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Unknown German 3.7cm shell

N

nachtwuenscher

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
Hi!
I bought this piece of metal just out of curiosity and now need your help for some id. It came together with other WW1 shells and thus is presumably from this era.
It is stamped with 18 Q 1 and a CL or LC -manufacturer mark. Length is 12.3cm but there might be something missing on the tip. Diameter is 3.5cm without driving band.
Any comment is valued.
Best,
Stefan

DSCF6387 (Medium).JPGDSCF6383 (Medium).JPGDSCF6382 (Medium).JPGDSCF6379 (Medium).JPG
 
WWI is highly likely. Why would you exclude an antitank role? I am grateful for any help since I am by far no expert.
 
Germany did not use a 37mm in the antitank role until the fielding of the PAK 36 in 1936. No Pak 36 rounds have dual driving bands. Germany did have a 37mm automatic gun in WWI for antiaircraft defense; the projectiles for these AA guns only had single driving bands as far as I know, but I am not an expert on the ammunition for that weapon. It is possible some of these guns were used in the antitank role.
 
I just ran across a photo of a round of ammunition for the George Roth 37MM Trench Gun (3.7 cm Infanteriegeschütz M.15) (37x57R). It has the same dual driving band design as your round. I did not know about these German guns before.
 
M8owner said:
Germany did not use a 37mm in the antitank role until the fielding of the PAK 36 in 1936.
Click to expand...

We had the Rheinmetall 3,7 cm T.A.K. 1918 already in service but it seems that it used a barrel from Hotchkiss guns (so Hotchkiss style shells may have been used). Then there were Krupp TAK guns and some experimental guns, all in calibre 3,7 cm. Sadly there isn't any document know about the ammunition which have been used for these guns. Most probably this shell here is for something else but I wouldn't exclude the TAK guns from the beginning only by the driving band style.

-the stamps on the shell look much like german WW1 style just that the acceptance stamps are missing.
-the "CL" factory monogram is known from german WW1 fuzes but is still unknown, it could be either C. Lorenz or C. Lindström.
-I wonder if the front-hole is original or if it was machined later
-it's base fuzed - is it an indicator that is was an AP shell?

The inner parts of the base fuze (if present) may answer some questions.

It could be also a german made shell for the austrian 3,7 cm M.15 infantry gun. If I remember right the german army got some of these guns from Austro-Hungary. Maybe it's the same shell shown in this polish forum: https://forum.odkrywca.pl/topic/660497-nabój-37-mm/? It looks basically the same but seems to be more pointed.
 
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Definitely Austrian for he M15 infantry gun. have one with complete fuze marked 1917on projectile and fuze base., with slightly different base tool cuts. Nice item, one of many rounds for the petite gun.
 
Been away a few days and now back home I am quite glad to see so many comments. Thanks guys. Here are some more pictures of the pit at the top of the projectile and of the fuze - striker and any interesting part is missing.
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