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SEMPLE Fuse

P

phil12

Well-Known Member
When the US soldiers arrived in France in 1917 they were given in particular 75 mm Mle 1897 Guns and their ammunitions, French made. Among the artillery fuses were the Fusée détonateur IAL de 24/31 Mle 16.
After some while, the US artillery troops found this fuse unsafe, reason why they asked their headquarter to study a new safer variation of the French IAL.
The manufacture of this new fuse was entrusted to the SEMPLE Company. The new fuse was outside very closed from the French IAL, using the same head percussion device but a lock was added in the body closing the central canal. After firing, and until the shell had reached a sufficient rotating speed, the lock could open and let after percussion the flash from the top primer reach the detonator at the bottom
My question: Is there any information on the Semple Company, second, is a picture of this fuse available
Thank you
H.A.N.D.
 
John B Semple & Co
Pittsburg U.S.A.

Patent holders and makers of tracers and tracer/fuzes for the U.S. Navy
Before and During ww1. Also suppliers of Tracers to
the French as used in ww1 37mm & 47mm D shells.
No doubt they made other things if they made fuzes for the
75mm.
 
US made Semple fuze

Thank you for the informations.
Is their any chance to have a picture of this fuze? is it so scarce?
 
Gspragge said:
John B Semple & Co
Pittsburg U.S.A.

Patent holders and makers of tracers and tracer/fuzes for the U.S. Navy
Before and During ww1. Also suppliers of Tracers to
the French as used in ww1 37mm & 47mm D shells.
No doubt they made other things if they made fuzes for the
75mm.
Click to expand...


From one of my fuze boards. Not quite what you asked for, but toward Gordon's point.

IMG_2104.jpgIMG_2107.jpgIMG_2106.jpgIMG_2113.jpgIMG_2114.jpgIMG_2115.jpg
 
Thanks a lot for this superb board . Medium line right is a variation of what I look for, it seems to be a MK III . Enclose is a scan of the first Semple fuze made early 1918
 
All right, the middle one is a MK III, which is the french IAL version WITH an elaborated safety but if you look at the drawing,which represent the first Semple version it is much complicated, and it is for sure the earliest version . It is a photo of this one I look for. This first Semple version was tested by the French Artillery Commission in september 1918, the idea of a safety, cutting the medium canal was retained by somebody of the Etat Major whose name was BEYLA . This man has proposed three different versions of a french IAL with safety; one of them beeing retained under the name of Fusée IAL avec dispositif ST around year 1921; which is a kind of your MK III but without the side bulb.
By the way, What is the exact meaning of P.D.F? When was the MK III adopted?
An other question, on Fert's picture, the cuff , union between the brass body and the top seems to be made of brass (color)is it brass or steel as it should be ?
Thank you for your help.
 
Hello,
PDF, Point Detonating Fuze. Right name PDF MkIII.
ICE-SM-48-5.JPGICE-SM-48-3.JPGICE-AB2-298-2.JPGICE-AB2-298-4.JPG
Here a couple of fuze posted in this forum some time ago
regards
 
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Examples of Semple Tracers, it is likely that the latter Tracer Fuzes could also
be used in USN 3 and 6 pounder shells. The French tracer for the 47mm also
fits the French Navy Mle 31 practice shot, this is the Mle 1916 37mm solid shot
made to fit a tracer for night shooting.
 

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Gordon, you are right as far as the tracer fuzes being used in the 3 and 6 Pdr rounds, as well as the 3" Common, according to the OP4 dated 1923. Cheers, Bruce.
 
I go on with the MK III type, with a latter variation of the post WWI presented by FERT.

Sold some time ago on an auction web site, (I missed it !) the top part is absent but the picture shows a different construction with a two parts body, the upper part painted white. The date is hardly visible but one can guess a 3- 4x; so kind of fuze still in use by US troops during WWII !
https://framapic.org/ukzTcHom2KoD/d8QXwluQQwm5.jpg
 
Hello,
You show a different fuze : M46 (white head for M46 and black head for M47 -delay-). Fuzes on US WW2 catalogue.

Remarks on MkIII fuze : two different shape.
MkIII with centrifugal interrupter.
MkIIIA without interrupter (same as french IAL)

Regards

MK3A.jpg
 
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Gspragge said:
Examples of Semple Tracers, it is likely that the latter Tracer Fuzes could also
be used in USN 3 and 6 pounder shells. The French tracer for the 47mm also
fits the French Navy Mle 31 practice shot, this is the Mle 1916 37mm solid shot
made to fit a tracer for night shooting.
Click to expand...

I believe that they made just straight tracers as well, in steel and brass, for at least the 3-inch shrapnel.
 
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