One drill No. 75 grenade and 2 drill detonator assemblies for instructor and each man.

1. Explain: – The primary object of the No. 75 anti-tank grenade mine is to stop armour-ed fighting vehicles by breaking their tracks and damaging their suspension. The grenade is exploded by the weight of the vehicle passing over it, and may either be thrown from behind cover into the path of an approaching vehicle, or may be used as a mine and bu-ried just beneath the surface of the ground.

A number of grenades may be strung together about 2 feet apart and pulled a-cross a road in the path of an approaching vehicle to form an effective road block.

The grenade can also be used as a small protable demolition charge, particularly against railways, by using a No. 27 or No. 8 Mark VII detonator and a length of safety fuze. Weight 2¼ lb.

The No. 75A grenade can be distinguished from the No. 75 by the letter "A" stenci-led on the side of it. It is only 80 per cent, as powerful as the No. 75.

The body of the grenade is filled with high explosive. On one side of it are two poc-kets, with slots cut in them, which from the detonator holders. These pockets can be closed with easily bendable metal tabs. The striker plate is supported above the detonator holders by two bracktes, the striker itself being above the slots in the pockets. The cap at the end of the body must NOT be unscrewed, as it is cemen-ted on to ensure watertightness.

The detonator unit consists of an igniter and detonator, and two of these units are used with each grenade. The igniter can be distinguished as a tin plate tube closed at one end by flattening, and is painted red. A rubber tube is rolled on to the igni-ter. The detonator is an aluminum tube open at one end and smaller in diameter than the igniter. It must be handle carefully.

Question squad.

Fig. 18

Explain and demonstrate, squad imitating: –

Take an igniter and a detonator from their boxes. Insert the open end of the deto-nator into the open end of the igniter as far as it will go without using force, then unroll the rubber tube on the igniter to cover the joint of the detonator and igniter. Insert a process will ensure a watertight joint. Insert a detonator assembly, deto-nator end first, into each of the pockets of the detonator holder through the holes in the striker plate bracket. Bend over the metal tabs, thus securing the detonator assemblies in the pocktes. The red painted portions of the assemblies should now be visible in the slots of the detonator holder.

Practise squad.

Explain: –

The grenade is so shaped that when thrown it will come to rest with the striker plate either on top or underneath. It will operate equally well in either position. When run over by a vehicle the striker is forced down through the slots in the de-tonator holders, crushing the igniter tubes and breaking the glass capsules. The ac-tion of the acid on the chemical mixture is to produce an immediate flash, setting off the detonators, which, in turn, explode the grenade.

Question squad.

5. Throwing

Explain and demonstrate that the grenade can be throws in any convenient manner. Se-veral (5 or 6 for a 24-ft. road) should be thrown in the path of an oncoming vehicle to ensure that at least one is run over. If thrown from the open in the path of the oncoming vehicle the thrower must lie flat on the ground immediately after throwing. The grenades may be recovered and used again if they are not run over.

6. Use as mines

Explain: –

The grenade, when used as mines, may be buried in staggered rows to form a minefield. They must not be laid less than 3 feet apart because of the risk of sympathetic detona-tion. They should be buried with the striker plates upwards and flush with the surface of the groung. A thin layer of earth, etc., should be sprinkled on top as camouflage in thick grass or heather, concealment of a mine-field may be possible without the necessity for burying the grenades, in which event they will be slightly more effective. When the No. 75A is used two should be laid side by side.

These 75 grenades/mines can usefully be placed fore and aft under the tracks when enemy tanks are found in harbour, in order that when a tank moves it will explode a mine.

7. To disarm if not used

Explain: –

If, after priming, the grenade is not used, the tabs must be straightened individually and the detonator assemblies removed. Roll back the rubber tube into its original position on the igniter and carefully ship out the detonator from the igniter, and replace both in their boxes. Do not use force.

8. Care and packing

Explain: –

Grenades are packed 12 in a metal box. At one end of this box are two containers hold-ing 24 detonators and 24 igniters respectively.

9. Further details regarding the 75 grenade mine are to be found in Military Training Pam-phlet No. 40, 1942.