What's new
British Ordnance Collectors Network

This is a sample guest message. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

FFE Certificate

AMMOTECHXT said:
e by jagged metal as it sang through the air. The two army blokes and the coastguard men had hidden behind the nearby dunes. The coastguards reported hearing metal pass over them. I guess the distance was not enough for complete safety. They should all have been further from the shell. Such lessons have to learned and then relearned by others over
Click to expand...
The peacetime safety distance for explosive cutting of steel was 1000 metres. I suspect they couldn’t be bothered to sandbag it and cuffed it!
You’re only as lucky as your last job!
 
Agreed. A&ER Vol 3 used to include a table of HE shell and their Lethal Splinter Distances, for example, one that stuck in my head (pardon the pun) was 80 yards for 25 Pr HE. I had a less than happy experience with surface-blown 155 mm in Saudi Arabia after the first Gulf War, where splinters passed either side and behind me (and in front too - instantaneous splashes), where I was about 200 m from the shell being blown. Since 5.5 Inch is not too dissimilar in calibre to 155 mm, given the same scenario, I would want to double the distance to about 400 m. Going back to the 5.5 Inch shell, I'm pretty sure the Captain just dug a hole and backfilled onto the shell, no sandbags used, probably to save time but putting the safety of himself, his No 2 and the coastguards in danger.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top