3.7" Id required

[LCplCombat]

Someone on another forum would like this id'd

3.7.jpg

It has stamped into the headstamps:

3.7" gun I
Lot 669
ECC
/|\
1941
CF
6
\|/

and in ink:
HE
SMK BX

I can decipher most of the stamps but what is the SMK BX?

[TimG]

Edward Curran & Co.

HE projectile fitted with a smoke box

TimG

[spotter]

was the smoke box fitted in an HE round used as an aid to spotting when used in an anti aircraft roll ?

[TimG]

Allan,

Regardless of role, if the explosive used produced minimal smoke on detonation then a smoke box was added to aid observation. British ammunition used red phosphorus up to the 50s or so and was then replaced by a TNT/Aluminium pellet. The phosphorus was found to react with moisture in poorly sealed shells and it forms all manner of evil compounds.

TNT and Lyddite produce black smoke on detonation whereas 80/20 Amatol produces little or no smoke. British practice was/is to place the smoke box immediately behind the exploder - which I've never understood as I would have thought this would attenuate the exploder. The few sectioned German shells I have seen, have the smoke box at the base of the projectile.

Tim

[spotter]

Thank you for explaining this Tim

allan

[smle2009]

Allan,

Regardless of role, if the explosive used produced minimal smoke on detonation then a smoke box was added to aid observation. British ammunition used red phosphorus up to the 50s or so and was then replaced by a TNT/Aluminium pellet. The phosphorus was found to react with moisture in poorly sealed shells and it forms all manner of evil compounds.

TNT and Lyddite produce black smoke on detonation whereas 80/20 Amatol produces little or no smoke. British practice was/is to place the smoke box immediately behind the exploder - which I've never understood as I would have thought this would attenuate the exploder. The few sectioned German shells I have seen, have the smoke box at the base of the projectile.

Tim

was red phosphorus stopped being used in the 50's in all British ammunition Tim?

Cheers
Tony

[TimG]

Tony,

I don't know. What other applications were you thinking of?

Tim

[smle2009]

Hi Tim,
I was just wondering if this 2010 dated smoke pot was unusual as it is red phosphorus,the letters RP can just be made out after the SMOKE word

Tony

PA020028.jpg