Austro-Hungarian Hand Grenades of the Great War Part Nine – The Zeitzünder M15 Grenade Part Two

Another Zeitzünder M15 grenade, although unlike the previous example I showed you, this is one hundred percent the hand grenade version, as the handle demonstrates.

Also, unlike the previous one, this could hardly be described as a relic, being in practically perfect condition.

The conical head that we saw previously has been replaced…

…by this cylindrical head, into which the fuse would be inserted.

Just like the previous version, the segmented inside of the body of the grenade can be seen (above & below).

…and the body…

…is basically identical to the ‘Guguruz’ from last post,…

…allowing for manufacturing differences,…

…the two most obvious being the width of the lip on the left, and the size of the final ring of fragmentation pieces on the far right; both are slightly smaller on this version than the on the previous one.

Austrian troops with Zeitzünder M15s, fuses attached, hanging from their belts.

An Austrian soldier hurls a Zeitzünder M15.

In time the M15 was superseded by the M16, a very different looking grenade, as we shall see next time.

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7 Responses to Austro-Hungarian Hand Grenades of the Great War Part Nine – The Zeitzünder M15 Grenade Part Two

  1. Chris Wouters says:

    The Austrian soldier on the left is both carrying the M15 and the M1917 Stielgranate.

    The M15 is a defensive grenade, the M1917 an offensive one.
    So this soldier is ready to attack or to defend.

    Grenades are usually divided into two main types, defensive and offensive, where the defensive grenade is designed to be used from a position of cover, and have an effective radius greater than the distance they can be thrown, while the offensive grenade is used by assaulting troops, and have a smaller effective fragmentation radius.

    The main difference during WW I and WW II was that the Germans, and their allies, used fragmentation grenades as defensive ones and non-fragmentation grenades (like the M1917) for offensive, but also for defensive actions.
    Of course, in reality, they (and I) would use whatever they (I) had at their (my) disposal……

    To my knowledge, the British and their allies only used fragmentation grenades, certainly during WW II (I should look it up for WW I).

  2. Magicfingers says:

    Bit naughty of me not to spot it, really – I can always edit you first comment and make it correct, if you like.

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