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British ww1 grenade N18
- Thread starter MINENAZ16
- Start date
A Number 18 is a No1 mk3. Dave
gothica7
Well-Known Member
Dave is correct in what he says, a Brit No 18 grenade is a No 1 Mk 111 with a modified det that was more simple to produce. It has a handle and block made of wood with 4 streamers of 1.5 in webbing. It was not a spherical ball so i think your book is wrong in this instance.
Now, the No 15 gren was spherical but it dosnt look like the one in your picture.
Andy
Now, the No 15 gren was spherical but it dosnt look like the one in your picture.
Andy
Patrice's information is from an exhibit that was in the Imperial War Museum 30 years ago. The description includes three grenades:
Hand No 18 Percussion "Royal Laboratory"
Woolwich (or Humpries) No 1 and No 2
They were all Ball grenades, the first a segmented version of the No15 (which is similar to Patrice's sketch) and the others the early patterns of the Humphries Allways grenades (which became the No 30, No 54 and (ish) the No 69, or at least the 247 fuze). The description on caption of the so called No 18 was for the No 30.
As Dave says the No 18 was one of the No 1 type grenades. It was basically the Mk III with a rim-fire striker that initiated a cheaply made detonator (the cost and manufacturing difficulties of the No detonator motivated this 'economy engineered' design. It was going to become the No 1 Mk IV but the completely different design of detonator warranted a new Number.
Hand No 18 Percussion "Royal Laboratory"
Woolwich (or Humpries) No 1 and No 2
They were all Ball grenades, the first a segmented version of the No15 (which is similar to Patrice's sketch) and the others the early patterns of the Humphries Allways grenades (which became the No 30, No 54 and (ish) the No 69, or at least the 247 fuze). The description on caption of the so called No 18 was for the No 30.
As Dave says the No 18 was one of the No 1 type grenades. It was basically the Mk III with a rim-fire striker that initiated a cheaply made detonator (the cost and manufacturing difficulties of the No detonator motivated this 'economy engineered' design. It was going to become the No 1 Mk IV but the completely different design of detonator warranted a new Number.
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I wondered when you all would spot that :tinysmile_hmm_t:
dano1917
RIP
I have ofter wondered about this grenade as I have the Delhomme books also. From the drawing I see no provision for a fuze or igniter. Have thought maybe it was similar to the French Bertrand and possibly using a glass ampule for detonation? Interesting to say the least and i've ever ran across anything similar on a real grenade (one I can see, hold, fondle etc....). Sure would like to run across one to gain maybe a clue as to its use. In the Delhomme book there is no text with an explanation of usage etc... Must be either rare as hell or one of the non-existant ones....Dano
It just occurred to me that the German allways fuze used to design the Humphries mechanism was probably an AZ16 - how would that be for a coincidence? Or was there an AZ15?
paul the grenade
Well-Known Member
Hi Norman.
What are the nuts in the side of the experimental No15 gren for?
Cheers, Paul.
What are the nuts in the side of the experimental No15 gren for?
Cheers, Paul.