Artillery Projectiles

Addnl Refs for In-Bore Prematures 1) D. Price J.F. Wehner, Combstn Flame 9, 73 (1964) (Closed pipe DDT study) 2) R.T. Schimmel, Setback Sensitivity of Composition B Under Conditions Simulating Base Separation in Artillery Projectiles , PATR 3857 (1969)... 

Initiating components used in fuzes of artillery projectiles are described in Sections 4 5, while those used for bombs are described in Section 6... 

Before proceeding with description of detonators, and other items used in HE trains of projectiles, we are giving here brief descriptions of "Principal Parts of Projectiles" "Types of Artillery Projectiles and cutaway views of typical projectiles Principal Parts of Artillery Projectiles Body. The main section of the projectile is called the body. Body diameter represents diameter of the projectile between bourrelet and rotating band. To prevent contact with bare lands, body diameter is less than bourrelet or rotating band diameter (See also Ref 44, p B218-R)... 

Artillery projectiles may be classified according to use as service (loaded with explosive, chemical or leaflets filler) and training (loaded with inert filler or no filler at all)... 

An artillery projectile may be either solid or hollow. Hollow projectiles may be filled with explosive or inert material, depending on the type. Artillery projectiles, although differing in characteristic details, are of the same general shape in that they have a cylindrical body and generally an ogival or conical head (or windshield). 

Following are cutaway views and brief descriptions of typical US artillery projectiles with indications of their uses in various caliber weapons... 

Typical HE-T (High-Explosive-Tracer) Artillery Projectile, such as used in 120-mm HE-T, Comp B, M356 (T15E3) Separated Ammunition is shown in Fig 1-2. It consists of a forged steel body loaded with 7.84 lb of Composition B and fitted with a PD fuze. 

Typical HEAT-T (High-Explosive, Antitank-Tracer) Artillery Projectile, shown in Fig 1-6, consists of a forged-steel body contg a shaped HE charge (such as cast Comp B) Covered at its cavity with a Cu cone. An ogive is attached to the forward end of the body and a base fuze with a tracer is inserted into a threaded opening at the base of the body... 

Typical AP-T (Armor-Piercing-Tracer) Artillery Projectile, such as used in 120-mm AP-T Separated Projectile M358, is shown in Fig 1-7. Its solid cylindrical body (called "slug" or "shot ), made of hardened steel, has a pointed nose, a flat base and two gilding metal rotating bands. A tracer is inserted in the cavity of the base. The nose of proj is covered with a metallic (such as of forged Al) windshield (also known as "ballistic cap" or false ogive"), which makes the... 

Typical Burster-Type Smoke Artillery Projectile, such as 120-mm WP-T (White Phosphorus-Tracer) Smoke Projectile M557 (TI6E4) (Burster Type), shown in Fig 1-13, belongs to the type of chemical projectiles. It consists of a hollow, forged steel body filled with 7.2 lb of WP and fitted with PD fuze. There is a boss on the base of proj contg a tracer. 

Definition of Terms Used for Initiating Components of Artillery Projectiles a) Definition of Fuze Detonator... 

Fuze, Nose. A fuze located in the forward end of a bomb, and some missiles, but this term is not applied to fuzes located in the forward end of an artillery projectile (See Fuze, Point)... 

Fuze, Short Delay. A type of delay fuze used both in bombs and artillery projectiles, in which the fuze action is delayed for a short period of time, less than 1 second (Ref 40a, p 80). Ohart (Ref 17, p 126) gives for short delay fuze the time of delay betw 0.05 and 0.25 sec... 

Fuze, Standard Contour. A point fuze having a standard shape, size and shape agreed upon for use with a certain group of artillery projectiles. Such fuzes may be interchanged without affecting the flight of the projectile... 

As was already mentioned, igniting fuzes are not used in artillery projectiles loaded with HE s only fuzes activated by detonation are used... 

Fuzes, Proximity, M513 (T226) and M513B1 (T226B1). Early models of the adjustable, delayed-arming type for use in 75-mm to 105-mm field artillery projectiles, including terrestrial targets (pp 5-117 5-118)... 

These fuzes are similar to those used in artillery projectiles and the following types are described in TM 9-1300-204 (1959) (Ref 40) ... 

Q) Rocket Sled Recovery Method. The purpose of this test is to make a "soft recovery of artillery projectiles for their examination. In this test both a projectile and rocket-propelled sled are moving in... 

Wj) Velocimeter (Radar) Test. The purpose of this test, developed at PicArsn, is to track by radar high-velocity artillery projectiles as well as mortar rounds during their flights. This is done in order to obtain continuous informa tion on the in-flight velocities and on any changes in the projectile (such as projectile breakup) that occur in flight. The radar that has been used at PicArsn is the modified HAWK (p HIB-21 of Ref 39)... 

Accdg to Gorst (Ref 71, p 10), it was decided in Russia to load artillery projectiles with compressed Pyroxylin contg 18—20% water. As the original method of loading proved to be unsatisfactory, it was necessary to develop a new method which was not completed until the beginning of 1890... 

The US Army did not adopt a standardized color code for artillery projectiles until the turn of the 20th century. At this time, there was one color code system for mobile army ammunition, one for seacoast ammunition and one for navy ammunition. Each color code was distinctively different, because there was no attempt to standardize identification among the then three services... 

In the same time period, specialized fuzes for both artillery projectiles and bombs were developed. To designate differences in delay or weapon to be used with, artillery fuzes were color coded for rapid identification in the field In the early 1960 s, a concerted effort was undertaken by the NATO countries for the establishment of a standardized color code for the identification of ammunition of all types except small arms ammunition below 20mm in caliber. The following color code was adopted and is being used by most NATO countries. The colors adopted and their significance are as follows ... 

Chauyaku. A castable mixture of RDX (Cyclo-nite) 50 TNT 50%, corresponding to Amer Cyclotol. Used for loading some Artillery Projectiles. Other RDX/TNT mixtures are listed under Nigotanoyaku Mk 2 (Ref 5, p 364)... 

They are similar to those used in artillery projectiles... 

Granota. Russ for Grenade, whereas Snariad is for Artillery Projectile (Shell)... 

Guhrdynamite was proposed for use as a bursting charge in artillery projectiles but was found to be too sensitive for this purpose (See also further under Class X)... 

Ever since the invention of NC and NG, attempts were made to apply them either by themselves or in mixtures for military purposes. Under the term uses for military purposes may be understood propellants in rifle, cannon, rocket and pyrotechnic ammunition booster and bursting charges in bombs, grenades, mines (land and sea), artillery projectiles, warheads of torpedoes and of rockets, etc military blasting operations, military cratering, military demolition, military excavation and production of antitank ditches... 

Refs 1) Anon, War Dept Tech Manual TM E9-1983 (1942), Enemy Bombs and Fuzes, File Numhers 2321.5, 2321.8, 2324.92 2324.93 (2) Anon, Ordnance Bomb Disposal Center, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md (No date) German Artillery Projectiles and Fuzes p 422 (3) Anon, Dept of the Army Tech Manual TM 9—1985—2 (1953), German Bombs, Fuzcs Rockets, etc, pp 125-132 and others 4) Anon, Dept of the Army Tech.Manual TM9—1985—3(1953), German Projectiles and Fuzes, pp 605—7 and 623 5) Fedoroff et al PATR 2510, pp Ger... 

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