Russian 22 sec. fuze

[Nabob]

Hi,
I am looking for some info on the 22 sec fuze on the right side of the picture.
Both fuzes were manufactured by STZ (CT3) in 1916.
The fuze on the right has brass body, which is a little shorter. It makes the overall length of the fuze shorter.
It has the designation 60 in the circle on the rings.

Thanks, Bob

 

[M8owner]

Hello Bob. Do you have a copy of the 1913 dated Russian ammunition manual for the 3 inch cannons? There are some drawings and text on this fuse. I can read very little of it.

 

[Nabob]

Hi,
I do not think I have the doc you are refering to.
I have got some pictures of the brass body fuzes from the web. Some of them have even numbers on the rings in nearly the same position. The numbers are not in the circle. There was a theory raised, that the number could refer to the powder used in the ring.

I also do not have any other 22 sec fuzes to compare the manufacture years in Samarsky Trubocny Zavod (STZ) to see if 1916 was the year they changed the material of the body from brass to aluminium.

There is one more question about this fuze that my hungarian friends can answer (please see pic) and help me with the translation. There seems to be a variant where the impact mechanism is removed and replaced with powder. All I have is this picture but no description (my hungarian is non existing so it would not help much anyway )

Cheers, Bob

 

[sgdbdr]

Hi,

Double action fuze called "D" ? (I don't speak russian) (sorry for the crappy scan, not my work)



Regards,

S.

 

[M8owner]

Here is what is in the 1913 manual on the fuse:

 

[Nabob]

Thank You,
@sgdbdr - I am 100% sure it is a 22 sek fuze. The fuze D (Dmitrieva) has a little different shape. It can be sometines hard to distinguish if you cannot compare the two, but the main clue is the hole for the automatic fuze setter on the D fuze (right of the UD mark)

@M8owner - if my russian is correct the text says that the main parts of the fuze are manufactured of alluminium. That is interesting to read in a 1913 document. It canceles ma theory of transition from brass to alluminium.

I forgot to mention that both fuzes are P models.

Bob

 

[M8owner]

The drawing in the 1913 manual also shows the top piece and the base are made from two different materials via the different shading/cross hatching. The manual also has a drawing of a 30 second fuse that is similar but has a different top part.

 

[Nabob]

I have see anothes aluminium fuze manufactured in Samara in 1915.
On another forum I got info on 1917 STZ PG model fuze.

The 30 sec fuzes are also manufactured from different materials, but they have different designation. Attached are the pics from Rdultovskys book.

Bob

 

[jvollenberg]

Which book is the Rdultovskys book?
I've never heard of that one before.

Joe

 

[Nabob]

В. И. РДУЛТОВСКИЙ
ИСТОРИЧЕСКИЙ ОЧЕРК РАЗВИТИЯ ТРУБОК И ВЗРЫВАТЕЛЕЙ ОТ НАЧАЛА ИХ
ПРИМЕНЕНИЯ ДО КОНЦА МИРОВОЙ ВОЙНЫ 1914-1918 гг.

 

[M8owner]

Historical essay of the development of fuses and shells from the beginning of their applications to the end of the world war 1914-1918

 

[jvollenberg]

Any idea where I can find a copy of that book?

Joe

 

[sgdbdr]

Hi,

Couldn't remember where I found it. So I uploaded it on my cloud drive (DJVU file, use WinDJView of STDUviewer)

Link : https://www.mediafire.com/file/53vxctxbj50pcxs/Aper%E7u_historique.djvu/file

The folder is public, ( http://www.mediafire.com/folder/hllzcmh2r7248/Partage ) so feel free to use it to transfer files

S.

 

[Irod7]

There is one more question about this fuze that my hungarian friends can answer (please see pic) and help me with the translation. There seems to be a variant where the impact mechanism is removed and replaced with powder. All I have is this picture but no description (my hungarian is non existing so it would not help much anyway )

Cheers, Bob

Well, I am not Hungarian but i know the answer to your question

This variant of the 22 second fuze is used on shrapnel ammunition from " 8cm M14 R Luftfahr-Kanone mit Mittelpivot" (in fact, this is the russian 76,2mm AA gun model 1914).
When used in this application, the percussion mechanism is removed and replaced with a charge of extrafine hunting powder Nr.3 (quote from manual).
Naturally, it is evident that in such an application, a percussion mechanism is not needed.
My info comes from the 1916 KuK manual for this gun, but i am sure this stayed in service with the Hungarian army post-1920, so your illustration might come from there.

 

[Nabob]

Thank You, that makes perfect sense.
Bob.

 

[Bellifortis]

Hi @irod7,
I congratulate you on your very good english.
bellifortis.

Well, I am not Hungarian but i know the answer to your question

This variant of the 22 second fuze is used on shrapnel ammunition from " 8cm M14 R Luftfahr-Kanone mit Mittelpivot" (in fact, this is the russian 76,2mm AA gun model 1914).
When used in this application, the percussion mechanism is removed and replaced with a charge of extrafine hunting powder Nr.3 (quote from manual).
Naturally, it is evident that in such an application, a percussion mechanism is not needed.
My info comes from the 1916 KuK manual for this gun, but i am sure this stayed in service with the Hungarian army post-1920, so your illustration might come from there.

 

[Alpini]

(in fact, this is the russian 76,2mm AA gun model 1914)

Sorry, but the guns were converted into AA guns in the Austro-Hungarian empire. Initially these were captured russian 7,62 cm field guns obr. 1903.

 

[Irod7]

Yes Alpini, my mistake!

You are right! This conversion is from the field guns model 1902 (in the manual it is written 1903, typo maybe?). They have the typical screw breech from Schneider, as it is on the field gun. the Model 1914/15 AA guns had vertical sliding breech adopted. But it`s interesting that the M14 R Lfa-Kanone has almost the same design in pivot, platform and elevation mechanisms as the Russian M1914/15, so they must have captured one of those and use it as a model, otherwise i think the coincidences are too big.

Also, thanks Bellifortis, it`s almost as my second language and I have been using it professionally / academically for the majority of my lifetime.

 

[Alpini]

I also wondered about the 1903. Think you are right that it is a typo in the manual.

 

[siwy_x]

Hello
Interesting subject. I got 22s fuze with brass body dated also 1916. Do not know what factory it was made, but the body of my fuze is the same shape like standard aluminium one. I got also one made in STZ 1917, and it is the same as yours (little shorter). I also wounder why they make the body brass? It is interesting also becouse i've seen 22s fuzes made in STZ factory in the "standard" combination - aluminium body, so they must have produce both of the types at the same time so the brass one does not replace the aluminium one. The signatures on the rings i think are the factory quality stamps.

best regards