Type 10 Grenade
Encyclopedia
The was the first fragmentation
hand grenade
designed and deployed by the Imperial Japanese Army
.
of 1904–1905, the Japanese army experimented with a variety of grenades; however, no design reached mass production. Japanese military observers
in the European front of World War I noted the technical development and tactical application of hand grenades as infantry
support weapons with considerable interest, and the Army Technical Bureau was tasked with a project to develop a grenade launcher
that could be used in combination with the Type 38 rifle
, the Japanese Army's standard infantry
weapon. The project failed for a variety of reasons, including too small a bore
, too long a gun barrel
and difficulties with a propellant. The Technical Bureau then turned to a World War I-vintage German design for a small signal mortar
, which was developed into the stand-alone Type 10 Grenade Discharger
. The Type 10 grenade was designed for use with this grenade launcher when attached to a base containing a primer
and propelling charge. It could also be thrown by hand, or fired from a rifle grenade launcher with a tail assembly added.
, or a finned tail assembly for use as a rifle grenade
. The fuse was a percussion-activated delay type, initiated by pulling out a safety pin and striking the top of the cap, which gave a 7–8 second delay. When used as a rifle grenade or mortar round, the fuse activated automatically, as the plunger was pushed in by the force of the launch. One issue with the design was the highly variable and inaccurate fuse timing, which resulted either in premature explosion, or such a long delay that the recipient could hurl the grenade back prior to detonation.
and signal shells
.
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...
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...
designed and deployed by the Imperial Japanese Army
Imperial Japanese Army
-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...
.
History and development
After 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...
of 1904–1905, the Japanese army experimented with a variety of grenades; however, no design reached mass production. Japanese military observers
Military attaché
A military attaché is a military expert who is attached to a diplomatic mission . This post is normally filled by a high-ranking military officer who retains the commission while serving in an embassy...
in the European front of World War I noted the technical development and tactical application of hand grenades as infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
support weapons with considerable interest, and the Army Technical Bureau was tasked with a project to develop a grenade launcher
Grenade launcher
A grenade launcher or grenade discharger is a weapon that launches a grenade with more accuracy, higher velocity, and to greater distances than a soldier could throw it by hand....
that could be used in combination with the Type 38 rifle
Type 38 rifle
The is a bolt-action rifle. For a time it was the standard rifle of the Japanese infantry. It was known also as the Type 38 Year Meiji Carbine in Japan. An earlier, similar weapon was the Type 30 Year Meiji Rifle, which was also used alongside it. Both of these weapons were also known as the...
, the Japanese Army's standard infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
weapon. The project failed for a variety of reasons, including too small a bore
Gauge (bore diameter)
The gauge of a firearm is a unit of measurement used to express the diameter of the barrel. Gauge is determined from the weight of a solid sphere of lead that will fit the bore of the firearm, and is expressed as the multiplicative inverse of the sphere's weight as a fraction of a pound . Thus...
, too long a gun barrel
Gun barrel
A gun barrel is the tube, usually metal, through which a controlled explosion or rapid expansion of gases are released in order to propel a projectile out of the end at a high velocity....
and difficulties with a propellant. The Technical Bureau then turned to a World War I-vintage German design for a small signal mortar
Mortar (weapon)
A mortar is an indirect fire weapon that fires explosive projectiles known as bombs at low velocities, short ranges, and high-arcing ballistic trajectories. It is typically muzzle-loading and has a barrel length less than 15 times its caliber....
, which was developed into the stand-alone Type 10 Grenade Discharger
Type 10 Grenade Discharger
was a Japanese smoothbore, muzzle loaded weapon used during the Second World War. It first entered service in 1921. The Type 10 has a range of 175 meters, greater than other grenade dischargers of that time. It had a range control device at the base of the barrel in the form of a graduated thimble...
. The Type 10 grenade was designed for use with this grenade launcher when attached to a base containing a primer
Percussion cap
The percussion cap, introduced around 1830, was the crucial invention that enabled muzzleloading firearms to fire reliably in any weather.Before this development, firearms used flintlock ignition systems which produced flint-on-steel sparks to ignite a pan of priming powder and thereby fire the...
and propelling charge. It could also be thrown by hand, or fired from a rifle grenade launcher with a tail assembly added.
Design
The design of the Type 10 grenade was almost identical to the later Type 91 with a grooved 'pineapple-shaped' segmented body designed to disperse sharp fragments when it exploded. The main difference was the Type 10's serrated top. A threaded socket in the bottom of the body allowed for the attachment of an auxiliary propellant canister for use in a grenade launcherGrenade launcher
A grenade launcher or grenade discharger is a weapon that launches a grenade with more accuracy, higher velocity, and to greater distances than a soldier could throw it by hand....
, or a finned tail assembly for use as a rifle grenade
Rifle grenade
A rifle grenade is a grenade that uses a rifle-based launcher to permit a longer effective range than would be possible if the grenade was thrown by hand...
. The fuse was a percussion-activated delay type, initiated by pulling out a safety pin and striking the top of the cap, which gave a 7–8 second delay. When used as a rifle grenade or mortar round, the fuse activated automatically, as the plunger was pushed in by the force of the launch. One issue with the design was the highly variable and inaccurate fuse timing, which resulted either in premature explosion, or such a long delay that the recipient could hurl the grenade back prior to detonation.
Combat record
The Type 10 grenade was quickly superseded in front-line combat service by the Type 91 grenade, and survived into the Second Sino-Japanese War and World War II in primarily in the form of flare shellsFlare (pyrotechnic)
A flare, also sometimes called a fusee, is a type of pyrotechnic that produces a brilliant light or intense heat without an explosion. Flares are used for signalling, illumination, or defensive countermeasures in civilian and military applications...
and signal shells
Smoke grenade
Smoke grenades are canister-type grenades used as ground-to-ground or ground-to-air signaling devices, target or landing zone marking devices, or as screening devices for unit movements. Smoke grenades are normally considered non-lethal, although incorrect use may cause death...
.