Talk:Pencil detonator

Strange article
This article looks like a mixture of real information with no sources and information taken from movies (such as Valkyrie). Should be re-written from the ground. It is also written in a colloquial language, like a how-to manual: this make me think that many information in this article has been taken from some anarchist's handbook. [User:Giupio|Giupio]]

The references to "Pencil detonators" being used in a plot to murder Hitler are just from a movie and therefore arent historically accurate. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.12.68.162 (talk) 15:44, 3 May 2009 (UTC)

A strange article? That's not so suprising, because it's about a strange subject i.e. a covert means of detonating explosives by special forces which is no longer used. In fact, the bomb which was used in an attempt to kill Adolf Hitler in 1944 really did use a British-made pencil detonator from captured stocks of allied weapons. Just because it appears in an American-made film (admittably, the worst offenders when it comes to historical inaccuracies are American!) doesn't automatically mean it's not true. I accept that this particular Wikipedia article is written in a colloquial style, but that's the only point you make that's correct. Take it from me, all the information in the article which appear as at 20th August 2009 is absolutely correct. None of the information in the article comes from an anarchist's handbook. Most of it comes from memories of lectures given in the army and practical experience. Just because information in a Wikipedia article hasn't got citations doesn't automatically make that information incorrect/wrong and therefore it should be deleted. By all means flag the article as requiring extra citations etc, but don't destroy information. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 87.113.18.253 (talk) 15:58, 20 August 2009 (UTC)


 * Both the plastic explosives and the time pencil used in the 20 July plot were captured British SOE-supplied items. Two 2lb bombs were made but the second one, unprimed, because Stauffenburg couldn't do everything and he was in a hurry, was placed in a different bag (a rucksack) by Stauffenburg's adjutant, Werner von Haeften, and so was not in Stauffenburg's briefcase when the bomb was planted. Even without a detonator the additional bomb, if it had been in the briefcase, would have exploded and the plot would likely have been successful. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 213.40.249.56 (talk) 10:03, 29 August 2009 (UTC)

It is correct that captured SOE P.E. 2 and No. 10 Time Pencils were used in the July 20 1944 plot to assassinate Hitler as depicted in the recent film "Valkyrie". The section of the article on the Time Pencil contains good, accurate, easily cited information. The instructions for use are written in a style reminiscent of WWII SOE or British "Auxunit" training manuals. I will go through the article and modify the tone as well as add some further information as follows:

Specopsaust (talk) 23:48, 4 February 2010 (UTC)
 * Operational use of the No. 10 Time Pencil by SOE and the Australian Services Reconnaissance Department
 * Post-war updates to the time pencil by the US.

Der abgebildete Zünder war offenbar in Gang gesetzt, jedoch nicht mit dem am 20.7.44 verwendeten Plastiksprengstoff detoniert. Der am 20.7.44 verwendete Zünder war in einzelne Bruchstücke zerrissen (s. die Abbildung in meinem Buch Widerstand, Staatsstreich, Attentat). Woher stammt das abgebildete Exemplar des Zünders? Peter Hoffmann, McGill University, 8. März 2017 — Preceding unsigned comment added by Brooksidepark (talk • contribs) 21:02, 8 March 2017 (UTC)

Present tense
The article is written in the present tense, almost like an outline of how to use these devices. Surely it should be written in the past tense as they were used during World War 2. I mean, they are obsolete, aren't they? They're not currently used anywhere? Catsmeat (talk) 12:07, 14 July 2010 (UTC)