Prussian oddities (never seen before 19th century fuzes)

[nachtwuenscher]

As promised elsewhere (http://www.bocn.co.uk/vbforum/threads/93615-Unknown-Fuze) I herewith open a thread to collect every Prussian artillery fuze that looks uncommon and maybe shed some light on a few of those guys. Please help with identification, useful comments and most important with your own rare specimens from this period!

As a start I provide a fuze that again resembles a mixture of a c/73 Feldgranatzünder and a La Hitte fuze. It lacks any percussion system and shows no threading in the upper hole.

 

[Redmeer]

We should start looking around french guns captured by German, because its looks like german fuze made for La Hitte ammunition.

 

[nachtwuenscher]

Do you know if there is a difference between the threading of LaHitte and Prussian Bleihemden? Because the thread of the c73 fuze is the same as the hexagonal guy's. Furthermore, why should the Prussians have copied the hexagonal design?
Meanwhile I found out that the tiny holes in the top could have housed two screws since a fine threading can be seen. So maybe it was topped with a wooden piece like in such a primitive impact fuze like the Fusee Desmarest.

 

[Redmeer]

Do you know if there is a difference between the threading of LaHitte and Prussian Bleihemden? Because the thread of the c73 fuze is the same as the hexagonal guy's. Furthermore, why should the Prussians have copied the hexagonal design?
Meanwhile I found out that the tiny holes in the top could have housed two screws since a fine threading can be seen. So maybe it was topped with a wooden piece like in such a primitive impact fuze like the Fusee Desmarest.

Only thought is - captured french guns - german made ammuniton for these guns - german made fuzes with standard german thread but with "la hitte" shape.

 

[Redmeer]

As all we know - all early prussian impact fuzes:

- Zundvorrichtung aA (named also C/61, a/C)
- Verlangerte zundvorrichtung
- Zundvorrichtung C/73
- Feldgranatzunder C/73

use same mechanism to work - inertia force move lowe fuze part into primer.

La Hitte system is a muzzle-loader. Any try to use regular prussian fuze in the La Hitte Shell will be very dangerous to gun and crew. In my opinion this is a german made fuze to La Hitte ammunition with mechanism fitted to muzzle loading system. Sources in the web claims Prussians captured French la Hitte guns during war aganist French.

 

[nachtwuenscher]

You do not need web sources. If you are lucky to visit the Zitadelle museum in Berlin Spandau you can see an actual La Hitte projectile that was found on the premises of the Tegel Airport. After the 70/71 war some french guns were evaluated here.

 

[Redmeer]

Thank you. I think german made some ammunition to this guns for testing purposes and your fuze is a relic of these. Great find by the way.

So my turn - strange looking kind of Dopp. 92 fuze:

- thread diameter is standard for 92 fuze family - 45mm
- time ring scaled in hectometers (to 56), just like in Dopp.Z. 92 FH
- dug up find within shell fragments
- looks like fired
- only 1 signature on the base - 15 (year maybe)

 

[nachtwuenscher]

Another one that I was lucky to swap: another DoppZ 92. without any markings on the time ring. This time ring also lacks any gas hole...Maybe it's an IMPACT ONLY variant? Only marking at all is a big "A" and a small "2" on the base.

 

[nachtwuenscher]

A Feldschrapnellzünder 73 with zinc time ring. Unfortunately, the gas hole is missing that would tell whether it's from FeldschrZdr 70.

This reminds me of my early Feldschrapnellzuender 73 with Bolzenschraube 70 and zinc time ring:

 

[nachtwuenscher]

An experimental behemoth (compared to its brothers) showing the development of fuzes without safety pin: manufactured somewhen between 1873 and 1880.

 

[nachtwuenscher]

Another Feldgranatzünder c/73 lookalike on steroids. This time with safety pin hole. The bottom seems to be unscrewable, but have not tried so far.

 

[nachtwuenscher]

One interesting piece without security pin DISASSEMBLED. It features an early (and probably not quite successful) centrifugal safety system: The Schlagstück is held back by a bayonet lock. During rotation of the projectile the inertia leads to an unscrewing of the piece that becomes free upon impact... Never seen this before. Maybe a little spring is missing that adds a little more safety but that's just a guess.

 

[nachtwuenscher]

Another link between Feldgranatzünder c/73 and c/80 that I have already presented elsewhere (http://www.bocn.co.uk/vbforum/threads/93615-Unknown-Fuze/page2) DISASSEMBLED. Here, no safety pin is used anymore.

 

[nachtwuenscher]

Long time no post. I got another one. The most prominent differences to a normal c/73: The bolt carrying the firing pin (Nadelbolzen) is quite delicate and it does not have a safety pin hole, while the safety pin hole in the fuze system is larger. Furthermore, the parts are not screwed into each other but the Mundlochschraube contains an inner thread for the Zündschraube.

 

[nachtwuenscher]

Finally, another disassembled one: It looks like the improved Querstedt fuze (verbesserter Querstedtscher Zünder, Modell III des Feuerwerkslaboratoriums). Before firing a copper wire blocks the backward movement of a central cylinder such that the firing pin cannot reach the Zündschraube which is screwed into the upper part of the central cylinder. Upon firing this cylinder bends the copper wire while moving backwards (guided by two screws that fit into the openings on each side of the cyclinder). On impact, the firing pin glides forward within the movable cylinder and BOOM. Since I cannot find a hole for the copper wire, the central cylinder might have been held in position by other means like a spring (which is corroded now) or whatever. Fun fact: Although a few hundred of these experimental fuzes have been produced only 28 were actually fired - they had an extremely high failure rate (12 did not work at all). This fuze carries the number V6 - that might stand for "Versuch 6" -but that's just a guess.
Before the shot:

After the shot (central tube moved backwards):

Disassembled:

Schematics:

 

[nachtwuenscher]

A new one- next to a c/80. Unfortunately, the top is missing (it had been screwed to the body with two small screws).

 

[nachtwuenscher]

Here we go again: Probably another c/73 variant. The head is stamped with "C" - or "G". I think the rifling might be for better handling. Enjoy!

 

[nachtwuenscher]

Collecting these specimens is quite a lot of fun: There has been much trial and error in this short period of time yielding many different types of unseen fuzes.
Here we see one with a threaded top that might have hold a fuze cover (?). Further thing to notice is the bent brass piece that holds the striker in position. Was it bent by design (maybe as kind of safety mechanism that has to be overcome) or after impact? Unfortunately, this one is not complete so all I can do is some (with your help educated) guessing. Ah, and again we are missing the hole for the safety pin. So production year is between 1873 and 1880. Any suggestions are welcome!

 

[Gr.Fr]

Hello!
Amazing things you will find)) I find only the standard versions of the fuses) Type c / 73 and so on.

 

[Gr.Fr]

I am also interested in such subjects related to Prussia. Let me post my findings in this thread)
Here is the last find. I can not determine how this fuse was used.