Disc grenade. Unusual WWXNUMX grenade

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Disassembled German disc grenade, photograph from the First World War, photo: greatwarpostcards.blogspot.com

The First World War on the Western Front quickly took on a positional character. Under these conditions, it was required weapon, helping to knock out the enemy from well-fortified positions. Hand grenades, which appeared in European armies at the end of the XNUMXth century as a weapon of grenadiers, turned out to be very useful here.

Hand grenades of a modern type, which we are all familiar with, began to be massively used in all armies during the First World War. These were egg-shaped grenades or long-handled grenades equipped with a lever or removable safety catch. By the way, one of the most famous pomegranates in stories - German "mallet" - fought in both world wars with minor changes. The pomegranate got its name for its well-recognizable wooden handle.



But, in addition to hand grenades of the usual form, the howling countries already during the First World War began various experiments. In Germany, the result of such experiments was the emergence of a disk grenade, designated Diskushandgranate M.1915.

For its shape, the grenade was nicknamed the disc, and also "lentil". In addition, the very shape and structure of the hand grenade resembled the shell of a turtle, so the soldiers sometimes called it a "turtle" grenade.

The appearance of the Diskushandgranate M. 1915 hand grenade


The creator of the disc grenade was the German company Dynamit AG, which received a patent for an unusual invention several years before the start of the world conflict, this happened in 1911. In addition to its unusual shape, a feature of the grenade was a shock fuse, which was made in the shape of a six-pointed star.

Before the war, the grenade, which can be safely attributed to a strange military development, was not particularly interested in the German army, although they managed to release a certain number of grenades in 1913. After the outbreak of the First World War, as the situation at the front worsened and the conflict slipped into the stage of trench warfare, interest in the grenade arose again. As a result, in 1915, on the basis of a pre-war patent, a disk hand grenade was created, which received the designation Diskushandgranate Model 1915.


German disc grenades at the Verdun Memorial, photo: wikimedia.org

The military got interested in the grenade for two reasons. The disc shape, in theory, provided the possibility of a long-range throw, giving the grenade a predictable flight path. In addition, already in the course of hostilities, it became clear that grenades must be provided with the possibility of instant detonation after meeting an obstacle. The battles showed that the enemy was able to "throw" a grenade back or, noticing a falling hand grenade in time, to hide from damaging factors.

They tried to increase the effectiveness of weapons by introducing instantaneous fuses, but they were distinguished by high complexity in production, enormous cost and insufficient reliability when dropped into soft soil or water. All this did not allow instantaneous fuses to completely displace remote ones. In turn, the disadvantage of remote fuses was that the grenades were not detonated at the time of the fall, which gave the enemy time for some countermeasures.

It was an attempt to solve this problem that the work on the creation of a disk grenade, which should not have had the above disadvantages, began. The Diskushandgranate hand grenade was equipped with an unusually shaped instant-action fuse that was supposed to detonate the grenade when it hit any solid object or ground.

Characteristics of the German disc grenade


The pomegranate, nicknamed the lentil or tortoise at the front, received a pronounced disc shape. The body of the grenade, in which the shock fuse in the shape of a six-pointed star was hidden, formed two cast iron cups with a wall thickness of approximately 3 mm. When a 130-gram explosive charge was detonated, such a grenade could provide from 70 to 90 fragments.

For the most part, the fragments flew to the sides, and only a small number flew forward and backward, which, along with a high throwing range (about 30-40 meters), made it possible to use this hand grenade as an offensive weapon. Such dispersal of the fragments was laid by the shape of a hand grenade. The main scattering of the fragments went towards flat surfaces.

Disc grenade. Unusual WWXNUMX grenade
German disc grenades of different diameters in a carrying case

The most common disc grenade was the 1915 model of the year. Such a hand grenade had a diameter of 100 to 110 mm, and its weight reached 420 grams, which made the Diskushandgranate one of the lightest German hand grenades. The explosive charge in a similar grenade was 130 grams.

In addition to this model, there was also a disk grenade, which was supposed to be thrown at the enemy with the help of special devices. Such a grenade had a larger diameter - 180 mm and, as a result, carried more explosives. It was specially designed not for throwing by hand, but for use with various slings and catapults.

For example, a special throwing machine from Bosch made it possible to throw up to three such grenades at once at enemy positions. The maximum throwing range at the same time reached 155 meters.

The main feature of the disc grenade was not the shape, but the fuse


It should be admitted that the main highlight and real "design feature" of disk grenades was not even their shape, but an unusual fuse.

The fuse, assembled in a disc-shaped body of a hand grenade, consisted of six radially arranged tubes, resembling the shape of their location with the letter "Ж" and converging in the center of the grenade.

Four tubes were equipped with primers-igniters, in one tube there was a rod with a striker in the form of a four-ray star attached to it. A tube with a detonating compound was located directly under the tube with the rod. The entire cavity of the body of a hand-held disc-shaped grenade was filled with an explosive, the role of which was played by trinitrotoluene.

Immediately before throwing a grenade, the fighter had to pull out the pin, which fixed the rod with the drummer. The shape of the hand grenade also dictated the method of throwing - like a disc for sports competitions, with a grenade spinning around its own axis.

Disc grenades were distinguished by good aerodynamics, which allowed soldiers to throw them at a sufficiently long range in comparison with cylindrical or egg-shaped grenades. When the edge of the body struck an obstacle, the drummer impaled the capsule in one of the tubes, which led to the detonation of a hand grenade.


German disc grenades at the Fort Tre Sassi Museum, photo: wikimedia.org

Despite the obvious advantages, the unusual grenade had a lot of disadvantages.

In the "Basic Provisions for the Training of the Reserve in 1916," it was noted that it makes no sense to use a disc-shaped grenade on soggy or soft ground due to frequent cases of failure with insufficient force of impact on the ground. The same, in fact, applied to the fall of the grenade in the snow and water.

The hull itself didn't actually make throwing easier either, especially in wet weather.

For the correct and effective use of such grenades, soldiers had to undergo training and develop the necessary skill.

At the same time, the scattering of the fragments also raised questions. When a grenade was triggered, almost flat, the bulk of the fragments could go into the ground and into the sky.

Also, when falling flat, a hand grenade might not explode at all. In this case, it practically turned into a mine of dubious effectiveness. There was no self-detonation device in the hand grenade, so one could only hope that someone would accidentally kick it or stumble over it.

Considering all of the above, the real front-line life of disk grenades was short-lived. The mass production of such weapons in Germany was quickly curtailed.
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  1. +6
    8 December 2021 18: 06
    As soon as they did not get rid of, what people did not come up with ...
    1. +13
      8 December 2021 18: 54
      what people didn’t come up with
      An interesting grenade was in service with the French army at the beginning of the war
      Pomegranate bracelet sample 1914.
      The grenade had a round cast-iron case with a diameter of 81 mm, into a special neck of which a fuse was screwed. To set it on fire, a special cord was used, ending in a bracelet worn on the wrist. When throwing a grenade, the cord was pulled out and ignited the fuse. The grenade exploded with a 4 second delay.
      A French soldier throws a bracelet grenade.
      However, the French command did not expect that grenades would be required in such quantities, and therefore entire French armies switched, as they say, to self-supply, making grenades for their soldiers, as they say, "on the knee": from improvised materials, the main component of which was, of course , explosive.
      The explosive was placed in a metal tube, a fuse was attached, everything was screwed together with a wire to a stick and - come to admire the godfather. More precisely - catch, fritz, a grenade.
      Petard grenade.
      It turned out something like a home-made firecracker, which the French called - "firecracker grenade". According to experts, this type of grenade was used by the French 3rd Army. Sometimes, for, so to speak, variety, the metal pipe in which the explosive was located was provided with grooves to form fragments. But on the whole, the effect of this structure on the enemy soldiers was rather psychological: there was a lot of noise, but little sense.
      1. +5
        8 December 2021 19: 06
        Quote: Crowe
        Sometimes, for, so to speak, variety, a metal pipe, in which the explosive was located, was supplied grooves - for the formation of fragments

        Notches ...
        1. +9
          8 December 2021 19: 44
          Thanks for the amendment! "Oh, woe to me, boyar" But the British with what they met the war


          English hand grenade Mk. 12 is designed to defeat enemy personnel. The grenade was used by British forces during the initial phase of World War I, 1914-1915. Later it was replaced by more technologically advanced and reliable samples. Considering the years when and how much pomegranate was in circulation, now it can be found only in museums, and even then not in all. For the characteristic shape of the wooden part of the grenade on which it was assembled, among the soldiers of the Mk. 12 has received the nickname "brush" or "tennis racket".
          Structurally, the grenade consists of a wooden platform with a handle. A tin box with an explosive charge is fixed on the platform with two iron brackets. From above it is covered with a lid with notches, which, when exploded, form additional fragments. The fuse of the grenade is a brass tube with a pyro cartridge and a striker inside. When pulling out the pin, the firing pin strikes the flammable composition of the squib, which transfers fire to the explosive charge. The Mk.12 served only six months as it was a temporary solution. Soon, it was replaced by more advanced models, the story about which would have dragged on for several pages - the very "lemons" with characteristic notches. Thanks again, Vladimir Nikolaevich.
          1. +12
            8 December 2021 20: 39
            Yes, not at all! hi And there were enough "grenade improvisations" in WW1 and even WW2! And sometimes very interesting designs came across and "factory" production! Here is the Rdultovsky grenade arr. 1912.


            or, for example, a Stender hex grenade under a cavalry pyroxylin checker ...


            And what are the "cans" grenades (cans ...) "worth"?

            After all, according to this idea, "factory" grenades were produced on the basis of canning production! By the way, the grenades in the casings of small-caliber artillery shells turned out to be similar ...
        2. +2
          9 December 2021 04: 03
          Quote: Nikolaevich I
          Notches ...

          Semi-finished elements tongue
          1. +3
            9 December 2021 09: 46
            Quote: Vladimir_2U
            Semi-finished elements

            To "form" "semi-finished fragments" you must first make a notch! The notch can be made not for the formation of "semi-finished fragments"; but for better holding the grenade in the hand ... By the way, not every "fragmentation" notch justifies the wishes assigned to it! By the way, for this purpose, for example, a cardboard mesh inside or a "carbon mesh" formed by high-frequency currents is used ...
            So, it turns out ammunition with "semi-finished fragments"; but without a notch ...
            The words "corrugated" (corrugated body), "ribbing" (ribbed body) are also used ...
            The appearance of the Mills grenade does not differ much from the others: the oval-shaped body is made of cast iron, on the outside it has transverse and longitudinal notches [2]. (Wikipedia)
            1. +2
              9 December 2021 10: 19
              Quote: Nikolaevich I
              The appearance of the Mills grenade does not differ much from the others: the oval-shaped body is made of cast iron, on the outside it has transverse and longitudinal notches [2]. (Wikipedia)

              1. +3
                9 December 2021 11: 00
                "Why are you so serious?" And what is serious right away? And just talk if there is a reason? recourse
                1. +1
                  9 December 2021 11: 29
                  Quote: Nikolaevich I
                  And just talk if there is a reason?

                  It's true. Besides, in fact, you are right. hi
      2. +2
        9 December 2021 11: 38
        No wonder they say that "new is well forgotten old ..."!
        A French soldier throws a bracelet grenade.

        Adams hand grenade with a thorn fuse. 19th century. USA. 60s ...
        Petard grenade

        Ketchum Hand Grenade (North)

        Neiser Hand Grenade (South)
  2. +8
    8 December 2021 18: 23
    This was the very same foundling whom we called simply a grenade.
  3. +14
    8 December 2021 18: 43
    Thank you, it's always interesting to read about little-known weapons!
    it was noted that it makes no sense to use a disc-shaped grenade on soggy or soft ground due to frequent failures with insufficient force of impact on the ground
    Reminded - in 1904 - 1905 Russian designers Yanshin, Lishin and Zelensky created grenades with shock-type fuses. It was enough to throw them - they exploded from impact when dropped. But on soft ground or snow, the fuses did not work, but they often exploded from accidental blows.
    Lishin's pomegranate
    1. +11
      8 December 2021 19: 01
      I subscribe to your words. Against the background of the politicized content in other sections, "Arms" with such articles is a real outlet.
      1. +14
        8 December 2021 19: 14
        So, in my opinion, "Voennoye Obozreniye" is, first of all, "armament" and "history"! You can always read something interesting here! Here's about grenades, for example. Heavy hand grenade Novitsky-Fedorov
        made it possible to save artillery shells. To destroy obstacles on a wide front, it was supposed "for every 65-70 front steps ... to appoint teams of 12 people, each with 4 shells." The tactics of using these grenades were worked out: they were thrown onto wire barriers "at night by scouts from a distance of 12-15 paces from a trench covered with a shield." Ropes with weights were tied to the grenades for hanging on the fence. Novitsky improved the grenade together with Warrant Officer Fedorov.
        The burning time of the remote composition, about 12 seconds, made it possible for the grenade launcher to take cover before the grenade exploded. But for the same reason, it was forbidden to use a grenade against manpower - the enemy had time to throw it back. In the army, the Novitsky grenade received the nickname "flashlight". It is curious that in the years of the Civil War and in the post-revolutionary period, the heavy hand grenade of Novitsky-Fedorov fell in love with safe-breakers. The long burning time of the fuse made it possible to hide, and the high power did its job. The grenade was as if it was made for hacking!
        1. +6
          8 December 2021 19: 17
          Well, everyone is so unfriendly wassat )))
          I will raise the rating for everyone)))
        2. +6
          8 December 2021 19: 49
          In some fiction book (I read it for a long time, as if not even under the USSR), they advised the main character about the Civilian:
          'And you attach Novitsky's grenade to the nose - he will start growing down .. "
          1. AUL
            +6
            8 December 2021 21: 50
            Quote: your1970
            'And you attach Novitsky's grenade to the nose - he will start growing down .. "

            In the original - "Novitsky's ten-pound". I don't remember either the author or the work now, but I remember about 10 pounds (4 kg, by the way!)!
            1. +6
              8 December 2021 22: 13
              "Novitsky's ten-pound" is mentioned in Ostrovsky's book "How the Steel Was Tempered" ... By the way, in fact it is a "five-pound"!
            2. +4
              8 December 2021 23: 31
              Quote from AUL
              In the original - "Novitsky's ten-pound".

              The same bullshit ... only a pomegranate is remembered from the book request
          2. The comment was deleted.
    2. +9
      8 December 2021 20: 53
      Quote: Crowe
      Lishin's pomegranate ...

      By the way, Lishin's grenade was in different "versions"! With a long handle with a stabilizer at the end, with a short handle, for a hexagonal pyroxylin block and for a "round" (cylindrical) drill bit ... in WW1 they made a simplified Lishin grenade without a handle and Lishin "striker", but with a fire-conducting cord and a capsule. ..

      Perhaps Lishin was once inspired by this grenade mod. 1834 g.

  4. +6
    8 December 2021 20: 00
    "When a grenade fell flat, the bulk of the fragments could go into the sky or into the ground."
    Weird. After all, an effective throw is meant exactly flat, as in sports. It is impossible to throw this pancake vertically, and even with a plane towards the enemy.
    1. 0
      14 January 2022 14: 02
      "... Strange. After all, an effective throw is meant exactly flat, as in sports. It is impossible to throw this pancake vertically, and even with the plane towards the enemy.
      ..."
      - Nothing strange...
      Moreover, a throw at a considerable distance practically excluded "horizontal landing". Those. a horizontally thrown (up and forward) ROTATING disc, upon landing, sooner or later will turn ON THE EDGE. And the faster the disk spins, the faster it will turn around.
      And aerodynamics is to blame here. The fact is that on the descending branch of the trajectory - a ROTATING disk is flown around by an oncoming air flow. Rotating disc - entrains a near-surface layer of air, which begins to move almost at the speed of the surface of the disc. For a horizontally located rotating disk (with a vertically located "axis" of rotation) - on one side of the disk, the speed of the near-surface air flow from one side of the disk (for example, to the right relative to the trajectory and horizon) IS ADDED with the air flow incoming from front to bottom, and on the other side (respectively - on the left...) - REDUCED. Thus, on the lower right side of the disk (relative to the surface of the sheet), the air moves FASTER than on the left side of the disk. And according to Bernoulli's law, the faster the air moves, the LOWER its pressure. The pressure on the right edge of the disk from below is weaker than on the left. A "moment of forces" is formed, tending to put the disk VERTICALLY (in this position, the overturning moment is equal to zero). Therefore, the lighter the disk, the faster it rotates and the faster it falls, the faster in flight the initially horizontal disk will "get up" VERTICALLY.

      - try, for fun, twisting - throw a little up and strongly forward - something round and flat - something like a lid from a tin can or an old gramophone record (a record is better - it has a larger diameter - which means the difference "on the right- on the left "velocities of the air entrained by the disk - above 8-) - it will very quickly "turn on edge" and after falling - it will simply ROLL further. Landing a record "flat" is possible only with a very close/weak throw, when it will rotate very slowly...
      physics, however...
  5. +4
    9 December 2021 10: 36
    The Australian Army used a boomerang grenade in World War I. The fact is that, as their distant ancestors noticed, a curved object flies farther than a straight one. This main principle of the boomerang (and not the ability to return!) Was used in the grenade. The Australian Infantry Museum (Singleton) still contains metal boomerangs that Australians, drafted into the British army, threw into German trenches during the First World War.
    1. +4
      9 December 2021 11: 21
      Quote: riwas
      The Australian Infantry Museum (Singleton) still contains metal boomerangs that Australians, drafted into the British army, threw into German trenches during the First World War.

      Was it this way to "save" the grenades that missed? belay
    2. +1
      9 December 2021 22: 34
      "boomerang grenade" whether to laugh or cry, especially to those who are not on the subject
    3. 0
      10 December 2021 12: 43
      "A curved object flies farther than a straight object" not so much because of the bend, but because of the profile. And at the same time, it still needs to be thrown correctly. And the profiles are different. At the same time, there is only one principle. They are all "flattened" in the bending plane. And sometimes this "flattening" has a very perfect shape like an "airplane wing".

      Well, it’s hard to say for sure what the Australians did with the boomerang grenade. But most likely, the contraption is not very convenient and practical. Almost certainly, to throw it away, you need to throw it with a rotation in the horizontal plane. You won't really throw it out of the trench.
    4. The comment was deleted.
    5. 0
      14 January 2022 14: 08
      "... The Australian Infantry Museum (Singleton) still stores metal boomerangs that Australians, drafted into the British army, threw into German trenches during the First World War.
      ..."
      - such a "grenade", probably, and even explosives are not needed. The main thing is that that Australian aborigine should hit the enemy on the helmet ...
      8-))
  6. 0
    9 December 2021 23: 04
    A gloomy Teutonic genius in understanding how to ditch his neighbor for little money.
  7. 0
    30 January 2022 13: 14
    An interesting thing. Haven't heard of this one before. Only now I have a puzzle in a dead end phrase. I quote: "For the most part, the fragments flew to the sides, and only a small amount flew back and forth," but where, in principle, is the front and back of a disk grenade? Where are the sides? After all, the design itself implies its scrolling in flight. That is, as it were, it is not known which part to whom it will fall. Where will the thrower be in relation to the grenade when it falls? It's strange somehow. Or am I misunderstanding

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