We're the Military and Airpower Guys of Jonah Goldberg of National Review Online + a stray we found wandering around looking lost. All original material JHD, BHD, JR, WT, and KA 2003-2010 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/12/castle_artillery_pr0n.html Fri, 06 Jan 2012 18:51:07 Z Movable Type 4.12 en Copyright 2012 http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification And now for something completely different, (ok, not really for longtime visitors), from the stocks of the Castle Armory. Since people who hide behind things but still want to sneak up on you (or even jump up, run at you and stick you with long pointy-things-with-sharp-edges really suck, people (i.e., artillerymen) thought up Shrapnel. In this case, a very specific artillerist, Major General Henry Shrapnel (though he invented it, I believe, when he was a mere Lieutenant). So - from the Armory Holdings, a used WWI French Time/Impact Fuze. Of a type originally developed in 1889, this particular version is... http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/12/castle_artillery_pr0n.html http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/12/castle_artillery_pr0n.html Mon, 12 Dec 2005 06:24:09 -0600 Hmmpf. Wouldn't put it past him to have snuck into the computer centers of all of the Retirementvilles and switched his addy with the hotlink to AARP... http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/12/castle_artillery_pr0n.html#comment-36294 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/12/castle_artillery_pr0n.html#comment-36294 Tue, 13 Dec 2005 15:55:13 -0600 P.S.: I'm amazed that a rifled breech-loading piece, with presumed tight seal of the rotating band, would reliably light that fuze. I guess it's a very hot environment just in front of the muzzle just after firing. I voted for you again, that makes three times. Sorry I dint do more, but was distracted. What I can't understand is how Blackfive got so many votes. I mean, the boy visited Naples FL and actually *liked* the place! He therefore obviously doesn't have full use of all neurons. Isn't he some kind of infantry person? Maybe that explains it. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/12/castle_artillery_pr0n.html#comment-36263 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/12/castle_artillery_pr0n.html#comment-36263 Tue, 13 Dec 2005 00:04:46 -0600 So *that* is why the French 75mm rounds are always shown in pictures with a thingy sticking out of their noses. Guess they didn't have the Krupp Patentzuender, with the clockwork in it, that caused the icky death/fuze calculation in the lawsuit. In other news, the Sweety and I went shooting together yesterday; first time in 3 years for both of us. We didn't do too badly, all things considered; I think both of us can reliably hit you in the upper torso from across the room. But, man do I hate indoor ranges! (realistic as they are for any probable serious social use of our pieces) Yah, JoA, I saw that comment. Will try to write something. Real Soon Now. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/12/castle_artillery_pr0n.html#comment-36262 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/12/castle_artillery_pr0n.html#comment-36262 Mon, 12 Dec 2005 23:16:10 -0600 Good stuff, John. Castle Argghhh! Not Just An Adventure, An Education! http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/12/castle_artillery_pr0n.html#comment-36249 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/12/castle_artillery_pr0n.html#comment-36249 Mon, 12 Dec 2005 14:19:29 -0600