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French 75-MM Illum

jvollenberg

Well-Known Member
Ordnance approved
Here is a French 75-MM illum. Can anyone tell me the nomenclature and have more information on it?

Length: 635-MM
Case length: 348-MM

Joe
 

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I don't know the nomenclature of this one.
I assume marking "OBUS-E" is for "Obus Eclairant" (Star shell). This one uses a body of shrapnel with head screwed.
 
I don't have pictures/information on this particular 75 mm shell, but I found a general description of the lay-out of a French star shell.
The shell in the drawing has 8 stars with a parachute each. I don't know whether the French star shells were all equipped with multiple stars.
It is in French. Perhaps someone can translate it from French into English.
 

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Translated by Google :

ILLUMINATING SHELLS (fig. 303).


Description. - Illuminating shells include a steel shell body, with a screw base; it can be divided internally, by a steel frame, into several floors with several compartments. It is crossed by a central tube and sometimes a side tube.
Loading. - The lighting load is made up of one or more cylindrical stars with parachute, housed in the various compartments. The bursting and igniting charge consists of a warhead charge and a powder pellet charge. The central and side tubes can be fitted with a worm wick.
Painting and Marks. - The illuminating shells are entirely painted white. The loading marks are affixed to the warhead. Below these marks are 3 5-pointed stars, in bluish-gray, regularly spaced at the same height around the perimeter of the shell.
Priming. - The illuminating shells are armed with a non-detonator fusing rocket, some when loading, others when firing.
Operation. - The rocket sets fire, sometimes to the side tube and thereby to the base charge, to the central tube, to the warhead charge, sometimes to the warhead charge, to the central tube, to the base charge. The latter blew the nerve; the central tube ignites the stars; the warhead charge expels the stars through the base, the parachute envelopes remaining attached to the frame by wire. The stars shine like parachute fireworks.
Employment. - The use of illuminating shells includes the possible positioning, stripping and unblocking of the rocket.

Cheers,

S.
 
I don't have pictures/information on this particular 75 mm shell, but I found a general description of the lay-out of a French star shell.
The shell in the drawing has 8 stars with a parachute each. I don't know whether the French star shells were all equipped with multiple stars.
It is in French. Perhaps someone can translate it from French into English.

Hello,
Your diagram shows a 155mm star shell.
75mm to ID is very different and seems to use a body of shrapnel (I can see the groove of the screwed head and no adapter for fuze as other known 75 star shells).
Yes we can imagine an illuminating canister inside fitted with a parachute with top ejection.
 
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