Type 4 grenade
| Type 4 "ceramic" grenade | |
|---|---|
Hand grenade | |
| Place of origin | Japan |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1944-1945 |
| Used by |  Imperial Japanese Navy |
| Wars | World War II |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1944 |
| Manufacturer | Vessels made by several potteries, finishing by Asano Carlit |
| Produced | 1944-1945 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | ca. 455 g (1.003 lb) |
| Height | ca. 102 mm (4.0 in) |
| Diameter | various, ca. 76 mm (3.0 in) |
| Filling | Type 88 explosive |
| Filling weight | ca. 100 g (0.22 lb) |
Detonation mechanism | Fuse delay of 4 to 5 seconds |
The Type 4 grenade or ceramic grenade (四式陶製手榴弾, Yon-shiki tōsei teryūdan) was a "last-ditch"
hand grenade developed by the Imperial Japanese Navy in the closing stages of World War II
.
History and development
By late 1944 and early 1945, much of the industrial infrastructure of Japan had been destroyed by
were pressed into service to manufacture these relatively crude weapons. There were a tremendous number of variants on shape, size and color, because the design depended on each kiln.Design
The Type 4 grenade had a
blasting cap crimped on to a five-second length of fuse. The other end of the fuse, which was outside the rubber plug, was covered with a match-head composition. A slip-on rubber cap covered the whole neck, and fuse. A small, loose wooden block with an abrasive composition on one side was contained in the rubber fuse cover.[1]
Combat record
Type 4 grenades were passed out in large quantities to
Japanese home islands by Allied forces. They were also supplied to front line combat troops in large quantities, and are known to have been employed at the Battle of Iwo Jima and Battle of Okinawa.[2]
Photo gallery
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Schematic of components -
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Notes
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.
- Japanese Explosive Ordnance, TM 9-1985-4. Departments of the Army and the Air Force. 1953. ASIN B000H7NCDS.