Unknown Base Fuse

[barob]

Hi all,
I discovered this forum while trying to identify a base fuse that I found at a WWI artillery practice site in Georgia, USA. I was actually looking for American Civil War relics (which I also found there) when I came across the site, and later found that it was a 1917 practice range.

Most of the artillery relics that I've found are fragments of 3 inch shrapnel shells with the (apparently fairly common) 1907 Scovill nose fuses. A representative example is shown here:

Note the subject base fuse in the lower middle of the above photo. A close-up angle of this fuse follows:

The next view shows the face of the fuse. The inside section has a Lot number and other undecipherable markings, while the outer rim is marked MOF (or E) _ _ E (or at least that's how I make it out). The diameter of the largest section (the base) of the fuse is 1.81 inches (46mm).

Any help identifying this fuse would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
Bruce Roberts

 

[barob]

Almost all the projectiles and base fragments that I found were solid based, indicating shrapnel projectiles. (the ground is full of lead balls!) I only found this one partial base fragment with a threaded fuse hole, which fits this fuse:

I did find that the 3 inch common shell (not shapnel) utilized a base fuse, so that is apparently what this fuse came from. The majority by far of projectiles fired here were shrapnel, rather than just explosive shells.

The only literature I have found on the 3 inch shrapnel and common shells just gives details of the projectiles themselves, not the fuses, so I'd still like to know something about the fuse...

Bruce

 

[barob]

Well, after a lot of digging, I found my fuse, thanks to the document linked in this old post from Birdseye:

http://www.bocn.co.uk/vbforum/complete-list-us-t34926.html?t=34926

Not a lot of detail, but the measurements match, so at least I know it's a Type 6 Base Detonating Fuze.

Bruce

 

[Brian Keith]

Neat finds and nice photo's. Thanks for showing them.
BKW

 

[barob]

Thanks, Brian.
Still curious what the marking on the rim (manufacturer?) is.
I would think there must be a bunch of these out there, being from a common shell...