Type 10 grenade
| Type 10 grenade | |
|---|---|
TNT | |
| Filling weight | 50 g (1.8 oz) |
Detonation mechanism | Pyrotechnic delay of 7 to 8 seconds. |
The Type 10 grenade (十年式手榴弾, Jyūnen-shiki Teryūdan) was the first
History and development
After the
Design
The design of the Type 10 grenade was almost identical to the later Type 91 with a grooved, "pineapple-shaped", segmented body designed to disperse sharp fragments when it exploded. The main difference was the Type 10's serrated top. A threaded socket in the bottom of the body allowed for the attachment of an auxiliary propellant canister for use in a grenade launcher, or a finned tail assembly for use as a rifle grenade. The fuse was a percussion-activated delay type, initiated by pulling out a safety pin and striking the top of the cap, which gave a 7–8 second delay. When used as a rifle grenade or mortar round, the fuse activated automatically, as the plunger was pushed in by the force of the launch. One issue with the design was the highly variable and inaccurate fuse timing, which resulted either in premature explosion, or such a long delay that the recipient could hurl the grenade back prior to detonation.[2]
Combat record
The Type 10 grenade was quickly superseded in front-line combat service by the Type 91 grenade, and survived into the Second Sino-Japanese War and World War II primarily in the form of flare shells and signal shells.[3]
References
- US Department of War (1994). Handbook on Japanese Military Forces, TM-E 30-480 (1945) (reprint ed.). Louisiana State University Press. ISBN 0-8071-2013-8.
- Rottman, Gordon L. (2005). Japanese Infantryman 1937-1945. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-84176-818-9.
- Departments of the Army and the Air Force (1953). Japanese Explosive Ordnance, TM 9-1985-4. ASIN B000H7NCDS.