The Bombatorium

[jvollenberg]

The projo is probably a 6-INCH given 150.4 = 5.92 when you convert it. The length also matches the 6-INCH HE rounds. No idea which one it might be though.
Are there any other markings on the fuze? Might help to pin point the country that used it.

Joe

 

[US-Subs]

I don't believe it's a fuze, but a screw in plug that someone has cracked trying to force it out. I'll work on pulling it when I get more time(?). I can find no marks anywhere on anything. Light pitting may have destroyed everything, but I'd have though something would be left.

 

[US-Subs]

Another successful SLICS. Drove a lot of miles, spent a lot of money. We were gifted a number of heavy pieces from a small museum that has lost their storage area and could not ship anything out due to the weight and cost. We bought a number of books and documents then were given about 250lbs of documents and cartridge collector journals (IAA back to the 1960s, ECRA German and English, Australian Cartridge Collectors, New Zealand Cartridge Collectors, Czech, Slovak, etc.). Loaded the replacement truck to (past) the limit, then put about 600-700lbs in a friends vehicle. That includes another 200lbs of FMs and TMs plus overflow ordnance, 5-inch naval rounds etc. No pics of that load yet, I hope to see it delivered next weekend.

I'll be looking for some ID assistance on one of the projos (black 5-inch (?), the cut-away warhead, and the yellow bomb. Have not had time yet to examine everything closely, but overall we did well.

I saw more BOCN members present than ever before, all appeared to be thoroughly enjoying themselves -

 

[US-Subs]

I picked up three small groups of items this week, I haven't had a chance to post anything in a while so I thought I'd put them on. Here is the first, I'll try and add the other two tomorrow. I'm pretty sure that this bunch came from an old EOD guy, a number of instructional items plus some old publications with a lot of hand written notes in them. I haven't had time to go through much of it yet, but one of the cutaway M100 series fuzes is an early T-number and I need to hunt up an ID on the small fuze next to the Mills, it has a blank cartridge on the base. The Mills looks like it was attacked by moths, but has a matching spoon and plug , BB. Everything is heavily oxidized, but only the projos are actually corroded a bit. Most should clean up nicely.

 

[US-Subs]

Here is most of the remainder. A little unusual as nearly all of the grenades and several of the other pieces appear to be either mock-ups or repaints of training pieces, apparently for a military training set. In the grenade picture the MKIIs are mostly correct but all repaints, the 40mm are correct, the M9 is an M11. The F1 appears to be correct. In the cartridge picture nearly all of the 20-25mm are repaints, the 2.36 is a complete fabrication and the 60mm is plastic. The fuzes, 30s and Brixia are all original. The 90mm is correct, but the projectile is 10 years later than the case.

What makes the grenade group interesting is that it is apparently part of an official training set, and in constructing it they used the correct spoons and fuzes, in some cases the cans as well. While the grenades would have some historic value as an actual training piece (vs someones home-painted "repro" or "restoration") the fuzes are real gems. Finding the correct spoons for offensive, WP, V40s, etc can be very difficult. I'll have to think on this before I decide whether to keep the pieces intact or strip the fuzes.

 

[US-Subs]

For some reason this picture did not want to load with the post above.

 

[US-Subs]

Picked up some nice items yesterday, a mix of Iraq items from the Gulf War and some older pieces. Lots of cool things mixed in, I have not had time to even look in the boxes yet. Does anyone recognize the bomb fins off the top of their head? Could save me some time searching.

 

[MINENAZ16]

What is it ?

 

[US-Subs]

Haven't had a chance to look yet, but I believe that it is the US 3" practice Stokes. Had a wooden body and a glass bulb on the nose filled with FM. I was allowed to purchase the entire group for a single price, so I didn't look too closely at some of the field recovered pieces. Identification is going to be a challenge, as many were experimental and with field recovery on top of that.... Includes a baby livens and a couple of the large trench mortars. Does anyone have a document (other than OP 1664) that confirms that Italy had a 240mm TM?

 

[MINENAZ16]

Yes, Italy used 240mm TM

 

[US-Subs]

And a 400mm?

 

[peteblight]

Anyone know how to ID the difference between the Italian and the French, German and Brit variants?
i’m happy with the different design features of Brit, French and German, but not the Italian…..

Cheers

Pete

 

[MINENAZ16]

And a 400mm?

Yes 400mm (uncommon) :

 

[MINENAZ16]

Anyone know how to ID the difference between the Italian and the French, German and Brit variants?
i’m happy with the different design features of Brit, French and German, but not the Italian…..

Cheers

Pete

I assume same shape as French projectiles but reading the doc Italian seem to use 87kg, 71kg and 67kg.
In France I only know 240mm M, S and T (87kg, 85, 83).
So Maybe they made there own smaller bombs.
It's difficult to find documentation on it.
As in France they still find it today (see pic)

 

[US-Subs]

The 400mm. A bit rough, but a great piece regardless.

 

[US-Subs]

Did anyone have any ideas on the bomb fins? Fifth picture on the first post.

 

[pzgr40/42]

On that note, here's the next load of pics -

View attachment 141980View attachment 141981View attachment 141982View attachment 141983View attachment 141984View attachment 141985View attachment 141986View attachment 141987View attachment 141988View attachment 141989View attachment 141990

Hello, while looking through the "bombatorium" thread, I found an attached image of several 20x138/B rounds. I am very curious as to the 20x138/B round with the Black projectile/yellow band. As per drivingband design it looks like an AP-T from Finland, yet the colours suggest AP (Ph?) -T from Germany. Have you, by any chance, pulled the projectile from the casing? Iff so do you have pictures of the projectile? I'd be very interested, as I am currently in the proces of writing an article on 20x138/B AP rounds,

Best regards, Menno.

 

[US-Subs]

If you are speaking about the one in photo 141980, I'm not sure if it has been pulled or not. I'll try and look at it this weekend and see.

 

[pzgr40/42]

Hey, yes, that's the one I'm referring to.
Very interested to hear what your findings are. Thanks!

 

[dave peifer]

subs...........the fins are,i believe soviet or other east block.good place to start..............dave