No 1 Grenade
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| |||
| No 1 Hales Grenade | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nationality | United Kingdom | ||
| Date of design | |||
| Service duration | 19?? - | ||
| Type | Offensive fragmentation | ||
| Filling | |||
| Detonation | Impact | ||
| Weight | |||
| Filling weight | |||
| Length | |||
| Diameter | |||
| Variants | Mk 1, Mk 2 | ||
| Number built | |||
The Grenade, Hand No 1 was the first British hand grenade used in World War I.
Overview
The Grenade No 1 was taken from the designs of Hales.
The grenade proper was a can of explosive with a iron fragmentation band. The fuze was of the impact sort, detonating when the top of the grenade hit the ground. A long cane handle ( approx 16) allowed the user to throw the grenade further than the blast of the explosion.
To ensure that the grenade hit the ground nose first, a cloth streamer was attached to the end of the handle. When thrown this unfurled and acted as a tail to stabilize flight.
When the battlefield became confined to the trenches, the long handle became a liability – several accidents occurred when reaching back for the throw, the fuze struck the trench side. The handle was then shortened to a safer 8 as the Mk II.
The No 1 grenade was followed by No 2, 3 and 4 all based on the same pattern. Thereafter the compact No 5 grenade or Mills bomb came into use.
The grenade came with a metal loop so it could hang from the belt.
External links
Categories: Grenades | British World War I weapons