German Projectiles - 105mm Projectiles Part 2

German Projectiles

Hollow Charge Projectile, Type B, 105mm

German Designation: 10cm Gr. 39 HL/B (Granate 39 Hohl Ladung/B)

Employment: 10cm LFH 16
                       10cm LFH 18
                           10cm LFH 18 M
                    10cm LG 40
                    10cm LG 42

Dimensions

Overall length (complete round): 23.76 inches
Overall length w/ fuze (projectile): 19.803 inches

Distance from base to band: 2.165 inches

Width of rotating band: 0.669 inches
Diameter of base: 4.074 inches

Total weight (projectile): 26.719 pounds

Type of Bursting Charge: Cyclonite/Wax/TNT

No tracer

Overall length (cartridge case): 6.125 inches

Diameter at case neck: 4.375 inches

Diameter at case shoulder: 4.5 inches

Diameter at case base: 4.937 inches

Weight of propellant: 1.54 pounds

Type of propellant: Flaked Diglycol

Fuze: Nose percussion fuze AZ 38

Markings: Painted green, with red band above rotating band

 Remarks: When used with LG 40, rotating band is 0.59 inches in width.

When projectile has been fired from LFH 16 there will be 32 engravings on the band.

Hollow Charge Projectile, Type C, 105mm

German Designation: 10cm Gr. 39 rot HL/C (Granate 39 rot Hohl Ladung/C)

Employment: 10cm LFH 16
                       10cm LFH 18
                           10cm LFH 18 M
                    10cm LG 40
                    10cm LG 42

Dimensions

Overall length (complete round): 23.76 inches
Overall length w/ fuze (projectile): 19.803 inches

Distance from base to band: 2.165 inches

Width of rotating band: 0.65 inches
Diameter of base: 4.074 inches

Total weight (projectile): 26.875 pounds
Weight of bursting charge: 3.286 pounds

Type of Bursting Charge: Cyclonite/Wax/TNT

No tracer

Overall length (cartridge case): 6.125 inches

Diameter at case neck: 4.375 inches

Diameter at case shoulder: 4.5 inches

Diameter at case base: 4.937 inches

Weight of propellant: 1.54 pounds

Type of propellant: Flaked Diglycol

Fuze: Nose percussion fuze AZ 38

Markings: Painted green, with red band above rotating band

 Remarks: When used with LG 40, rotating band is 0.59 inches in width.

When projectile has been fired from LFH 16 there will be 32 engravings on the band.

Incendiary Projectile, 105mm

No picture available

German Designation: 10cm F.H. Gr. Sprg. Brand. (Feld Hautbitze Granate Spreng Brand)

Employment: 10cm LFH 16
                       10cm LFH 18
                           10cm LFH 18 M

Dimensions

Overall length (complete round): 18.29 inches
Overall length (projectile): 15.55 inches

Distance from base to band: 3.385 inches
Diameter of base: 3.346 inches

Weight of bursting charge: 34.81 pounds

Type of Bursting Charge: TNT and Incendiary composition

No tracer

Overall length (cartridge case): 6.125 inches

Diameter at case neck: 4.375 inches

Diameter at case shoulder: 4.5 inches

Diameter at case base: 4.937 inches

Weight of propellant: 1.54 pounds

Type of propellant: Flaked Diglycol

Fuze: Nose percussion fuze AZ 23v

Markings: Painted grey, stencilled in black
"BR" stencilled on body

 Remarks: When projectile has been fired from LFH 16 there will be 32 engravings on the band.

H.E. Projectile, Model 15, for Skoda Howitzer, 105mm

German Designation: Not known

Employment: 10cm Skoda Howitzer


Dimensions (Type I)

Overall length w/o fuze (projectile): 15.12 inches

Distance from base to band: 0.58 inches

Width of rotating band: 0.55 inches

Total weight (projectile): 28.62 pounds

Type of Bursting Charge: TNT

No tracer

Dimensions (Type II)

Overall length w/o fuze (projectile): 15.12 inches

Distance from base to band: 1.57 inches

Width of rotating band: 0.55 inches

Total weight (projectile): 28.62 pounds

Type of Bursting Charge: TNT

No tracer

Markings: Unpainted

 Remarks: The position of the rotating band, it will be noted, is the only distinction between these two projectiles.

These projectiles have fallen into German hands in considerable quantities and are reported to be in use with the German Army.

H.E. Projectile, Models 23 and 28, for Skoda Howitzer, 105mm

German Designation: Not known

Employment: 10cm Skoda Howitzer


Dimensions (Type I)

Overall length (projectile): 15.83 inches

Distance from base to band: 0.59 inches

Width of rotating band: 0.51 inches

Total weight (projectile): 30.6 pounds

Type of Bursting Charge: TNT

No tracer
Markings: Painted yellow

Dimensions (Type II)

Overall length (projectile): 18.56 inches

Distance from base to band: 2.74 inches

Width of rotating band: 0.63 inches

Total weight (projectile): 31.21 pounds

Type of Bursting Charge: TNT

No tracer

Markings: Unpainted

 Remarks: These projectiles have fallen into German hands in considerable quantities and are reported to be in use with the German Army.

H.E. Projectile, Type L/4.4 Kz., 105mm

German Designation: 10cm Sprgr. Patr. L/4.4 Kpf.Z. (Sprengranate Patrone Lange/4.4 Kopfzunder)

Employment: 10cm Flak 38
                       10cm Flak 39

Dimensions

Overall length (complete round): 46 inches
Overall length w/o fuze (projectile): 14.369 inches

Distance from base to band: 2.48 inches

Width of rotating band: 0.669 inches
Diameter of base: 4.133 inches

Total weight (projectile): 33.2 pounds
Weight of bursting charge: 3.3 pounds

Type of Bursting Charge: TNT

No tracer

Overall length (cartridge case): 30.17 inches

Diameter at case neck: 4.204 inches

Diameter at case shoulder: 4.628 inches

Diameter at case base: 5.45 inches

Weight of propellant: 10.9 pounds

Type of propellant: Diglycol

Fuze: Nose percussion fuze AZ 23/28v or Mechanical time fuze Zt. Z. s/30

Markings: Painted yellow

 Remarks: There are two cannelures below the rotating band on this projectile. When fired, projectile will be found with 36 engravings on the rotating band.

H.E. Projectile, Type 19, 105mm

German Designation: Gr. 19 Kz 13 (Granate 19 Kopfzunder 13)

Employment: s. 10cm K 18
                              10cm K.T.  
                     lg. 10cm K.T.

Dimensions

Overall length (complete round): 33.09 inches
Overall length w/ fuze (projectile): 19.17 inches

Distance from base to band: 3.582 inches

Width of rotating band: 0.669 inches
Diameter of base: 3.464 inches

Total weight (projectile): 32.58 pounds
Weight of bursting charge: 3.5 pounds

Type of Bursting Charge: TNT

No tracer

Overall length (cartridge case): 17.5 inches

Diameter at case neck: 4.41 inches

Diameter at case base: 5.12 inches

Weight of propellant: 12.85 pounds

Type of propellant: Tubular Diglycol

Fuze: Nose percussion fuze AZ 23v or Time and percussion fuze Dopp. Z. s/60

Markings: Painted green

 Remarks: When fired from s. 10cm K 18 projectile will bear 36 engravings on rotating band.

H.E. Projectile, with disintegrating band, 105mm

German Designation: Not known

Employment: 10cm Flak 38
                       10cm Flak 37

Dimensions

Total weight (projectile): 23.1 pounds
Weight of bursting charge: 1.1 pounds

Type of Bursting Charge: TNT

No tracer

Fuze: Nose percussion fuze AZ 23v

Markings: Painted yellow

Packaging: One in a wooden crate.

 Remarks: At the shoulder of the projectile is a detachable guide band.  This band is trisected by cuts almost completely through the band and the complete band, which is a push fit on the shoulder, it is held in position by three ball bearings.  These are seated in cavities spaced equally round the periphery of the shoulder of the shell and project into cylindrical drillings through each segment of the guide band.  The drillings are threaded towards the outer circumference and the ball bearings after insertion are finally located by screws which seat the outer surface of the bearings.  After insertion of the balls and the positioning of the three screws, therefore, the guide band is firmly attached to the shell body, but should trisection of the guide band be completed, each segment, together with its retaining ball, would therefore be free to fall away from the shell body.

The rotating band holder is located at the base of the shell, which is keyed to receive it.  The holder itself is in three detached segments held in position only by the soft iron driving band.  Movement is prevented by three cylindrical pieces fitting into cavities located in the shell body and the driving band holder.  There are also three cylindrical pins between the segments.

It is believed that after leaving the gun the guide band and the rotating band holder are each split into three separate segments which, together with the ball bearings, pins and cylindrical pieces retaining them, are flung off.  The remaining projectile is then of much better aero-dynamic shape than is possible with a conventional projectile.

Next Time: 150mm Projectiles Part 1