This piece of ordnance came as an Andrew dropping. It’s a 3.7cm HE round designed to be fired from the BK-3.7 aircraft cannon as fitted on HS129’s or Ju87-G’s. It was also used in a range of 3.7cm FlaK.18/36/37/43 auto cannons.
The fuse is a 3.7-cm KOPFZUENDER ZERL. PV self destroying timed type. On acceleration the igniferous detonator in the displaced recess sets back on the striker. The flash from the detonator passes through the flash channels to the powder pellet in the radial channel and to the lower end of the delay filling in the first of the vertical channels. When the pellet in the radial channel disintegrates the bolt is thrown out-wards by centrifugal force leaving the striker held off the detonator in the magazine by the creep action resulting from deceleration.
On impact the striker is driven in by the hammer and pierces the detonator in the top of the magazine. During flight, the burning of the delay composition in the first vertical channel is transmitted by the gunpowder in the traverse channel to the delay composition in the second vertical channel. When direct action does not occur before the composition burns to the base of the second channel, the disk of gunpowder confined in the top of the magazine adapter is ignited and explodes and thus initiates the detonation of the magazine.
The fuse was manufactured by BLW, that is Gritzner-Kayser AG in Karlsruhe-Durlach in 1943. The casing is marked as manufactured in 1940 for a Flak 18.
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