Mankind is constantly at war.Virtually no new stories how else a long period of peace.That is one area of the planet becomes a "hot", then the other, and sometimes several at once.And always shoot from the trunks of various weapons, thunder bombs, fly jets and hand grenades, causing injury and death to the soldiers of the opposing armies, and along with civilians.The lethal agent is easier and cheaper, so it is more often used.Automatic pistols, carbines and rifles - out of competition.And the most deadly type of weapon - is artillery.But no less dangerous and "pocket shells" - hand grenades.If the bullet by the soldiers to popular opinion - stupid, something about the pieces and say nothing.
In our troubled world everyone should know if you do not how to use a gun, then at least its affecting factors, at least in order to have a chance to somehow protect them in case anything happens.
Brief History
grenades Hand grenades appeared long ago, in the early fifteenth century, however, when they were called bombs, and their structure was fairly primitive.The clay body, made the usual "Gorshkova" technology, which is located dangerous substance - powder or combustible liquids.The whole composition is supplied with an activating device in a simple wick and tossed it into the largest concentration of enemy.Tasty and useful fruit - pomegranate - inspired by an unknown inventor who perfected this kind of weapons, starting it as grains, striking elements and at the same time gave him the name.By the mid-seventeenth century in all armies of the world there were divisions of grenadiers.These troops took fellows choice physique, tall and strong.These requirements are not dictated by aesthetic considerations, although monarchs of them do not forget, just hand grenades at the time were heavy and had to throw them away.By the way, the technique of this case was different from the modern.The bomb was hurled myself towards bottom-up movement, a bit like the actions of the player in the bowling alley.
emergence of modern pre-image
time passed, technology has evolved, becoming safer for the grenade thrower, but caused more damage to the enemy.The impetus for the development of them as a kind of compact weapons became the Russian-Japanese war, which began in 1905.At first, the soldiers of both armies engaged in inventing, building deadly devices from scrap materials (bamboo, tin cans, and so on.), And then the case has entered the military industry.During the Battle of Mukden Japanese first used hand fragmentation grenades with a wooden handle, which had a dual purpose: to ease the cast and stabilization.From that moment began a global career "pocket artillery".
«pineapple" and its prototype
«pineapple» invented by Briton Martin Hale.The device is a hand grenade about a century did not change substantially.Innovation also consists in a new form of housing (or "shirt"), rationally divided by the number of regular geometric segments 24. The revolutionary design was the ability to use and to deliver ammunition to target ordinary army rifles.Grenade Hale became the prototype of the modern grenade projectile.
During the First World War and used a different idea.To protect the thrower, to check on the wooden handle was tied a long cord, through the breakthrough for which you and the initiation of a fuse.The author was Norwegian Aazen, but that his invention has not received further development.
main circuit, which is used today, was the principle of the prototype Hale early XX century."Shirt" grooved segmented mold is filled with explosives.The center has a circular opening in which a cylindrical comes when screwing the fuse.Delayed detonation is carried out by the famous powder burning rate of the column, there is such a necessary thing as protection from accidental operation.It is so arranged hand fragmentation grenades in the majority, regardless of the country of origin and brands.
Special and combat
As in civilian life, in war, each tool has its own purpose.In a bag or belt fighter is different hand grenades.Photos of Soviet and German soldiers, armed and equipped, newsreels, propaganda posters brought us the appearance of these lethal devices forties, the limonoobraznyh, something similar to the motor pistons.
Subsequent decades have added diversity in their range: there was light, noise, signal, or hand smoke grenade and stuffed with tear gas.This is a "humane" non-lethal weapon is a tool designed for the capture of the enemy or criminals, as well as to provide on the battlefield favorable conditions during the retreat or maneuver.Situations may vary.For example, if necessary, removal of troops from the dangerous area under fire when the weather is clear you need to "unleash the fog".Thick gray smoke provides a grenade RDG-P.Under the veil of his soldiers will be able to make a stealthy departure (or even walk) and performing combat tasks with minimal or no.
bright flash, followed by a terrible crash, stun bandits lurking, and he lost the ability to resist the representatives of the security forces."Involuntary tears", just like in the old romances, sloping eyes instigators of riots at the time would deprive the ability to see well, can help the police to perform hard work in maintaining public order.
But special equipment - just a small part of all the hand grenades.Basically it is a combat weapon, and it is intended to cause maximum damage to the enemy army soldiers.It should be remembered that the soldier crippled the country's economy, the enemy is less desirable than the dead.It needs to be treated, provide artificial limbs, feed and take care of a disabled family.For this reason, modern hand fragmentation grenades have a relatively small charge.
with grenades against tanks
antitank postwar decades of continuously improved.The main problem has always been the need to approach the armored car's throw.The crews of armored vehicles advancing to actively oppose such attempts, using all kinds of means of suppression of enemy personnel.Behind the running infantry support, which also contributed to the success throwers charges.We used a variety of means - from Molotov cocktails to quite ingenious magnetic and cohesive devices.Antitank hand grenades is heavy.During the Winter War, Finnish headquarters was even a special memo, according to which for the destruction of the tank weighing 30 tons (eg, T-28) need at least four kilograms of TNT, not including housing.From grenades did ligaments, heavy and dangerous.Throw a load and does not fall under the fire of machine guns course - not an easy task.The ability to reduce the weight of some of the charge came later, due to the special design of the warhead.Cumulative hand antitank grenade on impact armor emits a narrow stream of hot gas, burns through metal.There was, however, another problem.Now the soldier wanted to throw a projectile so that not just hit the target, it was necessary to take care of and the angle of contact.Eventually, after the appearance of rocket-propelled grenades, anti-tank grenades by hand abandoned almost all armies of the world.
for attack and defense
go with a grenade at the tank - the lot of brave people.Another thing - the fight with the infantry.Throwing hand grenades became indispensable exercise during the course of the young fighter.In the USSR, it was taught, even schoolboys at lessons of basic military training.Depending on the weight of the layout (500 or 700 g), the test length of the cast is up to 25 m (for girls) and 35 m (for boys).Adult strong fighter can send the charge to about fifty meters, sometimes a little more.This begs the question of what should be the diameter (or radius) of the fragmentation of that they are not hurt himself thrower?But there is another aspect - the need to escape from the damaging elements.When conducting defensive combat soldiers have the ability to hide in the trenches, crouching.During the attack the rapidly changing dispositions are not so favorable for such an effective weapon as hand grenade.You can easily get into his.Therefore, for different battlefield conditions created two basic types of weapons: offensive and defensive.Hand grenades Russia and the USSR were made under such gradation.
Soviet offensive grenades
During the Great Patriotic War, our soldiers in the attack (and sometimes in terms of defense) applied shrapnel RGN and RG-42.In the name of grenade RGN even indicated its main purpose (hand grenade assault).RG-42 differed mainly geometric form (cylinder) and the presence within the body rolled steel strip with a notch, which is formed in the explosion of a large number of fragments.Fuses grenades in our country traditionally unified to simplify the use and production.
RG-42 had an elongated jacket with hemispherical ends and also has a special inserts, divided into small segments.Both samples were amazed manpower within a radius of 25 meters.Further modification of the RG-42 has led to a simplification of the structure.
During the war, grenades were made with fuses that could be activated not only the main charge after a certain time period, but with the impact.This design feature increased the risk of combat agents, so further development of the principle of the detonation shock Soviet designers refused.
RGD-5
In 1954, the Soviet Army adopted a grenade RGD-5.Characterize it can be the same epithets, that virtually all of the samples of Russian defense technology.It is simple, reliable and technologically advanced.Combat experience has shown that the creation of an excessive number of submunitions impractical, and quite enough of those fragments that are formed by the destruction of the outer shell, made of thin steel.
Hand grenade RGD and its tactical and technical data close to its predecessor RGN, but more secure, since it does not explode on impact.It is so simple that, in addition to its weight (0.31 kg) and the radius of separation of fragments (25-35 m), and tell us something more about it there is nothing.You can also specify a delay time of the explosion (about 4 seconds), but it depends on the characteristics of standardized fuse.
F1
F-1 and RGD-5 - the two most common Russian hand grenades.They differ according to destination, and consequently to its specifications.Hand grenade F-1 - defensive, even about her know that she used to destroy enemy personnel.Two of these points dictate twice as much weight.According to passport data, fragments fly at 200 meters, but that does not mean that within this circle will certainly destroy all life.Kill probability is inversely proportional to the distance from the epicenter, the law also applies to hand grenades.Russia, or rather, the armed forces of the country require different types of weapons for the defense of national interests, and today there are far more effective weapons of the infantry.However, a time-tested kinds of grenades is too early to forget.
General points
F1 hand grenade as RGD-5, on the device is different from the conventional circuit.The body is filled with explosives - TNT.Weight it in two different types.It would seem that the heavy fragments to scatter more, requires more of TNT.In fact it is not so, has the ability to value "shirt" to keep explosives inside in an explosive reaction.Therefore, F1 hand grenade contains a smaller mass of explosives, with a heavier body.A more complete combustion of TNT gives the necessary acceleration of flying fragments.Despite the high strength cast iron, it can not rely on the fact that all react explosives, as well as the destruction of the shirt is strictly for the intended notch, reducing injurious charge.Hand grenade RGD-5, with almost three times less mass contains as much as 110 grams of TNT.A common feature of the two designs is used UZRGM fuse.The letter "U" stands for "uniform."The device is its simple, which explains the high reliability operation.
How does the fuse
To bring in the firing position grenades F-1 and RGD-5 is commonly used standardized fuse UZRGM modernized, including the impact mechanism.Inside it is a cap that serves to detonate the main charge.In the transport position opening to fuse, closed plastic tube, which protects the grenade from the ingestion of dirt or sand.Self percussion mechanism is designed as a tube, fitted sleeves, washers (they perform a guiding function), a spring striker, the trigger lever and securing cotter.According to its principle of operation is similar to a conventional fuse holder, only less power.He seemed to be shooting into the body of a powder jet of hot gas after drummer needle pierces the primer.To impart sufficient kinetic energy is compressed steel spring, which is able to straighten when taken out a safety check and released the bracket.
After triggering the primer in the tube starts to burn the powder bar.It lasts about four seconds, and then comes the turn of another capsule, called a detonator.As its name implies, it was he detonates the main charge.
It should be remembered that the fuse used in the construction of a special powder with a high content of nitrate.It can burn at the same speed (1 cm / s) that on land, under water.
Banners and traps
Insidious enemy in retreat or conducting defensive battles may use hand grenades to mining areas.The victims of such tactics can become like an enemy army soldiers and civilians, so being in the front line, it should be particularly careful.The most common way mining is a so-called stretching, which is a grenade (most often RGD-5) fixed with the help of available resources in the tree, shrub or other parts of the landscape, and the wire, one end bolted to the check-ring, and others - to anyother immovable object.Antennae checks while unfolded and safety bracket is in a free state.This primitive method experienced fighter will recognize immediately.
Traps arranged somewhat differently.Grenade (RGD-5 or O-1) is contained in the firing position (pulled out with cotter) fits into the recess made in the ground.Staple during mining adheres so that it can be pressed in any subject of interest to the enemy.Therefore, looking at the recently occupied area, can not be touched thrown weapons, equipment or boxes in which, presumably, is food or medicine.It is best to tie a rope to the suspicious things, and through which move them to a safe place.
Hoping that when activated grenades have the time in which you can manage to escape, it is not necessary.There are additional inserts that are screwed instead of the usual moderator, when triggered they cause instant explosion.
particular danger of stretching and traps are for children and adolescents.
Myths and Reality
cinema is known to the art of Home, but his characteristic lack of action is excessive picturesqueness.
For example, unbeknownst to the Nazis guerrillas actuates the striking mechanism by pulling the pin and release the safety bracket.Such a situation in real life is impossible.The device is a hand grenade does not imply the use of stealth.There have been attempts to make a detonator silent, but because of the high danger of using such munitions have refused them.Fuse hand grenade at the time of operation produces a fairly loud bang, after which begins the countdown of the remaining seconds before the explosion.
