*British, WW1, Mounted 18 Pounder Projectile, Found Ypres Salient 1914-1918, with No 85 Fuse, Made by ALCO, Dated 1916*
Fuse Marked:
No 85I, ALCO (American Locomotive Company), Lot, 16
Inside the nose cap: 64195
Mounted on Wooden Base with Plaque: British, 18 PDR Shell, Ypres Salient 14-18
Total height 30.5cm, 8.2cm base diameter. Wooden Base: 14.1cm x 14.1cm x 5cm
This World War One Relic found on the Ypres Salient is a fascinating part of history. Mounted and cut open it is a significant display piece complete with the original No 85 standard fuse for 18Lb shrapnel shell. Marked by ALCO = American Locomotive Company and Wentworth Company Brass. Dated 1916.
Background 18 Pounder
The British 18-pounder (84mm) was an anti-personnel projectile designed to carry low-explosive (HE) and shrapnel payloads, spin-stabilized for accuracy. It was highly effective against troops in the open, including those manning guns without protective shields. At the start of World War I, the British Army’s field guns—primarily the 13-pounder and 18-pounder—were equipped exclusively with shrapnel projectiles, with field guns outnumbering howitzers (5-inch and 4.5-inch) by a 3:1 ratio. The 18-pounder’s shrapnel shell contained 374 small spherical bullets. A time fuze was set to detonate the projectile mid-air just in front of the target, which would eject the nose and send the bullets forward in a shotgun-like cone, effective up to 300 yards from the explosion. With a theoretical rate of 20 rounds per minute, the 18-pounder could release 7,480 bullets per minute, offering a longer effective range than machine guns. Expert artillery gunners from the Regular Army were highly skilled in using shrapnel fire to provide accurate, close support for advancing infantry.
Background Ypres Salient
The Ypres Salient, around Ypres, in Belgium, was the scene of several battles and a major part of the Western Front during World War I. A salient in military terms is a battlefield feature that projects into an opponent’s territory and is surrounded on three sides, making the occupying troops vulnerable. Throughout World War I along the Western Front, troops engaged in mine warfare, using tunnelling and trench strategies without coordinating their attacks with one another. Soldiers used tunnels and dugouts to shelter themselves, make their way safely to the front lines, relay messages, and launch offensive attacks on their enemies.
*Condition*
Good used piece, mounted and cut out for display. Please see photographs as part of the condition report.
RQMABEXBDO_4777183765
