Three Chinese Fuzes.

[ron3350]

I need to identify these 3 fuze models for my files. I show both sides of the sectioned fuzes.
They all have the same 2.5 threads x 36mm and yellow painted wood to represent the booster explosive.

1. This fits a 60mm Chinese mortar shell.
Stamped 3 - 65 - 484. Aluminium with a steel nose cap. 74.5mm overall length. 55.0mm without the booster. 40mm body diameter.

2 & 3 look similar but have different body colours of the steel. The nose caps are different.
Chinese symbols 4 -14-73-54
120mm overall length. 95mm long without the booster. 40mm body diameter.

Chinese symbol - 12-symbol - 4 - 55 - 34
121.5mm overall. 96mm without the booster. 40mm body diameter.

Are 2 and 3 also mortar fuzes or for smaller artillery shells?

 

[Eggburt1969]

The first and second images, labelled 'Mortar a' and 'Mortar b', would seem to be of what is referred to in US documentation from the Vietnam War-era and afterwards as the 100-3 mortar fuze. See diagram below.



The third and forth images show fuzes, which are based on the Soviet-era-developed M-12 (RU: М-12) mortar fuze. A later version of the M-12 mortar fuze is used with 100 mm spin-stabilised Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV) HE-FRAG projectiles.

The blackened surface-treated fuze would seem to be a modification of the M-12, with changes such as an easy to removed protective nose cap. There is a Chinese designation on the fuze's side, before the production details, but the image quality is too poor for me to attempt to identify it correctly other than the '-4' part. A Chinese reader may have more luck. US documentation from the Vietnam War-era refers to this fuze as the 'Type 12' (see diagram below), but the 'Type 12' designation does not match that seen on your fuze.



The silver/dull metallic grey surface-treated fuze is more more less the same as the Soviet/Russian M-12. There seems to be a Chinese designation on the fuze's side, before the production details, but this isn't shown in your image. However, your notes say "Chinese symbol - 12-symbol - 4 - 55 - 34", which would suggest this may be a Chinese-produced M-12, or variant thereof. It may be that the old Vietnam War-era data did not cover the potential M-12 clone fuze, and only covered a later version of it. That or errors were made.

Later US EOD data from 2004 on the Chinese 'M-12' fuze, shows various versions of the fuze.



PS in your notes that say "Chinese symbol - 12-symbol - 4 - 55 - 34", it should be 65 not 55. Which makes more sense as the Soviet/Russian M-12 is a 1950s development, which starts to appear in manuals I have access to from 1959 onwards.

 

[ron3350]

You were correct. Typo corrected to 65.
I will do photos of the Chinese symbols close-up tomorrow? Thanks for the great info as I have had these for 3 years as unknown fuzes.