M-67

Andy · #1 02-03-2005, 04:31 PM

I got in touch with some re-enactors several months ago. They live in Poland and do the 1st, 503d, 173rd Air Borne. They always have a mountain of questions.

This week they told me they scored some M67 frags and wanted
to know when they were first used in Vietnam. When in the field we always used the lemon drop grenades, the M-26. Later the troops were also issued the baseball grenades but I was sure they were M-50 something.

Were there M-67's in use during the war?
Thanks for the help,

Andy

82Rigger · #2 02-04-2005, 02:24 PM

Andy,

The M67 fragmentation grenade is, in fact, the "baseball" grenade that first saw service in Vietnam, replacing the M26A1 (lemon drop) fragmentation grenade. I am unable to find any info on when the M67 was first placed in service. Maybe some of the 11Bs can tell us when it first started showing up in their units.

1) Body -- steel sphere.

(2) Filler -- 6.5 ounces of Composition B.

(3) Fuze -- M213.

(4) Weight -- 14 ounces.

(5) Safety clip -- yes.

(6) Capabilities -- can be thrown 40 meters by average soldier. The effective casualty-producing radius is 15 meters. ALTHOUGH THE KILLING RADIUS IS 5 METERS AND THE CASUALTY PRODUCING RADIUS OF THIS GRENADE IS 15 METERS, FRAGMENTS CAN DISPERSE AS FAR AWAY AS 230 METERS.

(7) Color/markings -- olive drab body with a single yellow band at the top. Nomenclature and or lot number markings are in yellow.

Andy · #3 02-04-2005, 02:37 PM

I did a little more searching. The original "Baseball" was the M-59 and surely was in use in Vietnam. The M-67 is apparently an improved version of the M-59. Don't know when the 67 replaced the 59, yes this is really an esoteric issue but I thought someone, (like you) would know. Well, thanks for checking.

Stay healthy,
Andy

82Rigger · #4 02-04-2005, 03:07 PM

Andy,

There was also an "improved" lemon drop grenade...the M61 fragmentation grenade.
It had modifications over the M26A1 as a result of experiences in Vietnam.

The M61 incorporates a secondary safety feature called the Jungle Clip.

While never a design intent, grenade safety levers have long been used as a convenient carry hook, clipped over web gear. Experience in Vietnam showed that jungle growth had an unfortunate tendency to snag hand grenade safety pins. The jungle clip is a secondary back-up safety device, used to clamp the lever to the grenade in the event that the pin is accidentally pulled.

Shown here is the first model. A simple add-on wire part. When unhooked it remains attached to the grenade.

The grenade now required two separate arming actions, pulling the pin, and releasing the jungle clip, prior to throwing the grenade.