German Fuze Wgr.Z. 50 + (Type A) for Rocket ProjectilesGerman Base Fuze Bd.Z. C/38
HANDBOOK OF ENEMY AMMUNITION
PAMPHLET No. 14
GERMAN ROCKTES, GUN AND MORTAR AMMUNITION
GERMAN NOSE FUZE Kz. C/27 (Lm)
(Fig. 5)

This is an ingniferous nose fuze of the direct action and graze type. It is designed to function on impact through a wooden extension rod or on graze, and is used under the ballistic cap of shell of naval design, for heavy gun. The rod forms an extension to the needle. One end is accommodated in a recess in the nose of the fuze body whilst the other is located in the top of the ballistic cap.

The aluminium body of the fuze is screwthreaded externally at the base for insertion into the shell and recessed internally to take an aluminium needle holder and the graze me-chanism.

The needle is of steel and is secured by a steel plug which screws into the needle holder. The needle holder is supported in the body by a brass shearing wire. The stem of the needle is surrounded by a creep spring and the point is accommodated in the top of the inertia pellet.

An aluminium pellet holder with a central flash hole at the base and recessed internally to house the inertia pellet is screwed into the base of the fuze. On top of this holder are five fixed pivots on which are mounted five brass centrifugal segments surrounded by an expanding spring ring of phosphor bronze with maintains them in position overlapping the top of the inertia pellet and preventing it from forward movement.

The inertia pellet which is of steel, brass plated, has a central cavity housing the ignifer-ous detonator and is closed at the base by a paper washer and a brass screwed plug with a central flash hole.

The detonator consists of a copper shell closed at each end by a copper disc 0.003 inch thick and contains 2.3 grains of composition above 0.86 grains of glazed gunpowder. The composition is made up of mercury fulminate 27.7 per cent., potassium chlorate 38.7 per cent., antimony sulphide 26.9 per cent., and ground glass 6.7 per cent.

Action

On acceleration the needle prevented from setting back on to the detonator by the seg-ments and possibly be the shear wire. Centrifugal force set up by the projectile in flight causes the spring ring to expand and permit the segments to rotate clear of the inertia pellet thus leaving the needle and inertia pellet held apart by the shear wire and creep spring. On impact the shear wire is broken; in graze or impact the springs compressed by the striker being driven in and the graze pellet setting forward. The flash produced by the needle piercing the detonator passes through the flash channel to the gaine of the shell.

Fig. 5

German Fuze Wgr.Z. 50 + (Type A) for Rocket ProjectilesGerman Base Fuze Bd.Z. C/38