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French 75mm Shrapnel
- Thread starter Big Dave
- Start date
Second question: are you sure that the internal parts belong to this shell? The fuze doesn't seem to be a 22-31 but a 24-31 type so it's all other than a french standard shrapnel shell which makes it very interesting. Until now I have seen this coarse square thread on french export HE shells only.
Third question: anyone knows if this shell is a "french" shell, or is it a french (Schneider) shell made for export?
Third question: anyone knows if this shell is a "french" shell, or is it a french (Schneider) shell made for export?
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pzgr40
Well-Known Member
That's a great looking and beautiful cutaway model Dave.
It looks like a 22-31 ( five twists of powdertrain) as the 24-31 is longer and had 8 twists of powdertrain
http://www.passioncompassion1418.com/decouvertes/english_fusees_collection_fr.html (nearly bottom of page)
The only thing I am not shure about is that there should be lead balls in the -yellow painted upper part. (See added picture) as they are not blown out by the expulsion charge.
Thanks for posting
It looks like a 22-31 ( five twists of powdertrain) as the 24-31 is longer and had 8 twists of powdertrain
http://www.passioncompassion1418.com/decouvertes/english_fusees_collection_fr.html (nearly bottom of page)
The only thing I am not shure about is that there should be lead balls in the -yellow painted upper part. (See added picture) as they are not blown out by the expulsion charge.
Thanks for posting
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I don't think so. The zoomed picture is not very clear but I think at the lower end of the fuze I see a screw thread for a gaine which the 22-21 Mle. 1897 doesn't have. And also the percussion system in the 22-31 looks much different. There are rare french 75 mm shrapnells with adapters for 24-31 fuzes known but these 24-31 fuzes had a gaine. The fuze shown here - without the gaine - will loose it's percussion mechanics when it is unscrewed from the shell.
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Hello,
What a strange shell.
I've never seen such a specimen.
The shell was fired so maybe used somewhere...
Lot of different models of 75mm shrapnel with french design were made but very few models with adapter for fuze on top (late ww1 and 30's).
And as far as I know adapter were specific ; the adapter on the shell of the picture looks like the top of the common french gaine 36.1/47.5 model 1897 (???).
Second problem, the screwed head could not be a head for shrapnel made to be easily expelled. Common head for shrapnel 75mm used to be made with a very short and fragile thread to operate effectively.
And body walls seem to be a little bit thick.
As Alpini said, the fuze queue seems to have a thread for detonator holder (so wrong fuze).
Maybe I'm wrong but the body really looks like a body of 75mm HE (industrial version made with head screwed).
75mm HE with head screwed :
Shrapnel body are more cylindrical and straight inside, no notch (see comparative picture).
What a strange shell.
I've never seen such a specimen.
The shell was fired so maybe used somewhere...
Lot of different models of 75mm shrapnel with french design were made but very few models with adapter for fuze on top (late ww1 and 30's).
And as far as I know adapter were specific ; the adapter on the shell of the picture looks like the top of the common french gaine 36.1/47.5 model 1897 (???).
Second problem, the screwed head could not be a head for shrapnel made to be easily expelled. Common head for shrapnel 75mm used to be made with a very short and fragile thread to operate effectively.
And body walls seem to be a little bit thick.
As Alpini said, the fuze queue seems to have a thread for detonator holder (so wrong fuze).
Maybe I'm wrong but the body really looks like a body of 75mm HE (industrial version made with head screwed).
75mm HE with head screwed :
Shrapnel body are more cylindrical and straight inside, no notch (see comparative picture).
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