German Stormtroopers and Grenades, 1916-1918
The Use of Stielhandgranate in Trench Raids and Assaults
Sep 14, 2008
By the time the Stormtroopers became a regular, operation unit in the German Army, the hand-grenade had become an essential tool for all sides in the First World War. Stormtroopers, however, became experts in the use of hand-grenades, especially the German Stielhandgranate, or ‘potato masher’. Stormtrooper assault tactics relied heavily upon the use of the hand-grenade by expert bombers.
The Stielhandgranate
Perhaps one of the most recognizable weapons in both of the World Wars, the German stick-grenade – potato masher – had its origins in the First World War. The weapon’s basic design allowed the Stormtrooper to keep firearms either slung or holstered. The stick design itself allowed for greater accuracy in throwing, yet sacrificing power for this accuracy. This limitation on power forced the Stormtroopers to rely upon the weapon’s blast for control in trenches rather than on the grenade’s ability to wound via fragmentation.
According to Ian Drury in his German Stormtrooper, 1914-1918, the Stielhandgranate had a 225mm long wooden throwing handle which was hollow. From the end of this handle extended a pull-cord. Once pulled, the cord fired a friction tube which then triggered the main charge.
The main charge could come with a variety of times in detonation from the time the pull- cord activated the friction tube. These times were 3, 5, and 7 second fuses. Some of the stick-grenades came equipped with percussion fuses rather than pull-cords. This percussion cap was activated by a striker which was spring powered. Regardless of the method of detonation, though, the top of the stick-grenade was a hollow container. This cylindrical container was 75mm in diameter and roughly 100mm in length. This metallic cylinder, designed to fragment, contained an explosive recipe of black powder, potassium perchlorate, powdered aluminium, and barium nitrate, according to Drury. Attached to this explosive head was a clip which troops could use to attach the grenade to belts or gear.
Sturmtruppen and the Stielhandgranate
The German Stormtrooper made expert use of the grenade from 1916-1918. Stormtrooper units were led in the attack by grenade throwers. These were the men with the strongest arms and greatest accuracy. In a battle within the trenches the grenade men would throw single or grouped grenades over or around corners. Following the explosions several men armed with the K98 short barrel carbines, pistols, bayonets, and sharpened shovels to finish of dazed defenders. The remaining members of the unit, in addition to carrying their own weapons, wore sandbags filled with grenades. Ernst Jünger recorded how he and other Stormtroopers would keep percussion grenades on one side and pull-cords on the other. During the attack Stormtroopers would pass grenades to the throwers at the front, with men replacing the throwers as they tried or were wounded, relentlessly pushing the attack forward.
Within the confines of trenches the combination of the Stormtroopers and the shock effect of the stick-grenade was deadly. When used individually the Stielhandgranate could clear defenders out of small sections of trenches. Bundled together, however, the grenades could clear deep bunkers, dugouts, and pillboxes. The stick-grenades, overall, was an efficient and successful tool for waging war.
Sources
Drury, Ian. German Stormtrooper, 1914-1918. Great Britain: Osprey, 1996.
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