WW2 88mm german shell

B

BANDIT14

New Member
Just found an 88mm shell, detonator slightly damaged but base is missing and interior empty.
could the shell have blown the bottom out on impact without damaging the rest of the shell?
I'm a little puzzled by this one.
any help would be appreciated.
 
BANDIT14 said:
Just found an 88mm shell, detonator slightly damaged but base is missing and interior empty.
could the shell have blown the bottom out on impact without damaging the rest of the shell?
I'm a little puzzled by this one.
any help would be appreciated.
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I'm no expert, but I'd strongly and seriously suggest that you get hold of someone who knows what they are looking at.
 
Thats why I'm asking, I've seen many shells in my time but never with the bottom missing, there is no explosive damage to the base, damage is purely oxidation.
 
I meant, get hold of someone physically and let him/her/them examine it in detail, such as your local Bomb Disposal team.

A young boy in UK years ago found an 81mm Mortar bomb on a gunnery range buried almost to its fins, he assumed it was a dud and kicked it. He ended up as a red mist.

UXB's are still being found all over the UK, even after all this time. Its reckoned that there are still plenty of live munitions on the bottom of the River Thames, just waiting for someone to come along and dredge them up.
 
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I'm in France, I started this link hoping that someone could shed some light on the matter, why the bottom would be off an 88mm German WW2 shell with no apparent blast damage or marks to show it was removed physically.
If anybody has seen a similar shell or can tell me why it is in this condition, that would be super. I dont think they where using it as a dice shaker or large mug, but who knows...............??
 
Trust BritinAfrica on this one. The best (and only) thing any of us here is going to tell you about that shell is get it checked by a professional.
 
BANDIT14 said:
Just found an 88mm shell, detonator slightly damaged but base is missing and interior empty.
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Are you sure it's a German WW2 88mm shell??
As far as I know all of those where HE rounds so it's really strange that it's completely empty inside.
If the base had been knocked off on one of those (traces of) the explosive would still be inside, even if some of it could have been knocked out.


could the shell have blown the bottom out on impact without damaging the rest of the shell?
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Yes, and if that's the case then the shell and especially the fuze may be highly unstable so stay far away from it and notify the local police or an EOD team.
There can also be other nasty stuff inside the shell that is just waiting for oxygen to ignite it...
 
There was a news article recently about a school somewhere in Africa using a mortar shell in simular condition as a school bell & had been using it for a few years, but the fuze was still live when examined.
 
the 88mm was produced in both AP and HE, this one is an HE
I appreciate all the safety concerns, but its not necessary.
To the original question;
unless it was constructed badly and not filled?
anybody else seen something similar with other ordnance?
 
What every one is trying to tell you it is better to be safe than sorry, and you are dealing with stuff that you don't understand but just don't want to part with it. If we don't hear from you for while we will know why.
 
unless it was constructed badly and not filled?
anybody else seen something similar with other ordnance?
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It is possible that it's an inert, since it's a bit strange that it's completely empty.
If if was a live HE shell that got the bottom knocked off (that can happen) then there should at least be some visible traces of HE inside it.

Did you find this one outdoors, or somewhere else?

It is also possible that someone has put a damaged live fuze on an inert shell, and the fuze also contains explosives so it can be dangerous even today..


senojekips said:
Bandit14, is there any chance of seeing a clear photograph of the offending item?
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Yes a photo would help a lot. As long as you don't get a friend to hold it while you take a pic of it... :cool:
 
Generally my first suggestion for excessively rusted items is to dig a hole about 50cms deep. place a layer of dry firewood in the bottom and place the item on it, then gently cover it with another layer of firewood and kindling. Light the fire and retire several hundred metres for about four hours.

If it is still in the hole, most of the loose rust will be gone from it and your item can be considered safe,... if the hole is larger and no trace can be found of your treasured possession,.... buy yourself a lottery ticket.
 
In Flanders (Belgium) there are 8 to 9 calls a day to DOVO about found WWI and II munitions. DOVO is a bomd disposal team of 146 deminers.
So I think the safest way is to leave it were it is and call a bomb disposal expert ASAP.
 
Look at it this way, if a group of insurgent wannabes half way around the globe can dig up 50+ year old ordnance out of the side of a mountain and wire it to blow the bottom out of a modern armored vehicle then the bare truth is that your suspected ordnance until proven otherwise has the capability to do that to you.

It's alright to consider yourself a risk taker, but sometimes something risk can devolve into another term.

Anyway best of luck with your possible explosive addition to your collection.
 
I do know what I am looking at, but have never seen a shell in this condition. The shell is worth its weight in scrap metal to me, but the knowledge of knowing how it came to this state is invaluable.
 
BANDIT14 said:
The shell is worth its weight in scrap metal to me, but the knowledge of knowing how it came to this state is invaluable.
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As I said, a couple of pictures would help a lot, as long as it's safe to photograph the shell. ;)
 
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