*German (Manufactured in Occupied France), WWII, 75 mm PaK 40–KwK 40 Shell with Brass Case – Dated 1942, French “LUM” Marking, Waffenamt WaA660, Inert*
Total height: 76.7 cm Case height: 51.7 cm Projectile height: 29 cm Base diameter: 8.6 cm Projectile base: 7.1 cm
A complete and fully inert 7.5 cm (75 mm) shell assembly, comprising a steel projectile and brass cartridge case showing both French and German wartime markings. The combination of features indicates production in occupied France for the Wehrmacht during the early years of the Second World War.
The brass case is clearly headstamped “75 F.B. LUM △ 5L △ 42R”, together with a smaller eagle over “WaA660” Waffenamt acceptance mark.
The headstamp combines “F.B.” and “LUM,” reflecting the French ordnance practice of pairing a state arsenal with a private manufacturer: F.B. denotes Forges de Bourges, the government arsenal responsible for design and inspection, while LUM identifies the private factory that physically produced the case—believed to be either Société Française des Munitions (SFM, Issy-les-Moulineaux) or Établissements Luchaire (Messei), both of which continued working under German control after 1940.
The triangle symbols are French metallurgical proof marks, and “5L 42R” records Lot 5, produced in 1942. The smaller Waffenamt WaA660 stamp corresponds to Polte A.G., Magdeburg, the German Army’s ordnance inspection office responsible for final acceptance.
All of the principal markings are uniform in depth and style, indicating they were applied during manufacture in France, with the Waffenamt stamp added later when the case was officially accepted into German service. The case dimensions correspond exactly to the 7.5 cm PaK 40 / KwK 40 cartridge (case length ≈ 51 cm), confirming production to German ordnance specifications, albeit using French marking conventions—consistent with ammunition produced in occupied France under German supervision during the early 1940s.
Historical Note:
After the 1940 occupation of France, the German Army commandeered French munitions plants and integrated them into its own production network. Firms such as SFM (Issy-les-Moulineaux) and Luchaire (Messei) are known to have produced ammunition under German requisition, and many French 75 mm designs were adapted for the PaK 97/38 and later the PaK 40 / KwK 40 guns.
This example represents one of those hybrid productions—a German 7.5 cm round manufactured to Wehrmacht standards, but marked in the French style. It is a tangible reminder of how France’s industrial base was absorbed into German war production during the Occupation.
*Condition*
Inert and fully safe. The case retains an attractive aged patina with deep, legible markings and a clear Waffenamt eagle. Projectile with intact copper driving band and brass nose plug. Minor surface wear consistent with age; no restoration or cleaning. (Blue tape seen in photographs was added later for safe handling.) Please see photographs as part of the condition report.
Research Note:
The attribution of F.B. to Forges de Bourges, LUM to a French munitions factory (SFM or Luchaire), and WaA660 to Polte Magdeburg follows the consensus of established ordnance reference works (Heidler, ECRA, and Cartucheria code lists). Alternative online claims suggesting German meanings such as Flugzeug-Bordkanone or Licht und Mess are not supported by any documented wartime source.
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