Model 24 Stielhandgranate
| Stielhandgranate 24 | |
|---|---|
| Type | Grenade |
| Place of origin | German Empire |
| Service history | |
| Wars | World War II |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1924 |
| Produced | 1924 - 1945 |
The Stielhandgranate 24 (lit. 'Stick hand grenade 24') is the refined variant of the Stielhandgranate hand grenade design and the successor of the Model 15 Stielhandgranate.
Design
[edit]The Stielhandgranate primarily relied on a concussion blast effect, its thin metal container creating little fragmentation compared with many grenades of the time, such as the Mills bomb and the French F1 grenade, the later World War II American Mk 2 grenade, and the Russian (later Soviet) F1 grenade.
While retaining the same explosive and fuse, the main distinction between the M24 and the original M15 is a slightly shorter charge head and the removal of a belt carry clip. At the same time the wooden handle was lengthened.
The intent of these design alterations was simply for mobility; German soldiers could easily (and often did) tuck the grenade in behind their uniform's belt, held tight and secure. Being slightly lighter, and smaller in thickness, this improved overall use.
The Model 24 Stielhandgranate was stored in specially designed crates during transport, which could carry up to 15 individual grenades.
Adapting to the rapidly changing field of modern warfare, German soldiers would carry the M24 directly in front, allowing quick and easy access. However, in the later years of the war it was often advised to carry them in a different manner, as it was very likely any sort of explosion or heat could light the fuse from the grenade on the belt, resulting in unnecessary casualties.
As a safety precaution, units of the Wehrmacht were advised to only insert the actual fuse assemblies when about to go into combat. Later in the war, however, many soldiers of the Wehrmacht would always have their weapons ready, due to the fierceness seen in the Soviet Red Army in the east and the progressive advance of the Allies on the Western Front.
A reminder (German: Vor Gebrauch Sprengkapsel einsetzen, lit. 'Before use insert detonator') was stenciled on each explosive charge.
Alternative use
[edit]The Model 1924 was ineffective by itself at damaging or disabling an enemy armored vehicle or destroying fortifications. It also lacked the shrapnel effect of most other grenades of the time.
A common solution was an improvised "bundle charge" (German: Geballte Ladung, lit. 'Interconnected charge')[1].
The heads of a number of M24 grenades – their handles and fuses removed – would be strapped around a complete grenade, usually with simple rope, cloth, or metal wire, a solution initially invented during World War I using M15, M16 and M17 grenades.[1] These "bundle charges" could be crafted with up to six additional heads around the complete grenade, the most common styles being the addition of four or six M24 heads.[citation needed]
As a result of this cost-effective and reliable solution, the standard infantryman of the Wehrmacht could quickly improvise a grenade with up to seven times the explosive power. However, the added weight made it more difficult to throw, and the increased size meant that it was not practical to carry with one hand and that far fewer could be carried.
These factors meant that infantry squads, if faced with an armored enemy, would have to close to a reduced range if they wanted to use the bundle charges.
During the early years of World War II, there was little in terms of truly effective German handheld weaponry designed to fight hard targets such as armored vehicles and structures, and even later in the war this style of bundle grenade remained useful to the common Heer infantryman.[1]
Another version of improvised weapon using M24 grenades was a type of bangalore torpedo (German: Gestreckte Ladung, lit. 'Elongated Charge') made out of a number of M24 grenades – their handles and fuses removed and replaced with detonators – mounted to a long stick or plank behind one another with a complete grenade at one end to initiate the explosion.
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Bundle charge design for the Stielhandgranate 24 -
Improvised bangalore torpedo using the Stielhandgranate 24
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Variants
[edit]To overcome these faults, various German industries during World War II produced a number of variants that widened the utility and capability of the M24.
Stielhandgranate 24 Kalt
[edit]During numerous operations of the invasion of the Soviet Union, the Heer found that under freezing conditions the M24's fuse could fail to ignite.
In response, a variant with a cold-resistant explosive was developed and supplied to most units deployed on the eastern front (especially into present-day Russia).
During production, the metal charge head was marked with a letter K, signifying its status as the winter variant (German: Kalt, lit. 'Cold')[2].
Nebelhandgranate 39
[edit]The Wehrmacht lacked a proper smoke grenade to allow infantry to cover advances or retreats, or for assaulting a position. A smoke version of the M24 (German: Nebelhandgranate 39, lit. 'Fog hand grenade 39') was produced.[3]
The Nebelhandgranate 39 had a remodeled fuse mechanism and a smoke charge instead of explosive; the smoke emitted from small vents in the underside of the charge head.
To make it readily distinguishable from an M4, it had large markings on the head and a white band on the handle. Later, the handle was textured so that they could be told apart by touch.[3]
Übungs-Stielhandgranate 24
[edit]Like most of the forces that took part in World War II, the Wehrmacht produced inert (not able to explode) practice versions of the standard-issue grenade, designed to aid recruits on how to properly throw and operate the weapon during training.
An exercise version (German: Übungs-Stielhandgranate 24, lit. 'Exercise-stick hand grenade 24') was introduced that was characterized by its bright-red warhead with big perforated holes going throughout.[4][5]
The Übungs-Stielhandgranate 24 could be outfitted with an exercise charge and a fuse with a pull cord that made a bang and puff of smoke to indicate explosion when used.[4][6]
Foreign productions
[edit]Aside from Nazi Germany, the Stielhandgranate 24 was used globally during World War II. A number of nations either directly acquired or purchased stockpiles of the grenade, or created similar versions with very slight adjustments.
China
[edit]Japan
[edit]Sweden
[edit]Adoption
[edit]The M24 (75.5 million produced) was, alongside the slightly more common Model 39 grenade (84.2 million produced), the standard hand grenade of the German Wehrmacht during World War II.[7]
See also
[edit]- Model 43 Stielhandgranate
- List of World War II firearms of Germany
- List of German military equipment of World War II
- Model 39 grenade – German "egg" type hand grenade
- RGD-33 grenade – Early WWII Soviet stick grenade
- Splitterring – A fragmentation sleeve for the M24 and M43
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "Alternative use of the Stielhandgranate 24: Geballte und gestreckte Ladung". bergflak.com. Retrieved 2022-07-13.
- ^ "Stielhandgranate 24". bergflak.com. Retrieved 2022-07-13.
- ^ a b "Nebelhandgranate 39 and smoke in general". bergflak.com. Retrieved 2022-07-13.
- ^ a b "The Übungs-Stielhandgranate 24". Retrieved 2022-07-13.
- ^ "Original German WWII Training M24 Stick Grenade by Richard Rinker - Dated 1936". International Military Antiques. Retrieved 2021-01-13.
- ^ Beskrivning av handgranater och rökfacklor. Sweden: Kungliga Arméförvaltningen. 1960. p. 10.
- ^ Potato Masher what everyone gets wrong, Military History Visualized. YouTube