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| HANDBOOK OF ENEMY AMMUNITION |
| PAMPHLET No. 7 |
| ITALIAN FUZES, GAINES, SHELL, CARTRIDGES, PRIMERS AND DETAILS OF SHELL MARKINGS |
| ITALIAN 100/17, Q.F., HOWITZER H.E. STREAMLINED SHELL |
| (Fig. 18) |
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The shell is fired from the Q.F. 100 mm 17 calibre howitzer, with a separate loading cart-ridge. |
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The head of the shell, including the fuze-hole adapter, is red. The remainder of the shell is pale blue, with a green band above the driving band, and is stencilled 100/17. The T.N.T. bursting charge is indicated by the stencilling "TRITOLO". The overall length of the fuzed shell is 17.9 inches, and the weight, filled and fuzed, is 29 lb. 11 oz. |
| Shell |
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The shell is of forged steel, with a copper driving band, and is streamlined from immedia-tely behind the driving band. A steel base plate is pressed into a recess in the base. The cavity for the bursting charge is of the parallel walled type, but, following the external contour of the shell, the cavity decreases in diameter towards the nose. A fixing screw is fitted at the nose to secure the fuze-hole adapter. |
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The adapter is of mild steel and is shaped at the head to coincide with the contour of the shell. The adapter is screw-threaded externally for insertion in the shell and internally to receive the fuze and the steel exploder container. A fixing screw is provided for the fuze. |
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The weight of the empty shell, including the adapter, is 24.3 lb. The adapter weighs 0.76 lb. The length of the shell body is 16.3 inches. With the adapter fitted, the length is 17.4 inches. |
| Bursting Charge |
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The bursting charge consists of cast T.N.T. with an exploder cavity the wall of which is supported by an aluminium container. A felt washer is inserted between the top of the bursting charge and the underside of the adapter. Two felt discs care inserted in the bottom of the aluminium container. The weight of the bursting charge is 5 lb. 1 1/2 oz. |
| Exploder |
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The exploder consists of three pressed cylindrical pellets of T.N.T. in a transparent paper washer. The upper pellet has a cavity to receive the gaine. The length of the exploder is 4.1 inches and the diameter 0.73 inch. The weight is 1 oz. 7 dr. Adjusting discs of glazed board are used in the bottom of the steel exploder container under a felt disc to ensure a good contact between the gaine and the exploder. |
| Fuze and Gaine |
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A description of the Inneschi graze fuze and the 0.89 gram cyclonite gaine used in the shell is included in this pamphlet. |
| Fig. 18 |
| Italian 100/17 Q.F., How., H.E. Shell |
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