WW1 Fuze - Help ID Maker on Z.s.u.m.W.M

[retireddigger]

Offering the photo to anyone interested, and of course, any help ID'ing this maker on a Z.s.u.m.W.M. fuse top would be appreciated. Unfortunately the fuse was cut off only leaving the domed head as a desk top paperweight. In case the photo is not precise, looks like a rising sun logo on either side of the four digit date "1917", Thanks!

 

[HAZORD]

How about a photo of the entire structure of what remains of the fuze? This isn't the "guess what it is" post.

 

[Dronic69]

Hi Retireddigger,

The fuze was used on the WW1 German 25cm Heavy, 17cm Medium & 18cm smooth-bore Minenwerfers.

"Z.s.u.m.WM" stands for "Zunder schewerer und mittlere Wurf-Mine" - which is basically a time and percussion fuse for the Minenwerfers (mine throwers) and this model superceded the earlier "Z.m.W.M" so it could be used on both the medium and heavy MWs.

The fact that it has a couple of "rising suns" and is mounted as a paper weight implies that they (rising suns) were done for trench art or souvenieer purposes.

As Hazord pointed out - would be nice to view the whole object for us to really appreciate it!

Cheers
Drew

 

[retireddigger]

Hazord and Dronic69, Thanks for your comments, guess I was more interested in the "rising sun" maker mark than the "ruined" fuse, I regret it pass through my hands without retaining a full photo of the cut-off mushroom dome, but always on the quest for knowledge!

 

[Dronic69]

Well I be dammed!

I recently acquired another ZsumWM heavy minenwerfer fuse and guess what it had marked on the dome - a couple of rising suns!

I don't believe my previous comments re Trench Art are correct - actually very incorrect.

I compared it with another example and some interesting differences can be seen - one very obvious observation is the lack of any manufacture's markings (on the rising sun one) - perhaps the "P"?

And another is the fuse ID being stamped on the dome itself rather than the more common practice of stamping the time ring.

Finally the dome caps are not interchangeable - the threads are difference diameters.

Any thoughts?

Thanks

Cheere
Drew

 

[Guns1418]

Hello

back to the first Fuze, I never seen such a manufacturer marking. I think Dronic69 hypothesis might be the good one, knowing the Rising Sun is a symbol of one of the American Forces divisions in Europe.

Best regards