BACKGROUND: The HwaA Heereswaffenamt, (Army Ordnance Office), was a subsection of the OKH, Oberkommando des Heeres, (High Command of the Army), that was responsible for testing, evaluation and eventual issue of all ordnance including explosive detonators. Each Division in the German army, and the Waffen-SS, (Armed-SS), had an organic Pionier, (Combat Engineer), battalion that consisted of personnel specially trained in destroying enemy obstacles, creating forward defensive positions, bridging and assault tactics. As the spearhead troops the Engineer’s were issued with assorted specialized equipment including, assault packs, pick axes, saws, long handle shovels, wire cutters, explosive tool kits, demolition charges and mines and the appropriate explosive detonators. The explosive detonators came in no fewer then four, slightly different, models consisting of the M26, M37, M39 and M40. All four detonators were designed to remotely set off a wide variety of anti-personnel, anti-tank and general usage mines and explosive charges. The M37 detonator had an internal generator that produced 300 volts of electrical charge to activate the explosion. Of Note: As the spearhead troops, personnel serving with an Engineer unit, generally experienced higher casualties rates then standard units.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Heavy, uniquely shaped, black painted, multi-piece, cast alloy, sheet metal and bakelite construction M37 explosive detonator is roughly, 7" tall, 6 3/4" wide and 4" thick, at it’s thickest point. The detonator has a rectangular bottom section and a kidney shaped top section with a central, horizontally extended panel with three, inset, screw attachment ports with counter sunk screw retainers. The top edge of the detonator has a vertically raised port with an internal, square, turn-able, knob and impressed, blackened script, "Aufziehen", (Wind up), with a directional arrow at the base of the port. The top of the detonator also has another, recessed, port with an internal, square, turn-able, knob and impressed, red script, "Zünden", (Ignite), with a directional arrow at the base of the port. To activate the detonator the Aufziehen knob must be fully wound up and activation is initiated by then turning the Zünden knob. The detonator still functions. The top edge of the detonator also has a natural aluminum instruction plate with impressed, blackened script, rivetted in place. The script to the plate includes the designation, "Glühzündapparat 37", the serial number, "6398", the manufacturing date, "1941". The script also includes the electrical tolerances including voltage, amperage and internal and external resistance and usage instructions. The script includes, "100 Schuß bei 300 ohm Höchstwiderstand der Zünder nebst Zuleitung 300 V 1A. Innerer Widerstand das Gerätes ca. 43 Ohm. 1. Feder bis Endanschlag aufziehen, da sonst Auslösung gesperrt. 2. Vor Zündung Gerät bei kurzgeschlossenen Klemmen 1x ablaufen lassen."., (100 Charges with a high ignition resistance of 300 ohms with a 300 volt 1 amp {electrical} supply. The internal resistance of the device is roughly around 43 ohms. 1. Wind spring until movement ends, because otherwise the (electrical} release is blocked. 2. Before ignition device runs down and is short-circuited attach clamps.). The plate also has additional, script that includes, "Ersatz Feder nach innen liegender Vorschrift einsetzen.", (Insert replacement spring to interior as per placement instructions.), and, "Bauart Siemens Gebaut durch Hagenuk", (Siemens model constructed by Hagenuk). The forward top edge of the detonator has a stepped down, slightly diagonal, panel with an inset mottled brown bakelite panel with dual, vertically extended, screw threaded, alloy attachment terminal posts with screw down retainers designed for attaching wires to the explosive. The bottom edge of the central, horizontally extended panel is well marked with an impressed waffen-amt. The detonator retains about 90% of its original black paint with a few small scrapes and scuffs to the base alloy. The detonator comes complete with a specific, black painted, tooled steel construction, turning key with a transverse steel handle. Of Note: The detonators were originally issued with two turning keys but one is absent. The detonator comes housed in its original roughly, 8" tall, 8" wide and 4 3/4" thick, smooth blackened leather, construction case with machine stitched seams and sheet metal fittings. The case has a large, fold back top lid with a machine stitched, horizontal, leather hinge to the reverse end and a machine stitched on, vertical closure strap to the obverse end with a corresponding, leather reinforced, pronged, steel roller buckle positioned on the forward, lower body of the case. The unique carrying strap that originally ran diagonally over the top of the case is absent. The carrying strap was original machine stitched to one side of the case and had a machine stitched, leather reinforced, pronged, steel roller buckle to the other side of the case. Only remnants of the strap remain to one side and the leather reinforced, pronged, steel roller buckle is still intact. The reverse, lower end of the case has a small pocket with a fold back lid with a machine stitched on vertical closure strap and a fold back, lower panel with a corresponding, leather reinforced, pronged, steel roller buckle intact. The pocket was designed to house accessories which generally consisted of an electrical charge tester, a spare light bulb among other items. The accessories are absent. The reverse end of the case has a stamped waffen-amt but no visible manufacturer’s markings. The interior of the case has an inserted, carved wooden frame with a blackened leather covering and an ersatz "horsehair", padding, to the internal top lid all intended to secure and protect the detonator. The interior top edge of the case also has a blackened leather securing strap, machine stitched to one side with a corresponding, machine stitched on, leather reinforced, pronged, steel roller buckle to the other side of the case to secure the detonator in place. The interior of the case also has a leather loop to secure one of the turning keys and an additional leather loop with a snap closure to secure the other, missing, turning key. One side panel of the internal top lid has a faint, mostly illegible black unit designation/national eagle inkstamp. The case is in overall good condition with a few small scrapes and scuffs and areas of light to moderate chafe wear which has worn some of the blackening off. Nice Combat Engineer’s equipment with all the components in overall good condition.