88mm Shell Container

[steverobertsbbc]

I bought this on ebay on a whim and would like to know more about it.



I believe it's part of the packaging of an 88 mm shell. It was ground-dug in Latvia and still has the original paint. I presume that the yellow / green marking denotes that it was a certain type of shell, any info on that would be great.

It's stamped F.H.Gr. on one end and Ig.FH.Gr. on the other.

[Frans H.]

I believe it is for the 10,5 cm Leichte Feld Haubitze 18. This is an artillery shell.

[Sonnenwende]

Probably, but not necessarily.

It is likely for a Behälter and not a Geschosskorb/kasten.

Could you measure the diameter of the "Auflegeklotz" as it is called, please?

And perhaps some closeups of the Markings?

Regards
Sonnenwende

[steverobertsbbc]

Thanks both. Here are some more photos and information:






The diameter of the aperture on the green end is approx 70mm and at the yellow end it is approx 80mm.

What does the colouring mean?

[Sonnenwende]

I believe yellow was for HE (High Explosive), red would have been for AP (Armour piercing).

No doubt the Auflegeklotz you have shown was used for resting a 10,5cm. artillery grenade, perhaps in a simplified later war Geschosskorb for the l.F.H. As you can see there is a difference from your (loose) Auflegeklotz and the way the grenade is resting in the (earlier) Geschosskorb shown by FransH (riveted Auflegeklotz). I believe the later simplified ones used wire to fix the Auflegeklotz.

The lg.F.H.Gr. (lange Feldhaubitz Granate) was a grenade used for older types of artillery pieces (WW1), also used in WW2 on limited scale.

The F.H.Gr. was used in different 10,5cm. artillery pieces, primarily the l.F.H.18, but also the l.F.H.16, Geb.H. 40 and others.

Regards
Sonnenwende.

[steverobertsbbc]

Thank you very much! So the same piece would have been used for two different types of shell? They would just turn it one way or the other depending on type?

[Sonnenwende]

Thank you very much! So the same piece would have been used for two different types of shell? They would just turn it one way or the other depending on type?

Yes, it could have been used for different type of shells, actually counting subvariations of the F.H.Gr. quite a few different ones, mainly to protect the detonator.

It was either used in a later war Geschosskorb (carrying crate) or a Behälter (container).

Regarding the way the shell is turned, it´s a good question, I am not sure, AFAIR the yellow end is turned towards the shell if its a F.H.Gr. (for a l.F.H.).

Regards
Sonnenwende

[steverobertsbbc]

So, I've now picked myself up a complete wooden case like the one Frans has in his photo, a relic of the battle at Narva. So my question is... Where am I going to be able to pick up a 10.5cm shell to go with it?