The Harrison times., 1917-02-03
HAND GRENADE
DATES BACK TO
The YEAR 1886
Deadly Implement Recorded in
History as Far Back as
Siege of Aries.
ORIGIN OF Term 'GRENADIER"
Japanese Employed Protective Nets of
Wire Against Them in Fighting
y y" RussIaks-Present Use Shows
Return to Former Types.

New YOrk.-The nse of hand gre
nades as an implement of war dates
back nearly four centuries and this
deadly weapon remains today, as in
the sixteenth century, one of the most
effective weapons of warfare. In the
current issue Of the United States In
fantry Journal, published by officers
of that arm of the regular service,
there is an article dealing with gre
nadeS, which is 4 translation from the
German military publication, Militaer
NOchenblatt.
Hand grenades," the article reads
'as an implement Of warfare date back
many centuries. History records their
use as far back as 1886 at the siege Of
Aries, Up to the close of the eighteenth
century soldiers were trained in the
throwing of hand grenades. They
were for that reason called grenadiers.
"The grenadeS were hollow balls Of
iron or other metal about two and
half inches in diameter, filed with
powder and provided with a fuse,
which was lighted before being
thrown. At first there were few in
each regiment, later entire companies
were formed, and still later every in
fantry battalion had its own grenader
company, which In the different armies
+ precedence over the other COM
.hnies at paradeS and other forma-
tiOns. This continued to be the case
long after the grenadiers had ceased
TO carry grenades which had originally
given them their names their distin-
gushing characteristic became their
great height and their peculiar head
dress (grenadier caps).
During the war between Russia
and Japan hand grenades were again
used in great quantities by both sides,
especially in fighting at close quar-
ters and in assaults on the different
forts about Port Arthur. Those Of the
JuPhhNNN NNlN III lllt NllblIt VI II SllluIl
thin cylinder about eight inches long
and three inches thick, which were
filed with explosives and had Il safe
~ fuse In the cover. If the fuse was
lighted before throwing, the grenade
would have about nine seconds to
reach its destination before exploding.
1t did not, however, burn long enough
to make 1t possible for the enemy to
pick up and throw it away before 1t
could do any damage.
Return to Former Types.
''In general way, these grenades
and their use indicate a return to for
mer types. Any conserve can, filed
with powder or dynamite and provided
with fuse, could accomplish about
the same damage.
Nevertheless, the effect Of these
hand grenades, especially pn an in.
closed space was very great. For ex-
ampl one occasion, guard Of II
men Il. the guard room were killed
by the explosion of an improvIsed
grenade Of this type, which consisted
Of u piece OF gun cotton provided with
q fuse, and which was thrown into the
room through window.
"As the effect Of the grenades Is
great, especially when they are used
under favorable conditions, for ex-
ample in the hands Of an assaulting
column or a sortie detachment, the
japanese employed special protective
nets, which consisted Of wooden
frames covered with strong wire net.
ting from 100 to 210 centImeters high,
when working on Notifications at close
rxnge.
III hand grenades attained so salts.
factory un effect In an improvlsed