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!

ID Help needed for German 37mm belted round

HAZORD

HAZORD

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
Photo 1 L-R 4 cm Flak 28, 3.7 cm Flak 18, Mystery round, 5cm Flak 41. The round is shown next to the Flak 41 in the other photos, Flak 41 always on the right.

I have no information about this round, 37mm X 280B. It is 37mm in a belted case, resembling a shrunken 5 cm Flak 41. Projo is filled with a black tar-like substance, and the nose plug resembles a fuze. Nose plug is right hand thread, and strangely the tracer is right hand thread. Self unscrewing tracer? It has the same diameter primer as the 5 cm Flak 41. Copper washed steel case. Single crimping groove.

Fuze plug is stamped Ersst 34Zn aeq

Projo body stamped A aho 21

Case head: agw at 12:00, auy at 9:00, 44 D9 at 3:00, and 3.7 341 St at 6:00

M eagle II at 4:30

Any help and information in identifying it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

John
 

Attachments

  • Flak rounds.jpg
    Flak rounds.jpg
    95.7 KB · Views: 95
  • Disassembled.jpg
    Disassembled.jpg
    96.5 KB · Views: 66
  • Projos and cases1.jpg
    Projos and cases1.jpg
    96.6 KB · Views: 79
  • Pulled tracers.jpg
    Pulled tracers.jpg
    95.9 KB · Views: 75
  • Mystery Base.jpg
    Mystery Base.jpg
    97.4 KB · Views: 80
  • Projo bases1.jpg
    Projo bases1.jpg
    95.7 KB · Views: 40
Last edited:
If its stamped Ersst it is a practice round, (at least the fuze is), and the shell seems a 3,7cm C30 ST Marine Flak. Maybe an experimental round for Marine? The case is also marked M. Awesome selection of rounds here, Man, congrats, I love them.
 
I can't recall that 3,7cm round at all, but if it's stamped "agw" it obviously belongs to me as those are my initials, so hand it over at once! :evil:
 
Well Tony, if it was yours you would know what it was. I was hoping that you would be the one who knew what it was. Unfortunately it is one of the rounds that I got from Jim, and he had already passed when I got it, and we couldn't find his database.

I will concentrate on looking in Navy documentation.

Thanks Miguel!
 
Last edited:
Wow a really excellent selection of shells John. The condition is amazing which leads to my next point.

Is that an adhesive tape you have attached to the cases. If it is the adhesive glue will react with the cases and permanently mark them.

All I can find about the unknown 3.7cm case is that it was a 3.7cm Flak experimental. With the Marine Waffenamt it could have been a naval gun.

PC
 
Is that an adhesive tape you have attached to the cases. If it is the adhesive glue will react with the cases and permanently mark them.

Be carefull with this, Paul has right. Those marks are impossible to remove unless you polish all the case. If you find new info post it inmediatelly, please. :nerd: I will call the attention of Ben Junier about this thread, maybe he could help.
 
I have come across a list (apparently from around mid-1944) of German auto cannon projects which includes the "3,7 cm Flak 341" by Rheinmetall-Borsig, a naval AA gun project to replace the manually-loaded SKC/30. Rate of fire 240 rpm, muzzle velocity 1,030 m/s. A decision on its future was due to be made on 1 August 1944, but no further information is provided.

Judging by the headstamp, that seems to be your baby...
 
Wow Tony! Thanks a lot for all your research! I will concentrate on Rheinmetall-Borsig documentation to see what else I can find. I was evidently right in my belief that you would be the one to identify it. Please let me know if I can give you any more information about the round and components for your research purposes.

This does raise a question though. Typically the Germans titled their gun after the year that it went into service. 341 doesn't work for this, so would this have been a temporary number till it was officially accepted, or something along those lines?


As to the tape on the cases issue. The tape I have used is a masking tape used for house painting. It is designed to pull up easily from painted surfaces without bonding to the paint underneath. So if this is bad, what can a person use to identify brass cases that won't stain them? I have a lot of items to identify and mark, both steel and brass.

Thanks to everyone.

John
 
Last edited:
German numbering

HAZORD said:
.....This does raise a question though. Typically the Germans titled their gun after the year that it went into service. 341 doesn't work for this, so would this have been a temporary number till it was officially accepted, or something along those lines?....

John
Click to expand...

That only applies to small arms as in MG34, MG42, St.G 44 etc.

Cannons were numbered with a composite identity made up of the calibre and developer., e.g. MG213, MK 108 etc. As I am not a cannon man I do not have the list to hand, but t'other Tony probably does.

Regards
TonyE
 
John, reference
"As to the tape on the cases issue. The tape I have used is a masking tape used for house painting. It is designed to pull up easily from painted surfaces without bonding to the paint underneath. So if this is bad, what can a person use to identify brass cases that won't stain them? I have a lot of items to identify and mark, both steel and brass."

I've seen cases and have some in my collection marked with permanent marker pen. If you want to get the ink off then just wipe it with acetone and the inks gone and no damage at all to the case - try it on a round that doesn't matter first and see how you go.

Dave.
 
Thanks Dave! I have a sharpy marker in Silver, and I know they make a lot of other colors. I will try them out to see what results I get.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top