German case French projectile???

[christhurston]

Hello All,
I've often seen cases with the wrong projectiles fitted,mostly modern stuff Rarden,Aden etc,but I'm thinking that the last 37mm round I
acquired is another example.It has a 1918 dated Karlsruhe case,but the projectile seems identical to those described as Modele 1888 on the excellent French site Histavia21 (wish I'd paid more attention at school!!)

It has the same centrally grooved copper driving bands,the brass fuze which has the inner part missing,is marked L61017 and has what I think is a partial French naval anchor on it.The only mark on the body of the projectile looks like RD which I've so far been unable to find any reference to. Any thoughts???

 

[Gspragge]

Sounds like a Mle 1888

the body markings if there at all are poorly struck, so half an anchor is better than none. The markings vary and are very haphazard. The pre ww1 types, have the bottoms machined smooth and are well marked on the bottom, this persisted until sometime in 1915 when time was no longer wasted on the bottom and the casting lump was left. I will post some images, some times there is a date but not often. The 1915 example has the 15 reversed.

 

[Gspragge]

some more

On the four examples shown the left had one was in a specialist auction, I bid like a fool and still lost ! Because the bottom was corroded it can't be dated other than likely pre 1915. Wether an early pattern or just a manufacturing variation there is no way to tell other than there have not been any others found which tends to point to a manufacturing variation versus an actual design type, in which case more would turn up. Note the markings on the base of the pre WW1 example. The 1937 version (there were millions and they still had to make more ?) is the finest quality for finish of any kind I have seen.

 

[christhurston]

French Mle 1888

These are the very same projectiles,Gordon,and my example is of the 1915/18 period going by the similar lump protuding from the unmachined
base.I could,I think,get more of these from the same source,but I guess
they will be the same case/proj mixture.I do like to display these things in
pairs either side of a larger round,so another similar piece wouldn't hurt,but
I don't rate my chances of ever finding a pair of French cases with German
projectiles in them!!!
Chris.