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3.7 inch AA

Panzerfaust

Well-Known Member
After a long search and a long negotiation, I finally got the day before yesterday an inert 3.7 inch grenade.
Unfortunately, the seller wanted to keep the Fuze self. :tinysmile_cry_t::tinysmile_cry_t::tinysmile_cry_t::tinysmile_cry_t:

Which Fuze was used most? No 199 or no 208?

A friend tell me that the no 208 is rar and hard to find....
 

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199 was a powder fuze and used early in WW2. No. 207 clockwork fuze was used for higher altitude later in the war and then No. 208 clockwork. Recently a lot of 208 fuzes have surfaced but I think they are dated 1953. Try looking on Quick Fire Auctions.
 
Also Fuze Time No.214 to 43 seconds.
There was also a Fuze Time, Percussion and Graze No.223 but this was short lived and quite late. It was probably for use in a ground role as well as air.
 
Also a VT proximity fuze T97 used on 3.7" AA. But if I was going to fit a fuze to a 3.7 I'd go for a 199 or 207 being the most commonly used imo.
Nathan S has just got a few 199 powder fuzes with WW2 dates and is selling them. Keep an eye out for them on Quick Fire Auctions or Facebook.​


 
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Where was this 3.7" found? Also, is it definitely of British (etc.,) manufacture?

It should be borne in mind that we abandoned a significant number of 3.7" guns at Dunkirk (and very considerable quantity of ammunition). A number of which were used in the defence of Berlin. At one stage the Germans were manufacturing suitable fuzes (I think the Az 23), with 2" threads to be used in the projectiles and when the captured stocks of projectiles were exhausted, manufactured their own.

TimG
 
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The US VT Fuzes T98 and T149 were also used, plus the Fuze Percussion DA No.117. The 117 went through a terrific number of marks, up to Mk 20, to my knowledge with many oblique (slash) marks in between eg. 117 Mk 17/5
If your shell has no filling shape to worry about, you can fit whichever of the fuzes mentioned, you can obtain, unless you want a particular period, which would limit your options.
The 208 was also used in the 3.7" Mk 6 gun HE and Practice.
 
Here the finished cleaned result.
Unfortunately only the WD arrow is visible.

Is the soil pressed in?
or is that just deceptive?
 

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Most British projectiles have a disc set into the base. The grain flow of the disc is perpendicular to the axis of the projectile. This is to prevent what is known as 'piping' which is when the very hot, high pressure gases from the combustion of the propellant penetrate along the grain flow into the explosive charge.

It would appear from your projectile, that body has rusted more than the inset disc.

TimG
 
Here's a 199 fuze for sale: [FONT=Verdana,Arial,Tahoma,Calibri,Geneva,sans-serif]https://www.quickfireauctions.co.uk/auction_details.php?name=1943-british-no199-fuze&auction_id=312214 [/FONT]
 
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