Pascal Casanova is a friend, passionated by the First
World War, living in Verdun area. He is a very talented battlefield photograph, but also an
expert
in Computer Assisted Design. He lets us take advantage of his skill by designing detailed 3D
rebuildings pictures of WW1 fuses and shells.
Some words from him, explaining his method to me :
The basic data (parts and functionning) are mainly coming from texts and 2D schematics of
the German
Artillery Manual of 1918.
I take note of the external dimensions of my fuses
collection, as well
as some other infos coming from the internet, mainly from your website.
The 2D schematics show the thread diameter. I use that measure to determine an
approximative value of
the drawing scale. This scale is then used to recompute the dimensions of all the other
parts.
I would like to say that I am sometimes forced to imagine the shape of some parts,
because I do not have
access to all the needed drawings. Any additional information would be welcomed to give
some potential
improvement to my works.
All the redesigned parts are then assembled one per one to rebuild the fuse. Once the
assembly is done,
I define a surface aspect that matches the fuse material, to give it a look as close as
possible to the
reality.
When the fuse is made with all its parts, it is possible to create transparent views,
cut views, or even
to realize some animated sequences.
The following pictures collection is an extract of his creations.
Interesting ancestors of the numerous German WW1 fuzes,
the
Gr Z 80, Gr Z 82, and Gr Z 82 (Kp) that were mounted on
projectiles of
the heavy artillery guns and howitzers (15cm and 21cm) are rendered by the magic of
the
author's 3D know-how. These pieces are rarely seen in collections or museum, so this
electronic re-enactment is the best way to observe them 'almost real'.
For
more info,
have a look to this website page dedicated to the GrZ82 fuzes.
Family picture of the famous HZ14 series
fuses, that
was the classical devices mounted on the 10cm light field howitzers, but enough
versatile to be used with explosive shells of other intermediate caliber
explosive
shells.
From the left to the right, the HZ14 fb (an improved design with a
centifugal
safety pin), the HZ14 vorst (further design equipped with a safety pin),
and the
HZ14 vorst fliehb (last design equipped with both a safety pin and a
centrifugal
safety design).
For more details on these marks, have a look on the HZ14 fuses
webpage.
And now let the magic happen : this HZ14 vorst fuse
becomes
transparent, and let us see the activation mechanism specific to the German
percussion
fuses, with the concussion system linked to gun powder room controlling the movement
of a
safety rod pushing against the inertia block !
Family picture of another common fuse seen on
battlefields, the KZ14 fuses series, dedicated mainly to the 7.7cm
fiekdguns.
This picture illustrates two of the marks of that fuse made in numerous
different
materials (steel, aluminum, brass), as well as a cut view showing the
security
system with compacted gunpowder grain.
Another impressive translucid view showing the
classical
german arming system, with a classical inertia block arming piece and the
pyrotechnically blocked stem pushing at rest on the inertia
starter-bearer.
The Gr Z 04 fuse is another item
that
can be seen quite often on the former battlefields. On the right, it
is
assembled with a mighty 210 mm explosive shell.
Another spectacular rendition showing a
common German fuze, the Gr Z 14 under a new vision : a lot of
people often forget that most fuzes were usually painted on the entire body
or partially
Triple effect fuze : Percussion,
superquick and delayed. It is a HZ16 fuze modification by addition
of a removable percussion rod for superquick action.
The percussion rod was not mounted before use, so that the top hole
was protected from humidity and foreign bodies introduction by a
lead plug equipped with a metallic wire loop allowing its quick
removal.
Although the fuze was useable without the percussion rod, the wire
loop is bearing a lable with the following instruction :
Draht mit platte abreissen. Steckstift einstossen, soweit
ungefärbt. Sonst Blindganger.
(Tear out the plug with the cable. Insert the percussion rod until
the painted section. Or else, misfiring.)
et de l'autre coté:
Draht mit platte erst kurz vor Schuss abreissen, da sonst
Feuchtigkeit in
zünder dringtDraht mit platte erst kurz vor Schuss abreissen, da
sonst Feuchtigkeit in
zünder dringt
(Only remove the cap before firing. Or else the humidity will enter
inside the
detonator.)
This fuse used to arm the elongated 10, 5 cm shells of the type
lg.F.H.Gr., high
explosive
or blue cross toxic.
More details on
this fuse on the EHZ
16 fuze
page.
The EK Z 17 fuse is more
rarely encountered on the former battlefields nowadays.
Moreover, the surviving items are often heavily damaged and
corroded, and the percussion rod is often missing. More details
on the EKZ 17
fuses page.
The arming and percussion sequence
of the fuze :
Fuze at rest, the
percussion rod is blocked by the centrifugal rod
pressed by a spring
Fuze during the flight,
the shell spin pushes the centrifugal lock away,
freeing the percussion rod movements
Fuze during the flight,
zoom on the safety spring at the bottom of the
percussion rod, preventing it from being pushed back
by the wind
Fuse hitting its
objective, the percussion rod compresses the safety
spring, and the percussion pins ignites the starter.
The Gr Z 17 fuze
cannot be observed easily nowadays. It was assuperquick
percussion fuze dedicated mainly to the 150mm and 210mm
heavy howitzers, for high explosive or gaz shells.
Its inertia arming system and its percussion rod
system is brilliantly shown in this impressive
picture.
The Dopp Z 86 is
the ancestor of most of the German time and
percussion fuses found during WW1. Pascal Casanova
not only recreated 3D views of that old fuze, but he
also wrote a interesting article on it in the Nr 6
edition of 'Tranchées Magazine' (jul-aug-sept
2011)
The Dopp Z
92 fuse is relatively often found
nowadays on the former battlefields, most of the
time still assembled with the ton part of a
schrapnell shell. But it never shines like this
one ! More details on the Dopp
Z 92 fuse page.
The HZ05
fuze can be found easily in the WW1
battlefields in all of its variants, but
most of the time in badly corroded condition
since its time rings were made in aluminium.
This virtual view let us imagine its aspect.
More details on these fuzes on this website
page HZ05
Gr fuzes and
HZ05 Schr fuzes.
Designed for the universal
shells, the KZ 11
fuze is one of the most
complex German time and
percussion fuzes.
More details on this model
on this website related page
KZ
11 fuze..
The KZ 11 Gr (Kanonen
Zünder 1911 Granate) fuze is
a time and percussion fuze
without delay.
It was mounted on 7,7 cm Mle
1915 high explosive shells
and blue cross elongated 7,7
cm gaz shells. It could also
be found on 7,62 cm Flak
shells for the Russian 3
inches gun. In this case the
fuze is wearing the marking
'K.Z.11 Gr. l.B. o.Az.' and
its top is painted
red.
The rotating disk is
graduated up to 72
hectometers. Some models
were only graduated up to 50
and wear a marking 'KB'
(Kurze Brennlänge) meaning :
short combustion time.
The
elogated time and percussion LKZ
11 fuse is for me one of the
most beautiful ones of the German
arsenal of WW1. This reconstitution
is just convincing me a little more
in my feeling. More details on this
fuze on the page fuze
LKZ 11 Gr.
This 30mm time and percussion
fuze Dopp Z S 43 ,
graduated from 0 to 43 seconds
is pretty rare, and was
principally used with German
Navy guns (such as the famous
15cm SKL 40), or coast guns.
This reconstitution is therefore
even more precious.
The bottom fuse Bd Z
10, preferred
German fuse for the 150,
210 and 280 mm calibers,
existed in two main
marks, screwed either on
a short detonator, with
25 grammes of picric
acid, or on a long one,
with 100 grammes of
picric acid. It was then
respectively named Kz
Bd Z 10 or Lg
Bd Z 10. For
more details please go
to the Bd
Z 10 fuse
page.
This time the fuse
transparent view, here in
its long LgBdZ10 mark, shows
a very complex internal
mechanism.
The bottom fuse
Bd Z f Spgr
m.K.
equipped the shells
of the famous long
range 380 mm heavy
guns, as well as the
280, 240, and some
210 mm shells. There
was a mark with a
short delay, named
Bd Z f Spgr
m.V.u.K..
The arming and
percussion sequence
of the fuse :
Fuse at
rest,
the
centrifugal
locks
are
blocked
by the
locking
rod
Fuse at
the shot
departure,
the
locking
rod is
pushed
ahead by
the
pressure
of the
combustion
gases on
a rear
membrane
Fuse
during
the
flight,
the
centifugal
locks
are
pushed
away
Fuse
hitting
its
objective,
the
percussion
pin hits
the
starter.
The
l.W.M.Zdr
and Zdr2
fuzes are
used on
light trench
bombs
(leichte
Sprengmine),
filled with
high
explosive or
gaz.
The Zdr2
differs from
the Zdr by
the presence
of a two
rods safety
pin, and a
gaine
screwed on
the fuze
tail
equipped
with a
detonator.
These fuzes
head has a
top socket
allowing the
introduction
of a special
key in order
to extract
the bomb
from the
tube in the
case of a
misfire.
This socket
is also used
for the
fixing of a
light-hiding
cap for the
models not
equipped
with a top
head
screw.
Aufschlagzünder
1916
für
leichte
Wurfmine
(Percussion
fuze
model
1916 for
light
trench
mortar
bomb)
This
fuze is
designed
for the
bombs of
the 7,6
cm trenc
mortar,
high
explosive
or gaz
filled.
The bad
inflight
stability
of these
projectiles
induced
the need
for the
development
of this
fuze
equipped
with a
percussion
system
that
will
operate
whenever
the
shell
falls on
its
head,
base or
any
other
direction
at
impact.
The fuze
head is
made of
zinc.
The
exploder
contains
an
approximate
17 gr
picric
acid
charge.
This
fuze
for
25
cm
heavy
trench
mortar
bomb
"Zünder
schwerer
Wurf-Mine"
is
a
time
and
percussion
fuze.
The
percussion
fuze
with
two
opposite
pins
can
operate
the
projectile
burst
whenever
it
falls
on
its
head
or
on
its
base.
It
was
always
used
in
the
percussion
mode.
The
time
system
was
set
with
a
combustion
time
longer
than
the
shell
flight
time,
so
that
it
will
operate
afetr
landing
in
the
case
of
a
percussion
system
malfunction.
This
fuze
has
been
replaced
by
the
Z.s.u.m.W.M.
fuze.
Fuze
for
heavy
and
middle
Minenwerfer
Z.s.u.m.W.M.
The
Z.s.u.m.W.M.
(Zünder
schwerer
und
mittlerer
Wurfmine)
fuze
was
inherited
from
the
Z.s.W.M.
(Zünder
schwerer
Wurfmine).
Initially
designed
solely
for
the
middle
17cm
trech
mortar
bombs,
it
was
then
marked
'Z.m.W.M.'
(Zünder
mittlerer
Wurfmine).
It
was
afterwards
used
too
for
the
25
cm
heavy
trechn
mortar
bombs.
This
fuse
wass
of
course
only
intended
for
a
percussion
behaviour.
The
time
system
is
set
in
order
to
burst
the
shell
in
the
case
of
a
misfire
of
the
percussion
system.
It
could
also
be
used
on
18
cm
smooth
body
toxic
bombs
(glatte
Gasmine)
used
in
the
smooth
bore
bronze
mortar
model
1915
(Glatter
Minenwerfer),
and
in
the
Gaswerfer
17
pour
for
salvo
gaz
bombing.
The
fuzes
used
for
this
salvo
toxic
bombing
generally
were
modified
with
the
addition
of
a
percussion
system
blocking
screw.
This
screw
was
marked
'Fest'
(Fix)
and
an
arrow
showing
the
direction
of
the
blocking
br>
More
details
on
the
ZsumWM
page.
The system presented on this section is uncommon. This Lgz Z 17 ("Langzeit Zünder 1917") fuze
has been developped by Germans in 1917 in order to booby trap the artillery ordnance abandoned
on the battlefields.
This fuze percussion device is blocked by a
steel
wire
going
through
a
copper
container.
When
the
divice
needs
to
be
used,
the
container
is
filled
with
a
corrosive
liquid
designed
to
attack
the
steel
wire.
When
the
wire
is
broken,
a
spring
throws
the
percussion
pin
on
the
starter,
triggering
the
detonator
explosion.
These
devices
were
very
similar
to
the
original
GrZ04
fuzes
they
were
"imitating".
The
only
clues
to
reckognize
them
was
the
fact
the
detonator
was
vernished
in
red
(instead
of
blue),
and
the
lack
of
a
needle
hit
to
block
the
fuze
thread
on
the
shell
head...
When
mounting
the
'fuze'
on
a
shell,
one
had
to
unthread
the
detonator
as
wella
s
the
starter-bearer
plug,
and
remove
the
safety
device
(brass
ring
and
wooden
disk).
Then
the
fuze
head
and
the
container
plug
had
both
to
be
removed,
so
that
the
corrosive
liquid
contained
into
a
separate
glass
bulb
could
be
poured.
These
'fuzes'
were
conditioned
by
two
in
a
box
marked
in
red
font
with
the
identification
on
the
devices
and
the
mention
"Nicht
verfeuern
!
Nur
für
besondere
Zwecke
!"
that
is
:
Do
not
shoot
!
Only
for
special
uses
!
Each
box
contained
two
cardboard
boxes
with
four
corrosive
liquid
glass
bulbs.
Thes
bulbs
were
marked
1,
2,
24
or
72,
corresponding
to
the
delay
in
hours.
Each
bow
was
also
containing
a
small
saw
for
cutting
the
bulbs.