Hollow artillery shells to fire rations to surrounded soldiers?

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Felix C
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Hollow artillery shells to fire rations to surrounded soldiers?

#1

Post by Felix C » 15 Aug 2020, 23:55

Saw a video regarding the Oct 1944 battle where a battalion of the 36 Div. was surrounded and rations were fired into their perimeter. A video clip showed a shell loaded with rations and fired?
Do not know if this was a stunt or disinformation or actual practice.

Was this a field expedient measure or an actual issue item?

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Thumpalumpacus
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Re: Hollow artillery shells to fire rations to surrounded soldiers?

#2

Post by Thumpalumpacus » 16 Aug 2020, 03:11

That might have been a unit of the Heer 18th Artillery Division, the Ziegenwerfer battalion. I remember reading something about it years ago.


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Re: Hollow artillery shells to fire rations to surrounded soldiers?

#3

Post by Cult Icon » 16 Aug 2020, 03:29

Felix C wrote:
15 Aug 2020, 23:55
Was this a field expedient measure or an actual issue item?
The same thing was done for encircled troops of US 30th division during the Mortain counterattack. The shells were filled with medical supplies and radio batteries. A interesting account can be found in the book "Fire mission" by Weiss.

However the results were less than satisfactory as the impact of the shells destroyed most of the contents.

Sid Guttridge
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Re: Hollow artillery shells to fire rations to surrounded soldiers?

#4

Post by Sid Guttridge » 16 Aug 2020, 08:56

Only a fraction of a shell is the payload. It doesn't seem very practical unless the new payload is of high value and extremely robust.

Sid.

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Sheldrake
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Re: Hollow artillery shells to fire rations to surrounded soldiers?

#5

Post by Sheldrake » 16 Aug 2020, 10:46

Felix C wrote:
15 Aug 2020, 23:55
Saw a video regarding the Oct 1944 battle where a battalion of the 36 Div. was surrounded and rations were fired into their perimeter. A video clip showed a shell loaded with rations and fired?
Do not know if this was a stunt or disinformation or actual practice.

Was this a field expedient measure or an actual issue item?
IIRC the Royal School of Artillery has a 25 pounder ration round on display. The smoke cannisters on the smoke round could be replaced with propaganda leaflets, or "window" (aluminium strips to jam radars). It must have been possible to replace the cannisters with food.

Felix C
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Location: Miami, Fl

Re: Hollow artillery shells to fire rations to surrounded soldiers?

#6

Post by Felix C » 16 Aug 2020, 14:39

Thanks for the awesome replies. Always appreciate.

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