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Help identifying a shell? 75mm french? american contract 75mm?

F

frijoles108

Well-Known Member
Hi guys, I purchased this shell a few days ago and need some help with identifying it. I know for a 100 percent that the top appears to be that of a french 75mm shell with a beehive fuze, but the shell bottom appears to be american. Someone, at some time, sprayed a ton of black paint all over the lower parts of the shell, preventing me from being able to screw it apart. It appears that either the person did not screw it in all the way, or the threads are too long to fit into this shell. I'm willing to put my money on that this is a mismatch, but i would love a second opinion. The markings on the shell indicate that it may be of american manufacture, so even if it does not match the top, then I have no idea who made the shell body, as the producer marks are E.M.C. If I could also recieve some advice on how to remove the shell top from bottom, I would greatly appreciate it. Also, one more odd thing i noticed, was that the shell body has the american flaming bomb symbol stamped upside down. Thanks for the help guys!
Frijoles
 

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Alpini said:
I think you are right. The stamps on French shrapnel cases are much different. Is the fuze marked "22-31 Mle..." on top?
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There are no markings on top as you can see here
de7435303e9f1d080d88ec1ea9c11c6d.jpg


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Keep in mind that the US used the same fuze series in our 75's and 3-inch as well. We used to see them on the old artillery ranges fairly frequently, especially at Ft. Sill. Don't know if they were licensed or purchased till we could design our own, but they are there. The US Model 1915 was different, but certainly a copy.
 
US-Subs said:
Keep in mind that the US used the same fuze series in our 75's and 3-inch as well. We used to see them on the old artillery ranges fairly frequently, especially at Ft. Sill. Don't know if they were licensed or purchased till we could design our own, but they are there. The US Model 1915 was different, but certainly a copy.
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No way? So my shell may be an american version of the 75mm french? Wonder who EMC is then.

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Don't know, not a code guy. But the stamped markings certainly suggest something other than a French manufacture, or at least ownership.
 
I think the whole shell + fuze are made in the US. The french fuze for 75 mm shrapnel shells is the 22-31 Mle.97 which is looking the same but it has impressed "22-31 Mle. 97" + Factory + Date on top of the fuze. But most US made fuzes of this time which I have seen (that's only a few) had factory, date and model/mark stamped on the side.
 
Alpini said:
I think the whole shell + fuze are made in the US. The french fuze for 75 mm shrapnel shells is the 22-31 Mle.97 which is looking the same but it has impressed "22-31 Mle. 97" + Factory + Date on top of the fuze. But most US made fuzes of this time which I have seen (that's only a few) had factory, date and model/mark stamped on the side.
Click to expand...
So i may have a pretty rare shell.

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I picked up three from the range while working a clearance at Ft. Sill back in the early 90s, and another at a small local gunshow. None are marked on the top, or side.

IMG_1679.jpg
 
Not from a US range. I've got a French one that I was given in France, but never found one at Sill that I considered salvageable.
 
US-Subs said:
Not from a US range. I've got a French one that I was given in France, but never found one at Sill that I considered salvageable.
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Ok, then i may have picked up an uncommon shell :) do u have anywhere i can read more about it or look at pics of it?

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Not really, it is like so many of these pieces, a line or two in this reference, another line in that one. All very obscure and hard to track down, the most difficult part is the time it takes, there is never enough available. Start with the Manual of the Gun for the 75mm and look at the ordnance data plates in the back. It gives you an English breakdown of components etc, and might give a line or two on the US use of the gun. If not there try some of the period training manuals used by the artillery or ordnance schools, and see what they give. Check Crowell's study on ordnance used in the War and see what he lists under purchases/production etc. Nobody ever did a comprehensive study on many of these subjects and without a full spectrum of reference materials and the background to understand their relevance to each other it is easy to get lost or make some incorrect assumptions.
 
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