Unidentified WW1 Fuze

[Doug]

Hi

The Canadian War Museum where I work as a volunteer has the unidentified fuze pictured here.

The provenance on the fuze links it to "Picked up on a battlefield in Belgium in 1916. It has no identifying marks, but is a large fuze. Possibly German.

Any help in identifying the fuze and its associated equipment would be appreciated.

Thanks

Doug

 

[Dave83]

thats a russian fuze !!!

Thats an 30 second Russian fuze !!

best regards David

 

[dano1917]

chinese hat

Known as the chinese hat, this Russian fuze was used on large shells above 95mm. funny that it shows up in Belgium???..Dano
MORE TO FOLLOW SHORTLY

 

[spotter]

isnt this a 44 sec

 

[dano1917]

30 second

The Russian "Chinese hat" is a 30 second fuze used on shells 95mm and up. Brass and aluminum Russian fuze, graduated from 0 to 30 seconds with 0.2 second steps, Cyrillic markings yD & K; characteristic "Chinese hat" where the percussion system rod pierced with a hole for the safety pin was hidden. Top hole also designed for emission hole for the combustion gasses emitted by the percussion igniting system. Time and percussion with classic parts, designed in France. The pyrotechnic percussion igniter mechanism, with starter-bearer inertia rod, was hitting the fixed needle at shot departure. The flame then was communicated to a two-discs timing system, then to the main charge located in the fuze tail. The latter charge could also be ignited at the shot arrival bt a classical percussion inertia system located in the tail...Dano

 

[spotter]

But this one is numbered upto 44 and is different to the one you are showing count the rings and look how they are arranged

 

[Madbomber31]

I only know it under the name 22 second fuze or "Chinese hat"

 

[dano1917]

44sec 30sec 14sec

Hi Spotter, Righto you are. My mistake. My source just shows the 30sec model. The 44 sec must be a variant. Then I got mine out and inspected the marks on mine (pic2) and mine only does 14sec. Each little hash mark represents 2/10ths of a second and mine goes to 140. The 30 sec is pictured on left. Apologies...Dano

 

[Doug]

Hi

If it was a French design (what company?), would the French have made their own version? That might explain the Belgian connection.

Doug

 

[dano1917]

Russian

Hi Doug, Don't know company, but my original source was only showing one type. After looking around there seems to be several variants. So they may have well been used by different countries. I've heard loads of stories about different Russian relics being dug on the Western Front. One theory is that captured Russian stuff was transfered to Western Front after Russia was done in?? Mostly speculation....Dano

 

[MT-LB]

What about the over 40.000 Russian troops that fought on the Western Front from 1916 on under French 4th Army?
Erik

 

[Joe W. Vann III]

Several U.S. ordnance concerns had contracts with the Imperial Russian government. When it fell, I believe the remaining stocks were sold to the allies. I've found these in New Jersey for goodness sakes.

 

[Joe W. Vann III]

That's certainly another possibility. Unfortunately, we don't know if it was on a 75mm, or a Russian 3-inch.

 

[doctor]

Hi
Russian shell were used in North France par German artillery
We 've found 3 in HE, 76mm 10,5cm and 6 in Shrapnel all types and recently for the first time two 6 in Russian HE shell

 

[jhonni \]

may be it's a 45-sec tube ?

 

[jhonni \]

notice: Guy's! If you need info about projectile fuses you may download from my gallery!!!
.....or from that links:

[ame]http://rapidshare.com/files/161320529/F1.ZIP[/ame]
[ame]http://rapidshare.com/files/161323743/F2.ZIP[/ame]
[ame]http://rapidshare.com/files/161326589/F3.ZIP[/ame]

(List of ZIP archives):
[ame]http://rapidshare.com/files/194718850/List.txt[/ame]

Best regards !
Jhonni.

 

[jhonni \]

Photo of 45-sec tube...