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what is it, old (experienced) fellas?

tsavo303tsavo303 Member Posts: 8,913 ✭✭✭
edited January 2012 in General Discussion
photo.jpg

Found in a WWII navy vets stuff. calibration of some sort scaled on the side

that's all I know, his widow was curious
Thanks

Comments

  • asphalt cowboyasphalt cowboy Member Posts: 8,904 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Looks like a mortar fuse to me. May be artillery.
  • tsavo303tsavo303 Member Posts: 8,913 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    said its heavy and feels solid except for the rings which can be rotated to those index marks
    no further description is available
  • airbornerizzairbornerizz Member Posts: 674 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Howitzer it looks like to me, but I've never been around mortars, just FA
  • Rack OpsRack Ops Member Posts: 18,596 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by asphalt cowboy
    Looks like a mortar fuse to me. May be artillery.


    +1

    That seems to be about the right size for an 81 mm mortar fuze.....its a variable (probably time) fuze, of some type....you can tell by the numbers along the base.
  • tsavo303tsavo303 Member Posts: 8,913 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    is it dangerous or restricted?
  • Brian98579Brian98579 Member Posts: 1,188 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Could it be a fuse from a 155 howitzer round?

    155.jpg
  • Rack OpsRack Ops Member Posts: 18,596 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by tsavo303
    said its heavy and feels solid except for the rings which can be rotated to those index marks


    I'm sure its a time fuze now.....those rings rotate so the gun crew can set different times on the shells for air-burst or ground burst
  • Duce1Duce1 Member Posts: 9,329
    edited November -1
    It is a fuse. As others have already spoken of.
  • tsavo303tsavo303 Member Posts: 8,913 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    thanks,have advised,
    prob give to bomb tech
  • Rack OpsRack Ops Member Posts: 18,596 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Any idea on what kind of naval service this guy was in?

    If he was on a warship, it may be a fuze for some kind of naval gun shell..........if he was on an Amphibious assault ship, I'd lean toward some kind of Marine or Army mortar or artillery piece.
  • pingjockeypingjockey Member Posts: 1,879 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Can't tell exactly from the picture, but appears to be a fuse from
    a 5" AAC round.
  • tsavo303tsavo303 Member Posts: 8,913 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    now I have heard he was on a aircraft as a navigator, maybe spare fuse for bomb
  • pingjockeypingjockey Member Posts: 1,879 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    IIRC our AAC had a clear cover that was threaded and went back over the top once set, still, a proximity fuse of some sort.
  • p3skykingp3skyking Member Posts: 23,916 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    It looks like a WWI US 75mm point detonating fuze. Not Naval since those shells are armor piercing and base detonating. It could probably be used on other size shells too. Look for a Frankfort Arsenal Mk and Mod number, also look for a WWI date.

    ADDENDUM; There is no way in hell that's a prox fuze. It's all brass! Also, the single ring is FUNCTION time. How long it takes it to go off after impact, therefore NOT anti-aircraft. It's not a bomb fuze either, it has no vanes.
  • CSI21CSI21 Member Posts: 1,206 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I would set that aside and have the local law enforcement come and get it. Never know when something will just blow up, happens all the time in Europe when they find old ordanace.
  • pingjockeypingjockey Member Posts: 1,879 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    What then determines at what point an aac shell goes off?
    If I remember correctly, we fired aac to give a air burst over
    suspected positions. We fired quite a bit of aac as well as hi-cap
    and occasionally willie-peter. Very seldom worried about air attacks
    since the carriers kept a pretty good cover over us.
  • p3skykingp3skyking Member Posts: 23,916 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by CSI21
    I would set that aside and have the local law enforcement come and get it. Never know when something will just blow up, happens all the time in Europe when they find old ordanace.


    Just look in the base. If you don't see a rod sticking down loaded with explosive, it's an inert clockwork mechanism. I can tell from the picture it doesn't. No need to turn it in.
  • p3skykingp3skyking Member Posts: 23,916 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by pingjockey

    What then determines at what point an aac shell goes off?
    If I remember correctly, we fired aac to give a air burst over
    suspected positions. We fired quite a bit of aac as well as hi-cap
    and occasionally willie-peter. Very seldom worried about air attacks
    since the carriers kept a pretty good cover over us.


    Your fuze had a "set-back" ball and spring assembly first stage arming that started the timer at firing by the inertia. The shell then traveled a pre-set time until detonation. If I am correct about the time period (WWI), the fuze in question was made before AA was thought of.
  • pingjockeypingjockey Member Posts: 1,879 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Wiki the 5inch 38 and it has pretty good info.
  • oldnbaldoldnbald Member Posts: 3,578
    edited November -1
    Got one just like it from my grandfather's estate.

    Waws always told it is from an 81 mm mortar.
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