The Type 97 Grenade was a fragmentation grenade used by Japan during World War II.
Description
It was the standard grenade of the IJA and it was very similar to the Type 91 Grenade. The weight of the Type 97 was about 0.45 kilograms and the length was around 9.8 centimetres.[1] The grenade had a timer length of approximately four to five seconds and there was about 65 grams of TNT in the grenade. To arm it, the firing pin must first be screwed into position and the safety pin is removed.[2] Then, the cap protecting the striker is removed and the grenade is hit against a hard surface such as a rock.
The grenade was lobbed after the pull of the pin, but sometimes the grenade did not even detonate. The force of the explosion was also equably weak compared to other grenades exercised by the Allies. It never possessed any new upgraded variants.
History[]
The Type 97 Grenade was introduced in 1937 because of the need for a hand grenade with a shorter fuse than the Type 91 Grenade. The Type 91 Grenade had a longer fuse because it was meant to be used by the Type 89 Light Mortar even though it could still be used as a hand grenade. The Type 97 saw extensive use, since it was the standard issue grenade of the IJA, and some of the places it was used in included China, Peleliu, and Guadalcanal.
References[]
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