Humanity is constantly at war. There is practically no long period of peace in modern history. Either one area of the planet becomes "hot", then another, and sometimes several at once. And everywhere they shoot from the trunks of various weapons, bombs rattle, rocket and hand grenades fly, causing injuries and deaths to soldiers of the opposing armies, and at the same time to civilians. The simpler and cheaper the deadly means, the more often it is used. Machine guns, pistols, carbines and rifles are beyond competition. And the most deadly type of weapon is artillery. But no less dangerous are "pocket shells" - hand grenades. If a bullet, according to the popular opinion among warriors, is a fool, then there is nothing to say about fragments.
In our turbulent world, everyone should know, if not about how to use a weapon, then at least about its damaging factors, at least in order to have a chance to somehow protect themselves from them if something happens.
A Brief History of Pomegranates
Hand grenades appeared a long time ago, back in the early fifteenth century, however, then they were called bombs, and their device was quiteprimitive. In a clay case, made according to the usual "pot" technology, a dangerous substance was placed - gunpowder or a combustible liquid. This whole composition was supplied with an activating device in the form of a simple wick, and it rushed to the places of the greatest concentration of the enemy. A tasty and he althy fruit - a pomegranate - inspired an unknown inventor who improved this type of weapon, filling it with striking elements, like grains, and at the same time gave it a name. By the middle of the seventeenth century, grenadier units appeared in all the armies of the world. These troops took young men of perfect physique, tall and strong. These requirements were by no means dictated by aesthetic considerations, although the monarchs did not forget about them either, it was just that hand grenades of that time were heavy, and they had to be thrown far away. By the way, the technique of this case was different from the modern one. The bomb was tossed from one side upwards in a motion somewhat reminiscent of a bowling player.
The emergence of a modern prototype
Time passed, technology developed, grenades became safer for the thrower, but caused more and more damage to the enemy. The impetus for their development as a type of compact weapon was the Russo-Japanese War, which began in 1905. First, the soldiers of both armies were engaged in invention, constructing deadly devices from improvised materials (bamboo, tin cans, etc.), and then the military industry entered the business. During the battle of Mukden, the Japanese first used hand-held fragmentation grenades with a wooden handle that had a dual purpose: for conveniencethrow and stabilization. From that moment began the worldwide career of "pocket artillery".
"Limonka" and its prototype
"Lemon" was invented by Briton Martin Hale. The device of a hand grenade has not undergone fundamental changes in about a century. The innovation also consisted in a new type of body (or “shirt”), rationally divided into regular geometric segments by the number 24. The revolutionary nature of the design also consisted in the possibility of using an ordinary army rifle to deliver ammunition to the target. The Hale grenade became the prototype of the modern underbarrel projectile.
During the First World War, another idea was used. To protect the thrower, a long cord was tied to a check on a wooden handle, by means of a jerk for which the fuse was initiated. The Norwegian Aazen became the author, but this invention of his was not further developed.
The main scheme, which is still used today, was the Hale prototype principle of the early 20th century. The "shirt" of a corrugated segmented shape is filled with an explosive. In the center there is a round hole, into which a cylindrical fuse enters when screwing. Detonation delay is carried out due to the known burning rate of the powder column, there is such a necessary thing as protection against accidental operation. This is how hand fragmentation grenades are arranged for the most part, regardless of the country of manufacture and brand.
Special and Combat
As in peacefullife, in war every tool has its purpose. In a bag or on a belt, a fighter carries various hand grenades. Photos of Soviet and German soldiers, armed and equipped, newsreels, propaganda posters brought to us the appearance of these deadly devices of the forties, sometimes lemon-shaped, sometimes similar to engine pistons.
The subsequent decades added variety to their assortment: there were light-noise, signal, or hand-held smoke grenades, as well as those filled with tear gas. This "humane" weapon refers to non-lethal means designed to capture the enemy or criminals, as well as to provide favorable conditions on the battlefield during retreat or maneuver. The situations may vary. For example, if it is necessary to withdraw a unit from a dangerous zone under fire in clear weather, it is necessary to “blow in the fog”. Thick gray smoke will be provided by the RDG-P grenade. Under its veil, soldiers will be able to make a covert retreat (or even bypass) and complete a combat mission with minimal or no losses.
A bright flash, accompanied by a terrible roar, will stun the hidden bandit, and he will lose the ability to resist law enforcement officers. "Involuntary tears", just like in an old romance, will roll from the eyes of the instigators of mass riots, deprive them of the ability to see well for a while, and help the police do their hard work of protecting public order.
But special equipment is only a small part of all hand grenades. Basically the weapon iscombat, and it is intended to cause maximum damage to the soldiers of the enemy army. At the same time, it should be remembered that a crippled warrior is less desirable for the economy of the enemy country than a dead one. He needs to be treated, provided with artificial limbs, fed and taken care of the family of a disabled person. For this reason, modern hand-held fragmentation grenades have a relatively small charge.
With a grenade against a tank
Anti-tank weapons have been continuously improved throughout the post-war decades. The main problem has always been the need to get close to the armored vehicle at throwing distance. The crews of the advancing armored vehicles actively counteracted such attempts, using all sorts of means of suppressing enemy manpower. Support infantry ran behind, which also did not contribute to the success of the charge throwers. A wide variety of means were used - from bottles with a combustible mixture to rather ingenious magnetic and sticky devices. A hand-held anti-tank grenade is heavy. During the Winter War, the Finnish headquarters even drew up a special memo, according to which to destroy a tank weighing 30 tons (for example, T-28) you need at least four kilograms of TNT, not counting the hull. They made bundles of grenades, heavy and dangerous. Throwing such a load and not falling under the fire of a course machine gun is not an easy task. The ability to somewhat reduce the weight of the charge appeared later, due to the special design of the warhead. A cumulative hand-held anti-tank grenade, when hitting armor, emits a narrow stream of incandescentgas burning metal. However, another problem arose. Now the soldier needed to throw his projectile so as not only to hit the target, it was also necessary to take care of the angle of contact. Ultimately, after the advent of rocket-propelled grenades, hand-held anti-tank grenades were abandoned by almost all the armies of the world.
For attack and defense
To go with a grenade to a tank is the destiny of brave people. Another thing is the fight against the infantry. Throwing hand grenades has become an indispensable exercise in the course of a young fighter. In the USSR, even schoolchildren were taught this at the lessons of initial military training. Depending on the weight of the model (500 or 700 g), the valid length of the throw is up to 25 m (for girls) and 35 m (for boys). An adult strong fighter can send a charge fifty meters, sometimes a little further. This begs the question of what should be the diameter (or radius) of the scattering of fragments so that the thrower does not suffer from them? But there is another aspect - the need to hide from damaging elements. When conducting a defensive battle, a soldier has the opportunity to hide in a trench, crouching. During an attack, the rapidly changing disposition is not as favorable for the use of such an effective weapon as a hand grenade. You can easily get into yours. Therefore, for different combat conditions, two main types of weapons have been created: offensive and defensive. Hand grenades in Russia and the USSR were produced according to this gradation.
Soviet offensive grenades
During the Great Patriotic War, oursoldiers during the offensive (and sometimes in defense conditions) used fragmentation RGN and RG-42. The name of the RGN grenade even indicates its main purpose (offensive hand grenade). The RG-42 was distinguished mainly by its geometric shape (cylinder) and the presence of a rolled steel band with a notch inside the case, which formed a large number of fragments during the explosion. The fuses of hand grenades in our country have traditionally been unified to simplify the use and production.
RG-42 had an oblong shirt with hemispherical ends and also had special inserts divided into small segments. Both samples hit manpower within a radius of 25 meters. Further modification of the RG-42 led to a simplification of the design.
During the war, grenades were produced with fuses that could activate the main charge not only after a certain time period, but also upon impact. This design feature increased the danger of using a combat weapon, so Soviet designers abandoned the principle of shock detonation in further developments.
RGD-5
In 1954, the RGD-5 hand grenade was adopted by the Soviet Army. It can be characterized by the same epithets as almost all samples of domestic defense technologies. It is simple, reliable and technologically advanced. Combat experience has shown that the creation of an excessive amount of damaging elements is inexpedient, and those fragments that are formed during the destruction of the outer shell made of thin steel are quite enough.
ManualThe RGD grenade, in terms of its tactical and technical data, is close to its predecessor, the RGN, but is more safe, since it does not explode on impact. It is so simple that, in addition to its weight (0.31 kg) and the radius of fragmentation (25-35 m), there is nothing more to tell about it. You can also specify only the explosion delay time (about 4 seconds), but it depends on the characteristics of the unified fuse.
F-1
F-1 and RGD-5 are the two most common Russian hand grenades. They differ in purpose, and consequently, in their technical characteristics. The F-1 hand grenade is defensive, it is also known about it that it is used to destroy enemy manpower. These two points dictate twice the weight. According to the passport data, the fragments scatter over 200 meters, but this does not mean at all that all living things will certainly be destroyed inside this circle. The probability of defeat is inversely proportional to the distance from the epicenter, this law also applies to hand grenades. Russia, or rather, the country's armed forces, require various types of weapons to protect national interests, and today there are much more effective means of defeating infantry. However, it is too early to forget about time-tested types of grenades.
General points
The F1 hand grenade, like the RGD-5, does not differ in its design from the generally accepted scheme. The body is filled with explosive - TNT. Its weight is different for the two types. It would seem that in order to scatter heavy fragments further, moreTNT. In fact, this is not entirely true, the ability of the “shirt” to hold explosives inside itself during the explosive reaction matters. Therefore, the F1 hand grenade contains a smaller mass of explosives, having a heavier body. More complete combustion of TNT gives the necessary acceleration to the flying fragments. Despite the high strength of cast iron, one cannot count on the fact that all the explosives will react, as well as on the destruction of the jacket strictly along the intended notch, which reduces the damaging ability of the charge. The RGD-5 hand grenade, with almost a third of the mass, contains as much as 110 grams of TNT. A common feature of the two designs is the UZRGM fuse used. The letter "U" means "unified". Its device is simple, which explains the high reliability of operation.
How the fuse works
To bring the F-1 and RGD-5 grenades into combat position, a unified modernized UZRGM fuse is usually used, which includes a percussion mechanism. Inside it is a capsule that serves to detonate the main charge. In the transport position, the hole intended for the fuse is closed with a plastic stopper that protects the grenade from dirt or sand getting inside. The percussion mechanism itself is made in the form of a tube equipped with bushings, washers (they perform a guiding function), a spring, a drummer, a trigger lever and a safety pin. By its principle of operation, the fuse is similar to a conventional cartridge, only of lower power. He, as it were, shoots inside the body with a jet of hot powder gas after the needle of the striker pierces the igniter primer. To givesufficient kinetic energy is supplied by a compressed steel spring, which is able to straighten out when the safety pin is removed and the clip is released.
After triggering the igniter capsule, a column of powder begins to burn in the tube. This lasts for about four seconds, then comes the turn of another capsule, called a detonator. As its name implies, it is he who detonates the main charge.
It should be remembered that a special gunpowder with a high content of s altpeter was used in the design of the fuse. It can burn at the same speed (1 cm/s) both on land and underwater.
Stretches and traps
A cunning enemy, when retreating or conducting defensive battles, can use hand grenades to mine the area. Both military personnel of the enemy army and civilians can become victims of such tactics, therefore, being in the front line, one should be especially careful. The most common method of mining is the so-called stretch, which is a grenade (most often RGD-5), fixed with improvised means on a tree, bush or other part of the landscape, and a wire screwed to a check-ring at one end, and to any another immovable object. At the same time, the check antennae are unbent, and the safety bracket is in a free state. An experienced fighter will immediately recognize this primitive method.
The trap is arranged somewhat differently. A grenade (RGD-5 or F-1), brought into combat position (with the pin pulled out), fits into a recess made in the ground. The bracket during mining is held in such a way that it can be pressed with some object of interest to the enemy. Therefore, when inspecting a newly occupied area, one should not touch abandoned weapons, equipment, or boxes that are supposed to contain food or medicine. It is best to tie a rope to suspicious things, through which you can move them from a safe place.
It's not worth hoping that when the grenade is activated, there is time for which you can take cover. There are additional inserts that are screwed in instead of the normal moderator, they cause an instantaneous explosion when triggered.
Stretches and traps are especially dangerous for children and teenagers.
Myths and reality
Cinematography, as you know, is the most important art, but its characteristic drawback is the excessive picturesqueness of the action.
For example, a partisan, imperceptibly for the Nazis, activates the percussion mechanism by pulling out the pin and releasing the safety bracket. Such a situation is impossible in real life. The device of a hand grenade does not imply ste alth use. There were attempts to make a silent detonator, but due to the high danger of using such ammunition, they were abandoned. The fuse of a hand grenade at the moment of operation emits a rather loud bang, after which the countdown of the remaining seconds before the explosion begins.
The same applies to the beautiful habit of some movie characters to pull the pin with their teeth. It's not just difficult, it'simpossible, even if the wire is pre-straightened. The pin sits firmly, so you can pull it out only with considerable effort.
It is also understandable that the director wants to make a kind of Hiroshima out of a grenade explosion. In fact, it sounds, of course, loudly, but in open areas it is not so deafening. Pillars of black smoke reaching the sky are also usually not observed, unless, of course, the fuel depot caught fire from the explosion.
A hand grenade is an unpredictable device in its lethal action. There were cases when people who were very close to its explosion survived, while others were killed tens of meters away by a random fragment at the end. Too much depends on the occasion…
