The Kugelhandgranate ('ball hand grenade') is a model of hand thrown fragmentation grenade manufactured in Germany, also known as Mod. 1913.

Kugelhandgranate
TypeFragmentation hand grenade
Place of originGerman Empire
Service history
WarsWorld War I
Specifications
Mass1 kg (2.2 lb)
Diameter80 mm (3.1 in)

Effective firing range20 m (66 ft)
FillingMixture of black powder, barium nitrate, and potassium perchlorate
Filling weight45 g (1.6 oz)
Detonation
mechanism
Friction wire & delayed fuse

M1915 Kugelhandgranate NA

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By 1915, German industry was preparing for a long war and resources were already becoming stretched, making it beneficial from both an economic and manufacturing point of view to design a replacement for the Kugelhandgranate Mod. 1913. The Kugelhandgranate Mod. 1915 (which was considerably easier to produce) was thus introduced and used from 1915 onward.

Description

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The body of the grenade was cast iron 8 mm (0.31 in) thick, spherical shaped and externally segmented designed to produce between 70 and 80 fragments. A bronze-like stick (which was the igniter) was introduced to the spherical body. The filling was a mixture of black powder, barium nitrate, and potassium perchlorate, and did not require a detonator. The friction igniter consisted of a bronze body with a central chamber filled with black powder and supplied with a 5 or 7 second delay, the powder train was topped with a priming wire made of brass with a loop at one end and serrated on the other. The serrated portion was coated with a mixture of ground glass, manganese dioxide, and potassium chlorate.

Method of use

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To be used, the friction wire had to be pulled from the igniter, starting the delay train at the last possible moment. To do this, a piece of leather was attached to the igniter with a snap hook; pulling this removed the wire so the grenade could be thrown. A man with average strength could throw this grenade about 15 m (49 ft).

See also

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References

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