Royal Artillery Question

Whats a Fuse 1 in the big scheme of things. I know ish about HE and Air Burst rounds but can't say I've come across ''Fuse 1' before. Is there a Fuse 2, 3 and so on?

Cheers
Andy

 

There were different fuzes (Gunners like the z) for different jobs, e.g these. SPOTTER knows...

 

Cheers Andrew,

You have to become a member to view anything on that site. I'm sure its a great site but I'm not joining another one

So anyone want to tell me what a Fuze 1 is/did?

A

 

Its one that goes bang when it hits something, direct action rather than proximity or time.

Some info here

Artillery fuze - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Pete

 

Andy
You shore its not Fuze I = Fuze Indicator (Instrument).

Dependant on the fuze used it can be set for different actions, air burst, immediate,delay, greater penetration etc.
Bag charges do have No's.

 

My mistake. That sounds more like it mate.

The ref is from K Battery, 5 RHA and they are engaging tanks over open sights. So give me the new recruits explanation of a Fuse I.

Cheers
A

 

Just re read (for the third time) the articles about the battle and it is printed as Fuze 1. A Typo?

 

My mistake. That sounds more like it mate.

The ref is from K Battery, 5 RHA and they are engaging tanks over open sights. So give me the new recruits explanation of a Fuse I.

Cheers
A

 

I don't think thats it mate.

The article reads:

Both K and L guns were now hotly engaged, firing point blank at 100 yards range, using Fuze 1. So close were the Germans that the gun crews were being attacked with hand grenades...

 

Agh !

The New Contemptibles by Douglas Williams says:

Both K and L guns were now hotly engaged, firing point blank at 100 yards range, using Fuze I.

 

I'm sure an expert will be along shortly, but until then let's speculate (for me, these always end in embarrassment but it never seems to stop me).

This site uses the term 'percussion' for impact fuzes, not immediate. So that might be a dead end.

AMMUNITION
AMMUNITION

I recall other descriptions of direct fire artillery using Charge 1 (propellant), that would be minimum range. But I've wondered whether they are still using high angle fire and lobbing rounds or whether they can achieve a flat trajectory for a really short range.

Other thought is that Fuze 1 refers to the length (1 inch, 1cm, ...) set by the Fuze Indicator.

I'm sure this is not going to help but it's been fun.

 

Just thought of this. Maybe Fuze I is the command at the guns to use an impact type fuze.

 

It's a delay setting on a fuze, if you wanted a shotgun like effect you would use Fuze 0 (zero).

Phil

 

So what would Fuse 1 or Fuse I give you ?

I'm sure I'll understand it eventually

 

Good question, well put! In short I don't know exactly, but it would govern the time after firing at which the fuze operated, this would of course depend on the type of fuze and its particular function. I'm not an expert on fuzes, but think they are T & P fuzes (Time and Percussion) with the graduations indicating the length of time between firing and the quaintly named "fuze event" (when it went Bang).

Phil

 

Haha... I'm still non the wiser and finding it all rather confusing, especially to think I've actually fired a 25 pdr too!

Ok for starters can anyone confirm is it Fuse or Fuze and Fuse 1 or I as the sources I'm reading are stating both ?

 

It would definately be Fuze and Fuze 1 (Number 1) as I have never seen Fuze I (India) used anywhere in any of the technical manuals I have read whislt compiling my glossary.

Phil

 

So it's possible someone changed the Arabic 1 to the Roman I??

 

So can we say they were using Time fuzes because 1) Percussion fuzes don't require a delay (?) and 2) according to this website "In practice most Time fuzes were 'Time & Percussion',..."

Site Directory

 

There's no direct answer in here (1915 handbook on 18Pr ammo - 3MB pdf) but it does illustrate Phil's point that T&P fuzes (e.g. No.80) were graduated. Fuze [setting] 1 presumably being a 1 second delay. I suspect that would be used used with shrapnel for the 'shotgun' effect, rather than HE. Logically, there would be little point fitting a shrapnel shell with a percussion fuse as the charge was only meant to burst the case.