They are defensive grenades. hand grenades
MENSBY
4.2
Today I learned for myself two things that I had imagined completely differently before. "Lemon" is not because it looks like a lemon. "Lemonka" is divided into squares not in order to be better divided into fragments. Do you want to know how things really are on these issues?
In 1922, the artillery department of the Red Army undertook to restore order in their warehouses. According to the reports of the artillery committee, seventeen different types of grenades were in service with the Red Army at that time. There was no fragmentation defensive grenade of its own production in the USSR at that time. Therefore, the Mills grenade was temporarily put into service, the stocks of which were in large quantities in the warehouses (200,000 units as of September 1925). AT last resort, French F-1 grenades were allowed to be issued to the troops. The fact was that the French-style fuses were unreliable. Their cardboard cases did not provide tightness and the detonation composition dampened, which led to massive grenade failures, and even worse, to backache, which was fraught with an explosion in the hands.
In 1925, the Artillery Committee stated that the need for hand grenades ah, the Red Army is satisfied with only 0.5% (!). To remedy the situation, Artkom on June 25, 1925 decided:
The Artillery Directorate of the Red Army to carry out a comprehensive test of existing models of hand grenades currently in service.
It is necessary to make improvements to the 1914 model grenade in order to increase its damaging ability.
Design a fragmentation grenade of the Mills type, but more advanced.
In F-1 hand grenades, replace Swiss fuses with Koveshnikov fuses.
In September 1925, comparative tests of the main types of grenades available in warehouses were carried out. The main test criterion was shrapnel damage Garnet. The conclusions reached by the commission were as follows:
... thus, the position of the issue of the types of hand grenades for supplying the RK KA is currently as follows: a hand grenade of the 1914 model equipped with melinite significantly outperforms all other types of grenades in its action and is a typical example in the nature of its action offensive grenade; it is only necessary to reduce the number of individual far (over 20 steps) flying fragments as much as the state of the art of this business allows. This improvement is provided for by the attached "Requirements for new models of hand grenades." Mills and F-1 grenades, provided that they are supplied with more advanced fuses, are considered satisfactory as defensive grenades, while Mills grenades are somewhat stronger in action than F-1. In view of the limited stocks of these two types of grenades, it is necessary to develop new type defensive grenade that meets the new requirements ...
In 1926, F-1 grenades were tested from those in storage (at that time there were 1 million grenades of this system in warehouses) with a Koveshnikov fuse developed in 1920. According to the test results, the design of the fuse was finalized and after military tests in 1927, the F-1 grenade with the fuse of Koveshnikov under the name F-1 hand grenade with the fuse of the F.V. Koveshnikov system in 1928 was adopted by the Red Army.
All the grenades available in the warehouses were equipped with Koveshnikov fuses by the beginning of the 1930s, and soon the USSR launched its own production of grenade cases.
In 1939, engineer F. I. Khrameev finalized the grenade - the body of the lemon became somewhat simpler, lost the lower window.
There is another version of the appearance of the F-1 grenade. In 1999, retired colonel Fedor Iosifovich Khrameev said in an interview with Kommersant Vlast magazine that in 1939 he designed the F-1 grenade.
In February 1939, I received an assignment to develop a defensive grenade... in Moscow, I saw an album released by the Russian General Staff in 1916, where images of all the grenades used in the First World War were presented. German and French were corrugated, egg-shaped. I especially liked the French F-1. She exactly corresponded to the task received: comfortable to throw, safe fuse, enough fragments. The album contained only a drawing. I developed all working drawings. I had to indulge. I replaced the simple cast iron from which the F-1 was made with steel - to increase the lethal force of the fragments.
Here is an interesting story:
As F. I. Khrameev said in an interview, preliminary tests of the grenade were minimal, only 10 prototypes were made, which were soon tested, and then the design was launched in mass production:
Has there been an admissions committee?
Well no! Again, I'm alone. The head of the plant, Major Budkin, gave me a steam-cart and sent it to our training ground. I throw grenades one by one into the ravine. And on you - nine exploded, and one did not. I return and report. Budkin shouted at me: he left the secret sample unattended! I'm going back, alone again.
Was it scary?
Not without it. I lay down on the edge of the ravine, saw where the grenade lay in clay. I took a long wire, made a loop at the end and carefully hooked the grenade with it. Twitched. Didn't explode. It turned out that the fuse failed. So he pulled it out, discharged it, brought it back, went to Budkin's and put it on his table. He yelled and jumped out of the office like a bullet. And then we transferred the drawings to the Main artillery control(GAU), and a grenade was launched into mass production. No experience series
In Russia, Germany and Poland it was called "lemon", in France and England - "pineapple", in the Balkan countries - "tortoise".
Since the grenade was developed on the basis of the French F-1 fragmentation grenade model 1915 (not to be confused with the modern F1 model with a plastic case and semi-finished fragments) and the English Lemon system grenade (Edward Kent-Lemon (Edward Kent-Lemon)) with a grating fuse supplied to Russia during the First World War. Hence the designation F-1 and the nickname "lemon".
In the troops of the pomegranate, in addition to "lemon", it was also nicknamed "fenusha". With the advent of rifle barrel and grenade launchers the art of fighting with hand grenades began to be forgotten. But in vain. The action on the target of low-fragmentation underbarrel grenades cannot be compared with the work of the F-1 hand-held fragmentation grenade, known to both the military and the civilian population under the code name "lemon". With minor structural changes, this grenade is produced in different countries world for 80 years. "Limonka" is the most powerful of all hand grenades in terms of the lethal action of fragments and the most convenient to use.
The ribs on its body - a turtle - do not exist at all for separation into fragments, as is commonly believed, but for "grasping" in the palm of your hand, for ease of holding and the possibility of binding to something when placed on a stretch as a mine. The body of the F-1 grenade is cast from the so-called “dry” cast iron, which, during the explosion of a blasting (crushing) charge, breaks into fragments ranging in size from a pea to a match head, of an irregular torn shape with torn sharp edges. In total, up to four hundred such fragments are formed! The shape of the case is chosen exactly this way, not only for the convenience of holding. Until now, no one can explain why, but during the explosion of a "lemon" on the surface of the earth, the scattering of fragments occurs mainly to the sides and very little upwards. At the same time, the grass is “mowed down” completely within a radius of 3 m from the explosion site, a continuous defeat of the growth target is ensured within a radius of 5 m, at a distance of 10 m the growth target is hit by 5-7 fragments, at 15 m - by two or three.
Diameter - 55 mm
Case height - 86 mm
Height with fuse - 117 mm
Grenade weight - 0.6 kg
Mass of explosives - 0.06-0.09 kg
Deceleration time - 3.2-4.2 sec
Radius of continuous defeat - 10 m
Range of fragmentation with lethal force, reaches 200
The design of the grenade turned out to be so good that it is still produced and is in service with many countries. The proof that the F-1 is a high-quality weapon can also be the fact that it was taken as a prototype by the Chinese "craftsmen", starting to produce a fake in their characteristic form. And this, as you know, best sign quality. In addition, the F-1 is also produced in Iran, also completely copying the Soviet model.
During the Great Patriotic War, the F-1 became the main anti-personnel grenade used in all military branches. Despite the fact that it is considered a fragmentation grenade, the F-1 was also used to blow up tanks, putting several grenades in one bag and throwing it under the caterpillar.
Another property of the "lemon" can be called its ability to be used as a stretch mine. F-1 is easy to install by pulling a stretching wire, thereby eliminating the need to carry special mines, and this, especially for sabotage groups, was of great importance.
The fame of F-1 was added by the cinema. This grenade is a mandatory attribute of any "cinematic" battle. But the directors, using F-1 in the frame, did not really think about the realism shown in the films, so certain movie blunders began to be perceived as real facts, although they were not.
For example, very often you can see how "lemons" are worn on the belt or on the chest, hung around them. But when moving over rough terrain, there is a high probability of catching on something and causing an involuntary explosion. Therefore, a grenade was carried either in a pouch or in pockets, but never openly. In addition, often the pin in the frame is pulled out with teeth. In life, this will not work, because the effort required to break the checks must be made significant.
It became a "lemon" and the most popular weapon in the dashing 90s. A lot of groups used it along with the Kalashnikov assault rifle as the main striking force during gang fights.
F-1 once again proved the proverb "Everything ingenious is simple." After all, having existed for more than 70 years, the grenade will remain in service for a long time.
GRENADE
A grenade is an explosive ammunition designed to destroy enemy manpower and equipment using hand throwing. Hand grenades are often referred to as a soldier's "pocket artillery".
Oddly enough, the name comes from the Spanish name for the fruit of the pomegranate - Granada, since the early types of pomegranates were similar in shape and size to the pomegranate, and by analogy with the grains inside the fruit and the scattered fragments of the pomegranate.
The device of a typical high-explosive fragmentation (that is, striking both fragments and the force of an explosion) grenade seems to be quite simple. A modern hand grenade consists of a body that contains a warhead and a detonator fuse. However, the grenade is not as simple as it seems!
grenade body
The case of ancient grenades was made of baked clay. Such a grenade could not hit with fragments, because during the explosion the clay shattered into dust, and many grenades were beaten during transportation from the workshops to the battlefield.
The body of the modern F-1 grenade is cast, cast iron.
In the process of developing metallurgy and improving casting technology, grenade cases began to be made of cast iron. Cast iron - metal with unusual properties- cast iron products are heavy and hard, but easily break on impact. Therefore, when a cast-iron grenade body is blown up, hard fragments with sharp edges are obtained.
Longitudinal and transverse grooves are made along the outer surface of the body, which contribute to the formation of fragments of the desired shape.
The body of the combat grenade is painted in a green protective color. Cases of training grenades are painted black.
In addition to combat and training, practical training hand grenades (URGs) are produced, which are a combat grenade body with a hole in the bottom. An imitation fuse is screwed into the body, in which the detonator cap is replaced by a cartridge case with a small charge of black powder. When throwing the URG, the soldier sees where he hit and whether he had time to throw a grenade before it "exploded" - smoked through the hole.
URG - reusable grenade. Its body, as well as the body of the training grenade, is painted black, but transverse and longitudinal distinctive stripes and the inscription URG are applied to it with white paint.
Frag grenades- the main type of hand grenades, they are designed to defeat enemy manpower, located both openly and in trenches, shelters, in offensive combat, or in defense. A grenade hit is inflicted by shell fragments and a shock wave.
The difference between offensive and defensive grenades lies in the radius of the fragments when the grenade explodes. The radius of expansion of fragments of offensive grenades is up to 20 m, defensive grenades - up to 200 m.
The radius of expansion of fragments of an offensive grenade is calculated in such a way that a soldier who throws a grenade at open area, remained invulnerable to her fragments within throwing range.
In a defensive grenade, the fragmentation radius, on the contrary, obviously does not imply open location throwing - throwing is done only from shelters.
Now you understand why a man should be able to throw a grenade further than 20 meters, and not at his feet ?!
When offensive grenades were needed, cast iron had to be abandoned - heavy ones. Sheet steel was used, from which the body parts were stamped.
Hand Frag Grenade RGD-33
But the thin-walled steel grenade cases quickly rusted in the field, so the grenade cases began to be coated with special protective substances.
A steel thin-walled case cannot give a significant fragmentation effect, therefore, to create a large number fragments in offensive grenades resorted to a wide variety of tricks.
For example, inside the cylindrical body of the RG-42 grenade there is a steel tape rolled up and tightly attached to the walls. Upon explosion, this tape breaks into many heap-flying fragments, creating a very dense, but compact zone of destruction.
Today, grenade cases are made of gray cast iron, steel, aluminum, impact-resistant ceramics, hard rubber with semi-finished fragments pressed into it, plastic, and even cardboard. Such a variety of materials used allows you to create grenades with different damaging effects.
The body of the guarantors can be equipped with any explosive - from primitive black powder to very complex chemical compounds.
Combat charge
Explosives (explosives) - chemical compounds or mixtures thereof, capable of as a result of certain external influences or internal processes explode, releasing heat and forming highly heated gases. The process that occurs in such a substance is called detonation.
During detonation, the decomposition of explosives occurs very quickly - in hundredths of a second! And the resulting hot gases (a temperature of several thousand degrees), sharply increasing in volume, are the main primary factor destructive action explosion.
The physics of the explosion is complex and still poorly understood. Therefore, all types of explosives used in grenades were tested in practice. The brand of explosive, its quantity, density, shape - all this was studied by trial and error during laboratory, bench and field tests.
The ideal "combat filling" for a high-explosive fragmentation grenade is trinitrotoluene (aka tol, trotyl, TNT), which was first obtained by the German chemist Wilbrand in 1863, and began to be used to equip ammunition from 1905.
To date, many explosives and mixtures are known. All of them are distinguished by different sensitivity to friction, heat, pricking and allow creating detonators of any design.
fuse
The purpose of the fuse is to ensure a reliable detonation of the grenade after the throw and prevent its spontaneous detonation.
All grenade fuses can be divided according to their action into remote and percussion ones. Remote fuses provide a fixed time delay of the explosion, impact fuses - undermine a grenade when a grenade of a certain force hits something.
The advantages of a remote fuse include non-failure action, independent of the impact energy when a grenade falls, whether it falls to the ground, snow, water or swampy soil. And the disadvantage is that it cannot provide an instantaneous detonation of a grenade when it touches the target: the moderator has a predetermined burning time.
The first remote grenade fuses were extremely simple and extremely unreliable. They were a igniter cord (wick), which gave some time delay between the moment of initiation of the grenade and its explosion. This unit is called the retarder.
So, at one end of the moderator, consisting of a powder composition, it is the detonator cap that is placed. But the moderator must be set on fire with something, which means there must be another pyrotechnic unit - an igniter.
The scheme of the grenade fuse, which existed until today: igniter - igniter cord (retarder) - detonator. It was the principle of ignition that gave rise to most of the various schemes and engineering solutions. Among them, three main ones can be distinguished: grater, shock and spring.
A grating igniter has much in common with an ordinary match and with a New Year's cracker (the one that needs to be pulled by a string). Its essence lies in the fact that a strong rough thread was pressed into a friction-sensitive pyrotechnic composition, which, when pulled sharply, created the friction necessary for ignition. The main drawback of the grating igniter was the need to immediately throw a grenade after pulling out the cord - gape, drop the grenade or change your mind about throwing it - an explosion.
An impact igniter is similar to a grating igniter, but for its initiation, a prick of a primer containing an impact-sensitive composition was used. To initiate a shock ignition grenade, it was necessary to hit the protruding striker rod on any sufficiently hard surface, and then throw the grenade as quickly as possible. The disadvantages of such a scheme are the same as in the case of a grating igniter, but the requirement for a solid surface is added to them, which is not always achievable in field conditions.
The spring igniter is a shock igniter brought to perfection. It is based on a primer and a spring-loaded drummer, fixed with a safety cotter pin (pin), equipped with a ring. When pulling out the checks, the drummer, under the influence of the spring, pricks the primer, which, in turn, ignites the retarder. The spring-loaded igniter is devoid of the shortcomings of the shock igniter, and the features of its device make it easy to overcome the shortcomings of the grater - an experienced officer can insert the pulled out pin back or can hold the striker spring with his finger, preventing the grenade from exploding in his hand. |
An automatic fuse with a lever fuse was developed by the Englishman Mills in 1914. This scheme, having undergone minor changes, has survived to this day.
The meaning of the lever fuse is simple and obvious: after pulling out the safety pins, the spring-loaded drummer was held in the cocked state by the trigger lever, clamped in the palm of the grenade launcher.
Thus, a grenade ready to be thrown could be held in the hand for an arbitrarily long time.
When thrown, the trigger lever was released by the drummer, and then everything went according to the already described scenario.
It should be noted that the impact mechanism of the fuse of the Mills system was integral to the case, and the detonator was inserted from below, which was very impractical - it was impossible to visually determine whether the grenade was loaded.
Hand defensive grenade F-1 (lemon)
The F-1 grenade, which is currently in service in the Ukrainian and Russian armies, as well as in the armies of other states, not only in the territory former USSR, is one of the oldest types of hand-held fragmentation grenades.
The F-1 grenade has French roots and a long history. The French F-1 grenade had a percussion fuse. The simplicity and rationality of the design of the body of the grenade played a role - the grenade was soon put into service in Russia. At the same time, the percussion fuse, which was not sufficiently reliable and safe to handle, was replaced by a simpler and more reliable remote domestic fuse designed by Koveshnikov, which was later modernized.
By the way, you need to learn how to throw a grenade not only far, but also very quickly - you can’t hold a grenade in your hands after pulling out the checks! Because:
Today, grenade developers necessarily provide protection systems from an accidental explosion. For example, the British developed a grenade that, when dropped earlier than one second after the throw (it is clear that in this case the grenade was simply dropped at the feet, and not thrown), automatically becomes incapacitated.
modern army |
Lemon system grenades that were shipped to Russia during World War I. Another version of the origin of the slang name is its shape, reminiscent of a lemon.
Initially, the F-1 grenades were equipped with the fuse of F.V. Koveshnikov. In 1941, E. M. Viceni and A. A. Bednyakov developed a universal UZRG fuse, after the war it was finalized and serves to this day under the name UZRGM ( at universal h apal R scientific G ranat m oderized).
French F-1 grenade model 1915
Due to the difficulty in manufacturing and using the RGD-33 grenade, which was at that time in service in the Soviet Union, it was decided to develop a reliable and technologically advanced defensive infantry grenade. The development of this device was entrusted to the designer F. I. Khrameev. In 1939, two months after receiving the terms of reference, he developed the F-1 grenade. According to the designer himself, the greatest difficulty for him in the development of this grenade model was the selection of the shell material and ensuring the reliability of the fuse.
Preliminary tests of this type of weapon were minimal, 10 prototypes were made, which were soon tested, and then the design was put into mass production. Here is what Khrameev F. I. himself said in an interview with reporters on this subject:
Has there been an admissions committee? - Well no! Again, I'm alone. The head of the plant, Major Budkin, gave me a steam-cart and sent it to our training ground. I throw grenades one by one into the ravine. And on you - nine exploded, and one did not. I return and report. Budkin shouted at me: he left the secret sample unattended! I'm going back, alone again.
- Was it scary? - Not without it. I lay down on the edge of the ravine, saw where the grenade lay in clay. I took a long wire, made a loop at the end and carefully hooked the grenade with it. Twitched. Didn't explode. It turned out that the fuse failed. So he pulled it out, discharged it, brought it back, went to Budkin's and put it on his table. He yelled and jumped out of the office like a bullet. And then we transferred the drawings to the Main Artillery Directorate (GAU), and the grenade was put into mass production. No experience series.
The most common opinion is that the F-1 grenade originated from the English grenade of the First World War, known in Russia under the name " Mils grenade". For those times it was the most destructive grenade. They are similar in form and principle of fuse. F. Leonidov in the journal “Arms” (No. 8, 1999) in the article “Prepare Grenades” claims that the French F-1 model 1915 and the English Lemon system served as the basis for the development of the F-1. So, it was not possible to install.
Khrameev, in an interview with Kommersant magazine, admitted the origin of the grenade from the French F-1 model. Below is an excerpt from this interview.
French F-1 hand grenade mod. 1915, weighing 550g ... The F-1 grenade in our USSR has been used since the city with the Koveshnikov fuse, which provides a more reliable action, safety when throwing and ease of handling.
This is another confirmation of the version about the origin of the Soviet grenade from the French F-1.
When creating the F-1 grenade, it had a Koveshnikov fuse, then it was replaced by a standard unified UZRG fuse, after the end of World War II, the fuse was improved, the reliability of operation was increased, and it received the designation UZRGM.
Design
F-1 grenade with UZRG fuse
F-1 grenade with UZRG fuse
The F-1 grenade has the following performance characteristics.
The F-1 grenade belongs to the hand-held anti-personnel fragmentation defensive grenades of remote action. Its design turned out to be so successful that it has existed until now without fundamental changes. The design of the fuse was somewhat changed and refined in order to increase the reliability of operation.
Like most anti-personnel grenades, the F-1 consists of 3 main parts.
- fuse. The grenade has a universal fuse UZRGM (or UZRG), also suitable for grenades RG-41, RG-42, RGD-5. The fuse of the UZRGM differs from the UZRG by changes in the shape of the trigger guard and the design of the firing pin, which made it possible to reduce the failure rate of the weapon.
- Explosive. Explosive charge - 60 g of TNT. Possibly equipped with trinitrophenol. Such grenades have an increased lethality, but the shelf life in warehouses is strictly limited; after the expiration of the grenade, it poses a significant danger. The explosive checker is isolated from the body metal with varnish, paraffin or paper. There are known cases of equipping grenades with pyroxylin mixtures.
- metal shell. Externally, the grenade has an oval ribbed body made of steel cast iron, the profile resembles the letter "Zh". The body is a complex casting, it pours into the ground, and chill casting is also possible (hence the shape). Initially, the ribbing was created to form fragments of a certain size and mass during the explosion, and the ribbing also performs an ergonomic function, contributing to a better hold of the grenade in the hand. Subsequently, some researchers expressed doubts about the effectiveness of such a system for the formation of fragments (cast iron is crushed into small fragments, regardless of the shape of the case). Cutting the body makes it easier to tie the grenade to the peg. The total weight of a grenade with a fuse is 600 g.
The composition of the UZRG fuse includes, in addition to the body itself, the following elements:
Usage
To use a grenade, it is necessary to unbend the antennae of the safety pins, take the grenade into right hand so that the fingers press the lever against the body. Before throwing a grenade, passing the index finger of the left hand into the check ring, pull it out. The grenade can continue to remain in the hand for as long as you like, until the lever is released, the firing pin cannot break the primer (in principle, if the need to throw a grenade is gone and the check is not thrown out, it can be (without releasing the lever!) Inserted back; after bending antennae checks pomegranate is suitable for normal storage). After choosing the moment of throw and the target, throw a grenade at the target. At this moment, the lever under the influence of the drummer spring will turn, releasing the drummer, and fly off to the side. The striker will prick the primer and after 3.2 - 4.2 seconds an explosion will occur.
The grenade is designed to defeat manpower and not armored vehicles. The damaging factors are the direct high-explosive action of explosives and fragments formed during the destruction of the metal shell of a grenade.
Marking and storage
Combat Grenade is dyed green color(from khaki to dark green). The training and imitation grenade is painted black with two white (vertical and horizontal) stripes. In addition, it has a hole at the bottom. The combat fuse has no coloring. The training and simulation fuse has a ring of checks and Bottom part clamping arm are painted scarlet.
F-1 grenades are packed in wooden boxes 20 pieces. UZRGM fuses are stored in the same box separately in two hermetically sealed metal cans (10 pieces per can). Box weight - 20 kg. The box is completed with a can opener designed to open cans with fuses. Grenades are equipped with fuses immediately before the battle; when transferred from the combat position, the fuse is removed from the grenade and stored separately.
The purpose of packing fuses in a sealed container is to ensure maximum safety during the entire storage period, to prevent corrosion and oxidation of the components of the detonating mixture.
Combat use
Tactical features of combat use
In open areas, the effective range of the enemy’s engagement in the explosion of a grenade directly explosive action ammunition is 3-5 meters. The radius of continuous destruction of manpower by fragments is 7 meters. The chances of being wounded by grenade fragments remain at a distance of up to 70-100 meters, but this statement is true only for large fragments of the shell. The larger the fragment, the higher its potential range of destruction. starting speed grenade fragments is 700-720 meters per second; the mass of fragments is on average 1-2 grams, although there are both larger and smaller ones.
Peculiarities damaging factors grenades naturally determine the areas of application in contemporary conflicts. Grenades have the greatest effect in rooms and confined spaces. This is due to the following factors. Firstly, in a relatively small room, up to 30 meters in size, the entire space is in the area of destruction of the fragments, and the fragments can also ricochet off the walls, ceiling and floor, which again increases the chances of hitting the enemy, even if he is in cover. Secondly, the high-explosive action of a grenade in a closed room is multiplied many times, causing shell shock, barotrauma, disorienting the enemy, which allows, taking advantage of the moment, to enter the room and use other weapons to destroy it.
The F-1 grenade is more effective than offensive grenades when assaulting confined spaces and premises, due to its higher mass it gives more fragments and has a more pronounced high-explosive effect, all this makes it more likely to incapacitate the enemy.
Tactical features of sabotage use
Also, F-1 grenades are often used when placing stretch marks, this is due to the number of fragments, which increase the chances of hitting the enemy, and a reliable fuse that will not be damaged by a long stay in adverse conditions before the trap goes off. In special forces, the F-1 grenade is “finalized”, before being installed as a stretch, the detonating charge is cut off and the wick is removed. Thus, achieving an almost instantaneous explosion and depriving the enemy of 3.2 - 4.5 seconds. for salvation.
Application in military conflicts
Is in service
F-1 in the cinema
In action films, you can often see grenades hanging from a safety check ring on a belt or vest. In reality, a sane person will not do this: during the battle, you have to move over rough terrain, where there is a high risk of catching something on a grenade and pulling out a safety pin from it. After that, the grenade quite naturally explodes, most likely destroying the fighter or at least unmasking him. During the battle, grenades are in a grenade pouch or unloading vest, and in their absence, in clothing pockets.
In feature films, you can often see the main character effectively pulling the grenade pin with his teeth. In reality, in most cases, such an action will lead to tooth loss. This is due to the fact that significant physical effort is required to remove the safety pin: this is done intentionally to prevent accidental grenade detonations.
Also in many films you can see how a grenade falling into a group of people scatters them in different sides, killing most of them. In practice, this is far from the case. When a grenade is detonated, a powerful blast wave is not formed: indeed, people who are within a radius of 2-3 meters from the place of detonation receive barotrauma, shell shock, they often fall to the ground, but do not throw anyone away from the place of explosion by ten meters. Fragments, on the other hand, only hit those directly close to the place of detonation. Possessing a small mass and low penetrating power, the vast majority of fragments are not capable of penetrating the human body through and through. This is the basis for the principle of saving comrades by covering the grenade with your body.
In some films and many illustrations, the F-1 grenade is black, which creates an opinion that the black color of the grenade is standard. In fact, black coloring means that the grenade is training or is a dummy, combat grenades are painted green.
F-1 in computer games
Thanks to its long history and popularity around the world, the F-1 grenade has become widespread in the gaming industry. In particular, it can be found in the following games.
Fighter training
When hit by fragments of a grenade, a large proportion of the case: for example, a grenade detonation in the immediate vicinity of a fighter can only stun him; there are also cases when a single fragment of a grenade hit a soldier who was in shelter at a distance of 70-80 meters from the place where the grenade was detonated.
For recruits, throwing a grenade often poses a psychological problem: based on the perceptions received from the militants, they consider the grenade to be a monstrous weapon. destructive force and experience panic fear, which leads to stupid and absurd actions that can really endanger their lives. So, for example, they can throw a check instead of a grenade, and leave the grenade in the trench; drop an activated grenade at your feet and, being paralyzed with fear, stand waiting for the explosion, instead of running away and lying down. It is also important to observe safety precautions when throwing grenades at winter time: when thrown, a grenade can catch on protruding parts of clothing and fly in a direction dangerous for a fighter, or even roll into a sleeve.
Criminal role
In the 90s, the "lemon" was used along with all types of infantry weapons in the disassembly of many organized crime groups. There is a known case when in Tolyatti, during the next gangster showdown, one of the conflicting parties completely destroyed the other with the help of four “lemons”.
Project evaluation
In general, this sample of an anti-personnel grenade should be considered successful. The F-1 has passed the test of time, has a simple, reliable device, is technologically advanced and easy to manufacture, and effectively copes with the tasks assigned to this type of weapon. Naturally, the disadvantages of the project follow from its merits.
Advantages
Due to its simple and reliable design, the F-1 grenade has been in service for about 70 years without significant changes and will probably not be withdrawn from service for a long time. The benefits that provide long term services are the following:
- The case of natural crushing, from which striking elements are successfully formed even if the metal jacket is damaged.
- The remote igniter has a relatively simple design and is highly reliable.
- The all-metal monolithic case is easy to manufacture and can be manufactured at almost any industrial enterprise, even a non-specialized one. The case material - steel cast iron - is very cheap.
- The simplicity of the internal design makes it possible to use any available explosives instead of regular TNT in war conditions.
- The power of the explosion of this grenade is such that, being thrown into the well, it literally "throws out" all the objects in it, including water.
This property is useful when assaulting various mines and tunnels of medium diameter: if the enemy, hiding behind a turn, corner or other obstacle at a distance closer than 30 meters from the explosion, is not touched by fragments, then he is almost guaranteed to be killed by a sharp pneumatic blow caused by an explosive wave. At the same time, the attacker is forbidden to be in the tunnel, since he himself may suffer.
disadvantages
The disadvantages of this grenade are due mainly to the obsolescence of its design, and not to design flaws. These include:
- The corrugation of the hull, which is generally random in nature, cannot ensure the formation of fragments of a satisfactory shape and their optimal distribution over the mass (the very idea of forming fragments of a predictable size due to the corrugation of the hull turned out to be wrong).
- The remote igniter does not cause an explosion when it hits the target, but works after a while (this property any remote fuse, and not just UZRG).
- The grenade is relatively heavy, which slightly reduces the maximum range of the throw.
Literature
- Shunkov V. N. Infantry weapons 1939-1945. - Minsk: Harvest, 1999. - 624 p. - ISBN 985-433-803-7
Notes
- Magazine Kommersant Power. No. 47(348) dated November 30, 1999
- Army Anatomy. Veremeev Yu. The origin of "lemon"
- Engineering Ammunition (Fragmentation) - razlet-osk.html
- Very often, when describing this type of ammunition, a distance of 200 m is indicated. Theoretically, grenade fragments can fly to such a distance, but the probability of these fragments hitting the target tends to zero. Most likely, the distance of 200 m refers to the distance at which the observer must be in order not to get injured under any circumstances. In reality, one can speak of a more or less guaranteed defeat of a standing person at a distance of no more than 5-10 meters. At distances of more than 50 m, human injury is extremely unlikely.
- Army Anatomy. Veremeev Yu. Soviet defensive grenade F-1
- Hand grenade anti-personnel F-1
- Fragments weighing at least 2 g are considered dangerous. Fragments of a smaller mass, even having high speed unable to cause any significant damage. Thus, theoretically, one grenade weighing 540 g (the mass of the explosive charge is 60 g) with ideal conditions can give up to 270 fragments with a lethal effect. In reality, the number and mass of fragments fluctuate within very large limits, and the number of lethal fragments does not exceed 150-200. In the event that a grenade explodes on the ground, the number of lethal fragments is approximately halved, since the fragments that go into the lower hemisphere do not pose a danger.
- LCI. Hand grenades.
- Army Anatomy. Veremeev Y. Pomegranate Arithmetic
- Magazine "Bratishka". Grenade for military reconnaissance
- WWII-60. RPG-40 - hand-held anti-tank grenade sys. Puzyreva
- F-1 grenade
Links
Grenade F-1 "lemon" / Photo: vlada.io
If we approach the issue formally, then the service life of this, no doubt, an outstanding representative of the classic type of hand grenades, will be not one hundred, but eighty-nine years. In 1928, the hand-held anti-personnel defensive grenade F-1 - “lemonka” was adopted by the Red Army. But let's not rush things.
A bit of history
The prototype of a hand grenade has been known since the 9th century. These were earthenware vessels of various shapes, filled with energy-rich materials known at that time (lime, resin, "Greek fire"). It is clear that before the appearance of the first high explosives, it is not necessary to speak of a serious damaging effect of these ancient products. The first mention of explosive hand-held projectiles dates back to the 10th-11th century. The material for them was copper, bronze, iron, glass. Presumably, Arab merchants brought them from China or India.
An example of such a device is the bann, developed in China in the first millennium AD. an incendiary grenade with a body made from a piece of hollow bamboo stem. A charge of resin and black powder was placed inside. From above, the bann was plugged with a bunch of tow and used as a reinforced torch, sometimes a primitive wick containing saltpeter was used.
Arabic "bortab" was a glass ball with a mixture of sulfur, saltpeter and charcoal, equipped with a wick and a chain. fastened to wood. In any case, this is how the manuscript of Nejim-Edlin-Chassan Alram "A Guide to the Art of Mounted Fighting and Various Military Vehicles" describes it. Such grenades provided not so much a striking, but a psychological and demoralizing effect on the advancing enemy.
More than a hundred nearly intact hand grenades made of blown glass, some of which have preserved wicks / Photo: Archaeological Museum Mytilini, Lesvos.
The era of classic fragmentation grenades began in 1405, when the German inventor Konrad Kaiser von Eichstadt proposed using brittle cast iron as the body material, due to which the number of fragments formed during the explosion significantly increases. He also came up with the idea of creating a cavity in the center of the powder charge, which noticeably accelerated the combustion of the mixture and increased the likelihood of pieces of the grenade body scattering into small fragmentation submunitions. The weak blasting action of black powder required an increase in the size of the grenade, while the physical capabilities of a person limited such an increase. A cast-iron ball weighing from one to four kilograms could only be thrown by very trained fighters. The lighter shells used by cavalry and boarding parties were much less effective.
Grenades were used mainly in the assaults and defenses of fortresses, in boarding battles, and during the war of the Holy League (1511-1514) they proved to be very good. But there was also a significant drawback - the fuse. The smoldering fuse in the form of a wooden tube with powder pulp quite often went out when it hit the ground, did not give an accurate idea of the time before the explosion, detonating too early, even before the throw, or too late, allowing the enemy to scatter or even return the grenade back. In the 16th century, the familiar term "grenade" appears. It was first used in one of his books by the famous gunsmith from Salzburg, Sebastian Gele, comparing the new weapon with a subtropical fruit that, falling to the ground, scatters its seeds.
In the middle of the 17th century, grenades were equipped with a prototype of an inertial fuse. During the civil war in England (1642-1652), Cromwell's soldiers began to tie a bullet to the wick inside the projectile, which, when it hit the ground, continued to move by inertia and pulled the wick inside. They also proposed a primitive stabilizer to ensure that the grenade fuses backwards.
The beginning of the intensive use of grenades in field battles also dates back to the 17th century. In 1667, soldiers (4 people per company) were allocated in the English troops specifically for throwing shells. These fighters were called "grenadiers". They could only become soldiers with excellent physical form and preparation. After all, the higher the soldier and the stronger, the farther he will be able to throw a grenade. Following the example of the British, this type of weapon was introduced in the armies of almost all states. However, the development of linear tactics gradually negated the advantage of using grenades, and by the middle of the 18th century they were removed from the equipment of field units, grenadiers became only elite infantry units. Grenades remained only in service with the garrison troops.
War of Empires
The hand grenade met the 20th century as a little used, old and forgotten weapon. In fact, these were the same black powder ammunition used by the grenadiers of the 17th century. The only improvement made to the design of grenades for almost 300 years is the appearance of a grating fuse.
French spherical grenade model 1882, used during the First World War. The body of the grenade is a simple, spherical shape (the diameter of the ball was 81 mm), made of cast iron, with a fuse hole. The fuse of a grenade could be either percussion or a simple wick, set on fire with a match. But the most typical for a spherical grenade was a "bracelet" (grating) fuse / Photo: army-news.ru
English "ball" grenade No. 15 of the 1915 model. Cast iron body 3 inches in diameter, with internal notches for fragmentation, filled with black powder or ammonal. The fuse of grenade No. 15 was a typical grating fuse, which was developed by the designer Brock. The fuse was very sensitive to dampness and often failed, so it was often replaced with a piece of Fickford cord / Photo: army-news.ru
In Russia, in 1896, the Artillery Committee ordered that hand grenades be completely withdrawn from use "... due to the emergence of more advanced means of defeating the enemy, strengthening the defense of fortresses in ditches and the insecurity of hand grenades for the defenders themselves ...".
Eight years later, the Russo-Japanese War began. This was the first battle in the history of warfare in which mass armies met, equipped with rapid-fire artillery, repeating rifles and machine guns. The presence of new weapons, and especially the increase in the range of fire weapons, increased the capabilities of the troops and necessitated the use of new methods of action on the battlefield. Field shelters reliably hid opponents from each other, making firearms practically useless. This forced both sides of the conflict to recall the forgotten type of infantry weapons. And given the lack of grenades in service, improvisations began.
The first use of grenades by the Japanese in the Russo-Japanese War was recorded on May 12, 1904 near Qingzhou. Japanese grenades were shell casings, bamboo tubes filled with an explosive charge, standard explosive charges wrapped in cloth, incendiary tubes were inserted into the ignition sockets of which.
Following the Japanese, Russian troops also began to use grenades. The first mention of their use dates back to August 1904. The production of grenades in the besieged city was carried out by the staff captain of the mine company Melik-Parsadanov and the lieutenant of the Kwantung fortress sapper company Debigoriy-Mokrievich. In the maritime department, this work was entrusted to Captain 2nd Rank Gerasimov and Lieutenant Podgursky. During the defense of Port Arthur, 67,000 hand grenades were produced and used.
Russian grenades were pieces of lead pipes, shells, in which 2-3 pyroxylin blocks were inserted. The ends of the hull were closed with wooden covers with a hole for the ignition tube. Such grenades were supplied with an incendiary tube designed for 5-6 seconds of burning. Due to the high hygroscopicity of pyroxylin, the grenades equipped with it had to be used within a certain time after manufacture. If dry pyroxylin containing 1-3% moisture exploded from a primer containing 2 g of mercury fulminate, then pyroxylin containing 5-8% moisture required an additional detonator from dry pyroxylin.
Grenades produced in Port Arthur from improvised materials / Image: topwar.ru
The illustration shows a grenade equipped with a grating igniter. It was made from a 37-mm or 47-mm artillery shell. A sleeve from a rifle cartridge was soldered to the body of the grenade, in which a grating igniter was placed. A igniter cord was inserted into the muzzle of the cartridge case and fastened there by crimping the muzzle. The lace of the grater came out through a hole in the bottom of the sleeve. The grater itself consisted of two split goose feathers, cut into one another. The contacting surfaces of the feathers were covered with an igniter composition. For the convenience of pulling, a ring or a stick was tied to the lace.
To ignite the igniter cord of such a grenade, it was necessary to pull the ring of the grating igniter. The friction between the goose feathers during mutual movement caused the ignition of the grating composition, and the beam of fire ignited the igniter cord.
In 1904, for the first time in the Russian army, a percussion grenade came into use. The creator of the grenade was the staff captain of the East Siberian mine company Lishin.
Grenade captain Lishin early sample. / Image: topwar.ru
Lessons of war
Intelligence all over the world was interested in the development of events and the course of hostilities in Manchuria. Most observers on Far East sent by Britain - she was tormented by the tragic experience of the war with the Boers. The Russian army received three British observers, with Japanese side 13 British officers observed the fighting. Together with the British, military attachés from Germany, France, Sweden and other countries observed the development of events. Even Argentina sent a captain of the second rank, José Moneta, to Port Arthur.
An analysis of the fighting showed that in technical equipment, the organization of combat training of troops and their equipment, it is necessary to make significant changes. The war required the mass production of all types of weapons and equipment. The role of the rear increased immeasurably. Uninterrupted supply of troops with ammunition and food began to play a decisive role in achieving success on the battlefield.
With the advent of more advanced weapons, positional forms of combat in the field were born. Machine guns and magazine rifles forced the final abandonment of dense battle formations of troops, chains became more rare. The machine gun and powerful fortifications sharply increased the possibility of defense, forced the attackers to combine fire and movement, use the terrain more carefully, dig in, conduct reconnaissance, conduct fire preparations for the attack, make extensive use of detours and coverage, fight even at night, better organize the interaction of troops on the field fight. Artillery began to practice firing with closed positions. The war required an increase in the caliber of guns and the widespread use of howitzers.
The Russo-Japanese War made a much stronger impression on German observers than on the French, British and militaries of other countries. The reason for this was not so much the better receptivity of the Germans to new ideas, but the tendency german army consider fighting from a slightly different angle. After the signing of the Anglo-French agreement (Entente cordiale) in 1904, Kaiser Wilhelm asked Alfred von Schlieffen to develop a plan that would allow Germany to fight on two fronts at the same time, and in December 1905 von Schlieffen began work on his famous plan. The example of the use of grenades and trench mortars during the siege of Port Arthur showed the Germans that such weapons could be effectively used in the German army if it had to face similar tasks during the invasion of the territory of neighboring countries.
Already by 1913, the German military industry began mass production of the Kugelhandgranate 13 grenade. However, it is impossible to say that it was a revolutionary model. The traditional inertia of thinking of military strategists of that time, which led to the fact that grenades continued to be considered only as a means of siege warfare, had an effect. Grenades of the 1913 model were of little use as infantry weapon, primarily because of its spherical shape, which made them inconvenient for the soldier to carry.
Kugelhandgranate 13 Model Aa / Photo: topwar.ru
The body of the grenade was a reworked, but almost unchanged idea from three hundred years ago - a cast iron ball with a diameter of 80 mm with a ribbed notch of a symmetrical shape and a fuse point. The grenade charge was a mixed explosive based on black powder, that is, it had a low high-explosive effect, although due to the shape and material of the grenade case, it gave quite heavy fragments.
The fuse of the grenade was quite compact and not bad for its time. It was a tube protruding from the grenade body by 40 mm with a grating and remote composition inside. A safety ring was fixed on the tube, and there was a wire loop on top, which actuated the fuse. The deceleration time was supposedly about 5-6 seconds. The undoubted positive was the absence of any detonator in the grenade, since its powder charge was ignited by the force of the flame from the remote composition of the fuse itself. This increased the safety of handling a grenade and contributed to a decrease in the number of accidents. In addition, the charge, which had low brisance, crushed the body into relatively large fragments, giving less "dust" that is harmless to the enemy than grenades in melinite or TNT equipment.
Russia also took into account the experience of the war. In 1909-1910, artillery captain Rdultovsky developed two types of grenades with a remote fuse - a small (two-pounder) "for hunting teams" and a large (three-pounder) "for a fortress war." A small grenade, according to Rdultovsky's description, had a wooden handle, a body in the form of a rectangular box made of zinc sheet, and was equipped with a quarter pound of melinite. Plates with cruciform cutouts were placed between the prismatic explosive charge and the walls of the case, and ready-made triangular fragments (0.4 g each in weight) were placed in the corners. On tests, fragments "pierced an inch board 1-3 fathoms from the place of explosion", the throw range reached 40-50 steps.
Grenades were considered then engineering tool and were under the jurisdiction of the Chief engineering management(GIU). On September 22, 1911, the SMI Engineering Committee considered hand grenades of several systems - Captain Rdultovsky, Lieutenant Timinsky, Lieutenant Colonel Gruzevich-Nechay. Timinsky's remark about the grenade was characteristic: "It may be recommended in case you have to make grenades in the troops," - this is how they treated these ammunition at that time. But the greatest interest called for a sample of Rdultovsky, although he required factory production. After completion, the Rdultovsky grenade was adopted under the designation "grenade arr. 1912" (RG-12).
Grenade sample 1912 (RG-12) / Photo: topwar.ru.
Just before the start of the First World War, Rdultovsky improved the design of his grenade mod. 1912, and a grenade arr. 1914 (RG-14).
Grenade sample 1914 (RG-14) / Photo: topwar.ru.
By design, a hand grenade mod. 1914 did not fundamentally differ from the 1912 model grenade. But there were still changes in the design. The 1912 model grenade did not have an additional detonator. In the 1914 sample grenade, when equipped with TNT or melinite, an additional detonator made of pressed tetryl was used, however, when equipped with ammonal, an additional detonator was not used. Grenade Equipment different types explosives led to a scatter in their weight characteristics: a grenade equipped with TNT weighed 720 grams, melinite - 716-717 grams.
The grenade was stored without a fuse and with a lowered firing pin. Before the throw, the fighter had to put the grenade on the fuse and charge it. The first meant: remove the ring, pull the drummer, drown the lever in the handle (the hook of the lever grabbed the head of the drummer), put the safety pin across the trigger window and put the ring back on the handle and lever. The second is to move the funnel lid and insert the fuse with the long shoulder into the funnel, with the short one into the chute and fix the fuse with the lid.
To throw a grenade, it was clamped in the hand, the ring was moved forward, and the safety pin was moved with the thumb of the free hand. At the same time, the lever compresses the spring and pulls the drummer back with a hook. The mainspring was compressed between the clutch and the trigger. When thrown, the lever was pressed, action spring pushed the drummer, and he pricked the igniter primer with a striker. Fire along the stopin threads was transmitted to the retarder composition, and then to the detonator cap, which detonated the explosive charge. Here, perhaps, are all the samples of hand grenades that were modern at that time, which were in the arsenals of the military when the Great War broke out.
World War I
On July 28, 1914, the First World War, one of the largest armed conflicts in the history of mankind, as a result of which four empires ceased to exist. When, after an extremely dynamic campaign, the front lines froze in trench warfare and the opponents sat in their deep trenches almost at a distance of a stone throw, history Russo-Japanese War repeated again, but with one exception - Germany. The Kugelhandgranate spherical grenade was the very first to be mass-produced in large enough quantities and supplied to the troops. The rest had to improvise again. The troops began to help themselves and began to produce various homemade grenades. Using empty cans, wooden boxes, cartons, pipe cuts, and the like, often wrapped with wire or stuffed with nails, more or less effective explosive devices were produced. Also, the most diverse were the charges, as well as detonators - simple fuse cords, grating fuses, and so on. The use of such ersatz was often associated with a risk for the throwers themselves. It required a certain dexterity and composure, therefore it was limited to sapper units and small, specially trained infantry units.
In relation to the efforts expended on production, the effectiveness of homemade grenades left much to be desired. Therefore, with an increasing pace, more effective and convenient grenades began to be developed, suitable, in addition, for serial mass production.
It is not possible to consider all the samples that the designers created during the First World War in the volume of one article. Only in the German army during this period, 23 types of various hand grenades were used. Therefore, we will focus on two designs that ultimately led to the appearance of the F-1 grenade.
Taking into account the experience of the fighting in 1914, the British designer William Mills developed a very successful, one might say, classic model of a grenade. The Mills grenade was adopted by the British Army in 1915 under the name "Mills Bomb No. 5".
Mills Bomb No. 5 / Photo: topwar.ru.
The Mills grenade is an anti-personnel, defensive, remote-action fragmentation hand grenade.
Grenade No. 5 consists of a body, an explosive charge, a shock-safety mechanism, and a fuse. The body of the grenade is designed to accommodate an explosive charge and the formation of fragments during an explosion. The body is made of cast iron, it has transverse and longitudinal notches on the outside. There is a hole in the lower part of the body into which the central tube is screwed. In the central channel of the tube there is a drummer with a mainspring and an igniter primer. The fuse itself is a piece of igniter cord, at one end of which an igniter cap is fixed, and at the other end a detonator cap. It is inserted into the side channel of the tube. The housing opening is closed with a screw plug. To use the Mills Bomb No. 5 grenade, it is necessary to unscrew the washer on the underside of the grenade, insert the detonator cap into it and screw the washer back into place. To use a grenade, you must take the grenade in your right hand, pressing the lever against the body of the grenade; with your left hand, bring together the antennae of the safety pin (cotter pin) and, pulling the ring, pull the cotter pin out of the hole in the lever. After that, swinging, throw a grenade at the target and take cover.
The British managed to create a truly outstanding weapon. The Mills grenade embodied the tactical requirements of "trench warfare" for this type of weapon. Small, handy, this grenade was conveniently thrown from any position, despite its size, it gave a lot of heavy fragments, creating a sufficient area of destruction. But the grenade's greatest merit was its fuse. This consisted in the simplicity of its design, compactness (there were no protruding parts), and in the fact that, having pulled out the ring with the pin, the fighter could safely hold the grenade in his hand, waiting for the most favorable moment for the throw, since until the lever held by the hand rises , ignition of the moderator will not occur. German, Austro-Hungarian and some French grenades did not have this truly necessary feature. Having such a feature, the Russian Rdultovsky grenade was very difficult to use, its preparation for the throw required more than a dozen operations.
The French, who German grenades in 1914, no less than the British suffered, they also decided to create a grenade with balanced characteristics. Correctly taking into account the shortcomings of German grenades, such as a large diameter, inconvenient body to grip, like a 1913 model grenade, an unreliable fuse and a weak fragmentation action, the French developed a grenade design that was revolutionary for its time, known as F1.
F1 with shock ignition fuse / Photo: topwar.ru
Initially, the F1 was produced with a shock ignition fuse, but it was soon equipped with an automatic lever fuse, the design of which, with minor changes, is still used in many NATO armies to this day. The grenade was a cast iron ribbed egg-shaped body with a fuse hole, which was more convenient to throw than the round or disc-shaped body of German grenades. The charge consisted of 64 grams of explosive (TNT, Schneiderite or less powerful substitutes), and the weight of the grenade was 690 grams.
Image: topwar.ru.
Initially, the fuse was a design with a percussion igniter cap and a retarder, after which the blasting cap fired, causing the grenade to detonate. It was put into action by hitting the fuse cap on a solid object (wood, stone, butt, etc.). The cap was made of steel or brass, had on inside a striker that broke the primer, like a rifle, setting fire to the moderator. For safety, the fuses of the F1 grenades were equipped with a wire pin, which prevented the primer from touching the firing pin. Before the throw, this fuse was removed. Such simple design was good for mass production, but the use of a grenade outside the trench, when it was not possible to find that very solid object, clearly made it difficult to use the grenade. Nevertheless, the compactness, simplicity and high efficiency provided the grenade with immense popularity.
At the time of the explosion, the body of the grenade is torn into more than 200 large heavy fragments, the initial expansion velocity of which is about 730 m / s. At the same time, 38% of the hull mass goes to the formation of lethal fragments, the rest is simply sprayed. The reduced area of fragmentation is 75–82 m2.
The F1 hand grenade was quite technologically advanced, did not require scarce raw materials, carried a moderate explosive charge and at the same time had great power and gave a large number of lethal fragments at that time. Trying to solve the problem of proper crushing of the hull during an explosion, the designers used a deep notch on the hull. However, combat experience has shown that with modern blasting explosives, a body of this shape is unpredictably crushed during an explosion, and the main number of fragments has a small mass and is low-lethal already within a radius of 20-25 meters, while heavy fragments of the bottom, upper part of the grenade and fuse have a high energy due to their mass and are dangerous up to 200 m. Therefore, all statements about the fact that the notch aims to form fragments in the form of protruding ribs is at least incorrect. The same should be said about the clearly overestimated range of destruction, since the range of continuous destruction by fragments does not exceed 10-15 meters, and the effective range, that is, one where at least half of the targets will be hit, is 25-30 meters. The figure of 200 meters is not the range of destruction, but the range of safe removal for their units. Therefore, it was necessary to throw a grenade from behind a shelter, which was quite convenient in the event of a positional war.
Disadvantages F1 with fuse were taken into account very soon. The imperfect fuse was the Achilles' heel of the whole design, and compared to the Mills grenade, it was clearly outdated. The very design of the grenade, its efficiency and production features did not cause any complaints, on the contrary, they were outstanding.
Then, in 1915, in short term French designers invented an automatic spring fuse of the Mills type, however, in many ways superior to it.
F1 with automatic lever fuse / Photo: topwar.ru.
Now, a grenade ready to be thrown could be held in hands indefinitely - until a more favorable moment for the throw came, which is especially valuable in a fleeting battle.
New automatic fuse was combined with a moderator and a detonator. The fuse was screwed into the grenade from above, while Mills' fuse mechanism was integral to the case, and the detonator was inserted from below, which was very impractical - it was impossible to visually determine whether the grenade was loaded. The new F1 did not have this problem - the presence of a fuse was easily determined and meant that the grenade was ready for use. The remaining parameters, including the charge and burning rate of the moderator, remained the same as in the F1 grenade with a shock ignition fuse. In this form, the French F1 hand grenade, like the Mills grenade, has become a truly revolutionary technical solution. Its shape and weight and size indicators were so successful that they served as an example to follow and were embodied in many modern models of grenades.
During the First World War, F 1 grenades were supplied in large quantities to the Russian army. As in the west, the fighting soon revealed the urgent need for the Russian army to be armed with hand grenades. They did this at the Main Military Technical Directorate (GVTU) - the successor to the SMI. Despite the new proposals, grenades arr. 1912 and 1914. Their production is being established in state-owned technical artillery institutions - but, alas, too slowly. From the beginning of the war to January 1, 1915, only 395,930 grenades were sent to the troops, mainly mod. 1912 From the spring of 1915, grenades gradually come under the jurisdiction of the Main Artillery Directorate (GAU) and are included in the number of "main means of artillery supply."
By May 1, 1915, 454,800 grenades mod. 1912 and 155 720 - arr. 1914 Meanwhile, in July of the same year, the Chief of the GAU estimates only the monthly need for hand grenades at 1,800,000 pieces, and the Chief of Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief informs the Chief of the Military Ministry of the opinion of the Supreme on the need to procure "revolvers, daggers and, especially, grenades" with reference to experience French army. Portable weapons and hand grenades are indeed becoming the main armament of the infantry in the trench warfare (at the same time, by the way, means of protection against hand grenades appeared in the form of nets over the trenches).
In August 1915, a demand was made to increase the supply of grenades to 3.5 million pieces per month. The range of use of grenades is growing - on August 25, the Commander-in-Chief of the armies of the North-Western Front asks for the supply of "hand bombs" to the partisan hundred for operations behind enemy lines. Okhtensky and Samara explosives plants have handed over by this time 577,290 grenades mod. 1912 and 780,336 grenades arr. 1914, i.e. their production for whole year war amounted to only 2,307,626 pieces. To solve the problem, orders for grenades are being placed abroad. Among other samples, it is supplied to Russia and F1. And together with others after the end of the world and civil war inherited from the Red Army.
F1 to F1
In 1922, seventeen types of hand grenades were in service with the Red Army. Moreover, not a single fragmentation defensive grenade of our own production.
As a temporary measure, the Mills grenade was adopted, the stocks of which in warehouses were about 200,000 pieces. As a last resort, French F1 grenades were allowed to be issued to the troops. French grenades were delivered to Russia with Swiss impact fuses. Their cardboard cases did not provide tightness and the detonation composition dampened, which led to massive grenade failures, and even worse, to backache, which was fraught with an explosion in the hands. But given that the stock of these grenades was 1,000,000 pieces, it was decided to equip them with a more advanced fuse. Such a fuse was created by F. Koveshnikov in 1927. The tests carried out made it possible to eliminate the identified shortcomings, and in 1928 the F1 grenade with a new fuse was adopted by the Red Army under the name F-1 hand grenade with a fuse of the F.V. Koveshnikov.
Image: topwar.ru
In 1939, military engineer F.I. Khrameev of the plant of the People's Commissariat of Defense, modeled on the French F-1 fragmentation hand grenade, developed a sample of the domestic F-1 defensive grenade, which was soon mastered in mass production. The F-1 grenade, like the French F1 model, is designed to defeat enemy manpower in defensive operations. With its combat use, the throwing fighter needed to take cover in a trench or other protective structures.
In 1941, the designers E.M. Viceni and A.A. Bednyakov developed and put into service instead of Koveshnikov's fuse, a new, safer and simpler fuse for the F-1 hand grenade. In 1942, the new fuse became the same for F-1 and RG-42 hand grenades, it was called UZRG - "unified fuse for hand grenades." The fuse of a grenade type UZRGM was intended to explode the explosive charge of a grenade. The principle of operation of the mechanism was remote.
Image: topwar.ru
The manufacture of F-1 grenades during the war years was carried out at plant No. 254 (since 1942), 230 ("Tizpribor"), 53, in the workshops of the Povenetsky ship repair plant, a mechanical plant and a railway junction in Kandalaksha, the central repair shops of the Soroclag of the NKVD, artele "Primus" (Leningrad), many other non-core other domestic enterprises.
At the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, grenades were equipped instead of TNT even with black powder. A grenade with such a filling is quite effective, although less reliable. After World War II, modernized, more reliable fuses UZRGM and UZRGM-2 began to be used on F-1 grenades.
Currently, the F-1 grenade is in service with all the armies of the countries of the former USSR, and it has also become widespread in African countries and Latin America. Bulgarian, Chinese and Iranian copies also exist. Copies of the F-1 can be considered the Polish F-1, the Taiwanese defensive grenade, the Chilean Mk2.
It would seem that the F-1 grenade, as a representative of the classic type of hand grenades with a cast iron body of virtually natural crushing and a simple, reliable remote fuse, cannot compete with modern grenades of the same purpose - both in terms of optimal fragmentation action and in terms of the versatility of the fuse . All these tasks are solved in a different way at the modern technical, scientific and production levels. Yes, in Russian Army the RGO grenade (defensive hand grenade) was created, largely unified with the RGN grenade (offensive hand grenade). The unified fuse of these grenades has a more complex device: its design combines remote and impact mechanisms. Grenade cases also have a significantly greater fragmentation efficiency.
Image: topwar.ru
However, the F-1 grenade has not been withdrawn from service and will probably be in service for a long time. There is a simple explanation for this: simplicity, cheapness and reliability, as well as time-tested, are the most valuable qualities for a weapon. And in a combat situation, it is not always possible to oppose these qualities with the technical perfection that requires large production and economic costs. In support of this, we can say that the English Mills grenade mentioned in the article is still formally in service with the armies of NATO countries, so in 2015 the grenade also celebrated its 100th anniversary.
Why "lemon"? There is no consensus about the origin of the nickname "lemon", which is called the F-1 grenade. Some attribute this to the similarity of a grenade with a lemon, however, there are opinions claiming that this is a distortion from the name “Lemon”, who was the designer of English grenades, which is not entirely true, because the French invented the F1.
History
Due to the numerous technical shortcomings of the RGD-33 grenade, which was at that time in service in the Soviet Union, it was decided to develop a reliable and technologically advanced defensive infantry grenade. The development of this device was entrusted to the designer F. I. Khrameev. In 1939, two months after receiving the terms of reference, he developed the F-1 grenade. According to the designer himself, the greatest difficulty for him in the development of this grenade model was the selection of the shell material and ensuring the reliability of the fuse.
Preliminary tests of this type of weapon were minimal, 10 prototypes were made, which were soon tested, and then the design was put into mass production. Here is what Khrameev F. I. himself said in an interview with reporters on this subject:
Has there been an admissions committee? - Well no! Again, I'm alone. The head of the plant, Major Budkin, gave me a parakonka cart and sent it to our training ground. I throw grenades one by one into the ravine. And on you - nine exploded, and one did not. I return and report. Budkin shouted at me: he left the secret sample unattended! I'm going back, alone again.
- Was it scary?
- Not without it. I lay down on the edge of the ravine, saw where the grenade lay in clay. I took a long wire, made a loop at the end and carefully hooked the grenade with it. Twitched. Didn't explode. It turned out that the fuse failed. So he pulled it out, discharged it, brought it back, went to Budkin's and put it on his table. He yelled and jumped out of the office like a bullet. And then we transferred the drawings to the Main Artillery Directorate (GAU), and the grenade was put into mass production. No experience series.
The most common opinion is that the F-1 grenade originated from the English grenade of the First World War, known in Russia as the "Mils grenade". For those times it was the most destructive grenade. They are similar in form and principle of fuse. F. Leonidov in the journal “Arms” (No. 8, 1999) in the article “Prepare Grenades” claims that the French F-1 model 1915 and the English Lemon system served as the basis for the development of the F-1. So, it was not possible to install.
Khrameev, in an interview with Kommersant magazine, admitted the origin of the grenade from the French F-1 model. Below is an excerpt from this interview.
French F-1 hand grenade mod. 1915, weighing 550g ... The F-1 grenade in our USSR has been used since the city with a Kaveshnikov fuse, which provides a more reliable action, safety when throwing and ease of handling.
This is another confirmation of the version about the origin of the Soviet grenade from the French F-1.
When creating the F-1 grenade, it had a Kaveshnikov fuse, then it was replaced by a standard unified UZRG fuse, after the end of World War II, the fuse was improved, the reliability of operation was increased, and it received the designation UZRGM.
Design
Schematic diagram of the F-1 grenade with a UZRG fuse
Schematic diagram of the UZRG fuse device
The F-1 grenade has the following performance characteristics.
The F-1 grenade belongs to the hand-held anti-personnel fragmentation defensive grenades of remote action. Its design turned out to be so successful that it has existed until now without fundamental changes. The design of the fuse was somewhat changed and refined in order to increase the reliability of operation.
Like the bulk of anti-personnel grenades, the F-1 consists of 3 main parts.
- fuse. The grenade has a universal fuse UZRGM (or UZRG), also suitable for grenades RG-41, RG-42, RGD-5. The UZRGM fuse differs from the UZRG by changes in the shape of the trigger guard and the design of the striker, which made it possible to reduce the failure rate of the weapon.
- Explosive. Explosive charge - 60 g of TNT.
- metal shell. Externally, the grenade has an oval ribbed cast iron body. Initially, the ribbing was created to form fragments of a certain size and mass during the explosion, and the ribbing also performs an ergonomic function, contributing to a better hold of the grenade in the hand. Subsequently, some researchers expressed doubts about the effectiveness of such a system for the formation of fragments. The total weight of a grenade with a fuse is 600 g.
The composition of the UZRG fuse includes, in addition to the body itself, the following elements:
- safety pin, which is a ring with two pieces of wire, which, passing through the holes in the fuse body, are fixed by unbending in the hole on the opposite side of the fuse and protect the pin from accidental falling out. At the same time, the pin blocks the striker, preventing it from hitting the detonator cap.
- Boyok is a metal rod, pointed on the side directed to the primer, and having a protrusion on the opposite side, with which it holds the trigger guard. Also, a shock spring is attached to the striker, which ensures its impact on the primer.
- trigger guard- a curved metal plate, which, after removing the safety pin, blocks the striker in its original position. After the grenade is thrown, the trigger guard is pushed out by the spring pressure of the striker, and he hits the primer, activating it.
- Capsule ignites a slowing fuse, which, after burning for a while, activates the detonating mixture directly - a grenade is detonated.
- Slow Wick creates a time interval between throwing and detonating a grenade.
- Detonating mixture detonates the explosive grenade.
Usage
To use a grenade, it is necessary to unbend the antennae of the safety checks, take the grenade in your right hand so that your fingers press the lever against the body. Before throwing a grenade, passing the index finger of the left hand into the check ring, pull it out. The grenade can continue to remain in the hand for an arbitrarily long time, since until the lever is released, the firing pin cannot break the primer. After choosing the moment of throw and the target, throw a grenade at the target. At this moment, the lever under the influence of the drummer spring will turn, releasing the drummer, and fly off to the side. The striker will prick the primer and after 3.2 - 4.2 seconds an explosion will occur. Defensive type - means that grenade fragments have a sufficiently large mass and fly at a distance exceeding the possible throw range (that is, when a grenade explodes, it is dangerous for the soldier who threw it, if he did not take cover in a trench, behind a wall, etc.) .
The grenade is designed to defeat manpower and non-armored vehicles. The damaging factors are the direct high-explosive action of explosives and fragments formed during the destruction of the metal shell of the grenade.
Marking and storage
The combat grenade is painted green (from khaki to dark green). The training and imitation grenade is painted black with two white (vertical and horizontal) stripes. In addition, it has a hole at the bottom. The combat fuse has no coloring. At the training and simulation fuse, the pin ring and the lower part of the pressure lever are painted scarlet.
F-1 grenades are packed in wooden boxes of 20 pieces. UZRGM fuses are stored in the same box separately in two hermetically sealed metal cans (10 pieces per can). Box weight - 20 kg. The box is completed with a can opener designed to open cans with fuses. Grenades are equipped with fuses immediately before the battle; when transferred from the combat position, the fuse is removed from the grenade and stored separately.
The purpose of packing fuses in a sealed container is to ensure maximum safety during the entire storage period. Prevention of corrosion and oxidation of the components of the detonating mixture.
Combat use
Tactical features of combat use
In open areas, the effective range of defeating the enemy in the event of a grenade explosion directly by the high-explosive action of the ammunition is 3-5 meters. At a distance of up to 30 meters, the farther the enemy is from the epicenter of the explosion, the lower the chances of his successful destruction by shrapnel. The chances of being wounded by grenade fragments remain at a distance of up to 70-100 meters, but this statement is true only for large fragments of the shell. The larger the fragment, the higher its potential range of destruction. The initial speed of grenade fragments is 700-720 meters per second, the average weight is 1-2 grams, although there are both larger and smaller ones.
Features of the damaging factors of grenades naturally determine the areas of application in modern conflicts. Grenades have the greatest effect in rooms and confined spaces. This is due to the following factors. Firstly, in a relatively small room, up to 30 meters in size, the entire space is in the area of destruction of fragments, and fragments can also ricochet from the walls of the ceiling and floor, which again increases the chances of hitting the enemy, even if he is in cover. Secondly, the high-explosive action of a grenade in a closed room is multiplied many times, causing shell shock, barotrauma, disorienting the enemy, which allows, taking advantage of the moment, to enter the room and use other weapons to destroy it.
The F-1 grenade is more effective than offensive grenades when assaulting confined spaces and premises, due to its higher mass it gives more fragments and has a more pronounced high-explosive effect, all this makes it more likely to incapacitate the enemy.
Tactical features of sabotage use
Also, F-1 grenades are often used when setting tripwires, this is due to the number of fragments, which increases the chances of hitting the enemy, and a reliable fuse, which will not be damaged by a long stay in adverse conditions before the trap works.
Application in military conflicts
Is in service
Grant F-1 is in service in the armies of the CIS countries, it has also become widespread in the countries of Africa and Latin America.
F-1 in the cinema
In action films, you can often see grenades hanging from a safety pin on a belt or vest. In reality, a sane person will not do this: during the battle, you have to move over rough terrain, where there is a high risk of catching something on a grenade and pulling out a safety pin from it. After that, the grenade quite naturally explodes, most likely destroying the fighter or at least unmasking him. During the battle, grenades are in the grenade pouch or unloading vest, and in their absence - in the pockets of clothing.
In feature films, you can often see the main character pulling the grenade pin with his teeth. In reality, in most cases, such an action will lead to tooth loss. This is due to the fact that significant physical effort is required to remove the safety check: this was done intentionally to prevent accidental detonations of grenades.
Also in many films you can see how a grenade falling into a group of people scatters them in different directions, killing most of them. In practice, this is far from the case. When a grenade is detonated, a powerful blast wave is not formed: indeed, people who are within a radius of 2-3 meters from the place of detonation receive barotrauma, shell shock, they often fall to the ground, but do not throw anyone away from the place of explosion by ten meters. Fragments, on the other hand, only hit those directly close to the place of detonation. Possessing a small mass and low penetrating power, the vast majority of fragments are not capable of penetrating the human body through and through. This is the basis for the principle of saving comrades by covering the grenade with your body.
F-1 in computer games
Thanks to its long history and popularity around the world, the F-1 grenade has become widespread in the gaming industry. In particular, it can be found in the following games.
- Brigade E5
F-1 in modern society
When hit by fragments of a grenade, a large proportion of the case: for example, a grenade detonation in the immediate vicinity of a fighter can only stun him; there are also cases when a single fragment of a grenade hit a soldier who was in shelter at a distance of 70-80 meters from the place where the grenade was detonated.
For recruits, throwing a grenade often presents a psychological problem: based on the perceptions received from the militants, they consider the grenade to be a weapon of monstrous destructive power and experience panic fear, which leads to stupid and absurd actions that can really endanger their lives. So, for example, they can throw a check instead of a grenade, and leave the grenade in the trench; drop an activated grenade at your feet and, being paralyzed with fear, stand waiting for the explosion, instead of running away and lying down. It is also important to observe safety precautions when throwing grenades in winter: when thrown, a grenade can catch on protruding parts of clothing and fly in a direction dangerous for a fighter, or even roll into a sleeve.
Project evaluation
In general, this sample of an anti-personnel grenade should be considered successful. The F-1 has passed the test of time, has a simple, reliable device, is technologically advanced and easy to manufacture, and effectively copes with the tasks assigned to this type of weapon. Naturally, the disadvantages of the project follow from its merits.
Advantages
Due to its simple and reliable design, the F-1 grenade has been in service for about 70 years without significant changes and will probably not be removed from service for a long time. The advantages that ensure such a long service life are as follows:
- The case of natural crushing, from which striking elements are successfully formed even if the metal jacket is damaged.
- The remote igniter has a relatively simple design and is highly reliable.
- The all-metal housing is easy to manufacture and can be manufactured by almost any industrial plant.
- The simplicity of the internal design makes it possible to use any available explosives instead of regular TNT in war conditions.
disadvantages
The disadvantages of this grenade are due mainly to the obsolescence of its design, and not to design flaws. These include:
- The corrugation of the body cannot always ensure the uniform formation of fragments.
- The remote igniter does not cause an explosion when it hits the target, but works after a while.
- The grenade is relatively heavy, which slightly reduces the maximum range of the throw.
Notes
- Magazine Kommersant Power. No. 47(348) dated November 30, 1999
- Army Anatomy. Veremeev Yu. The origin of "lemon"
- Very often, when describing this type of ammunition, a distance of 200 m is indicated. Theoretically, grenade fragments can fly to such a distance, but the probability of these fragments hitting the target tends to zero. Most likely, the distance of 200 m refers to the distance at which the observer must be in order not to get injured under any circumstances. In reality, one can speak of a more or less guaranteed defeat of a standing person at a distance of no more than 5-10 meters. At distances of more than 50 m, human injury is extremely unlikely.
- Fragments weighing at least 2 g are considered dangerous. Fragments of a smaller mass, even with high speed, are not able to cause any significant damage. Thus, theoretically, one grenade weighing 540 g (the mass of the explosive charge is 60 g) under ideal conditions can produce up to 270 fragments with a lethal effect. In reality, the number and mass of fragments fluctuate within very large limits, and the number of lethal fragments does not exceed 150-200. In the event that a grenade explodes on the ground, the number of lethal fragments is approximately halved, since the fragments that go into the lower hemisphere do not pose a danger.