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Mystery fuze No 106 or No 105

blu97

HONOURED MEMBER RIP
Ordnance approved
This at first eye it seems to be a fuze No 106. But it is marked No 105E Mk X special. Also the fuze isnt made of brass but of bronze.
Who knows something more about this mystery fuze. Why is it stamped No 105, where stands special for and why is it made of bronze ?.
 

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Blu97

The 105 and 106 are different fuzes and thus there is no chance of a 105 being converted to a 106. Although it appears to be a 5 I would suggest it is a poorly struck 6, coupled with the fact that the fuze seems to have a few scars which may be complicating matters.

As far as I can ascertain the 106 in any variant never went to Mark X 9/1 being the highest.

There was however a 106E P6 Special, which ran to 9/1, alas no further details. Although shown in an official document as P6 Im wondering if this should not be Pb (see below) and the stamping prior to SPECIAL on your fuze appears to be 'Pb'

What makes you think the fuze is made of bronze? The 106 family should be made of Copper alloy G/Pb (lead restricted brass).

Notes on the design of No. 106 fuze This fuze has undergone more modifications, radical and slight, than any other fuze introduced into the service. Including the Marks of No. 106E, the design of which is adapted from No. 106, there have been altogether some fifty-five Marks contemplated or adopted.

Text Book of Ammunition 1936

Regards

Tim.G.
 
Here is a diagram of the no 105 Trench Mortar fuze. As Tim says, completely different.

No105BFuzeDiagram.jpg
 
I agree with you that it isn't a 105, but i showed it to 5 other persons and they all say that it is stamped No 105. I think it is of bronze becaus of the very dark colour.
 
I agree with you that it isn't a 105, but i showed it to 5 other persons and they all say that it is stamped No 105. I think it is of bronze becaus of the very dark colour.
To me the stamping looks like 106 with the 6 incompletely stamped. Remember this stuff was mass-produced by non-experts. The fuze looks like a 106. The marking 106 E Mk X is consistent with the 1942 datestamp. Anyway, you should be able to unscrew the cover - under it you should find a hammer with brass tape wrapped around a spindle.
Rod
 
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I believe that there was a Mk X, but made in India with little information known about it. Picture No. 4 does show the Indian manufacturing mark (Kirkee Arsenal?)
Regards, Depotman
 
Fuze No 105 was associated with the Trench Mortar 2" and others. The Fuze was approved for use in 1916, but was declared obsolete in WOLC List of Changes Number 19932 in October 1917, so apart from the obvious external differences (see Burney Davis dwg.) it could not have been a Fuze 105 made in 1942.
Although the Fuze No 106 was approved in 1916, the 106E had an extended life well past the end of WWII.
 
I believe that there was a Mk X, but made in India with little information known about it. Picture No. 4 does show the Indian manufacturing mark (Kirkee Arsenal?)
Regards, Depotman


Maybe the images below will be helpful (From the Indian equivalent of RAOS).


Fuze106Mk10-001.jpgFuze106Mk10002.jpgFuze106Mk10003.jpg
 
It would appear the fuze was manufactured at Cossipore (Gun & Shell Factory) India in March 1942 - Co. 3/42)
Filled Kirkee (Ammunition Factory) May 1942 - KF 5/42.

I somehow missed that first time around. Although it wouldn't have made sense back then. Now, I would like to have thought I would have recognised it as a possible Indian variant - which it is.

TimG
 
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Here are the Fuze No.106 and 106E, plus some other fuzes, and the equipments known to use them in September 1939. This does not include chemical ammunition.
These were as known by the Royal Army Service Corps who were the prime movers of ammunition at that time.

1  RASC Fuze 106 knowledge at Sept 1939 - 1.jpg
 
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