Cutaway model of a French Offensive handgrenade OF Mle 1937. The handgrenade was taken into service in the French army in 1937 and is used till up to this day, although with a modernized fuze. The grenade body is made of two pressed sheet steel or aluminium halves, connected by means of a rolled seam. The handgrenade has an easily recognizable jug shape. The same handgrenade -but defensive- is also available, called the DF37, which is a one piece body made of thick walled cast steel.
The grenades from before WW2 had a grenade body painted red on the lower side and yellow on the top side. This meant that the grenade was filled with a ixture of 90 grams TNT (yellow colour) and ammonium nitrate (red colour). OF37 grenades that were filled with TNT only were painted completely yellow. Post WW2 grenades are painted olive green.
The German army used captured OF37 grenades and called them the ‘Eihandgranate 302 (f).
The fuze used on this grenade is the ‘bouchon allumeur automatique Mle 1935’, which function as follows; Before throwing the safety pin (05) with the ring is pulled out, however the lever (07) is held tight. As soon as the grenade is thrown, the locking pin (03) is pushed outward by it’s spring (04), pushing the lever (07) outward , rotating it over it’s shaft (02). As soon as the locking pin (03) is out, the spring loaded double firing pin (12) rotates upward, hitting both the firing caps (01). The flame of this firing caps ignites the pyrotechnic fuze that burns for 4,5 seconds after which the detonator is ignited , exploding the grenade.
The double firing cap is used to prevent duds.
This fuze was also used on the post WW2 Dutch Defensive handgrenade No.1 and was called the fuze No.12.
Regards, DJH
The grenades from before WW2 had a grenade body painted red on the lower side and yellow on the top side. This meant that the grenade was filled with a ixture of 90 grams TNT (yellow colour) and ammonium nitrate (red colour). OF37 grenades that were filled with TNT only were painted completely yellow. Post WW2 grenades are painted olive green.
The German army used captured OF37 grenades and called them the ‘Eihandgranate 302 (f).
The fuze used on this grenade is the ‘bouchon allumeur automatique Mle 1935’, which function as follows; Before throwing the safety pin (05) with the ring is pulled out, however the lever (07) is held tight. As soon as the grenade is thrown, the locking pin (03) is pushed outward by it’s spring (04), pushing the lever (07) outward , rotating it over it’s shaft (02). As soon as the locking pin (03) is out, the spring loaded double firing pin (12) rotates upward, hitting both the firing caps (01). The flame of this firing caps ignites the pyrotechnic fuze that burns for 4,5 seconds after which the detonator is ignited , exploding the grenade.
The double firing cap is used to prevent duds.
This fuze was also used on the post WW2 Dutch Defensive handgrenade No.1 and was called the fuze No.12.
Regards, DJH
