Stielhandgranate

Stielhandgranate
Stick grenades on display at the National World War I Museum in Kansas City, Missouri
TypeHand grenade
Place of originGerman Empire
Service history
In service1915–1945 (Germany)
Used bySee § Users
Wars
Production history
Designed1915–1943
Produced1915–1945
VariantsSee § Variants
Specifications (Stielhandgranate 15)
Mass820 g (29 oz)
Length240–260 mm (9.4–10.2 in)
Diameter72 mm (2.8 in)
FillingAmmonal
Filling weight250 g (8.8 oz)
Detonationmechanism
5.5 or 7 seconds timer

Stielhandgranate (lit. "Stick hand grenade") is a series of World War I and World War II–era German hand grenade designs, also known as the Potato masher (Kartoffelstampfer), Doorknocker (Türklopfer),[1] or Jam-pot and stick grenade (by the British in WWI),[2] The first models were introduced by the Imperial German Army during World War I and the final design was introduced during World War II by the German Wehrmacht.

Background

Germany entered World War I with a single standard grenade type, the Kugelhandgranate. These grenades were heavy, weighing in 1 kilogram (2.2 lb) each and could not be thrown farther than 15–20 metres (16–22 yd),[3] leading to demands for a lighter alternative.[4]

Hairbrush grenade

Early in the war, German soldiers made use of improvised stick grenades commonly known as the 'hairbrush grenade', which were thought as having a longer throwing range and improved accuracy over the Kugelhandgranate, which would lead to the development of the introduction of the first Stielhandgranate in 1915,[4] though these stopgaps (also known as the 'paddle grenade') remained in use until 1916.[5]

The German hairbrush grenade was a metal box filled with explosives and nailed to a 38 cm (15 in) wooden handle with a spring igniter, fuze, and detonator similar to the ones used on the Stielhandgranate.[6] The early versions of these crude grenades had to be lit by hand (often with a smoking pipe, cigar or cigarette) before throwing.[7][8] The British and the French also made their own copies, such as the Grenade No. 12 Hairbrush,[9] and the Pétard Raquette.[10]

Design

The original Stielhandgranate 15 relied on its blast effect, which had an effective radius of 15 m (16 yd) on open field. The warhead was made of a thin sheet of steel approximately 10.5–12 cm (4.1–4.7 in) long with a diameter of 7.2 cm (2.8 in) and a metal clip to allow soldiers to carry the complete grenade on their belts,[11] though soldiers frequently carried them inside empty sandbags tied in pairs and slung around the neck.[12]

The 250 g (8.8 oz) explosive filler composition varied between the various private manufacturers contracted by the government, usually black powder, potassium perchlorate, barium nitrate, or ammonium nitrate mixed with aluminium powder before they were replaced in 1916 with TNT.[11][13]

The warhead was usually coated with paraffin wax to provide some degree of waterproofing and was mounted on a hollow wooden handle 24–26 cm (9.4–10.2 in) long that housed the detonator and pull cord. The complete Stielhandgranate 15 weighted 820 g (29 oz).[11][13] Subsequent versions featured improved fuses, a screw-cap cover on the detonator pull cord, while the warhead size was reduced.[11] The model 1924 stick grenade used during World War II had a handle 36 cm (14 in) long and weighing in 230 g (8.1 oz) it was lighter than its predecessors.[14] The end of the pull cord also had a small porcelain ball attached.[15]

Demonstration of a German Stielhandgranate 24, 1946.

To arm the grenade, the soldier yanked the pull cord which in turn pulled a rough steel rod through the igniter within the fuse. The rod's abrasive contact would cause sparks and a flame to light, setting the fuse burning.[11] The time delay fuse varied from 5.5 to 7 seconds as marked on the side of the warhead or the handle,[13][16] though short burning fuses (2–3 seconds) were issued to Stormtroopers.[2] The warhead was stencilled with the reminder Vor Gebrauch Sprengkapsel Einsetzen ("Before use insert detonator").[17]

Percussion fused versions of the Stielhandgranate were introduced in late 1915 with an improved version entering service in 1916, these grenades used a spring-powered plunger that was activated after the warhead hit the ground and had a safety lever fitted on the handle. When the grenade was thrown, the lever flew off arming the grenade. Due the impact grenades tendency of failing to explode after landing on mud or on their sides, they weren't liked by the troops.[4][11]

In comparison to the British Mills bomb, the Stielhandgranate could be thrown further since the handle imparted extra momentum, while the Mills was more lethal, producing over 700 fragments upon detonation; the stick grenade produced little fragmentation and a louder report, resulting in a greater moral effect. According to Saunders, the moral effect of the stick grenade was no less important than the lethal, since by 1917, the main purpose of the hand grenade became a matter of forcing the enemy into the lethal zone of small arms and machine gun fire.[18]

History

German service

While the 'stick grenade' or 'potato masher' was possibly the most recognizable of the hand grenades employed by the Germans in World War I,[5] they also employed a large variety of designs during the conflict, including the ball grenade (Kugelhandgranate), egg grenade (Eierhandgranate), and the discus grenade (Diskushandgranate), besides improvised (behelfs) designs using during the early years and closing months of the conflict, with the latter being made out a wide variety of materials such as wood or concrete.[19] These emergency designs would reappear in the late stages of World War II, in Wehrmacht service.[15]

German stormtroopers posing with stick grenades, 1917

Unlike the British or the French, all German soldiers received training on grenade throwing, allowing regular riflemen to immediately lob grenades against enemy incursions, with the dedicated grenade thrower squad only entering in action if the riflemen failed to dislodge the enemy raiders.[20]Stormtroopers carried dozens of stick grenades in empty sandbags slung across their chests when leading assaults.[21]

The Germans often used the stielhandgranate for assaulting enemy fortifications, where it proved to be effective when detonated within the confines of a trench system, building or bunker.[5] When faced against well-defended positions, stormtroopers taped grenades together into bundle charges and planted them over the enemy parapets or into the slits of concrete bunkers.[22] These improvised charges were also deployed as anti-tank weapons when more powerful weapons weren't available.[12]

By 1918, the Stielhandgranate almost completely replaced all other types of grenades used by the Imperial German Army.[12] It was considered as an effective design, though they were heavy and cumbersome to carry.[11]

Austro-Hungarian service

Austro-Hungarian stormtroopers with stick grenades, 1917

The Austro-Hungarian Army started the war with several types of domestically produced hand grenades, but their unreliability often resulted in injuries to the thrower. In 1915–16, the army was re-equipped with German-supplied Stielhandgranate and Eierhandgranate grenades, which were more effective and safer to operate than the Austrian designs.[23] In March 1915, the Austro-Hungarians officially issued their own egg grenade and the Rohr stick grenade, a short cast iron cylinder enclosed in a cardboard tube that served as a throwing handle.[24]

Austro-Hungarian stormtroopers made effective use of bundle charges to breach enemy barbed wire emplacements and blockhouses, often wiring several grenades together to a plank of wood in order to create stronger charges.[25] Elite assault mountain units scaled mountain peaks to infiltrate enemy positions and overrun them by throwing grenades from above and from the flanks of an enemy mountain outpost.[26]

Hand grenades, including the Stielhandgranate remained the main weapon of the Austro-Hungarian stormtroopers until 1918, when the Maxim 08/15 light machine gun supplanted them.[27]

Variants

Two WWI-era Stielhandgranate
  • Stielhandgranate 15 − Introduced in 1915, it had a 24–26 cm (9.4–10.2 in) long handle with a thin steel sheet head 10.5–12 cm (4.1–4.7 in) long with a diameter of 7.2 cm (2.8 in) containing 250 g (8.8 oz) of explosive filler: usually black powder, potassium perchlorate, barium nitrate or ammonium nitrate mixed with aluminium powder. The warhead was coated with paraffin wax to provide some degree of waterproofing and a featured a clip to hang on a belt[11]
  • Stielhandgranate 16 − A modified M1915 with improved fuze and waterproofing, a screw-cap covering the ignition pull cord,[11] and a more powerful trinitrotoluene filling.[13] A variant with a steel handle was commonly known as the Wilhelm[11]
  • Stielhandgranate 17 − A modified M1916, the steel warhead was reduced in size to a length of 11 cm (4.3 in) and a diameter of 6 cm (2.4 in). Construction of the head was also changed by using stamped sheet metal instead of crimped steel[11]
A Swedish Stielhandgranate 24 (spränghandgranat m/39)
  • Stielhandgranate 24 − A further refinement of the WWI-era models. The handle is 36 cm (14 in) long, while the warhead contained 170 g (6 oz) of TNT or (substitute) black powder filling and overall weight of 0.23 kg (1⁄2 lb).[1][14] Maximum throwing range is up to 50 m (55 yd), depending on the strength and skill of the thrower[28]
Stielhandgranate 43 with a splitterring fragmentation sleeve
  • Stielhandgranate 43 − Similar to the M24, but with the pull cord igniter from the Model 39 grenade screwed on top the warhead and fitted with a solid-wood handle.[15][29] The head of the grenade was fastened to the handle by four screws and could be removed for practice[30]
  • Nebelhandgranat 39 − Standard smoke grenade with the warhead filled with a chemical mixture to generate white smoke.[29][15] The composition was powdered zinc and hexachloroethane that was released through eight holes located at the base of the warhead which also had a thin white band painted for identification[31]
  • Nebelhandgranate 39B − Virtually identical to the Nebelhandgranat 39, but with raised ridges on the handle and thicker white band[31]
A Swedish Übungs-Stielhandgranate 24 (övningshandgranat m/39)
  • Übungs-Stielhandgranate 24 − Dummy grenade for practice. It can be distinguished by the bright-red perforated warhead.[32][33] It could be outfitted with a special charge that produced a loud report and puff of smoke to simulate an explosion when used.[32][34] It was also used by Sweden under the designation Övningshandgranat m39[35]
  • Behelfs-Handgranate Holz − A last-ditch grenade produced late in the war, it resembled the Model 24, but entirely made of wood. It used the same igniter system, but relied solely on its blast effect[15]
  • Behelfs Handgranate Beton − An improvised grenade used in the North African campaign, it resembled a M24 but it used a 13 mm (0.5 in) thick concrete warhead filled with 100 g (3.5 oz) of explosives[15]

Derivatives

Users

The German Stielhandgranate-series has been used in many conflicts, including both world wars.

Official and unofficial users of all versions of the Stielhandgranate
UserType of serviceSelf-manufacturedType of model in use
Model 1915 Model 1916 Model 1917 Model 1924 Model 1943
Official users
German EmpireFull military service YesYesYesYesNoNo
Weimar RepublicFull military service YesNoNoNoYesNo
Nazi GermanyFull military service YesNoNoNoYesYes
Sweden[35]Full military service Yes[40]NoNoNoYes[35]No
Ottoman Empire[41]Yildirim Army Group (Stormtroopers) NoYesYesYesNoNo
Nationalist government[42]German-trained divisionsNoNoNoNoYesNo
Unofficial users
Austria-HungaryLeased/purchased NoYesYesYesNoNo
Kingdom of Hungary[43]Leased/purchased NoNoNoNoYesYes
Independent State of Croatia? No? ? ? YesYes?
Finland[44]Leased/purchased NoNoNoNoYesNo
Soviet UnionCaptured/scavenged NoNoNoNoYesYes
LatviaCaptured/scavenged NoYesYesYesNoNo
FranceCaptured/scavenged NoYesYesYesYesYes
Foreign designs
UserType of serviceVersion
Chinese copies Type 98 Type 67
Empire of JapanCaptured/local design produced YesYesNo
 Republic of ChinaLocal design produced YesNoNo
 People's Republic of ChinaLocal design produced YesNoYes
North VietnamLeased/purchased NoNoYes

See also

References

  1. ^ abRottman 2015, pp. 20, 22.
  2. ^ abWar Office 1918, p. 51.
  3. ^Stone 2015, p. 417.
  4. ^ abcRottman 2015, p. 20.
  5. ^ abcStone 2015, p. 416.
  6. ^Smith 1918, p. 80.
  7. ^Bull 2002, p. 57.
  8. ^Stone 2015, p. 375.
  9. ^"Grenade No 12 Hairbrush". Imperial War Museums.
  10. ^"Pétard-raquette". Musée de la Grande Guerre (in French). Retrieved 17 January 2026.
  11. ^ abcdefghijkStone 2015, p. 418.
  12. ^ abcNash 1980, p. 91.
  13. ^ abcdRottman 2015, p. 19.
  14. ^ abUnited States Navy Department Bureau of Ordnance 1969, pp. 319.
  15. ^ abcdefHogg 1977, p. 169.
  16. ^Smith 1918, p. 76.
  17. ^Smith 1918, p. 72.
  18. ^Saunders 2020, p. 174.
  19. ^Rottman 2015, pp. 19–20.
  20. ^Saunders 2020, pp. 172–173.
  21. ^Drury 1995, pp. 10, 60.
  22. ^Drury 1995, p. 13.
  23. ^Morisi 2018, pp. 30–31.
  24. ^Jung 2003, p. 23.
  25. ^Morisi 2018, p. 68.
  26. ^Morisi 2018, p. 52.
  27. ^Morisi 2018, p. 65.
  28. ^Stone 2009, p. 259.
  29. ^ abRottman 2015, p. 22.
  30. ^United States Navy Department Bureau of Ordnance 1969, pp. 320–321.
  31. ^ abMiller 2007, p. 152.
  32. ^ ab"The Übungs-Stielhandgranate 24". Retrieved 2022-07-13.
  33. ^"Original German WWII Training M24 Stick Grenade by Richard Rinker - Dated 1936". International Military Antiques. Retrieved 2021-01-13.
  34. ^Beskrivning av handgranater och rökfacklor. Sweden: Kungliga Arméförvaltningen. 1960. p. 10.
  35. ^ abc"VI: S-, övnhgr.". Amregister, Ammunitionsregister för armén (in Swedish) (1942 ed.). Stockholm, Sweden: Ammunitionsavdelningen vid tygdepartementets 1. materialbyrå.
  36. ^Jones & Ness 2010, p. 734.
  37. ^ abCampbell 2020, p. 15.
  38. ^Ness 2014, p. 60.
  39. ^"VI: S-, övnhgr.". Amregister, Ammunitionsregister för armén (in Swedish) (1942 (1944 changes) ed.). Stockholm, Sweden: Ammunitionsavdelningen vid tygdepartementets 1. materialbyrå.
  40. ^"VI: S-, övnhgr.". Amregister, Ammunitionsregister för armén (in Swedish) (1942 (1948 changes) ed.). Stockholm, Sweden: Ammunitionsavdelningen vid tygdepartementets 1. materialbyrå.
  41. ^Chalastras, Kostas (March 4, 2024). "Ottoman Stormtrooper units in World War I: Formation, training, and actions in the Middle Eastern theatre".
  42. ^Lai 2017, p. 22.
  43. ^Tibor, Rada (2001). "Német gyalogsági fegyverek magyar kézben" [German infantry weapons in Hungarian hands]. A Magyar Királyi Honvéd Ludovika Akadémia és a Testvérintézetek Összefoglalt Története (1830-1945) (in Hungarian). Vol. II. Budapest: Gálos Nyomdász Kft. p. 1114. ISBN 963-85764-3-X.
  44. ^Rottman 2015, p. 50.

Bibliography

Look up Stielhandgranate in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
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