Figure 12-3.--ABC-M25A2, CS riot control hand grenade.
Figure 12-4.--Incendiary hand grenade.
terrain in night operations. It provides about 55,000
candlepower for a period of 25 seconds. The MK1
The radius of the burst is approximately 6 meters,
grenade may also be used as an incendiary grenade to
but fragments of the plastic body occasionally fly as far
start fires in dry grass, leaves, or brush. When the two
as 27 meters. Effective portions of the agent may be
halves of the body are separated by the burning of an
carried as far as 75 to 100 meters downwind. Personnel
illuminating charge, they project with considerable
using these grenades should wear protective gas masks.
velocity. Friendly forces should take cover until the
Incendiary Grenades
grenade has been removed, the grenade is armed and
MUST be thrown. Do NOT attempt to replace the
safety pin.
The AN-M14 incendiary (thermite) hand grenade is
cylindrical in shape and has a sheet metal body with
emission holes in the top (fig. 12-4). It weighs 32 ounces
Chemical Grenades
and contains a filler of 26.5 ounces of TH3 thermite
mixture. It uses an igniting fuze that sets fire to the
Chemical grenades are chemical-filled munitions
thermite filler after the normal delay. The thermite filler
designed to be thrown by the individual or projected
bums for approximately 40 seconds at a temperature of
from the service rifle by means of an adapter. Chemical
about 4300F. A portion of the thermite filler changes
grenades are used for incendiary, screening, signaling,
into molten iron that flows out of the grenade and
training, and riot control purposes as well as booby
produces intense heat over a small area. This molten iron
traps.
ignites or fuzes whatever it touches. It is used to ignite
Perhaps the most commonly used chemical grenade
combustible materials and to destroy all types of
is the ABC-M25A2, CS riot control hand grenade (fig.
equipment. It burns through about one-fourth inch of
12-3). This is a special-purpose bursting type of
steel and welds together steel or iron machinery parts
munition used for control of riots and for training
when molten iron flows between them.
purposes. The grenades are filled with
chloracetophenone, a type of tear gas that causes
Smoke Grenades
irritation and watering of the eyes, resulting in
temporary, partial, or total blindness. The body of the
The M34 white-phosphorous smoke hand grenade
grenade is spherical and is made of plastic. It contains
is designed to replace the M15 white-phosphorous hand
about 3.5 ounces of a mixture of CS and weighs about
grenade. The body of the grenade is cylindrical with a
7.5 ounces.
tapered bottom. It contains a filler of about 12 ounces of
This grenade does not have a safety lever as other
white phosphorous and is serrated to break up easily
grenades do. To prevent the grenade from activating
when detonated. The grenade weighs 27.2 ounces and
after the safety pin is removed, you must keep pressure
the average Seabee can throw it 35 meters. The effective
on the top of the arming sleeve with the thumb of your
casualty radius is 25 meters; however, particles of
throwing hand.
phosphorous may be thrown as far as 30 meters.
12-2