During May 1915 , the infantry will receive the first percussion grenade of French manufacture designed for trench warfare. Invented by Monsieur Billant, whe developed several models of plug igniters, this P1 grenade is sometimes called the pear due to its shape, and sometimes the spoon grenade by reason of the very unusual shape of its safety lever.
The body, of cast iron segmented internally, contains a 30 gram charge of explosive P and a central tube ending in a primer-detonator, in which is lodged a lead rod which carries the striker.
This rod is jointed on the outside, by means of a hinge pin, to the safety lever in such a fashion that it is not able to reach the primer as long as the lever is alongside the body.
Inside the spoon is lodged a tail made up of a ribbon folded like an accordian, 1 inch wide and 20 inches long ending in a small aluminum dish. This ribbon, which is always blue or red, is identical to that which is used to wrap boxes of Jordan almonds.
The safety is made up of a small string which holds the spoon against the body of the grenade. This string is broken by twisting, aided by a small metal piece, sometimes round, sometimes T-shaped. Now and these pieces carry the inscription "Hand Grenade P1 Model 1915" for the round types, and "If the string is broken, refuse the grenade" on the T-shaped models.
The spoon is either of iron or aluminum. The first models were painted black, subsequently, in blue-grey like all other wartime grenades. Once the string is broken and the grenade thrown, the spoon raised by the action od a spiral string wrapped around its hinge pin, pulled by an aluminum dish, the ribbon is deployed. This tail insures the vertical descent of the grenade and keeps the spoon raised up so that the striker is able to strike the primer when it hits the ground.
This grenade, whose total weight is 550 grams is delivered to the troops loaded and fuzed, protected by a pleated cardboard cone, in cases of 50.
The weakness of the security string was the source of a considerable number of accidents during transport. In 1916, it was replaced with a steel wire and the small piece allowing its cutting was lengthened in order to block the spoon hinge.
According to numerous examples visible in collections, and the considerable numbers of the grenade which were strewn about several years ago at the scene of the attack of Sept. 25 1915, one is able to conclude that several million copies of this grenade were made and they did not function properly.
The fragments recovered from the earth show that framentation was not good. In most cases, the grenade broke in half either lengthwise or near the middle, which in this case suggests that one part embedded in the earth and the second half was shot vertically in the air. Another grenade patent of Ther Great War that did not work well!!
