Just arrived, with a question for the group

[timmymac]

Just got this Dicus & No. 69 yesterday, beautiful examples!
Thanks Marcus, as always, I'm very pleased!!! Almost forgot .... Forgive my ignorance, but what was proper method for throwing the 'Turtle'?

 

[EOD]

The flat sides of the turtle went between thumb and middle finger while the index finger held the locking bolt in place after the safety cap was unscrewed. It was thrown with an "added spin" in order to make the locking bolt come free and fall out of the grenade and keep the 4 primer carriers off the central firing needles (pins, actually a little pointed "4 rayed star"). On impact one of the primer carriers inevitably had to hit one of the firing needles...

 

[usa1918]

EOD's description is much better than mine, which would have been "Carefully" :tinysmile_fatgrin_t

 

[timmymac]

Thanks EOD that's waaay different than what I would've imagined. Actually what I was thinking was considerably closer to usa1918
This firing mechanism is so peculiar (to me @least) would anyone know a link or even a good place to start looking for info about the development of this fascinating grenade? Thanks guys!

 

[Millsman]

Discus grenades were also regularly used as booby traps. If the Germans retreated from a trench they allegedly left primed discus granades on the lip of the trench, so that any British soldier might accidently knock them into the trench, setting them off.

John