Need info on WWII small demolition bag metal tool box

[ironsights66]

On 12/9/2020 at 11:21 PM, TheGrayGhost said:

 

I don't believe the M1 kit saw much field use as it was poorly designed.

My copy of 5-25 1942 states that the infantry demolition kit was "issued principally to parachute troops." I 

Would say that makes sense because they are the only ones who would potentially benefit from that awkward design. It seems like the collector terms that have been used on ww2 demo kits are misleading compared to the truth behind them. My best guess is that the US started the war with the "cavalry" kit, which was actually mostly used by engineers; and the "infantry kit" which was used by some paratroopers, though others also used the cavalry kit. Then noticing that you couldn't fit much in the cavalry kit and that the infantry kit just sucked, the Army replaced them both with the much improved and simplified late war kit. 

[TheGrayGhost]

I have been looking through the JSTOR collection of Military Engineer journals between 1935 and 1945 but have not found any lists of kits other than the Platoon Kit.

 

I have seen a few variants of the friction lighter, the cardboard style like the ones in your picture, as well as ones with a more solid color and textured exterior.  Here is one of the only period pictures I have seen with some in it.  I believe the solid textured style is a later version.

 

 

Your reference shows that the nomenclature change to referring to set number was occurring as early as 1943.  FM 5-25 (May 1945) Gives a load out to the following sets:

 

[TheGrayGhost]

11 hours ago, ironsights66 said:

My copy of 5-25 1942 states that the infantry demolition kit was "issued principally to parachute troops." I 

Would say that makes sense because they are the only ones who would potentially benefit from that awkward design. It seems like the collector terms that have been used on ww2 demo kits are misleading compared to the truth behind them. My best guess is that the US started the war with the "cavalry" kit, which was actually mostly used by engineers; and the "infantry kit" which was used by some paratroopers, though others also used the cavalry kit. Then noticing that you couldn't fit much in the cavalry kit and that the infantry kit just sucked, the Army replaced them both with the much improved and simplified late war kit. 

 

Yes, the M1 kit was initially intended as paratrooper kit, but it was quickly found to be inadequate.  I believe this kit, and I emphasize that this is just my opinion, that the M1 saw greater use in the Pacific as the backpack style seems more suited to amphibious operations keeping the equipment secure and above water line.

 

It is clear the Army knew the M1 was not a good paratrooper set very early, here are pictures of the paratrooper experimental kit that was in development in July 1942 that became Set No 5.

 

 

Set No 5

 

[punched primer]

On 12/21/2020 at 8:36 PM, sgtpeter said:

The Cav Journal article says the kit comes from the engineers. Their journal at that time was called "The Military Engineer" but I haven't found one online from '38 or '39. JSTOR may have it but I don't have a subscription there. During the break, I'll see if I can find an Infantry Journal that might reference the Infantry Kit. The leather sleeve was probably in somebody's What's It pile 25-30 years and may have gone unclaimed. There must be someone out there with one if they were made.

 

When I tried to fit the 10 cap box, I had the DOH moment that shoulda measured the 10 cap box before printing. Based on the photos, we assumed the length of the box compartment was 75mm but my box measures 77mm so my son is going to reprint assuming 78mm inside for each and see how that works out. Will probably narrow the width and see if we can get the half moon cutouts into it. Without the cutouts, the latch hangs up on the edge.

 

On another note, anybody know of an all red M1 friction igniter like the one in my photo?

 

Peter

 

 

 

[ironsights66]

That is a nice looking pull igniter. I have never been able to find one in person. I saw a whole box of them on ebay once but they were for local pickup only and halfway across the country. I believe the variance on them comes from them being produced by the various commercial suppliers like ensign-bickford, and such as basically commercial products that met certain military standards. I am fairly certain they were used before and after the war in commercial blasting and that the Corps of Engineers adopted them as a commercial off the shelf option. The safety fuse of the time was commercial ensign-bickford clover brand orange wax coated fuse. the color indicated the burn rate, with orange being at the time the indicator for the military standard 30 seconds per foot. Detonating cord varied in appearance considerably over the course of the war but for most of it was a solid yellow waxy braided finish, the most common being commercial primacord brand, also from ensign-bickford.