8 (203mm) DM602 ICM HEAT FRAG projectile

[pzgr40]

Cutaway model of a 8 (203mm) DM602 ICM HEAT FRAG projectile (203mm German Model 602 Improved Conventional Munitions - High Explosive Anti Tank - Fragmentation).

The 203mm DM602 projectile is a cargo carrying projectile body, housing 120 pcs Dm1385 HEAT FRAG submunitions (or bomblets). It is derived from the US type, the M509A1, which carries 180 pcs of M42/M46 submunitions.

Purpose:
The purpose of this projectile is to saturate an area with small submunitions, thereby creating a more controlled fragmentation over a larger area -when compared to the 203 mm HE M106 (DM11) projectile-, together with an armour piercing effect caused by the shaped charge.
The projectile is meant to be used against uncovered personel, artillery positions, resupply points, and against lightly armoured vehicles.
The DM1385 bomblet will not knock out a main battle tank, but can severely damage parts like optics, the main weapon and other external parts of the tank, thereby effectively crippling the tank.

Description of projectile DM602:
The body of the projectile is a steel -drawn and rolled- tube , threaded in top to receive the aluminium upper piece screwed into the body. The lower body is machined on the inside and three keyways -at 120 degrees each- are machined into the longitudal direction of the lower body. In the top of the lower body, the diameter becomes smaller to form the seat for a steel piston. The part above the piston, together with the aluminium upper cap forms the combustion chamber of the projectile.
The piston is a flange which closely fits the inside of the projectile body. It has an O-ring on the outer rim to enshure a gas tight sealing between inner body and the piston.
The lower part of the body has five windings of fine thread to receive the aluminium basecap, which has only four winding of thread. Two rubber O-ring and a paste/glue between the thread enshure a gas tight seal beween body and basecap while travelling through the barrel.
A perforated pipe containing the expulsion charge is placed in the top of the upper (aluminium) piece. The lower part of the pipe fits in a ringformed rim on the piston, used as a centering/lock up device. A white nylon filler piece is placed below the aluminium container with the expulsion charge; it acts as a spacer.
The cargo is made of 120 Dm1385 or Dm1385 HEAT FRAG submunitions, placed in 12 colums of 10 pcs. in double circular pattern, one inside the other. The submunitions are placed cone forward. Between the submunitions nylon filler pieces are placed, tightly locking up the submunitions. Three outer rows of filler blocks are made of aluminium and have a key on the outside that fits into the three keyways in the inside of the body, preventing the cargo of submunitions from radial movement against the projectile body on firing. A central shaft, made of eleven stacked pieces of steel rod is used as a central push out rod.

Weight of complete projectile: 93,23 kg
Length of projectile : 1021 mm
Legth of fuzes projectile : 1200 mm.

Submunition / bomblet / grenade DM 1385(A1):
The submunition consists of a pressed aluminium cup, surroundes by steel fragmentation rings. A copper cone is pressed in the aluminium body. The body is filled with 43,5 grams of Composition A5 (99% RDX, 1% wax).

 

[HAZORD]

Very Nice DJ. I'm glad it wasn't me that had to section all of those grenades. I guess you subbed the work out to your clones. An interesting thing about your section, is that it has the latest grenades with the self destruct fuzes. Here in the U.S., the 8 inch has been phased out, so we never saw the 8 inch with the new grenades. There have been rumors that the 8 inch ICM could be used to carry a nuclear device, because it was large enough to just slide one inside.

The U.S. equivalent of this projectile is the M509. One factory in the U.S. manufactured the rotating bands on the projectile body, by rotating the projectile and welding the band in place using copper welding wire from a Mig welder. To keep the heat down, they pumped water through the inside of the projectile as the welding was building up the rotating band.

 

[pzgr40]

Hi Hazord, to be honest, I made two of these projectiles, one for me , one for the museum. As you will understand, such a projectile can be seen as a once in a lifetime oppertunity,so I descided to cut all submunitions to make it look at best. It was the hell of a job as I had to cut 80 of these submunitions. The submunitions had to be welded in advance to prevent the fragmentation sleeve rings from moving towards another and they all had to be filled with polyester filler as an explosive charge . After two months of working on these DM1385's -2 to 3 hours a day- in the last week these things danced around my bed at night in my dreams . Clearly a sign I was bussy too much with this stuff. However when finished it was worth while.

 

[sudelmuk]

a really outstanding work, DJ!
although not my favorite topic, thanks for showing these fantastic pics.

 

[HAZORD]

DJ,

In the U.S. when they test these rounds and the fuzes, they have a shaped charge adapter that fits on the base of the fuze. When the fuze that would nomally eject the submunitions functions, it fires the shaped charge into the projectile and detonates the projectile in mid air, so they can observe if it was in the proper location over the target.