Description
The Livens Projector was a crude form of mortar that was designed to throw large quantities of chemical agents on distant targets. The high chemical content of the projectiles permitted a more rapid delivery of agent upon the target, and in higher concentration, thereby obtaining greater surprise than with other ground weapons.
The complete round consisted of a filled "shell" (i.e., projectile), a loaded burster tube assembly, a fuze assembly, and a propelling assembly. In the 1920s, there was a 24-pound, 40-pound, and 60-pound “drum” that could be used in the Livens Projector. In the 1940s, two types of projectile bodies were used in the Livens Projector, the MII and the MIIA1.
The projectile body, MII, was made of seamless drawn steel tubing 3/16-inch thick with forge-welded ends. It can be identified by the projections at each end, which were 1.69 inches in diameter and approximately 1-inch long. A central tube ran the length of the shell and was welded into it at both ends. A steel plug (coupling plug) was welded into the tube to divide it into the section used to receive the burster tube and the section used for filling the shell. The shell filling passed from the tube into the shell through four holes located near the filling end of the projectile. There were also two vent holes. After filling, the shell was sealed by screwing a tapered plug into the filling hole.
The MIIA1 differed in construction in that it had rounded ends closed by fusion welding, with no projections on either end. The other details of its construction were the same as for the MII.
Functioning
No information about functioning.
Hazardous Components
No information about hazardous components.
See Also
Nothing else to see.
Source(s)
Old Chemical Weapons and Related Materiel Reference Guide (2018)
Old Chemical Weapons Reference Guide (1998)
TM 3-325, Livens Projector MI (1942)
