The Big Bang Theory #12: 21 cm SK L/45 Cartridge Casing

Tony without Kaiser

Tony without Kaiser

Departed
Staff member
Here is the weekly cartridge casing as I roll towards the 12 Oct reference page release.

This week, a rare and historically important one.

A 21cm SK L/45 cartridge casing from the armoured cruiser SMS Blücher.

Click HERE for full details and photographs.

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Tony; Another great shell casing and FANTASTIC photos to accompany it. The photo of the Blucher rolling over is amazing!! I've not seen a shell casing with both the Navy and Army Artillery flaming bombs on it!! Love the Big Bang Theory. Dick
 
I forgot to ask, was it a common practice to mark the amount of times a shell casing had been reloaded?? I'm sure, like any reloaded casing, they can wear thin. I've never seen this marking before, but I'm new to shell casings. Dick
 
Very interesting, it is amazing the story that all the different markings tell.
 
=D> =D> =D> Very nice Tony! I was on the way to work this morning, when I saw a brown 'cylinder' sticking out of a farmer's trash beside the road and wondered if he was tossing a BIG casing like these (around here, that's possible).... anyhoo, I did take a look, it was a roll of old linoleum! :lol: But, worth the look, just in case!

:D Ron
 
dick roback said:
I forgot to ask, was it a common practice to mark the amount of times a shell casing had been reloaded??
Click to expand...

Yep. That is standard practice. Dots with no year indicate re-loading on the year of manufacture, subsequent years would (usually) be marked with at least one dot. I have dots in quite a few Cartridge Casings. Some, like my 42cm Big Bertha have hash marks like this l l l which must also mean reloading. At some point, the casing was too thin as you noted and into the melting pot it went to come out as something else.
 
I was questioned by several why I photographed a cartridge casing SMS Blücher with a Model 1916 Stahlhelm. This would have been worn by the crews of the Peter Adalbert Eisenbahngeschütze using this cartridge casing in 1918.

So, I have changed the photo to one of the cartridge casing with my Deckoffizier Schirmmutze and changed the background to the Marine pattern.
 
For those who love really big shells, here's one for sale in Belgium:

http://www.abcollection.com/fr/annonce/visualisation/vente/annonce.php?IA=374114&action=choixperiode&pays=1&typeannonce=2&periode=3&categorie=5&liste=0&NumPage=1&nm=" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
 
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