OOOHHHH Look what I got in the mail today

[MissingSomething]

Right from Japan:

 

[dano1917]

nice grenade

SaaaaaaWWWeeettt!!!! Dano

 

[Maarten]

Can someone explain what those "things" are?

 

[bloome]

we have orther beerbottles in holland!

are these emty?:tinysmile_cry_t4:

 

[gothica7]

Maarten

Japanese ceramic grenades. Made from porcelain due to metal shortages. Simple but effective grens.

Andy

 

[peteblight]

Very nice, are there others where these came from?

 

[MissingSomething]

hehehe.. sorry.....

Its a Japanese Type 88 pottery handgrenade made of terra cotta. There are several variations.... They are WW2 era. They had a match type composition fuze and were wrapped in a waterproof rubber sack after being filled.

 

[Maarten]

Interesting grenades!:tinysmile_shy_t:

 

[leeski]

very nice havent seen one before

regards lee

 

[dano1917]

Score 2

To score two at the same time, i'm envious..great find..Dano

 

[LCplCombat]

I think I saw something like these in the B&Q garden center yesterday.

 

[dano1917]

Ersatz

I guess you could call these grenades Japan's version of ersatz. Funny but it seems that all combatants in most wars had ersatz in one form or another as, for whatever reason supplies of raw materials dwindled. Be it blockade or whatever ersatz war items would indeed make for a fine collection...Dano

 

[sgtlynn]

I believe this is the Type 4 Pottery grenade, filled with Naval Type 88 explosive. Attached a drawing that you may find useful.

 

[dano1917]

fuze

I assume it uses a percussion fuze. Correct??? Dano

 

[sgtlynn]

It has a Friction fuze, the small wooden cap had a matchbook like striker board around the edges used to ignite the fuze.

 

[MissingSomething]

I believe this is the Type 4 Pottery grenade, filled with Naval Type 88 explosive. Attached a drawing that you may find useful.

OK, that makes sense. Lex has it listed as a type 88 on his website.

@ Dano - it had a quick match fuze. Red phosporous and a wick of sorts. (see Sgtlynn diagram) :tinysmile_fatgrin_t

 

[horsa]

Early pattern should have a round body while the later type will have a flat bottom to prevent it from rolling around too easily. Have been told the very late production runs were not glazed. Anyone know if any of this equates to model numbers or something similar to the British Mark system?

 

[dano1917]

Japenese grenade

I know the later ones were unglazed, but as far as a reference numbering system, not sure, beside being known as the type 4. Really cool grenades. Reading between the lines it looks it was a C.D. or reservist grenade that happened to make it to the front out of necessity. Dano
[ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceramic_Grenade"]Type 4 grenade - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia@@AMEPARAM@@/wiki/File:Ceramic_Grenade.JPG" class="image"><img alt="Ceramic Grenade.JPG" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/7e/Ceramic_Grenade.JPG"@@AMEPARAM@@en/7/7e/Ceramic_Grenade.JPG[/ame]

 

[Grenademan2005]

Nice salt and pepper dispensers. :tinysmile_shy_t: