Allied Vs German grenades: How German Stick grenades were better than the Allied grenades

The German stick grenade, also known as the "Stielhandgranate," was a type of hand grenade used by the German military during both World War I and World War II. It was characterized by its distinctive appearance, featuring a wooden handle attached to a metal explosive body. The design allowed soldiers to throw the grenade with more accuracy and precision compared to the earlier designs. Its appearance is entirely different to the grenades of the allied forces and was even nicknamed the potato masher by some of these men.
Today we are going to find out how good of a grenade was this as compared to the ones used by the allied forces.
The stick grenades of World War One were remarkably close in size and design to the final ones manufactured during WWII. The form of the grenade is the most visible feature that distinguishes it from similar weapons of the time, but there are many additional distinctions.
Design: The stick grenade was designed with a hollow wooden handle, a metal head carrying the explosive filling, and a fuse assembly. The handle allowed soldiers to grip and launch the grenade.
Fuse Mechanism: The grenade's fuse mechanism was percussion-based, requiring the operator to remove a protective cap, draw a string tied to a safety pin, and then hurl the grenade. The fuse would light the explosive filler upon impact, causing the grenade to detonate.
Variations: Over the years, the German military manufactured various varieties of the stick grenade, including modifications to the design and fuse mechanism. Changes to the handle, the kind of explosive filling, and the fuse assembly were among the modifications.
Now let’s discuss differences with the allied grenades.
Concussion vs Fragmentation
To begin with, this was a concussion grenade rather than a fragmentation grenade, as utilised by the allied troops. The American mark II grenade, for example, featured a thick metal case. This meant that when it burst, it had a fatal range of around five metres, but it could inflict people with shrapnel from a distance of 15 metres.
As a result, it was far more effective in wide spaces. The M 24 German stick grenade, the most common version, featured a comparatively thin outer case. As a result, it created less shrapnel while having a larger explosion radius, making it considerably more helpful in confined locations. To compensate for this disadvantage, the Germans devised a fragmentation ring that could be put over the top and cause additional flying debris during the explosion.
Priming process
The priming technique for grenades was additionally vastly different from that of the Allied variants. A little metal cap at the base had to be screwed off, and within the hollowed out wooden handle was a string that had to be pulled. Once this occurred, friction would occur, burning the phosphorous within for around five seconds before the explosive contents detonated. In comparison to the Allied grenades, which required the operator to release a pin, enabling the spoon to fly off before it began its five second delay prior to detonation, this is a considerably simpler method.
Bundle grenade
A field-made bundle grenade was another approach to create a larger explosion. This was simply a collection of six explosive ends cut from their sticks and wound around the end of a single grenade. This increased its potency and allowed it to be employed against armoured vehicles or bunkers. The time it required to create one of these in the field, as well as the weight added, meant that the grenade lost a lot of its throwing range.
Shape and usage
Its form was another problem. The allied grenades were tiny enough to be tucked into pockets, but the long stick limited the locations a German soldier could keep his grenades, which also meant they could carry fewer grenades than their allies. Most photographs from World War II show German soldiers tucking them inside their belts or boots for convenient access.
However, with this drawback came possibly its most significant advantage: its form allowed it to be hurled a considerably larger distance than previous grenades that were thought to be at least twice as long. Given that it is primarily an attacking weapon. When attacking a strong point, troops could throw it at a much safer distance, and when defending, it might push those attempting to take their position further back. Despite their flaws, German stick grenades performed better in various scenarios than Allied ones, which may explain why countries like China and Japan replicated their design.

Allied Vs German grenades: How German Stick grenades were better than the Allied grenades
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