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sectioned 105mm FD but
- Thread starter Rrickoshae
- Start date
Perhaps we kept the hardware (just in case) but did away with the contents.
you aren't really suggesting that a British Government, whatever their persuasion, would say one thing and mean something else?! But you could well be right. thanks, Dave
Sectioned 105 FD but ..
Hi,
UK is a signatory to the Geneva Anti Gas Protocol (or Convention) from the 1920s and agreed not to make first use of chemical weapons and in the 1960s probably still had the capability to reply in kind if attacked with chemical weapons.
UK developed the 105mm Field (FD) ammunition system for the ABBOT SP gun which entered service in the mid-60s. I believe ABBOT Mk 1 was an interim system. ABBOT Mk 2 has been in service since the late 60s with ABBOT and now the Light Gun. Although 105mm is a standard NATO calibre ABBOT Mk2 is not compatible with the US M1 system but gives a maximum range of about 17.5 Km opposed to the M1s 11.3 Km (ish).
L27 (VT) (variable time or proximity fuzes) were normally fitted to HE shell as they were a disruptive initiator and would have triggered a detonation on fuze function. This type of carrier shell would normally have been fitted with an L34 mechanical time (MT) which would have ignited the 3 x base ejection smoke canisters and ejected them when the pressure rose sufficiently to break the shear pins. However that would have been some way back along the trajectory and at the wrong point of burst for the chemical filling.
I had always thought that chemical agent would have been burst from a HE type shell (as white phosphorous is). However, if this projectile is not a hoax, air burst is the method for delivering liquid chemical agents. Proximity fuzes give a more consistent height of burst than MT and it would make sense to use that fuze.
It is possible that by using smoke carrier shells they could be more easily filled in the field but one of the ammunition technicians could answer that.
I do know that for Propaganda Missions ammunition technicians could fill carrier shells with the appropriate message this may have been the same just a different message.
Regards,
Hobbit
Hi,
UK is a signatory to the Geneva Anti Gas Protocol (or Convention) from the 1920s and agreed not to make first use of chemical weapons and in the 1960s probably still had the capability to reply in kind if attacked with chemical weapons.
UK developed the 105mm Field (FD) ammunition system for the ABBOT SP gun which entered service in the mid-60s. I believe ABBOT Mk 1 was an interim system. ABBOT Mk 2 has been in service since the late 60s with ABBOT and now the Light Gun. Although 105mm is a standard NATO calibre ABBOT Mk2 is not compatible with the US M1 system but gives a maximum range of about 17.5 Km opposed to the M1s 11.3 Km (ish).
L27 (VT) (variable time or proximity fuzes) were normally fitted to HE shell as they were a disruptive initiator and would have triggered a detonation on fuze function. This type of carrier shell would normally have been fitted with an L34 mechanical time (MT) which would have ignited the 3 x base ejection smoke canisters and ejected them when the pressure rose sufficiently to break the shear pins. However that would have been some way back along the trajectory and at the wrong point of burst for the chemical filling.
I had always thought that chemical agent would have been burst from a HE type shell (as white phosphorous is). However, if this projectile is not a hoax, air burst is the method for delivering liquid chemical agents. Proximity fuzes give a more consistent height of burst than MT and it would make sense to use that fuze.
It is possible that by using smoke carrier shells they could be more easily filled in the field but one of the ammunition technicians could answer that.
I do know that for Propaganda Missions ammunition technicians could fill carrier shells with the appropriate message this may have been the same just a different message.
Regards,
Hobbit
many thanks Hobbit, that's excellent and as you say, just a different message - I like that! And it is a genuine shell. Dave