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7,7cm shrapnel projectile

B

Bigboom

Member
I picked this up a couple of weeks ago on a trip to the Normandy D-Day beaches (not on the beach). I have gathered that it is a 77mm German WWI shrapnel shell because of the blue paint still on it and the type of fuze. However, there appears to be a black band about 1 inch below the top of the projectile. What would this mean?

I have also included some pics of what I think might be steel shrapnel balls. I found these in a small wooden container which was included inside a bag full of stuff from WWI that my grandmother's uncle had used in the Verdun area. Let me know what you think.

Any info is greatly appreciated!

7,7cm projectile (1).jpg7,7cm projectile (5).jpg7,7cm projectile (6).jpgshrapnel balls.jpg
 
Some shrapnel shells were filled with steel balls instead of lead. These shells were identified by a black band around the body such as yours.
 
I couldn't find a reference to a shrapnel shell with a black band, only the HE shells. Thanks for the info!
 
Now that I look more closely at your projectile, I am not seeing a black band, rather it looks to be where the paint was worn off of the bourelet when fired. I went back through my sources also and found that the Germans may not have used the black band, they stencilled ST on the body for steel balls. The Turkish shrapnel shells with steel balls are marked with the black band, center of body. I know the Model 1916 German shrapnel with steel balls was marked ST, but am still not sure about the M1896 shell which is what you have.
 
Ok, thanks for the info frizzen! I will do some more research on the M1896 shell and see what I can dig up.
 
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