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IMPERIAL GERMAN EIERHANGRANANTE ML 1917


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IMPERIAL GERMAN EIERHANGRANANTE ML 1917

As the war progressed there was a need for a smaller grenade,

than was available at the time , the standard grenades of the time , the kugel and the Stielhandgranate were heavy and cumbersome to use,

there are 3 known varients , of the ww 1 egg grenade and they are listed in detail below.

the answer was the Eierhandgranate Ml 1917 Development started in late 1916 which lead to the introduction of the cast iron "Egg" grenade, Mle.1917

in early 1917,

seen in image 1 it was originally filled with black powder, and it was found the average soldier could throw it at least 40 metres ,

the idea was you could put them in uniform breast pockets etc. , in greater numbers than the aforesaid larger grenades of that time

the first variant was a smooth bodied one, image 1 ,

But it was found that it was difficult to grip with wet and or muddy hands or gloves,

the next variant the MLE 1917V Na, had a raised centre segmented ring for grip/ fragmentation,

image 2

next came the Ml1917 Na / var image 3,

this one had a noticeably thicker segmentation ring,

there is no known designation for this one , but it appears to be more than a manufacturing variation ,

images 4 and 5 show the thickness of the rings , image 4 is the 1st variation ring, quite slim in thickness,

image 5 is the second variation and shows the noticeably thicker segments,

the egg grenade was fitted with various fuses in its lifetime in ww1

image 6 shows the various known types,

image 7 is I think a period done sectioned one , apparently from what ive read it was common ,

for these to be put in with the other grenades ,

as instructional ones to aid with the fusing prior to use,

image 8 is an image made up of sectionalised ones showing the make up of the grenades and fuses,

image 9 shows the 3 variations side by side

image 10 shows the 3rd variation with a partially dismantled fuse in front,

I SHOULD MENTION ! THAT !! "ALL GRENADES AND FUSES SHOWN HERE !ARE TOTALLY INNERT ! AND SAFE AND LEGAL TO HAVE!"

PART 2 " A MISCAST EGG!"

this next set of 9 images are what of what I call "MY WONKY EGG!"

a real peculiar one, ive never seen one before , and probably wont again,

in the photos ive tried to present it at various angles to show the distortion,

2 images have arrows showing I hope the fact that its slimmer and taller that the others,

even the threads for the fuse are t odds with the body??

there are various possible reasons for it,

1 the sand in the mould wasn't packed hard enough,

2 when the mould halves were put together the mould got knocked, and it shifted in some way,

3 both of the above ++ it was a well used / worn mould in 2 halves that was used?

I know that sand casting is not an exact science,

so who knows what happened??

it does beg the question,

why wasn't it scrapped and recast again ?,

was it perhaps bad inspection staff,

or the fact that the distortion wouldn't stop it being a functioning grenade,?

or was it desperate times we will let it through?

again I don't know, it has no makers marks on it,

how ever knowing how fastidious the Germans were maybe it just slipped through?

either way a very rare collectable oddity,

PART 3...................................

An ordinary Sainsbury's egg box!!!

its amazing the eggs found in this box,

2 pictures and ,

a little levity to end this thread

 

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When did the German Army stop using the egg grenades?.

 

I've read that Leutnant Wilhelm Walther with 8 other members of his Brandenburger squad, captured the railway bridge

at Gennep prior to the invasion of the Low Countries were carrying egg grenades in their pockets.

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  • 2 years later...

Were they carrying the WW1 types? The M39 was in use then, it was a modernized (by that time) version of the M17 egg grenade. The M39 was smooth bodied, however in 1944 a fragmentation sleeve was developed for use with this model, which had two halves and held in place by a metal retaining ring. 

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