German dug items from Italy w/ Pics

[Quest Master]

Here are a few items that I dug in Italy during the late 1990s (I have litterally tons). The first is a German vehicle box from the town of San Pietro, just south of Monte Cassino. It has traces of ordnance tan paint with slight traces of steciling on the lid. Note the extreme tears from shrapnel damage. Any idea what vehicle it when to?

This is a German aluminium MG-34/MG-42 ammunition box that I found near Anzio. Note the red cross painted on the outside and the large letter E on the lid. When I found it it was filled with belted ammunition. It also has a large shrapnel tear through the bottom and side. So much for being medical supplies:

Last is a German yardstick mine recovered from behind Monte Cassino. Note that the lid is missing:

[Steve T]

Nice finds.

Have you still got the belted ammo ?

Cheers

Steve T

[Quest Master]

Sure do, at least what was left of it. The aluminum held up very nicely underground.....but the steel links didn't fare so well. There were only about 50 rounds in the can when found. What is interesting is that all of the ammo was of mixed manufacture and dated before 1940.

[Steve T]

Well with you finding it near Anzio I am not surprised. By that point in the war the Wehrmacht were having to pull supplies from every man and his dog !

Nice that you got some though Grats

The case took a nasty whack in one corner. Is that something like plough damage or did you find it in an area that had never been ploughed ?

Cheers

Steve T

PS Sorry for the questions but I too am a keen digger-upperer of WW2 relics

[Quest Master]

The large hole in the rear of the ammo box is not from a plow. If you notice on the bottom/front there is an entrance hole from a projectile or shrapnel, roughly the size of an inch. The large hole in the rear is the exit hole, larger from passing through the ammunion on the inside of the box and out through the rear. Pretty nasty.

Most of the German casings that I found in Italy were brass or copper and pre-war or early war dated. Same goes for U.S. Ordnance - I'll try to post some pictures of the 60mm and 81mm Mortar rounds that I've found painted yellow with black steciling vice green with yellow stenciling.

[Quest Master]

A couple more pictures. The first is what is left of a HE projectile. I do not know what country, no paint remaining. Roughly the size of a U.S. 105mm or German 10,5cm. Found near Anzio in the 1990s.
The second picture is of a U.S. 8" HE projectile that was found in the town of San Pietro Italy. Note that this is only the base of the projectile. Enjoy.