Flare and signal cartridges Calibre 4, Germany, WW2

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Last April I bought this nice German signal Gun on a collectors meeting in the Netherlands. I allready had two interesting catridges, the ‘2,6cm Wurfgranatpatrone 326 LP’ (9), and the ‘Fallschirmpatrone fur windmessung’ (1). As both cartridges are allready described on this forum I will place the link only to the postings.
As I -suddenly- found this an interesting subject I bought another thirteen German WW2 calibre 4 cartridges for this gun and changed them all into cutaway models. The pyrotechnic charges have been measured and replicated with coloured polyurethane staff. With some cartridges I replicated the original colours of the internals as to stay as close to what one would see when cut (4,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15), with the others I used didactic colours as to represent the colours of the light emited (2,3,5,6).

The usage of pyrotechnic means for signalling is as old as the use of gunpowder and the rocket. Signaling cartridges Caliber 4 (26,5mm dia) as described below were taken into service in 1894 by the German army, and are still in use even today in many countries.
The use of signal cartridges precedes the time that radios, walkie talkies and phones were used on the battlefield, and a message had to be conveyed to a large group of people. Disadvantage of the use of signal cartridges is that one has to agree in advance on what order a (sound or light) signal means and what other signal ends the order. As it took the enemy a short time to figure out what a certain signal meant, the meaning of a signal had to chance per day, and all own troops needed to know this in advance. A story I read on the internet about what happens if this communication fails was about a German unit on the eastern front that requested to stop artillery support as this accidentaly fell short on their own troops. A red flare was launched, supposing to meaning ‘stop artillery support’, however, this was yesterdays signal, on this day a red flare meant increase artillery support. An expensive mistake.
Flares were also used when radio silence was practiced (at sea for instance) to prevent giving away position.
The German army has designed and used an enormous variarity of functions for Caliber 4 cartridges, other countries just used the signal cartridges for battlefield illumination and signalling stars.
Not described here is the civilian usage of signal cartridges for rescue at sea or aviation, however there will be an overlap with military cartridges with some types of cartridges.
All cartridges describes below here are German cartridges from WW2.

1 - https://www.bocn.co.uk/threads/fallschirmpatrone-für-windmessung.108962/

2 - The ‘Fallschirmleuchtpatrone’ or ‘Flare cartridge with parachute’. This cartridge was meant to illuminate the battlefield. The Flare and the parachute are placed in an aluminium bushing which has a pyrotechnic fuze and an expulsion charge in the base. The flare is placed in brown packing paper glued to the flare. A cartboard disc with a staple is glued to the top of the flare, a chain with the parachute is is linked to the staple.
After firing, the pyrotechnic delay expires and ignites the expulsion charge, and the aluminium bushing ejects the flare at approximately 40 meter high, launching the ignited flare to 80 height, opening the parachute by means of the windstream. The flare burns for approximately 15 seconds, emitting bright white light.
Headwinds had to be taken into account to prevent the flare from being driven by the wind over one's own position and illuminating one's own position.
The cartridge was produced by ORION, which is ORION metallwarenfabik GmbH Kremmen/Mark.

3 - The ‘Fallschirmlsignalpatrone rot’ or ‘Signal flare cartridge with parachute red’ This cartridge was nearly identical in build up to the ‘Flare cartridge with parachute’ (02). The Flare and the parachute are placed in an aluminium bushing which has a pyrotechnic fuze and an expulsion charge in the base. The flare is placed in an aluminium bushing. A cartboard disc with a staple is placed on top of the flare, a chain with the parachute is linked to the staple. The cartboard disc is fixated to the flare by means of a seam edge at the top side of the aluminium bushing containing the flare.
After firing, the pyrotechnic delay expires and ignites the expulsion charge, and the aluminium bushing ejects the flare at approximately 40 meter high, launching the ignited flare to 80 meters height, opening the parachute by means of the windstream. The flare burns for approximately 15 seconds, emitting red light. The flare was meant to emit a signal and was not suitable for battlefield illumination. Burning time was 11 seconds. Length of the aluminium shellcase is 135mm.
This cartridge was available in the colours red, green, red/white and red/green, the colour changing halfway the burning time with the last two cartridges mentioned.
The cartridge was produced by ldc which is Deutsche pyrotechnische fabriken GmbH, Cleebronn.

4 - The ‘Rauchbundelpatrone Violet’ or ‘smoke cluster purple’ The function of this cartridge was to warn the troops for an upcomming enemy tank attack. The aluminium shellcase houses a cartboard bushing with a pyrotechnic delay and an expulsion charge in the base. Four paper wrappers housing purple smoke composition are placed in the cartboard bushing. A hole is drilled trough the centre of all the smoke pellets, a quickmatch is placed in this hole over the entire length. The cartridge was launche at approximately 60 degrees into the air in the direction of the enemy attack. At a certain height the pyrotchnic delay expires and the expulsion charge ejects the four smoke pellets, simultaniously igniting them by means of the quickmatch. This causes four purple smoke trails to fall from the sky, which was the signal for an enemy tank attack.
Length of the aluminium shellcase is 135mm. Thecartridge is marked with four purple bands around the shellcase. The cartridge was only suitable for daylight hours.
The cartridge was produced by cst, which is Geka-werke, Offenbach.

5 - The ‘sternbundelparone Rot-grun mit gelbes vorsignal’ or ‘Star cluster Red-green with yellow preliminary signal’. This type of cartridge which was available is a number of different combinations was used to emit a tactical signal (start attack, end attack, request artilley support). An aluminium bushing is placed in the shellcase, housing six ‘stars’. A star is a cilinder of pyrotechnic composition emiting a specific colour of light with a pressed disc of black powder glued to the base for ignition. In the lower part of the aluminium bushing housing the stars a pyrotechnic composition is pressed emitting yellow light when ignited. Between this composition and the lowest star of the stack a pellet of black powder is placed which ejects the stars from the aluminium tube at approximately 90 meters height. A quickmatch is placed along the six stars, enshuring all stars are simultaniously ignited upon expulsion.
After firing the cartridge one observes a bright yellow light flying upward, followed by three red and three green stars falling down from the sky, burning for approximately six seconds. In daytime, the signal is visable up to 2,5 km.
Length of the shellcase is 135 mm. A closing cap with a relief enshures the cartridge can be found on touch by night. The relief is a ring with a devision stripe in the middle. In daylight the cartridge can be recognized by three red and three green dots in a longitudal direction stencilled on the shellcase.
The cartridge was produced by ecf, which is z.B.H Nicolaus und Co. Meiningen, Thuringen.

6 - The sternbundelpatrone grun mit Rotlichen vorsignal’, or ‘Star cluster green with red preliminary signal’. Simmilar to the ‘sternbundelparone Rot-grun mit gelbe vorsignal’ (5),
After firing the cartridge one observes a bright red light flying upward, followed by six green stars falling down from the sky, burning for approximately six seconds. In daytime, the signal is visable up to 2,5 km.
As the stars are somewhat shorter than the red-green type, the space above the aluminium bushing is filled with felt discs
Length of the shellcase is 135mm. A green closing cap with a relief enshures the cartridge can be found on touch by night. The relief is a ring with a six radial notches facing inward. In daylight the cartridge can be recognized by six green dots stencilled around the shellcase at 60 degrees divisions.
The cartridge was produced by ldc, which is Deutsche pyrotechnische fabriken GmbH, Cleebronn.

 

[pzgr40]

7 - The ‘Pfeifpatrone’ or ‘Whistle cartridge’. This cartridge was meant to warn for gas attacks. In the aluminium shellcase an aluminium bushing is placed with a pyrotechnic delay and an expulsion charge. A cartboard bushing is placed in the aluminium bushing. In this bushing two compsitions are placed ; a flare compostion (grey) in the lower part, and a whistle composition (white) in the upper part. Both compositions are devided by means of a cartboard disc. A quickmatch is placed along the outside of the cartboard bushing. A paper wrapper is placed around the cartboard bushing, covering the quickmatch.
Upon firing the aluminium bushing containing the cartboard bushing is launched up to 100 meters high, where the expired pyrotechnic delay activates the expulsion charge, which throws out the cartboard bushing, simultaniously igniting the quickmatch which ignites both the flare and the whistle composition. During five seconds a bright light is emitted, accompanied a shrill whistle.
Length of the cartridge case is 135mm, weight of the cartridge is appproximately 100 grams.
The shellcase is marked with a blue ring around the shellcase and a blue closing cap with a positive cone in the center, so the cartridge could be found by touch at night.
In consultation, the cartridge can also be used to give a tactical signal other than a gas attack.
The cartridge was produced by dbc, which is Felix Deichmann, feuerwerkslaboratorium, Velten/Mark.

8 - The ‘R-patrone’ Rauchpatrone, or Smoke cartridge. This cartridge induces a bright flash, a cloud of smoke and a loud bang in the air. The cartridge was meant to simulate artillery fire, to measure distance (number of seconds from the flash to the sound report), and the luftwaffe used it to attract attention during rescue missions. The cartridge consists of an aluminium shellcase, housing an aluminium bushing with a pyrotechnic delay and an expulsion charge in the base, which houses a closed aluminium bushing with a brass pyrotechnic delay. The closed bushing houses a grey powder, fine as flour, with a cotton wool disc, a felt disc, and a cartboard disc painted grey on top. The bushing is closed by means of a seam edge.
Upon firing the two aluminium bushings are fired upward, the outer one has the pyrotechnic delay ignited. At approximately 70 metrs the expulsion charge ejects the closed aluminium bushing and ignites the brass pyrotechnic delay. After this has burned up, the grey powder is ignited and explodes.
German regulations warn of the violent explosion of the projectile, so I suspect therefore the two stage pyrotechnic delay is used to prevent the projectile from accidentaly exploding in the vincinity of the flare gun. The cartridge weighs 94 grams. Length of the shellcase is 135 mm. A grey band is painted around the shellcase, and the closing cap is painted grey.
The cartridge is produced by eby, which is Sauer FG kunstfeuerwerkerei, Munchen.

9 - https://www.bocn.co.uk/threads/2-6cm-wurfgranate-326lp.102305/#post-311475

10 - The ‘Sternsignale einzelstern Weiss’, or ‘Signaling cartridge single star white’. This cartridge is meant to give a tactical signal between ships or between a ship and aircraft during day- and nighttime. The white light emitting flare is placed in an aluminium bushing and is ignited directly upon firing by the black powder pellet pressed in the base of the flare composition. On top of the flare composition a thin disc of inert material (white) is placed. The space above the flare bushing is filled with three felt discs and a cork disc, and closed with a cartboard disc, painted white on top.
Upon firing one will see a bright white light rising up to approximately hundred meters and than falling down toward the ground . Burning time is approximately nine seconds.
The length of the shellcase is 102 mm.

11 - The ‘Signalpatrone einzelstern rot 38’ or ‘Signaling cartridge single star red 38’. This cartridge was the first type of full aluminium cartridge case replacing the cartboard shellcase with brass foot to be accepted by the German military. The red light emitting flare is placed in an aluminium bushing and is ignited directly upon firing by the black powder pellet pressed in the base of the flare composition. On top of the flare composition a disc of inert material (white) is placed. The space above the flare bushing is filled with five felt discs, and closed with a cartboard disc, painted red on top.
The flare rose to a height of approximately 80 meters and had a burning time of six to seven seconds. The flare is visable up to two kilometes during daytime.
The cartridge case was marked with a knurled rim, a red ring on the base of the shellcase and a one centimeter wide red band around the shellcase. The cartboard closing disc of the shellcase was also painted red. Length of the shellcase is 83mm.
The cartridge was maufactured by EISFELD, which is J.F. Eisfeld Pulver und Pyrotechnische Fabriken GmbH.

12 - The ‘Signalpatrone einzelstern weiss’, or ‘Signal cartridge single star white’. I cannot find any info about this cartridge. What stands out is the relatively large stick of flare composition and large propulsion charge, and the fact that the flare is ignited straight away upon launch. As the flare is quite heavy I suppose it is meant to be fired from a flare gun mounted in a tripod as the recoil will be quite strong, but this is -as I stated before- an educated guess. The colour of the flare can only be derived from the white colour of the closing disc on the green muffled steel shellcase.
Steel shellcases were used from 1941 onward as to save on aluminium. The shellcase is 83 mm long.
If anybody has any other info about this cartridge, please let me know.

13 - The ‘Rauchspurpatrone gelb’, or ‘smoketrail cartrige yellow’. This cartridge was used by the luftwaffe and was meant to point out a target or direction by means of a yellow smoke trail. In the aluminium shellcase an aluminium bushing with a hole pattern like a sift in the base is placed (see overview picture 00). In this bushing granulate smoke composition is placed as well as a quickmatch. The top of the smoke bushing is filled with a felt disc and a yellow cartboard disc, locked up by means of a seam edge in top of the bushing. The loose space above the smoke bushing is filled with with a felt disc and a cartboard closing disc.
Upon firing, a sixty meters long yellow smoke trail is emitted, starting ten meters after leaving the barrel. Four yellow stripes, at 90 degrees each are painted in a radial pattern on the closing disc of the shellcase, none over the length of the shellcase and shellcase bottom as with cartridges from before 1943. Cartridges from 1943 onward only had the tekst ‘Rauchspurpatrone gelb’ stencilled in black on the side of the aluminium shellcase.
The aluminium shellcase is 83 mm long. The cartridge was manufactrured by hgs, which is Gustav Burmeister, Pyrotechnische Fabrik und Signalmittelwerk, Hamburg.

14 - The ‘Rauchspurpatrone blau’, or ‘smoketrail cartridge blue’. This cartridge was used by the luftwaffe and was meant to point out a target or direction by means of a blue smoke trail. In the aluminium shellcase an aluminium bushing with a hole pattern like a sift in the base is placed (see overview picture 00). In this bushing a stick of smoke composition is placed as well as a quickmatch. The top of the smoke bushing is filled with a felt disc and a blue cartboard disc, locked up by means of a seam edge in top of the bushing. The loose space above the smoke bushing is filled with with a felt disc in a short aluminium bushing. A cork disc is placed on top of this felt bushing.
Upon firing, a sixty meters long blue smoke trail is emitted, starting ten meters after leaving the barrel. Four blue stripes, at 90 degrees each are painted over the length of the shellcase and in a radial pattern on both the closing disc and base of the shellcase.
The aluminium shellcase is 83 mm long. The cartridge was manufactrured by bgo, a -to me- unknown manufacturer.

15 - The ‘Signalpatrone einzelstern grun’ or ‘Signal cartridge Single star green. This cartridge is meant to give a tactical signal between ships or between a ship and aircraft during day- and nighttime.
A zinc bushing is placed in the steel shellcase, containing a stick of flare composition (white) placed loosely in the zinc bushing. Two slots are machined over the lenth of the flare composition, and together with the base of the flare composition these are painted with a slurry of black powder to ignite the flare. In the base of the zinc bushing a pyrotechnic delay is placed that ignites the flare composition at the highest point of the trajectory (appr. 100 meters) and ejects it from the zinc bushing. The flare burns geen light for approximately six to seven seconds which is visable up to two kilometes during daytime. The space above the zinc bushing containing the flare is filled with felt discs, and the shellcase is closed watertight by means of a green lackered cartboard disc.The brown muffled steel shellcase is 83 mm long, and was used from 1941 onward to save on aluminium.

Regards, DJH