Stielhandgranate 24


The Stielhandgranate 24 is the refined variant of the Stielhandgranate hand grenade design and the successor of the Model 15 Stielhandgranate.

Design

The Stielhandgranate primarily relied on its concussion blast effect since the thin warhead casing produced little fragmentation upon detonation. Since its effective throwing range was greater than its burst radius, advancing soldiers could throw them in the open without risk of injury.
While retaining the same explosive and fuse, the main distinction between the M24 and the original M15 is a slightly shorter charge head and the removal of a belt carry clip. At the same time the wooden handle was lengthened.
The intent of these design alterations was simply for mobility; German soldiers could easily tuck the grenade in behind their uniform's belt, held tight and secure. Being slightly lighter, and smaller in thickness, this improved overall use.
The Model 24 Stielhandgranate was stored in specially designed crates during transport, which could carry up to 15 individual grenades.
Adapting to the rapidly changing field of modern warfare, German soldiers would carry the M24 directly in front, allowing quick and easy access. However, in the later years of the war it was often advised to carry them in a different manner, as it was very likely any sort of explosion or heat could light the fuse from the grenade on the belt, resulting in unnecessary casualties.
As a safety precaution, units of the Wehrmacht were advised to only insert the actual fuse assemblies when about to go into combat. Later in the war, however, many soldiers of the Wehrmacht would always have their weapons ready, due to the fierceness seen in the Soviet Red Army in the east and the progressive advance of the Allies on the Western Front.
A reminder was stenciled on each explosive charge.

Alternative uses

A versatile weapon, the Stielhandgrenate 24 could be fitted with several warheads to create a bundle charge. A concept initially developed during World War I, up to six warheads or captured foreign grenades were wired to a seventh grenade with its handle still attached. A typical WWII-era bundle charge contained approximately of TNT. These charges were thrown at enemy tank treads, engine decks or firing ports, or used to demolish enemy pillboxes.
Alternatively, the grenade and extra warheads could be wired to a wooden board at about intervals and then pushed under barbed wire to act as an improvised Bangalore torpedo, with a long cord tied to the detonator porcelain bead to detonate the charges.
The Germans in WWII made ample use of booby traps, often using the Stielhandgranate 24 or captured British Mills bombs, Soviet F-1s, or American Mk 2 grenades. The grenades were rigged to tripwires or fitted with pressure plates and buried as improvised landmines. Six warheads with their handles removed could be wired on a warhead rigged to a pressure plate to create a makeshift anti-light vehicle mine.
The Germans also used the B.Z. 24 friction igniter, with the time delay fuze removed and rigged to an explosive charge to make booby traps. Since soldiers not always had the time to remove the time delay mechanism from the M24, they preferred using captured Allied grenades instead.
In an attempt of replacing the rather ineffective Sprengpatrone grenade used by the Kampfpistole, the Germans developed the Wurfkörper 358 LP round, which combined the warhead of Stielhandgranate with a shaft that was inserted into the barrel. The result was a too heavy projectile with such a short range that firers were discouraged to use these special rounds.

Variants

  • Stielhandgranate 24 − Based on the various WWI Stielhandgranate models, it had a steel head painted field gray fitted to a hollow wooden handle containing the fuse and detonator. A pull cord tied to a porcelain bead and protected by a screw cap was pulled to initiate the second timer. The grenade carried a of TNT explosive filler. In 1942, a clip-on fragmentation sleeve was added. For operations in the Eastern Front, a special filler was used to ensure detonation under extreme cold conditions: these grenades in particular were marked with the letter 'K'. Due shortages of raw materials during WWII, black powder saw limited use as the warhead filler
  • Stielhandgranate 43 − A Stielhandgranate 24 substitute, the warhead had the fuse of the Model 39 grenade screwed on top of it while the handle was made of solid wood
  • Nebelhandgranate 39 − Smoke grenade containing a mixture of powdered zinc and hexachloroethane released through eight holes located at the base of the warhead which also had a thin white band painted for identification
  • Nebelhandgranate 39B − Virtually identical to the Nebelhandgranat 39, but with raised ridges on the handle and thicker white band
  • Übungs-Stielhandgranate 24 − Dummy grenade with a small black powder charge for practice. It can be distinguished by the bright-red perforated warhead.
  • Behelfs Handgranate Holz − A last-ditch grenade, it externally resembles a Stg 24, but entirely of wood. It relied on its blast effect alone
  • Behelfs Handgranate Beton − A Stg 24 with a concrete warhead thick filled with approximately of explosives, it was first observed by Allied forces during the North African campaign

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