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GROSSE GEWEHR-PANZERGRANATE

This grenade is fired from the rifled 3 cm discharger cup (Schießbecher) which can be fitted to most types of German rifles. It is of the hollow charge type and consists of a steel head containing the explosive and a light alloy or steel and plastic stem containing the fuze and gaine. The propelling cartridge contains a wooden bullet.

The body which is of pressed steel contains a steel cone around which the main filler of T.N.T. is cast. A steel washer with a small central hole rests on the open end of the cone and above the latter is a steel ballistic cap. At the bottom of the T.N.T. is an ex-ploder pellet of penthrite wax.

Two varieties of the stem have been found, one entirely of light allloy, the other of plastic with a steel shank by which it is screwed on to the head of the grenade. At the base of the stem is a rifled band which corresponds with the rifling in the discharger cup. The stem is divided into compartments by a perforated septum, the lower containing the fuze, the upper the gaine. In the septum is a small flash pellet held in place by a perfor-ated screw plug. The gaine consists of a light alloy container into which is inserted a light alloy top hat containing the detonator, the space below being filled with penthrite wax.

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 collar at the bottom of the striker body. Around the inside of the arming collar and rest-ing on the striker body is a steel tape which acts as an additional safety device and pre-vents 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.