Grenade

Lore & Background

The origin of the English word grenade is disputed. Some derive it from the French word spelled exactly the same, meaning 'pomegranate', while others claim it is taken more directly from the Latin granatus, meaning 'filled with grain'. The first use of the word for explosives comes from the August 1536 siege of Arles by the Emperor Charles V, while its first recorded use in English (as granades) dates from 1591. Rudimentary incendiary grenades appeared in the Byzantine Empire after the reign of Leo III (717–741). In Song China (960–1279), weapons known as 'thunder crash bombs' were created when soldiers packed gunpowder into ceramic or metal containers fitted with fuses. A 1044 military book described various gunpowder recipes in which one can find the prototype of the modern hand grenade. Grenade-like devices were also known in ancient India. A type of grenade called the 'flying impact thunder crash bomb' was developed in the late 16th century and first used on September 1, 1592 by the Joseon Dynasty during the Japanese invasions of Korea. There is a documented precedent for the use of hand grenades by Catalan troops during the siege of Bonifacio in 1420. In 1433, the fleet of Alfonso the Magnanimous carried 200,000 copper pomegranates filled with gunpowder. The first cast-iron bombshells and grenades appeared in Europe in 1467. By the mid-17th century, infantry known as 'grenadiers' began to emerge in the armies of Europe. The word grenade was used during the Glorious Revolution in 1688. Grenades were also used during the Golden Age of Piracy. By the 18th century, the popularity of hand grenades was declining. The fledgling American Navy used hand grenades in 1776. Mexican forces used grenades in the Battle of the Alamo. Improvised grenades were increasingly used from the mid-19th century. Hand grenades were used by French and Russian forces during the Siege of Sebastopol. During the Battle of Fort Sumter, grenades were kept at critical points of the fort. About 93,200 Ketchum grenades were procured by the Union Army throughout the American Civil war. In March 1868, during the Paraguayan War, the Paraguayan troops used hand grenades in their attempt to board Brazilian ironclad warships with canoes.

In Their Own Story

Conker stumbled through the muddy forest floor, his ears twitching at the distant roar of a boss. A crate sat half-buried in the mud nearby, glowing faintly with a red warning label. He kicked it open, retrieving a cluster of grenades that clattered against his squirrel paws. With a drunken grin, he primed one and lobbed it toward the approaching horde of goblins. The explosion lit up the dark woods, sending debris flying as he ducked behind a tree, waiting for the smoke to clear before reloading his shotgun.

Reader's Guide

A modern hand grenade generally consists of an explosive charge, a detonator mechanism, an internal striker to trigger the detonator, and an arming safety secured by a transport safety. The user removes the transport safety pins before throwing, and once the grenade leaves the hand the arming safety gets released, allowing the striker to trigger a primer that ignites a fuze, which burns down to the detonator and explodes the main charge. Grenades work by dispersing fragments (fragmentation grenades), shockwaves (high-explosive and stun grenades), chemical aerosols (smoke, gas and chemical grenades), fire (incendiary grenades), or a jet of metal (anti-tank grenades). Their outer casings, generally made of a hard synthetic material or steel, are designed to rupture and fragment on detonation. In modern grenades, a pre-formed fragmentation matrix inside the grenade is commonly used. Most anti-personnel grenades are designed to detonate after a time delay and/or on impact. Grenades are often spherical, cylindrical, ovoid, or truncated ovoid in shape, and of a size that fits the hand of an average-sized adult. Some grenades are mounted at the end of a handle and known as 'stick grenades'. The stick design provides leverage for throwing longer distances at the cost of additional weight and length, and has been considered obsolete by western countries since the Second World War and Cold War periods. A friction igniter inside the handle or on the top of the grenade head was used to initiate the fuse.

Did You Know?

• The first use of the word 'grenade' for explosives comes from the August 1536 siege of Arles.
• In 1433, the fleet of Alfonso the Magnanimous carried 200,000 copper pomegranates filled with gunpowder.
• The first cast-iron bombshells and grenades appeared in Europe in 1467.
• By the mid-17th century, infantry known as 'grenadiers' began to emerge in the armies of Europe.