British 2 Pounder APHE-T Mk1 Colours

[Big Dave]

Currently painting one of these ,so the main colour is Matt black ? Then white band or tip in white to denote AP ,red band for tracer ? Anything to denote the HE ?row of X's ? Any help would be a great help

 

[RichardB]

Hi Dave
there are some extremely knowlegable people here, particularly in this calibre.
Hopefully they'll post some plates, diagrams etc I didn't have to hand, so here are some other pictures instead. I believe all original paint

All these pictures btw are already on BOCN


Rich

 

[Quatermass]

According to the Handbook the 'Shell., Q.F., Armour-Piercing, 2-PR Mk I' (not APHE) is marked as:

Painting

(a) Shell painted yellow to denote H.E. filling.
(b) Two white rings round the nose to denote A.P.
(c) One red ring round the nose to denote filled shell.

Stencilling

(a) Design number of method of filling, e.g. 7071.
(b) Lot number of picric power exploder.
(c) Initials or monogram of filling factory or station.
(d) Date of filling (month and year).
(e) Series number in ring denoting Lot number of filling.
(f) Lot number of fuze and tracer.

 

[AE501]

The markings on Richard B shells and Quatermass comments are spot on.

This marking has not changed since the late 1800s. It appears in 1918 markings books.

Both the Mark 1 and 2 shells were filled with Lyddite and had a Fuze,Tracer,Base No 281 fitted, but the fuze element was removed from the Mk2.
Presumably this was because it was found that the shock of impact with a target would be sufficient to cause explosion, if not the tracer would set off the picric acid powder exploder.

The 48 - 51 marking system drawing shows the body colour change to dark blue but this would never have happened because there would have been no production of this shell type by then and there would have been no desire to scrape and repaint an obsolescent shell type.

Both the Marks 1 & 2 cartridges were declared obsolete in 1957, but had died before then.

 

[Quatermass]

Just a quick note, there was never a Mk 2 armour-piercing shell (projectile), the Mk 2 indicates the cartridge with the inert fuze.

The tracer couldn't ignite the exploder in the shell as the tracer body and fuze body were solid at the point they joined together.

 

[AE501]

You are quite right, it is the same shell, but the cartridges are Mks 1 & 2.