unknown german WW2 (bottom?)-fuze

[Nudelmannrichter]

Hi folks,

this little goodie came across and I wonder what the heck this may be?
Is this only the part of a fuze or is it a fuze?

It is marked as follows:

10 4 V.Zerl.Z. 4 TM. WaA400

Ok, I think that the inscription may be decoded as follows:
V. = unknown, maybe Verzoegerung = delay
Zerl = Zerleger = fragmentation
Z. = Zuender = fuze
TM. = unknown
WaA = WaffenAmt

Largest diameter on outer thread= 35mm, pitch = 2, right hand
Overall length ca. 41mm, End seems to be cut
Comes from EOD furnace scrap....

Please have a look at the (really crappy, i know) pics.
Any clue?

thanky
nudelmannrichter

 

[Dronic69]

Hi Nudelmannrichter,

I think you are definitely on the right track - obviously German, although I'm unable to "match" with any known one from my references.

The stamping does seem to indicate a "self-destruction delay fuse". The associated numbers could indicate the delay but I'm unable to define exactly what the delay is?

{Hogg defines "ZERL" = zerlegen (Pulverzug), but unable to define what "pulvergen" actually means? He states "self-destruction". He does list a couple of fuses with "Zerl":

"3.7cm kpf Z Zerl P" Kopfzunder Zerlegen (pulverzug)
which Hogg has the literal translation as "3.7cm nose fuse with self-destruction activated by a power train"

Plus there are two more with the "ZERL" reference - all associated with the 3.7cm gun

"TM" could the manufacturer's stamp?

The Germans normally denote their base fuses with "Bd" (Bodenzunder)

i.e. "Bd Z c/36" etc

From the photos, looks like it is made from brass? If so, probably pre-war.

Great find!

Cheers
Drew

BTW - thinking about this more......this may be the gaine from one of those "self destruct" 3.7cm nose fuses?????

 

[Nudelmannrichter]

Hi Dronic,

thanks for quick reply.

At the 3,7 "Zerlegen" is indeed self destruction to prevent flak shells from falling down in armed condition if target was missed.

"Pulver" means "Powder or Blackpowder"
"Pulverzug" is to unserstand as a line of powder that burns down during flight of the shell like many of the early Double Action or delay fuzes had.

Several Flak Zerleger fuzes exist in two modifications: Fg = Fliehgewichtsantrieb what means rotation force powered clockwork
or
P or Pv what means burning down pyrotechnical unit (v= vereinfacht=simplyfied)

Both, the Fg and the Pv are Zerleger like mentioned above.

Fg:
The rotation force tries to move the Fliehgewichte against the force of the clockwork. So here the Fliehgewichte do the same as a spring in a normal watch clockwork. If the clockwork comes to its end after 10-14 seconds, the striker is pushed by a spring into the primer and the shell detonates if it has not hit a target before.

Pv:
When the shell is fired a strike hits a small primer that starts burning the Pulverzug. After its has burned down it fires the capsule and the shell detonates if it has not hit a target before.

The item that I have here is to large for being a part liek gaine from a 3,7 or 5cm Zerl.Z.
If it is a part from a fuze must be much bigger type and then a inscription like this on only a part of a german fuze is not very common.
It is made from steel.
I have to make some better pics.

thats for now
thanks and best regards
nudelmannrichter

 

[Nudelmannrichter]

all right, so here come the better pics.

When the item is stripped it's obviously that only the inner part is the fuze.
As it comes from EOD furnace the Aluminum internals which may have been a detonator etc. are melted away.

The largest diameter of the fuze is 28mm, its right hand thread has 25mm with a pitch of 1,5mm = M25x1,5.
The fuze itself is not strippable because of the melted internals I think.

So maybe now its better info about this to start recherche.

regards
nudelmannrichter

 

[EOD]

This is the SD fuze for 88mm Flare shells. This shell had a central tube filled with HE.
This fuze was used to set off the charge which was rupturing the shell body to prevent a 2kg lump of steel falling back to earth.

 

[EOD]

Here some details:

http://www.wk2ammo.com/showthread.php?t=2986&highlight=8,8+leuchtgeschoss

 

[Nudelmannrichter]

thanks EOD!
yep, that's it

so the decoding of the inscription should be:

Verzgerungs-Zerlege-Znder 4

What may TM. mean?

thank you very much for identifying and link to the functions description.
Looks like a not so common item.

You make such superb cutaways, I'm really impressed.

best regards
nudelmannrichter

 

[EOD]

The cutaways are not mine