"Policing/recycling brass casing during ww2" Topic

A few questions on the re-use of brass casing. Who would normally pick up the empty brass shell casings from artillery positions and how were they sent back (tossed in a rail car?) for re-use? What about brass from AT guns or mgs--were there any practices or policies in place for collecting spent brass? One would think Germany would be keen on recycling!?

Thanks!

Found this;

link

"Helmut, we're going to retreat to Berlin--you police the area for spent brass and catch up… "

Don't know about WWII, but after WWI a lot were turned into vases and ashtrays.

Hi

Hmmm. with the small arms, there were two different primers in use, Boxer and Berdan. The latter uses a system that makes it unreloadable.

R

I would assume that civilian populations would be offered rewards for it, and that they would gladly collect the brass to turn in for money. Even nowadays in Korea and elsewhere, civilians try to sneak onto ranges to collect scrap metal, no matter the danger.

I recall seeing a photo of a Luftwaffe extended range fuel tank that had a notice stenciled on the side: "5 Reichsmarks reward for return".

In training: sure.

In combat: only if it's in your way.

Hmmm. with the small arms, there were two different primers in use, Boxer and Berdan. The latter uses a system that makes it unreloadable.

The metal itself could still be melted and reused – a bit easier than digging ore from the mines.

As for actual collection on the front, a lot could depend on the tactical situation. If you are on the advance or retreat, it might get tricky. If you are on a more static situation, then it would be easier to re-collect the spent shells. Unless you might want to relocate after firing to avoid enemy counter-artillery.

Logical way of sending the shells to be recycled back would be when you get fresh ammo – put the used stuff to the wagon/truck that should have plenty of space now.

Mind it, in an actual front-line most of the soldiers are likely to be of the opinion that they have more important things to do than collect spent shells.

Griefbringer

This reminds me of something someone said a coupla weekends ago about Rorkes Drift, they said that only about 200 spent cases were recovered from the site over the years. They took this as hard evidence that the Defenders fire was minimal, and not the 20,000 rounds of legend

Could it not be that after the battle, as the dead were stacked up, would not a Victorian Officer order the spent cases cleared up?

Just a thought.

John

I've seen a pic somewhere of a sdkfz 251 with an MG42 being fired, next to the gunner is a big old canvas sack that the cases are going into.

I have never seen anything about recycling small arms casings (except maybe from returning bombers hwere the .50 cases were in the aircraft or in training areas).

However they did recycle arty casings as much as possible. There were service troo[s who would police up the area behind the fontlines and collect anything usable, or of scrap value.

hey attempted to make sure no ship would make the retun voyage to the states without being filled with scrap metal. (not always possible)/

In WW1 the AEF did send over arty componets to reload artillery shells in France to save shipping space. I thinkI saw they did this later in the war in WW2, but cannot recall any specific mention of it. I seem to think it may have been in Belgium actually, but maybe I am just dreaming.

Massive amounts of trashed German equipment was sent back ot the US to be melted down. I have spoken to some old French folks who told me about watching the trucks pull up to the ships with with all kinds of metal.

There was actually a rumor locally that a German turret exsisted in Boston obtained from one of these scrap shipments. I don,t think it was true, but one sonders if something did escape the smelting plant.

Was anyone ever hit from brass falling from aircraft? Given the amount of action around a US bomber formation, a lot of amo must have been expended, and all the spent casings from the fighters was ejected and would fall to earth.

1: The British produced a special 'Essential Services' helmet to protect Police, Air Raid Wardens plus Train & Bus drivers from being hit on the head by falling cases & shell fragments.

2: At least in British service, the small arms primers contained mercury, which attacks brass alloy & makes it brittle, making it problematic to recycle – a full remelt to separate the copper, zinc & mercury would be required.

US primers were just plain corrosive & even attacked the stainless steel in the gas system of the M1 Garand, but the brass could be readily recycled in base areas until the corrosion cracked the case.

All crimped small arms primers were very difficult to re-prime, you needed either a hydraulic de-capper or a special punch & claw tool to get the old primer out, then another tool to re-swage the primer pocket and a third tool to re-crimp the new primer.

3. Artilery cases had much more metal in them & were much more difficult to make in the first place, so some effort was put into collecting & recycling them. I believe the preferred practice for WW2 was to put them back into the limber (ammo wagon) in the racks they came out of, and/or then restow them in the old shipping cases when out of action. The empties were then sent to a articifer unit for checking & possible re-loading – artillery cases could be reloaded several times & got a new set of head stamps indicating date & unit doing the reloading.

In WW1 they were just chucked into general purpose wagons and a large percentage were so damaged by this that they had to be melted down rather than reloaded at forward depots.