PzGr40
28.04.2006, 14:22
Cutaway model of a German WW2 Brandsprenggranate, or Incendiary high explosive shell. This shell was used in the Flak 18/36 for anti aircraft use. It concisted of a thin walled two piece body, with a smaller diameter near the bottom in the lower half to withstand the pressure of being fired. The upper body part is screwed into the lower body part and holds an explosive charge in a thin walled steel gaine, screwed into the top of the upper part.
When compared to the other type of 8,8cm BrSpgr http://blazeold.ath.cx/viewtopic.php?t=1103&sid=8afebef2ffe28f416f01ed1ba6a04ae9 I desribed, the following differences can be observed:
The lower part holds five stacked steel prefragmentated rings, each ring existing of ten pcs hot rolled bar formed into an approximately 36 degrees triangular incendiary element. Each seperate element has a hole drilled filled with pressed thermite (incendiary powder, existing of 45% aluminium powder, 45% iron powder and appr. 10% of barium nitrate, which burns at appr 2000 degr. celcius). The prefragmentated element rings are locked up between the upper and lower projectile body by means of filler rings. In the middle of the rings is an hole of appr. ø40 mm diameter, containing a paper or thin cartboard wrapped stick of TNT. In the lower part of the body, the stick of explosives is held in a fixed position by a tarfilling surrounding the stick.
The coulor of the shell is: top half yellow (explosive), lower part Blue (Incendiary). Functioning of the shell: The shell has to explode between enemy planes to have effect. The time fuze is therefore set to the same height as planes pass by. The fuze passes it flame into the gaine that explodes the content in the gaine, which ignites the TNT stick. The shell is now ripped open, the thermite in the incendiary elements is ignited and the pieces are shot away in a 360 degr. radius.
The fuze used on this shell is a ZZ S/30 of a modified design. It has a longer nose.
Regards DJH
When compared to the other type of 8,8cm BrSpgr http://blazeold.ath.cx/viewtopic.php?t=1103&sid=8afebef2ffe28f416f01ed1ba6a04ae9 I desribed, the following differences can be observed:
The lower part holds five stacked steel prefragmentated rings, each ring existing of ten pcs hot rolled bar formed into an approximately 36 degrees triangular incendiary element. Each seperate element has a hole drilled filled with pressed thermite (incendiary powder, existing of 45% aluminium powder, 45% iron powder and appr. 10% of barium nitrate, which burns at appr 2000 degr. celcius). The prefragmentated element rings are locked up between the upper and lower projectile body by means of filler rings. In the middle of the rings is an hole of appr. ø40 mm diameter, containing a paper or thin cartboard wrapped stick of TNT. In the lower part of the body, the stick of explosives is held in a fixed position by a tarfilling surrounding the stick.
The coulor of the shell is: top half yellow (explosive), lower part Blue (Incendiary). Functioning of the shell: The shell has to explode between enemy planes to have effect. The time fuze is therefore set to the same height as planes pass by. The fuze passes it flame into the gaine that explodes the content in the gaine, which ignites the TNT stick. The shell is now ripped open, the thermite in the incendiary elements is ignited and the pieces are shot away in a 360 degr. radius.
The fuze used on this shell is a ZZ S/30 of a modified design. It has a longer nose.
Regards DJH