3-IN 20CWT Practice Shell

[Darkman]

I recently picked up a 3-inch 20cwt practice shell that has a P stamped under the steel supplier details and above the designation. It’s a black painted shell with a 1” yellow band on the shoulder and a 1/2” red band near the mouth. It also has a 1 & 1/2” silver (smoke box?) circle between the 2 bands. It has remnant black pitch filling inside which smells like tar.

I thought the red filling band indicated a bursting charge (powder?), not pitch. What sort of bursting charge would it have had as a practice shell and for what purpose? What fuze would it have used and why is the smoke box circle silver?

Thanks for any information.

Graeme

 

[tigbrand]

Hi Graeme, that's a very nice shell. I had to check in a handbook, and its says flash producer, with one circle on the shell. This was the 1946 downloads from Bocn,
The red ring would relate to those components on your shell, or a tracer if fitted, but the tracer type would be stencilled in red symbols on the body as well as the red ring.
Is it threaded for an external tracer? I have seen mentioned many times that the inert filler type was written on the yellow band but have never seen this.
A good rub with some warm beeswax may show more. Thanks Tig

 

[Darkman]

Thanks Tig. No external tracer, shell has a flat bottom, but presumably not a plate inserted as per the HE shell. I assume it had an internal smoke box inserted, but must have had powder to make it operate. Just a bit confusing as it was also pitch filled. I’ll check out that 1946 handbook, cheers

 

[2pounder]

from my poor memory I think that it is similar to the 4in practice shell of that era. they were fired at drone targets towed behind aircraft and the smoke box activating gave its position relative to the target without destroying the target which is what HE would do. Seen them fired at Pendine as a child. Might be worth looking up the 4in shell.