Unusual fuze ID please

[Burney Davis]

I recently acquired this fuze but only had a bad picture to go on (and sorry for the quality of these pics). When received it is larger and heavier than I thought. The thread size is the same as the German heavy minenwerfer fuzes and does fit those projectiles but I have no information about such a fuze being used on them and it won't fit any other German projectile I know of. So I thought possibly bomb related. There are faint marks where it might have hit the ground but they are almost perpendicular to the axis of the fuze, not what you might expect from the spin of an artillery round.

It is all steel construction with two key slots in the upper part, the only markings being a faint 3 and heavier 5, but not close enough together to be a date. It has a screw thread on the base to accept a gain and it could possibly be Mazak residue around those threads.

Anyone have any ideas or paperwork that could indicate use age and country? Thanks in advance.

D

 

[MINENAZ16]

Hello,
Can you see a mechanism ? Is it a fuze or a plug ?
This shape, steel made and flat head is similar with german ww1 fuze for 7.7cm SAP, or plug for 7.6cm practice minenwerfer shells (different models).
Could it be a plug for practice 7.6cm with an adapter for 17cm or 25cm. Juste a thought (never seen this device before).
Regards

 

[Burney Davis]

Definitely a fuze Minen, and too big to fit the 7.7cm SAP. I'll try to post better comparison pictures this evening.

D

 

[Alpini]

I'll try to post better comparison pictures this evening.

A picture showing the key slots would be helpful. But much more helpful would it be if you could unscrew the fuze from the qdapter and post meassurements/pictures of the fuze itself.

 

[Burney Davis]

Below are pictures of the item with a 7.7cm cap and a 7.6cm adaptor with plug for comparison. I doubt that I will be able to take the two pieces apart, but wouldn't try anyway until I know what I have here. But it has definitely functioned and is inert.

If it is a fuze in an adaptor it is unlike any adaptor I have seen before. To me the base resembles the screw thread on the 300kg PuW bomb fuze, also pictured.

 

[Yodamaster]

I've heard some years ago about boobytrap pressure or pull fuzes used with the mittlerer und the Schwere wurfmine for the trapping and destruction of railways.
Would it be possible for it to be ? Something like my attachment, I know, my exemples have not the same shape as your, but they are examples of booby trap fuzes.
Could it not be another example ?



Yoda

 

[Burney Davis]

I guess it's possible Yoda but your examples are modifications of existing fuzes. This is a model of construction I've not seen before. I'd be surprised if it would have been made specially for that purpose. And this example has been either fired or dropped noting the fine marks on it.

 

[a1brassansteel]

Hi D.....I have this fuze.....and it comes apart with another fuse inside.....the fuze inside is marked 75 mm.....
will send photos later as I'm away at the moment.......
Regards

 

[a1brassansteel]

Hi D.....
As promised...not sure what it is

 

[MINENAZ16]

Thanks a1brassansteel,

At first I was sure I saw this fuze somewhere, and now I remember, it looks like a Schneider fuze with adapter for export (Serbia). Maybe you could compare dimensions (see diagrams). Cyrillics markings could match.
I know different brass internal fuzes from Schneider with this kind of shape belong to the 35mm series.





Burney Davis, I think your 70mm shells are fuzed with a similar device :



Thread about it : http://www.bocn.co.uk/vbforum/threads/89261-120mm-projectile-ID/page3?highlight=schneider+chamond

 

[Burney Davis]

Thanks a1brassansteel,

At first I was sure I saw this fuze somewhere, and now I remember, it looks like a Schneider fuze with adapter for export (Serbia). Maybe you could compare dimensions (see diagrams). Cyrillics markings could match.
I know different brass internal fuzes from Schneider with this kind of shape belong to the 35mm series.

View attachment 145501View attachment 145502View attachment 145503



Burney Davis, I think your 70mm shells are fuzed with a similar device :

View attachment 145504

Thread about it : http://www.bocn.co.uk/vbforum/threads/89261-120mm-projectile-ID/page3?highlight=schneider+chamond

Spot on Minen! The cap is the same as on the 70mm shells, the only difference being that the shape of the key slots are a different way up on each. And it came apart quite easily. Unsurprisingly the adaptor will not fit the 70mm shells that I have. Thanks to A1 for the lead and Minen for the final confirmation.

 

[AMMOTECHXT]

Burney, the scratches in your photo look like the rotational marks made on impact.