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Landships II -> Landships WW1 Forum -> Individual weapons & tactics -> Grenades.
Post Info TOPIC: Grenades.
James H


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Grenades.
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Citizens, I think this is new.

While looking into the matter of equipment, I noticed quite a bit of stuff about grenades that I hadn't before; in particular, the presence of stick grenades in the British and French armies that pre-dated the German Steilgranate.

I've come across several pictures of French and Belgian troops using stick grenades that look either very like or only a little like the German version, and was a bit puzzled. Now I think I make sense of it.

I have a picture of what looks like French troops using German-pattern stick grenades. Of, course, they might be captured stocks, but it seems that the French manufactured direct copies of the German, so they could easily be those.

Also, there are pictures of French troops carrying an odd type of potato-masher that has a cloth skirt, like an inverted parachute. It emerges that this was the Aasen, a Danish, pre-War model that was also used by the Germans, the only one to have been used by both sides.

I can't do any picture editing at the moment, because my main PC is still in intensive care, but these sites contain lots of extremely interesting information. As soon as I'm functioning again I'll do this properly. In the meantime, the sites are:

http://pagesperso-orange.fr/militaria14-18/p3.htm#foug  (scroll down a little)

http://humanbonb.free.fr/indexGrenades.html  (see No. 46 in particular)

http://www.birgy14-18.com/grenades.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nils_Waltersen_Aasen

Pics of the Aasen enclosed.


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jagjetta


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The study of WWI grenades is a fascinating one! Here is the link to an article that appeared in Military Trader on WWI French fragmentation grenades:

www.militarytrader.com/article/WWI_French_Fragmentation_Grenades/

You will see the "Petard" grenade that is a bomb-on-a-stick approach reminiscent of a stick grenade.

I am attaching a copy of one of my absolute favorite photos in my Belgian images collection: A Belgian wearing trench armor and a Farina style helmet holding a Mauser bayonet in his teeth. Below his armor, you can see a small bevy of Aasen-style grenades.

John A-G

-- Edited by jagjetta at 04:45, 2009-02-18

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John A-G.
Hudson, WI USA
James H


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Thanks, John. That's excellent. The Belgians trialled the Farina in, I think, 1917. Those grenades look different again - they seem to have a spring-loaded fuse on the bottom. Haven't noticed them elsewhere.

I can't do anything with it until my PC gets better, but I have a pic of a Belgian in the Yser uniform with several grenades hanging from him. They look like either captured German issue or the French copy. I'll upload asap.

Thanks again.

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elbavaro


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I am a little bit confused.

Are you sure this is Belgian? As far as I know the Farina helmet is Italian.



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James H


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Yes, but the Belgians held trials with some and rejected them.
http://www.activeboard.com/forum.spark?forumID=63528&p=3&topicID=12767261

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jagjetta


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No confusion...the Begians wore Farinas (which they received from Italy). This image comes out of a small album of a single Belgian soldier.

I don't know if it is still on display at the Belgian Army Museum in Brussels, but there used to be a Belgian-used Farina on display there in the mid-1980s (I am embarrassed to say, with the love of the Belgian Army, I haven't been back to Brussels for a visit in 20 years!).

I agree that these aren't the textbook Aasen grenades...the grenades on this fellow's belt have confused me for a number of years and I have not been able to pin the type down conclusively.

John


-- Edited by jagjetta at 14:14, 2009-02-18

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John A-G.
Hudson, WI USA
James H


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Have managed to get this thing working. Belgian in Yser uniform with grenades:

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philthydirtyanimal


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I thought Inspector Clouseau was French  confuse

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elbavaro


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Hercule Poirot was Belgian! ;o))

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James H


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Yes, I ner.

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jagjetta


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WOW!  What a great photo! Thanks James!


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John A-G.
Hudson, WI USA
SALONIKA


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Check these links:

http://www.salonikabattlefieldtour.com/gallery.php?ref_id=2&lang=&pic_id=103
http://www.salonikabattlefieldtour.com/gallery.php?ref_id=2&lang=&pic_id=269

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