Cutaway models of three WW2 German naval cartridges. The 3,7cm Sprenggranat Patrone 40 L/4,1 Lh37 (3,7cm Sprgr. Patr. 40 L/4,1 Lh37) (this projectile comes with two different types of drivingband) and the armour piercing high explosive (3,7cm Pzgr Lp). These cartridges arte meant for use in the 3,7cm Shiffskanone C30 in Einheitslafette C34 (3,7cm S.k. C/30 in Ehl C/34).
In English: 3,7cm High explosive shell type 40 L/4,1 for Ship’s gun type C30 in Universal mounting C/34.
The 3,7cm S.k. C30 was a naval pattern dual purpose anti aircraft / coast defence gun and was largely used as a static anti aircraft weapon protecting larger gun installations , either it was mounted on naval vessels as an Anti aircraft gun. The gun was a simple monoblock gun with a semi automatic sliding breech block, percussion fired. The gun was hand loaded round by round, somewhat cumbersome in a time where most guns of this calibre and function were already automatic (clip) fed.
A five round clip fed automatic weapon , the 3,7 cm /69 M42 gun was designed by Rheinmetall as a replacement for the 3,7 cm Sk. C30. The weapon was recoil operated and air cooled. The gun fired 250 rpm. cyclic
Several types of ammunition were available: High explosive incendiary (Br. SprGr.); three types of High explosive (Sprgr.) with either two steel, either three red cupper driving bands, the latter with or without tracer self destruct depending upon the nose fuze used; Practice (Ub); Armour piercing High explosive (3,7cm Pzgr Lp).
Two types of High Explosive shells will be described here.
The older type of the two is the type with the three red cupper driving bands. It has a mild steel body, threaded internally in the top and base to receive the nose fuze and the tracer element.
In this case, when the projectile is fuzed with an impact only fuze (E.Kzdr f 3,7cm C30), the tracer element is connected to a tracer self destruct element, screwed in top of the tracer element. After burn up of the tracer, the black powder in the small chamber just above the tracer is ignited through a tiny hole, on it’s turn igniting the black powder in the self destruct element above it through a tiny hole.
Above the upper drivingband a white band can be observed , meaning white colour tracer . Other colors available were red or yellow.
When the projectile was used with the KZ40, a nose fuze with a pyrotechnic self destruct device, no tracer self destruct mechanism was used in the projectile.
Functioning of the E.Kzdr f 3,7cm C30 (sensitive nose fuze for 3,7cm C30). The fuze is an all aluminium two piece fuze The inner part contians the centrifugal segments, held inward by a brass coil spring. In inward position the segments prevent the firing pin rom moving down in te duplex detonator. After firing the segments are thrown outward, enabeling the firing pin to move into the Duplex detonator at impact. A wooden hammer pin is placed on top of the firing pin.
The later type projectile has a mild steel body and two soft iron drivingbands.
It is used with the KZ40, an impact nose fuze with a pyrotechnic self destruct device. On firing, the small firing pin (left) overcomes the spring, traveling down into the firing cap. This ignites a pyrotechnic fuze that ends up in a detonator (white)in the right , just above the red channel. The flame of this smalldetonator ignites the Duplex detonator.
The firing pin is held in safe position by a centrifugal lug, held in position by a vertical retaining pin, which on it’s turn is held in position by a pellet of black powder. On ignition of the delay element, the pellet under the retaining pin burns away, enabeling the pin to move down. This enables the safety lug to move outward and release the firing pin. On impact it is pushed into the duplex detonator by the hammer pin placed on top of the firing pin.
The tiny hole in the lower part of the fuze on the left is one of two vent holes to enable the gas of the burning pyrotechnic train to escape.
The colour of the shell was normally yellow , with a white red or yellow band above the drivingband to mark the colour of the tracer.
Weight of the projectile: 0,68 kg (1,50 Lb), Weight of complete round 1,78 Kg (3,92 Lb).
Vo: 1000 mtrs/sec, maximum range 6600mtrs (7218 yds), effective AAA ceiling 2000 mtrs (6562 ft)
The projectile is filled with a paper cylinder filled with 27 grams of FP02 (TNT).
Weight of the projectile: 0,68 kg (1,50 Lb), Weight of complete round 1,78 Kg (3,92 Lb).
Vo: 1000 mtrs/sec, maximum range 6600mtrs (7218 yds), effective AAA ceiling 2000 mtrs (6562 ft)
Beide projectielen zijn gevuld met een lading van 27 gram FP02 (TNT), verpakt in een papieren kokertje.
Weight of a complete cartridge: 1,78 kg
Weight of projectile : 0,68 kg
Vo: 1000 mtrs /sec
Maximum (horizontal) range: 8500 mtrs
Effective ceiling : 2000 mtrs.
Max ceiling : 6800 mtrs
Burning time tracer: 4800 mtrs
The Armour piercing high explosive - tracer (3,7 cm Pzgr Lsp.) has been hardened from the nose down to the top of the explosives hole. The cap tinned to the nose is no piercing cap but a cap that forms a seat for the ballistic cap.
The explosive charge exists of a cartboard container filled with 22 grams NP15 (Nitropenta with 15% wax.. In the base of the explosive charge detonator A (Sprengkapsel A) is placed.
The basefuze used in this projectile is the Bdz.42a mit leuchtspur (Basefuze 42a with tracer).
Two pins , placed in two radial drilled holes (180 degr apart), prevent the firing cap from moving forward into the firing pin. The pins are kept in inward position by a roundgoing spring. After firing , the pins are thrown outward by the centrifugal force, enabeling the firing cap to move forward into the firing pin upon impact. The firing cap is placed in a steel shaft (black). If no target is hit, the tracer burning up starts to heat up the steel shaft –housing the firingcap- until the heat ignites the firing cap.
Two smal (0,2 mm dia.) holes beside the firing pin end up in a small gas collection chamber where the gas pressure has to build up before entering the “detonator A” , exploding the projectile. The time lapse between the ignition of the firing cap and the ignition of the detonator is the time the projectile needs to penetrate the armor before explosing.
The colour of the projectile is dark blue.
Shellcases come in brass or brass cladded steel. They use the percussion primer C/13n.A. St. or C/33 St.
The main powder charge is made of 344 grams of 320mm long tubular sticks RP32 or RP38N naval powder. These are tied together with silk bindings. The charge is placed in a bag , which has a small pocket in it’s base, containing rifle powder to enshure a fast and even ignition of the main charge.
When a projectile with red cupper driving bands is used, a roll of lead or zinc wire is placed on top of the main charge.This is done to prevent the lands and grooves of the barrel to faul with red cupper. The lead or zinc melts away forming a brittle alloy that is easily wiped away by the driving band of the next projectile. So in fact an easy and cheap way to prevent the barrel from fouling up.
Postwar C30 cartridges were manufactured in Spain by the Bazan company in Cadiz (as far as I know up to 1957).
Regards, DJH
**** EDIT on 06-07-08 17.41 pm : Changed out the three pictures for improved ones: The lower side of the C30 APHE-T-SD sprojectile has been painted black, a red band has been painted over the driving belts, the decoppering wire has been removed from the shellcase (no use with iron -FES- drivingbelts).*****
In English: 3,7cm High explosive shell type 40 L/4,1 for Ship’s gun type C30 in Universal mounting C/34.
The 3,7cm S.k. C30 was a naval pattern dual purpose anti aircraft / coast defence gun and was largely used as a static anti aircraft weapon protecting larger gun installations , either it was mounted on naval vessels as an Anti aircraft gun. The gun was a simple monoblock gun with a semi automatic sliding breech block, percussion fired. The gun was hand loaded round by round, somewhat cumbersome in a time where most guns of this calibre and function were already automatic (clip) fed.
A five round clip fed automatic weapon , the 3,7 cm /69 M42 gun was designed by Rheinmetall as a replacement for the 3,7 cm Sk. C30. The weapon was recoil operated and air cooled. The gun fired 250 rpm. cyclic
Several types of ammunition were available: High explosive incendiary (Br. SprGr.); three types of High explosive (Sprgr.) with either two steel, either three red cupper driving bands, the latter with or without tracer self destruct depending upon the nose fuze used; Practice (Ub); Armour piercing High explosive (3,7cm Pzgr Lp).
Two types of High Explosive shells will be described here.
The older type of the two is the type with the three red cupper driving bands. It has a mild steel body, threaded internally in the top and base to receive the nose fuze and the tracer element.
In this case, when the projectile is fuzed with an impact only fuze (E.Kzdr f 3,7cm C30), the tracer element is connected to a tracer self destruct element, screwed in top of the tracer element. After burn up of the tracer, the black powder in the small chamber just above the tracer is ignited through a tiny hole, on it’s turn igniting the black powder in the self destruct element above it through a tiny hole.
Above the upper drivingband a white band can be observed , meaning white colour tracer . Other colors available were red or yellow.
When the projectile was used with the KZ40, a nose fuze with a pyrotechnic self destruct device, no tracer self destruct mechanism was used in the projectile.
Functioning of the E.Kzdr f 3,7cm C30 (sensitive nose fuze for 3,7cm C30). The fuze is an all aluminium two piece fuze The inner part contians the centrifugal segments, held inward by a brass coil spring. In inward position the segments prevent the firing pin rom moving down in te duplex detonator. After firing the segments are thrown outward, enabeling the firing pin to move into the Duplex detonator at impact. A wooden hammer pin is placed on top of the firing pin.
The later type projectile has a mild steel body and two soft iron drivingbands.
It is used with the KZ40, an impact nose fuze with a pyrotechnic self destruct device. On firing, the small firing pin (left) overcomes the spring, traveling down into the firing cap. This ignites a pyrotechnic fuze that ends up in a detonator (white)in the right , just above the red channel. The flame of this smalldetonator ignites the Duplex detonator.
The firing pin is held in safe position by a centrifugal lug, held in position by a vertical retaining pin, which on it’s turn is held in position by a pellet of black powder. On ignition of the delay element, the pellet under the retaining pin burns away, enabeling the pin to move down. This enables the safety lug to move outward and release the firing pin. On impact it is pushed into the duplex detonator by the hammer pin placed on top of the firing pin.
The tiny hole in the lower part of the fuze on the left is one of two vent holes to enable the gas of the burning pyrotechnic train to escape.
The colour of the shell was normally yellow , with a white red or yellow band above the drivingband to mark the colour of the tracer.
Weight of the projectile: 0,68 kg (1,50 Lb), Weight of complete round 1,78 Kg (3,92 Lb).
Vo: 1000 mtrs/sec, maximum range 6600mtrs (7218 yds), effective AAA ceiling 2000 mtrs (6562 ft)
The projectile is filled with a paper cylinder filled with 27 grams of FP02 (TNT).
Weight of the projectile: 0,68 kg (1,50 Lb), Weight of complete round 1,78 Kg (3,92 Lb).
Vo: 1000 mtrs/sec, maximum range 6600mtrs (7218 yds), effective AAA ceiling 2000 mtrs (6562 ft)
Beide projectielen zijn gevuld met een lading van 27 gram FP02 (TNT), verpakt in een papieren kokertje.
Weight of a complete cartridge: 1,78 kg
Weight of projectile : 0,68 kg
Vo: 1000 mtrs /sec
Maximum (horizontal) range: 8500 mtrs
Effective ceiling : 2000 mtrs.
Max ceiling : 6800 mtrs
Burning time tracer: 4800 mtrs
The Armour piercing high explosive - tracer (3,7 cm Pzgr Lsp.) has been hardened from the nose down to the top of the explosives hole. The cap tinned to the nose is no piercing cap but a cap that forms a seat for the ballistic cap.
The explosive charge exists of a cartboard container filled with 22 grams NP15 (Nitropenta with 15% wax.. In the base of the explosive charge detonator A (Sprengkapsel A) is placed.
The basefuze used in this projectile is the Bdz.42a mit leuchtspur (Basefuze 42a with tracer).
Two pins , placed in two radial drilled holes (180 degr apart), prevent the firing cap from moving forward into the firing pin. The pins are kept in inward position by a roundgoing spring. After firing , the pins are thrown outward by the centrifugal force, enabeling the firing cap to move forward into the firing pin upon impact. The firing cap is placed in a steel shaft (black). If no target is hit, the tracer burning up starts to heat up the steel shaft –housing the firingcap- until the heat ignites the firing cap.
Two smal (0,2 mm dia.) holes beside the firing pin end up in a small gas collection chamber where the gas pressure has to build up before entering the “detonator A” , exploding the projectile. The time lapse between the ignition of the firing cap and the ignition of the detonator is the time the projectile needs to penetrate the armor before explosing.
The colour of the projectile is dark blue.
Shellcases come in brass or brass cladded steel. They use the percussion primer C/13n.A. St. or C/33 St.
The main powder charge is made of 344 grams of 320mm long tubular sticks RP32 or RP38N naval powder. These are tied together with silk bindings. The charge is placed in a bag , which has a small pocket in it’s base, containing rifle powder to enshure a fast and even ignition of the main charge.
When a projectile with red cupper driving bands is used, a roll of lead or zinc wire is placed on top of the main charge.This is done to prevent the lands and grooves of the barrel to faul with red cupper. The lead or zinc melts away forming a brittle alloy that is easily wiped away by the driving band of the next projectile. So in fact an easy and cheap way to prevent the barrel from fouling up.
Postwar C30 cartridges were manufactured in Spain by the Bazan company in Cadiz (as far as I know up to 1957).
Regards, DJH
**** EDIT on 06-07-08 17.41 pm : Changed out the three pictures for improved ones: The lower side of the C30 APHE-T-SD sprojectile has been painted black, a red band has been painted over the driving belts, the decoppering wire has been removed from the shellcase (no use with iron -FES- drivingbelts).*****
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