Lethal radius of a hand grenade f 1. Domestic weapons and military equipment

At first glance, the topic of drones (those that fly) is somehow not very connected with the armored basis of this site, but, as stated in one of Viktor Tretyakov’s songs “Everything in our life is interconnected...”, and the words further can be easily find on the net. So, during tactical and special training with drivers and driver mechanics at a Russian military base in Armenia, while performing multi-kilometer marches in automobile and armored vehicles began to be used for the first time the newest complex"Novodchik-2" with an unmanned aerial vehicle. This innovation, as reported by the press service of the Southern Military District of the Russian Ministry of Defense, allows for a more objective assessment of trainees, and also enables driving lesson leaders to adjust traffic routes during marches and monitor compliance speed limit, distance and safety requirements when driving in military convoys.

In total, more than 800 drivers of all categories and about 300 units of automobile and armored vehicles, - says the press service of the Southern Military District.

The road network running at altitudes of 1600-2500 meters above sea level in the area where the Russian military is deployed military base, requires high skill and attention from drivers and driver mechanics. In this case, the movement of the columns is recorded by video cameras of the Granat-1 UAV and then in specialized classes is examined by instructors when summing up the results. During the march, drivers also practice how to overcome conditionally contaminated areas of the terrain wearing individual and collective protective equipment and repelling air strikes from a mock enemy.



Photo: War diary of Igor Korotchenko
"Click" on the photo to enlarge

The Navodchik-2 complex includes four types UAV "Granat". These complexes have various purposes, allowing them to perform reconnaissance and special missions with long duration and flight altitude, which is very important when performing tasks in the mountains. They are simple and reliable in operation and can perform wide range issues in the interests of military intelligence. Latest technology, installed on UAV complexes, allows you to simultaneously track several targets, including through clouds; in addition, night time is not a hindrance. An important factor new developments is the complete stealth of these unmanned aerial vehicles from the ground.

The Granat-1 UAV is included as a subcomplex as a component of the Navodchik-2 complex. The complex with unmanned aerial vehicles "Granat-1" is designed for monitoring the surface, various objects, highways, manpower, equipment in a time scale close to real. The complex includes:

Unmanned aircraft(UAV) 2 pcs.
Ground control station (GCS) 1 set.
Transport backpack 1 pc.
Set of adjacent modules payload(TV/photo) 1 set.
Catapult 1 pc.
Spare parts kit-O for UAV (packed in a container with UAV) 1 set.
Spare parts kit-O for complex 1 K-T.

Characteristics of "Granat-1"

Max. flight altitude above sea level, m	3500
Flight speed relative to air flow, not less than km/h	60
Application radius, km:
for video equipment (subject to line of sight)	10
for photographic equipment	15
Maximum flight duration, min.	75
UAV take-off weight, kg	2,4
Wingspan, cm	82
Payload type	TV/photo
Engine type	electric
Flight speed relative to air flow, km/h	not less than 60
Deployment time, min.	no more than 5
Flight altitude range above the underlying surface, m	from 40 to 1500
Maximum flight altitude above sea level, m	3500
Operating temperature range, C°	-30…+40
Start method	from hands or from an elastic catapult
Landing method	automatic with parachute
Calculation, pers.	2

The name "F-1" comes from the French fragmentation grenade F-1 model 1915, weighing about 600 grams, which was supplied to Russia during the First World War. The origin of the slang name for the grenade - “lemon” - has many versions - among them the similarity of the shape of the grenade with the citrus fruit of the same name, and the similarity of the F-1 grenade and the English Lemon system grenade are mentioned - however, there is no consensus today.

Initially, F-1 grenades were equipped with the fuse of F. V. Koveshnikov. Subsequently, instead of the fuse of the Koveshnikov system, the UZRG fuse ("unified fuse for hand grenades") of Soviet designers E. M. Viceni and A. A. Bednyakov was adopted to supply the F-1 grenade.

Story

In 1922, the artillery department of the Red Army began to restore order in its warehouses. According to the reports of the artillery committee, seventeen grenades were in service with the Red Army at that time. various types. There were no self-produced fragmentation defensive grenades in the USSR at that time. Therefore, the Mills system grenade was temporarily adopted, the stocks of which were available in warehouses in large quantities(200,000 units as of September 1925). As a last resort, it was allowed to issue French F-1 grenades to the troops. The fact was that French-style fuses were unreliable. Their cardboard cases did not provide tightness and the detonation composition became damp, which led to massive failures of grenades, and even worse, to bullet holes, which was fraught with an explosion in the hands.

In 1925, the Artillery Committee stated that the need for hand grenades of the Red Army was satisfied by only 0.5% (!). To rectify the situation, Artcom decided on June 25, 1925:

The Artillery Directorate of the Red Army to carry out a comprehensive test of existing samples of hand grenades currently in service.
It is necessary to make improvements to the 1914 model grenade in order to increase its lethality.
Design a Mills-type fragmentation grenade, but more advanced.
In F-1 hand grenades, replace Swiss fuses with Koveshnikov fuses.

In September 1925, comparative tests of the main types of grenades available in warehouses were carried out. The main criterion tested was the fragmentation damage of grenades. The conclusions made by the commission were as follows:

...thus, the position of the question of the types of hand grenades for supplying the Red Army currently appears to be as follows: a hand grenade of the 1914 model, equipped with melinite, significantly surpasses in its effect all other types of grenades and is a typical example by the nature of its action offensive grenade; it is only necessary to reduce the number of individual far (over 20 steps) flying fragments as much as the state of the art of this matter allows. This improvement is provided for in the attached “Requirements for new types of hand grenades.” Mills and F-1 grenades, provided they are supplied with more advanced fuses, are considered satisfactory as defensive grenades, while Mills grenades are somewhat stronger in action than F-1. Due to the limited supplies of these two types of grenades, it is necessary to develop a new type of defensive grenade that meets the new requirements...

In 1926, tests were carried out on F-1 grenades from those available in storage (at that time there were 1 million grenades of this system in warehouses) with a Koveshnikov fuse developed in 1920. Based on the test results, the design of the fuse was modified and after military tests in 1927, the F-1 grenade with the Koveshnikov fuse was named F-1 hand grenade with F. V. Koveshnikov system fuse in 1928 it was adopted by the Red Army.

All grenades available in warehouses were equipped with Koveshnikov fuses by the beginning of the 1930s, and soon the USSR established its own production of grenade bodies.

In 1939, engineer F.I. Khrameev modified the grenade - the body of the lemon became somewhat simpler and lost the lower window.

There is another version of the appearance of the F-1 grenade. In 1999, retired Colonel Fedor Iosifovich Khrameev said in an interview with Kommersant Vlast magazine that in 1939 he designed the F-1 grenade.

In 1942 - 43, the Koveshnikov fuse was replaced with a standard unified UZRG fuse; after the end of the Great Patriotic War The fuse was improved, the reliability of operation was increased and it received the designation UZRGM.

Design

(training sample)

The F-1 grenade has the following tactical and technical characteristics:

The F-1 grenade is a hand-held anti-personnel, remote-action fragmentation defensive grenade. Its design turned out to be so successful that it has existed to this day without fundamental changes. The design of the fuse was slightly changed and modified in order to increase operational reliability.

Like most anti-personnel grenades, the F-1 consists of 3 main parts.

Fuse. The grenade has a universal fuse UZRGM (or UZRG), which is also suitable for RG-42 and RGD-5 grenades. The UZRGM fuse differs from the UZRG by changes in the shape of the trigger guard and the design of the striker, which made it possible to reduce the frequency of weapon failures.
Explosive. The explosive charge is 60 g of TNT. It is possible to equip with trinitrophenol. Such grenades have increased destructive power, but their shelf life in warehouses is strictly limited; after expiration, the grenade poses a significant danger. The explosive block is insulated from the metal body with varnish, paraffin or paper. There are known cases of equipping grenades with pyroxylin mixtures.
Metal shell. Externally, the grenade has an oval ribbed body made of steel cast iron, the profile resembles the letter “Zh”. The body is a complex casting, poured into the ground, and possibly die casting (hence the shape). Initially, the fins were created to produce fragments of a certain size and mass during an explosion; the fins also perform an ergonomic function, helping to better hold the grenade in the hand. Subsequently, some researchers expressed doubts about the effectiveness of such a system for forming fragments (cast iron is crushed into small fragments regardless of the shape of the body). Cutting the body makes it easier to tie the grenade to a peg. The total weight of the grenade with fuse is 600 g.

Labeling and storage

Combat grenade painted in green(from khaki to dark green). The training and simulation grenade is painted black with two white (vertical and horizontal) stripes. In addition, it has a hole at the bottom. The fighting fuse has no color. In the training-imitation fuse, the pin ring and the lower part of the pressure lever are painted scarlet.

F-1 grenades are packed in wooden boxes of 20 pieces. UZRGM fuses are stored in the same box separately in two metal hermetically sealed jars (10 pieces per jar). Box weight - 20 kg. The box is equipped with a can opener designed to open a can of fuses. Grenades are equipped with fuses immediately before the battle; when transferred from the combat position, the fuse is removed from the grenade and stored separately.

The purpose of packaging fuses in sealed containers is to ensure maximum safety during the entire storage period, to prevent corrosion and oxidation of the components of the detonating mixture.

Combat use

Tactical features of combat use

In open areas, the effective range of destruction of the enemy when a grenade explodes directly from the high-explosive action of the ammunition is 3-5 meters. The radius of continuous damage to manpower by shrapnel is 7 meters. The chances of being hit by grenade fragments remain at a distance of up to 200 meters, but this statement is only true for large grenade fragments. As a rule, these are fuse elements, less often - fragments of the bottom of a grenade; the main part of the cast iron body (more than 60%) is sprayed into small, harmless fragments during an explosion. The larger the fragment, the higher its potential damage range. The initial speed of grenade fragments is 700-720 meters per second; The mass of fragments is on average 1-2 grams, although both larger and smaller ones are found.

Peculiarities damaging factors grenades naturally determine the areas of application in modern conflicts. Grenades have the greatest effect indoors and confined spaces. This is due to the following factors. Firstly, in a relatively small room, up to 30 meters in size, the entire space is in the destruction zone of fragments, and fragments can also ricochet off the walls, ceiling and floor, which again increases the chances of hitting the enemy, even if he is in cover. Secondly, the high-explosive effect of a grenade in a closed room is amplified many times over, causing concussion, barotrauma, disorienting the enemy, which allows one to take advantage of the moment to enter the room and use other weapons to destroy it.

The F-1 grenade is more effective compared to offensive grenades when storming confined spaces and premises; due to its higher mass, it produces a larger number of fragments and has a more pronounced high-explosive effect, all this makes it more likely to incapacitate the enemy.

Tactical features of sabotage use

Also, F-1 grenades are often used when setting tripwires, this is due to the number of fragments, which increases the chances of hitting the enemy, and a reliable fuse, which will not be damaged by prolonged exposure to unfavorable conditions before the trap is triggered. A combination of 2 F-1 grenades creates a tripwire that also has some anti-sapper properties - it explodes when the cable (wire) is cut.
In special forces, the fuses of F-1 grenades are “modified”; before installation as a tripwire, the detonating charge is cut off and the retarder fuse is removed. You can also equip the grenade with an instant mine fuse of suitable size. Thus, they achieve an almost instantaneous explosion and deprive the enemy of 3 - 4 seconds to escape.

Application in military conflicts

In service

F1 in cinema

In action films, you can often see grenades suspended from a safety pin ring on a belt or vest. In reality, a sane person will not do this: during a battle you have to move over rough terrain, where there is a high risk of something catching on a grenade and pulling the safety pin out of it. After this, the grenade will quite naturally explode, most likely destroying the fighter or at least unmasking him. During combat, grenades are kept in a grenade pouch or unloading vest, and in their absence, in clothing pockets.

IN feature films The main character can often be seen effectively pulling the pin of a grenade with his teeth. In reality, in most cases, such an action will lead to tooth loss. This is because significant physical effort is required to remove the safety pin: this is done deliberately to prevent accidental grenade detonations.

Also in many films you can see how a grenade falls on a group of people, scattering them into different sides, killing most of them. In practice this is far from the case. When a grenade is detonated, a powerful blast wave is not generated: indeed, people located within a radius of 2-3 meters from the explosion site receive barotrauma, concussion, and often fall to the ground, but no one is thrown ten meters away from the explosion site. The fragments only affect those directly close to the explosion site. Having a small mass and low penetrating ability, the vast majority of fragments are not capable of penetrating the human body. This is the basis of the principle of saving comrades by covering a grenade with your body.

In some films and many illustrations, the F-1 grenade is black, which creates the impression that the black color of the grenade is standard. In fact black color means that the grenade is training or is a dummy; combat grenades are painted green.

Fighter training

When hit by grenade fragments, there is a high degree of randomness: for example, in some cases, detonating a grenade in close proximity to a fighter can only stun him; however, there are cases where a single fragment of a grenade hit a soldier located in cover at a distance of 70-80 meters from the place where the grenade was detonated.

For new recruits, throwing a grenade often represents psychological problem: Based on ideas gained from action movies, they consider the grenade to be a monstrous weapon destructive force and experience panic, which leads to stupid and absurd actions that can really pose a threat to their lives. So, for example, they can throw a pin instead of a grenade, but leave the grenade in the trench; drop an activated grenade at your feet and, paralyzed by fear, stand waiting for the explosion instead of running away and lying down. It is also important to observe safety precautions when throwing grenades at winter time: When thrown, a grenade can catch on protruding parts of clothing and fly in a direction dangerous for the fighter, or even roll into his sleeve.

Project evaluation

In general, this example of an anti-personnel grenade should be considered successful. The F-1 has stood the test of time, has a simple, reliable design, is technologically advanced and easy to manufacture, and effectively copes with the tasks assigned to this type of weapon. It is natural that the shortcomings of the project flow from its advantages.

Advantages

Due to its simple and reliable design, the F-1 grenade has been in service for about 70 years without significant changes and will probably not be removed from service for a long time. The advantages that ensure such a long service life are as follows:

Flaws

The disadvantages of this grenade are due primarily to the obsolescence of its design, and not to design flaws. These include:

Low efficiency of formation of fragments when crushing the body. Most of the body mass (up to 60%) forms fragments that are too small to kill. At the same time, several too large fragments are often formed, increasing the dangerous distance and reducing the number of fragments optimal size. The corrugation of the body, having, in general, random character, cannot ensure the formation of fragments of a satisfactory shape and their optimal distribution by mass (the very idea of forming fragments of a predictable size due to the corrugation of the body turned out to be not entirely correct).
The remote fuse does not lead to an explosion when it hits the target, but fires after some time (this property any remote fuse, and not just UZRG).
The grenade is relatively heavy, which somewhat reduces the maximum throw range.

Notes

The Global Intelligence Files - Re: SITREP - INSIGHT - LEBANON - update on black market prices
Vernidub I. I. Hand grenades - "pocket" infantry artillery// Victory ammunition. Essays. - Moscow: TsNIINTIKPK, 1998. - P. 95. - 200 p.
Shooting manual. Hand grenades. - M.: Military Publishing House of the USSR Ministry of Defense. 1965 - 65, p.15
BRIEF DESCRIPTION of the device and use of hand grenades of the 1915 model F.1.

F1 (GRAU index - 57-G-721) - hand-held anti-personnel defensive grenade. Designed to defeat manpower in defensive combat. Due to the significant radius of scattering of fragments, it can only be thrown from behind cover, from an armored personnel carrier or from a tank.

The names “F-1” and the slang “lemon” came from the French fragmentation grenade F-1 model 1915 weighing 572 g and the English Lemon system grenade, which were supplied to Russia during the First World War. Another possible origin of the slang name is its shape, which resembles a lemon.

Initially, F-1 grenades were equipped with F.V. Koveshnikov's fuse. In 1941, E.M. Viceni and A.A. Bednyakov developed a universal UZRG fuse; after the war it was modified and serves to this day under the name UZRGM (modernized universal hand grenade fuse).

Story

Due to numerous technical shortcomings of the RGD-33 grenade, which was in service in the Soviet Union at that time, a decision was made to develop a reliable and technologically advanced defensive infantry grenade. The development of this device was entrusted to the designer F.I. Khrameev. In 1939, two months after receiving the technical specifications, he developed the F-1 grenade. According to the designer himself, the greatest difficulty for him when developing this grenade model was the selection of shell material and ensuring the reliability of the fuse.

Preliminary testing of this type of weapon was minimal; 10 prototypes were made, which were soon tested, and then the design was put into mass production. Here is what F.I. Khrameev himself said in an interview with journalists about this:

Was some kind of selection committee created? - Not really! Again I'm alone. The head of the plant, Major Budkin, gave me a chaise and sent me to our training ground. I throw grenades one after another into the ravine. And on you - nine exploded, but one didn’t. I'm coming back and reporting. Budkin shouted at me: he left a secret sample unattended! I'm going back, alone again.
- Was it scary? - Not without that. I lay down on the edge of the ravine and saw where the grenade lay in the clay. He took a long wire, made a loop at the end and carefully hooked it onto the grenade. Tugged. Didn't explode. It turned out that the fuse had failed. So he pulled it out, unloaded it, brought it, went to Budkin and put it on his table. He screamed and jumped out of the office like a bullet. And then we transferred the drawings to the Main Artillery Directorate (GAU), and the grenade was put into mass production. Without any experimental series.

The most common belief is that the F-1 grenade originated from an English grenade from the First World War, known in Russia as the Mils grenade. For those times it was the most destructive grenade. They are similar in shape and principle of the fuse. F. Leonidov in the magazine “Weapons” (No. 8, 1999) in the article “Prepare grenades” states that the basis for the development of the F-1 was the French F-1 model of 1915 and the English Lemon system. It was not possible to establish whether this is so.

Khrameev, in an interview with Kommersant magazine, acknowledged the origin of the grenade from the French F-1 model. Below is an excerpt from of this interview.

In February 1939, I received the task of developing a defensive grenade... in Moscow I saw an album released by the Russian General Staff in 1916, which presented images of all those used in the first world war pomegranate. German and French were corrugated, egg-shaped. I especially liked the French F-1. It exactly corresponded to the task received: easy to throw, safe fuse, sufficient number of fragments. The album contained only a drawing. I developed all working drawings. I had to suffer. He replaced the plain cast iron from which the F-1 was made with steel to increase the destructive power of fragments.

British analogues of "lemon" - Mils grenades

This version is also confirmed by a comparative analysis of the design of the French F-1 grenade, the English Lemon system grenade and the modern F-1 grenade. Structurally, the early versions of the F-1 are virtually identical to the French counterpart, and the only differences are in the mass of the grenade, the design of the fuse and the material of the metal shell. Mutual position The nodes and shape of the grenades are identical. The Lemon grenade has a spherical or, in a later version, ovoid shape, without a finned shell, and with a slightly different location of the fuse in the grenade body. It is believed that the Lemon grenade of the 1906/1913 model, which is indeed somewhat similar to the F-1, was created precisely under the influence of the French F-1 grenade. Also connection of origin Soviet grenade with the French F-1 confirmed in textbook Artillery Academy of the Red Army, published in 1943 under the title “Hand Grenades.”

Shown is a French hand grenade F-1 mod. 1915, weighing 550g... The F-1 grenade has been used in the USSR since 1926 with a Kaveshnikov fuse, which provides more reliable action, safety when throwing and ease of handling.

This is another confirmation of the version about the origin of the Soviet grenade from the French F-1.

When the F-1 grenade was created, it had a Kaveshnikov fuse, then it was replaced by a standard unified UZRG fuse; after the end of the Great Patriotic War, the fuse was improved, the reliability of operation was increased, and it received the designation UZRGM.

Design

The F-1 grenade has the following tactical and technical characteristics.

Throwing range: 35-40 m
Shrapnel damage radius: 30 m (most likely the enemy will be hit by shrapnel), 200 m (maximum flight range of shrapnel)
Fuse deceleration time: 3.2-4.5 sec
Number of fragments up to 300 pcs.

Manual - delivered to the target by throwing the soldier’s hand.
Anti-personnel - designed to destroy enemy personnel.
Fragmentation - damage is caused mainly by fragments of the metal body of the grenade.
Defensive - the radius of dispersion of fragments exceeds average range throwing a grenade using the muscle strength of a fighter, which necessitates throwing a grenade from cover in order to avoid being hit by fragments of one’s own grenade.
Remote action - the grenade detonates some time after the throw (from 3.2 to 4.2 seconds).

Like most anti-personnel grenades, the F-1 consists of 3 main parts.

Fuse. The grenade has a universal fuse UZRGM (or UZRG), which is also suitable for RG-41, RG-42, RGD-5 grenades. The UZRGM fuse differs from the UZRG by changes in the shape of the trigger guard and the design of the striker, which made it possible to reduce the frequency of weapon failures.
Explosive. The explosive charge is 60 g of TNT.
Metal shell. Externally, the grenade has an oval ribbed body made of steel cast iron. Initially, the fins were created to produce fragments of a certain size and mass during an explosion; the fins also perform an ergonomic function, helping to better hold the grenade in the hand. Subsequently, some researchers expressed doubts about the effectiveness of such a system for forming fragments. The total weight of the grenade with fuse is 600 g.

The composition of the UZRG fuse includes, in addition to the body itself, the following elements:

A safety pin, which is a ring with two pieces of wire, which, passing through the holes in the fuse body, are secured by extension in the hole on the opposite side of the fuse and protect the pin from accidental falling out. In this case, the pin blocks the firing pin, preventing it from hitting the detonator capsule.
The firing pin is a metal rod, sharpened on the side directed towards the capsule, and having a protrusion on the opposite side, with which it holds the trigger guard. Also, a shock spring is attached to the firing pin, ensuring its impact on the primer.
The trigger guard is a curved metal plate that, after removing the safety pin, locks the firing pin in its original position. After the grenade is thrown, the trigger guard is pushed out by the pressure of the firing pin spring, which hits the primer, activating it.
The capsule ignites the retarding fuse, which, after burning for some time, directly activates the detonating mixture - the grenade is detonated.
The delay fuse creates a time interval between the throwing and detonation of the grenade.
The detonating mixture detonates the grenade's explosives.

Usage

To use a grenade, you need to straighten the antennae of the safety pin, take the grenade in right hand so that your fingers press the lever against the body. Before throwing a grenade, insert the index finger of your left hand into the pin ring and pull it out. The grenade can continue to remain in the hand for as long as desired, since until the lever is released, the firing pin cannot break the primer. After choosing the moment of the throw and the target, throw a grenade at the target. At this moment, the lever will rotate under the influence of the striker spring, releasing the striker, and fly off to the side. The striker will puncture the primer and after 3.2 - 4.2 seconds an explosion will occur. Defensive type - means that the grenade fragments have a fairly large mass and fly to a distance exceeding the possible throwing range (that is, when the grenade explodes, it is dangerous for the soldier who threw it, if he did not take cover in a trench, behind a wall, etc.) .

The grenade is designed to destroy manpower and unarmored vehicles. The damaging factors are the direct high-explosive action of the explosive and the fragments formed when the metal shell of the grenade is destroyed.

Labeling and storage

The combat grenade is painted green (khaki to dark green). The training and simulation grenade is painted black with two white (vertical and horizontal) stripes. In addition, it has a hole at the bottom. The fighting fuse has no color. In the training-imitation fuse, the pin ring and the lower part of the pressure lever are painted scarlet.

The purpose of packaging fuses in sealed containers is to ensure maximum safety during the entire storage period, to prevent corrosion and oxidation of the components of the detonating mixture.

Combat use

Tactical Features combat use

In open areas, the effective range of destruction of the enemy when a grenade explodes directly with the high-explosive action of ammunition is 3-5 meters. At a distance of up to 30 meters, the further the enemy is from the center of the explosion, the lower the chances of him being successfully hit by shrapnel. The chances of injury from grenade fragments remain at a distance of up to 70-100 meters, but this statement is true only for large fragments of the shell. The larger the fragment, the higher its potential damage range. The initial speed of grenade fragments is 700-720 meters per second, the average mass is 1-2 grams, although both larger and smaller ones are found.

The characteristics of the damaging factors of grenades naturally determine the areas of application in modern conflicts. Grenades have the greatest effect indoors and confined spaces. This is due to the following factors. Firstly, in a relatively small room, up to 30 meters in size, the entire space is in the destruction zone of fragments, and fragments can also ricochet off the walls of the ceiling and floor, which again increases the chances of hitting the enemy, even if he is in cover. Secondly, the high-explosive effect of a grenade in a closed room is multiplied many times over, causing concussion, barotrauma, disorienting the enemy, which allows one to take advantage of the moment to enter the room and use other weapons to destroy it.

The F-1 grenade is more effective compared to offensive grenades when storming confined spaces and premises; due to its higher mass it gives more quantity fragments and has a more pronounced high-explosive effect, all this makes it more likely to incapacitate the enemy.

Tactical features of sabotage use

Application in military conflicts

At the beginning of World War II, grenade bodies were filled with explosives available instead of TNT; Searchers find grenades filled with black powder in the Leningrad area. A grenade with such a filling is quite effective, although less reliable.

During the Great Patriotic War, the F-1 was widely used on all fronts.

In the late 30s and early 40s of the 20th century, tactical instructions for infantry units recommended the F-1, including as an anti-tank weapon. Several grenades were tightly tied into a bag so that the detonator of one of them remained outside, the bag was thrown under the tracks or wheels of enemy armored vehicles in order to disable the chassis. Subsequently, this method was not widely used due to its relatively low efficiency.

Advantages

Thanks to its simple and reliable design, the F-1 grenade has been in service for about 70 years without significant changes and will probably not be removed from service for a long time. The advantages that ensure such a long service life are as follows:

A body of natural crushing, from which destructive elements are successfully formed even when the metal jacket is damaged.

The remote igniter has a relatively simple design and is highly reliable.

The all-metal housing is easy to manufacture and can be manufactured in virtually any industrial facility. The simplicity of the internal design allows, in war conditions, to use any available explosive instead of standard TNT.

Flaws

The disadvantages of this grenade are due primarily to the obsolescence of its design, and not to design flaws. These include:

The corrugation of the body cannot always ensure uniform formation of fragments. The remote fuse does not lead to an explosion when it hits the target, but goes off after some time. The grenade is relatively heavy, which somewhat reduces the maximum throw range.

Today I learned two things for myself that I had previously imagined completely differently. “Limonka” is not because it looks like a lemon. “Limonka” is not divided into squares in order to be better divided into fragments. Do you want to know how things really are on these issues?

In 1922, the artillery department of the Red Army began to restore order in its warehouses. According to the reports of the artillery committee, the Red Army at that time had seventeen different types of grenades in service. There were no self-produced fragmentation defensive grenades in the USSR at that time. Therefore, the Mills system grenade was temporarily adopted for service, the stocks of which were in large quantities in warehouses (200,000 units as of September 1925). As a last resort, it was allowed to issue French F-1 grenades to the troops. The fact was that French-style fuses were unreliable. Their cardboard cases did not provide tightness and the detonation composition became damp, which led to massive failures of grenades, and even worse, to bullet holes, which was fraught with an explosion in the hands.

In 1925, the Artillery Committee stated that the need for hand grenades of the Red Army was satisfied by only 0.5% (!). To rectify the situation, Artcom decided on June 25, 1925:

The Artillery Directorate of the Red Army to carry out a comprehensive test of existing samples of hand grenades currently in service.
It is necessary to make improvements to the 1914 model grenade in order to increase its lethality.
Design a Mills-type fragmentation grenade, but more advanced.
In F-1 hand grenades, replace Swiss fuses with Koveshnikov fuses.

...thus, the state of the issue about the types of hand grenades for supplying the Republic of Kazakhstan spacecraft currently appears to be as follows: a hand grenade of the 1914 model, equipped with melinite, is significantly superior in its effect to all other types of grenades and, by the nature of its action, is a typical example of an offensive grenade; it is only necessary to reduce the number of individual far (over 20 steps) flying fragments as much as the state of the art of this matter allows. This improvement is provided for in the attached “Requirements for new types of hand grenades.” Mills and F-1 grenades, provided they are supplied with more advanced fuses, are considered satisfactory as defensive grenades, while Mills grenades are somewhat stronger in action than F-1. In view of the limited supplies of these two types of grenades, it is necessary to develop a new type of defensive grenade that meets the new requirements...

In 1926, tests were carried out on F-1 grenades from those available in storage (at that time there were 1 million grenades of this system in warehouses) with a Koveshnikov fuse developed in 1920. Based on the test results, the design of the fuse was modified and after military tests in 1927, the F-1 grenade with the Koveshnikov fuse, under the name F-1 hand grenade with the fuse of the F.V. Koveshnikov system, was adopted by the Red Army in 1928.

All grenades available in warehouses were equipped with Koveshnikov fuses by the beginning of the 1930s, and soon the USSR established its own production of grenade bodies.

In 1939, engineer F.I. Khrameev modified the grenade - the lemon body became somewhat simpler and lost the lower window.

There is another version of the appearance of the F-1 grenade. In 1999, retired colonel Fedor Iosifovich Khrameev said in an interview with Kommersant Vlast magazine that in 1939 he designed the F-1 grenade.

In February 1939, I received an assignment to develop a defensive grenade... in Moscow I saw an album released by the Russian General Staff in 1916, which presented images of all the grenades used in the First World War. German and French were corrugated, egg-shaped. I especially liked the French F-1. It exactly corresponded to the task received: easy to throw, safe fuse, sufficient number of fragments. The album contained only a drawing. I developed all working drawings. I had to suffer. He replaced the plain cast iron from which the F-1 was made with steel to increase the destructive power of fragments.

Here's an interesting story:

As F.I. Khrameev said in an interview, preliminary tests of the grenade were minimal, only 10 prototypes were made, which were soon tested, and then the design was put into mass production:

Was some kind of selection committee created?

Not really! Again I'm alone. The head of the plant, Major Budkin, gave me a chaise and sent me to our training ground. I throw grenades one after another into the ravine. And on you - nine exploded, but one didn’t. I'm coming back and reporting. Budkin shouted at me: he left a secret sample unattended! I'm going back, alone again.

Was it scary?

Not without that. I lay down on the edge of the ravine and saw where the grenade lay in the clay. He took a long wire, made a loop at the end and carefully hooked it onto the grenade. Tugged. Didn't explode. It turned out that the fuse had failed. So he pulled it out, unloaded it, brought it, went to Budkin and put it on his table. He screamed and jumped out of the office like a bullet. And then we transferred the drawings to the Main Artillery Directorate (GAU), and the grenade was put into mass production. Without any experimental series

In Russia, Germany and Poland it was called “lemonka”, in France and England - “pineapple”, in the Balkan countries - “turtle”.

Since the grenade was developed on the basis of the French fragmentation grenade F-1 model 1915 (not to be confused with modern model F1 with a plastic body and semi-finished fragments) and an English grenade of the Lemon system (Edward Kent-Lemon) with a grating fuse, supplied to Russia during the First World War. Hence the designation F-1 and the nickname “limonka”.

In addition to the “lemon”, the grenade was also nicknamed “fenyusha” by the troops. With the advent of rifle-mounted and under-barrel grenade launchers, the art of fighting with hand grenades began to be forgotten. But in vain. The effect on the target of low-fragmentation under-barrel grenades cannot be compared with the work of the F-1 hand-held fragmentation grenade, known both to the military and civilian population codenamed "limonka". With minor design changes, this grenade is produced in different countries peace for 80 years. “Limonka” is the most powerful of all hand grenades in terms of the lethal effect of fragments and the most convenient to use.

The ribs on its body - the turtle - exist not at all for division into fragments, as is commonly thought, but for “grasping” in the palm, for ease of holding and the possibility of being tied to something when placed on a stretcher as a mine. The body of the F-1 grenade is cast from the so-called “dry” cast iron, which, when a high explosive (crushing) charge explodes, splits into fragments ranging in size from a pea to a match head, irregularly torn in shape with torn sharp edges. In total, up to four hundred such fragments are formed! The shape of the case was chosen this way not only for ease of holding. Until now, no one can explain why, but when a “lemon” explodes on the surface of the earth, fragments scatter mainly to the sides and very little upward. In this case, the grass is “mown down” completely within a radius of 3 m from the explosion site, complete destruction of the growth target is ensured within a radius of 5 m, at a distance of 10 m the growth target is hit by 5-7 fragments, at 15 m - by two or three.

Diameter - 55 mm
Case height - 86 mm
Height with fuse - 117 mm
Grenade weight - 0.6 kg
Explosive mass - 0.06-0.09 kg
Deceleration time - 3.2-4.2 sec
Radius of continuous damage - 10 m

The scattering range of fragments with lethal force reaches 200

The design of the grenade turned out to be so good that it is still produced and is in service in many countries. Proof that the F-1 is a high-quality weapon can also be the fact that Chinese “craftsmen” took it as a prototype and began producing a fake in their own form. And this, as is known, best sign quality. In addition, the F-1 is also produced in Iran, also completely copying the Soviet model.

During the Great Patriotic War, the F-1 became the main anti-personnel grenade used in all branches of the military. Despite the fact that it is considered a fragmentation grenade, the F-1 was also used to blow up tanks by putting several grenades in one bag and throwing it under the track.

Another property of the “lemon” is its ability to be used as a tripwire mine. The F-1 was easy to install by pulling a tripwire, thereby eliminating the need to carry special mines, and this, especially for sabotage groups, was of great importance.

Films also added to the popularity of F1. This grenade is a must-have attribute of any “cinematic” battle. But the directors, using the F-1 in the frame, did not really think about the realism of what was shown in the films, so certain film mistakes began to be perceived as real facts, although they were not.

For example, very often you can see how “lemons” are worn on the belt or on the chest, hanging around them. But when moving over rough terrain, there is a high probability of getting caught on something and causing an involuntary explosion. Therefore, the grenade was carried either in a pouch or in pockets, but never openly. In addition, the pin in the frame is often pulled out with teeth. It won’t be possible to do this in real life, because the effort required to break the check must be considerable.

The “lemon” became the most popular weapon in the dashing 90s. Many groups used it along with the Kalashnikov assault rifle as the main striking force in gang warfare.

F1 once again proved the proverb “Everything ingenious is simple.” After all, having existed for more than 70 years, the grenade will remain in service for a long time.

The F-1 anti-personnel hand grenade was created with the purpose of destroying manpower while on the defensive. Due to long range due to the flight of fragments, it is thrown out from behind fortified positions or from armored vehicles.

The designation F-1 comes from the name of the French F-1 grenade, which was supplied to Russia in 1915. Except French model, during the First World War, English fragmentation grenades Lemon, which was the reason for the common name Limonka.

It is likely that these grenades from foreign developers served as the basis for the development of F-1.

The design of the Russian grenade is extremely successful, and today it has remained virtually unchanged. Only the fuse device was modified, which contributed to an increase in the performance of the F-1.

Despite the decent mass of the grenade, amounting to 600 g, a trained fighter is able to throw it 40 meters. With a damage radius of 30 meters and a potential fragment localization area of 200 meters, it is advisable to be in a trench, behind a wall, or in armored vehicles.

The F-1 design includes a shell made of SCh-00 cast iron (460 g), elliptical in shape (length - 11.7 cm; diameter - 5.5 cm) with a ribbed surface, in which 50-56 g of explosive (TNT) is placed. , and the fuse is screwed into the top. The ribbed surface of the shell is made in the form of cubes so that, on the one hand, this gives the grenade a certain ergonomics and simplifies its throwing, and, on the other hand, serves as a matrix for the formation of about 1000 fragments weighing 0.1-1.0 g (fragments weighing more than 0.8 g = 4%) at explosion.

The model of F.V. Koveshnikov was initially used as a fuse. However, since 1941, for the F-1 grenade, A. A. Bednyakov and E. M. Viceni created a more reliable and cheaper UZRG fuse, which, after the end of hostilities, was improved and was called the modernized universal hand grenade fuse or UZRGM.

In addition to the body, the fuse has: a captive detonator cap, followed by a slowing fuse for delay (in the Koveshnikov fuse - 3.5-4.5 seconds, in the UZRG - 3.2-4 seconds); and an igniter primer made of a copper cap, in which a puncture compound is pressed, covered with a circle of foil.

Z UZRG and UZRGM apals. UZRG — early model fuse (was in service in WWII, replacing the Koveshnikov fuse). However, due to shortcomings it was modernized (UZRGM) (in particular, the lever often did not fly out and therefore the impact mechanism of the fuse did not work). The UZRGM fused the larger cutout on top - eliminated this problem.

The use of a grenade begins from the moment when the antennae blocking the exit of the pins are bent. By holding the lever, the grenade is taken in the hand, the pin is pulled out and thrown at the target. Under the buoyant force of the fuse spring, the lever flies to the side, releasing the firing pin. After 3.2-4 seconds the grenade explodes. At the moment of the explosion, it is necessary to hide behind a barrier to avoid injury from shrapnel.

The damaging factor of the grenade is the direct high-explosive effect of the explosion, leading to concussion at a distance of 3-5 meters. At a distance of up to 30 meters from the epicenter, there remains a high chance of injuring or destroying the enemy, although large fragments have a low probability of causing damage at a distance of up to 100 meters. The most common fragments are 1-2 gram grenade fragments, they have initial speed about 700 m/sec.

The best effect of F-1 is manifested in a closed room, which is associated with the localization of the room in the zone of highest danger. In this case, there is a high probability of shell fragments ricocheting, and, in addition, a closed space significantly increases the high-explosive effect, causing concussions and disorganization of the enemy.

The F-1 grenade is a “cheap and cheerful” means of setting tripwires, which is explained by the long-term preservation of the grenade’s combat effectiveness in conditions environment and a wide area affected by shrapnel. However, a 4 second delay in the situation is an unfavorable factor that provides the enemy with a chance to escape.

Two versions of F-1 grenades are produced: training and simulation and combat. The shell of the training-imitation grenade is black with vertical and horizontal white lines, its pin and lever segment are scarlet. In addition, there is a hole at the bottom of the shell. In its combat version, the F-1 is green, which can vary from dark to light tones.

Packaging wooden boxes hold 20 grenades. In it, enclosed in two sealed jars, there are UZRGM fuses (10 units in each). Before the battle, the cans are opened with a knife, which is also available in the boxes, and the fuses, in turn, are screwed into the grenades. Placing grenades for long-term storage involves removing the fuses.

The F-1 hand-held anti-personnel defensive grenade has been around for about 80 years and is part of the Commonwealth Independent States, exported to Africa, Latin America, and exact analogues of the F-1 are also produced in China and Iran.

Photos and information:

http://amurec.ucoz.ru/

http://f1zapal.by.ru/

http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/F-1_(grenade)