| M34 | |
|---|---|
| Type | Hand grenade |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Service history | |
| Used by | United States, Republic of Vietnam, Australia, New Zealand, and others |
| Wars | Vietnam War, Persian Gulf War |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 27 oz (770 g) |
| Length | 5.5 in |
| Diameter | 2.375 in (60.3 mm) |
| Effective firing range | 30 meters (Thrown by average soldier) |
| Filling | White Phosphorus |
| Filling weight | 15 oz (430 g) |
Detonation mechanism | Pyrotechnic delay M206A2 fuse—4 seconds |
| Blast yield | Burst Radius of 34 meters (note: less than average range, hence cover required or extreme caution needed) |
The M34 White Phosphorus Smoke Grenade or "Willie Pete" was a smoke / incendiary grenade manufactured by Rocky Mountain Arsenal [1] from the late 1950s and used by U.S. forces during the Vietnam War and was also used during the First Gulf War. The M34 WP Grenade replaced the World War II M15 WP grenade. The M34 could be fired from a rifle grenade launcher using M2-series grenade launching adapters due to the groove around the tapered base, which allowed the adapter arms to grasp it. In contrast, the M15 could not be fired as a rifle grenade. The M34 had a segmented body to allow for a better hand grip and to identify it as a casualty-producing grenade, even though fragmentation was not its primary damage mechanism. The smooth-bodied M15 was sometimes assumed to be a burning-type smoke grenade, and this sometimes resulted in injuries. [2]
The M34 had a prescored cylindrical steel body with a conical base designed for compatibility with the M1 rifle grenade adapter using M195 blanks for the M7 launcher or any 22mm NATO diameter rifle/carbine barrels. It contained 15 ounces of White Phosphorus with a small bursting charge to rupture the body and dispense the WP, which would ignite when it came in contact with air. When detonated the body simply split open. The M34 used an M206A2 Fuse. Overall the grenade weighed a total of 27 ounces. [3] The M34 could be used for target marking, screening (it created a rapidly developing smoke screen), or clearing fortifications, rooms, and other enclosures. It could not be thrown as far as fragmentation grenades owing to its weight and stray burning WP gobs and particles could be blown back on friendly troops.
Grenades manufactured prior to the adoption of NATO STANAG 2321 in 1987 (which standardized ammunition color coding for rounds larger than 20mm) had a light gray body, yellow band, and black markings. Later STANAG-compliant grenades were light green (indicating a smoke / marker round) with a yellow band (indicating they contain an explosive charge), and red markings.
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A smoke grenade is a canister-type grenade used as a signaling device, target or landing zone marking device, or as a screening device for unit movements.
"Mills bomb" is the popular name for a series of British hand grenades which were designed by William Mills. They were the first modern fragmentation grenades used by the British Army and saw widespread use in the First and Second World Wars.
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A smoke screen is smoke released to mask the movement or location of military units such as infantry, tanks, aircraft, or ships.
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The military of the United States has used many different types of hand grenades since its foundation.
The No. 77 grenade was a British white phosphorus grenade introduced in September 1943 and used during the Second World War. The No. 77 consisted of around 225 grams of white phosphorus, an impact fuze and a tin casing. It was intended for laying down smoke screens and as a signalling device. The grenade was also very effective as an anti-personnel, incendiary weapon. As well as being issued to the Home Guard, the No. 77 grenade was issued to the British army. This grenade was fitted with an "all-ways" action impact fuze designed to set the grenade off when it hit a surface - the fuze was called "all-ways" as it was designed to work no matter which way the grenade landed.
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The M7 grenade launcher, formally rifle grenade launcher, M7, was a 22 mm rifle grenade launcher attachment for the M1 Garand rifle that saw widespread use throughout World War II and the Korean War. The M7 was a tube-shaped device, with one end slotting over the muzzle of the rifle and attaching to the bayonet mount, and the other end holding the grenade in place. Blank cartridges were loaded into the rifle prior to firing. When fired, the expanding gases generated by the cartridges propelled the grenade forward with considerable force. The M7 could fire grenades up to 200 metres, compared with the maximum of 30 metres achieved by a hand-thrown grenade.
Poudreries Réunies de Belgique SA was one of Belgium's oldest and largest manufacturers of munitions, once the second-largest Belgium armaments manufacturer. The company indirectly started in 1778 in Wetteren as a gunpowder factory. By its 200th anniversary in 1979 it had 73 factories throughout the world, with the headquarters in Brussels.
The M1 grenade projection adapter was an expedient rifle grenade used by the American military in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. It consisted of an add-on 22 mm (0.87 in) stabilizer tube and fins that converted a hand-grenade into a rifle grenade. It supplanted the M17 rifle grenade, and was eventually made obsolete by the 40 mm M79 grenade launcher.
