Aviation Naval Warfare Land Systems Small Arms Space By Flag By Year By Tag

Grenade, Hand No. 6

1915 WORLD WAR 1

History of the hand grenade, grenade #6

During the First World War (1914-1918), the British Army relied on a variety of hand grenades, some considered successful, while others then fails. Still others were developed as interim solutions to overcome the limitations of previous products. The No.

6 grenade series was designed after concussion grenades were designed to confuse or shock opponents. As the war sank into trench warfare in late 1914, all measures to distract the enemy were taken into account. Series 6 appeared in 1915, but was retired in 1917.

The war ended only with an armistice in November 1918.

Engineers at the Royal Laboratory developed Line 6, and the existence of this shell - and several others - was brought about by the limitations of the Series 1 grenades that the British Army entered the war with. Uses a friction-based timed protection system with a total weight of 1 lb.

Up to 2.25" in diameter.

Like the other shells that came before, the No. 6 series was still in service, albeit with some reservations. In practice, its success rate has been mixed, as the arming process usually requires two people. Grenades are also sensitive to forces that may detonate prematurely, whether directly armed or not.

These and other war factors ensured that the No. 6 had a short lifespan on the front lines.

No. 7 grenade, with a fragmentation body, more like a true anti-personnel fragmentation grenade. However, this design was heavier than the No. 6 and was not as popular when trying to drive enemy infantry out of the hole.