BOER WAR POM POM SHELL. CALIBER 37mm. WEIGHT OF PROJECTILE: 1 POUND. THIS TYPE, WHICH WAS THE MAIN ONE USED BY THE BOER FORCES, HAS AN EXPLOSIVE AND ARMOR - PIERCING HEAD MADE OF CAST STEEL AND PRODUCING SCHRAPNEL AFTER EXPLODING. IT IS ESTIMATED THAT THE TRANSVAAL REPUBLIC HAD BETWEEN 46 000 AND 72 000 OF THESE SHELLS CONTAINED IN BELTS THAT HELD 25 SHELLS AND COULD BE STRUNG TOGETHER. TOWARDS THE END OF 1899 THE BOERS, HOWEVER, STARTED RUNNING OUT OF THESE SHELLS AND HAD THEM RE - MANUFACTURED AT, INTER ALIA, THE 'GOUVERNEMENT ARTILLERIE WERKEN', THOMAS BEGBIE'S FACTORY AND THE ZASM WORKS. (THE BRASS SHELLS WERE SAVED AND THE BOMBS RE - BUILT).
THE BACK OF THE SHELL INDICATING THE MANUFACTURER AND YEAR MADE. THE BOERS BOUGHT THEIR SHELLS FOR THE 'POM POMS' MAINLY FROM THE GERMANS. SHELLS FOR THE 'POM POMS' WERE ALSO MANUFACTURED BY THE FRENCH AND BRITISH. THE POM POM SHELL HAD A CALIBER OF 37 mm (1.5 inches) AND THE PROJECTILE WEIGHED 1 POUND (454 gms). IT WAS THE SMALLEST EXPLODING PROJECTILE ALLOWED TO BE FIRED FROM A GUN UNDER THE "TREATY OF DEN HAGUE" WHICH WAS HELD IN 1898, JUST BEFORE THE BOER WAR. THE ARGUMENT WAS THAT A BOMB HAD TO TRAVEL SLOW ENOUGH FOR THE ENEMY TO HEAR IT FIRED OFF AND THEN BE ABLE TO TAKE COVER AND THAT ANYTHING UNDER A POUND WOULD TRAVEL TOO FAST. IN PRACTICE THIS DID NOT APPLY TO THE POM POM BECAUSE OF IT'S RAPID FIRE.
THE SHELL AND A DIAGRAM FROM A LATE 19th CENTURY FRENCH PUBLICATION, INDICATING THE INTERIOR DESIGN OF THE SHELL. ON THE EXTERIOR WE SEE THE NORMAL COPPER RINGS ON THE PROJECTILE WHICH ENSURE SMOOTH MOVEMENT THROUGH THE BARREL OF THE GUN
THE 'POM POM' GUN (A 'TRANSVAALSCHE STAATSARTILLERIE' MAXIM NORDFELDT). AT THE START OF THE BOER WAR THE ZAR OWNED 25 OF THESE. ORIGINALLY CONVERTED FROM THE MAXIM .303 MACHINE GUN AND ADAPTED FOR THE MUCH LARGER CALIBRE AND EXPLODING POM POM SHELL. THE MISCONCEPTION OFTEN EXISTS THAT ONLY THE BOERS USED THE 'POM POM'. THE BOERS USED IT FROM THE START OF THE WAR, BUT THE BRITISH USED THIS GUN WHICH WAS, IRONICALLY, MANUFACTURED IN LONDON ONLY FROM THE BATTLE OF PAARDENBERG (EARLY 1900). BECAUSE OF IT'S MOBILITY THE MAXIM - NORDENFELDT WAS SELDOM CAPTURED FROM THE BOER FORCES (AN EXCEPTION BEING AT THE CAPTURE OF CRONJE AT PAARDEBERG) AND WAS USED EVEN IN THE GUERILLA PHASE OF THE WAR.
THE DIAGRAM OF THE 1 POUND 'POM POM' SHELL FROM A LATE 19th CENTURY FRENCH PUBLICATION, INDICATING THE INTERIOR DESIGN OF THE SHELL. FIG 3 AND 5 INDICATE THAT A SHELL WHICH RELEASED A HAIL OF LEAD PELLETS ON EXPLOSION ALSO EXISTED. THE BOERS MAINLY USED THE ARMOUR - PIERCING SHELL WITH THE SCHRAPNEL PRODUCING CAST STEEL HEAD.
CONDITION
The shell is in perfect condition with all explosive material removed
SHIPPING COST OF THIS ITEM:R28 IN SOUTH AFRICA PLUS 2% OF VALUE OF ITEM IF BUYER REQUIRES INSURANCE (FOR OTHER COUNTRIES THE POST OFFICE RATE + 20%)
ITEMS OF EACH AUCTION ARE COMBINED (POSTED TOGETHER) AND A FEW ITEMS CAN BE SENT AT THE SAME COST AS 1
AT THE REQUEST OF BUYERS ITEMS CAN BE HELD OVER TO A FUTURE AUCTION IN ORDER TO SAVE POSTAGE
THE EXACT SHIPPING COST WILL BE SUPPLIED TO BUYERS AS SOON AS IT IS KNOWN HOW MANY ITEMS THEY HAVE WON AT THE AUCTION
THE MINIMUM POST OFFICE PARCEL CHARGE IS FOR A MASS OF 1 KG. YOU CAN THUS BUY A FEW ITEMS AND PAY THE SAME POSTAGE AS FOR 1. I HAVE LISTED SEVERAL ITEMS ON THIS AUCTION. CLICK ON - VIEW ALL THE SELLERS ITEMS - AT THE TOP OF THIS PAGE IF YOU WANT TO SEE THEM
