WW2 Luftwaffe Light Flak ?

[AlecH]

Hello Gentlemen,
A collector friend gave me these two cartridges and pieces of magazine belt at the weekend. I believe they may be WW2 German Light Flak Bullets (think that's the correct term) measure 21cm long X rear large dia. 2,7cm and front dia. 2,0cm. On the back of the bullets is stamped 44 - 35g - eeg. Could anyone confirm what piece of German ordnance they are and what the stamps on bullet back mean. Any information appreciated.
Cheers

[zwerge]

If the cartridge CASE is 138mm then it looks like 20mm x 138B mm Solothurn which was used by Germany in their Flak 30 and Flak 38 light AA guns.The stamp on the head looks like eej to me.

[AlecH]

Hello Zwerge,
I've just had the vernier slide rule out, cartridge is indeed 138mm. You are right, the stamp on the head does read eej and another correction stamp reads 35a - do the markings mean anything to you. Thanks for the posting.
Cheers

[zwerge]

Hi,the 44 would be the year it was made, eej is the maker < Markisches Walzwerk GmbH Strausberg, Potsdam,Germany > The 35a mark I am not sure about. The other small eagle mark is a WaA stamp for inspection.

[Matt L]

35a is just the lot number. The belt links are not German WWII though- they look modern to me. The 2cm Flak guns used slightly curved box magazines, so these rounds were never belted anyway, and the 2cm aircraft cannon that were belted used completely different links.

Unfortunately there seems to be no paint left on the projectiles, so we cannot identify the type for you (unless there are traces you can see yourself up close), but statistically, they're most likley standard HE shells- painted yellow to indicate the explosive nature. The cases are laquered steel since iron was plentiful and copper (for brass) is a very strategic metal so not used for ammuntion much anymore after a certain point in the war.

[zwerge]

Here are a couple of the guns that used this round.

[AlecH]

Hello Zwerge, Mattl,
Thanks gentlemen for the stamp markings explanation and the photos. I had a fiddle around with the bullets and clips trying to get them to fit together without success, your right the two pieces don't belong together. Matt had the projectiles under the magnifying glass, didn't find any colour traces though. I'm grateful for the information given, far more than I ever dreamed of getting.
Once again gentlemen Cheers

[Matt L]

Happy to help Alec- btw what are the markings on the fuzes? There should be some that could identify the type...

[Steve T]

The heads look remarkably similar to British 20mm heads. If the guy gave you the incorrect links, maybe the heads don't match either ?

Matt L is right though.....should be markings on the tips of the projectile.

Steve T

PS In 'Saving Private Ryan' during the fight at the end, the gun used when Capt Miller shouts '20mm !!! Take it out!!' is what would have fired those rounds.

[klokhoane]

It's a pitty they don't look to be in a very good condition, the one with the damaged bottom... Anyway it's nice to see the explosive part is still on them...

cheers,