pzgr40
Well-Known Member
While ‘cleaning out’ the files on my phone, I found these old pictures. It's the cutaway model of an unnamed German time pencil from World War II that I made on assignment a few years ago. Because no further information is available about it (it's not mentioned in any German document or manual), this time pencil was most probably intended for the Wehrwolf resistance group, which -after Germany was occupied by the Allies- were supposed to conduct attacks on Allied personnel. The only evidence that this time pencil is a German time pencil is the typical German M10x1 thread for the detonator.
The fuze consists of an aluminum fuze housing a spring-loaded firing pin, held in the cocked position by a conical celluloid nut. The percussion cap housing, which also houses the detonator, is screwed into the bottom of the fuze housing. The top of the fuze consists of a lead tube containing a glass vial filled with acetone. A brass adapter is soldered to the bottom of the lead tube, threaded at the bottom so it can be screwed into the aluminium fuze body.
The fuze works as follows:
With the fuze inserted into the incendiary or explosive charge, the lead tube is squeezed until the vial of acetone breaks. The acetone flows over the cone-shaped celluloid nut, which now begins to dissolve and soften. Over time, this softens enough to pull the firing pin threads out of the cone, and the spring drives the firing pin into the percussion cap. This ignites the detonator, which then ignites the incendiary or explosive charge.
Because the fuze is not in my collection, I can only approximate its length and diameter by comparing it to the English No. 10 time pencil that is in my collection and which I photographed alongside the German timing pencil at the time for comparison purposes.
Length with detonator : 133 mm
Length without detonator : 116 mm
Diameter of aluminum fuze housing : 18 mm
If anybody has any info -drawings or descriptions- of this time pencil, do not hesitate and share!
Thanks in advance.
Regards, DJH
The fuze consists of an aluminum fuze housing a spring-loaded firing pin, held in the cocked position by a conical celluloid nut. The percussion cap housing, which also houses the detonator, is screwed into the bottom of the fuze housing. The top of the fuze consists of a lead tube containing a glass vial filled with acetone. A brass adapter is soldered to the bottom of the lead tube, threaded at the bottom so it can be screwed into the aluminium fuze body.
The fuze works as follows:
With the fuze inserted into the incendiary or explosive charge, the lead tube is squeezed until the vial of acetone breaks. The acetone flows over the cone-shaped celluloid nut, which now begins to dissolve and soften. Over time, this softens enough to pull the firing pin threads out of the cone, and the spring drives the firing pin into the percussion cap. This ignites the detonator, which then ignites the incendiary or explosive charge.
Because the fuze is not in my collection, I can only approximate its length and diameter by comparing it to the English No. 10 time pencil that is in my collection and which I photographed alongside the German timing pencil at the time for comparison purposes.
Length with detonator : 133 mm
Length without detonator : 116 mm
Diameter of aluminum fuze housing : 18 mm
If anybody has any info -drawings or descriptions- of this time pencil, do not hesitate and share!
Thanks in advance.
Regards, DJH
