WW1 HZ14 German Fuse on a Shell Base

This is a trench art piece. A HZ 14 German fuse has been attached to an 1899 made 9cm K 73/88 shell case.

Inherited from the 1914 German fuzes generation based on the technology developped for the 'KZ 11' de l'obus universel comme la fusée percutante 'KZ 14' fuze of the light field gun, the HZ 14 fuze was the medel initially dedicated to the light field howitzers, but used afterwards with numerous other guns and howitzers.

Just like its generation fuzes, it included the graze action arming system with two components (mobile primer pellet and percussion system safety by stem and gunpowder pellet), and the percussion system (axial mobile graze pellet and static percussion pin, safety spring and safety stem blocking) that was the German state of the art in 1914.

The fuse is stamped…

‘HZ 14
14
HB 107’

The shell base is stamped…

‘AD 18
HL 3

FEBR 1899

HL8

DWuMFK
Dez 1919

Crown over Gm 8’.

~ Dimensions ~

The base diameter is 9 mm and when mounted, the assembly is 4 inches (10 cm high).

It weighs 1.4 kg.

~ Condition ~

The piece is in good condition for its age with some oxidisation.

ref. GS738602D / PQE0XM99E4EF