Ricola-Ranger

My friend was doing a small biking tour which lead him through the lechtal, Austria, where he found a dud in the river (see attatchment). It is about 10-12 cm long and 4-5cm in diameter.

I guess it's either from German or Russian Origin, can't tell what exactly it is though.
I'd be glad if someone could tell me what it is and where it's from.

Thanks & Greetings

Attached Images

DSC00355.JPG (39.1 KB, 164 views)

leib10

It looks like a small aerial bomb. About how much does it weigh?

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Dreadnought

Could also as well possibly be either a WWI arial bomb (dropped by biplane) they were very small in the beginning stages so they could be hand hel (dropped) or perhaps a small mortar round. Id tell your friend continue to search who knows what else he may find.

pdf27

Ummm... I would suggest you point out to your friend that these things are rarely ever truly duds and can sometimes get less stable with age. I'm sure there are some EOD types around on the board who can advise, but personally I wouldn't go anywhere near the thing.

Ricola-Ranger

I know and told him that...apparently, he brought it to the camping lot where he was staying and the guy there took care of it...so i can't tell leibstandarte how heavy it was, but the theory about it being an early age planebomb is kinda stable as the fin that broke off wasn't

sappersgt

That is something I would BIP. From a suitable distance and with appropriate cover. Farmers are getting killed every year from stuff like that they plow up!

gunnut

That looks like something launched out of a tube, judging from the flush fins. Could be a morter round.

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VovaLee

it is possible a shell for 37мм Spade Mortar

ArmchairGeneral

I'd bet money it's a mortar round. Too small to be an air dropped bomb, even a hand dropped WWI, in my opinion. I would be surprised if they made bombs 2 inches wide and 4 inches long. And the shape of the fins definitely suggests it was tube launched. My first though was the German 5 cm mortar of WW2, but the round isn't shaped right, and it's too short. Most WW2 rounds seem to be tear drop shaped, with a highly tapered rear. I'm looking up WWI mortars right now.

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sappersgt

My original thought was a German or Austro-Hungarian WWI mortar shell. I don't think it's big enough. Too small for a 76mm shell. Could it be Serbian? What battles were fought in that locale?

ArmchairGeneral

There were 2 inch mortars used in WWI, but I don't know if any were used on that front. I'm beginning to wonder if it really is an aerial bomb. All the pictures of WWI small calibre mortar shells I have found are about twice as long and have a tapered tail. But why on earth would you have a bomb smaller than a hand grenade? It's not like you have to throw it, all you need to do is let go.

leib10

Remember at that time aerial warfare was a brand new thing and they were trying all sorts of new inventions and weapons. I'm sticking by my bet that it is an aerial bomb.

RustyBattleship

I rather suspect it is a bomblet from a Cluster Bomb. Several versions have been tried out over the years to have a main casing break open and deliver sub-munitions (usually incendiraries) over a wide are. Grenade sized bomblets could be very devastating (if not extremely annoying through inaccuracy) on bivouaced troops or a maze of entrenchments.

leib10

I was thinking that too, that it could be some sort of bomblet, which would account for its small size. I'm surprised that the fins have not deteriorated more than they have, considering the age and the fact that it's stayed in a lake for so long, although the casing has heavy rust on its shell.

spittle8

When, during WW1, were mortar shells landing on Austria?! It was my understanding that the entire war was fought off of German soil, in the Benelux and France. Correct me if I'm wrong...

Yeah. Just don't touch stuff like that. That's crazy. I can't imagine living somewhere where there was once a war that left "souvenirs" like that.. Though the Eastern Seaboard was peppered with ordnance some time ago...