Japanese Ordnance for reference

[Guamsst]

Thanks for the pics, especially the 81 mm round. I wonder how effective the ceramic granades were when compared to steel.

They were actually MORE effective. The problem is, they were also more easily broken and less reliable. The ceramic grenades had a plug fuse like a civil war era cannonball and match compound was put over the top of the fuse. A striker was used to light the match compound which then started the fuse. Detonation was somewhere between instant and never. When it detonated, countless shards of razor sharp porcelain flew in all directions and the concussion itself had a kill zone of about 15ft.

[JBinIll]

Type 89 Knee (Ni) mortar rounds. Round on left has been fired. Dud round is mushroomed at the head and copper band is rifled from firing.

Is the base on these a right or left hand thread?

[Guamsst]

Bases and heads on Knee mortar rounds are standard right hand threads. Never force Jap ordnance without checking first as left and right hand threads are often found on one single item. I will try to remember to make a list of which parts of which ordnance are right/left hand threads.

I am kind of ticked, looking through these I realized I sold my round which still had the copper disc in the bottom which held the launching charge.

[JBinIll]

[Guamsst]

LOL, did you have to ask about the threads before you could post the pics? Thanks, the plate in that one is a little better than the one I had.

[JBinIll]

LOL, did you have to ask about the threads before you could post the pics? Thanks, the plate in that one is a little better than the one I had.

The piece the base plate screws into is cross threaded in the main part of the shell body but looks to be only in a couple of threads.It's notched for a spanner wrench which I don't have and too tight to loosen by hand.