Zahoor Raja-Jani
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Offensive Hand Grenades
In the military it seems we can be restricted or limited in offensive grenades training and employment. When I say ‘offensive’ use, I’m talking about both fragment and concussion types and usage by both friendly and enemy sides. I think our own training needs to include more than just the ‘Pull the pin, Throw at bad guys training I so often see. What I’d like to see more of is enemy grenade usage and TTPs, remembering that these guys don’t play by our rules, they will and have placed some nasty booby-traps to hit us on their turf. I want to briefly cover some of the offensive grenades in use on both sides of modern conflict and cover some less talked about topics.
The use of hand grenades in combat goes as far back as the Roman Empire. I don’t think I need to cover much history as it’s a pretty basic concept. Put some explosive in something and throw it at the enemy. The majority of modern grenades are the same in construction and employment. You have a body filled with a primary explosive and the body typically either contains or is the shrapnel producing piece. Many modern grenades contain a internally pre-fragmented body to produce a more even spread of shrapnel. The next component is the fuse, which is typically a pyrotechnic delay or impact device. Some are a combination. The fuse is normally topped with a ‘spoon’ or handle which is designed to be released from the body when thrown which in turn activates the fuse. Lastly, we have the safety pin and on some, an additional spoon safety clip. The safety devices are to prevent inadvertent activation during combat conditions, which would obviously make a bad day for all involved.
In WWII the US grenade of the day was the classic ‘pineapple’ type Mk 2 Fragment Grenade. There are still a large number of these and copies overseas, many were hidden in caches and pulled back out in recent conflicts. After WWII we introduced the M26 and M61 grenades, which appear as two small joined cups with a smooth exterior and nick-named ‘Lemon’. The M26 differed from the Mk 2 in using internal coiled wire fragments instead of the grenade body itself, and the M61 was a further improvement with a internally pre-cut fragmenting shell. These grenades saw conflict in Korea and Vietnam. Like the Mk 2, it and copies are widespread and can still be found throughout the world.
The current US issue grenade is the ‘baseball’ M67 Fragment Grenade. It is 14 oz in weight, containing 6.5 oz of Comp B explosive and using a pre-segmented body to produce an even and lethal spread of shrapnel. The fuse is designed for 4 seconds, +/- 1 sec. The stated kill radius is 5 meters, and wounding at 15 meters which can be confusing to those expecting a 100% result at those ranges. The 5/15 meter figure is actually rated as a 50% chance of. Don’t have it in your head that if you or a hostile are in those windows that it’s automatically lights out. Grenades aren’t a guarantee kill anymore than bullets are. Always assume the bad guy is still able to fight! The shrapnel spread from the M67 is very even, so the chances of an enemy coming out completely unscathed are low.
In the military it seems we can be restricted or limited in offensive grenades training and employment. When I say ‘offensive’ use, I’m talking about both fragment and concussion types and usage by both friendly and enemy sides. I think our own training needs to include more than just the ‘Pull the pin, Throw at bad guys training I so often see. What I’d like to see more of is enemy grenade usage and TTPs, remembering that these guys don’t play by our rules, they will and have placed some nasty booby-traps to hit us on their turf. I want to briefly cover some of the offensive grenades in use on both sides of modern conflict and cover some less talked about topics.
The use of hand grenades in combat goes as far back as the Roman Empire. I don’t think I need to cover much history as it’s a pretty basic concept. Put some explosive in something and throw it at the enemy. The majority of modern grenades are the same in construction and employment. You have a body filled with a primary explosive and the body typically either contains or is the shrapnel producing piece. Many modern grenades contain a internally pre-fragmented body to produce a more even spread of shrapnel. The next component is the fuse, which is typically a pyrotechnic delay or impact device. Some are a combination. The fuse is normally topped with a ‘spoon’ or handle which is designed to be released from the body when thrown which in turn activates the fuse. Lastly, we have the safety pin and on some, an additional spoon safety clip. The safety devices are to prevent inadvertent activation during combat conditions, which would obviously make a bad day for all involved.
In WWII the US grenade of the day was the classic ‘pineapple’ type Mk 2 Fragment Grenade. There are still a large number of these and copies overseas, many were hidden in caches and pulled back out in recent conflicts. After WWII we introduced the M26 and M61 grenades, which appear as two small joined cups with a smooth exterior and nick-named ‘Lemon’. The M26 differed from the Mk 2 in using internal coiled wire fragments instead of the grenade body itself, and the M61 was a further improvement with a internally pre-cut fragmenting shell. These grenades saw conflict in Korea and Vietnam. Like the Mk 2, it and copies are widespread and can still be found throughout the world.
The current US issue grenade is the ‘baseball’ M67 Fragment Grenade. It is 14 oz in weight, containing 6.5 oz of Comp B explosive and using a pre-segmented body to produce an even and lethal spread of shrapnel. The fuse is designed for 4 seconds, +/- 1 sec. The stated kill radius is 5 meters, and wounding at 15 meters which can be confusing to those expecting a 100% result at those ranges. The 5/15 meter figure is actually rated as a 50% chance of. Don’t have it in your head that if you or a hostile are in those windows that it’s automatically lights out. Grenades aren’t a guarantee kill anymore than bullets are. Always assume the bad guy is still able to fight! The shrapnel spread from the M67 is very even, so the chances of an enemy coming out completely unscathed are low.