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Bomb Thrower

Burney Davis

Burney Davis

Moderator
Premium Member
It's becoming difficult to find unusual items these days but I was pleased to find this particular case. It is an 18pr case shortened to about 150mm and marked "B. Thrower". The case has a naval mark and is dated 1918. It's a shame the neck has been belled out but I can forgive it that for its rarity.

Interesting that all other cases I have seen have been marked D C T rather than B Thrower. I assume it was used for one of the heavier depth charges but would be interested if anyone has information as to which.

20191223_153307_resized.jpg20191223_153314_resized.jpg
 
FUZE HYDROSTATIC VALVE No 8 MkI.jpg10-inch as mortar proj.jpg10inch bomb thrower.jpg10-inch Bomb Thrower.jpg

Hi Darrel, this was used with the WW1 Naval 10" Bomb-Thrower (actually 9.45"); the first heavy depth-charge which used the 'Fuze, Hydrostatic Valve No. 8'.

See pictures above: Depotman

(page 426 of my book).
 
Hi Trevor,

I was of the belief that the 2pr cases were used to fire that particular projectile (see picture). If not that one, then which one was the 2pr case for?

20191224_172600_resized.jpg

And again, I thought the hydrostatic fuze was used with the large spherical stick bombs of 200lb plus. I thought the fuze thread size was above the 2" fuze gauge of the 10" mortar in the picture and so would not fit.

Very happy to be corrected.
 
I will post the picture for those who may not see the link in the future, ideal for reference.
 

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Burney Davis said:
Hi Trevor,

I was of the belief that the 2pr cases were used to fire that particular projectile (see picture). If not that one, then which one was the 2pr case for?

View attachment 157130

And again, I thought the hydrostatic fuze was used with the large spherical stick bombs of 200lb plus. I thought the fuze thread size was above the 2" fuze gauge of the 10" mortar in the picture and so would not fit.

Very happy to be corrected.
Click to expand...

Hi Darrel,

Apologies for the delay in replying - we closed down for the long Xmas break!

Like you I picked up a cut-down 18-pr case, but mine was stamped "10-inch B. Thrower". This was many years ago now and I recall that it was sea-recovered, but it does link to the 10" bomb.

I have a copy of a Naval Ammunition Pocket Book O.U.5267 dated 1924 which has diagrams of the spherical stick bombs that were 'armed' with the No. 8 Hydrostatic Valve Fuze and are described as 'depth charges'. There are no measurements of the No. 8 fuze, but the WW1 description of the fuze in Lists of Changes does say that it is the ONLY fuze of this type and this is repeated for the stick bombs in the 1924 manual. I'm still convinced that this fuze was used for the 10-inch anti-submarine 'bomb'.

It still leaves the 2-pr case, either converted or made for a DCT (depth-charge thrower), and what it was used for. The 1924 manual describes the stick bombs being fired from a number of different weapons:-

BL 4.7-inch Mark I Gun
4-inch Mark IV Gun
12 pr 12 cwt

Unfortunately there is no mention of any 2-pr guns. I hope more Naval manuals come to light that throw light on this little known area.

I can e-mail copies of the pages from the 1924 handbook if people let me have their e-mail addresses.

Regards,

Trevor
 
A recent pick up,shortened 2 pounder case (cut down to 124mm)made by VSM in 1917 and reissued ? in1938 ,marked up 9.5 " I DCT ONLY ,fitted with No12 primer ,dated 1-37.So going by the dates this was used with the depth charge thrower Mk 1,late 1930s ?
 

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Big Dave said:
A recent pick up,shortened 2 pounder case (cut down to 124mm)made by VSM in 1917 and reissued ? in1938 ,marked up 9.5 " I DCT ONLY ,fitted with No12 primer ,dated 1-37.So going by the dates this was used with the depth charge thrower Mk 1,late 1930s ?
Click to expand...

Thanks Big Dave -you homed in on one of my thoughts, which was whether the 9.5" DCT was for a much later weapon and the cases were not used in WW1, but converted at a much later date. Does anyone have any examples made as a 9.5" DCT case and NOT converted? If so, what date are they?

Trevor
 
In the late John Lambert book British Naval Weapons of World War Two ,volume 2 , pages 138-40 shows depth charge thrower Mk2 and associated equipment 1939,page 140 has drawing of a watertight steel box for depth charge cartridges with diamentions for the cartridges, rim diameter 2" and length 6.52" with brass cap and a rubber sheath so if not a 2 pounder case something very close
 
MF 1933.jpegMF 1941.jpegK 1941.jpegThree photos of 9.5" DCT cases . Note the 1933 date.
Some primers may not be original to the case eg. the No13? Australian cases are possibly not seen too often in the UK or USA.
 
Does anyone actually have an original of this plate? And which original publication did it come from?

Thanks

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According to British Artillery Weapons and Ammunition (I .Hogg and L.Thurston) the 7.5in BL Howitzer used a bagged charge fired by a Firing Lock Lee Enfield "A" a sawn-off Lee Enfield rifle action and chamber,bayonet jointed into the gun vent,firing a modified .303 blank cartridge
 
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