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Bofors Ammunition,1941

C

christhurston

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
In a previous thread I mentioned one of the few references to ammunition
in Terry Ganders book on the Bofors gun.I thought that nearly 90 different
marks were mentioned,I was wrong,it was 95.I've not seen a copy of this book for some years,it's been out of print for a long while,so I dug out some handwritten notes I made when I last had the book in my hands.The
actual passage might be of interest to Bofors ammo fans who haven't seen it before.
A British Army service manual for the Bofors gun dated 1941,lists
no fewer than 41 marks of high explosive ammunition,9 marks of semi armour piercing,5 marks of armour piercing,no less than 24 marks of practice ammunition of various types,4 marks of barrel cleaning ammunition
6 marks of proof ammunition,5 marks of breakup ammunition for training and checking,and a solitary mark of paper shot ammunition,again for training and functional checking in confined areas.
 
According to the handbook 1941 (ammended 9/42) there were two types of HE shell, two types of S.A.P. shot and two types of practice projectile.
The different marks of ammuntion refers to the various propellent loadings, so as a collector you don't need to find 95 different projectiles!
 
I expect that will come as a great relief to many,including myself.
Terry Gander,himself,does go on to say-"All these marks were far too many
for logistical comfort and after 1941 a drastic rationalization programme was carried out,so that by 1946,the number of marks of high explosive
ammunition had been reduced to but three"
He,certainly,wasn't wrong with the first bit of that!!!!
 
Again according to the 1949 User Handbook Anti-Aircraft Ammunition there were five different Marks of HE projectile (2T, 4T, 5T, 6T & 7T), four S.A.P. projectiles (1, 2T, 3T & 4T), three A.P projectiles (2T, 4T & 6T), one A.P.C. shot (7T), two Practice Shot (4T & 6T), three Proof (4, 11 & 13), five Break-up Proof Shot (3, 7, 8, 9 & 10), one Paper Shot (1) and one Shell, Proof of Fuzes (1)
There still seemed to be some 38 different HE cartridge loadings.
 
Yes,whatever they may have done,there does still seem to be a few of these to choose from.Although,I guess,that 95 is over egging the pudding
a bit!!! Those marks with the letter T are also mentioned by Terry Gander.
"Gilding metal for driving bands was found to be cheaper and easier to produce than the expensive and scarcer copper.Rounds using this type of
driving band had the letter T after the mark number"
What joy!!!you can get yourself a round,then start searching for it's earlier
version with a copper band!!!!
 
christhurston said:
Yes,whatever they may have done,there does still seem to be a few of these to choose from.Although,I guess,that 95 is over egging the pudding
a bit!!! Those marks with the letter T are also mentioned by Terry Gander.
"Gilding metal for driving bands was found to be cheaper and easier to produce than the expensive and scarcer copper.Rounds using this type of
driving band had the letter T after the mark number"
What joy!!!you can get yourself a round,then start searching for it's earlier
version with a copper band!!!!
Click to expand...

I hate to contradict Mr Gander but the 'T' stamped after the mark number indicates the projectile has a tracer.
As an example, the driving band material of the HE Mk 2T projectile is copper while the HE Mk 4T projectile has a driving band of gilding metal, while both have a tracer.
 
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Oh,dear!!!!Does seem a rather more logical use for the letter T,right enough.I wonder if he cares anymore after all these years,just goes to show,you can't believe everything that's in print.
 
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