TOPIC:

French Budin Percussion Fuze, used primarily with Creusot guns, but also seen inserted into Krupp shells.

Below are photographs of Krupp 120 mm Howitzer and Creusot 155 mm "Long Tom" shells, both fitted with Budin fuzes. Also an example of the smaller version of the fuze found in Ladysmith.
Finally a photograph of "Krupp Gun Ammunition - the last of De Wet's taken in Cape Colony" (with thanks to Dr Arnold van Dyk), showing Budin fuzes utilised with 75 mm Krupp BL shells.

Krupp percussion fuze.

The last photograph shows two 75 mm Krupp BL shrapnel shells, fitted with similar fuzes (left one with shorter thread), which were fired into Kimberley.

With thanks to MC Heunis.






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Neville, re: Krupp or Creusot air-burst shrapnel shell with a timed fuse - do you have examples of these?
I am keen to see the details of the lead balls, and how they differ from 15 pr lead shrapnel balls; and the time fuze.

Certainly.
For instance, the "Long Tom" shrapnel shell, using the time fuze shown here, contained lead bullets, which sat between heavy cast iron discs, which themselves broke up on detonation. As a result the ground (and troops) were showered with both shrapnel bullets and cog-shaped fragments of iron.
When I visited Caesar's Camp (Platrand) back in 1981, there had been a grass fire, and these "cogs" and lead bullets could be seen everywhere.
The Long Tom bullets are somewhat larger than the ubiquitous 15-pdr shot, and are generally white in colour (rather than grey) due to oxidisation of the lead. The higher lead content also means they are more malleable, and therefore tend to be pretty mangled.

Here are a couple of photos showing the cogs, and a partial iron disc which has not fully broken up.





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This feels completely inadequate, but this thread is proving to be a wonderfully interesting and educational journey. Thank you to the contributors.

Owen

Source:- The Sphere magazine.





A typical jingoistic image of the era or an image more meaningful?
A baby surrounded by assorted ordanance of the day. A message of defiance perhaps? But in my humble opinion,I think it could reflect  that with all the trials, tribulations, hardships,diseases and death on both sides of the conflict, there is hope and new life. Either way it is a poignant image of it's time.