French OF1 What Era is this one?

[Kilroy was Here]

The owner of this French OF1 grenade asked me about it, and I did not know what to tell him. I said I would post it here to get more knowledgeable opinions about it than I could give him...... He seems to think it's an early WW2 or slightly pre WW2, late 1930's era OF1 judging by the yellow paint color. He also says that he thinks the French still used some Billiant fuzes in early WW2 because they still had these fuzes in their inventory. The yellow color to me does seem to be the same as some original WW2 French mortar shells I've seen before, and it looks like the original paint that is brushed on.
Thanks in advance for any opinions and information about this one.

 

[Francesco_Dif]

No date number on the fuze?

 

[dano1917]

Hi Steve, True OF1's were used into WWII but this one just screams WWI at me. It may have been made post WWI but I would highly doubt it. The Billiant fuze came out in WWI and was used by Doughboys on F1 and OF1 grenades with the Mark 1 failures. The Billiant fuze was all but obsolete with the closing of The Great War. Truly a very nice grenade............Dano

 

[siegfreid]

You can safely assume that's WW1 . They did have yellow ones then . The French may have had some left over Billiant fuzes after WW1 but they would have used the Mle 35 fuze in WW2 . Hope this helps .

 

[Pascal]

Hello

This is a regular OF 1916 grenade with its fuze Le Billant. Yes, it's from WWI and I sometimes also eard that we used old grenades in the begining of WWII.

 

[Kilroy was Here]

Thank's everyone for the very fast and very good information! This forum and it's members the greatest! :congrats:

Francesco_Dif

No date number on the fuze?
****Hi Francesco..... there is no date on the fuze :tinysmile_cry_t:

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***Hi Dano, good to hear from you....yeah, it looks like a nice example, and it also screamed WWI to me, but was not sure if could have been used in early WW2...but now by what you say, and what Pascal has said he's heard, it does seem it "could have" been used in early war period, but in general I agree by most collectors this would be considered a "WWI grenade"

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*****Thanks "siegfreid"......is this my friend Mike??? :hmmmm2: I've been wondering if your the same one and only famous "Seigfreid"
....thanks for opinion and help on this one....I agree, Mle 35 fuze would be more commonly used late 30's and WW2...I didn't know yellow color was also used in WWI.....the French had so many different grenades and colors and fuzes in WWI it's crazy.......I only collect WW2, and would like to get an F1 and Mle37 offensive and defensive with Mle35 fuzes to add to collection one day, but not easy to find them....


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****Hi Pascal, Thanks for info, that's a very nice condition OF1 you have!... Very Interesting you are from France the country of the grenades origin, and you have also heard maybe some OF1's with Billiant 1916 "could have" been used in early WW2, Dano says same thing, and I think also a possibility now....but once again it's too bad these things cannot talk to tell the real truth of their history...


QUESTIONS: Did the French still continue to make these OF1 offensive bodies until the 1930's, and with the Mle35 fuze fitted in some? Will the Mle 35 fuze fit this OF1 body, it's the same thread size as 1916 Billiant..or did it need an adapter to fit?...

In other words...the French still made OF1's until they started making the Mle 1937 offensive grenades?

 

[usa1918]

I agree with every one above. Here's a link for comparison:
http://www.lexpev.nl/grenades/europe/france/of.html

Keith

 

[siegfreid]

Steve. Yes , I am the same siegfreid ! The Mle 35 fuzes had identical threads to the WW1 fuzes . I don't know if the French actually manufactured new OFI bodies after WW1 or just re-fuzed the ones they had left over in stock . I've had several of each over the years & they would appear to be identical . All the best . Mike

 

[Kilroy was Here]

Steve. Yes , I am the same siegfreid ! The Mle 35 fuzes had identical threads to the WW1 fuzes . I don't know if the French actually manufactured new OFI bodies after WW1 or just re-fuzed the ones they had left over in stock . I've had several of each over the years & they would appear to be identical . All the best . Mike

Hi Mike, it's great to hear from you my friend the infamous Siegfreid!!!....Some of my very favorite items in my collection have come from you : ) especially the two mint Dutch grenades in my avatar. I guess you've been a a bit of a lurker since your join date of 2007, because I have not seen too many posts from you.....Thanks for the info about these OF1 bodies and fuze size info of the Mle35, I thought they were maybe the same size threads as the Billiants, but thanks for confirming in fact they are. Your opinions and info are much appreciated. Nice to have people like yourself who have been in this ordnance collecting field much longer than myself sharing their knowledge. This forum and it's members are truly a group of great people.
I think the OF1 I showed has a good possibility it could be a grenade from old stock that was maybe re-issued in the very early days of WW2....I say this because the condition of the body and fuze, and comments from a couple others of this possibility. But really there is no way to tell for sure. Either way it's a nice old grenade.

Take care Mike, hope all is going well with you.

 

[siegfreid]

Thanks , Steve . It's nice being infamous ! Mike

 

[jiipee76]

These yellow OF ones are the same that Germans used as an beute handgrenades in Lappland front.They have been found from Lapland and also these same Billiant fuzes.So definetly used in WW2.All 3 below are found from Lappland.I only have one OF,it is very hard to find grenade type.

Did the french use bluing for the handgrenades? The right hg is in original condition and it is blue coated(not painted).

 

[Kilroy was Here]

These yellow OF ones are the same that Germans used as an beute handgrenades in Lappland front.They have been found from Lapland and also these same Billiant fuzes.So definetly used in WW2.All 3 below are found from Lappland.I only have one OF,it is very hard to find grenade type.

Did the french use bluing for the handgrenades? The right hg is in original condition and it is blue coated(not painted).

Hi jiipee, thanks for the information that OF's have been found in Lapland with 1916 fuzes....I see yours has a Mle35? so they were found with both? what is a "beute handgrenades" ?? I have not heard this before, I don't understand...as for bluing on the French F1, I would think it would have been possible they used bluing as a coating....but it is not very rustproof....but your F1 looks pretty good, with not very much rust? all these grenades you show were found in the ground....bodenfunde?

 

[jiipee76]

Hi jiipee, thanks for the information that OF's have been found in Lapland with 1916 fuzes....I see yours has a Mle35? so they were found with both? what is a "beute handgrenades" ?? I have not heard this before, I don't understand...as for bluing on the French F1, I would think it would have been possible they used bluing as a coating....but it is not very rustproof....but your F1 looks pretty good, with not very much rust? all these grenades you show were found in the ground....bodenfunde?

Beute = german word for Warbooty

Not much rust on the blued one.It is one of the grenades which were lifted from small lake in Lappland.Grenades were with wooden transport plug on them.Fuzes were packed on small wooden boxes.Most of the Billiant ones are in very poor condition after 70years under water.

 

[orcutteod]

Great book here on French WWI grenades although it's all in French. I do have it translated in English on regular note book paper. A friend of mine has almost all the grenades featured in this book. Anyway I hope this helps. Jiipee76 my friend has one just like yours in the middle and it has traces of orginal blue paint.

 

[Kilroy was Here]

Beute = german word for Warbooty

Not much rust on the blued one.It is one of the grenades which were lifted from small lake in Lappland.Grenades were with wooden transport plug on them.Fuzes were packed on small wooden boxes.Most of the Billiant ones are in very poor condition after 70years under water.

Ahhh yes...Warbooty Thanks jiipee, this is what I maybe thought after thinking a bit more of the context you used the word Beute

Interesting your grenades are wasserfunde....it seems the Mle35 did survive better than the M1916 fuze....still all your grenades are very nice, and part of history. I also have some wasserfunde items...some are very nice paint still because oxygen content of water was very low and preserved items very well......the PMK-40 mines I have a few for sale came from a lake in Lithuania and are also still very nice....

Great book here on French WWI grenades although it's all in French. I do have it translated in English on regular note book paper. A friend of mine has almost all the grenades featured in this book. Anyway I hope this helps. Jiipee76 my friend has one just like yours in the middle and it has traces of orginal blue paint.

Thanks for info orcutteod, I have seen that book before, and heard it's good, but I really only collect WW2 so have never bought it.......your friend has a lot of grenades if he has all listed in this book!!!! the French seem to have made the most different types of any one....