Why does France still use rifle grenades?

The brutal realities of trench warfare spurred the adoption of the weapon, as rifle grenades allowed soldiers to launch the small bombs at plunging angles into enemy trenches.

What grenade does the French army use?

The F-1 grenade is a hand grenade mass-produced by France during and after WW1, used en masse in the majority of European countries throughout the First and Second World Wars.

What were grenades used for in WW1?

In World War I, hand grenades were also known as “hand bombs.” The general philosophy for their use in the fighting armies was that grenades could kill the enemy underground or behind cover. They could also force the enemy into the open, providing targets for rifle and machine gun fire.

When were rifle grenades used?

Adaptation of grenades for use in rifles began around the 18th century, when cup-shaped dischargers were fitted to the barrels of flintlock muskets, with the grenades propelled by the force of a blank cartridge.

How much does a rifle grenade weigh?

M9 rifle grenade

How heavy is an F1 grenade?

The Soviet F-1 hand grenade, is an anti-personnel fragmentation defensive grenade. It is based on the French F1 grenade and contains a 60-gram explosive charge. The total weight of the grenade with the fuze is about 600 grams.

Why was the grenade invented?

In attempting to fight through enemy trenches, or to defend against attack, all armies came to rely heavily on grenades. Reinvented by the requirements of trench warfare, the first grenades in 1914 were often hand-made, consisting of old cans filled with nails and bits of metal and packed with gunpowder.

How were grenades used in ww2?

American soldiers used many types of hand grenades during World War II, but the primary grenade used by American soldiers in World War II was the Mk-II A-1 defensive fragmentation grenade, sometimes referred to as a “pineapple” due to its shape. The body of the grenade was made of cast iron in a checkered pattern.