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German Hand & Rifle Grenades
Bulletin No. 59, March 7, 1944
[DISCLAIMER: The following text is taken from a U.S. wartime publication on enemy ordnance. As with all wartime material, the text may be incomplete or inaccurate. No attempt has been made to update or correct the original contents. Any views or opinions expressed do not necessarily represent those of the website.]

Anti-Personnel Rifle or Hand Grenade
Gewehr-Sprenggranate

Data

Overall length       5.5 inches.
Maximum diameter1.2 inches.
ColorBlack body. Aluminum fuze & base.
Total weight9 ozs.
Explosive fillerPETN/Wax.
Weight of filler1.1 ozs.
Maximum Range550 yards.
DelaySelf-destroying - 11 seconds.
 Friction Igniter - 4½ seconds.

Description

This grenade consists of a body with explosive filling and detonator, a fuze body carrying the direct action fuze, a friction igniter, and a base fitment carrying the delay of the self-destroying system.

The body is in the form of a steel tube having a diaphragm near the bottom. It is screw threaded at the nose to receive the fuze body and at the base to receive the base fitment. The diaphragm is screw threaded centrally to receive the delay igniter.

The filling is penthrite wax contained in a cardboard container. The explosive has a central cavity which holds the detonator encased in an aluminum container at one end, and receives the igniter delay pellet from the diaphragm at the other end.

The fuze is made of aluminum and is of the direct action type. The base of the fuze body is threaded externally to enter the grenade body and internally to receive a detonator holder. It consists of a striker held away from the primer by a creep spring and a coiled spring. Around the coiled spring is an inertia pellet resting on four fingers of a stirrup spring fixed in the base of a stirrup spring retainer. The inertia pellet has a groove cut on the inside of it.

The friction igniter which is similar to the B.Z. 24 used with stick hand grenades screws into the central channel of the diaphragm. The igniter pellet has a delay of 4-1/2 seconds.

The rifled base fitment is screw threaded externally to screw into the base of the grenade and internally at the base to receive a closing plug. A 6½ sec. delay pellet contained in a brass holder is situated in the base.

The propelling cartridge is a 7.92 mm. cartridge closed at the shoulder by crimping. The propellant consists of 0.9 grams of nitrocellulose flakes.

Operation

1. As a Rifle Grenade -

a) On discharge the inertia pellet of the fuze is driven downwards and the ends of the stirrup spring are forced into the grooves of the inertia pellet thus holding it down. The clock spring is now held in position by the collar of the striker pin and the stirrup spring retainer. On deceleration the clock spring flies outward, assisted by centrifugal force, into the recess in the fuze body. On impact the striker compresses the creep spring and penetrates the primer whose flash explodes the detonator.

b) Should the fuze not function the grenade will be self-destructive. On firing, the flash enters the hole in the closing plug and ignites the delay pellet which burns for 6½ seconds. This than fires the friction igniter which will give an additional delay of 4½ seconds and then fire the detonator.

2. As a Hand Grenade -

a) The base fitment is unscrewed and the cord of the friction igniter pulled. This gives a delay of 4½ seconds and then fires the detonator.

[German Anti-Personnel Rifle or Hand Grenade (Gewehr-Sprenggranate)]

 

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