



Produced by Chris Curnow, Paul Marshall and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This
file was produced from images generously made available
by The Internet Archive)









Transcriber’s Notes:

  Underscores “_before_” and after a word or phrase indicate _italics_
    in the original text.
  Equal signs “=” before and after a word or phrase
    indicate =bold= in the original text.
  Small capitals have been converted to SOLID capitals.
  Illustrations have been moved so they do not break up paragraphs.
  Typographical errors have been silently corrected but other
    variations in spelling and punctuation remain unaltered.




                             HAND GRENADES


                          _A HANDBOOK ON RIFLE
                           AND HAND GRENADES_

                      COMPILED AND ILLUSTRATED BY
                        MAJOR GRAHAM M. AINSLIE

                            _FIRST EDITION_

                                NEW YORK
                        JOHN WILEY & SONS, Inc.
                    London: CHAPMAN & HALL, Limited
                                  1917

                          COPYRIGHT, 1917, BY
                           GRAHAM M. AINSLIE

                                PRESS OF
                            BRAUNWORTH & CO.
                           BOOK MANUFACTURERS
                            BROOKLYN, N. Y.




PREFACE


The purpose of this work is to assist students of grenade work in
acquiring a rapid and complete knowledge of the subject. If the student
will refer constantly to the illustrations, which are accurate drawings
of grenades now in use, this book may help to elucidate many points
which are inadequately treated in any existing work.

In compiling the book, the author has inserted only information
absolutely necessary, and has arranged it so simply that a person with
a very little previous knowledge of the subject may be able to grasp
both the data given, and the principles, and methods herein explained
and illustrated.

This book is the result of practical experience in the present war.

                                                      G. M. AINSLIE.




                CONTENTS


                                 PAGE
  INTRODUCTION                      1
  HAND AND RIFLE GRENADES           2
  GRENADE ESTABLISHMENT            26
  GRENADE SQUAD                    28
  CLEARING A TRENCH FROM A FLANK   29
  FRONTAL ATTACK                   32
  TRENCH STORMING PARTIES          36
  FOREIGN GRENADES. FRENCH         38
  FOREIGN GRENADES. GERMAN         42
  EXPLOSIVES USED IN GRENADES      51
  FUSES, DETONATORS, ETC.          55
  THROWING                         59




HAND GRENADES


A grenade is a hollow ball, cylinder, or cube, made of metal or other
material, which is filled with some explosive, and burst by means of a
fuse, or on impact when it falls among an enemy. Until about the end
of the seventeenth century trained soldiers called Grenadiers used
grenades which were thrown by hand, but after that date they fell into
disuse. In 1899—1900 at the siege of Mafeking they are said to have
been used by the besieged, and also in the Russo-Japanese war. In the
year 1914, however, the beginning of the great war produced new methods
in the employment of infantry in the attack or defense of positions.
It was proved that under many conditions infantry armed only with a
rifle and bayonet found it impossible to press home an attack or hold a
position against troops armed with grenades.

This weapon, handy to use and immensely destructive and demoralizing in
its employment, has played a most important part in every successful
operation carried out by British troops on the Western front. It has
become one of the principal weapons not only in trench warfare, but in
the attack and clearing of enemy positions, strong points, villages,
and especially in house-to-house and cellar fighting.

      NOTE. 1. In throwing all hand grenades an overarm
    action will be used, like a bowler when playing cricket.

      2. Attached to all stick hand grenades are tapes or
    streamers a couple of feet long to enable them to fly head
    first, when thrown.




BRITISH GRENADES


There are two kinds of grenades:

    No. 1. Time grenades.
    No. 2. Percussion grenades.

No. 1 rely for ignition upon:

    (_a_) Some form of fuse lighter.
    (_b_) A length of time or safety fuse.
    (_c_) A detonator or exploder.

No. 2 on:

    (_a_) Some form of percussion striking device.
    (_b_) A percussion cap.
    (_c_) A detonator.

For throwing purposes grenades as follows:

    1. Hand grenades.
    2. Stick hand