J-Feder 504 (mod.)?

[sudelmuk]

I recently had the opportunity to investigate this unusual device:


CIMG1407.jpg CIMG1408.jpg CIMG1409.jpg CIMG1410.jpg CIMG1413.jpg CIMG1412.jpg


Seemingly a sister of the J-Feder with 21 days-clockwork and the same triggering mechanism, but completely different top.
The finish is quite rough, no markings except the number '14' next to the sight glass.

The only reference I've found yet:

Sabotage Equipment-66.jpg Sabotage Equipment-67.jpg (Enemy Sabotage Equipment, War Office, May 1945)

Does anyone know more?

[switch]

Hi Sudelmuk

Thank you for pictures of an extremely uncommon item. That is not something you see every day! I have done quite a bit of searching looking for information on German WW2 Clockwork Sabotage timers, and Enemy Sabotage Equipment, War Office, May 1945 is the only reference I have ever come across relating to this modified variant of the standard J. Feder.

Interesting to note that the one featured in this publication has quite a low Serial Number, so one presumes they were numbered separately from the standard J. Feders whose numbers go up to the tens of thousands. Did the one you got to examine have any visible Serial Number ?

BOCN Member Bonnex might be able to help with more details.

Keep me posted if you find out any more, and if you come across any Nipolit Raincoats or shoes!

Kind regards

Switch

[Bonnex]

Switch and Sudelmuk,

Sorry for the delay in responding, I am without broadband and telephone until the weekend.

The modified 'Jungans' Feder 504 is known as the Ausfuhrung (Model) 6 [which should amuse anyone who knows about 'type 6' designations on British sabotage stores]. It was produced in limited quantities (hundreds rather than thousands).

The improvements in the 504/6 included an 8 metre pull-cord arming which allowed the igniter to be fully deployed and camouflaged (Eg buried) and armed with ease as required; the igniter was also better sealed against the ingress of water. The 504/6 also had an arrangement for electrical firing which consisted of a two-wire adapter plug with contacts that were closed when the striker fired. The gist of this printed in the publication that you show although the pull-cord length is given as 8 feet (I have only seen one and this was definitely 8 metres).

As an aside, the Enemy Sabotage Equipment publication was put together by Rothschild in MI5 (although published as a War Office pamphlet). Rothschild was awarded a George Medal for rendering safe an IED shipped into the UK (from Spain I think); the device had a J-Feder 504 as its igniter. This was the only J-Feder recorded as deployed operationally by Axis Forces in the UK.

If you PM your email address I will send a fuller description when I am back on-line.