pzjgr
EOD - bombs and bullets
Fuzing....there were two main fuzes by large caliber projectile HE rounds....the AZ 23 Series impact fuzes, and the ZZ (Zeit Zunder) mechanically timed fuzes. There were variations in the series, and there were other fuzes used, but these two type/series were used most of the time.
A word on the mechanically timed fuze....the Germans never developed a Proximity Fuze, like used by the allies. The mechanical time fuze depended on the input of a bunch of information into a mechanical computer (wind speed, direction, air density, altitude of targets, direction to targets, direction targets traveling, etc), which the computer then calculated gun laying info, and fuze timing...this info was fed to the guns, and set manually there. The 88 had a fuze setter with two wells (for two rounds at a time), the rounds were inserted noze first into the fuze setter and it automatically set it for the correct time.
If all that was successful the fuze would detonate the shell right amongst the bombers...however, I think it was something like every tenth of a second the time was off could cause a 50 foot discrepancy in height, so it didn't take much to make the flak burst too high or too low to be effective.
The proximity fuze acted like a small radar transmitter, with a battery operated transmitter and receiver within the fuze...when the onboard "radar" sensed it was close to the target, it would go off...taking the whole time element out of the equation, and making AA much more effective. If the Germans had developed an effective proximity fuze, the bombing campaign might have turned out a whole lot different.
So essentially, if the round was to be used for AA purposes, it would be fuzed with the time fuze...if it was to be used for ground combat, it would have the impact fuze....
A word on the mechanically timed fuze....the Germans never developed a Proximity Fuze, like used by the allies. The mechanical time fuze depended on the input of a bunch of information into a mechanical computer (wind speed, direction, air density, altitude of targets, direction to targets, direction targets traveling, etc), which the computer then calculated gun laying info, and fuze timing...this info was fed to the guns, and set manually there. The 88 had a fuze setter with two wells (for two rounds at a time), the rounds were inserted noze first into the fuze setter and it automatically set it for the correct time.
If all that was successful the fuze would detonate the shell right amongst the bombers...however, I think it was something like every tenth of a second the time was off could cause a 50 foot discrepancy in height, so it didn't take much to make the flak burst too high or too low to be effective.
The proximity fuze acted like a small radar transmitter, with a battery operated transmitter and receiver within the fuze...when the onboard "radar" sensed it was close to the target, it would go off...taking the whole time element out of the equation, and making AA much more effective. If the Germans had developed an effective proximity fuze, the bombing campaign might have turned out a whole lot different.
So essentially, if the round was to be used for AA purposes, it would be fuzed with the time fuze...if it was to be used for ground combat, it would have the impact fuze....
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23 Series Fuzes.png187.7 KB · Views: 19
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23 Series II.png113.1 KB · Views: 25
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23 Series III.png127.2 KB · Views: 18
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23 Series IV.png106.9 KB · Views: 20
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23 Series V.png145.2 KB · Views: 14
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ZZ 1.png138.6 KB · Views: 18
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ZZ 2.png120 KB · Views: 22
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ZZ 3.png156.6 KB · Views: 17
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ZZ 4.png193.9 KB · Views: 17