HE substitute

[Burney Davis]

Many more modern projectiles are marked as containing HE substitute. I'd be interested to know when such description was first used and what constitutes the substitute. Is it one mixture or a variety, and if the later what dictates what is used?

Many thanks

D

 

[TimG]

This is an area Snufkin and I are looking into, but as yet with no result.

The earliest inert fillings appear to be Pitch, Sand or Salt, however their use seems to be for practice projectiles where the exact matching of ballistics doesn't appear to be a consideration.

I would be very surprised if the Victorians didn't have inert fillings that matched the specific gravity of the intended HE filling when ballistic testing.

I recently checked a number of publications (1936, 1941 & 1949) and could find no reference of HES, though I'm sure I've seen WWII ordnance marked HES.

TimG

 

[roller63]

I have this No.75 Mk.II Drill Hawkins Grenade marked H.E.S and filled with a sand and sawdust mixture. It is dated 4/44. Hope that helps.

 

[tigbrand]

As has been mentioned previously, I have also had WW2 practice projectiles filled with pitch,seen ones with sand and seen reference to salt in WW1 era shells. I have not seen if i remember correctly any WW2 items marked HES, but have seen immediate post war 2" mortar with HES markings. and L60 bofors. All post war fillings I have seen are either beeswax or a type of resin. Tig

 

[2pounder]

I've had pitch with shot in 2pr AA 1944 dated as well as the hard wax HES from later.

 

[siegfreid]

I've also had some No 75's marked HES from the early 1940's & here's a photo of a No 85 [probably about 1947] & immediately below it is a No 71 without date but probably circa 1943 . Merry Xmas . Mike

 

[kahu1]

Have seen both a compressed powder in modern 30mm and cast wax in WW2/post naval.
Vermiculite seems popular for US large calibre, though they tend to be marked Inert.

 

[ydnum303]

Have had c.1970s 4.5" filled with a very hard pink-coloured clay like substance, another 4.5" (marked "REPRESENTATIVE") with cement filling, and a sectioned 120mm Tank HESH that appears to have been filled with a wax of some sort, which has shrunk away from the shell walls over the years.

Doesn't seem to be any particular rhyme or reason behind what is used, as far as I can tell.

Roger.

 

[ozziammo]

The reddish wax type HES filling used in some modern projectiles is hardened castor oil.
Regards Ozzi.