kugelhandgranate Model 1915 NA

[pzgr40]

Cutaway model of a kugelhandgranate Model 1915 NA (Neuer Art, New Type). The kugelhandgranate is a 1kg (2,2Lb) heavy grenade with a 100 grams charge of explosive filler. The filler exists of black powder, mixed with barium nitrate and potassium perchlorate.
The grenade body is made of 6 to 8mm thick cast pig iron (low quality cast iron).
There are three types of kugelhandgranate, this one is the last type with a simplified body design, making the casting proces easier.
The Kugelhandgranate uses the 5 seconds friction fuze Mle. 1915. By pulling the loop wire on top of the brass fuze, a friction compound is ignited. This will ignite the black powder train running down, untill the end of the tube is reached. The flame flashing out downward will ignite the main charge of the grenade.
The radial drilled hole in top of the fuze housing is a gas escapement hole, allowing the gasses of the burning fuze to escape. It is normally plugged with wax.

The kugelhandgranate is quite a heavy handgrenade with a large diameter (75mm), and therefore cannot be thrown much further than approximately 15 meters. It was therefore often thrown with a catapult, which could throw the grenade up to 300 meters far.

The fragments of the grenade can pierce a two centimeter pine wood board at 10 meters.

Regards, DJH

 

[pzgr40]

Here the "Kugelhandgranate Model 1913 Aa (Alter art / Old model), the predescessor of the Kugelhandgranate Model 1915 NA. It uses the brass friction pull fuze Mle 1913 with a 5 seconds delay.
The grenade is activated by pulling the ring at the end of the wire. This wil acivate the fricion composition above the black powder train -igniting the powder train- running down, untill the end of the tube is reached. The flame flashing out downward will ignite the main charge of the grenade.
The radial drilled hole in top of the fuze housing is a gas escapement hole, allowing the gasses of the burning fuze to escape. It is normally plugged with wax.

The kugelhandgranate is quite a heavy handgrenade with a large diameter (75mm), and therefore cannot be thrown much further than approximately 15 meters. It was therefore often thrown with a catapult, which could throw the grenade up to 300 meters far.

The fragments of the grenade can pierce a two centimeter pine wood board at 10 meters.

 

[Sprockets]

Model 1915 NA

This has a more flexible wire than the old version, resembling wire used on lead seals. It would be impossible to twist one end around the other to create a loop, so was one end allowed to fit in a groove in the cast bottom portion of the fuze, the pressed cap then being used to clamp the wire tightly? Also, apart from acting as a gas escape hole, the large size would aid in pouring wax inside the cap.
Regards,
Sprockets.