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Japanese 105mm case?
- Thread starter butterfly
- Start date
butterfly
HONOURED MEMBER RIP
Thanks HAZORD.
I must admit I've not seen all that much of any Japanese items here in the UK, but it surprises me that you dont see more in the US.
Anyone know what a case like this would be worth? .......it has brass content so thats a good start - LOL!!!
regards Kev
I'm thinking Ogreve might be very interested in it.
Part of the problem with jap ordnance was their picnic acid explosives which make dangerous salts in combination with metal, and the high humidity in the Pacific Theatre.
Sent from my NSA/FBI tapped iPhone using Tapatalk
Part of the problem with jap ordnance was their picnic acid explosives which make dangerous salts in combination with metal, and the high humidity in the Pacific Theatre.
Sent from my NSA/FBI tapped iPhone using Tapatalk
BOUGAINVILLE
Well-Known Member
It is a very clear 10 over a 6 which is read as 16. It is dated Showa 16 10th month which is October 1941.
Showa Year is written as 昭和 but this is usually abbreviated as 昭 on Imperial Japanese Army artillery head stamps.
The number 10 is 十 and the number 6 is 六. This is read as 16 and can be written as either 六十 or as a fraction with the ten over the 6 as the case is with the head stamp on this 105mm case. Of course as Drew mentions the crossed cannons belong to Osaka Army Arsenal.
BOUGAINVILLE
Well-Known Member
Must be one hell of a holiday with "picnic" acid :laugh::laugh::laugh:
Picric acid is an explosive and definately not associated with propellent. Cases were loaded with a propellent charge and had no picric acid.
On the other hand due to its sensitivity picric acid was commonly found as a booster in the booster wells of projectiles. it was not a standard loading.
The standard loading for H.E. projectiles was TNT but if alternative fillings are used the shell was stencilled accordingly in white. This marking is just forward of the driving band 180˚ from the main series of markings. e.g.
"Heinei" filled Trinitrophenetole 平寧
"Anga" filled Ammonium nitrate/RDX 80/20 安瓦
“Ko Shoku Yaku” filled Trinitrophenol (Picric Acid) 黄色
The initiation chain in large caliber projectiles was the primer - gaine - booster well - main explosive charge. It is the booster well where the picric acid (trinitrophenol) was usually found in a waxed paper container inserted inside the well. The gaine was protected from the picric acid by an aluminium sealing cup which sat in the top of the booster well.
Don't get me wrong though, some Japanese ordnance was filled with picric acid, but certainly not all of it. An excellent example of picric acid filled ordnance is the Type 93 Mine.
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Hey Robert,
I'm also curious where exactly is the "10 over a 6" stamped? I have re-examined all the photos and can only find "10 六 昭", (which is horizontal, not vertical) and does not resemble: "10/六"
(which normally be stamped as arabic numerals 10/6 as shown in example (d) below)
The format "10 六 昭" more closely resembles example (B) where the kanji numbers are the year (next to the "Showa" character) and the arabic number is the month - this is clearly indicated by the last 2 lines on page 11.
Perhaps my documentation is out of date? (well since 1944 anyway LOL!!!)
Cheers
Drew
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The point being made by Bougainville is surely that the Kanji for 16 is written here vertically as 十 above 六, Showa 16, the two symbols effectively joined. Ignore the month, October.
Tom.
BOUGAINVILLE
Well-Known Member
Thanks Tom. That is precisely what I was saying. The 十 is written vertically above the 六 and are effectively joined. It isn't unusual to find the Showa year date written like this on IJA head stamps. It can be written either vertically, in which case the two characters are effectively joined one above the other, or horizontally. The month is always depicted using western numerals. The IJA headstamps are read from right to left.
Cheers,
Robert
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butterfly
HONOURED MEMBER RIP
Thanks again everyone for the interest in the markings etc.
Here are some slightly better images of the stampings on the case.
Now I understand the 10 to be the month, the next symbol to be the year.......what is the one next to that on the right?
The crossed cannons are the Osaka Arsenal
There is also what appears to be an S in a diamond, and at the 'top' of the case a capital 'F', what do these mean?
a lot of questions I know, but its the only way to learn!!
thanks in advance, kind regards Kev
Here are some slightly better images of the stampings on the case.
Now I understand the 10 to be the month, the next symbol to be the year.......what is the one next to that on the right?
The crossed cannons are the Osaka Arsenal
There is also what appears to be an S in a diamond, and at the 'top' of the case a capital 'F', what do these mean?
a lot of questions I know, but its the only way to learn!!
thanks in advance, kind regards Kev
OK, I can see now why I originally posted that it "may be a six" as the second horizontal stroke appears to be part of the "十", done in such a manner that the combined kanji are almost the same height as the Showa and the 10 stamps - I guess the stamper wasn't too concern if they were nicely spaced or not..........
Perhaps I should find some more updated references on IJA cases and get a better pair of glasses...........:nerd:
Cheers
Drew
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BOUGAINVILLE
Well-Known Member
Have you tried using my article on Japanese headstamps in the last issue of the ACCA magazine? It should prove to be a good basic reference.
It just takes time to become familiar with Japanese markings, I'm still learning new things all of the time. That is what makes it exciting, like an unexplored frontier.
Cheers,
Robert
Yes I have read your excellent article as it clearly show a definite space between the kanji example - as shown the combined "height" of the 2 characters far exceed a single character height - perhaps you should update your article with this case where the overstamp has been performed in such a way that it resembles a single character height.
Cheers
Drew
BOUGAINVILLE
Well-Known Member
I tried the best to eliminate the space as I was using digital characters, but then only to have my line spacing changed during printing. For me to join them I would have to have used a image file. Anyway I thought that it would still have been clear especially when one is confronted with a 十 and a 六 joined together vertically. But then again maybe it was an oversight not to mention that in some cases the combined characters resemble a single character height. I will make mention of this when I do an update of arsenal markings.
Cheers,
Robert