Help identifying??

[satchiel]

Am hoping someone can help identify the following projectile? I came across while scouting a disused rifle range - the range was commandeered by the Dept. of Defence during WWII and used as a training ground for Australian & possibly U.S. troops. As it was also a public range before and after the war, it's always fun to collect all the differing projectiles laying about and wander around in the hope of stumbling across the odd cartridge, although I've also found the occasional parts of 2 inch mortars (pieces of fuse housings, tail fins etc) in the area, so was clearly used as a mortar range during the war as well. The item pictured has me stumped, though...it was quite heavy for its size as you'd expect from a large projectile & pretty heavily corroded. The main stand-outs are what appears to be 2 sets of driven bands near the base & a sharpened projection at the nose end which appears to run through the centre of the "projectile"...whatever it is, it was pretty much crumbling into dust due to weathering, and was left where it was found. Have searched through pics of everything I can think of that may be a match, although have come up trumps - I'm thinking maybe British/Commonwealth 2 pounder/40mm anti-tank gun projectile? Any suggestions??

[shadowwolf]

It looks like the fuze timer from an anti-tank round (?). It is off a shell much bigger than a 40mm, possibly a 75mm.

[satchiel]

Would a fuse timer be fitted with what looks like driven bands around the base? Not that I'm speaking from any informed position, but was definitely thinking the sharpened projection from the leading edge may be either some form of embedded armour-piercing flechette that would be ejected once the projectile struck armour, or some form of detonation switch as part of an internal fuse? This would have to have come from either Commonwealth or U.S. issued artillery, being found in Australia near both an Australian & U.S. military camp.

[shadowwolf]

Found this picture of a 25 pounder fuze for comparison to yours. As you can see from this picture this fuze also has a "sharpened projection at the nose end".
Regards, Simon.

[satchiel]

Thanks, Simon - that definitely looks like it matches my projectile closely...just wish it had have been in slightly better condition which would make definitive id a lot easier!

[shadowwolf]

They don't stand up to the test of time very well, here's one of mine
Regards, Simon.

[spotter]

To me it looks like remains of a 3inch mortar fuze either a No152 or no162 both are visually the same especially in fired condition,
attatched pic shows some cleaned up a bit

[satchiel]

I think you've got it right, spotter...if you squint a little & imagine a lot more corrosion, the fuse on the left is identical to what I found. Looking at it, I have the nose & tail back the front from my previous post...with a little imagination through the weathering you can see the "driven rings" I had picked at the "base" are likely the threading where the safety cap would have screwed on to the nose of the mortar round, and the sharpened projection at the "nose" would be the exposed tail end of the striker where it would have engaged the shutter & detonator.

Or is that just wishful thinking?

About 10 metres from where this was found, there's a large "pond" about 3-4 metres across and about a metre deep that has a few vintage car? manifold parts laying around it...have found a couple of 2 inch tail fins/fuse body segments within a few metres of this position too, so wondering if the army had placed a vehicle target just inside the tree line to give the troops something to hone in on with both 2 & 3 inch mortars?