No 1 Grenade
Encyclopedia
The Grenade, Hand No 1 was the first British
hand grenade
used in World War I
.
by General Sir Aylmer Haldane, who was a British observer of the Russo-Japanese War and brought back a few samples of Japanese grenades.
The grenade proper is a can of explosive material
with an iron fragmentation
band. The fuse
was of the impact sort, detonating when the top of the grenade hit the ground. A long cane handle (approximately 16 inches) 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 fuse struck the trench side. The no. 3, a variant of the No 1 with a shorter handle, was made to make it easier to throw in a trench.
Even with these adjustments, the No 1 and its variants did poorly in battle. According to German prisoners captured at Ypres
in January 1916, the No 1 could be deflected by wooden boards. In some cases, the deflected grenade could be thrown back.
Manufacturing the No 1 was difficult as well, as it required a special detonator that could only be produced by the Ordinance Factories. Because of this, there were far fewer No 1s sent to the BEF than were ordered. A version that used a more common detonator, the No 18, was designed, but by then battlefield experience had shown that the No 1 design was ineffective.
The difficulty of operating it in trenches plus the special detonator caused Britain to create several stopgap grenades, such as the Jam Tin Grenade
, until the Mills Bomb
was adopted.
The grenade came with a metal loop so it could hang from the belt.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
hand grenade
Hand grenade
A hand grenade is any small bomb that can be thrown by hand. Hand grenades are classified into three categories, explosive grenades, chemical and gas grenades. Explosive grenades are the most commonly used in modern warfare, and are designed to detonate after impact or after a set amount of time...
used in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
Overview
The Grenade No 1 was designed in the Royal Laboratory and is based on reports of Japanese hand grenades during the Russo-Japanese WarRusso-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese War was "the first great war of the 20th century." It grew out of rival imperial ambitions of the Russian Empire and Japanese Empire over Manchuria and Korea...
by General Sir Aylmer Haldane, who was a British observer of the Russo-Japanese War and brought back a few samples of Japanese grenades.
The grenade proper is a can of explosive material
Explosive material
An explosive material, also called an explosive, is a reactive substance that contains a great amount of potential energy that can produce an explosion if released suddenly, usually accompanied by the production of light, heat, sound, and pressure...
with an iron fragmentation
Fragmentation (weaponry)
Fragmentation is the process by which the casing of an artillery shell, bomb, grenade, etc. is shattered by the detonating high explosive filling. The correct technical terminology for these casing pieces is fragments , although shards or splinters can be used for non-preformed fragments...
band. The fuse
Fuse (explosives)
In an explosive, pyrotechnic device or military munition, a fuse is the part of the device that initiates function. In common usage, the word fuse is used indiscriminately...
was of the impact sort, detonating when the top of the grenade hit the ground. A long cane handle (approximately 16 inches) 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
Trench warfare
Trench warfare is a form of occupied fighting lines, consisting largely of trenches, in which troops are largely immune to the enemy's small arms fire and are substantially sheltered from artillery...
, the long handle became a liability - several accidents occurred when reaching back for the throw, the fuse struck the trench side. The no. 3, a variant of the No 1 with a shorter handle, was made to make it easier to throw in a trench.
Even with these adjustments, the No 1 and its variants did poorly in battle. According to German prisoners captured at Ypres
Ypres
Ypres is a Belgian municipality located in the Flemish province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Ypres and the villages of Boezinge, Brielen, Dikkebus, Elverdinge, Hollebeke, Sint-Jan, Vlamertinge, Voormezele, Zillebeke, and Zuidschote...
in January 1916, the No 1 could be deflected by wooden boards. In some cases, the deflected grenade could be thrown back.
Manufacturing the No 1 was difficult as well, as it required a special detonator that could only be produced by the Ordinance Factories. Because of this, there were far fewer No 1s sent to the BEF than were ordered. A version that used a more common detonator, the No 18, was designed, but by then battlefield experience had shown that the No 1 design was ineffective.
The difficulty of operating it in trenches plus the special detonator caused Britain to create several stopgap grenades, such as the Jam Tin Grenade
Jam Tin Grenade
The Double Cylinder, No 8 and No 9 hand grenades, also known as the "Jam Tin", were early designs used by the British Army in World War I.The Double Cylinder was one of the many grenades designed for British use in the early part of the First World War in response to the failings of the No 1...
, until the Mills Bomb
Mills bomb
Mills bomb is the popular name for a series of prominent British hand grenades. They were the first modern fragmentation grenades in the world.-Overview:...
was adopted.
The grenade came with a metal loop so it could hang from the belt.