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Second Boer War Period No 56 Fuze?

T

Tranter

Well-Known Member
I have what outwardly looks like a normal run of the mill No 56 fuse used mainly on the shrapnel shells fired by the British 15 Pdrs during the 2nd Boer war. It sections to some degree but there's something about it that seems slightly odd. The original standard fuse was designed to act in 1 of three ways:

1. As an airburst shrapnel fuse if the bottom pin only was removed.
2 As a percussion fuse if only the top pin was removed.
3 As a combination of both if both pins were removed (presumably to ensure the shell was detonated on impact with the ground should the airburst function fail to operate due to incorrect time of flight due to an incorrect charge/incorrect timer ring setting etc).

The fuse dismantles by removing the nut on the top and lifting off what would normally be the hollow bell shaped top part which should contain the parts required for percussion detonation. My fuse however has a solid 'bell' housing with just a hole for the nut spindle to pass through. The base of the bell has a leather washer fitted which then rests on the top of the timer ring. This precludes any percussion function whatsoever. Can anyone throw any light on this as I am a bit baffled as to why the built in capabilities of a fuse would be diminished by doing this. I'm reasonably sure that the bell is an original part and not something someone has made to attempt to make the fuse look whole externally if the hollow bell was damaged beyond use. Any ideas gratefully received!
 
Hi,

Are you able to post some photos?

Also what is the date on the fuse?

Thanks

Cheers

Drew
 
Hi Steeve
I can notsee your pictures but I thinkyour fuze is rather a No57. This fuze was used only in South Africa during the Boer War. It was a Time and Percussion fuze
It was created to meet the demands of a fuze with longer combustion to be used with shrapnel shells 12 pdr 6 cwt and 15 pdr 7 cwt "special use".
Commissioned in 1900 and retired in 1921, she had a burn time of 22 seconds
This fuze differed from the No 56 Mk IV by this composition and externally by painting the dome cap and blue.
In 1912 the remaining stocks were converted into No65 S
It was packaged in boxes # 57 Mk II painted blue. This fuze was nicknamed "Blue fuze"
Cheers!
Jean Paul
 
Hi Steve,

Thanks for the photos, although I was hoping that you would post photos of the "solid" dome removed from the fuse and the top of the combustion ring, else it looks externally as a standard No 56.

Jean-Paul,
It's a pity that you are unable to view the pics, but I don't believe this is a No 57? as the scale is only to 18 secs which is the standard No 56 and not to 22 secs as you have described (nor it is the dome cap blue)

Cheers

Drew
 
Last edited:
Hi drew
I have just seen the pictures that were not apparent during the drafting of the reply
No 57 is a No 56 where only the fusing composition is changed, the markings remain the same (graduations etc ...) on the No. 56.
If i say No. 57 is because it is the only fuze used on the 15 pdr 7 cwt shrapnel during the Boers Wars.

The early no56 fuze burned too fast, a maximum of only 13 seconds, and hence could only be time set for a maximum range of 4100 yards. The No. 57 "Blue" Fuze was introduced during the Boer war. It had a slower burning powder train and hence could be time set for ranges up to 5800-5900 yards. A maximum range of 6000 yards was quoted in use in the First World War. Its found reference to the site dedicated to this war (The South African Military History Society-Military History Journal Major Darrell D. Hall) and various documents. In addition it is listed as such in the list of British fuzes (list above). when the lack of blue color, it may be the following vigorous cleaning.
Cheers
JP
 
All,
I'll get the camera out and take a pic of the inside of the dome. Thanks to you both for your thoughts and information in the meantime - very useful!

cheers

steve
 
Steve,

The solid dome precludes the use of the time element, the percussion striker is housed in the main body.

If it were an official conversion I'm sure that the 'T' would have been 'barred' out, likewise the Mk IV and the hole for the safety pin blanked - to avoid any confusion.

Again, if an official conversion there would be no sense in manufacturing solid domes when you've already got surplus hollow domes. Also, the change in weight would affect the range tables.

All the fuzes in the range of No 52 - 68 are listed as Time & Percussion

There is only on fuze in that range that reached a Mk IV (it started at) and that's the No. 56

TimG
 
Hi Guys,

Again, thanks for all the input. .i've attached a much better pic now of the fuse sectioned with an internal view of the 'dome'.2014-03-15-013.jpg
 
Sadly, someone has rather savagely skimmed the top of the time ring. One can see the remains of the striker pellet and what appears to be the striker needle.

TimG
 
Tim,
Thanks for your input/comments. I am now even more confused than I was before I posted this thread! I'm beginning to think that this was in fact a standard 56 fuze & at sometime (many years ago, as it has some age to it) someone has machined a new (solid) dome as a replacement for a standard hollow dome that may have been in poor condition. If that is the case, they have done a very good job as when the fuze is together it is impossible to tell. Does everyone concur with my deduction? The timing ring is definately marked for 18 seconds, so that I think adds weight to my supposition. Also, as you quite rightly point out, the top of the timer ring /needle/pellet appear to have been ground away, presumably so the solid dome would fit correctly on the spindle. I initially thought I may have stumbled onto something a bit special but taking into account all the comments by you very knowledgeable guys I think my bubble has been well& truly burst!
 
lcn said:
No 57 is a No 56 where only the fusing composition is changed, the markings remain the same (graduations etc ...) on the No. 56.
If i say No. 57 is because it is the only fuze used on the 15 pdr 7 cwt shrapnel during the Boers Wars.

The early no56 fuze burned too fast, a maximum of only 13 seconds, and hence could only be time set for a maximum range of 4100 yards. The No. 57 "Blue" Fuze was introduced during the Boer war. It had a slower burning powder train and hence could be time set for ranges up to 5800-5900 yards. A maximum range of 6000 yards was quoted in use in the First World War. Its found reference to the site dedicated to this war (The South African Military History Society-Military History Journal Major Darrell D. Hall) and various documents. In addition it is listed as such in the list of British fuzes (list above). when the lack of blue color, it may be the following vigorous cleaning.
Cheers
JP
Click to expand...

Hi JP,

Yes you are correct, the No 57 was develop during 1900 for the 2nd Boer War for the long range. What is very interesting is that I have never seen one with a "blue" dome (nor any reference to the colour) and that all Mk IVs that I have and seen, have only the 18 sec scale time ring (and it would explain why some documentation refers to a 13 sec burn time for a No 56 - which has been a personal long time ongoing puzzle).

So the question comes back to - if the standard No 56 is spec for a 13 sec burn time, why have an "18 sec" time scale - was there ever a 13 secs burn time /time scale as stated?
I can understand from a production perspective why the No 57 had a 22 sec burn time using the standard existing "18 sec" time ring (colour the dome blue) and just change the burn composition............

Does anyone have a No 57 with the original blue dome?

Thanks

Cheers

Drew
 
Thanks Steve for the additional photos.

In my opinion, it is a replacement dome for display purposes - most ground impact damaged on these fuses resulting in dented domes and bent spindles. Even the later fuses with double time rings (smaller domes) also suffered with dented domes. It's a pity that the bottom of the dome wasn't hollowed out further to accommodate the top of the time ring - but then the original condition of fuse is unknown - was the dome missing? was the top of the time ring severely damaged etc. From your initial photos, looks like you have the 15 pdr projectile in the background, so you have a nice complete projectile+fuse display.

Cheers

Drew
 
All,
After all that conjecture I think I concur with Drew. Also Spotter has a good point that it could have been modified for drill purposes. On the trail of the 15 Pdr there was in effect a 'spanner' for the gun number to engage the nut on the fuze to loosen it before firing. I suppose to practice this procedure as part of their gun drills it could be a feasible explanation.
I'll never know, but anyway it displays well so at the end of the day I'll put it down as one of lifes little mysteries. Thanks to all who have contributed their thoughts, experience & knowledge in this thread, it's been very much appreciated.
Steve
 
It's a shame that having taken the effort to turn a replacement cap they didn't drill a hole to accept the time striker pellet etc.

TimG

56IV.jpg
 
Hi TimG,

Any theories on why the No 56 specs state a burn time of 13 secs, yet the time scale is marked to 0-18 secs?

Thanks

Cheers
Drew
 
Drew,

Honest answer is I don't know.

However, all the publications state the time of burning at rest is 13 seconds.

The following is an extract from an Inspector's manual for the No. 80 fuze which might help explain the difference between at rest and in flight burning times.

36. The speed of burning of the powder is also notably affected by the pressure of the atmosphere in which the burning or combustion occurs. The standard atmospheric pressure is taken at 30" of mercury or normal atmospheric pressure at sea level. Whenever fuzes are burned or tested therefore, it is necessary to observe what the atmospheric pressure is and to correct the observed times of burning to what the times would have been had the barometer read exactly 30", i.e., had the atmospheric pressure been standard. Thus when fuzes are fired in high altitudes as on high plateaus, or high in mountainous countries, the times of burning will be long because the atmospheric pressure is low.

By 1902 they had already manufactured 449,000 No. 56s and had modified the stampings on the fuze a number of times so had ample opportunity to change the timing figures. In the No.56 the combustion gases escape into the hollow dome, whereas in the No. 80 and like, had gas escape ports - this might be another factor but I can't see how.

TimG
 
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