The Adam Park Project

Item Information:

Catalogue Number: See Report 16 Source: TAPP Archaeology Surveys Location: No 9 Adam Park Report No: Report No.16 Artifact Type: Ammunition Production Date: 2013-01-16 00:00:00 Dimensions of Item: 39.7mm x 15.7mm Copyright with The Adam Park Project

Other Description:

This item is not officially part of the collection found at No.9 Adam Park but came to light when sifting through older collections. It has sat for a long time without further consideration under the mistaken premise that it was a domestic item. However, whilst carrying out research into Japanese fuses for this work, it was noted that the piece bears a great similarity to the Type 88 fuse. In recollection the piece was thought to have been found on the surface during one of the guided tours of the estate and its exact location was not noted. On closerinspection and cleaning it revealed a number of tell tale indentations and apertures in which the safety pin and spanner would have been located. The fuse is 39.5mm tall and diameter at the top of 15.7mm. The length from the top to the first indentation is 31.2mm and the bottom base has an average diameter of 35.3mm. It must be noted that the bottom rim of the item is jagged and uneven suggesting that it is not the original surface and it has been split along this line by an explosion. There are two inner machined surfaces of which lower one has been threaded. The first has a radius of 25.5mm and the second nearer the apex 20mm. The hole at the top of the unit has a diameter of 10mm. There appear to be two inscriptions on the fuse. Four symbols appear on the vertical inscription and can be translated as ‘Field’ ‘Mountain’ and Cannon. The symbols for ‘zero’ ‘ten’ and ‘Tokyo Arsenal’can be seen.

Historic Context:

The damage to the fuse appears to have removed half the bottom section of the fuse and flared out the remaining metal distorting the overall look of the piece. This item appears to be a multi-purpose Type 88 Instantaneous impact type artillery fuze. It Not to be confused with the "Small Type 88" fuze typically used with the 50mm "Knee Mortar". This fuze was used on antitank, tank, field artillery and howitzer ammunition. Sometimes mortar rounds will appear in collections with this fuze attached. While the term "Gun and Howitzer-Mortar" is used to describe this fuze in U.S. identification manuals, it requires centrifugal force (spin) to arm it, which a mortar does not provide.