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Gr.Z.92

jvollenberg

Well-Known Member
Ordnance approved
Does anyone know what the animal symbol stands for on this Gr.Z.92 fuze?

Joe
 

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Some background: The Gr.Z.92 replaced a part of planned production of Gr.Z.14 fuzes and other than it's name indicates it was introduced in 1916. in 1916 the production of 1.000.000 pieces was planned. Ludwig Loewe & Co. was one of four companies which was asked to produce them and each of the companies shoud deliver 250.000 pieces. The name Gr.Z.92 was chosen because mechanical parts of the Dopp.Z.92 were used for the Gr.Z.92. A number of 1.000.000 Zdlg.92 gaines was ordered from the Carbonit AG to use them together with these fuzes. The reason for production probably was to use an available overstock of Dopp.Z.92 parts.
 
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A letter of the prussian war ministry (Kriegsministerium) which was send to the major artillery arsenals.

They had a regular distribution list for such infos but after two lost wars they are hard to find and the flow of information is mostly interrupted.
 
Very nice stamp, thanks for posting. I have never seen it before. I don't find it on the Vestiges Militaria website, do you have a direct link? Always looking for fuze factory stamps for research.

With a high probability it was produced by the "Adler Fahrradwerke vorm. Heinrich Kleyer, Frankfurt am Main". In 1914 the company signed a contract for the production of K.Z.14. So it's very likely that they later also made K.Z.14 n/A. "Adler" in English is "Eagle" and I think the stamp is an Eagle's head. On civil products they used a different logo but it was common that some companies used different monograms on military an civil products.
 
This particular K.Z. 14 n.A. , what material is it made of? Brass?

Very nice stamp indeed. Good stuff.
 
Could manufacturer be P. Bruckmann & Söhne - Heilbronn ?
 
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For me hard to say: At least they made bodies for Zinc K.Z.14 in 1917! Did you find the eagle's-head in relation to this company? It's always hard to say if a company only made bodies or if it made complete filled fuzes (only the latter had an factory stamp).
 
Well, found the following information regarding the P. Bruckmann & söhne - Heilbronn Silberwaren-Fabrik, as well as a list of evolution of their silver stamp or company logo through the years with the ww1 years missing. I think it’s very likely the fuze or at least the body of it was manufactured by P. Bruckmann & söhne at Heilbronn.

Coat of Arms of Heilbronn is also the eagle, Fabrikmarke for the P. Bruckmann & söhne factory is also that eagle.

What do you think?

Would be nice to see direct references to the factory during the war, or that displays the exact logo as seen on the KZ 14 n.A.

These two links also show some other interesting stuff from the company:



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In my opinion Bruckmann can't be excluded completely, but it was a small company and as a flatware factory without proper machines for fuze production but well equipped for casting and pressing metal blanks. And I found it only mentioned in a list of producers of fuze bodies (pressed blanks) together with about 100 other factories which nobody has ever seen stamped on fuzes. So it's unlikely Bruckmann.

But I can bring another player into the game: The Gebrüder Stoewer AG in Stettin.

The eagle has a crown here but is very similar to the one on the KZ14:



I found Stoewer listed as manufacturer of K.Z.14 Fb.

It was as a direct competitor of the Adlerwerke as both made bicycles, cars and typewriters. But the Adlerwerke were much larger (10000 employees during war). By its geographical location it's possible that Stoewer fuzes are more common on the eastern front. But sadly for all three we don't have a proof. I only have the proof the the Adlerwerke and Stoewer made KZ14's. But I have that proof for a lot of other companies too which I also never noticed on fuzes...
 
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