The mass of the equipped hand fragmentation grenade f 1. Hand fragmentation grenades and fuses used with them. Marking and storage of grenades

28.10.2015


By the end of this year, the new reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) "Granat-1", which will replace the UAV "Grusha", will enter service with the special forces unit of the Western Military District (ZVO), stationed in the Tambov region, by the end of this year.
UAV "Granat-1" is designed for real-time reconnaissance. It is a mobile portable complex for remote observation and relaying, which is capable of conducting aerial reconnaissance using photo, video and thermal imaging equipment at a distance of up to 15 km, which is 3 times higher than the capabilities of the previous model.
The stealth characteristics of the new UAV have been significantly improved, thanks to special composite materials from which its body is made, as well as small dimensions - the wingspan is only about 2 m, and the weight is less than 5 kg.
Press Service of the Western Military District

COMPLEX WITH UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE "GRANAT-1"



The complex with unmanned aerial vehicles "GRANAT-1", as a subcomplex, is included as a component of the "Gunner-2" complex. There are four sub-complexes "Granat-1 ... 4", they differ in the types of UAVs used, respectively, also in the radius of combat use and a number of tactical and technical characteristics.
The device inherits common features with the Dragonfly UAV (ZALA 421-08) from ZALA, as a reminder of a collaboration that took place some time ago. Currently, Granat-1 is mass-produced by Izhevsk Unmanned Systems LLC (previously called Izhmash - Unmanned Systems, renamed at the request of the Kalashnikov Concern).
The complex with unmanned aerial vehicles "GRANAT-1" is designed to monitor the underlying surface, various objects, highways, manpower, equipment in a time scale close to real.
At the Russian military base stationed in the Republic of Armenia, in June 2014, the military personnel of the UAV unit, after carrying out routine work on the transfer of the Navodchik-2 complexes to the summer operation mode, resumed training test flights.
According to the press service of the Southern Military District, the first samples of UAVs entered the unit at the end of 2013. The Navodchik-2 complex is easy to operate and includes four types of Granat UAVs. Their characteristics make it possible to perform tasks at a distance of information transmission within direct radio visibility.
Within the framework of the Collective Security Treaty, classes using modern unmanned vehicles will be held at the high-mountain training complexes Alagyaz and Kamkhud.
The servicemen will gradually work out all the controls of the Granat UAV - launch, flight control, data collection and transmission, as well as landing in the daytime and at night.
In early July 2014, crews of self-propelled artillery mounts "Msta-S" at the Totsk training ground (Orenburg region) hit the camouflaged command posts of a mock enemy using coordinates obtained from unmanned aircraft
"In the course of carrying out tactical tasks, the gunners of the Central Military District destroyed more than 200 different single and group targets," the press service of the Central Military District said in a statement. Crews of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) "Granat-1", located at altitudes from 800 to 1500 m, transmitted the exact coordinates of targets to the command post via a digital communication channel.

At first glance, the topic of drones (those that fly) is somehow not very connected with the armored basis of this site, but, as it says in one of Viktor Tretyakov's songs "Everything is interconnected in our life ...", and the words further can be easily find on the net. So, during the conduct of tactical-special classes with drivers and driver-mechanics at the Russian military base in Armenia, while making many-kilometer marches on automobile and armored vehicles first used the latest complex "Gunner-2" with an unmanned aerial vehicle. This innovation, according to the press service of the Southern Military District of the Ministry of Defense of Russia, allows for a more objective assessment of trainees, and also allows leaders of driving classes to adjust driving routes during marches, monitor compliance with the speed limit, distance and safety requirements when driving as part of military columns.

In total, more than 800 drivers of all categories and about 300 units of automotive and armored vehicles were involved in additional training classes, the press service of the Southern Military District said in a statement.

The road network running at an altitude of 1600-2500 meters above sea level in the area of ​​the Russian military base requires high skill and attention from drivers and mechanics. At the same time, the movement of the columns is recorded by the video cameras of the Granat-1 UAV and then examined by instructors in specialized classes when summing up. During the march, drivers also work out the issues of overcoming conditionally contaminated areas of the terrain in the means of individual and collective protection and repelling air strikes of a mock enemy.

Photo: War diary of Igor Korotchenko
"Click" on the photo to enlarge

The Navodchik-2 complex includes four types UAV "Garnet". These complexes have different purposes, allowing you to perform reconnaissance and special tasks with a long duration and flight altitude, which is very important when performing tasks in the mountains. They are simple and reliable in operation, they can perform a wide range of tasks in the interests of military intelligence. The latest technology installed on UAV complexes allows you to simultaneously track several targets, including through clouds, in addition, night time is not a hindrance. An important factor in new developments is the complete invisibility of these unmanned aerial vehicles from the ground.

UAV "Granat-1" as a subcomplex is included as a component in the complex "Gunner-2". The complex with unmanned aerial vehicles "Granat-1" is designed to monitor the surface, various objects, highways, manpower, equipment in a time scale close to real. The complex includes:

1. Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) 2 pcs.
2. Ground control station (GCS) 1 set.
3. Transport backpack 1 pc.
4. A set of adjacent payload modules (TV / photo) 1 set.
5. Catapult 1 pc.
6. ZIP-O kit for UAVs (stowed in a container with UAVs) 1 set.
7. ZIP-O kit for complex 1 K-T.

The name "F-1" comes from the French fragmentation grenade  F-1 model 1915 weighing about 600 grams, which were supplied to Russia during the First World War. The origin of the slang name of the grenade - "lemon" has many versions - among them is the similarity of the shape of the grenade with the citrus of the same name, and the similarity of the F-1 grenade and the English Lemon system grenade - however, there is no consensus today.

Initially, F-1 grenades were equipped with a fuse  F. V. Koveshnikov. Later, instead of the fuse of the Koveshnikov system for supplying the F-1 grenade, the UZRG fuse (“unified fuse for hand grenades”) of Soviet designers E. M. Viceni and A. A. Bednyakov was adopted.

Story

In 1922, the artillery department of the Red Army undertook to restore order in their warehouses. According to the reports of the artillery committee, seventeen different types of grenades were in service with the Red Army at that time. There was no fragmentation defensive grenade of its own production in the USSR at that time. Therefore, the Mills grenade was temporarily put into service, the stocks of which were in large quantities in the warehouses (200,000 pieces as of September 1925). As a last resort, French F-1 grenades were allowed to be issued to the troops. The fact was that the French-style fuses were unreliable. Their cardboard cases did not provide tightness and the detonation composition dampened, which led to massive grenade failures, and even worse, to backache, which was fraught with an explosion in the hands.

In 1925, the Artillery Committee stated that the need for hand grenades of the Red Army was satisfied by only 0.5% (!). To remedy the situation, Artkom on June 25, 1925 decided:

• Artillery Directorate of the Red Army to carry out a comprehensive test of existing samples of hand grenades, now in service.
• It is necessary to make improvements to the 1914 model grenade in order to increase its damaging ability.
• Design a fragmentation grenade of the Mills type, but more advanced.
• In F-1 hand grenades, replace Swiss fuses with Koveshnikov fuses.

In September 1925, comparative tests of the main types of grenades available in warehouses were carried out. The main test criterion was the fragmentation of grenades. The conclusions reached by the commission were as follows:

... thus, the position of the issue of the types of hand grenades for supplying the Red Army currently seems to be as follows: a hand grenade of the 1914 model, equipped with melinite, significantly outperforms all other types of grenades in its action and is a typical example of an offensive grenade in the nature of its action; it is only necessary to reduce the number of individual far (over 20 steps) flying fragments as much as the state of the art of this business allows. This improvement is provided for by the attached "Requirements for new models of hand grenades." Mills and F-1 grenades, provided that they are supplied with more advanced fuses, are considered satisfactory as defensive grenades, while Mills grenades are somewhat stronger in action than F-1. In view of the limited stocks of these two types of grenades, it is necessary to develop a new type of defensive grenade that meets the new requirements ...

In 1926, F-1 grenades were tested from those available in storage (the warehouses at that time had 1 million grenades of this system) with a Koveshnikov fuse developed in 1920. According to the test results, the fuse design was finalized and after military tests in 1927, the F-1 grenade with the Koveshnikov fuse under the name F-1 hand grenade with a fuse of the F. V. Koveshnikov system in 1928 was adopted by the Red Army.

All the grenades available in the warehouses were equipped with Koveshnikov fuses by the beginning of the 1930s, and soon the USSR launched its own production of grenade cases.

In 1939, engineer F. I. Khrameev finalized the grenade - the body of the lemon became somewhat simpler, lost the lower window.

There is another version of the appearance of the F-1 grenade. In 1999, retired colonel Fedor Iosifovich Khrameev said in an interview with Kommersant Vlast magazine that in 1939 he designed the F-1 grenade.

In 1942-43 Koveshnikov's fuse was replaced with a standard unified UZRG fuse; after the end of the Great Patriotic War, the fuse was improved, the reliability of operation was increased, and it received the designation UZRGM.

Design

(training sample)

(training sample)

The F-1 grenade has the following performance characteristics:

The F-1 grenade belongs to the hand-held anti-personnel fragmentation defensive grenades of remote action. Its design turned out to be so successful that it has existed until now without fundamental changes. The design of the fuse was somewhat changed and refined in order to increase the reliability of operation.

Like most anti-personnel grenades, the F-1 consists of 3 main parts.

• fuse. The grenade has a universal fuse UZRGM (or UZRG), also suitable for grenades RG-42, RGD-5. The fuse of the UZRGM differs from the UZRG by changes in the shape of the trigger guard and the design of the firing pin, which made it possible to reduce the failure rate of the weapon.
• Explosive. Explosive charge - 60 g of TNT. Possibly equipped with trinitrophenol. Such grenades have an increased lethality, but the shelf life in warehouses is strictly limited; after the expiration of the grenade, it poses a significant danger. The explosive checker is isolated from the body metal with varnish, paraffin or paper. There are known cases of equipping grenades with pyroxylin mixtures.
• metal shell. Externally, the grenade has an oval ribbed body made of steel cast iron, the profile resembles the letter "Zh". The body is a complex casting, it pours into the ground, and chill casting is also possible (hence the shape). Initially, the ribbing was created for the formation of fragments of a certain size and mass during the explosion, and the ribbing also performs an ergonomic function, contributing to a better hold of the grenade in the hand. Subsequently, some researchers expressed doubts about the effectiveness of such a system for the formation of fragments (cast iron is crushed into small fragments, regardless of the shape of the body). Cutting the body makes it easier to tie the grenade to the peg. The total weight of a grenade with a fuse is 600 g.

Marking and storage

The combat grenade is painted green (from khaki to dark green). The training and imitation grenade is painted black with two white (vertical and horizontal) stripes. In addition, it has a hole at the bottom. The combat fuse has no coloring. At the training and simulation fuse, the pin ring and the lower part of the pressure lever are painted scarlet.

F-1 grenades are packed in wooden boxes of 20 pieces. UZRGM fuses are stored in the same box separately in two hermetically sealed metal cans (10 pieces per can). Box weight - 20 kg. The box is completed with a can opener designed to open cans with fuses. Grenades are equipped with fuses immediately before the battle; when transferred from the combat position, the fuse is removed from the grenade and stored separately.

The purpose of packing fuses in a sealed container is to ensure maximum safety during the entire storage period, to prevent corrosion and oxidation of the components of the detonating mixture.

Combat use

Tactical features of combat use

In open areas, the effective range of defeating the enemy during the explosion of a grenade directly by the high-explosive action of the ammunition is 3-5 meters. The radius of continuous destruction of manpower by fragments is 7 meters. The chances of being hit by grenade fragments remain at a distance of up to 200 meters, but this statement is true only for large grenade fragments. As a rule, these are elements of the fuse, less often - fragments of the bottom of the grenade; the main part of the cast-iron body (more than 60%) during the explosion is sprayed into small non-hazardous fragments. The larger the fragment, the higher its potential range of destruction. The initial speed of grenade fragments is 700-720 meters per second; the mass of fragments is on average 1-2 grams, although there are both larger and smaller ones.

Features of the damaging factors of grenades naturally determine the areas of application in modern conflicts. Grenades have the greatest effect in rooms and confined spaces. This is due to the following factors. Firstly, in a relatively small room, up to 30 meters in size, the entire space is located in the area of ​​destruction of fragments, and fragments can also ricochet from walls, ceiling and floor, which again increases the chances of hitting the enemy, even if he is in cover. Secondly, the high-explosive action of a grenade in a closed room is multiplied many times, causing shell shock, barotrauma, disorienting the enemy, which allows, taking advantage of the moment, to enter the room and use other weapons to destroy it.

The F-1 grenade is more effective compared to offensive grenades when assaulting confined spaces and premises, due to its higher mass it gives more fragments and has a more pronounced high-explosive effect, all this makes it more likely to disable the enemy.

Tactical features of sabotage use

Also, F-1 grenades are often used when setting tripwires, this is due to the number of fragments, which increases the chances of hitting the enemy, and a reliable fuse, which will not be damaged by a long stay in adverse conditions before the trap works. A combination of 2 F-1 grenades creates a stretch, which also has some anti-sapper properties - it explodes when the cable (wire) is cut.
In the special forces, the F-1 grenade fuses are “finalized”, before being installed, the detonating charge is cut off as a stretch and the retarder wick is removed. You can also equip the grenade with an instant mine fuse of the right size. Thus, they achieve an almost instantaneous explosion and deprive the enemy of 3-4 seconds to save.

Application in military conflicts

Is in service

F-1 in the cinema

In action films, you can often see grenades hanging from a safety check ring on a belt or vest. In reality, a sane person will not do this: during the battle, you have to move over rough terrain, where there is a high risk of catching something on a grenade and pulling a safety pin out of it. After that, the grenade quite naturally explodes, most likely destroying the fighter or at least unmasking him. During the battle, grenades are in a grenade pouch or unloading vest, and in their absence - in clothing pockets.

In feature films, you can often see the main character effectively pulling the grenade pin with his teeth. In reality, in most cases, such an action will lead to tooth loss. This is due to the fact that significant physical effort is required to remove the safety pin: this is done intentionally to prevent accidental grenade detonations.

Also in many films you can see how a grenade falling into a group of people scatters them in different directions, killing most of them. In practice, this is far from the case. When a grenade is detonated, a powerful blast wave is not formed: indeed, people who are within a radius of 2-3 meters from the detonation site receive barotrauma, shell shock, they often fall to the ground, but do not throw anyone away from the explosion site for ten meters. Fragments, on the other hand, only hit those directly close to the place of detonation. With a small mass and low penetrating power, the vast majority of fragments are not capable of penetrating the human body through and through. This is the basis for the principle of saving comrades by covering the grenade with your body.

In some films and many illustrations, the F-1 grenade is black, which creates an opinion that the black color of the grenade is standard. In fact, black coloring means that the grenade is training or is a dummy, combat grenades are painted green.

Fighter training

When hit by fragments of a grenade, the share of chance is high: for example, in some cases, a grenade detonation in the immediate vicinity of a fighter can only stun him; however, there are cases when a single fragment of a grenade hit a soldier who was in shelter at a distance of 70-80 meters from the place where the grenade was detonated.

For recruits, throwing a grenade often presents a psychological problem: based on the perceptions received from the militants, they consider the grenade to be a weapon of monstrous destructive power and experience panic fear, which leads to stupid and absurd actions that can really endanger their lives. So, for example, they can throw a check instead of a grenade, and leave the grenade in the trench; drop an activated grenade at your feet and, being paralyzed with fear, stand waiting for the explosion, instead of running back and lying down. It is also important to observe safety precautions when throwing grenades in winter: when thrown, a grenade can catch on protruding parts of clothing and fly in a direction dangerous for a fighter, or even roll into a sleeve.

Project evaluation

In general, this sample of an anti-personnel grenade should be considered successful. The F-1 has passed the test of time, has a simple, reliable device, is technologically advanced and easy to manufacture, and effectively copes with the tasks assigned to this type of weapon. Naturally, the disadvantages of the project follow from its merits.

Advantages

Due to its simple and reliable design, the F-1 grenade has been in service for about 70 years without significant changes and will probably not be withdrawn from service for a long time. The advantages that ensure such a long service life are as follows:

disadvantages

The disadvantages of this grenade are due mainly to the obsolescence of its design, and not to design flaws. These include:

• Low efficiency of the formation of fragments during crushing of the hull. Most of the hull mass (up to 60%) forms too small indestructible fragments. At the same time, several too large fragments are often formed, increasing the dangerous distance and reducing the number of fragments of the optimal size. The corrugation of the hull, which is generally random in nature, cannot ensure the formation of fragments of a satisfactory shape and their optimal distribution over the mass (the very idea of ​​forming fragments of a predictable size due to the corrugation of the hull turned out to be not entirely correct).
• The remote igniter does not cause an explosion when it hits the target, but works after a while (this property any remote fuse, and not just UZRG).
• The grenade is relatively heavy, which slightly reduces the maximum range of the throw.

see also

Notes

1. The Global Intelligence Files - Re: SITREP - INSIGHT - LEBANON - update on black market prices
2. Vernidub I. I. Hand grenades - infantry "pocket" artillery// Ammunition of victory. Essays. - Moscow: TsNIINTIKPK, 1998. - S. 95. - 200 p.
3. Shooting instruction. Hand grenades. - M.: Military publishing house of the Ministry of Defense of the USSR. 1965 - 65, p.15
4. BRIEF DESCRIPTION of the device and application of hand grenades of the 1915 model F.1.