No. 73 grenade
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The No. 73 grenade, also known as the "Thermos", "Woolworth bomb",[1] or "hand percussion grenade",[2] was a British anti-tank grenade used during the Second World War. It got its nickname from the resemblance to a Thermos flask.
Development
With the end of the Battle of France and the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force from the port of Dunkirk between 26 May and 4 June 1940, a German invasion of Great Britain seemed likely.[3] The British Army was not well-equipped to defend the country in such an event; in the weeks after the Dunkirk evacuation it could only field twenty-seven divisions.[4] The Army was particularly short of anti-tank guns, 840 of which had been left behind in France leaving only 167 available in Britain; ammunition was so scarce for the remaining guns that regulations forbade any being used for training purposes.[4]
As a result of these shortcomings, new anti-tank weapons had to be developed to equip the British Army and the Home Guard with the means to repel German armoured vehicles.[5] Many of these were anti-tank hand grenades, large numbers of which could be built in a very short space of time and for a low cost.[1] They included the grenade, hand, anti-tank No. 74, also known as the "sticky bomb", which was coated with a strong adhesive and stuck to a vehicle, and the No. 76 special incendiary grenade, essentially a simple white phosphorus incendiary contained in a breakable glass container, like a more sophisticated variation of the Molotov cocktail (which simply uses a flammable liquid such as gasoline and a burning rag as a "fuse").[6] Ian Hogg states that the simplest of these grenades was the No. 73 grenade.
Design
The No. 73 grenade had a roughly cylindrical shape and plastic screw-on cap,[7] similar to that of a Thermos flask, from which the "Thermos bomb" nickname was derived.[8] It was approximately Script error: No such module "convert". in diameter and Script error: No such module "convert". in length,[9] and weighed Script error: No such module "convert".. Its explosive content consisted of Script error: No such module "convert". of polar ammonal gelatine dynamite or nitrogelatine – both of which were highly flammable and could be detonated by the impact of small-arms fire.[7] When thrown at a tank or other vehicle, a weighted tape held in the users hand unravelled and pulled free a safety pin, which was attached to a Type 247 "all-ways" fuze (the same type used in the Gammon bomb and No. 69 grenade); this armed and then detonated the grenade.[10] Its weight meant that it could only be thrown short distances,[1] limiting its range to between Script error: No such module "convert".,[7] and its detonation could injure the user if they did not find cover before it detonated.[1] It was able to penetrate Script error: No such module "convert". of armour,[11] and "damage severely any light tank."[2] It was best used against the tracks of a tank, which it could easily blow off[7] and force its crew to waste time by stopping and repairing it.[12]
Operational history
The No. 73 grenade was first issued in the last months of 1940, but it was rarely used as an anti-tank grenade; instead the fuze was usually removed and it was used as a demolition charge. It was withdrawn from service within a year, and reissued again in 1943 for the express purpose of being used for demolition work.[7] On 27 May 1942, a modified version of the grenade was used in the assassination of SS-Obergruppenführer Reinhard Heydrich, when paratrooper Jan Kubiš threw it at Heydrich's car in Prague. The bomb used for this purpose had been shortened.[13]
See also
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References
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- ↑ a b c d Mackenzie, p. 92
- ↑ a b Hogg, p. 239
- ↑ Mackenzie, p. 20
- ↑ a b Lampe, p. 3
- ↑ Hogg, pp. 237–239
- ↑ Hogg, pp. 239–240
- ↑ a b c d e Rottman, World War II Infantry Assault Tactics, p. 25
- ↑ Longmate, p. 77
- ↑ Rottman, World War II Infantry Assault Tactics, p. 62
- ↑ Bull, p. 30
- ↑ Rottman, World War II Infantry Anti-Tank Tactics, p. 62
- ↑ Bull, pp. 30–31
- ↑ Šolc, Jiří: Nikdo nás nezastaví. Prague 1992
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Bibliography
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External links
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