What's new
British Ordnance Collectors Network

This is a sample guest message. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

British No. 200 Fuze

Quatermass

Quatermass

Well-Known Member
A No. 200 British mechanical time fuze.

Fuzes aren't my area of collecting but I picked this up several years ago because I thought it was rare. I'll be offering this up for swaps in the new year.

Anyone any more info about this fuze

Quatermass

AAA_fuze1.jpg
 
Wow Spotter that was a quick reply!

Anyone know if they saw much service or which projectile it was used with?

Hogg & Thurston remark in British Artillery Weapons & Ammo 1914-1918.

'First mechanical time fuze, based on a captured Krupp mechanism. First trials took place in November 1917 but the fuze did not enter service before the war ended'.

This example is dated 1919.

Quatermass
 
I wouldnt go by my dates as gospel.they are from an unknown source document and as quatermass fuze as shown the dates can change from document to document
Ref types of projectile it was used with i have found reference to it being used with the shrapnel round for B.L 6inch guns
 
B.L. 6in field Gun makes sense. I had original thought that it may have been for the 3\" AA but when fitted to a shell the profile is wrong.

Quatermass
 
I think we were being a bit economical with the truth stating that the 200 was developed from the Dopp Z16. Specimens of the fuze were passed to Cambridge Instruments who completely 'reversed engineered' the clockwork mechanism if not the fuze. The clockwork mechanism remained virtually unchanged for its entire service (other than duration). The 200 eventually developed into the 208 which was used on 3.7\" anti-aircraft. Which gave the bizarre situation of the Allies using essentially a German fuze to shoot down German aircraft and the Germans using an almost identical clockwork mechanism in their 88mm (ZtZS/30) to shoot down Allied aircraft. In fact from a distance you could be forgiven for confusing the two fuzes, were it not for our use of brass.
Also of note is that when it was found that the Germans had modified the locking weight assembly on their fuze, we almost immediately copied their modification.

Tim. G.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top