Hand grenade

“ Machine guns are more worthy of consideration to-day than heretofore.
BOMBS AND HAND GRENADES
The present European War has revived the use of hand grenades and bombs. A certain number of soldiers in each British and French battalion are trained as grenade throwers. Their principal weapon is a bucket or bag of grenades or bombs. They operate not only from trenches but accompany the firing line in an attack and dispose of sheltered or isolated group of the enemy by smothering their position with a shower of hand grenades or bombs. ”

“ They could not overcome the unknown! One man thrust a hand grenade into the muzzle of one of the guns, but was blown to bits in the try. Still, over and over it they swarmed, like bees searching for a nook in a flower, the difference being that instead of getting honey they got hell. ”

“ They burst by time or percussion fuses and may be improvised in a variety of forms and are most useful in close attack or defense. Their effect is local but they are very demoralizing to men's nerves.
1198. Hand grenades are designed to be thrown by the hand and vary greatly in construction. In general, however, they consist of a container filled with bullets or pieces of iron or other metal in the center of which is a charge of high explosive which scatters the bullets or fragments with deadly effect. The three methods of discharging a hand grenade are:
By time fuse which is lighted by hand. ”

“ They permit aviators to destroy planes which motor troubles oblige to land in enemy territory. They are also used to ignite inflammable liquids, thrown into a dugout, or sprayed over an objective by a flame projector.
The Mark I hand grenade was developed for burning enemy ammunition dumps, for clearing away brush or other material in front of trenches and for use in dugouts. The standard H.E. grenade body was half-filled with thermit and half with a celluloid container filled with a solidified fuel oil. The grenade is fired by the spit of the fuse of the bouchon firing mechanism. ”

“ In a British Battalion the normal percentage of expert bombers is 25. In the French Company 36 per cent of the men are devoted to grenade work.
A grenade has been defined as a slow moving, high trajectory missile containing high explosive and exploding by contact or time fuse. Grenades may be divided roughly into two classes—1, hand grenades, and 2, rifle grenades, and each of these classes may be subdivided as regards means of explosion, into 1, time fuse, or 2, percussion grenades. ”

“ Since the fighting was at such close quarters, both sides used hand grenades at extremely short-range. The Marines had the advantage because of their armored vests and they would throw a grenade, then turn away from the blast, hunch up, and absorb the fragments in their flak jackets and the backs of their legs. On several occasions, Captain Breeding's men used this technique and "blew away" enemy soldiers at less than 10 meters. ”

“ Never was there a ship in so desperate a strait, and there was hardly a man on board, except Captain Jones, who did not want to surrender.
But the British were not having it all their own way. The American tars had climbed the masts and were firing down with muskets and flinging down hand grenades, until all the British had to run from the upper deck. A hand grenade is a small, hollow iron ball filled with powder, which explodes when thrown down and sends the bits of iron flying all around, like so many bullets. ”

“ Our regiment has learned the French open order drills which is by sections instead of squads. We have also had any amount of rifle shooting and certainly know how to shoot. Then, besides, we have had practice in throwing live hand-grenades until our arms ached, but the use of this deadly bomb is of the utmost importance for close fighting as one grenade properly thrown among the enemy is liable to wipe out a hundred men. Besides this, we have been taught to shoot hand-grenades and automatic rifles, and do about everything that is infernal in warfare. ”

“ It is of course much more dangerous than throwing a live hand-grenade, and one accident in practice is enough to discourage all the recruits who see it from firing live rifle-grenades in actual warfare. On the other hand, even where the rifle-grenades are only used as dummies, the waste of valuable ammunition is simply appalling. ”

“ From this moment, subject to machine gun and musketry fire, the men could only proceed slowly along the summits by the alleys of communication, with hand grenades, supported by the artillery, with whom they remained in constant touch by flag-signalling. As the advance of our grenadiers continued, the Germans surrendered in large numbers. An uninterrupted chain of grenade-bearers, like the chains of bucket-holders at a fire in former times, was established in the alleys of communication from Massiges forward, and each fresh arrival of grenades was accompanied by a fresh advance. ”

“ They, too, betray the line of their flight at night by their burning fuse. If they do not happen to arrive in too great numbers one mostly succeeds in getting out of their way. In daylight that is not so hard because one can overlook everything. It often happens that one cannot save oneself in time from the approaching hand grenade. In that case there is only one alternative—either to remain alive or be torn to atoms. Should a hand grenade suddenly fall before one's feet one picks it up without hesitation as swiftly as possible and throws it away, if possible back into the enemy's trench. ”

“ The Infantry as such will use gas in only two or three ways. They will use some gas in rifle grenades, and a great deal more smoke. We speak of the rifle grenade because in our opinion the hand grenade is a thing of the past. We do not believe there will ever be used in the future any grenade that is not applicable to the rifle. The Infantry will probably often carry large quantities of gas in the shape of the toxic smoke candle. These materials being solids may be shot up by rifles or artillery fire, run over by trucks or tractors, or trampled and still be harmless. ”

“ Rifle grenades are thrown by the propulsive power of the ordinary cartridge. A special contrivance at the muzzle of the gun cocks the grenade, so to speak, as it is driven from the120 barrel by the bullet, so that it will explode on hitting the ground. It reaches farther than the hand grenade. ”

“ There was a difference between grenades hurled from sheltered positions and those used in open fighting. When the throwers were sheltered behind their own breastworks, it mattered not how powerful was the explosion of the grenade. We must remember that in "hand-artillery" the shell is far more powerful in proportion to the distance it is thrown than the shell fired from a gun, and many grenades were so heavily charged with explosives that they would scatter death and destruction farther than they could be thrown by hand. ”

“ The difference between a bomb and a hand-grenade is mainly a matter of size and weight, and a corresponding difference in the arrangements made for its release. Ordinarily, a hand-grenade is a small bomb of some 5 lb, or 6 lb, weight or less, containing a high explosive or inflammable charge, and is, as its name implies, thrown by hand. Requiring no particular provision for its storage or discharge, it is a weapon particularly suited to employment by scouting and other machines not primarily intended for fighting. ”

“ The cardboard box contained in addition to the pencil bombs a shiny knife and several grooved, pear-shaped objects.
“What are those?” Louise asked curiously. “They look like hand grenades.”
“That’s what they are,” said Jerry, lifting one from the box. “It’s a mighty useful weapon for close fighting. A strong man can throw a grenade twenty-five to thirty-five yards and it does damage over a large area.”
Penny gingerly inspected one of the grenades.
“It won’t bite you,” Jerry laughed. “Nor will it explode in your hand. ”

“ There are also smoke bombs, the Mexican or tonite bomb, the Hales hand grenade, the No. 19 grenade and the fumite bomb, which contains white phosphorous, wax and petrol, and discharges a stream of liquid fire which will quickly burn out a dug-out and everything it contains. Hand grenades are always thrown with a stiff arm, as a bowler delivers a cricket ball toward the wicket. They cannot be thrown in the same manner as a baseball for two reasons. ”

“ Only blank ammunition may be fired when the blank firing device is in place. Do not use the cap or the combination tool kit as a blank firing device.
HAND GRENADE LAUNCHER: The hand grenade launcher is installed by removing the muzzle nut (fig. 53) and screwing the launcher onto the weapon (fig. 54) .
TO FIRE THE GRENADE: Insert a grenade with the pin pulled into the launcher.
CAUTION: A special type cartridge is used for firing the grenade. Place the butt of the weapon on the ground and fire from this position. The maximum effective range the grenade can be fired is 250 meters. ”

“ The sapping section, on the other hand, have to dig open trenches running towards the enemy's position. These are connected by transversal trenches, the purpose being to get one's own position always closer to the enemy's. As soon as one's position has approached near enough to make it possible to throw hand grenades into the enemy's position the hand grenade sections have to take up their places and bombard the enemy's trenches continually with hand grenades, day and night.
Some few hundred yards to the rear are the heavy modern mine throwers firing a projectile weighing 140 pounds. ”

“ He determined that he fired 15 rounds, the three rounds specifically identified while at the end of the alley, and by counting rounds he determined that he had fired 12 rounds as he ran past the alley. All of the rounds were fired from his issued M-4 rifle and he used no other weapons. recalled that other US forces threw one hand grenade, from which no one was wounded, into the living quarters of the compound as they cleared it. The only other weapons fire he witnessed during the assault was the enemy fire from the alley and the one hand grenade thrown at US forces from the alley. ”

“ The plain fact is that it depends entirely upon what the shell strikes. If it falls on soft earth, the effect is merely local and a man within a few feet would be uninjured; while, should it fall on a hard, stone-paved road, pieces might be effective at a distance of half a mile or more.
In (p. 186) the bombing schools we are told that the Mills hand grenade has an effective radius of ten yards, yet one will quite frequently escape unhurt from a dozen of them bursting within this radius and yet may be hit by a fragment from a distance of two hundred yards or more. ”

“ You cannot get at them with a rifle, but it might be comparatively easy for one or two men to get along to the house by back ways, using the other houses for shelter and throw a grenade through the window, killing everyone in the room. ”

“ A retreating enemy must be given no time to re-establish a defensive attitude, corners must be worked carefully and bays and straight pieces of trench rushed. The bayonet men will complete the work of the grenades and see that the carrier and thrower will meet with no opposition on their way to new throwing position. The effect of a grenade bursting in a confined space like a trench is tremendous, and though it may not kill it will stun or shock the hostile occupants, and if the bayonet men follow up rapidly they will meet with very little resistance. ”

“ A grenade is a hollow ball, cylinder, or cube, made of metal or other material, which is filled with some explosive, and burst by means of a fuse, or on impact when it falls among an enemy. Until about the end of the seventeenth century trained soldiers called Grenadiers used grenades which were thrown by hand, but after that date they fell into disuse. ”

“ Hostile trenches and strongholds were raided and bombarded, wire was cut by hand and smashed by shell-fire, and mines were sprung. All arms continued to carry on enthusiastically, and the mental peace and physical security of the occupants of opposing positions were shattered constantly by bayonet and grenade, trench-bomb, bullet, and shell. ”

“ Hales Rifle Grenade; (b) R. L. impact or percussion grenade; (c) Mill’s pattern grenade; (d) R. L. grenades, friction, time.
Of these (a) is for firing from the point .303-inch short rifle. Its range is about 200 yards.
The remainder are intended to be thrown by hand.
Hand grenades can be of two classes, Heavy and Light. Heavy grenades weigh about 2 lbs. and light about 1 lb. It is considered that a man can throw a 2-lb. weight about 30 yards and a pound-weight about 50 yards. ”

“ Attacks should be practiced with dummy and deteriorated grenades, i.e., grenades with only a detonator and no explosive, etc.
Confidence and knowledge of grenades should be gained by students handling, stripping and assembling all types and handling fuses and detonators, as often as possible.
The importance of grenade work cannot be over-estimated and one can imagine numberless cases when a grenade is more useful than any other weapon. For instance, in street fighting a number of the enemy are holding a house and firing from an upper window commanding the main approach. ”

“ There are hand-grenades and rampart-grenades; old 6-pounder spherical-case may be used for the former, and shells of any caliber for the latter. Grenades are useful in the defense of works, the smaller, thrown by hand into the head of a sap, trenches, covered way, or upon the besiegers mounting a breach; the larger kinds are rolled over the parapet in a trough. Hand-grenades are intended to be used against the enemy when he has reached such parts of the defenses (the bottom of the ditch for example) as are not covered by the guns, or the muskets of the infantry posted on the banquettes. ”