phil boardman Posted 1 May , 2006 Share Posted 1 May , 2006 Can anyone give me a maximum range of a german rifle grenade circa July 1916. I don't have any more details than this unfortunately, merely a quote from a letter sent to my Grandmother to the effect that my grandfather was wounded by a shower of rifle grenades that landed in the trench. I know the area he was based in at the time and I am trying to narrow down the specific place he must have been stood in at the time. The front line his company were holding had a portion very close to the German front line which rapidly arched away leaving a considerable distance of no mans loand in between. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Poilu Posted 1 May , 2006 Share Posted 1 May , 2006 In 1916 the Germans were still using the M1913 and M1914 rodded rifle grenades with range limiting discs. They were usually fired remotely from cradles in some numbers, not by the individual with one rifle. Attached is a picture of the improved (and safer) 1914 model. I am not sure of the exact range of the German grenades but in general the range of rodded rifle grenades was around 200 - 300 yards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phil boardman Posted 1 May , 2006 Author Share Posted 1 May , 2006 Many thanks for the information, hoping to visit the area soon and wanted to get an idea of roughly where he was likely to have been stood when he was injured. Thank you for the picture as well, one more thing to add to the list of things not to touch when I go wandering in the fields. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ralph J. Whitehead Posted 1 May , 2006 Share Posted 1 May , 2006 From the accounts I have read the Germans disliked the rifle grenades quite a lot. In fact one regiment mentioned that they suspected as many casualties had been caused to their own men as to the enemy by these grenades. Ralph Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julian Whippy Posted 2 May , 2006 Share Posted 2 May , 2006 Giles what a great illustration, is it from a British manual, book or other manuscript? JW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gew98 Posted 3 May , 2006 Share Posted 3 May , 2006 If you can read German there is an excellent book out there by Michael Heidler titled "Deutsch Gewehrgranaten und ihre abschussgerate bis 1945 " . My german is terrible , but the illustrations are excellent !. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Poilu Posted 3 May , 2006 Share Posted 3 May , 2006 Julian, thank you. I do not have the originals but a series of copies - they were all drawn by Jackson in 1917. I suspect for official purposes and are typical of the type found in Treatise of Ammunition or similar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auchonvillerssomme Posted 3 May , 2006 Share Posted 3 May , 2006 Thanks for the picture, because of it I have identified an object I found some time ago on hawthorn Ridge as a transit plug. Mick The beauty is in the detail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Poilu Posted 3 May , 2006 Share Posted 3 May , 2006 Ha! I found an M1914 plug there last month too. Here is a pic of an actual M1914: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auchonvillerssomme Posted 3 May , 2006 Share Posted 3 May , 2006 Ha! I found an M1914 plug there last month too! Its odd how the same type of things come up with the plough at the same time, did you see the the large number of crushed stick grenades behind the crater? Mick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian turner Posted 3 May , 2006 Share Posted 3 May , 2006 See the below post from a previous exchange on the subject of German rifle grenades http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/i...ndpost&p=369467 Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Poilu Posted 3 May , 2006 Share Posted 3 May , 2006 Curious, they have illustrated a dismantled M1914 German grenade but the insert picture of a grenade in a rifle shows a British Hales No.2 grenade. Martin Hales did trial his rifle and hand grenades to the Germans in 1911 but I am not sure they ever used them. Previous grenade topics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian turner Posted 3 May , 2006 Share Posted 3 May , 2006 Giles, I see your point. Maybe the compilers of the article did not have a suitable close-up pic of a German rifle with grenade fitted? Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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