Page 2 of 3

RE: Identify this

Posted: Sun Feb 13, 2005 4:29 am
by rtrapasso
OK - they look about 2.125" in diameter (or about 7" circumference) - about 5 feet long. They are somewhat shiny.

So, if our subject were about 3' tall, that would be about right[:D] - except this thing doesn't seem quite round.

Argh - you edited as i was entering this! [:-] So i am counter-editing[:'(]

RE: Identify this

Posted: Sun Feb 13, 2005 4:37 am
by rogueusmc
I was an Ammo Tech in the Corps...I know more about ordnance than I do ships...[:D]

RE: Identify this

Posted: Sun Feb 13, 2005 4:39 am
by DeepSix
Is the guy on the left holding an IV line?

RE: Identify this

Posted: Sun Feb 13, 2005 4:40 am
by rtrapasso
ORIGINAL: rogueusmc

I was an Ammo Tech in the Corps...I know more about ordnance than I do ships...[:D]

Are those REAL bangalores, or is this from a movie (i.e. Big Red One)?

RE: Identify this

Posted: Sun Feb 13, 2005 4:43 am
by rogueusmc
Actually, that image is a screen shot from Saving Private Ryan, but I have used bangalores before and can attest to their size and such.

RE: Identify this

Posted: Sun Feb 13, 2005 4:43 am
by rtrapasso
ORIGINAL: DeepSix

Is the guy on the left holding an IV line?

About to resusitate this thing?

I dunno - at first i thought it was the hose part on a stethoscope, then a parachute line, then a fuze, then a snare. Maybe an IV line (i think they were rubber in WW2 - hadn't gotten nice plastic ones yet).

RE: Identify this

Posted: Sun Feb 13, 2005 3:12 pm
by Cap Mandrake
Hint: This is Pacific theater...and it is a projectile [X(]

RE: Identify this

Posted: Sun Feb 13, 2005 3:29 pm
by tonyingesson
I've worked with studying bombs and seen probably a hundred WWII designs from various countries. I'm 99% sure that that thing is not a bomb. I think it's a torpedo. Probably a torpedo bomber emergency released it due to flak damage or something like that. The design looks about right and the size should match (roughly 17.7"/44 cm in diameter).

RE: Identify this

Posted: Sun Feb 13, 2005 4:22 pm
by Knavey
Rabbit trap?

RE: Identify this

Posted: Sun Feb 13, 2005 4:56 pm
by Stavka_lite
Its a thingymabobwhachamacallit hollowed widget type gadget mk3

RE: Identify this

Posted: Sun Feb 13, 2005 5:23 pm
by rtrapasso
ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

Hint: This is Pacific theater...and it is a projectile [X(]

OK - why would a projectile be sitting here on the forest floor?

Well, maybe it fell out of the sky - a la bomber, artillery shell. But I would think then it would have either been largely buried, or skidded along the surface, either laying a large skid mark or heaping up leaves/dirt/etc. in front. Don't see that. Don't think they dug it up and THEN tried to defuse it.

It looks like it is just sitting there.

It could be that it was parachuted down (return to possible parachute cord theory). Possibly this is a large flare - parachute type? I don't know if star flares fired from a ships guns had a parachute attached.

It size assessment by tonyingesson is correct - then either this is a battleship-sized shell (18" Yamato shell, maybe one of her special AA shells?)

Or maybe this is some sort of bomb (or torpedo, though that seems like a waste) rigged as a booby trap and left for someone (or some tank) to stumble over. This still looks like a bomb disposal squad type op to me. Maybe it is a Yamato special used as a boobytrap.

My guess(es) after all this is: Aircraft Parachute Flare that didn't go off vs. Yamato-type special AA shell used as a booby trap.

RE: Identify this

Posted: Mon Feb 14, 2005 4:38 am
by rtrapasso
ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

What is this dangerous looking thing?

Image

So - any more hints?

RE: Identify this

Posted: Mon Feb 14, 2005 5:27 am
by Cap Mandrake
Japanese indirect fire weapon projectile WWII [:)]

RE: Identify this

Posted: Mon Feb 14, 2005 2:05 pm
by rtrapasso
ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

Japanese indirect fire weapon projectile WWII [:)]

Well - it doesn't look quite as big to me as to others. I am guessing this is around 10-12" across although perspective can make things deceiving. Possibly a large howitzer round. I am unaware of any relatively large rockets the Japanese had (although since they had the Okha, they probably had some sort of rocket artillery. I know they had some kind of unguided AA rockets on their ships).

Anyone know about IJA/IJN rockets?[&:]

RE: Identify this

Posted: Mon Feb 14, 2005 4:00 pm
by rtrapasso
ORIGINAL: rtrapasso
ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

Japanese indirect fire weapon projectile WWII [:)]

Well - it doesn't look quite as big to me as to others. I am guessing this is around 10-12" across although perspective can make things deceiving. Possibly a large howitzer round. I am unaware of any relatively large rockets the Japanese had (although since they had the Okha, they probably had some sort of rocket artillery. I know they had some kind of unguided AA rockets on their ships).

Anyone know about IJA/IJN rockets?[&:]

OK - not seeing any help, i tried the web. It seems on Iwo Jima, the Japanese used a 20-cm Rocket, as well as a 44.7-cm Rocket. The 20-cm type seems too small. I'll guess it is a 44.7 cm rocket round, since that is about the size another person guessed.

RE: Identify this

Posted: Mon Feb 14, 2005 4:09 pm
by KittyHawk
Just a wild guess. Is it a Fugo (Japanese Balloon Bombs of WWII).

KHawk

RE: Identify this

Posted: Mon Feb 14, 2005 4:36 pm
by timtom
It's a dud mortar shell, 380mm or so, on Okinawa, methinks.

RE: Identify this

Posted: Mon Feb 14, 2005 4:36 pm
by rtrapasso
ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

Japanese indirect fire weapon projectile WWII [:)]


Argh.
Well i think in this category we've guessed:
Column A:
Artillery round (included i think would be mortar round, howitzer round, gun round),
Flare round
Fugo bomb
Rocket round

In case you are throwing us a curve, we also guessed at:
Column B:
torpedo
aircraft bomb
Naval rifled gun (Yamato)
Poison gas round
Germ warfare round
Animal trap
Supply cannister
Booby trap
Spock's coffin
Bangalore torpedo (or improvised version thereof)
Flamethrower tank
R2D2

So, is it any of these? Or should we continue to scratch our collective heads. If it IS one of these, which column is it from?

RE: Identify this

Posted: Mon Feb 14, 2005 4:46 pm
by rtrapasso
ORIGINAL: timtom

It's a dud mortar shell, 380mm or so, on Okinawa, methinks.


Hmm - largest mortar i could find for Japanese is a 32 cm spigot mortar.

RE: Identify this

Posted: Mon Feb 14, 2005 5:05 pm
by timtom
well, close enough [:'(]