German WWII INERT 40mm Mortar Shell Trench Art-This is a beautiful piece that commemorates the USS Arkansas and is dated 1930. In 1930 the USS Arkansas (BB-33) was primarily used as a training ship. This is a 40mm mortar shell that could have been used on one of the Arkansas Bofor guns, that would have been added to the ship after the 1925 refit. The ship had been modernized 5 years earlier in 1925, and was well fitted to be a training vessel by 1930. The 1930 cruise visited many European ports, including Cherbourg in France, Kiel Germany, Oslo Norway, and Edinburgh Scotland. There is some very nice metal work on this shell, the stars are excellent as is the dedication script. The hammered textured background is gorgeous. Somone put a lot of time into this one. An excellent piece for your trench art display.
History: Trench art is a term used to describe objects made from the debris bi-products of war. It is commonly associated with the World War One, although we see trench art from other conflicts as well. During world wars, the French and Belgium’s started the trench art craze, but when the American’s entered the war, they used their metal work skills to make some amazing things as well. Most trench art was made by servicemen while they passed the time, when not in the front line. Much of it was simple and amateurish, we have seen planes made out of shrapnel, carved walking stick from wood and other material. Some are quite professional as though they may have access to a machine shop or something. Prisoners of war, faced with a constant battle against boredom, produced similar items. Each piece tells an interesting story!