Singaporean Army gun explosion kills two

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 14, Issue 677, 11 March 1997, Page 1

Singaporean Army gun explosion kills two

Two Singaporean soldiers were killed and 12 others injured, including one New Zealander, Army Staff Sergeant Mike Smith, on Sunday morning when a round exploded in a Howitzer gun during a live-firing field exercise. The Army is investigating the matter, along with the police and a team of Singaporean weapon and ammunition experts. SSgt Smith' s injuries were extensive but not life threatening. The injured were flown by six Tranz'Rail rescue helicopters to hospitals in Palmerston North and Hastings while two with minor injuries were taken to Waiouru Hospital. The Howitzer 155mm (6") artillery piece (with a range of 40km) was extensively damaged possibly due to either an equipment failure or a drill procedure failure. The base and most of the barrel remained after the explosion, with most of the rest destroyed. Hot residue in the breech of the gun might have ignited the new charge bag (in guns of this calibre the projectile to be fired is loaded first and this is followed into the breech by an explosive charge contained in a separate bag) after the previous round had been fired. A premature explosion of this bag (during WWI1 these were made of silk) before the breech was completely closed and secured would cause the sort of damage and

injury as described in this incident. The reason for the high number of casualties (including Turn to Page 2