Great guess, but incorrect. The papier-mache sabot is a good clue. Would not firing the shell damage the papair-mache? I take it this one was not fired.
Is it inert?
We have the right answer. Well at least the museum claims it is a Schenkl.
It is inside a glass case at the museum and I assume it is inert.
I would think it was total chaos. I've read some soldiers letters and they describe artillery in horrendous ways. The sound the shells make flying through the air, people being torn to pieces. So much destruction from such a little thing
Well, you know what they say about assuming things…
You never know. Many volunteer workers might not know if it is and people have died disarming them. My grandfather had a live hotchkiss in his basement for 60 years!
The paper mache' sabot proved to be problematic as it tended to absorb moisture which caused it to swell and made it difficult to load. They may have solved this problem by covering the paper mache' with a varnish coating. When the Confederates copied the Schenkl, they solved this problem (?) by making the sabots of wood. Either one complete with a sabot is a rare bird indeed.
Forum Host
Bringing the