When things unexpectingly going boom

w_houle · June 4, 2010, 07:48 PM

We were firing HE using M557 PD fuze* charge 5 out of an M198. Best guess is that we accidentally hit a bird, but either way that HE round went off 300 meters out of battery. Needless to say the Drill Sgts were very nervous, and we all had to pat each other down to make sure no one had been hurt. We recovered some shrapnel from the Deuces. We had to sit there until a thorough investigation could be done. It's funny, because that happened in 1993, but I still think about it every once in a while.

shooter_john · June 4, 2010, 08:16 PM

Yikes!!!

cannonfire · June 5, 2010, 08:21 AM

I guess after the investigation, you never found out what it was? You guys conducted Danger Close on yourself!! Glad you made it through.

armoredman · June 5, 2010, 11:13 AM

Had a 3" 54 round detonate maybe a few yards out of the tube, but all the shrapnel went forward into the water. Was a bit exciting....
That ship was decommed in '92, scrapped in '93.

w_houle · June 5, 2010, 11:38 AM

There wasn't anything definitive found, but the fuze we were using was notorious for being rain sensitive, either that or the fuze was faulty.
Yeah, Danger Close: I think the Army mastered the understatement in that one!

Quote:

Was a bit exciting....

Yeah, sounds like a definite increase in pucker factor!

June 4, 2010, 07:48 PM	#1
w_houle Senior Member Join Date: March 29, 2007 Location: Raleigh, NC Posts: 1,391	When things unexpectingly going boom We were firing HE using M557 PD fuze* charge 5 out of an M198. Best guess is that we accidentally hit a bird, but either way that HE round went off 300 meters out of battery. Needless to say the Drill Sgts were very nervous, and we all had to pat each other down to make sure no one had been hurt. We recovered some shrapnel from the Deuces. We had to sit there until a thorough investigation could be done. It's funny, because that happened in 1993, but I still think about it every once in a while. __________________ How could you have a slogan like "freedom is slavery" when the concept of freedom has been abolished?

June 4, 2010, 08:16 PM	#2
shooter_john Senior Member Join Date: December 11, 2002 Location: ALABAMA Posts: 1,472	Yikes!!!

June 5, 2010, 11:13 AM	#4
armoredman Senior Member Join Date: May 22, 2007 Location: Arizona Posts: 5,299	Had a 3" 54 round detonate maybe a few yards out of the tube, but all the shrapnel went forward into the water. Was a bit exciting.... That ship was decommed in '92, scrapped in '93.