British Rifle Grenades

Hey guys, I come to you with a question regarding the English use of Rifle grenades in WW2.

Did they even use them?:rolleyes:

I can only find information for the No. 68 AT Grenade.

The reason I want to know is for the RO mod Darkest Hour, which is about the Normandy landings and beyond.

Given at that point, the grenades would need to be useable by the No. 4 Rifle.

The No 36M (Mills Bomb) could be fitted with a detachable base plate to allow it to be fired from a rifle discharger cup.

However it seems that the use of rifle grenades in the British Army was limited, mainly due to the widespread use of the 2 inch mortar, which formed part of the standard equipment of every infantry platoon

World War II British infantry weapons
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:World_War_II_British_infantry_weapons

World War II grenades of the United Kingdom
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:World_War_II_grenades_of_the_United_Kingdom

No. 68 AT Grenade
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._68_AT_Grenade

The Mark 1 No. 68 Rifle grenade, shown with the nose facing left


http://www.iwmcollections.org.uk/media/images/Photographs/Image/H_022061.jpg


source: British Army Handbook, George Forty, ISBN 0 7509 3190 6, P 1999


http://members.fortunecity.com/milit/ukgrenades.htm

No. 4 Rifle Grenade Launcher
Belgian manufacture in 1950s by arms firm MECAR



http://www.collectorssource.com/images/Belgian%20No.%204%20rifle%20grenade%20launcher%20by%20MECAR.jpg
http://www.collectorssource.com/category.asp?catid=9

The Home Guard Pocket Manual, by Capt. A. Southworth, M.B.E.
http://met.open.ac.uk/group/jwL/hg_manual/homeguard.htm
http://met.open.ac.uk/group/jwL/jon.html


http://met.open.ac.uk/group/jwL/hg_manual/images/25.jpg
http://met.open.ac.uk/group/jwL/hg_manual/25.htm


http://met.open.ac.uk/group/jwL/hg_manual/images/26.jpg
http://met.open.ac.uk/group/jwL/hg_manual/26.htm


http://met.open.ac.uk/group/jwL/hg_manual/images/27.jpg
http://met.open.ac.uk/group/jwL/hg_manual/27.htm


lower image shows cutters for barbed wire.
source: The World’s Great Guns, Frederick Wilkinson, ISBN 0 600 39364 X, p 206

The WW1 UK Grenade Gallery
http://members.fortunecity.com/milit/ukgrenades.htm

My new hero.:mrgreen: Thank you both very much.

My Grand-Father, a Coldstreamer in Italy certainly referred to using them. Those pictures certainly tie in with what he said. I believe they are fired with a blank or special cartridge (well obviously not a .303 round).

You’re welcome guys :slight_smile:

Thanks for the feedback.

All the Best,

George

awesome pictures

the americans had rifle grenades too

every rifleman would be armed with a rifle grenade launcher