Grenades in Vietnam

[David]

Hand Held Signal Grenades

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AN/M8 HC Signaling Grenade

Description: A cylindrical grenade made of sheet metal of the same size, look and shape of the M7A1 CN and M18 grenades. Weighing 25.5 ounces it contains a filler of 19 ounces and employs an igniter type fuse. After a time delay of 2 seconds it emits a dense white smoke for around 105-150 seconds. The grenade is used for signaling and screening and screening type activities.

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M18 Smoke Grenades


Description: This grenade weighs 19 ounces and contains a filler of 11.5 ounces of colored smoke mixture. It employed an igniter type fuse that had a time delay of 2 seconds and emitted colored smoke for 50-90 seconds. The body of the grenade was painted gray or olive drab with a horizontal stripe. The writing on the side was yellow in the early grenades, and later adopted less bright colors. The grenade was designed to produce one of four colors: Red, Green, Yellow or Violet.
Notes: The M18 colored smoke grenades were used to help helicopter pilot gauge wind direction as well as identifying enemy/friendly positions. The M18's were available in yellow, green, red and violet (Lyles, 1999: 21).

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Hand Held Rocket Propelled Signal Grenades


These hand held rocket propelled signal grenades eliminated the need for a rifle or grenade launcher for signaling purposes. These signals contained their own launching mechanism and were designed to reach a minimum height of 200 meters. This group of ground signals includes the single star parachute flares, five star clusters, smoke parachutes, colored smoke streamers and in addition the white parachute flare.
Description: These signals were shipped in gray waterproof metal containers. They have black markings which identify their type and in addition they have letters embossed in the container ends to help identify at night. It measures about 27cm long and 4.5cm in diameter. The signal is composed of three parts:
Rocket Barrel (Launcher Tube): The rocket barrel made of drawn aluminum contains the complete launching and signaling devices. Different signals are identified by a gummed label on its side. This label contains information regarding the signal type, lot number, date of manufacture and instructions for firing. A narrow band coated with red lacquer is located just above the base (Primer end) of the rocket barrel. At the top of the barrel (Ejection end) is the firing cap assembly. When this assembly is removed prior to firing a colored cork seal is visible. This color matches the color of the signal.
Signal Carrier: The signal carrier is contained within the rocket barrel and holds the signal composition and rocket motor. It has four flexible steel fins that unfold and stabilize the carrier in flight.
Signal Composition: This is the chemical or mix of chemicals that burns to produce a light or smoke. This may be parachute supported.
The signals will launch to a height of between 198 and 228 meters. With the aid of a parachute the signals will float to the ground at a rate of 2 meters per second.
Types of Hand Held Rocket Propelled Signals
M125E1 Green Star Cluster Signal Grenade
M126E1 Red Star Parachute Signal Grenade
M127 White Star Parachute Signal Grenade
M128 Green Star Parachute Signal Grenade
M129 Red Star Parachute Signal Grenade
M130 Yellow Streamer Signal Grenade
T133 Red Star Cluster Signal Grenade
T134 Red Streamer Signal Grenade
T135 Green Streamer Signal Grenade
T137 White Star Cluster Signal Grenade
T138 Green Star Parachute Signal Grenade
Notes: Also known as 'Pop Flares'

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Hand Grenades

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M26A1 Fragmentation Hand Grenade


Description: This is the standard fragmentation hand grenade. It has a smooth sheet metal body and is shaped like a lemon. It weights 16 ounces and is filled with 5.5 ounces of explosive material, using a detonator type fuse. The grenade is olive drab with yellow markings.

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M67 Fragmentation Hand Grenade

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MK2 Fragmentation Hand Grenade

Description: This is the limited standard. It has a cast iron body that is deeply grooved in a crisscross fashion. It weighs 21 ounces and uses a detonator type fuse to ignite 2 ounces of flaked TNT. It is olive drab with yellow markings.

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MK3A2 Offensive Hand Grenade


Description: This is the standard offensive hand grenade. It has a cylindrical body made of pressed fiber. The grenade weighs 15.6 ounces and contains 8 ounces of flaked TNT, using a detonator type fuse. The grenade is usually black with yellow markings. It is designed to cause injury by the shock wave of the explosion rather than fragments.

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Chemical Hand Grenades

These are designed to cause casualties, set fire to objects, produce an irritating gas or produce smoke for signaling and screening, or a combination of the above.

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White Phosphorus Smoke Hand Grenades
M15 White Phosphorus Smoke Hand Grenade


Description: This grenade is made of smooth sheet metal and is cylindrical in shape with slightly rounded ends. It weighs 31 ounces and contains 15 ounces of white phosphorus filler, employing a detonator type fuse. The body of the grenade is gray with yellow markings. The detonator spreads small particles of white phosphorus that when come into contact with the air burn at high temperatures giving off a dense white smoke. It burns for around 60 seconds and will ignite any flammable substance it comes into contact with.

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M34 WP Smoke Hand & Rifle Grenade


Description: This type of hand grenade was designed to replace the M15 white phosphorus hand grenade. The body of the grenade is cylindrical with the bottom tapered. It is serrated so that it would break up easily when detonated. The grenade weighs 27.2 ounces and contains a filler of 12 ounces of white phosphorus.

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Irritant Gas Hand Grenades
M6A1 CN-DM Hand Grenade


Description: Identical to the M7A1 accept it contains two separate sections. One contains 5 ounces of CN and the other 4.5 ounces of DM.

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M7A1 CN (Tear Gas) Hand Grenade


Description: This grenade is cylindrical and had a body made of sheet metal. It weighs 19 ounces and contains a filler of 12.5 ounces of CN mixture. It has a time delay of 2 seconds and when ignited gives off the thick cloud of irritating tear gas.

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M25A1 CN Hand Grenade


Description: This is a special issue riot control grenade. The body of the grenade is spherical and made of plastic. It contains 3.5 ounces of a mixture of magnesium oxide and CN.

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AN-M14 Incendiary Hand Grenade


Description: This is the same size and shape as the M7A1 grenade. It weighs 32 ounces and contains 26.5 ounces of thermite mixture filler. The grenade is gray with purple markings. When ignited the thermite filler burns at a temperature of 4300º F for 40 seconds. A portion of the filler changes into molten iron. This will ignite or fuse with whatever it comes into contact with e.g. welding together machinery parts.

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C4 Plastic Explosive

Description: "C-4" was a plastic explosive popular among soldiers in Vietnam because of its various properties. It was easy to carry because of its lightweight, stable nature, and had a potent explosive power. Malleable with a texture similar to play dough, it could be formed into a shaped charge of infinite configuration. The availability of "C-4" reduced the necessity of carrying a variety of explosive charges. "C-4" would not explode without use of detonation devices, even when dropped, beaten, shot or burned. It was not destabilized by water, an important consideration given the Vietnam climate. Because it could be safely burned, "C-4" was popular with GIs, who would break off a small piece of it for heating water or C-rations. Sometimes they used it in foxholes to warm hands and feet on chilly nights. "C-4" replaced sterno as the heating fuel of choice. Soldiers in the field could obtain "C-4" on a resupply mission whereas sterno required a trip to the PX which, of course, was not necessarily possible.

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Claymore Mine



Description: A popular, fan-shaped, antipersonnel land mine. Widely used in Vietnam, the claymore antipersonnel mine was designed to produce a directionalized, fan-shaped pattern of fragments. The claymore used a curved block of C-4 explosive, shaped to blow all its force outward in a semicircular pattern. A large number of pellets were embedded in the face of the explosive, creating a devastating blast of fragments similar to the effect of an oversized shotgun. With their directional pattern, claymores were well-suited as a perimeter-defense weapon. With electronic firing, defenders in bunkers could set claymores in a pattern to cover all approaches and fire them at will. One problem with this was the tendency of the enemy to use infiltrators to sneak into the defense perimeter before an attack and simply turn the claymores around. Then when defenders fired the mine, its fragments peppered their own position. A more unorthodox use was found for claymores by many American GIs. The explosive burned with intense heat, and a small amount of explosive could quickly heat a can of C-rations in the field. While never designed for it, and certainly never sanctioned, claymores became one of the most popular field stoves in the war.

Cotton Bandolier (For M14 and M16 Rifles)


Note: These come with either 5 or 7 (Pictured) pockets.

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Claymore Mine Bag

Description: A cotton bag with two large compartments, designed to fit two Claymore Mines.
Notes: A bag that was popular for carrying spare M16 magazines and M79 rounds. It could carry 27 M79 rounds as opposed to 6 in the M79 carrier.

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M60 Bandoleer (With Waxed Cardboard Box)

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M79 Bandoleer



Description: A two three-pocket cotton bandoleer for carrying M79 rounds.
Notes: M79 bandoleers had several patterns:
a) The early issue was all tan colored.
b) The second type had the tan body but green flap and strap,
c) The third type was all green.

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M-183 Demolitions Bag


Description: A cotton duck bag, originally issued to carry various explosive charges and accessories of the demolition kit (Lyles, 1999: 57).
Notes: Also handy for carrying spare ammunition, grenades and other personal items.

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Twin Cell .45 cal pouch

Description: A twin pocket canvas pouch for carrying two magazines for the Colt 1911A1.
Notes: the magazines fit in upside down with the bottom lip facing inwards.

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Three Pocket grenade carrier


Notes: A WW2 and Korean war item unique to the Marines. It is a three pocket hanging carrier made of canvass and dyed in the traditional Olive Drab army shade 107. It contained six grenades, two in each pocket. It was generally attached to the pistol belt on the right leg and hung down the thigh (Lyles, 1992:27).