Great War Shells and Bullets

[O.C.]

A lot of people when you are talking about Munitions in the Great War seem to have the wrong idea about certain things. When talking about shrapnel they think of shell shards, splinters or pieces of metal from an exploded shell or bomb.
I think this has come about by the Second World War as you hear about kids collecting shrapnel in the streets and on the bombed buildings.
In the Great War shrapnel was a lead ball packed into shells 300-500 (an18Ib. shell contained 364 Balls) at a time and when shot out of a gun a time fuse would be set at so many seconds to fire the shrapnel balls out of the shell (Like using a blunderbuss in the sky aiming downwards)
(See diagram)

 

[O.C.]

Key to drawing I have done
A/ Combination fuse close to the wall of the head which is detonated by the timer made of brass (yellow on diagram) on the top of the shell
B/ Is a partial annular ring of inflammable material it is ignited by flame from A at the same time the base charge is exploded
C/ leaves a trail of smoke
After a period of time B burns round to D and ignites the detonator E which detonates
the head and main charge blowing all the shrapnel balls out of the top of the shell
The shell case stays in one piece
H/ High explosive
G/ Copper driving band around the shell

 

[O.C.]

Another interesting fact were the 303 bullet used in the Lee Enfield rifle and Vickers Machine gun they were not filled with gunpowder but sticks of cordite 45 sticks to a bullet each stick was one and half inches long (just under 4cm)
See Diagram drawn to show the inside of the 303 bullet

 

[Rod]

Can you possibly explain what Cordite is? I mean it's not sticks of gunpowder I learned as a kid how to make that with the different ingredients, is cordite made in a similar way I wonder?

 

[O.C.]

Rod, Cordite is a particular family of smokeless propellants made by combining two high explosives: nitrocellulose and nitroglycerin, i.e. it is a double-base propellant. However, Cordite N, a triple-base propellant is also used. Cordite is classified as an explosive, but it is normally used as a propellant for guns and rockets.
Cordite was developed in Great Britain in the late 19th Century and has been used since World War I by Britain, and in British Commonwealth countries, as a military propellant for firearms, artillery and naval guns.
Cordite for bullets and shells
a smokeless powder composed of nitroglycerin, guncotton, and a petroleum substance usually gelatinized by addition of acetone and pressed into cords resembling brown twine

 

[Rod]

So can it be made and adjusted in differing ways so it burns slowly or quickly thus affecting how quickly the propellent fires a bullet or shell? I know that this was done with gunpowder for various reasons?

The drawings are very detailed .. TY

 

[dennis]

I was told,don't know how true ,
that some poor soldiers used to eat the cordite stips
in order to work their ticket out of the forces, I know for a fact
that "Brasso" was also drunk for the same reason

 

[O.C.]

Cordite is waterproof and ideal for the trenches unlike gunpowder
What you stated about the Brasso and eating cordite might be true as some of the poor souls resorted to desperate measures to get them back to Blighty (England) some even shot themselves in the foot or leg
but it could be detected and they were put on a charge and severly punished if found out

 

[chrisbusbyoutbase]

Cordite certainly is waterproof we picked up some cases recently near Mametz and even though the cordite was exposed still flared when ignited not bad for something that had been in the ground for over sixty years.

 

[O.C.]

Chris The cordite is still active after 88 years and the gas is, and it is still lethal that is why they still have the iron harvest and the area that they are taken to has caused the military a huge problem and will take another 50 or so years the destroy them all.

 

[GER22VAN]

One of the most dreaded shells as they exploded above the trenchs.