1944 Ammo Crate - BMW

Spanner · 05-17-2019, 06:36 PM

I acquired this ammo crate with a date from 1944. Uninformed observation - I have always heard about BMW's involvement in the WWII but never heard about ammunition manufacture. Or someone painted up a box to seem that way?

Thru my Dutch friends, I was able to gain more than the "I don't know anything" knowledge that I have of the German language. As I understood it at first, it was a crate for red tracers but further interpretation led us to believe it was for igniting a larger shell. Igniting a shell with a tracer made no sense to me but triggered my knowledge, having been on an 8" howitzer for a year, in thinking this was actual a crate for primers for artillery weapons?

Any help/ideas/hair-brained ideas are welcome, please.

As always, thanks for your time

Dave

mrerick · 05-17-2019, 07:04 PM

BMW is part of the Quandt group (which eventually included many arms manufacturers).

I have no facts on BMW's involvement, but anything is possible.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbert_Quandt

gunbugs · 05-17-2019, 11:34 PM

Looks like 100 rounds of 2cm (20mm) red (rot) tracer ammo of a sort. 120 gram geschob (projectile) about a 5 oz projo. The Wa493 may offer a clue as well. May have been for the 20mm flakvierling. internal box dimensions may help also. The 20mmx138B round is 8" long.

05-17-2019, 06:36 PM	#1
Spanner User Join Date: Oct 2016 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 65 Thanks: 29 Thanked 58 Times in 21 Posts	1944 Ammo Crate - BMW I acquired this ammo crate with a date from 1944. Uninformed observation - I have always heard about BMW's involvement in the WWII but never heard about ammunition manufacture. Or someone painted up a box to seem that way? Thru my Dutch friends, I was able to gain more than the "I don't know anything" knowledge that I have of the German language. As I understood it at first, it was a crate for red tracers but further interpretation led us to believe it was for igniting a larger shell. Igniting a shell with a tracer made no sense to me but triggered my knowledge, having been on an 8" howitzer for a year, in thinking this was actual a crate for primers for artillery weapons? Any help/ideas/hair-brained ideas are welcome, please. As always, thanks for your time Dave Attached Thumbnails

05-17-2019, 07:04 PM	#2
mrerick Super Moderator - Patron LugerForum Life Patron Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Eastern North Carolina, USA Posts: 3,900 Thanks: 1,372 Thanked 3,094 Times in 1,503 Posts	BMW is part of the Quandt group (which eventually included many arms manufacturers). I have no facts on BMW's involvement, but anything is possible. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbert_Quandt __________________ Igitur si vis pacem, para bellum - - Therefore if you want peace, prepare for war.

05-17-2019, 11:34 PM	#3
gunbugs Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Fairbanks, Alaska. Home of the best moose. Posts: 636 Thanks: 335 Thanked 1,141 Times in 379 Posts	Looks like 100 rounds of 2cm (20mm) red (rot) tracer ammo of a sort. 120 gram geschob (projectile) about a 5 oz projo. The Wa493 may offer a clue as well. May have been for the 20mm flakvierling. internal box dimensions may help also. The 20mmx138B round is 8" long. Attached Thumbnails