[Mike Cecil]

Hi Rob,

Would be very interested to know if the yellow band was ever introduced for Canadian production 105-mm How HE rounds.

The visual difference between the 105-mm How HE and SMK rounds was always the overall colour: drab olive for the HE, a duck egg blue-grey colour for SMK. The listed width of the yellow band in the 1994 US manual, when used on both rounds, was different, too: 1 inch for HE, 1/2 inch for SMK. SMK rounds seem to have morphed to a brown coloured band, as per the 1993-filled rounds pictured below, which I think are of US manufacture. The HC indicates the smoke compound, the BE is Base Ejection. WP SMK (white phospherous, point-detonating round, not BE) seem to have the yellow band, as per the AWM image in post #9. The M1 rounds were 2006-manufacture by Aust Defence Industries (ADI). The small squares around the neck of both projectiles are supposed to be 1/2 inch x 1/2 inch. I've also got some earlier images of SMK rounds showing the stencilling in red, so there were obviously changes over time, or inconsistencies with the 'rules'.

The images below were taken in 2009.

Mike