Gildwiller1918

Here are the types of fuses used with the Kugel grenades: - bronze traction igniter model 1913 with 5 seconds delay - zinc alloy traction igniter model 1915 with 8 seconds delay - embossed steel plate traction igniter model 1917 with 5 seconds delay - zinc alloy percussion igniter model 1916 with 5 seconds delay

Here is a WW1 era Turkish Grenade, the 1914 No. 2 model. It was a cast iron body with a brass fuse. It had a inscription on the side which translated to "type 2 infantry grenade". Additionally it had a notch on the grenade body to allow for a ring to used to attach to equipment. Like most other Central Powers nations, they relied on Germany to supply their needs, pretty much from 1915 onwards, the Turks were supplied with German made or captured arms and equipment. These No.2 grenades are an interesting and unique model. I have had one on my wish list for some time.

I'm not surprised, they are very hard to come by. They do pop up every so often on UK vendor sites. Keep your eyes peeled!

Here is an image off the internet showing the spherical Makedonia type grenades.

As Bulgaria was part of the Central Powers during the Great War, it could draw on resources from its partner nations, such as Germany which provided weapons and field gear. Bulgaria also supplied the above mentioned grenades to Turkey. Bulgaria used the German stick type grenades, which can be seen in many photographs. Information on Bulgaria's munition productions is scarce as well as photos of ordnance. I did find that during the Balkan wars, there was a good abundance of grenades available to Bulgarian forces, however in 1915, only a few thousand grenades were available, which tends to supp

Here is the second vest now complete. I acquired a set of 2 plates, the upper and abdomen plates, which were is rusted, dug up condition. After cleaning and sealing, I placed them inside layers of wool. Once the wool was applied, I began to work on the canvas sheath. First I cut out the basic pattern, then applied the wearer's straps. Afterwards I sew up 3 sides using a sewing machine, then insert the wool covered armor inside, then I apply glue to the exterior sides of the wool, so the sheath will cling tightly to it. Once dry, I hand sew up the remaining seam, which is time consuming. I also

Here is the Makedonia grenade which was introduced in 1906, which was widely used in the Balkan Wars in 1912-1913. The grenade had a threaded opening for a brass or cast iron plug with knurled bands. Initially, the fuse was a match type which ran through the center of the plug, but was updated in 1911. After the Ordin grenade was introduced, the Makedonia grenades was also fitted with this fuse. The grenade was 72mm in diameter and weighed about 750 grams. Photo source: internet

I know we have focused on Germany, France, England and the US as well as others for WW1 era Grenades, but I thought I would post some information about grenades made and used by the Bulgarians in the great war. One of these was called the Odrin Grenade, which was designed by Col. Simeon Dobrevski, which was an improvement on the older Makedonia model introduced in 1906.It was ball shaped, looking like a French ball grenade but with the fragmentation exterior of a Turkish grenade. It was put into service in 1915 and remained so until the wars end. The body was cast iron, and usually painted bl

Here is a nice front line photo, although not crisp, shows great details. The man on the far left is wearing the so-called lobster armor, he also has a stick grenade in his left hand and his bayonet troddel is visible as well. The sniper has a troddel as well, and some M1917 stick grenades. The Machine gunner is using the MG 08/15, a lighter, portable version of the MG 08 which weighed 18 kilos (without water in the cooling jacket), versus the MG 08 which weighed 69 kilos minus the 39 kilo mounting sled.

I also recently discovered the British also used a similar type of rifle grenade quadrant. These were introduced in 1915 for all SMLE rifles and were called grenade pendulum sights. They attached pretty much the same way the German type did. So far I have not found any photos of them in actual combat conditions. Photo source: internet

I have mounted the pieces on a wall in the order they would be in normally.

Here is a Luftwaffe map dated 1941 of Russia. Big size, about 135mm x 116mm. Not something for cockpits, but for HQ and staff offices.

Nice image of German soldiers with the Sturmgewehr 44 and the Raketenpanzerbuchse 43. Note the dark green collar on the man on the left as well as the nice condition of the uniforms.

Here are some images of inflatable vehicles used in Operation Fortitude, for the benefit of German Aerial Recon.

There are several militaria websites that may bear fruit, UK and mainland Europe especially. The WW1 French uniforms and field gear are getting harder to find, especially in good condition.