NEW ZEALAND HANDGRENADES

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2576, 25 September 1915, Page 8

NEW ZEALAND HANDGRENADES

'A TEST 'AT FORT BALLANOE,

The Minister, of Defeuce (the 'Hon. J. Allah) on Thursday mado a statement about a trial ho witnessed yesterday afternoon of grenades manufactured in New Zealand. The test took place at Fort Baliance, and a number of military officers were also present. The grenades were laid in a trench near a number of wooden figures representing and exploded. The explosion was very violent, and very, destructive to, tho wooden figures. Mr. Allen, said that .the grenade, was a simple round ball of east iron, filled with an explosive called, lie thought, sabbolite, the constituent parts of which were imported by an Auckland firm, and the cxplosivo was made in a private Auckland factory.- The grenado was exploded by. means of a fuse audi detonator, and 1 there was no dojibt that the explosive was a very powerful one.' The grenade was made on the pattern of "the British grenade.' The test, added the Minister, showed that grenades of, this kind could be successfully manufactured in New Zealand. He did not think it likely that they would be made to send away with the Dominion. forces, one reason beino;, he understood, that, the explosive would be affected.by the journey to the other, side of the world, although its separate constituents, could be carried- without i difficulty. .. • ■