German hand grenade question...
Donald J. Borja
this discussion group... Ever since I was a young lad and would watch
"COMBAT!!" TV show, I have always wondered of how a German hand grenade
was activated. I have seen them thrown but always wondered of how the
were ignited or activated. Also, how long is their fuse lenth??? Is
there a web site or page showing this in action??? Curious....THANKS!!
The Big N
Donald J. Borja wrote:
The classic German 'potato masher' grenade (Steilhandgranate 39) had a cap
on the end of the stick. It was unscrewed revealing a pull cord. Tugging
on it lit a friction igniter. About 4 seconds later, it went off. The
Germans also had an 'egg' grenade (Eihandgranate 39), so called because it
was shaped like an egg with a screw-on knob that was stringed to a friction
igniter.
--
Smoke me a kipper, I'll be back for breakfast.
Nate nh...@io.com
Jens Paananen
>Here is a question that might finally get answered now that I have found
>this discussion group... Ever since I was a young lad and would watch
>"COMBAT!!" TV show, I have always wondered of how a German hand grenade
>was activated. I have seen them thrown but always wondered of how the
>were ignited or activated. Also, how long is their fuse lenth??? Is
>there a web site or page showing this in action??? Curious....THANKS!!
Type "Potato masher"
(From "Reserve Officers Handbook", Finnish, 1941)
Preparing for throw:
1. The explosive can is unscrewed from the shaft.
2. The blasting cap is pushed into boring in the shaft.
3. The shaft is screwed back onto the explosive can.
The throw:
1. The user gets a firm grip of the shaft with hand he intends to throw the
grenade.
2. The cap of the end of the shaft is removed. A pulling knob, which is
tied to a string, is revealed from the shaft.
3. The knob is pulled swiftly out from the shaft. This action ignites the
time fuse.
4. The grenade is thrown at the target.
The time fuse burns five and a half seconds.
If someone needs a picture, I could provide one.
A real cutie, don´t you think?
Jens
HCALTMANN
> "Donald J. Borja" <wndr...@iquest.net>
asked:
> I have always wondered of how a German >hand grenade was activated.
The tin cover at the end of the handle was unscrewed. That revealed a bead
attached to a string. The bead was grasped and pulled.
> Also, how long is their fuse lenth???
If I recall correctly, it was five seconds. The grenadier would count off two
or three seconds and then toss the grenade. This prevented the grenade being
tossed back at him. I was there -- Heinz
HCAl...@aol.com (Heinz Altmann)
Martin Goedhart
>
> Here is a question that might finally get answered now that I have found
> this discussion group... Ever since I was a young lad and would watch
> "COMBAT!!" TV show, I have always wondered of how a German hand grenade
> was activated. I have seen them thrown but always wondered of how the
> were ignited or activated. Also, how long is their fuse lenth??? Is
> there a web site or page showing this in action??? Curious....THANKS!!
Hello Donald,
A german Handgrenate, (Steilhandgranate), was activated by pulling on a
cord which is inside the woodenstick, this will setof a timeignition,
and after about 4 to 5 seconds the explosion follows.
On the bottom of the granate there was a screw-on cap, which was removed
then the piece of rope was visibly after pulling throw away as far as
one can.
I hope this answers your question.
Martin Goedhart
efr...@mocha.memphis.edu
> Ever since I was a young lad and would watch
> "COMBAT!!" TV show, I have always wondered of how a German hand grenade
> was activated. I have seen them thrown but always wondered of how the
> were ignited or activated.
I'm no armaments expert, but I recall that a cap
would be unscrewed (or popped) on the end of the
stick, and then a cord was yanked, setting the
fuse (or breaking the vial?)
> Also, how long is their fuse lenth???
4-5 seconds(?)
>Is there a web site or page showing this in action???
Not that I know of. Yo, Heinz, you're up!
Ed Frank
Atom Info
..., I have always wondered of how a German hand grenade
>was activated. I have seen them thrown but always wondered of how the
>there a web site or page showing this in action???
Yo9u might try the online Grenade Recognition Manual at:
http://www.pacificcoast.net/~dlynn/index.html
lots of info
Ray Mentzer
Photos of the Great War
http://members.aol.com/atominfo/greatwar.htm
Lenny Warren
Donald J. Borja wrote:
> "COMBAT!!" TV show, I have always wondered of how a German hand grenade
> was activated. I have seen them thrown but always wondered of how the
The stick grenade, "Steilhandgranate", or "potato masher", the Stg 24
for example, had a friction igniter inside the handle. The end cap was
unscrewed to reveal a porcelain bead on the end of a length of string.
Pulling the string jerked a roughened pin through a friction sensitive
chemical inside the igniter which flashed and lit the 5 second fuse.
This burned through as the grenade travelled through the air, and
hopefully exploded at the moment of landing!
Unlike earlier grenades, there were no serrated iron rings or casings.
The body was made of sheet iron, which blew into tiny fragmets on
bursting. These were lethal at short range, but fairly harmless at 20
yards or more from the burst!
It is different from the British Mills, for example, in being an
OFFENSIVE grenade which means it could be thrown by a soldier safe in
the knowledge that he could through it further than the lethal
fragments could fly! The Mills, being a DEFENSIVE grenade meant that
the soldier had to take cover after throwing it, with lethal fragments
travelling a long way!
Catch you later,
Lenny...
Lenny Warren, Strathaven, Scotland.
e-mail: lwa...@zetnet.co.uk
www: http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/lwarren/
Atom Info
>I have always wondered of how a German hand grenade
>was activated. I have seen them thrown but always wondered of how the
>there a web site or page showing this in action???
Yoiu might try the online Grenade Recognition Manual at:
Christopher Morton
>
>> "Donald J. Borja" <wndr...@iquest.net>
>asked:
>
>> I have always wondered of how a German >hand grenade was activated.
>
>The tin cover at the end of the handle was unscrewed. That revealed a bead
>attached to a string. The bead was grasped and pulled.
>
>> Also, how long is their fuse lenth???
>
>If I recall correctly, it was five seconds. The grenadier would count off two
>or three seconds and then toss the grenade. This prevented the grenade being
>tossed back at him. I was there -- Heinz
Did you ever see the practice of inserting immediately fuzed
detonators into grenades and leaving them in abandoned positions as
boobytraps for unwary enemy users?
---
Gun control, the theory that Black people will be
better off when only Mark Fuhrman has a gun.
Check out:
http://extra.newsguy.com/~cmorton
http://www.firstnethou.com/gunsite/moore.html
Christopher Morton
>
>
>Donald J. Borja wrote:
>
>> Here is a question that might finally get answered now that I have found
>> this discussion group... Ever since I was a young lad and would watch
>> "COMBAT!!" TV show, I have always wondered of how a German hand grenade
>> was activated. I have seen them thrown but always wondered of how the
>> were ignited or activated. Also, how long is their fuse lenth??? Is
>> there a web site or page showing this in action??? Curious....THANKS!!
>
> The classic German 'potato masher' grenade (Steilhandgranate 39) had a cap
>on the end of the stick. It was unscrewed revealing a pull cord. Tugging
>on it lit a friction igniter. About 4 seconds later, it went off. The
>Germans also had an 'egg' grenade (Eihandgranate 39), so called because it
>was shaped like an egg with a screw-on knob that was stringed to a friction
>igniter.
There were also later simplified versions of the stick grenade with
the fuse of the egg grenade on top of the explosive cannister. This
eliminated the necessity of boring through the wooden handle.
Also, the "nipolit" handgrenades made completely of explosive, without
a casing, used the egg grenade fuse on top.
timc...@my-dejanews.com
"Donald J. Borja" <wndr...@iquest.net> wrote:
> Here is a question that might finally get answered now that I have found
> this discussion group... Ever since I was a young lad and would watch
> "COMBAT!!" TV show, I have always wondered of how a German hand grenade
> was activated. I have seen them thrown but always wondered of how the
> were ignited or activated. Also, how long is their fuse lenth??? Is
> there a web site or page showing this in action??? Curious....THANKS!!
>
>
The fuse was ingnited by removing the screw cap at the end of the
handle and pulling a length of cord inside.There was a delay of 4 to
5 seconds before explosion.
Tim Crick
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HCALTMANN
cm...@nwohio.com (Christopher Morton) asks:
>Did you ever see the practice of inserting immediately fuzed
>detonators into grenades and leaving them in abandoned positions as
>boobytraps for unwary enemy users?
No. -- Heinz
HCAl...@aol.com (Heinz Altmann)
Kennedy How
> The Germans also had an 'egg' grenade (Eihandgranate 39), so called
> because it was shaped like an egg with a screw-on knob that was
> stringed to a friction igniter.
OK, for those (like Heinz, maybe) who have thrown both, which would be
easier to throw?
Kennedy
HCALTMANN
From: Kennedy How <howl...@tir.com>:
>OK, for those (like Heinz, maybe) who have thrown both, which [potato
> masher type or egg type] would be easier to throw?
I only threw the potato masher type, and that only in training. I was not
athletic and had trouble throwing it any distance with accuracy. In
combat, I did not carry grenades, just a carbine, ammo and spare barrels
for the MG-42. I believe I would have preferred the egg type; it took up
less space and was probably easier to toss. -- Heinz
HCAl...@aol.com (Heinz Altmann)
Millsbomb
In article <19980929153111...@ng41.aol.com>, hcal...@aol.com
(HCALTMANN) writes:
>cm...@nwohio.com (Christopher Morton) asks:
>
>>Did you ever see the practice of inserting immediately fuzed
>>detonators into grenades and leaving them in abandoned positions as
>>boobytraps for unwary enemy users?
>
>No. -- Heinz
>
>
>
Hello,
Not in the grenade it's self, but the stick bomb head was used a
lot for booby traps. We never used German weapons or grenades, we had enough
of our own, besides German weapons have their own distinctive sounds that could
attract friendly fire. If we got our hands on a Luger pistol, our Officers
would confiscate it for their own use.
The German system of fuzes was by far better than the Brits, in that they were
all interchangable. Teller mine booby trap fuzes could be used in Stick
Grenade heads, or Shue Mines and even "S" Mines. Italy was a 'booby-trap'
nightmare.
As is mentioned in this thread, the stickbomb was a 'offensive' grenade, and
Jerry soon found himself on the 'defensive' <BG>, so a thick cast iron serrated
sleeve was issued to slip over the Grenade head, to give more splinters. Where
as our 'Millsbomb' had One and a Quarter Pounds of Steel and Iron wrapped round
it, everybody got a piece <BG>.
The Germans wrote the book on booby trap warfare, very inventive, kept us
guessing for years.
Bob,
Top marks in the 46 div 'Boobytrap, Mine & Demolition' course 1944 Italy.
When first under fire an' your wishful to duck,
Don't look nor take 'eed at the man that is struck,
Be thankful your livin', an trust to your luck
And march to your front like a soldier.
Christopher Morton
>From: Kennedy How <howl...@tir.com>:
Did you ever seen any of the "nipolit" grenades made of cast
explosive, without a metal casing?
HCALTMANN
cm...@nwohio.com (Christopher Morton) asks me:
>Did you ever seen any of the "nipolit" grenades made of cast
>explosive, without a metal casing?
No, I did not, neither did I know about them. They do not make sense to me.
What were they used for or against? Concussion effect? To puncture ear drums,
maybe? Can you give me a reference? The U.S. War Department's Handbook on
German Military Forces does not mention them -- Heinz
HCAl...@aol.com (Heinz Altmann)
Christopher Morton
wrote:
>The German system of fuzes was by far better than the Brits, in that they were
>all interchangable. Teller mine booby trap fuzes could be used in Stick
>Grenade heads, or Shue Mines and even "S" Mines. Italy was a 'booby-trap'
>nightmare.
I think that we copied this system after the war, as I've seen
references to a standard boobytrap type detonator, usable in several
devices.
>As is mentioned in this thread, the stickbomb was a 'offensive' grenade, and
>Jerry soon found himself on the 'defensive' <BG>, so a thick cast iron serrated>sleeve was issued to slip over the Grenade head, to give more splinters. Where
>as our 'Millsbomb' had One and a Quarter Pounds of Steel and Iron wrapped round>it, everybody got a piece <BG>.
I've also heard that the bakelite offensive grenade with the "all
ways" fuse was widely used like we use grenade simulators in
training... until somebody ended up with the lead ball from the fuse
in his body....
Christopher Morton
They were both an offensive and a defensive grenade. For use as a
defensive grenade, a notched metal fragmentation sleave was slid over
the body.
The real purpose of them was to cut the cost of bulk type explosives.
Nipolit was made from reprocessed artillery shells and the like, and
was both inexpensive and easy to make.
An added benefit of Nipolit was that it was hard and could be molded
into shapes, such as an egg grenade and a stick grenade.
I read about it in a British book on WWII ordnance.
Kennedy How
> They were both an offensive and a defensive grenade. For use as a
> defensive grenade, a notched metal fragmentation sleave was slid over
> the body.
>
> The real purpose of them was to cut the cost of bulk type explosives.
> Nipolit was made from reprocessed artillery shells and the like, and
> was both inexpensive and easy to make.
Plus, the "fragmentation" or lack thereof, was desired for the offensive
grenade, since you threw it and then advanced behind it. It kept the
attacker from being wounded or killed by the fragmentation, and the
blast would stun your opponent, especially if the grenade went off in an
enclosed space (foxhole, trench, bunker, pillbox, room).
Kennedy
Christopher Morton
>Plus, the "fragmentation" or lack thereof, was desired for the offensive
>grenade, since you threw it and then advanced behind it. It kept the
>attacker from being wounded or killed by the fragmentation, and the
>blast would stun your opponent, especially if the grenade went off in an
>enclosed space (foxhole, trench, bunker, pillbox, room).
The Nipolit system was a clever idea. I'm surprised that nobody's
taken it up, although widespread use of plastics has somewhat
overridden the benefits. Still, it was a good idea which deserved
more success.
Millsbomb
In article <6ur010$12am$1...@nntp6.u.washington.edu>, timc...@my-dejanews.com
writes:
> The fuse was ingnited by removing the screw cap at the end of the
>handle and pulling a length of cord inside.There was a delay of 4 to
>5 seconds before explosion.
>
> Tim Crick
The Friction Wire fuse of the stick grenade, in my opinion, was better
that our 36 Millsbomb for battle use. It was silent and could be lobbed
into a room or trench without the 'pop and ping' of the 36. When you are
creaping though a house looking for Jerry, the P & P was a dead giveaway.
bob.
Millsbomb
In article <3618fa79...@enews.newsguy.com>, cm...@nwohio.com (Christopher
Morton) writes:
>
>>As is mentioned in this thread, the stickbomb was a 'offensive' grenade, and
>>Jerry soon found himself on the 'defensive' <BG>, so a thick cast iron
>serrated>sleeve was issued to slip over the Grenade head, to give more
>splinters. Where
>>as our 'Millsbomb' had One and a Quarter Pounds of Steel and Iron wrapped
>round>it, everybody got a piece <BG>.
>
>I've also heard that the bakelite offensive grenade with the "all
>ways" fuse was widely used like we use grenade simulators in
>training... until somebody ended up with the lead ball from the fuse
>in his body....
>
>
Hello,
Yes the bakelite grenade was a training grenade, it was thrown by
the instructers. You got covered in little black spots of hot melted bakelite,
that burnt into your skin and as you said, the metal ball and spring was a
problem.
My best mate got the lower half of his leg blown off with a 69 or was it 96
grenade ?
It was tossed into a river we were crossing and I belive the tape had not
completely unwound to remove the pin, it sank to the bottom where he kicked it
and being confined under water, blew his leg off just above the knee.
The Commanders were allowed 5% casualties in training with no questions asked
in those days.
Bob.
Christopher Morton
wrote:
>Hello,
> Yes the bakelite grenade was a training grenade, it was thrown by
>the instructers. You got covered in little black spots of hot melted bakelite,>that burnt into your skin and as you said, the metal ball and spring was a
>problem.
>My best mate got the lower half of his leg blown off with a 69 or was it 96
>grenade ?
According to Ian V. Hogg's "Grenades and Mortars", it's the Number 69.
Lee Russell
fragments and discovered that the serrations of the Mk II pineapple
greande had little to do with how it splintered. The fuse always went as
one big piece, and often segments several inches square were generated by
the explosion.
Christopher Morton
wrote:
That's why modern grenades use windings of notched wire as a
fragmentation medium.
On the other hand, the serrations on the Mk II did make it very easy
to maintain control of, even with wet or muddy hands.