Grenade size. Hand fragmentation grenades and fuses used with them
Everyone, from the military to military weapon enthusiasts, knows the F-1 anti-personnel hand grenade. The boys, playing in the yard and throwing stones, always imagined that this was the famous lemon tree. One way or another “fenka” was the name given to the F-1 grenade during the Great Patriotic War.
The history of the invention of the F-1 grenade began in 1939. Designer Fedor Khrameev was given the task of developing a new anti-personnel grenade in two months. He was able to complete it on time, despite the very short deadline. The designer took the French-made F-1 grenade and the Lemon system grenade as a basis. It was shaped like a lemon, hence the name. And according to the official version, it came from a French analogue.
Thanks to its design, the F-1 is still in service with a large number of countries today. Chinese “masters” took it as a prototype and began to produce their own fake, which indicates its popularity. Now the F-1 is also produced in Iran, completely copying the Soviet model.
The F-1 fragmentation-type hand grenade was used to blow up equipment and was often used during the 1941-1945 war. In addition, it was installed as a trip mine. It was enough to pull the wire to avoid the use of mines.
The Limonka grenade also gained fame in the cinema. Not a single war film can do without it. Although, you can often see the grenade being used incorrectly. In particular, it was always carried in a bag, and was never hung with it, so as not to trigger the “Limonka” mechanism. In addition, the pin cannot be pulled out with teeth; this requires considerable effort.
F-1 became widespread in the 90s. It was often used together with a Kalashnikov assault rifle during gang warfare. Despite its simplicity, the F-1 hand grenade has been used for more than 70 years and continues to be in service.
History has not brought to us the name of the designer of the F-1 grenade. Developed before the First World War, it has so far proven to be the cheapest to produce and the most terrifying to use. combat use. In Russia, Germany and Poland it was called “lemonka”, in France and England - “pineapple”, in the Balkan countries - “turtle”.
The grenade was developed on the basis of the French fragmentation grenade F-1 model 1915 (not to be confused with the modern F1 model with a plastic body and semi-finished fragments) and the English Lemon system grenade (with a grating fuse), supplied to Russia during the First World War. Hence the designation F-1 and the nickname “limon”. The grenade was adopted by the Red Army from remote fuse(“fuse”) Koveshnikov. Ignition of the remote composition primer is carried out by a striker action mechanism. In 1939, F.I. was modernized. Khrameev. In 1941, instead of the Koveshnikov fuse, the UZRG fuse of the E.M. system, which was easier to manufacture and handle, was adopted. Viceni. In addition to the “lemon”, the grenade was also nicknamed “fenyusha” by the troops.
With the advent of rifle-mounted and under-barrel grenade launchers, the art of fighting with hand grenades began to be forgotten. But in vain. The effect on the target of low-fragmentation grenades cannot be compared with the work of the F-1 hand-held fragmentation grenade, known to both the military and the civilian population under the code name “limonka”. With minor design changes, this grenade has been produced in different countries for 80 years. “Limonka” is the most powerful of all hand grenades in terms of the lethal effect of fragments and the most convenient to use. The ribs on its body - the turtle - exist not at all for division into fragments, as is commonly thought, but for “grasping” in the palm, for ease of holding and the possibility of being tied to something when placed on a stretcher as a mine. The body of the F-1 grenade is cast from the so-called “dry” cast iron, which, when a high explosive (crushing) charge explodes, splits into fragments ranging in size from a pea to a match head, irregularly torn in shape with torn sharp edges. In total, up to four hundred (!) such fragments are formed. The shape of the grenade body was chosen this way not only for ease of holding. Until now, no one can explain why, but when a “lemon” explodes on the surface of the earth, the fragments scatter mainly to the sides and very little upward. In this case, the grass is “mown down” completely within a radius of 3 m from the explosion site, complete destruction of the growth target is ensured within a radius of 5 m, at a distance of 10 m the growth target is hit by 5-7 fragments, at 15 m - by two or three.
Therefore, at close distances, a bulletproof vest will not save you from an explosion - shrapnel will cut your arms, legs, and face.
Even a small fragment in the neck is tantamount to a death sentence. Small fragments retain a penetrating lethal effect up to 100 m, large fragments up to 250 m. In confined spaces, in addition to the mass of ricocheting random fragments, the shock wave of this strong grenade itself causes concussion and incapacitates. The bulletproof vest is also useless.
In the infantry, for all these reasons, the F-1 grenade is used as a defensive grenade. In special forces - as a powerful means of suppression, when with small forces it is necessary to achieve real results in specific brutal circumstances. Exodus in special operations when conducting combat operations in non-standard situations, it often depends on the use of practical combat techniques that are not specified in regulations and cabinet regulations. The merciless power of the lemon ensures a turn of events in favor of the proactive and inventive, but only with its skillful use.
During the Second World War, SMERSH employees (“death to spies” - military counterintelligence of the USSR during the war), when carrying out operational fire contacts, shooting while moving with one hand from a pistol, held a grenade in the other hand, raised at head level, as a counterweight for a smooth move. The grenade was thrown from this position without swinging, instantly, if necessary, sharply increasing its firepower. But they threw for a reason. At close ranges of operational combat “point-blank”, in the event of a sudden collision with an enemy group, the grenade was thrown behind the enemy’s back. This protected the thrower from his own fragments. At the same time, the enemy found himself “sandwiched” between small arms fire “at point-blank range” and a grenade explosion from behind.
In close combat practice, this simple technique is difficult to overestimate. It is especially valuable in street battles, when when the enemy suddenly appears close, there is no time to swing a grenade or it is impossible in a cramped room.
Without swinging, a grenade can be thrown quite far and accurately, without taking your eyes off the target or intuitively in the dark. But for this you need to develop the joints and muscles of the throwing hand - be it the right or the left. With this development, you should: holding a full-weight training grenade (filled with sand) with your hand, swing it, simulating a swing and throw, all the time, increasing the amplitude of the swing and gradually moving back the starting barrier of the throw. From the starting barrier, the grenade is sent forward by sharp efforts not only of the arm, but also of the muscles of the shoulder, chest and abdomen, but do not throw the grenade! Pump back and forth until it stops, gradually moving the limit of this stop! This throwing technique is used when it is necessary to throw a grenade into a narrow loophole located above human height.
The grenade can be thrown quite far and directly from the belt or directly from the grenade bag with or without a swing from below forward. This method is very fast and valuable because the enemy often does not have time to understand that the grenade has “went” towards him. The enemy is used to seeing a throw with an overhead swing. Training and development of ligaments and muscles is carried out similarly to a throw without an overhead swing with a gradual distance from the starting barrier. When throwing from below without a swing, in the same way as when throwing from above, sharp, explosive efforts of the muscles of the shoulder, chest and abdomen are activated. The method is unusual, but with certain training the range and accuracy of the throw quickly progress. In addition, depending on the circumstances, it is sometimes easier to “roll” a grenade towards the enemy (for example, through low-lying slots) in this way. Throwing from below is practical during operational combat in buildings, when there is no need to send a grenade far, but sometimes you need to throw several grenades quickly one after another.
When throwing a grenade from behind a vertical cover (around a corner), which happens all the time during combat operations in various kinds of labyrinths, it is advisable not to lean around the corner and expose yourself to oncoming fire. The goal is determined intuitively or by ear. This method of throwing allows those who have trained to throw a grenade from below, from the waist, without a swing, to throw a grenade quickly, far and accurately, with both the right and left hand, because the same muscle groups are involved here, the development of which is carried out similarly to the above.
If it is necessary to throw a grenade while lying down along a horizontal loophole, it is thrown from the waist, if possible placing a stone, a duffel bag, etc. in front of you, whatever is at hand, as a temporary shelter for protection from your own fragments.
If there is a need to throw a grenade further, this is done from the kneeling position. To do this, from a lying position, they sharply push off the ground with their hands, pushing the torso and pelvis back so that the legs are bent at the knees. Accelerating the movement, rise to your left knee, placing emphasis on your right leg. This will allow you to make a wide backswing for the throw. Following the throw, fall sharply and “squeeze” into the ground. To master this technique, all the above-described movements are practiced repeatedly “idly”, without releasing the training grenade from the hand, making a wide swing, increasingly increasing the amplitude of the swing, gradually, as in the previously described throwing techniques, “pushing” back the starting barrier of the throw. When throwing from the knee, all the same muscles of the throwing arm, shoulder and especially the body are activated in a sharp, explosive manner. As you train, you need to achieve unity, simultaneity and speed of movements. Everything is done almost instantly.
If you throw a grenade this way from behind some kind of cover (a hump, a pile of rubble, etc.), your knees should not move. If you pull one leg forward while swinging, as beginners do, the movement will slow down, the thrower will involuntarily move forward and after the throw he may fall not behind the cover, but onto the cover with his chest. You need to learn how to rise sharply from the ground, throw a grenade, and fall sharply before the enemy is able to react and shoot. The method described above has always been used by scouts and fighters of assault groups when it was impossible to crawl close to the enemy without being noticed.
A similar method is used to throw a grenade into a horizontal slot, an embrasure located above the ground at waist level. But at the same time they throw the grenade, swinging it from the side along the horizon.
This is the most difficult target for grenade launching. Training the shoulder joint and the “throwing” muscles of the shoulder and core is carried out in the same way as in the cases described earlier.
After throwing a grenade, you need to retreat behind cover and hug it. There is no need to be curious about how your grenade will work - it will work without your participation. Don't fall under its fragments. Consider the direction of their possible ricochets. After the grenade explodes, count “twenty-two, twenty-two” in your mind - these will be two seconds during which the fragments will go away or settle down, and do what you need according to the situation - jerk in the right direction, shoot from a machine gun in dark corners, etc. In a specific assault situation, not only F-1 grenades are used. Anti-tank grenades - from the past war and especially modern cumulative ones - have a monstrous destructive force and are indispensable when storming multi-story buildings, pillboxes, bunkers, etc. But they instantly trigger when they encounter any obstacle, and when throwing them you need to make sure that you have time to hide behind cover and close your ears before the grenade reaches the target. During training, this is determined by the sound of a dropped practice grenade. For the above reason, it is necessary to develop the habit of making sure that under no circumstances does the grenade hit anything when swinging, so that there are no bushes, branches, wires, etc. along the path of its flight.
SMERSH assault and sabotage groups used mines from an 82-mm Soviet mortar as special-strength grenades. They were four times heavier than the F-1 grenade, and therefore throwing them required great physical strength and additional training. But the effect of their use was terrible and exceeded all expectations.
Having mastered the above-described techniques of throwing grenades from various positions: lying down, from the knee, without a swing, etc., you should persistently train not only to accurately hit the target, but also to achieve the maximum speed of throws, so that in a combat situation you will not come under aimed fire or a stray bullet. To this end, when practicing grenade throwing, you should mentally count 2 seconds (to yourself - “twenty-two, twenty-two”) from the start of the technique, trying to release the grenade and fall behind cover before this time expires. After these two seconds, the instructor training beginners fires a blank cartridge, simulating an enemy shot.
If the situation allows, grenades can be thrown with a strong swing from behind the head and even with a run - this significantly increases the throw range. In this case, throwing a grenade is carried out with the same natural movement with which each of us had to throw a stone. When training, learn to make a wide, free swing and put muscle strength not only in your arm, but also in your whole body, into the throw. When throwing while standing, put your right leg back and focus on it - this will increase the throw's distance. The greatest range is achieved if the grenade is fired at an angle of 45-50°. To do this, try to throw the grenade more up than forward. You can and should learn to throw a grenade over long distances. By training regularly, you can confidently reach distances of 50 m and beyond with lemon. The F-1 grenade range record, set in 1951, was 87 m.
Strong fragmentation F-1 must be thrown tactically competently. If it is impossible to “reach” the enemy with a direct throw, the grenade is thrown “on a ricochet” so that it bounces off something and falls closer to the enemy behind cover. A very difficult target to throw is a trench with a parapet. To defeat it, a grenade is thrown only in a suspended manner so that it either falls into the trench or rolls into it along the parapet. In this case, you need to throw the grenade not so much forward as upward, and the force of the throw should be calculated in such a way that the grenade is at its end and falls almost vertically from top to bottom. You should also throw grenades at enemy personnel located openly. Having fallen vertically to the ground, grenades roll less to the sides.
In the mountains, no matter where the enemy is relative to you - higher or lower, the grenade is thrown in such a way that it falls above the enemy and rolls into his trench or causes a rockfall that “covers” the enemy. In an open rocky area, if circumstances permit, it is better to throw a grenade up the slope not directly in front of you, but at an angle so that you yourself are away from the back rolling of the grenade and the direction of a possible shower of stones. In this case, it is necessary to take into account the safety of comrades located on the side.
Throwing grenades in the forest requires greater accuracy than in open areas. The specifics of the forest determine the throws of grenades at point-blank range. When dealing with an enemy hiding behind a tree, a grenade is thrown so that it explodes behind his back. To “get” an enemy dug in or lying behind a tree, a grenade is thrown up into the crown of the tree, where it is delayed by its branches and, falling vertically down on the enemy, explodes in the air or next to him (this is a nasty invention of German rangers, tested in the fight against partisans ). In wetlands, the pomegranate is thrown onto an island, hummock or shallow place. The thickness of the water significantly reduces the damaging effect of fragments.
When throwing a grenade at vertical high targets (windows), you need to take it higher, at the top edge of the target, since the grenade loses speed and gradually deflects downwards.
At running targets, grenades are thrown in anticipation, ahead of the target, in accordance with the speed of its movement, so that they fall in front of the enemy, and he runs at them at the moment of the explosion. It should be taken into account that during the burning time of the fuse (4 seconds), an enemy running at an average speed of 3-3.5 m/s will run 12-15 m.
Therefore, when preparing to repel an attack, it is better to outline a line in advance, upon reaching which the enemy should launch a grenade. This line should be 15-20 m further than the line to which the grenade can be thrown, taking into account its rollout after the fall. Grenades exploding in front of the advancing chain will force the survivors to stop and lie down.
They act in a similar way when the enemy runs away from you (when detained). The same should be done with a retreating enemy.
A special forces soldier has to throw grenades in the dark almost more often than during the day.
The night is never dark - it alternates with flashes of gunfire, artillery explosions, and flares. Having discovered a target with such a flash, it is recommended to immediately fix its direction and distance to it, tying it to some landmark, for example, a bright star that stands out against the background tall tree or building. A throw corresponding to a certain distance to the target is ensured by orientational-spatial efforts, familiar from a throw at the same distance during the day. Throw in muscle “dark” memory. This is the only way to throw a grenade at a given distance, and you can't do it better.
Trust familiar and practiced sensations - they are the ones that will never let you down. The development of such sensations and muscle-spatial memory occurs in a very simple way.
When throwing grenades from memory, our imagination should, as it were, illuminate the area of the terrain lying ahead, and allow us to mentally see the location of targets and other objects all the time. IN daylight hours The trainee looks at the target, then closes his eyes and throws the grenade. As soon as the grenade “goes”, the eyes open, and the result is visually tracked in order to take into account errors and coordinate the process. Knowing the results builds a skill. At the same time, the spatial-coordination and power sensations from the throw are clearly compared with its results. Corrections “right-left-closer-further” are made by changing the corresponding forces and the position of the grenade launcher relative to the target. All efforts and the general coordination state of the body at the moment of a successful throw are remembered by “dark” muscle memory and general coordination memory.
During subsequent throws, these efforts and coordination are reproduced by muscles and spatial memory when the imagination “illuminates” the area with the target. The method gives amazing results. With persistent training, success is achieved quickly, and the results of throwing grenades in the dark are no different from those achieved during the day.
Then, using the same principle, grenade throwing at hard-to-see targets is practiced. First, it is performed in the gathering twilight, then by the light of a fire, then in pitch darkness, focusing only on trained night vision and an animal sense of purpose. Only in this way will the trainee learn to find a barely noticeable target and correctly determine the distance to it in conditions of poor visibility (in smoke and fog). In this case, before throwing, as necessary for the educational process, the instructor illuminates the target with a flashlight beam for 1-2 seconds, no more. After developing solid muscle-strength spatial coordination skills, you can begin throwing grenades at targets, the location of which is determined in the dark by sound.
To determine the direction of the sound, trainees stand in a semicircle and close their eyes, the instructor silently moves in front of the formation and, stopping in one place or another, gives a sound signal - knocks the shutter, clicks the aiming bar, etc. The cadets are required, without opening their eyes, to point with their hand to the location of the sound source. Then the instructor allows you to open your eyes and check. Further, the exercise becomes more complicated - those who memorize with their eyes closed make several turns, and the sound comes from the side or behind them. It is necessary to determine the direction of the sound and the distance to it.
Grenade throwing is carried out at a sounding target with eyes closed according to the above-mentioned technique of “mentally illuminating” the target and applying muscle-coordinating efforts. When the grenade “goes”, you are allowed to open your eyes and coordinate the process.
Then the distance to the targets changes. Grenade throwing begins at night. Tin sheets are suspended inside vertical sounding targets (windows), which produce characteristic sounds when hit. To the right and left of the target, sheets of cardboard or plywood are hung, which, when hit, produce completely different sounds (different to the right and left of the target), which the grenade launcher is guided by, making corrections by hearing if he misses. The various milestones to the target are the same as during the day, so that the cadets can focus on the familiar muscle-coordination sensations of a throw.
The process becomes even more complicated. Target - a wooden frame with a sheet of tin pulled on a rope. The twine operates the “clanging” mechanism mounted on the frame. Despite the apparent difficulty of throwing a grenade at a moving target in the dark by ear, the results grow faster than one might expect. But that's not the point. As a result of training according to the method described above at night, throwing results during the day increase by 40-50%. This can be explained by the fact that in the dark, coordination internal reserves are mobilized, the coordination sense increases, and so-called “internal aiming” appears, which simply does not allow the thrower to throw a grenade into the wind.
As training progresses, the loads and options for grenade throwing increase. You must learn to throw a grenade far, quickly and accurately under any load and after any load in any difficult conditions. Try to quickly run 50-70 m and throw a grenade at a familiar, practiced target. What's it like? The effort expended while running will inevitably affect the range and accuracy of the throw. However, no matter what strenuous actions you perform before throwing (in a real combat situation they will certainly occur), no matter how tired and in a hurry you are, you still need to hit the target with a grenade! The combat situation is indifferent to excuses. Hit or missed. Yes or no. “Put down” someone or “put down” you. Learn to “catch” the target and determine the distance to it while running, while you swing. Gradually increase the distance and speed of running, alternate running with throws, hand-to-hand combat and shooting, crawling, carrying a comrade, etc. All this will have to be done in a combat situation. While practicing throwing grenades at windows and cracks, learn to make a rapid throw 100-150 m, overcoming obstacles that may be encountered in the city - fences, fences, heaps of broken bricks, narrow holes, climbing walls and jumping off them. When practicing throwing grenades, accustom yourself to the unexpected - the enemy always appears suddenly and where he is not expected.
When throwing a grenade from a place and in motion, to complicate the exercise, stand with your back to the target, then, turning sharply, throw the grenade. When moving over rough terrain or in locality, set yourself a mental goal: to fire a grenade at a target detected by peripheral vision in a trench, in a hole, in ruins, behind anything that can serve as cover.
Exercises in throwing grenades will be more successful if you first perform throws for accuracy, and at the end of the training - for maximum range. Loads should be increased gradually, avoiding stretching of muscles and ligaments from excessive loads. Before training, the muscles need to be given a warm-up, rubbed, stretched and warmed up. At the end of the training, the instructor gives the cadets the maximum load through “I can’t”: “You can!” Forward!".
This general principle dynamic training. Gradually, the grenade throwing time increases to 3-4 hours per training, from all possible positions, in all expected situations.
When practicing throwing grenades at all targets and under all conditions” at different distances, etc., after each successful throw, try to remember with muscular-orientational-spatial memory the efforts of the muscles, body, supporting leg and throwing arm. They themselves are very bright and fit very well into the “dark” muscle-orientation memory. Try to “get attached” to these sensations on subsequent throws. By doing this you program yourself for possible situations - you create a combat dominant.
In the situation of close operational combat, which changes every moment, there is no time to “turn on your brains” - you have to fight back using reflexes. The necessary reflex is produced by an internal dominant attitude programmed for a specific situation. During a battle to defeat, you have to rely on the combat support you brought with you, and on what you remove from the killed enemy. Fulfilling the requirement - not a single grenade misses the target - is not that difficult, and with persistent training you will wonder how it is possible to miss a grenade at all. The process of grenade throwing itself is a fascinating sport, biomechanically as close as possible to the natural instinctive movements of a person.
There is one more aspect. It is known that hand-to-hand fighters shoot poorly and are poorly trained. accurate shooting(sometimes there are pleasant exceptions to this rule). But thanks to physical and coordination training, hand-to-hand fighters in a very short time learn to masterly wield a grenade, throwing it very far, quickly and truly with diabolical accuracy. Moreover, the old-time special forces, aware of their shooting “Achilles’ heel,” sought to compensate for this deficiency with increased skill in grenade throwing. And they did the right thing from a tactical point of view.
Operational combat to destroy anywhere: in a city, in a forest, in any rough terrain - takes place mainly at a short distance. The short distance in this case is the grenade throwing distance. As practice shows, at such distances it is not the one who is bigger or who shoots better who wins. The winner is the one who has the most grenades, who uses them first, and who can throw them quickly, accurately and far. Hand grenades are pocket artillery. The F-1 grenade with its avalanche of fragments creates a denser kill zone around itself than an automatic burst. It is not always possible to stop an advancing chain even with dense automatic fire, but with the group use of lemons it is always possible. "Limonka" is cruel and merciless. Even if it doesn’t kill you with a shrapnel, it will concuss you, stun you, fill your eyes with sand, knock you down, knock your weapon out of your hands, in short, scatter the advancing formations.
When a reconnaissance group breaks through from a ring, grenades thrown simultaneously by each fighter in their sector and then thrown again after 10-15 steps make a hole in any chain of those around them; 12-15 F-1 grenades, thrown in the above manner along a front of 50 m and then 10-15 m deep, leave behind a blind spot, which those breaking through expand with automatic fire. At different times, many - both ours and not ours - broke through in exactly this way. Therefore, they tried to take the weight of the F-1 grenade as much as the number of cartridges they took. The hand grenade is a melee weapon. An indispensable weapon that has an undeniable advantage at short distances. A normal enemy of an automatic weapon is much less afraid than an “iron turtle” - you can dodge a bullet, but not a grenade. Grenade weapons are flexible. It is used when you need to reach an enemy holed up behind cover. A grenade can be rolled into any crack, thrown flat and vertical in any direction. The sight of a hissing grenade falling nearby without a ring plunges an experienced person into horror - he knows what will follow and tries to rush away from it for at least some kind of cover. And if there is no shelter, he dares to “kick” it to the side or even back to the sender (this also happens) - there is still no other way out. Therefore, a knowledgeable special forces soldier, having pulled out the ring and counted down the fuse for one second after the clap (in his mind - “twenty-two”) - you can’t tempt fate anymore, the UZRGM fuse does not always burn for the required 4 seconds - will throw or roll the grenade so that it stops about two meters -three from the enemy and he couldn’t reach her. All this needs to be worked out during training sessions.
Always be on good terms with a grenade.
In a duel between a man and a grenade, the grenade always emerges victorious.
The "Old Turtle" F-1 is a weapon too powerful to be allowed to fall into oblivion.
A. Potapov
- Articles » Grenades
- Mercenary 19509 0
Hand grenades. Purpose, combat properties, general design of hand-held fragmentation offensive, defensive and anti-tank grenades
1. Purpose, combat properties and general design of the F-1 hand fragmentation grenade
The F-1 hand fragmentation grenade is a remote-action grenade (Fig. 1) designed to defeat manpower primarily in defensive combat.
The F-1 hand-held defensive grenade (“limonka”) was developed on the basis of the French F-1 fragmentation grenade of the 1915 model, hence the designation F-1. This grenade should not be confused with a modern one French model F1 with a plastic body and semi-finished fragments and an English grenade of the Lemon system (with a grating fuse), supplied to Russia during the First World War. The F-1 grenade was adopted by the Red Army with a Koveshnikov remote fuse (fuse). Since 1941, instead of the Koveshnikov fuse, the F-1 grenade began to use the UZRG fuse of the E.M. system, which was easier to manufacture and handle. Viceni.
When the grenade body explodes, it produces 290 large heavy fragments with an initial expansion speed of about 730 m/s.
38% of the mass of the body is used to form lethal fragments, the rest of the fragments are simply sprayed. The scattering area of the fragments is 75-82 m2.
The F-1 hand fragmentation grenade consists of a body, an explosive charge and a fuse.
The body of the grenade serves to house the explosive charge and fuse, as well as to form fragments when the grenade explodes. The body of the grenade is cast iron, with longitudinal and transverse grooves along which the grenade usually breaks into fragments. In the upper part of the body there is a threaded hole for screwing in the fuse. When storing, transporting and carrying a grenade, a plastic plug is screwed into this hole.
The explosive charge fills the body and serves to break the grenade into fragments.
The grenade fuse is intended to explode the explosive charge of the grenade.
F-1 hand fragmentation grenades are equipped with a modernized unified fuse for hand grenades (UZRGM).
The fuse primer ignites at the moment the grenade is thrown, and its explosion occurs 3.2 - 4.2 s after the throw. The grenade explodes without fail when dropped into mud, snow, water, etc.
You can throw a grenade from various positions and only from behind cover, from an armored personnel carrier or a tank (self-propelled artillery unit).
Combat properties of the F-1 defensive grenade
2. Purpose, combat properties and general design of the RGD-5 hand fragmentation grenade
The RGD-5 hand fragmentation grenade is a remote-action grenade (Fig. 2), designed to defeat enemy personnel in the offensive and defensive.
The dispersion area of RGD-5 grenade fragments is 28-32 m2.
Throwing a grenade is carried out from various positions when operating on foot and from behind armored personnel carriers (cars). The RGD-5 grenade consists of a body with a tube for a fuse, a bursting charge and a UZRGM (UZRGM-2) fuse. In addition to the UZRGM and UZRGM-2, the old UZRGM fuses remaining in the army can be used in combat conditions, but they are prohibited for use during training.
The body of the grenade serves to house the explosive charge, the fuse tube, and also to form fragments when the grenade explodes. The body consists of two parts - upper and lower. Top part The housing consists of an outer shell, called a cap, and a cap liner. An igniter tube is attached to the upper part using a cuff. The tube serves to attach the fuse to the grenade and to seal the explosive charge in the body.
To protect the tube from contamination, a plastic plug is screwed into it. When preparing a grenade for throwing, instead of a plug, a fuse is screwed into the tube.
The lower part of the housing consists of an outer shell, called the pan, and a pan liner. The explosive charge fills the body and serves to break the grenade into fragments.
The grenade explodes without fail when dropped into mud, snow, water, etc.
Combat properties of the offensive grenade GRD-5
3. Purpose, combat properties and general design of the RG-42 hand fragmentation grenade
The RG-42 fragmentation grenade (Fig. 3) was developed in 1942 by S.G. Korshunov, as an easy-to-manufacture, small-sized and easy-to-use offensive grenade.
The RG-42 hand fragmentation grenade is a remote-action grenade designed to destroy enemy personnel in offensive and defensive situations.
Throwing a grenade is carried out from various positions when operating on foot and from an armored personnel carrier (vehicle).
The RG-42 hand fragmentation grenade consists of a body with a fuse tube, a metal strip, a bursting charge and a fuse.
The grenade body serves to house the explosive charge, metal strip, fuse tube, and also to form fragments when the grenade explodes.
The body is cylindrical, has a bottom and a lid. A tube with a flange is attached to the cover to attach the fuse to the grenade and to seal the explosive charge in the body.
When storing and carrying a grenade, the tube is closed with a plastic plug or metal cap.
The metal tape serves to form fragments when a grenade explodes; it is rolled into 3-4 layers inside the body. To increase the number of fragments, the surface of the tape is cut into squares.
The explosive charge fills the body and serves to break the grenade into fragments. The fuse of the UZRGM grenade is intended to explode the explosive charge of the grenade.
Combat properties of the RG-42 offensive grenade
4. Purpose, combat properties and general design of the RGN hand fragmentation grenade
RGN hand fragmentation grenade (Fig. 4) designed to defeat enemy personnel in offensive and defensive situations.
The RGN (offensive) hand fragmentation grenade was developed at the Basalt enterprise in the late 1970s. A significant difference between this grenade and similar models is that it is equipped with a target sensor and is triggered when it hits any obstacle.
The RGN body is formed by two hemispheres made of aluminum alloy with an internal notch. In the upper part of the body, a cup for the fuse is rolled up with a cuff, which is covered with a plastic stopper during storage. A detonation block is placed under the glass in a recess inside the explosive mixture. The fuse is assembled in a plastic case. It consists of a pin safety mechanism, a target sensor, a remote device, a long-range cocking mechanism and a detonating unit.
The pin safety mechanism ensures safety when handling the grenade. After the grenade pin is pulled, the long-range cocking mechanism is activated, which cocks the fuse 1-1.8 seconds after the throw. The target sensor ensures instantaneous activation of the fuse upon impact with an obstacle. The remote device slows down the detonation after a throw by 3.2-4.2 seconds and duplicates the target sensor if the grenade hits mud, snow, or falls strictly “on its side.”
The detonating unit is fixed in a glass and consists of a detonator capsule and a bushing. The relatively complex design of the fuse ensures a combination of safe handling (6 stages of protection) with guaranteed operation. The temperature range of the grenade is from -50 to +50 degrees C. The RGN grenade is carried in a standard grenade bag, two at a time, or in equipment pockets.
Combat properties of the RGN offensive grenade
5. Purpose, combat properties and general design of the RGO hand-held fragmentation grenade
RGO hand fragmentation grenade (Fig. 5) designed to destroy manpower primarily in defensive combat.
The RGO (defensive) fragmentation hand grenade was developed at the Basalt enterprise in the late 1970s. A significant difference from similar models is that it is equipped with a target sensor and is triggered when it hits any obstacle.
The grenade consists of a body, an explosive mixture charge, a detonation block and a fuse.
The housing to increase the number of fragments, in addition to two outer hemispheres, has two inner ones. All four hemispheres are made of steel, the lower outer one has an external notch, the rest - an internal one. In the upper part of the body, a cup for the fuse is rolled up with a cuff, which is covered with a plastic stopper during storage. A detonation block is placed under the glass in a recess inside the explosive mixture. The fuse is assembled in a plastic case and consists of a pin-safety mechanism, a target sensor, a remote device, a long-range cocking mechanism and a detonating unit.
The pin safety mechanism ensures safety when handling the grenade. After the grenade pin is pulled, the long-range cocking mechanism is activated, which cocks the fuse 1-1.8 seconds after the throw. The target sensor ensures instantaneous activation of the fuse upon impact with an obstacle. The remote device slows down the detonation after a throw by 3.2-4.2 seconds and duplicates the target sensor if the grenade hits dirt, snow, or falls strictly “on its side.”
The detonating unit is fixed in a glass and consists of a detonator capsule and a bushing. The relatively complex design of the fuse ensures a combination of safe handling (6 stages of protection) with guaranteed operation. The temperature range of the grenade is from -50 to +50 degrees C. The RGO grenade is carried in a standard grenade bag, two at a time, or in equipment pockets.
Combat properties of the RGO defensive grenade
6. Purpose, combat properties and general design of manual cumulative anti-tank grenade RKG-3
The RKG-Z hand-held cumulative grenade (Fig. 6) is a directional anti-tank grenade designed to combat enemy tanks, self-propelled artillery, armored personnel carriers and armored vehicles, as well as to destroy long-term and field defensive structures.
Throwing a grenade is carried out from various positions and only from behind cover. Average range grenade throw - 15-20m. The weight of the equipped grenade is 1070 g.
When a hand-held cumulative grenade hits a target (a hard barrier), it instantly explodes; the gases formed during the explosion, thanks to the cumulative funnel, are collected into a narrow beam, which is capable of penetrating the armor of a modern tank and destroying its crew and equipment inside. Most effective action the grenade produces when it hits the target with its bottom. The direction of flight of the grenade, bottom forward, is ensured by a stabilizer.
Combat properties of the RKG-3 defensive grenade
The RKG-3 grenade consists of a body, a handle and a fuse. The cylindrical body contains the main bursting charge, an additional charge and an igniter tube. The main charge has a cumulative funnel facing the bottom of the case and lined with a thin layer of metal. On the top of the housing cover there is a thread for connection to the handle.
The handle contains a stabilizer, covered with a folding handle cap, and a striking mechanism with four fuses, which is due to the high power of the grenade.
The first is a folding bar, pressed to the handle by a movable coupling and held by a pin. The bar keeps the handle cap from falling off.
The second fuse ensures safety in case of accidental fall of a grenade when the pin is pulled and consists of a hinged cap bar with a ball, also pressed to the handle.
The third fuse ensures that the fuse is triggered no closer than 1 m from the thrower and turns off after the stabilizer is deployed.
The fourth fuse is controlled by an inertial load in the form of a ball, pressed back by a special counter-safety spring. The grenade stabilizer consists of a bushing, a fabric cone (“parachute”), four wire feathers, a ring and a spring. The movable coupling of the handle has a thread for connection to the body. The instantaneous fuse includes a blasting cap and an additional detonator.
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Lesson questions:
1. Hand grenades. Purpose, combat properties, general design of hand-held fragmentation offensive, defensive and anti-tank grenades.
1.1. Purpose, combat properties and general design of the F-1 hand fragmentation grenade
F-1 hand fragmentation grenade- a remote-action grenade (Fig. 1), designed to destroy manpower primarily in defensive combat.
The F-1 hand-held defensive grenade (“limonka”) was developed on the basis of the French F-1 fragmentation grenade of the 1915 model, hence the designation F-1. This grenade should not be confused with the modern French F1 model with a plastic body and semi-finished fragments and the English Lemon grenade (with a grating fuse), supplied to Russia during the First World War. The F-1 grenade was adopted by the Red Army with a Koveshnikov remote fuse (fuse). Since 1941, instead of the Koveshnikov fuse, the F-1 grenade began to use the UZRG fuse of the E.M. system, which was easier to manufacture and handle. Viceni.
 Rice. 1. Grenade F-1 |
When the grenade body explodes, it produces 290 large heavy fragments with an initial expansion speed of about 730 m/s. |
The fuse primer ignites at the moment the grenade is thrown, and its explosion occurs 3.2 - 4.2 s after the throw. The grenade explodes without fail when dropped into mud, snow, water, etc.
You can throw a grenade from various positions and only from behind cover, from an armored personnel carrier or a tank (self-propelled artillery unit).
Combat properties of the F-1 defensive grenade
1.2. Purpose, combat properties and general design of the RGD-5 hand fragmentation grenade
RGD-5 hand fragmentation grenade- a remote-action grenade (Fig. 2), designed to defeat enemy personnel on the offensive and in defense.
The dispersion area of RGD-5 grenade fragments is 28-32 m2.
Throwing a grenade is carried out from various positions when operating on foot and from armored personnel carriers (cars).
Rice. 2. RGD-5 grenade |
The RGD-5 grenade consists of a body with a tube for a fuse, a bursting charge and a UZRGM (UZRGM-2) fuse. In addition to the UZRGM and UZRGM-2, the old UZRGM fuses remaining in the army can be used in combat conditions, but they are prohibited for use during training. |
Combat properties of the offensive grenade GRD-5
1.3. Purpose, combat properties and general design of the RG-42 hand fragmentation grenade
RG-42 fragmentation grenade(Fig. 3) was developed in 1942 by S.G. Korshunov, as easy to manufacture, small in size and easy to use offensive grenade.
 Rice. 3. RG-42 grenade |
The RG-42 hand fragmentation grenade is a remote-action grenade designed to destroy enemy personnel in offensive and defensive situations. |
Combat properties of the RG-42 offensive grenade
1.4. Purpose, combat properties and general design of the RGN hand fragmentation grenade
RGN fragmentation hand grenade(Fig. 4) designed to defeat enemy personnel on the offensive and in defense.
RGN hand fragmentation grenade ( offensive) was developed at the Basalt enterprise in the late 1970s. A significant difference between this grenade and similar models is that it is equipped with a target sensor and is triggered when it hits any obstacle.
 Rice. 4. RGN offensive grenade |
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The detonating unit is fixed in a glass and consists of a detonator capsule and a bushing. The relatively complex design of the fuse ensures a combination of safe handling (6 stages of protection) with guaranteed operation. The temperature range of the grenade is from -50 to +50 degrees C. The RGN grenade is carried in a standard grenade bag, two at a time, or in equipment pockets.
Combat properties of the RGN offensive grenade
Characteristics |
RGN grenade |
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Grenade weight, g |
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Weight of combat projectile, g |
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Average mass of fragments, g |
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1.5. Purpose, combat properties and general design of the RGO hand fragmentation grenade
RGO fragmentation hand grenade(Fig. 5) designed to defeat manpower primarily in defensive combat.
RGO fragmentation hand grenade ( defensive) was developed at the Basalt enterprise in the late 1970s. A significant difference from similar models is that it is equipped with a target sensor and is triggered when it hits any obstacle.
 Rice. 5. Defensive grenade RGO |
The grenade consists of a body, an explosive mixture charge, a detonation block and a fuse. |
The detonating unit is fixed in a glass and consists of a detonator capsule and a bushing. The relatively complex design of the fuse ensures a combination of safe handling (6 stages of protection) with guaranteed operation. The temperature range of the grenade is from -50 to +50 degrees C. The RGO grenade is carried in a standard grenade bag, two at a time, or in equipment pockets.
Combat properties of the RGO defensive grenade
1.6. Purpose, combat properties and general design of the RKG-3 hand-held cumulative anti-tank grenade
Throwing a grenade is carried out from various positions and only from behind cover. The average throw range of a grenade is 15-20m. The weight of the equipped grenade is 1070 g.
When a hand-held cumulative grenade hits a target (a hard barrier), it instantly explodes; the gases formed during the explosion, thanks to the cumulative funnel, are collected into a narrow beam, which is capable of penetrating the armor of a modern tank and destroying its crew and equipment inside. The grenade produces its most effective effect when it hits the target with its bottom. The direction of flight of the grenade, bottom forward, is ensured by a stabilizer.
Combat properties of the RKG-3 defensive grenade
The RKG-3 grenade consists of a body, a handle and a fuse. The cylindrical body contains the main bursting charge, an additional charge and an igniter tube. The main charge has a cumulative funnel facing the bottom of the case and lined with a thin layer of metal. On the top of the housing cover there is a thread for connection to the handle.
The handle contains a stabilizer, covered with a folding handle cap, and a striking mechanism with four fuses, which is due to the high power of the grenade.
The first is a folding bar, pressed to the handle by a movable coupling and held by a pin. The bar keeps the handle cap from falling off.
The second fuse ensures safety in case of accidental fall of a grenade when the pin is pulled and consists of a hinged cap bar with a ball, also pressed to the handle.
The third fuse ensures that the fuse is triggered no closer than 1 m from the thrower and turns off after the stabilizer is deployed.
The fourth fuse is controlled by an inertial load in the form of a ball, pressed back by a special counter-safety spring. The grenade stabilizer consists of a bushing, a fabric cone (“parachute”), four wire feathers, a ring and a spring. The movable coupling of the handle has a thread for connection to the body. The instantaneous fuse includes a blasting cap and an additional detonator.
2. The principle of operation of hand grenade fuses.
2.1. Unified hand grenade fuse modernized UZRGM
 Rice. 7. Modernized unified hand grenade fuse (UZRGM) |
UZRGM grenade fuse(modernized unified hand grenade fuse) (Fig. 7) is intended to explode the explosive charge in F-1, RGD-5 and RG-42 grenades. |
UZRGM device
It consists of a striking mechanism and the fuse itself.
In official use, the striker is constantly cocked and held by the trigger lever fork.
The trigger lever is connected to the percussion mechanism tube by a safety pin. Before throwing a grenade, the plastic plug is turned out and the fuse is screwed in its place.
After pulling the pin, the position of the fuse parts does not change.
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Rice. 8. Impact mechanism: Rice. 9. Fuse: |
At the moment the grenade is thrown, the trigger lever separates and releases the firing pin. The firing pin, under the action of the mainspring, pierces the igniter capsule. A beam of fire from the primer ignites the moderator and, after passing through it, is transmitted to the detonator primer. The explosion of the detonator capsule initiates the detonation of the explosive charge. The explosion of the explosive charge crushes the grenade body into fragments.
2. The powder composition of the moderator burns out, the detonator primer fires
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Interaction of parts and mechanisms
Initial position.
In the initial position, the striker with the sting (3) and the plug with the igniter primer (7) are held by the trigger lever. The trigger lever is connected to the igniter body by a safety pin. The engine (11) with the igniter capsule (10) is offset relative to the tip (13) and is held by the powder fuses stoppers (9), its spring (12) is in a compressed state. The bushing (16) under the influence of the spring (14) presses the load (17).
Position of parts and mechanisms in official circulation(Fig. 14).
When preparing a grenade for throwing, the trigger lever is pressed tightly with your fingers to the body of the grenade, the ends of the safety pin are straightened with the fingers of your free hand, then it is pulled out by the ring, while the position of the fuse parts does not change.
At the moment the grenade is thrown, the trigger lever separates and releases the striker with the sting (3) and the bar (6). The plug (7) with the igniter capsule comes out of the igniter housing socket. The firing pin, under the action of the mainspring (4), pierces the igniter primer (8) with its sting.
The fire beam ignites the powder press-fit fuses (9) and the pyrotechnic composition of the self-liquidator moderator (18).
After 1-1.8 seconds. The powder compositions of the fuses burn out and their stoppers, under the influence of springs, disengage with the engine (11).
The engine, under the influence of the spring (12), moves into the firing position.
The long-range cocking mechanism prevents the grenade from being detonated if it accidentally falls from the hand.
Interaction of parts and mechanisms when throwing and meeting a grenade with an obstacle (surface)
When meeting an obstacle (surface), the load (17) shifts in the direction of the inertial force component and acts on the sleeve (16). The bushing, overcoming the resistance of the spring (14), displaces the tip, which pierces the igniter primer (10). The fire beam is transmitted to the detonator capsule (20), which causes the explosive charge to detonate.
In case of failure, the fuse will operate in inertia after 3.3 - 4.3 seconds. the moderator composition burns out, the detonator cap (19) of the self-destructor ignites, causing the detonation unit to explode.
3. Techniques and rules for handling hand grenades. Storage and preservation of hand grenades.
3.1. Techniques and rules for handling hand grenades.
When the explosive charge of a grenade explodes, the body breaks into a large number of fragments, which hit enemy personnel within a radius of up to 200 m (F-1 grenade). Offensive grenades must be thrown at a distance greater than the range of fragments, plus the distance that the attacker will travel from the moment of throwing to the moment of explosion. During the flight of the grenade (3-4 s), the attacker, running or at an accelerated pace, can cover a distance of 10-15 m. Therefore, the grenade from a running position must be thrown at a distance of 35-40 m.
During classes and exercises, grenades are thrown at the command of the commander, and in battle - depending on the situation, either on command or independently. Throwing hand grenades in combat is carried out from various positions: standing, kneeling, lying down, as well as while moving from an armored personnel carrier and on foot (offensive only).
To throw a grenade, you need to choose a place and position that ensures free flight of the grenade to the target (there are no obstacles on the way: tree branches, tall grass, wires, etc.).
The grenade must be thrown energetically, giving it the most favorable flight path.
 Rice. 15. Preparing a grenade for throwing |
Throwing a grenade consists of performing the following techniques: preparation for throwing (loading a grenade and taking a position) and throwing a grenade.
In this case, the weapon must be in a position that ensures immediate readiness for action (in the left hand, in the “chest” position, on the parapet of a trench, etc.). |
To defeat enemy personnel located in a trench (trench) or in an open area, it is necessary to throw a grenade at an angle to the horizon of approximately 35-45° so that the grenade falls on the target and rolls less to the side.
When throwing grenades at windows and doors of buildings (breaks in walls), direct hits are required, so the trajectory of the grenade must be directed directly at the target.
Getting grenades into windows and doors of buildings is achieved through systematic and lengthy training. After throwing a grenade, the person throwing a grenade must take cover, since if he misses, he may be hit by shrapnel.
Throwing a grenade while standing
When throwing a grenade while standing, you must stand facing the target; take the grenade in your right hand (for a left-handed person - in your left hand), and the weapon in your left (right) hand and pull out the safety pin; take a step back with your right foot, bending it at the knee, and, turning (as if twisting) the body to the right, swing the grenade in an arc down and back; quickly straightening your right leg and turning your chest towards the target, throw a grenade, carrying it over your shoulder and releasing it with an additional jerk of the wrist.
Transfer the weight of the body at the moment of the throw to left leg, move the weapon back vigorously.
Throwing a grenade while lying down
When throwing a grenade while lying down, take a prone shooting position. Put your weapon on the ground and take the grenade right hand. With your left hand, pull out the safety pin and, resting your hands on the ground, push off from it. Moving your right leg slightly back, stand on your left knee (without moving it) and simultaneously swing. Straightening your right leg, turning your chest towards the target and falling forward, throw a grenade at the target; take the weapon and prepare to shoot.
Throwing a grenade from the knee
When throwing a grenade from the knee, take the position for shooting from the knee. Holding the grenade in your right hand and the weapon in your left, pull out the safety pin; swing the grenade, tilting the body back and turning it to the right; rise up and throw a grenade, carrying it over your shoulder and sharply bending towards your left leg at the end of the movement.
Throwing a grenade in motion
When throwing a grenade while walking or running, you must: holding the grenade in your right half-bent hand and the weapon in your left, pull out the safety pin; move your hand with a grenade forward and down under your left leg; on the second step (with the right foot), the hand continues to move in an arc downwards and backwards while simultaneously turning the body to the right. On the third step, placing your left leg towards the target on your toes and bending your right leg at the knees, complete the body turn and arm swing. Using the speed of movement, and consistently putting the strength of the legs, body and arms into the throw, throw a grenade, carrying it over the shoulder.
Throwing a grenade from a trench (trench)
To throw a grenade from a trench or trench you need to: put the weapon on the parapet, take the grenade in your right hand and pull out the safety pin; put your right leg back (as far as possible), bending at the waist and slightly bending both legs, move your right hand with a grenade up and back until it stops; leaning on your left hand, straighten up sharply and throw a grenade at the target, and then take cover in a trench (trench).
3.2. Storage and preservation of hand grenades.
Grenades are delivered to the troops in wooden boxes. In the box, grenades, handles and fuses are placed separately in metal boxes. There is a knife in the box for opening boxes. There are markings on the walls and lid of the box, which indicate the number of grenades in the box, their weight, the name of the grenades and fuses, the manufacturer's number, the batch number, the year of manufacture and the danger sign;
All supplies of grenades and fuses, except for portable ones, should be stored in factory sealed containers.
Grenades are carried in hand grenade bags.
The fuses are placed in them separately from the grenades. In this case, each fuse must be wrapped in paper or a clean rag. In tanks, grenades and fuses separately from them are placed in bags.
Grenades and fuses must be inspected by military personnel before placing them in a grenade bag, when carrying grenades and fuses for a long time in a grenade bag, and before loading a grenade.
F-1 lemon grenade / Photo: vlada.io
If we approach the issue formally, then the service life of this, without a doubt, an outstanding representative of the classic type of hand grenades, will be not one hundred, but eighty-nine years. In 1928, the F-1 hand-held anti-personnel defensive grenade, the “limonka,” was adopted into service with the Red Army. But let's not rush things.
A little history
The prototype of a hand grenade has been known since the 9th century. These were clay vessels of various shapes, filled with energy-rich materials known at that time (lime, resin, “Greek fire”). It is clear that until the appearance of the first high explosives, there is no need to talk about the serious damaging effect of these ancient products. The first mentions of explosive hand-held projectiles date back to the 10th-11th centuries. The materials used for them were copper, bronze, iron, and glass. Presumably, Arab merchants brought them from China or India.
An example of such a device is the bann, developed in China in the first millennium AD. an incendiary grenade with a body made from a piece of hollow bamboo stem. A charge of resin and black powder was placed inside. The top of the bann was plugged with a bunch of tow and used as a reinforced torch; sometimes a primitive wick containing saltpeter was used.
The Arabic "bortab" was a glass ball with a mixture of sulfur, saltpeter and charcoal, equipped with a wick and a chain. attached to the shaft. In any case, this is how the Nejim-Edlin-Chassan Alram manuscript “A Guide to the Art of Fighting on Horseback and Various War Machines” describes it. Such grenades provided not so much a damaging effect as a psychological and demoralizing effect on the advancing enemy.
More than a hundred almost intact blown glass hand grenades, some of which still have wicks / Photo: Archaeological Museum of Mytilene, Lesvos.
The era of classic fragmentation grenades began in 1405, when the German inventor Konrad Kaiser von Eichstadt proposed using brittle cast iron as a body material, due to which the number of fragments generated during an explosion significantly increases. He also came up with the idea of creating a cavity in the center of the powder charge, which noticeably accelerated the combustion of the mixture and increased the likelihood of pieces of the grenade body scattering into small fragmentation destructive elements. The weak blasting effect of black powder required an increase in the size of the grenade, while the physical capabilities of a person limited such an increase. Only very trained fighters could throw a cast-iron ball weighing from one to four kilograms. The lighter shells used by cavalry and boarding parties were much less effective.
Grenades were used primarily in assaults and defenses of fortresses, in boarding battles, and during the War of the Holy League (1511-1514) they proved to be very good. But there was also a significant drawback - the fuse. A smoldering fuse in the form of a wooden tube with powder pulp often went out when it hit the ground, did not give an accurate idea of the time before the explosion, detonating too early, even before the throw, or too late, allowing the enemy to run away or even return the grenade back. In the 16th century, the familiar term “grenade” appeared. It was first used in one of his books by the famous gunsmith from Salzburg Sebastian Gele, comparing the new weapon with a subtropical fruit that, falling to the ground, scatters its seeds.
In the middle of the 17th century, grenades were equipped with a prototype of an inertial fuse. During the English Civil War (1642-1652), Cromwell's soldiers began to tie a bullet to a fuse inside a projectile, which, when it hit the ground, continued to move by inertia and pulled the fuse inside. They also proposed a primitive stabilizer to ensure that the grenade would fly backwards with the fuse.
The beginning of the intensive use of grenades in field battles dates back to the 17th century. In 1667, the English troops were assigned soldiers (4 people per company) specifically to throw projectiles. These fighters were called "grenadiers". Only soldiers with excellent physical shape and training could become them. After all, the taller the soldier and the stronger, the farther he can throw a grenade. Following the example of the British, this type of weapon was introduced into the armies of almost all states. However, the development of linear tactics gradually negated the advantage of using grenades, and to mid-18th century centuries, they were removed from equipping field units, grenadiers became only elite infantry units. Grenades remained only in service with the garrison troops.
War of Empires
The hand grenade greeted the 20th century as a little-used, old and forgotten weapon. In essence, it was the same black powder ammunition that was used by the grenadiers of the 17th century. The only improvement made to the design of grenades over almost 300 years is the appearance of a grating fuse.
French spherical grenade model 1882, used during the First World War. The body of the grenade is simple, spherical in shape (the diameter of the ball was 81 mm), made of cast iron, with a hole for the fuse. The grenade fuse could be either impact or a simple fuse, ignited with a match. But the most typical for a spherical grenade was a “bracelet” (grated) fuse / Photo: army-news.ru
English “ball” grenade No. 15, model 1915. The cast iron body, 3 inches in diameter, with internal notches for fragmentation, was filled with black powder or ammonal. The fuse of the No. 15 grenade was a typical grating fuse, which was developed by the designer Brock. The fuse was very sensitive to dampness and often failed, so it was often replaced with a piece of fuse cord / Photo: army-news.ru
In Russia in 1896, the Artillery Committee ordered hand grenades to be completely withdrawn from use “... in view of the emergence of more advanced means of defeating the enemy, the strengthening of the defense of fortresses in ditches and the unsafety of hand grenades for the defenders themselves...”.
And eight years later the Russian-Japanese War began. This was the first battle in the history of warfare in which massive armies, equipped rapid-fire artillery, repeating rifles and machine guns. The presence of new weapons and especially the increase in the range of fire weapons increased the capabilities of the troops and necessitated the use of new methods of action on the battlefield. Field shelters reliably hid opponents from each other, making firearms practically useless. This forced both sides of the conflict to recall a forgotten type of infantry weapon. And given the lack of grenades in service, improvisations began.
The first use of grenades by the Japanese in the Russian-Japanese War was recorded on May 12, 1904 near Qingzhou. Japanese grenades consisted of shell casings, bamboo tubes filled with explosive charges, standard explosive charges wrapped in fabric, into the ignition sockets of which incendiary tubes were inserted.
Following the Japanese, Russian troops also began to use grenades. The first mention of their use dates back to August 1904. The production of grenades in the besieged city was carried out by the staff captain of the mine company Melik-Parsadanov and the lieutenant of the Kwantung fortress sapper company Debigoriy-Mokrievich. In the naval department, this work was entrusted to Captain 2nd Rank Gerasimov and Lieutenant Podgursky. During the defense of Port Arthur, 67,000 hand grenades were produced and used.
Russian grenades were cuttings of lead pipes, cartridges, into which 2-3 pyroxylin bombs were inserted. The ends of the body were closed with wooden covers with a hole for the ignition tube. Such grenades were equipped with an incendiary tube designed for 5-6 seconds of burning. Due to the high hygroscopicity of pyroxylin, grenades equipped with it had to be used within a certain time after manufacture. If dry pyroxylin containing 1-3% moisture exploded from a primer containing 2 g of mercury fulminate, then pyroxylin containing 5-8% moisture required an additional detonator made from dry pyroxylin.
Grenades produced in Port Arthur from scrap materials / Image: topwar.ru
The illustration shows a grenade equipped with a grating igniter. It was made from a 37 mm or 47 mm artillery shell casing. A cartridge case from a rifle cartridge was soldered to the grenade body, which housed a grating igniter. A fire cord was inserted into the barrel of the cartridge case and secured there by crimping the barrel. The grater cord came out through a hole in the bottom of the sleeve. The grating device itself consisted of two split goose feathers, inserted into each other by cuts. The contacting surfaces of the feathers were coated with an igniting composition. For ease of pulling, a ring or stick was tied to the cord.
To ignite the fire cord of such a grenade, it was necessary to pull the ring of the grating igniter. Friction between goose feathers upon mutual movement, it caused ignition of the trowel composition, and a beam of fire ignited the fire cord.
In 1904, the impact grenade came into use for the first time in the Russian army. The creator of the grenade was the staff captain of the East Siberian mine company Lishin.
Staff Captain Lishin's grenade of an early type./ Image: topwar.ru
Lessons from war
Intelligence agencies from all over the world were interested in the developments and progress of hostilities in Manchuria. Britain sent the most observers to the Far East - it was tormented by the tragic experience of the war with the Boers. The Russian army received three British observers, and 13 British officers observed the fighting from the Japanese side. Together with the British, military attaches from Germany, France, Sweden and other countries watched the development of events. Even Argentina sent captain of the second rank Jose Moneta to Port Arthur.
An analysis of combat operations showed that significant changes must be made to the technical equipment, organization of combat training of troops and their equipment. The war required mass production of all types of weapons and equipment. The role of the rear has increased immeasurably. Uninterruptible power supply troops began to play with ammunition and food decisive role in achieving success on the battlefield.
With the advent of more advanced weapons, positional forms of struggle arose in field conditions. Machine guns and repeating rifles forced the final abandonment of dense combat formations of troops; chains became more rare. The machine gun and powerful fortifications sharply increased the possibility of defense, forced the attackers to combine fire and movement, make more careful use of the terrain, dig in, conduct reconnaissance, conduct fire preparations for attacks, widely use detours and envelopments, fight at night, and better organize the interaction of troops on the field. battle. The artillery began to practice firing from closed positions. The war required an increase in the caliber of guns and the widespread use of howitzers.
For German observers, the Russo-Japanese War produced much more strong impression than the French, British and military of other countries. The reason for this was not so much the Germans' greater receptivity to new ideas, but rather the tendency of the German army to view combat operations from a slightly different angle. After the signing of the Anglo-French agreement (Entente cordiale) in 1904, Kaiser Wilhelm asked Alfred von Schlieffen to develop a plan that would allow Germany to fight a war on two fronts simultaneously, and in December 1905 von Schlieffen began work on his famous plan. The example of the use of grenades and trench mortars during the siege of Port Arthur showed the Germans that such weapons could be effectively used in the German army if it had to face similar tasks during an invasion of the territory of neighboring countries.
Already by 1913, the German military industry began serial production of the Kugelhandgranate 13 grenade. However, it is impossible to say that it was a revolutionary model. The traditional inertia of thinking of military strategists of that time had an effect, which led to the fact that grenades continued to be considered only as means of siege warfare. Model 1913 grenades were of little use as infantry weapons, primarily because of their spherical shape, which made them difficult to carry for a soldier.
Kugelhandgranate 13 Model Aa / Photo: topwar.ru
The body of the grenade was a reworked, but almost unchanged overall idea from three hundred years ago - a cast iron ball with a diameter of 80 mm with a symmetrically shaped ribbed notch and a fuse point. The grenade charge was a mixed explosive based on black powder, that is, it had a low high-explosive effect, although due to the shape and material of the grenade body it produced rather heavy fragments.
The grenade fuse was quite compact and not bad for its time. It was a tube protruding 40 mm from the grenade body with a grating and spacer compound inside. A safety ring was attached to the tube, and on top there was a wire loop, which activated the fuse. The deceleration time was supposedly about 5-6 seconds. An absolute positive was the absence of any detonator on the grenade, since its powder charge was ignited by the force of the flame from the remote composition of the fuse itself. This increased the safety of handling the grenade and helped reduce the number of accidents. In addition, the charge, which had low brisance, crushed the body into relatively large fragments, producing less “dust” that was harmless to the enemy than grenades in melinite or TNT equipment.
Russia also took into account the experience of the war. In 1909-1910, artillery captain Rdultovsky developed two models of grenades with a remote fuse - a small (two-pound) “for hunting teams” and a large (three-pound) “for serf war.” The small grenade, according to Rdultovsky’s description, had a wooden handle, a body in the form of a rectangular box made of zinc sheet, and was loaded with a quarter pound of melinite. Between the prismatic explosive charge and the walls of the body, plates with cross-shaped cutouts were placed, and ready-made triangular fragments (0.4 g each) were placed in the corners. During tests, fragments “pierced an inch board 1-3 fathoms from the explosion site,” the throwing range reached 40-50 steps.
Grenades were then considered an engineering tool and fell under the jurisdiction of the Main Engineering Directorate (GIU). On September 22, 1911, the Engineering Committee of the State Research University examined hand grenades of several systems - Captain Rdultovsky, Lieutenant Timinsky, Lieutenant Colonel Gruzevich-Nechay. The remark about Timinsky’s grenade was typical: “It can be recommended in case the troops have to make grenades,” - this is how this ammunition was treated then. But the greatest interest was caused by Rdultovsky’s sample, although it required factory production. After modification, Rdultovsky’s grenade was adopted for service under the designation “grenade arr. 1912" (RG-12).
Grenade model 1912 (RG-12) / Photo: topwar.ru.
Just before the start of the First World War, Rdultovsky improved the design of his grenade mod. 1912, and the grenade mod. 1914 (RG-14).
Grenade model 1914 (RG-14) / Photo: topwar.ru.
The design of the hand grenade mod. 1914 was not fundamentally different from the 1912 model grenade. But there were still changes in the design. The 1912 model grenade did not have an additional detonator. In the 1914 model grenade, when loaded with TNT or melinite, an additional detonator made of pressed tetryl was used, but when loaded with ammonal, an additional detonator was not used. Grenade Equipment different types explosives led to a variation in their weight characteristics: a grenade loaded with TNT weighed 720 grams, melinite - 716-717 grams.
The grenade was stored without a fuse and with the striker released. Before throwing, the fighter had to put the grenade on safety and load it. The first meant: remove the ring, pull back the firing pin, recess the lever in the handle (the hook of the lever captured the head of the firing pin), place the safety pin across the trigger window and put the ring back on the handle and lever. The second is to move the funnel lid and insert the fuse with the long arm into the funnel, the short one into the chute and secure the fuse with the lid.
To throw a grenade, the grenade was clamped in the hand, the ring was moved forward, and the safety pin was moved thumb free hand. At the same time, the lever compressed the spring and pulled the striker back with its hook. The mainspring was compressed between the clutch and the trigger. When thrown, the lever was pressed back, the mainspring pushed the firing pin, and it pierced the igniter primer with the striker. The fire was transmitted along the threads of the stopin to the retarding composition, and then to the detonator cap, which detonated the explosive charge. Here, perhaps, are all the contemporary examples of hand grenades that were in the arsenals of the military when the Great War broke out.
First World War
On July 28, 1914, the First World War, one of the largest-scale armed conflicts in human history, as a result of which four empires ceased to exist. When, after an extremely dynamic campaign, the front lines froze in trench warfare and the opponents sat in their deep trenches almost a stone's throw away, history Russo-Japanese War repeated itself again, but with one exception - Germany. The Kugelhandgranate spherical grenade turned out to be the very first one to be mass-produced in a fairly large quantities and was supplied to the troops. The rest had to improvise again. The troops began to help themselves and began to produce various homemade grenades. Using empty cans, wooden boxes, cardboard, pipe scraps and the like, often wrapped with wire or nailed, more or less effective explosive devices were produced. Also, the charges and detonators were very diverse - simple fuse cords, grating fuses, and so on. The use of such ersatz was often associated with risk for the throwers themselves. It required a certain dexterity and composure, and was therefore limited to sapper units and small, specially trained infantry units.
In relation to the effort spent on production, the effectiveness of homemade grenades left much to be desired. Therefore, at an increasing pace, more effective and convenient grenades began to be developed, suitable, in addition, for serial mass production.
It is not possible to consider all the samples that designers created during the First World War in the volume of one article. Only in the German army during this period 23 types of different hand grenades were used. Therefore, we will focus on two designs that ultimately led to the appearance of the F-1 grenade.
Taking into account the experience of combat in 1914, the British designer William Mills developed a very successful, one might say, classic model of a grenade. The Mills grenade was adopted by the British Army in 1915 under the name "Mills Bomb No. 5".
Mills Bomb No. 5 / Photo: topwar.ru.
The Mills grenade belongs to the anti-personnel fragmentation hand grenades of the defensive type.
Grenade No. 5 consists of a body, an explosive charge, a shock-safety mechanism, and a fuse. The grenade body is designed to accommodate an explosive charge and form fragments during an explosion. The body is made of cast iron and has transverse and longitudinal notches on the outside. There is a hole at the bottom of the body into which the central tube is screwed. The central channel of the tube houses a firing pin with a mainspring and a primer-igniter. The fuse itself is a piece of fire cord, at one end of which an igniter cap is attached, and at the other a detonator cap. It is inserted into the side channel of the tube. The housing hole is closed with a screw plug. To use the Mills Bomb No. 5 grenade, you need to unscrew the washer on the underside of the grenade, insert the detonator cap into it and screw the washer back into place. To use a grenade, you need to take the grenade in your right hand, pressing the lever against the body of the grenade; With your left hand, bring together the antennae of the safety pin (cotter pin) and, pulling the ring, pull the cotter pin out of the lever hole. After that, swing, throw a grenade at the target and take cover.
The British managed to create a truly outstanding weapon. The Mills grenade embodied the tactical requirements of “trench warfare” for this type of weapon. Small, convenient, this grenade was conveniently thrown from any position; despite its size, it produced quite a lot of heavy fragments, creating a sufficient destruction area. But the greatest advantage of the grenade was its fuse. This was due to the simplicity of its design, compactness (there were no protruding parts), and the fact that, having pulled out the ring with the pin, the fighter could safely hold the grenade in his hand, waiting for the most favorable moment to throw, since the lever held by the hand would not rise , the moderator will not ignite. German, Austro-Hungarian and some French examples of grenades did not have this truly necessary feature. The Russian Rdultovsky grenade, which had this feature, was very difficult to use; its preparation for throwing required more than a dozen operations.
The French, who suffered no less than the British from German grenades in 1914, also decided to create a grenade with balanced characteristics. Correctly taking into account the shortcomings of German grenades, such as a large diameter, awkward body to grasp with the hand, like a grenade of the 1913 model, an unreliable fuse and weak fragmentation effect, the French developed a grenade design that was revolutionary for its time, known as the F1.
F1 with impact ignition fuse / Photo: topwar.ru
The F1 was originally produced with an impact ignition fuse, but was soon equipped with an automatic lever fuse, the design of which, with minor modifications, is still used in many NATO armies' fuses today. The grenade was a molded, ribbed, egg-shaped body made of steel cast iron, with a hole for the fuse, which was easier to throw than the round or disc-shaped body of German grenades. The charge consisted of 64 grams of explosive (TNT, Schneiderite or less powerful substitutes), and the mass of the grenade was 690 grams.
Image: topwar.ru.
Initially, the fuse was a design with a percussion igniter primer and a moderator, upon the burnout of which the detonator cap was activated, causing the grenade to explode. It was activated by hitting the fuse cap on a hard object (wood, stone, butt, etc.). The cap was made of steel or brass and had a inside a firing pin that broke the primer, similar to a rifle, and ignited the retarder. For safety, the F1 grenade fuses were equipped with a wire pin that prevented the firing pin from touching the primer. Before throwing this fuse was removed. Such a simple design was good for mass production, but using the grenade outside the trench, when it was not possible to find that very solid object, clearly made it difficult to use the grenade. Nevertheless, compactness, simplicity and high efficiency ensured the grenade's enormous popularity.
At the moment of explosion, the grenade body breaks into more than 200 large heavy fragments, the initial speed of which is about 730 m/s. In this case, 38% of the mass of the body is used to form lethal fragments, the rest is simply sprayed. The reduced area of scattering of fragments is 75–82 m2.
The F1 hand grenade was quite technologically advanced, did not require scarce raw materials, carried a moderate explosive charge and at the same time had great power and produced a large number of lethal fragments for those times. Trying to solve the problem of correct crushing of the hull during an explosion, the designers used a deep notch on the hull. However, combat experience has shown that with modern high explosives, a body of this shape fragments unpredictably during an explosion, and the majority of fragments have a low mass and are low-killing within a radius of 20-25 meters, while heavy fragments of the bottom, the top of the grenade and the fuse have a high energy due to its mass and are dangerous up to 200 m. Therefore, all statements that the notch is intended to form fragments in the shape of protruding ribs are, at a minimum, incorrect. The same should be said about the clearly overestimated destruction distance, since the range of continuous destruction by fragments does not exceed 10-15 meters, and the effective range, that is, the one where at least half of the targets will be hit, is 25-30 meters. The figure of 200 meters is not the range of destruction, but the range of safe removal for friendly units. Therefore, the grenade had to be thrown from behind cover, which was quite convenient in case of trench warfare.
The disadvantages of the F1 with its percussion fuse were quickly taken into account. The imperfect fuse was the Achilles heel of the entire design, and in comparison with the Mills grenade it was clearly outdated. The design of the grenade itself, its effectiveness and production features did not cause any complaints; on the contrary, they were outstanding.
At the same time, in 1915, in a short period of time, French designers invented an automatic spring igniter of the Mills type, however, in many ways superior to it.
F1 with automatic lever igniter / Photo: topwar.ru.
Now a grenade ready to be thrown could be held in one’s hands for an indefinitely long time - until a more favorable moment for throwing came, which was especially valuable in a short-lived battle.
The new automatic igniter was combined with a moderator and detonator. The fuse was screwed into the grenade from above, while in Mills the firing mechanism of the fuse was integral to the body, and the detonator was inserted from below, which was very impractical - it was impossible to visually determine whether the grenade was loaded. The new F1 did not have this problem - the presence of a fuse was easily determined and meant the grenade was ready for use. The remaining parameters, including the charge and burning rate of the moderator, remained the same, as with the F1 grenade with an impact ignition fuse. In this form, the French F1 hand grenade, like the Mills grenade, became a truly revolutionary technical solution. Its shape and weight and dimensions were so successful that they served as an example to follow and were embodied in many modern grenade models.
During the First World War, F 1 grenades were supplied in large quantities to the Russian army. As in the West, the fighting soon revealed the urgent need to arm the Russian army with hand grenades. This was done at the Main Military Technical Directorate (GVTU), the successor to the State Military Institution. Despite the new proposals, the main ones are grenades arr. 1912 and 1914. Their production is being established in state-owned technical artillery establishments - but, alas, too slowly. From the beginning of the war to January 1, 1915, only 395,930 grenades were sent to the troops, mostly mod. 1912 Since the spring of 1915, grenades gradually come under the jurisdiction of the Main Artillery Directorate (GAU) and are included among the “main means of artillery supply.”
By May 1, 1915, 454,800 model grenades were sent to the troops. 1912 and 155 720 - arr. 1914 Meanwhile, in July of the same year, the Head of the GAU estimates only the monthly need for hand grenades at 1,800,000 pieces, and the Chief of Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief informs the Administrator of the War Ministry of the Supreme’s opinion on the need to procure “revolvers, daggers and, especially, grenades” with reference to experience French army. Portable weapons and hand grenades really become the main weapons of the infantry in trench warfare (at the same time, by the way, means of protection against hand grenades appeared in the form of nets over the trenches).
In August 1915, a demand was made to increase the supply of grenades to 3.5 million pieces per month. The range of use of grenades is growing - August 25 The Commander-in-Chief of the armies of the North-Western Front asks for the supply of “hand bombs” to the partisan hundreds for operations behind enemy lines. By this time, the Okhtensky and Samara explosives factories had delivered 577,290 model grenades. 1912 and 780,336 grenades mod. 1914, i.e. their production for the whole year of the war amounted to only 2,307,626 units. To solve the problem, orders for grenades are being placed abroad. Among other samples, F1 is also supplied to Russia. And together with others, after the end of the World War and the Civil War, it is inherited by the Red Army.
From F1 to F1
In 1922, the Red Army had seventeen types of hand grenades in service. Moreover, not a single defensive fragmentation grenade of our own production.
As a temporary measure, the Mills system grenade was adopted, the stocks of which in warehouses amounted to about 200,000 pieces. As a last resort, it was allowed to issue French F1 grenades to the troops. French grenades were supplied to Russia with Swiss impact fuses. Their cardboard cases did not provide tightness and the detonation composition became damp, which led to massive failures of grenades, and even worse, to bullet holes, which was fraught with an explosion in the hands. But given that the supply of these grenades was 1,000,000 pieces, it was decided to equip them with a more advanced fuse. Such a fuse was created by F. Koveshnikov in 1927. The tests carried out made it possible to eliminate the identified shortcomings, and in 1928 the F1 grenade with a new fuse was adopted by the Red Army under the name F-1 hand grenade with a fuse of the F.V. system. Koveshnikova.
Image: topwar.ru
In 1939, military engineer F.I. Khrameev of the People's Commissariat of Defense plant, based on the model of the French F-1 hand fragmentation grenade, developed a sample of the domestic F-1 defensive grenade, which was soon put into mass production. The F-1 grenade, like the French F1 model, is designed to defeat enemy personnel in defensive operations. When used in combat, the throwing fighter had to take cover in a trench or other defensive structures.
In 1941, designers E.M. Viceni and A.A. Poednyakov developed and put into service to replace Koveshnikov's fuse a new, safer and simpler in design fuse for the F-1 hand grenade. In 1942, the new fuse became common for the F-1 and RG-42 hand grenades; it was called UZRG - “unified fuse for hand grenades.” The fuse of the UZRGM type grenade was intended to explode the explosive charge of the grenade. The principle of operation of the mechanism was remote.
Image: topwar.ru
The production of F-1 grenades during the war years was carried out at plant No. 254 (since 1942), 230 ("Tizpribor"), 53, in the workshops of the Povenetsky shipyard, a mechanical plant and a railway junction in Kandalaksha, the central repair workshops of the NKVD Soroklag, artel "Primus" (Leningrad), many other non-core domestic enterprises.
At the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, grenades were filled with black powder instead of TNT. A grenade with this filling is quite effective, although less reliable. After World War II, modernized, more reliable UZRGM and UZRGM-2 fuses began to be used on F-1 grenades.
Currently, the F-1 grenade is in service in all armies of the countries of the former USSR, and it has also become widespread in Africa and Latin America. There are also Bulgarian, Chinese and Iranian copies. Copies of the F-1 can be considered the Polish F-1, Taiwanese defensive grenade, Chilean Mk2.
It would seem that the F-1 grenade, as a representative of the classic type of hand grenades with a solid cast iron body of virtually natural crushing and a simple, reliable remote fuse, cannot compete with modern grenades for the same purpose - both in terms of optimal fragmentation action and the versatility of the fuse action . All these problems are solved differently at modern technical, scientific and production levels. Thus, the Russian Army created the RGO grenade (defensive hand grenade), which is largely unified with the RGN grenade (offensive hand grenade). The unified fuse of these grenades has a more complex design: its design combines remote and impact mechanisms. Significantly greater efficiency fragmentation action They also have grenade bodies.
Image: topwar.ru
However, the F-1 grenade has not been removed from service and will probably remain in service for a long time. There is a simple explanation for this: simplicity, cheapness and reliability, as well as time-tested are the most valuable qualities for a weapon. And in a combat situation, it is not always possible to counter these qualities with technical perfection, which requires large production and economic costs. To confirm this, we can say that the English Mills grenade mentioned in the article is formally still in service with the armies of NATO countries, so in 2015 the grenade also celebrated its 100th anniversary.
Why “lemon”? There is no consensus on the origin of the nickname “limon”, which is used to call the F-1 grenade. Some associate this with the similarity of a grenade with a lemon, but there are opinions that claim that this is a distortion of the name “Lemon”, who was the designer of English grenades, which is not entirely true, because the F1 was invented by the French.
