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Y Fuse finally obtained

satan18

satan18

Well-Known Member
Finally after a long while and help from a good mate from
the North i have got a y fuse.
bodily it will be restored but the top will remain as is just due to the
crisp stamps still remaining.

The three trip switches buried within made this fuse a potential nightmare
if it hadnt been for the good fortune of the BD officer who recovered an example
which had its primary circuit damaged in situe and was able to present an example
for the boffins to examine.
 

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Congratulation on your find. Your fuze, like all others I have seen, is correctly marked as ElAZ (50)B. In british WW 2 EOD literature a fuze is described that is marked as ElAZ (25) and the only way to recognise it as an anti-disturbance fuze is the additional Y stamp. I have never seen one like that. Is there anyone here who owns a specimen like that ?
Regards,
Bellifortis.
 
Bellifortis said:
Congratulation on your find. Your fuze, like all others I have seen, is correctly marked as ElAZ (50)B. In british WW 2 EOD literature a fuze is described that is marked as ElAZ (25) and the only way to recognise it as an anti-disturbance fuze is the additional Y stamp. I have never seen one like that. Is there anyone here who owns a specimen like that ?
Regards,
Bellifortis.
Click to expand...


Thanks Bellifortis
I have waited a long time to get one and pleased with this example.

Regards phil
 
Very nice example, I think as long as the top and charging head are in good condition then the rest isn't as important.
 
This fuze is the last in the 50 series and was developed purely as an anti-tampering fuze. It may be interesting that in it's early development stage the "50" was not intended for this use. Before the war started german doctrine thought of the Air Force only as an aid for army operations. The french Maginot-Line was one of the most formidable targets of attack. Heavy Artillery was then not available in sufficient numbers. So the idea, at the time was, that the Air Force should throw heavy calibre HC-bombs at the breaching points, which then should be detonated, at the time of the attack, all at once. The "Pionier" specialist calculated that 50-100 SC-250 or SC-500, thrown in an arc of 20-30m around a stronghold, should take this out. Experiments done at the time showed, that 100 bombs with (50) fuzes could be brought on target within 3 minutes, without one detonating. Several hours later a "Stuka" threw 1 SC-500 thrown with 14sec. long delay on the target field and all bombs with (50)fuzes detonated at once. As we know now, this was never done and the breaching of the Maginot Line happened by different means. By the way, this early 50 and ElZ (50) fuzes had 3 very sensitive trembler switches. All the above, as told by General Marquardt after the war. Myself I have never had a chance to see these early 50 and ElZ (50) fuzes and only know these from the literature like TM 9-1985.
regards,
Bellifortis.
 
Great fact about the y series fuzes and would be like laying dormont mines
waiting to be activated by one trigger.
fortunately for the guys back in the day one such y fuse mail functioned and
they were able to get inside and see what makes it work and how to imunise it,
unlike the 17 which harvested BD guys without mercy until a solution was found.
As quoted it was a game of cat and mouse between German scientists and British BD
Gripping accounts written by the last surviving men are well worth a read

Thanks for more insite on this fascinating subject

best phil
 
Hallo Phil,
your fuze, the ElAZ (50)B is termed the Y-fuze. The 50 series started with the 50 and the ElZ (50). These are much different and were produced for a different purpose. Does anyone here have photos of these 2 fuzes ?These are quite well described in OP 1666 (TM 9-1985) and drawings shown as Figure 183-50 Electrical Antidisturbance fuze, Figure 184-ElZ(50) Electrical Antidisturbance Fuze, Figure 185 ElZ (50) Yellow Top Electrical Antidisturbance fuze (for low level attack). These all have very sensitive trembler switches and the energy is stored in the foil condenser like in nearly all german fuzes. Figures 186 show the ElAZ (50) B or Y fuze. This has batteries as energy storage and 3 mercury switches.
Regards,
Bellifortis.
satan18 said:
Great fact about the y series fuzes and would be like laying dormont mines
waiting to be activated by one trigger.
fortunately for the guys back in the day one such y fuse mail functioned and
they were able to get inside and see what makes it work and how to imunise it,
unlike the 17 which harvested BD guys without mercy until a solution was found.
As quoted it was a game of cat and mouse between German scientists and British BD
Gripping accounts written by the last surviving men are well worth a read

Thanks for more insite on this fascinating subject

best phil
Click to expand...
 
Bellifortis said:
Hallo Phil,
your fuze, the ElAZ (50)B is termed the Y-fuze. The 50 series started with the 50 and the ElZ (50). These are much different and were produced for a different purpose. Does anyone here have photos of these 2 fuzes ?These are quite well described in OP 1666 (TM 9-1985) and drawings shown as Figure 183-50 Electrical Antidisturbance fuze, Figure 184-ElZ(50) Electrical Antidisturbance Fuze, Figure 185 ElZ (50) Yellow Top Electrical Antidisturbance fuze (for low level attack). These all have very sensitive trembler switches and the energy is stored in the foil condenser like in nearly all german fuzes. Figures 186 show the ElAZ (50) B or Y fuze. This has batteries as energy storage and 3 mercury switches.
Regards,
Bellifortis.
Click to expand...

This is my ELZ 50,,,,,, Dave

HPIM0226.jpg HPIM0227.jpg HPIM0229.jpg HPIM0228.jpg
 
butterfly said:
I have somewhere,( within some ww2 bomb disposal photo I obtained ),two photos which also show the type 25 Y fuze........... so far blu97 has the only example of the type 25B Y fuze that I know of.
I will try to dig out the photos when I get a chance.

regards Kev
Click to expand...

.......as promised some pics of the original BD photos I have featuring the elusive 25B Y fuze.....
I took some close up shots of the fuze head from the pictures.......so far these are the only 'complete' pictures of a 25B Y fuze that I know of.

regards Kev

P9271042.jpgP9271043.jpgP9271040.JPG
 
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