Handgranate

created by Pelle

(thing) by Pelle (6.2 y) (print) ? I like it! Fri Sep 07 2001 at 17:19:23

This node covers the Stielhandgranate 24 (StiGr24), Handgranate 43 (Hdgr43), Eihandgranate 39 (EHdgr39), Volkshandgranate 45 (VHdgr45), Behelfshandgranate, Scheibenhandgranaten.

All these are hand grenades used by the German Wehrmacht during World War II.

Stielhandgranate 24 (StiGr24):
Length: 356mm.
Diameter: 60mm.
Weight: 595gr.
Load: 165g TNT (originally).

StiGr24 is inarguably the most (in)famous handgrenade in the world. Also nicknamed the "potato-masher" grenade for its characteristic shape: An approx. 30cm long stick, with a cylindrical head on top of it.
The German StiGr24 worked in a quite different fashion than Allied hand grenades, as it was made for shock and concussion effect more than fragmentation damage.
An extras added to the StiGr was the SplitterRinge (fragmentation-ring), which was attached to the explosive head and made it possible to use as a fragmentation grenade. The idea was imported from the Soviets, who used this method for their RGD 33 hand grenades.

Handgranate 43 (Hdgr43):
Length: 75mm.
Diameter: 60mm.
Weight: approx 200gr.
Load: 165g TNT (originally).

Is the designation of a grenade constructed from the StiGr24/39 - by removing the handle.
Used for a diversity of tasks - mines, charges and also:
Gebalte Ladung (Great Load), which consisted of 6 Hdgr43, wrapped around the explosive head of a single StiGr24/39. Often used as a haphazard Anti-Tank weapon.

Eihandgranate 39 (EHdgr 39):
Length: 76mm.
Diameter: 60mm.
Weight: 230gr.
Load: 112gr TNT.

The Egg-hand grenade EHdgr39 was a compromise between size and power. As materials for creating hand grenades grew scarse, the EHdgr39 fell in favor. It was created from almost any material such as concrete or metal shrapnel. They held a lighter load, and was much more fragile than its predecessors.
The fuse on the EHdgr39 was covered by a blue cap, which was removed and a string was pulled to ignite the fuse (4-5 second delay).
Later, there was a red capped version added, which had a delay of 1 second - it was not used for hand grenating tasks, but as an explosive. The Red capped version was often left behind if Soldiers retreated, an enemy who did not understand the color-coding would try to use the hand grenate with fatal results.
On the Soviet front, there existed a booby-trap version which carried the official blue cap, but exploded instantaneously. Often left behind by retreating Germans, ready for "use" by a Russian soldier.

Volkshandgranate 45 (VHdgr45):
Length: 70mm.
Diameter: 50mm.
Weight: approx 530gr.
Load: 36gr TNT.

The Volkshandgranate (People's hand grenade) was basically a cardboard can filled with shrapnel and explosives. 70g concrete, 75g gravel and 350g scrap metal pieces, and had a core of only 36g of TNT was used to make this grenade. The same rip-cord device used in the StiGr was used.

Behelfshandgranate:
Length: 90mm.
Diameter: 70mm.
Weight: 550gr.
Load: Bohrpatrone 28 explosive cartridge.

Shortages in critical raw material had also led to the development of the Behelfshandgranate which was a makeshift hand grenade. It was introduced in March 1943 and consisted of a concrete pot with a wooden stick cast into.

Scheibenhandgranaten:
Length: 16mm(!)
Diameter: 80mm.
Weight: 125gr.
Load: 87gr TNT.

Also called Detonierende Pulverscheibe (Detonating powder-disc) or DPS. Used primarily as an anti tank weapon, but was fairly uncommonly used. The disc itself was made from Nipolite - a then newly invented explosive which did not require a casing. Discs were often used together for better effect.
A later modification to use against bunkers weighed about 1 kilogram where about half (450gr) was Nipolite and phosphor.

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