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GEWEHR-PANZERGRANATE

This grenade is fired from the rifled 3 cm discharge cup (Schießbecher) which can be fitted to most types of German rifles. It is constructed in two parts, the head and the stem. The head is a seamless steel tube with the forward portion containing a hollow charge cone and the explosive filling, being closed at the forward end by a light ballistic cap. The main filling of T.N.T. is poured around the cone and there is a cavity formed in the after part of the main filling in which the exploder of penthrite wax is inserted.

The stem is made of light alloy or aluminum and is screwed onto the head of the gre-nade. The stem is divided into two components, the lower containing the fuze, the upper the gaine. In the septem is a small flash pellet held in place by a perforated screw plug. The gaine consists of a light alloy case into which is inserted a light alloy top hat con-taining the detonator, the space between being filled with penthrite wax. A pre-engraved driving band is formed around the stem 6 mm from the rear.

The fuze is in the after position of the stem and consists of a striker over the top of which fits a retaining spring with four prongs bent downward into grooves in the striker body. Around the striker body is an arming collar which has two grooves cut on the in-side. An arming spring is compressed between a lip on the arming collar and a second at the bottom of the striker body. Around the inside of the arming collar and resting on the striker body is a steel tape which acts as an additional safety device and prevents any possibility of the fuze being accidentally armed when screwing on the base plug.

The entire assembly is closed by a base plug which positions the fuze by a stem which fits into a recess in the rear of the striker body.

On firing, the shock of discharge causes the arming sleeve to set back against its spring. The four prongs of the retaining spring are forced out of the lower groove in the arming sleeve and engage in the upper groove, retaining the arming sleeve in its lower position. This allows the steel tape to unwind and the striker is then free to move for-ward on impact firing the gaine.