BOMBS AND GRENADES

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 278, 13 August 1918, Page 6

BOMBS AND GRENADES

"INFERNAL MACHINES" IN THE TRENCHES NEW WEAPONS DESCRIBED (By Lieutenant K. S. M. Sturges, author, of ''On tho Remainder of our Front.") When tho novel conditions of trench warfare made it evident that a new weapon besides the u'iiie and ibayonej; must be put into the hands of the infantry soidier, a great stimulus was given to the invention and production ol: var.tnus kinds of bombs or grenades. Tha general principles governing tho construction of all grenades aro simple. They are best exemplified, by the improvised, bomb made from an ordinary jam tin— the bomb which satisfied the immediata requirements of tho British Army at tho beginning of tho war, until mora elaborate weapons could be produced. First, thero is the body, represented in. this case by the jam tin. At first tho body served merely as a container for the explosive and for any shrapnel, bullets or scraps of metal which might be added to increase the effect.- Later the body combined in itself the functions oil a container for the explosive and of missiles, into which it was converted by thoexplosion. Instead of being merely a thin metal container, it became, therefore, a thick casing of steel or cast iron, serrated or segmented, so that the explo« sion converted it into man-killing fragments <

Next comes the explosive contained in tho bomb. In tlie case 'f 'British grenades the explosive used has always been eonio form of high explosive; that is to say, an explosive which is converted into gas far more rapidly than is a low explosive such as gunpowder. The Germans, fot some roason, still fill their "egg" greu. ades, with a low explosive, Lastly there is the method of exploding the grenades. In the case of a high explosive, a detonator—that\is, a small quantity of very sensitive and very lent explosive—is necessary to cause tua explosion of tlio main charge. The detonator Itself can be exploded eithef by simple ignition or by shook. In the case of the jam tin a length of time fuse was inserted into a detonator, which was itself embedded in tho explosive. The fuse was lit by the aid of a match, and thi/ bomb was immediately thrown. While travelling through the air the fuse burned on, and was of such a lergtli as to fire tho detonator shortly after the bomb had fallen to, tho ground. Such was tu« priniitivo method of exploding a grenade, and ono obviously leaving much to b6 desired. A match is a most ' unreliable means of ignition in coil* ditions obtaining ai the front:, -while the thought of a bomber in a tight corner being compelled to strike ft match and light a fuse before throwing each bomb is now-ludicrous in the .ex-, treme. Various mechanical lighters were -soon introduced, but in every case where a fuse is employed tho process Is materially the same as described.

The Deadliest of tho Deadly. In many bombs now in use there )s no fuse, and this distinction enabres a. definite demarcation to be made between thelwo classes of bombs. The three main component parts remain—tho body, tha explosive, and the exploding device—but the fuseless type of tomb is a special development of the last of these, which places it in a class by itself. - This bomb is so constructed that theexplosion takes place not alter a certain period of time which varies in accordance with the length of fuse employed, but immediately on impact with tlio ground. It is thus known as a Vpercussion" bomb. The explosion is produced by means of a striker which is forced by impact into tho detonator, which thus explodes tuo main charge. The advantages of tlio percussion bomb aro obvious; it give® tno enemy no time to escape from its etiect-?, and it makes it impossible, for him to pick up the bomb and throw it back before it explodes-ii-practice which is possible in the case of the time-fuse weapon. But there are various important considerations to ee't against these advantages. The percussion bomb, if it is more dangerous to the enemy, is also considerably more dangerous to the thrower. Should he make a false thiw, and hit the wall of tho trepeh," or should he accidentally drop the bomb in the trench at his feet, the penalty is instant death. . All these lessons were not taught in a moment, experience is the school in which they wero learned. But the tintish Army was quick to learn. A tew mistakes have no doubt been made, but mistakes, if realised, are the most able of instructors, and in this case they have certainly not been made m vain. After one year of warfare under the new conditions the British Army was using a bomb which is still the most effective bomb used by any army to-daj. I refer to the now famous Mills grenade. This gfeuado was designed with a viiw to eivi'nK complete protection to tho thrower; it has reduced the percentage of accidents to vanishing point. At tha same tinio it is a weapon of deadly Ufect as the Germans have learned to their cost. The bomb was not a weapon of our choosing; the German is re 8 !'®' l " sible for its introduction into niodun war He can make the doubtful boast of being the inventor of the. modern bomb, but in this case, as in many othera, the weapon has recoiled on tli9 head of its inventor.