French Saint Chamond 65mm Shell Casing Battle of Mkapira 28 Sep 1916 Engraved

French Saint Chamond 65mm Shell Casing Battle of Mkapira 28 Sep 1916 Engraved    

ON AUCTION IS THIS FRENCH WORLD WAR I 65MM ARTILLERY BRASS SHELL CASING MANUFACTURED AT THE FAMOUS SAINT CHAMOND ARSENAL IN 1915. IT WAS USED AGAINST GERMAN FORCES AND TRENCH ART ENGRAVED AT THE BATTLE OF MKAPIRA IN TANZANIA ON 28 SEP 1916.
 
CRAFTED FROM A 1915 WORLD WAR I ST CHAMOND FRENCH 65MM ARTILLERY SHELL CASING. THIS CASING IS HIGHLY HISTORIC. THE ENGRAVED LETTERS AND DATE ON THE SIDE MKAPIRA CEA 28 9 1916 POINTS DIRECTLY TO A SPECIFIC HISTORICAL ENGAGEMENT OR BATTLE OF MKAPIRA DURING THE WORLD WAR 1 EAST AFRICA CAMPAIGN.
 
MKAPIRA (LOCATED NEAR THE RUHUJE RIVER IN MODERN-DAY TANZANIA), SERVED AS A CRUCIAL OPERATIONAL HUB FOR THE BRITISH NYASALAND-RHODESIA FIELD FORCE UNDER GENERAL EDWARD NORTHEY. FRENCH-MANUFACTURED SAINT-CHAMOND ARTILLERY PIECES (SUCH AS THE 65MM SAINT-CHAMOND MOUNTAIN GUNS) WAS DEPLOYED IN THE THEATRE. IN THIS CONTEXT CEA STANDS FOR CENTRAL EAST AFRICA (OR THE CORPS EXPEDITIONAIRE D'AFRIQUE). 
 
DURING THIS EXACT WEEK IN LATE SEPTEMBER 1916, BRITISH AND ALLIED COLUMNS (INCLUDING HAWTHORNS COLUMN AND THE 1ST REGIMENT OF THE KING'S AFRICAN RIFLES) WERE EXECUTING A MAJOR PUSH EASTWARD AGAINST GERMAN SCHUTZTRUPPE FORCES. THE AREA AROUND MKAPIRA SAW FIERCE ARTILLERY DUELS WHERE MOBILE MOUNTAIN GUNS AND NAVAL ARTILLERY PIECES WERE ACTIVELY USED TO DISLODGE ENTRENCHED GERMAN UNITS.
 
MARKINGS:
ST CHAMOND MANUFACTURER
 (St-Chamond - Compagnie des Forges et Aciéries de la Marine et d'Homécourt based in Saint-Chamond)
MKAPIRA CEA 28 9 16
During this exact week in late September 1916, British and Allied columns (including hawthorns column and the 1st regiment of the king's african rifles) were executing a major push eastward against German Schutztruppe forces. The area around Mkapira in East Africa Tanzania saw fierce artillery duels where mobile mountain guns and naval artillery pieces were actively used to dislodge entrenched german units.
SPENT CASINGS WERE FREQUENTLY RECYCLED BY ARMIES OR KEPT BY SOLDIERS TO BE CARVED INTO INTRICATE VASES AND CUPS, AN ART FORM KNOWN AS TRENCH ART.
1915 - DATE OF PRODUCTION
 
SIZE: 70MM DIAMETER TOP RIM 75MM DIAMETER BOTTOM 14.5CM HIGH
WEIGHT OF CASING: 619G
 
CONDITION: GOOD CONDITION.
 
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