Soviet "Fireball"

[Adrian Stevenson]

Hi Guys, this is a new purchase of mine which I picked up at a show last weekend. The seller, Robert, was Polish and always has a good selection of relics from the Ostfront at UK shows.

I am not 100% certain of the correct wartime designation of these, but Dimas thinks it is an phosphorus AZh- 20 capsule? I would welcome confirmation. These were air dropped from aircraft.

They come in two types, like mine, constructed from 2 parts, or another version made from 5 parts. Very lightweight and made of alloy. I had a choice of several, but picked this one due to the amount of original paint still intact. It is of course empty and inert. Robert mentioned these are very "dodgy" and should never be handled if discovered full. Robert found a small cache of these all empty.

Cheers, Ade.

[Glenn66]

An interesting and nasty little bugger!

[Datrus]

I think these were also made of glass but not 100% sure of that. A very nice item indeed Ade

Yes they are VERY dangerous if full. At least at one occasion a digger have rammed a shovel into these phosphorous contraptions, resulting in exposing the phosphor to oxygen and then it goes off. A dreaded digger item for sure. I am have heard some were also launches by mortars or howitzers.

Regards, Lars

[Gunny Hartmann]

Not 100% sure but i think they were fired from this gadget, the "AZh-2 AMPOULE LAUNCHER" and i think the "fireball" was also made of glass!..

Glass projectile!...

Edit. just read the weapon was scrapped because it was "more dangerous to the crew than the enemy".

[big ned]

Looks like a Russian version of the British WW1 Livens Projector.

[KradSpam]

I noticed the similarity to the Livens projector too Ned. There was one on 'four rooms' last night as it happens.

[Mark K]

A nice find Adrian would these have been fitted with a threaded fuse or were they pressed in to the capsule ?
They look quite small would they have been dropped singly or in lots from aircraft ? regardless I would not liked to have been on the receiving end as I can imagine they pack a lot of punch for there size.

Regards Mark K

[big ned]

Hi Andy,

Yes, I saw it. Paul E's old mate Andy Robertshaw in full officers uniform wasn't it??? He'd love that!!!

Anyway, here's an interesting linkypoo with loads of info:

International Ammunition Association {iaaforum.org} - View topic - SOVIET FIREBALL GUN AMMO

Regards, Ned.

[Gunny Hartmann]

A nice find Adrian would these have been fitted with a threaded fuse or were they pressed in to the capsule ?
They look quite small would they have been dropped singly or in lots from aircraft ? regardless I would not liked to have been on the receiving end as I can imagine they pack a lot of punch for there size.

Regards Mark K

No fuse just a simple screw cap, these things broke on impact causing the Phosphorus to ignite spontaneously in air!....

[big ned]

TThe British had a similar thing in WW2, the Northover Projector, a bit of a lash up weapon. I'm sure there was a thread about it here a couple of years back. Here's a Wiki link to that.

Northover Projector - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia