SUPER ENERGA British Trials H1 version

[paul the grenade]

Heres an interesting grenade. Its a Mecar Super energa that was trialed by the Uk in the 60's but never adopted. its marked H1 INERT with a purple band. The tail tube has an S in a box stamped on it. Any more info would be appreciated. Cheers, Paul.

 

[Bonnex]

Paul,

The trials took place in 1963/5. They were technical assessment and functioning trials and were not based on a War Office Requirement. The Range and Accuracy of the Super Energa (which had a rocket assist component in the tail tube) was considerably better than the then in-Service No 94 Grenade. Your model is from the trials series; there were several combinations of live and inert components which were marked up as G (live), H1 through H5 (Inert body and inert or live fuze, det etc); also two reference models, K (No 94 Inert ballistic match to Service No 94), L (L2A1 Inert filled with inert fuze). For SAA buffs Cartridges, 7.62mm, Super Energa Grenades (Quantity 400) and Cartridges, 7.62mm, Rifle Grenade L1A2 (qty 150) were acquired for the trials.

The Light Anti-Tank WO Requirement was filled by the US M72 66mm and any interest in the HEAT version of the Super Energa waned (there were smoke and illum versions). I suppose the 66mm would be called an RPG nowadays but it was a seriously rocket-assisted M31 in my view [M31s were issued to UK SF in the 1960s].

Of historical interest is the fact that the Brits produced rocket assisted rifle grenades in 1945/46 but WO policy to discontinue rifle grenades put paid to any further development in this area [in 1949 the WO changed their mind (for the EM Rifles programme) but it was too late to save the rocket assist work of a few year earlier .

 

[paul the grenade]

Thanks for the outstanding info Norman.:tinysmile_fatgrin_t
Cheers, Paul.

 

[V40]

Norman,

thanks for the info above. Quite interesting for me, who also loves R/G's and has made my views on the subject of Rifle Grenades versus the 40mm grenades well known here. One quick question though. Did the UK ever test the Belgium "HE-RFL 55 BTU rocket-assisted Mecar Rifle Grenade" in its search for a rocket assisted grenade(s)???

The LAW however had quite a few of problems ranging from FTF's to rockets bouncing off of a tank. I have always been an "opponent" of the LAW and other weapons like it with one exception, that being the RPG-7V and any newer models that are being produced of it. The reason being is that the Law tube is restricted to 66mm in diameter and no larger. The RPG on the other hand is not restricted by tube diameter and we should have adopted it in post WWII Germany. JMHO, that is all.

 

[Bonnex]

Norman,

thanks for the info above. Quite interesting for me, who also loves R/G's and has made my views on the subject of Rifle Grenades versus the 40mm grenades well known here. One quick question though. Did the UK ever test the Belgium "HE-RFL 55 BTU rocket-assisted Mecar Rifle Grenade" in its search for a rocket assisted grenade(s)???
[...]

Mark,

The honest answer is I don't know (yet). We did trials for different purposes and probably most trials were nothing to do with acquisition for Service (e.g. Tech Int type exploitation of grenades started in WW1) but quite a lot of the documentation for these tests have not yet reached our National Archives so there is a chance more will emerge on rocket assisted grenade trials. But from what I have seen in the public domain (e.g Ordnance Board papers and trial reports from our Infantry Trials and Development Unit) we did not test the rocket assist Mecar RFL 55. I will keep an eye open for relevant reports.

Historically the British Army has had a rather love-hate relationship with the rifle grenade; from the 1911 (ish) period when the War Office rejected Hales 'J' pattern grenades (and then couldn't get enough a couple of years later) through a century of periodic WO requirements statements insisting rifle grenades are 'in' and then that they are 'out' - designers must have pulled their hair out. Of course it was not just HE grenades: signal, smoke etc., all felt the blue pencil when some work experience third lieutenant fresh out of the factory was given the Infantry Weapons requirements paper to write at the War Box. It is almost all 40mm cartridges now but I am pleased to say in British Service that these are designated 'Rounds' rather than grenades...

 

[V40]

Thanks Norman for the great information on the subject. I also stand corrected in relation to the 40mm grenade Launchers that use a 40mm "Round". Again thanks for correcting me Norman.

 

[Bonnex]

Mark,

Please, not a correction, just a remark on 40mm. Of course they are 'grenades' and appear in the grenade parts of manuals etc. It is just that our classification people gave them the basic name of 'Round' which is rather pleasing in my view.