Shells, high explosive

Sprengel reported that PA in conjunction with suitable oxidizer forms a powerful expl (Ref 31a, p 166). However, he did not apply his discovery to practice as did Turpin in 1885, who invented modern High Explosive Shell (Ref 12, p 1886)... 

In this year, the French Govt adopted the HE Shell designed by E. Turpin, using as a filler Picric Acid, designated as Melinite. Its construction was essentially the same as modern High Explosive Shell. It is described on p 11 of Ref 12 and illustrated there, but not reproduced here... 

High Explosive Shell. Kokyu ryudan or Jiraidan... 

Fugasnyi and CskwSochiiv-fugssnyi Snonody (Projectiles). Fugasnyi [Abbt Rus letter q>(F)]. It is a high-explosive shell with thin walls and... 

Dept of the Army Technical Manual TM 20— 205(1944) 38a)A.C.VanTine J.L.Corbett, "Inspection of High-Explosive Shell by X-Ray (Radiography of Ammunition),Iowa Ordnance Plant, Burlington,Ia(l944 ) 39) non,... 

A) D.T.Hamilton, "High Explosive Shell Manufacture, The Industrial Press,London(19l6)... 

Attempts to make use of nitroglycerine as a high explosive shell filling were carried out in various countries in Russia they were done by Zinin and his coworker Pietruszewski in 1854 [2]. However, the trials proved unsuccessful owing to the materials sensitiveness to shock. 

Figure 2. Cross Section of a 155-mm. High-Explosive Shell Loaded...

The Schneiderite (Explosif S or /Sc) which the French used during the first World War in small and medium-size high-explosive shells, especially in the 75 mm., was made by incorporating 7 parts of ammonium nitrate and 1 of dinitronaphthalene in a wheel mill, and was loaded by compression. Other mixtures, made in the same way, were used in place of Schneiderite or as a... 

Despite these problems the British relied on cylinders as a delivery method until the end of the war but several factors influenced the British decision to continue using them. First, the prevailing winds on the Western Front favoured Allied gas clouds secondly, the British suffered from a chronic shortage of shells and were reluctant to convert the production of high-explosive shells to the production of gas shells and thirdly, British intelligence reports indicated a dense cloud attack was effective in producing mass casualties.55... 

When the Ministry of Munitions was established in Britain in June 1915 the production of high-explosive shells were 92 per cent in arrears. Throughout the First World War this arrears was never rectified. 

Tetryl is a high explosive with intermediate sensitivity and is used as a base charge in blasting caps, as the booster explosive in high-explosive shells, and as an ingredient of binary explosives. 

PATR 2510 (1958), pp Ger 30 Get 47-48 30)R.W.Heinemann, "Improvement of Composition B and HBX Compositions , PATR 2513 (1958) 31)R.W.Heinemann, "Safety Firings of Composition B-Loaded 175mm T203E3 High Explosive Shell, PATR 2590 (1958) 32)R. 

During the 1914-1918 War trinitroanisole was manufactured in Germany under the names of Nitrolit, Trinol and An. It was used alone or in admixture with ammonium nitrate, hexyl, or hexanitrodiphenyl sulphide, for filling high explosive shells and for submarine and land mines. Eventually it had to take the place of TNT. 

Uses Widely used as a bursting charge for high-explosive shells and bombs, particularly under conditions of actual or potential toluene shortage. Use of Amatol in place of straight TNT permits stretching the available toluene supplies. 

For loading of high-explosive shells, it has been largely replaced by TNT. However, picric acid and its compositions can still he considered a reserve explosive for this purpose. As component of priming compositions. Picric acid is manufactured in large quantities for the production of armor-piercing explosives. 

Uses In reinforced detonators. Standard booster explosive for high-explosive shells. It is the base for the service Tetryl caps which are necessary for positive detonation of TNT. A mixture of fulminate of mercury and potassium chlorate is included in the cap to insure detonation of Tetryl. 

Mott, N. F., Fragmentation of High Explosive Shells, A Theoretical Formula for the Distribution of Weights of Fragments, Army Operations Group Research Memo No. 24, March 1943, NOS-AC-3642.R 87/NFM, United Kingdom. 

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