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WW1 German chemical shells transport

Yodamaster

Well-Known Member
Ordnance approved
I have a question for our friends historians:
we know the danger of the chemical munitions of the First World War, especially those of the Germans. We also know the dangerous transport of these different models of chemical munitions, combining the chemical agent and the explosive charge intended to disperse it.
My question is this: knowing that these munitions coming from Germany had a long way to go, among other things on their national territory, could it be possible that these elements (chemical + explosive) were transported separately (security question) and assembled somewhere in the back of the front before being sent there ? Do you have any "open source" info on this ?


Yoda
 
I don't know of any example where something like this was practised. Most chemical shells were even delivered with the fuze already assembled on the shell (some of them with a special seal between the fuze and the shell and fuzes with special seal on the gaine). Filling work was so complicated that it was done mostly in private chemical factories and not in government arsenals. The filled shells were delivered to the various government arsenals where they made ready loaded cartridges from them. Then they packaged them and build complete ammunition trains which were sent to the front depots (often near marshalling yards). Then the "Munitionskolonnen" had to transport the ammunition to the artillery positions (with horses).

Do you have any shell example about which you think that it was filled behind the front?
 
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I don't know of any example where something like this was practised. Most chemical shells were even delivered with the fuze already assembled on the shell (some of them with a special seal between the fuze and the shell and fuzes with special seal on the gaine). Filling work was so complicated that it was done mostly in private chemical factories and not in government arsenals. The filled shells were delivered to the various government arsenals where they made ready loaded cartridges from them. Then they packaged them and build complete ammunition trains which were sent to the front depots (often near marshalling yards). Then the "Munitionskolonnen" had to transport the ammunition to the artillery positions (with horses).

Do you have any shell example about which you think that it was filled behind the front?

No, not shells examples, but a situation in the field !


Yoda
 
Hi
Near Albert in the Somme, we know and discovered a manufacturing and assembly country site with hundred 2 in TMH primitive chemical bomb, propelling charge, igniter, seal, plug ...manifold tubing and gas cylinder.
All small part must be assembled on place and empty bomb filled perhaps with cylinder...
 
May you have found a disassembly site from after war? As far as I know German pow had to do such work short after the war ended.
 
Hi
Near Albert in the Somme, we know and discovered a manufacturing and assembly country site with hundred 2 in TMH primitive chemical bomb, propelling charge, igniter, seal, plug ...manifold tubing and gas cylinder.
All small part must be assembled on place and empty bomb filled perhaps with cylinder...
Do you have or knowing you "official" documents relating about this manufactory and/or his history ?


Yoda
 
Hi
No research officials document.
All i can say: Propelling charges with nice markings on in box, fuzes separate in box, thick lead plate pierced by punch for sealing eyes bomb, camping ustencil also....
An other site like this also in bacward front line wax discovered
I know a place with 22 cm primitives livens ( german doc say Catapult) all cylinders empty, gaine so and screwed plug in place of fuze just found one brass fuze on a separate top plate cylinder...
Why all empty? (more 50 cylinder in good condition)... Impossible to have informations about ( see an old post....)
 
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