Excerpts from an article on Soviet hand grenades of WWII, from the Intelligence Bulletin, June 1946. [Editor's Note: The following article is wartime information on foreign equipment published for Allied soldiers. In most cases, more accurate data on foreign equipment is available in later postwar publications.]

 

SOVIET HAND GRENADES (article excerpts) M1914/30 DUAL-PURPOSE STICK GRENADE Characteristics:        Weight (with fragmentation jacket)   _ _ _ _ _   1.8 pounds. Effective radius (with fragmentation jacket)   _ _ _ _ _   15 yards. Weight (without fragmentation jacket)   _ _ _ _ _   1.5 pounds. Lethal radius (without fragmentation jacket)   _ _ _ _ _   10 yards. Length over-all   _ _ _ _ _   9.3 inches. Diameter of head   _ _ _ _ _   1.8 inches. Time of delay   _ _ _ _ _   3.5 to 5 seconds. The Soviet M1914/30 Grenade. Essential parts indicated are: (a) safety ring, (b) safety bar, (c) striker arm in uncorked position, (d) detonator delay assembly retaining arm, and (e) firing lever. RGD 33 HE DUAL-PURPOSE STICK GRENADE Characteristics:        Weight (with fragmentation jacket)   _ _ _ _ _   1.7 pounds. Weight (without fragmentation jacket)   _ _ _ _ _   1.1 pounds. Length over-all   _ _ _ _ _   7.5 inches. Diameter of head without fragmentation jacket   _ _ _ _ _   2.2 inches. Time delay   _ _ _ _ _   3.2 to 4 seconds. Effective bursting radius (with fragmentation jacket)   _ _ _ _ _   15 yards. Maximum lethal radius (without fragmentation jacket)   _ _ _ _ _   10 yards. Average throwing range   _ _ _ _ _   30 to 40 yards. This is the Soviet RGD 33 Hand Grenade. Parts indicated are: (above), (a) red mark, (b) safety slide, (c) detonator delay assembly retaining arm, and (d) fragmentation jacket; (below), (a) detonator well, (b) detonator delay assembly retaining arm, (c) retaining arm catch, and (d) fragmentation jacket in place. RG 1941 HAND GRENADE Characteristics:        Weight   _ _ _ _ _   14 ounces. Time delay   _ _ _ _ _   3.2 to 3.8 seconds. Effective bursting radius   _ _ _ _ _   15 yards. Average throwing range   _ _ _ _ _   45 to 55 yards. RTD 42 HAND GRENADE Characteristics:        Weight   _ _ _ _ _   15.3 ounces. Weight of filler (TNT)   _ _ _ _ _   3.9 ounces. Length over-all   _ _ _ _ _   4.6 inches. Length without fuze assembly   _ _ _ _ _   3.4 inches. Diameter of body   _ _ _ _ _   2.2 inches. Time delay   _ _ _ _ _   3 to 4.4 seconds. F1 FRAGMENTATION HAND GRENADE Characteristics:        Weight (fuzed)   _ _ _ _ _   1 1/4 pounds. Weight of HE filler   _ _ _ _ _   2 ounces. Length over-all   _ _ _ _ _   4.6 inches. Maximum diameter   _ _ _ _ _   2 5/32 inches. Delay   _ _ _ _ _   4.4 seconds (average). Lethal radius   _ _ _ _ _   15 yards. The Red Army's F-1 Hand Grenade is very similar to the standard U.S. counterpart. Indicated here are: (a) safety cotter pin, and (b) safety lever. RPG 40 ANTITANK STICK HAND GRENADE Characteristics:        Weight   _ _ _ _ _   2.7 pounds. Length over-all   _ _ _ _ _   7.9 inches. Diameter of head   _ _ _ _ _   3.8 inches. Effective bursting radius   _ _ _ _ _   25 yards. Average throwing range   _ _ _ _ _   25 to 30 yards. Indicated on this Soviet RPG-40 Grenade are: (a) detonator delay assembly, (b) the opposite side of the handle in which the safety lever is set, and (c) the retaining arm and detonator well. The cotter pin and tab do not show here. RPG-43 HEAT HAND GRENADE Characteristics:        Weight   _ _ _ _ _   About 2.65 pounds. Average throwing range   _ _ _ _ _   16 to 21 yards. Type of Fuze   _ _ _ _ _   Instantaneous impact. The indicated parts of this Red Army RPG-43 Grenade are: (a) conical sleeve, (b) fabric strips, (c) safety cotter pin, and (d) safety lever. M1917 CHEMICAL STICK HAND GRENADE Characteristics:        Weight   _ _ _ _ _   1.9 pounds. Weight of filler (chloropicrin)   _ _ _ _ _   1.06 to 1.1 pounds. Length over-all   _ _ _ _ _   9.7 inches. Diameter of head   _ _ _ _ _   2.6 inches. Time delay   _ _ _ _ _   3.5 to 4 seconds. The Soviet M1917 Chemical Grenade has these principal components: (a) striker assembly tube, (b) safety ring, (c) firing lever, (d) location of safety bar, (e) striker (cocked), (f) raised screw, (g) detonator delay assembly retaining arm. RGD1 SMOKE HAND GRENADE Characteristics:        Weight   _ _ _ _ _   18 to 18.3 ounces. Filling (smoke)   _ _ _ _ _   15.8 ounces. Duration of smoke screen   _ _ _ _ _   About 1.5 minutes. Length of smoke screen   _ _ _ _ _   27 to 33 yards. "S" SMOKE HAND GRENADE Characteristics:        Weight   _ _ _ _ _   1.25 pounds. Length   _ _ _ _ _   6.3 inches. Diameter   _ _ _ _ _   2.75 inches. Filling   _ _ _ _ _   Dark-gray, crumbly mixture of potassium nitrate, ammonium chloride and bitumen (tar). The Red Army's "S" smoke hand grenade. FRANGIBLE INCENDIARY GRENADES Characteristics: (All figures are approximations.)        Weight   _ _ _ _ _   1 to 2 pounds. Over-all length   _ _ _ _ _   10 inches. Maximum diameter   _ _ _ _ _   3 inches. Average throwing range   _ _ _ _ _   25 yards.

Back to Articles by Subject | Intel Bulletin by Issue | T&TT by Issue | Home Page