CHAPTER 12
HAND GRENADES, LAND MINES, TRIP FLARES,
AND BOOBY TRAPS
from the grenade case. The M67 fragmentation grenade
The reasons Seabees fight and the types of fighting
they do are different from those of other sailors. The
(fig. 12-1) is the standard grenade used by Seabees. It
primary job of the Seabee is to build, but you cannot
has a smooth, sheet-metal body and is shaped like a ball.
build unless you control the jobsite. Since, in many
Its outer case is lined on the inside with a serrated wire
instances, the jobsite maybe in a forward or unfriendly
coil. It is filled with 6.5 ounces of an explosive, known
area, the need for being able to conduct a proper defense
as Composition B, and uses a detonating type of fuze.
becomes obvious. For this reason there are certain
When the detonator causes Composition B to explode,
military requirements imposed on Seabees.
fragments of the body and fuze assembly are hurled in
When required, your job is to use the defensive
all directions. The M67 weighs 14 ounces and the
techniques and tactics you have learned in military
average man can throw it 40 meters. The effective
training. The objective of this chapter is to make you
casualty-producing radius is 15 meters.
familiar with the various types of grenades, land mines,
flares, and booby traps you might use or encounter in
Illuminating Grenades
tactical situations. You will learn how to use them, their
The MK1 (fig. 12-2) is the only illuminating
components, their safety features, and how to take counter-
grenade currently available. Its main use is to illuminate
measures against their effective use by the enemy.
HAND GRENADES
Hand grenades are nothing more than small bombs,
containing explosives or chemicals, that can be thrown
by hand or rigged as booby traps. Their origin has been
traced back many centuries, and it is generally agreed
that the Chinese, whom we credit with the invention of
gunpowder, were first to use them. However, it was not
until World War I that they were sufficiently developed
to be effective and safe. By World War II, the grenade
inventory expanded to include smoke grenades for
signaling and screening, phosphorus and fragmentation
Figure 12-1.--Fragmentation hand grenade, M67.
grenades to produce casualties, and gas grenades for
both casualty and riot control effects. The grenades
being used today are in many respects representative of
the entire history of the development of grenades.
TYPES AND PURPOSES OF GRENADES
There are several varieties of hand grenades
designed for many purposes. All of these grenades can
be broadly classified into six general types:
fragmentation, illumination, clhemical, incendiary,
smoke, and practice and training grenades.
Fragmentation Grenades
Fragmentation grenades are used to produce
Figure 12-2.--Illuminating hand grenade, MK1.
casualties by the high-velocity projection of fragments
12-1
