15mm BESA Other

Blank

When the 15mm BESA was adopted the Royal Armoured Corps expressed a desire for a blank cartridge for the gun. It was intended to utilise a bakelite bullet (as was planned for other calibre blanks) but since these bullets were not available, in May 1940 a new design D/L/9299 was developed that had a wood bullet filled with lead dust shot. This was tested by the RAC and found to function well so the Ordnance Board recommended it for approval although in the end it was not adopted.

By April 1942 bullets made of phenolic plastic to the above design became available, made by Thomas de la Rue Ltd. of Walthamstow. These bullets were filled with a mixture of two parts red lead to seven parts flaked lead and weighed 1130 grains with a propellant charge of 280 grains of nitrocellulose. They were again tested and found to be satisfactory so were recommended for further trials prior to adoption. In the event the requirement for a blank was cancelled later in 1942 and development was halted.

Practice Tracer

As mentioned under Practice Ball, a 15mm BESA Practice Tracer was under development by Kynoch in early 1940. This work seems to have had no priority and no further action was taken. Neither the Parctice Tracer nor the Practice Ball were adopted.

Headspace Gauge