Bofors 40mm shell

[HARRY THE MOLE]

Here's a nice 40mm Bofors instructional round I came across at the Preston arms fair this morning. The last time I saw one of these was in our regiments classroom at Dortmund in 1972. Being a former Bofors gunner I couldn't resist buying it.

[kradman]

Nice cutaway well done on finding it

[zwerge]

Very nice Harry,is it an L/60 or an L/70 ?.....Pete.

[HARRY THE MOLE]

Hi Pete, all that I can tell you is that it is a 40mm Mk4 shell. Its some 45 years since I last fired the 40/70, and to be honest with you I can't remember the difference between a 40mm and a 40/70... The last time I was on the firing point at Todendorf the gun next to ours got a stoppage, and it fell to my mate Archie Moor to clear it. The procedure was to wait a minute before attempting to clear, then a set of wooden rods were passed down the barrel until the fuse cap was felt. A rope was then taken to either side of the gun shield and given to the number 2 & 3 of the gun crew. The rods were pulled out of the barrel a bit, and then yanked back by no 2 & 3 . Archie didn't do that... he pulled them back and whacked them forward, the shell went off, the ropes wrapped around his right forearm. As the rods were blown out of the barrel the ropes stripped all the flesh and muscle off his forearm, his hand was torn off too. I saw Archie just once after that - just after he left hospital. Last year he died, and I found out that he had lived just a few miles away from me.

[zwerge]

HI Harry,the L/60 has a case length of 311mm and was used in WW2,the L/70 has a case length of 364mm and was a postwar development,here`s some pics of my L/70 dummy.....Pete.

[HARRY THE MOLE]

Hi Pete, me being a former gunner and all that... I should be ashamed of myself! I suspected that mine was for the Naval 40mm version, and your reply has confirmed that. When I think back I was actually telling the dealer that I was on the 40/70, and he told me the 40/70 rds were lower down. But this shell was so good, and at £70 it was a real bargain. Forgot to say... my example is dated 1958. In the attached picture I am on the right kneeling at the wheel, cleaning our gun. This was pre-camo days, so it is probably 1970.

cheers,
Steve.

[lebus12]

I was also with Bofor! In 1969.

[HARRY THE MOLE]

I was also with Bofor! In 1969.

Our regiment used to go to the ranges outside Mourmelon le Grande. The first time I went was in 1969.

[lebus12]

With HT 16, in Colmar.