Illumintation Fuze & Artillery Fuze

[Von Hoth]

I have grown a small collection of time unit fuzes made by the Gebr. Thiel GmbH company during the war. They were located in Thuringia. What made me track these down is that I own a werkschutz Walther PPk pistol issued to one of the factories. Specifically, the pistol came from the State run Muhlhausen factory.

On the left is an illumination fuze that is marked by the Ruhla/Seebach code hhj.
The minty looking artillery round on the right is from the actual Muhlhausen state funded factory which was 32 miles away from the original Thiel factory in Ruhla/Seebach. The muhlhausen factory code for this division of Thiel company is dlr.
After corresponding with Michael Hiedler, and the help of his great factory code book, we were able to surmise that the Thiel factory in Muhlhausen was listed under the name Gerätebau GmbH which was created by the Reichswehr.

The brass time units still tick!!! I had to have a winding key made as you can see in the picture so I can watch the time units in action. (don't worry, there is no detonator left)

In doing research on Thiel, I made a great pen pal friend in the UK who located the Muhlhausen artillery round fuze marked "dlr". It's the only one he's seen and it came in the original container still packed with a waxy material. It looks like it just came off the lathe. Being the only Muhlhausen factory coded Thiel fuze he's ever seen, He was kind enough to remove it from his collection and sell it to me even though he liked it because he believe it had been sabotaged. (we have not determined that as concrete). Thank you CLIVE!!

[Von Hoth]

close ups of the fuze units. I believe the illumination round was for the navy and it has a different acceptance markings (including an extra one) than the artillery round.

the dlr marked artillery round fuze has only one acceptance marking but then a strange 3 digit/letter code.

[Von Hoth]

now the werkschutz ppk, marked by the Thiel logo with an "M" and inventory number. "M" indicating the Muhlhausen factory. Possibly surrendered to a member of the 6th armored division as that is the division that secured Mulhausen, and 6 days later, Buchenwald in April of 45.







the finger extension magazine is the rare transitional solid brown but with side cut-outs.

[Von Hoth]

the present day remains of the Thiel managed Muhlhausen factory. (Gerätebau GmbH)
I have found two books that write about the factory, but they are in German and I have not received them yet. If anyone has information on the Gerätebau GmbH factory, especially period photos, please PM me!!

I am having difficulty in establishing basic facts about Gerätebau GmbH. The photographer who took these photos and posted them on the internet says the factory was a "hidden arms operation". Which, by the way it looks like it's in the middle of the woods, makes sense. However, the factory was started in 1937. So why would they already know to hide it then? Or, was this photographed site, just an off branch part after the start of the war? (and the start of using forced labor which according to the two german book, they do)





here is a link to where I found one of the photographs and info
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ger%C3%A4tebau_GmbH

the other photo was taking a year or two earlier. 2005 to 2006

[Von Hoth]

an original Thiel company document. from the very year they started running the Muhlhausen factory.

[Zünder]

Great fuzes !

One small remark: the Zt.Z S/60 and variants were not exclusively used for illumenation shells, the german navy also used them on HE and HE practice shells for instance.

[Von Hoth]

Oh, I see.


thanks for the info.

cheers

[Paul C]

Thanks for this very informative thread Von Hoth.

I normally collect Pak and KwK items but I have one 8.8cm Flak 18 sprgr with a Zt. Z S/30 fuse.

The condition is nowhere as good as your items but it is interesting to see the inside clockwork parts.

Anyway the point I wanted to make is when I had a closer look I noticed my fuse has the dlr stamp.

PC

[Von Hoth]

really? Great news.

So there are some more out there. (the muhlhausen factory)


I'm trying to locate an FZ60 parachute supply drop fuze. They are also made by Thiel but I think at the Seebach/Ruhla factory. Do you know where I can buy one? My friend Clive in UK is trying to find me one but for about 1 year now he has seen none for sale.

here is a photo of one. they would open up the parachute for supply drops.

[Von Hoth]

wanted to bump this thread because I need to know if there are any more parachute fuzes or other Thiel items circulating. (doing research)