzer HE round with a 44 fuze in an adaptor.

I have not managed to find a drawing of one.

It looks pre war to me.
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Many thanks for that Glevum. Given TimG's post and the fact that it was found off the UK coast, my thoughts are of 3.7in AA Gun with HE separate round. Agree that it could be a 44 fuze in an adaptor (assuming 44 is/was a Time Delay fuze!). The 'adaptor' appears to have WL stamped on with a 'crows foot' Will contact EOD team leader to see if there were any other markings. Once again thanks for the help.
 
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David,

As far as I'm aware, we've never had a QF separate 3.7" AA. Do you know how reliable the calibre measurement is? I'm wondering if it could be a bit conservative and the diameter is more 100mm - we did a lot in 4"!

TimG
 
TimG said:
David,

As far as I'm aware, we've never had a QF separate 3.7" AA. Do you know how reliable the calibre measurement is? I'm wondering if it could be a bit conservative and the diameter is more 100mm - we did a lot in 4"!

TimG
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Hi Tim
The team are adamant 90mm approx and they're usually spot on. I spent the afternoon trawling through many tables concerning 3.7 in ammo - looks like tomorrow will be more of the same. Thanks for the input.
 
glevum said:
I was wondering if it might be a 3.7" Mountain Howitzer HE round with a 44 fuze in an adaptor.

I have not managed to find a drawing of one.

It looks pre war to me.
Click to expand...

Its not, i'm afraid, a 3.7-in howitzer projectile. The driving band is too wide and the projectiles too long to be the howitzer shell. Also the 1926 handbook and 1946 manual make no mention of the use of No. 44 fuze (if that's what it is)
 
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Hi
You will appreciate that this is causing a few headaches. I have since discovered that the length of the projectile from base to tip (not including fuze remnants is 358 mm and the markings on the fuze remnants/adaptor(?) are 26 WL and the standard 'crowsfoot' - many thanks for the inputs.
 
Hogg in British and American Artillery of WW2 lists for the 3.7 mountain howitzer:

Shell, HE, 3.7 mk 3 being fitted with Percussion Fuze 101E, 106E, 44 or 45

Where was the shell found? I appreciate it may be sensitive, but Hogg also mentions in British Artillery Weapons and Ammunition 1914-1918 a 90mm gun being in British Service 1915-1920.

This was Ordnance BL 90mm Mk 1/C/. This was a French 90mm gun of 1886 pattern.
 
The Q.F. 3.7-inch Howitzer HE shell is 252mm in length.

Fuzes listed in the 1946 manual: No. 80, 106E, 117, 117C, 119B, 213, 221B, 222 & 233.
Fuzes listed in the 1926 handbook: No. 80, 101E, 106, 106E, 183 & 188M.
 
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