From Bill Taggart "HQ" Battery 1/83rd Artillery 1966-1967

Below is a dialog started by Dan O'Brien who wanted help identifying some old Artillery Artifacts. This page has now been updated to show the answers received from various members of the 1/83rd. Please let me know if you have any questions or see any errors.

Thanks to the following who identified the photos.

Billy Burke - 1/83rd

Stephan Early - 1/83rd

Tony Georgakis - 1/83rd

Ed Kloiber - 1/83rd

Stan Markham - 1/83rd

Chuck Mattson - 1/83rd

Rich Morrow - 1/83rd

Allen Saltzman - 1/83rd

John Zagami - 1/83rd

From Dan O'Brien "A" Battery 1/83rd Artillery 1969-1970

"To all 1/83rd Arty troops.  I am seeking your assistance in identifying the items listed in the following pictures. I was invited to the Vermont National Guard B Battery 101 Artillery change of command.  After the ceremony we relocated to the armory and I was asked to help identify parts on the table recently brought in from another armory building.  I only recognized the spanner wrench and a look-a-like M-16 that looks like our old M-17 Panoramic telescope that lined up with the aiming stake or columnmeter.

Thank you,  Dan O'Brien  A Btry A/1/83rd - 3rd section MindBlower"

Photo 1

Photos 1 & 2 - an elbow scope for the 105 split trail and 75 pack Howitzer used for Direct fire.

Photos 1 & 2 - Telescope Elbow, M16A1D – and old model direct fire telescope.  It may be early, very early M101 towed howitzer, but I’m guessing it may be even older.  It would have a reticle inside that has horizontal lines for range to target.

Photos 1 & 2 - http://www.twpt.com.tw/eng/showroom/M16A1.html

Photo 2

Photos 1 & 2 - an elbow scope for the 105 split trail and 75 pack Howitzer used for Direct fire.

Photos 1 & 2 - Telescope Elbow, M16A1D – and old model direct fire telescope.  It may be early, very early M101 towed howitzer, but I’m guessing it may be even older.  It would have a reticle inside that has horizontal lines for range to target.

Photos 1 & 2 - http://www.twpt.com.tw/eng/showroom/M16A1.html

Photo 3

Photo 3 - m17 fuze setter used to set time on a time fuze.

Fuze wrench, M16, for tightening certain, probably older, types of artillery fuzes, perhaps numbered with just two numbers, i.e. M78 VT fuze.

Photo 3 looks like a tool we were to use to tighten the fuses with, on a projectile.

Photo 3 is a fuse wrench to tighten the fuse to the joe.

Photos 3 & 4 are a time fuse with the cutter. You used the cutter to "cut" the fuse to the time you wanted it to explode. You could "cut" the fuse to a few seconds or much longer, depending on time to target. In a ground attack, the fuse could be cut to a couple of seconds, which was hairy. I'm talking about the M109, 155 mm SP that I operated with.

Photo 4

Photos 3 & 4 are a time fuse with the cutter. You used the cutter to "cut" the fuse to the time you wanted it to explode. You could "cut" the fuse to a few seconds or much longer, depending on time to target. In a ground attack, the fuse could be cut to a couple of seconds, which was hairy. I'm talking about the M109, 155 mm SP that I operated with.

Photo 3 is a fuse wrench to tighten the fuse to the joe.

Photo 4 – M577 Mechanical Time Fuze

Photos 4 & 5 a  time fuze I do not recognize (probably WW2 and Korean War).

Photos 4 & 5 are fuses that were screwed on the projectiles and the tool used in Photo 3 was to tighten them.

Photo 4 & 5 I think are dummy fuses for training.

Photo 5

Photos 4 & 5 are fuses that were screwed on the projectiles and the tool used in Photo 3 was to tighten them.

Photo 4 & 5 I think are dummy fuses for training.

Photo 5 – Appears to be another M577 MT fuze, but a closer examination shows some “X’s” on lower portion of the fuze and that usually happened when the fuze had been “re-manufactured” or changed in some way.   

Photo 5 - https://bulletpicker.com/pd_-m572.html

Photo 6

Photos 6 & 7 - ,Mechanical time fuze setters, similar in design but for different Fuzes. Fuze time, Fuze V.T.

Photos 6 & 7 – Appears to be a Mechanical Time fuze setter.  The proper fuze setting could be put on the setter, placed on the fuze and “turned” and the time would be automatically set.  In my experience, it would have been used to set a large number of fuzes with the same time, such as in  “fire for effect.” Of course, most sections chiefs wanted to verify the correct time before firing.

Photos 6 & 7 Looks like fuse time setter (model M-14). In Nam I used one to set rounds to explode in mid air, above a target,& under ground for tunnels.

Photo 7

Photos 6 & 7 - ,Mechanical time fuze setters, similar in design but for different Fuzes, Fuze time, Fuze V.T.

Photos 6 & 7 – Appears to be a Mechanical Time fuze setter. The proper fuze setting could be put on the setter, placed on the fuze and “turned” and the time would be automatically set.  In my experience, it would have been used to set a large number of fuzes with the same time, such as in  “fire for effect.” Of course, most sections chiefs wanted to verify the correct time before firing.

Photos 6 & 7 Looks like fuse time setter (model M-14). In Nam I used one to set rounds to explode in mid air, above a target,& under ground for tunnels.

Photo 8

Photo 8 - Firing (Pin) mechanism in a housing.

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