Smoke Candle Rack

ChrisWilliams · Post by **ChrisWilliams** » Sun May 03, 2009 9:07 am

Could anyone tell me what is a Smoke Candle Rack and what it was used for found on some german armour.

Thanks

Chris

Stewart Ashton · Post by **Stewart Ashton** » Sun May 03, 2009 11:16 am

Hi Chris

http://www.lonesentry.com/articles/ttt0 ... smoke.html

Regards Stewart

ChrisWilliams · Post by **ChrisWilliams** » Tue May 05, 2009 7:21 pm

Hi Stuart,

Thanks for that it answers a couple of questions but another one I have is that on a couple of pictures I have seen they seem to be chains, one per smoke canister I guess, hanging down now what would of those been for? but the chains only appear on the versions with the candle rack fixed central over the exhaust silencer.

Chris

Sven Strobbe · Post by **Sven Strobbe** » Wed May 06, 2009 1:34 pm

Chris,

Can you post a picture so we can see what you mean...?

Sven

Kent Wiik · Post by **Kent Wiik** » Wed May 06, 2009 2:29 pm

Chris,

Is it this you ask about?

http://www.custermen.net/nahvert/nah.htm

Cheers
Kent

ChrisWilliams · Post by **ChrisWilliams** » Wed May 06, 2009 6:35 pm

Hi Sven and Kent,

Below is a link to a picture (I hope) of the item I am refering to, it is mounted over the exhaust system and you can see the chains hanging down, now are theses some sort of protection or part of the smoke candles whch maybe you pull to set them off ???

http://www.missing-lynx.com/gallery/ger ... vdmt_1.jpg

Chris

Stewart Ashton · Post by **Stewart Ashton** » Wed May 06, 2009 6:46 pm

Chris

I have searched for ages and found hardly any information on this subject.

If I was to make a wild guess

I would think that a crew member could pull one or all chains depending
how much smoke he wished to generate.

In a desperate attempt to hide his vehicle from the enemy he could activate all 5 emptying all the contents onto a very hot exhaust pipe.

BUT this would only work if the engine was running and the machine was either moving very slowly or stationary and there was little or no wind

If that is the case then it was virtually useless imho

Regards Stewart

Paul Morris · Post by **Paul Morris** » Wed May 06, 2009 7:42 pm

Hi Stewart.
Pzkpfw 1V in action Squadron signal book 12.
On page 13 it shows this item and the model in the link you provided is very good. The tank in the photo in the above book is in north Africa. All it says here is that "The frame attached to the muffler held 5 smoke candles which could be fired from inside the tank"

i wonder if the chains wer to prevent some type of sealing cap from being lost when the candle was fired?? just a thought.
Cheers Paul

Stewart Ashton · Post by **Stewart Ashton** » Wed May 06, 2009 7:49 pm

Ah I think you may me right Paul.

I have found that they were fired via cables and not the chains

Still dont answer Cris`s original question though

Regards Stewart

Sven Strobbe · Post by **Sven Strobbe** » Wed May 06, 2009 8:01 pm

The only thing i can see, on the picture Kent posted, is that there's a small chain that's attached to the ignition...

Sven

ChrisWilliams · Post by **ChrisWilliams** » Sun May 10, 2009 7:09 pm

Hi Guys,

I have been searching the net for the last few days now and have still not found an answer to what the chains were for. anyone else has a sugestion or answer???

Chris