F
British Ordnance Collectors Network
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One of my favorite pieces of EOD equipment. Nothing like spinning the fuze out of a bomb from 300m away.
F
Fuzeman
Guest
I have the IGOL too but it was too cold to extract and photograph in the garage, this morning
J
John D. Bartleson Jr.
Guest
The Igol Wrench;
Steve,
You have access to some real pieces of BD history.
The term 'Igol" is actually a mispelled name of its inventor.
CDR. Robert "Ike' Eigel, USN (deceased) was then a First Class Petty Officer Gunner's Mate, who along with Lt. Draper Kauffman,USNrR, graduated from BD school at the Naval Gun Factory, Washington, D.C. and the day after the attack on Pearl Harbor, flew to Pearl and EIgel did the first known Japanese rendersafe procedure by hand using a Stillson wrench (pipe wrench) to remove the tail fuze. Kauffman was awarded the Navy Cross (second highest for gallentry) for Ike's work.
From that experience Ike realized the need for remote tools. I have his original design back home. It was manufactured and also sold or given to British BD.
Originally it had only a reel attached to the two jaw assembly with a cord to unwind the fuze remotely.
Soon aftera rocket wrench capability was added that employed two opposing cylinders with rocket venturis. These were loaded with baliistite strip grains from stripped rocket. Later the .50 caliber shell was used after the projectile had been extracted, the end closed with tissue paper and the primers ignited by det cord.
Later the .50 cal was manufactured with electric primers.
The two jaw wrench was eventualy replaced (in USA) by the Navy three jaw wrench, wich I thought was inferior.
And that is the history of the remote wrench.
While I was assigned to DEODS in 73-75, a FLTSGT named Fred Smith invented and tested an adapter for the rocket wrench to remotely remove a German fuze locking ring. I don't know if was adopted.
Best Regards,
John aka Bart
Steve,
You have access to some real pieces of BD history.
The term 'Igol" is actually a mispelled name of its inventor.
CDR. Robert "Ike' Eigel, USN (deceased) was then a First Class Petty Officer Gunner's Mate, who along with Lt. Draper Kauffman,USNrR, graduated from BD school at the Naval Gun Factory, Washington, D.C. and the day after the attack on Pearl Harbor, flew to Pearl and EIgel did the first known Japanese rendersafe procedure by hand using a Stillson wrench (pipe wrench) to remove the tail fuze. Kauffman was awarded the Navy Cross (second highest for gallentry) for Ike's work.
From that experience Ike realized the need for remote tools. I have his original design back home. It was manufactured and also sold or given to British BD.
Originally it had only a reel attached to the two jaw assembly with a cord to unwind the fuze remotely.
Soon aftera rocket wrench capability was added that employed two opposing cylinders with rocket venturis. These were loaded with baliistite strip grains from stripped rocket. Later the .50 caliber shell was used after the projectile had been extracted, the end closed with tissue paper and the primers ignited by det cord.
Later the .50 cal was manufactured with electric primers.
The two jaw wrench was eventualy replaced (in USA) by the Navy three jaw wrench, wich I thought was inferior.
And that is the history of the remote wrench.
While I was assigned to DEODS in 73-75, a FLTSGT named Fred Smith invented and tested an adapter for the rocket wrench to remotely remove a German fuze locking ring. I don't know if was adopted.
Best Regards,
John aka Bart