Sticky bomb
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| No 74 ST Grenade | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Hand grenade | ||
| Nationality | United Kingdom | ||
| Era | World War II | ||
| Platform | Individual | ||
| Target | Vehicle/Tank | ||
| History | |||
| Date of design | 1940 | ||
| Production period | |||
| Service duration | |||
| Operators | United Kingdom | ||
| War service | World War 2 | ||
| Specifications | |||
| Type | High Explosive | ||
| Filling | nitroglycerine | ||
| Detonation | Timed., 5 seconds | ||
| Weight | 2 lb 4 oz / 1000 g | ||
| Filling weight | 600 g | ||
| Length | 241 mm | ||
| Diameter | mm | ||
| Variants | |||
| Number built | |||
Popularly known as the sticky bomb, the No 74 ST Grenade was an unusual British hand grenade issued in World War II. Inherently dangerous for the user, it was eventually relegated to Home Guard use.
Contents |
[edit] Overview
This was an early attempt at an anti-tank grenade. To get the explosive to detonate against the vehicle it relied upon an adhesive, hence "Sticky".
The grenade was formed of a glass sphere containing the liquid explosive and a plastic (Bakelite) handle containing the fuse. The sphere was wrapped by a knitted woollen cover that was coated with a very sticky resin based adhesive - enough to hold the grenade onto a tank hull. As supplied, a light metal case shrouded the adhesive.
In use, pulling one pin released the protector, a second was the safety pin for the fuse. When thrown it had the same action as a Mills bomb; a handle was released, igniting the fuse. If all went well, the grenade would hit the target up to 60 feet away, stick, and then explode.
However, if the grenade stuck to something else, such as the thrower's clothing, then he was in mortal danger, with an armed or - worse - ignited grenade stuck to him.
A young member of the Home Guard remembers witnessing a training incident with the sticky bomb:
- The sticky bomb was more complicated. It was like a large toffee apple. There was a white tape that you stripped off, you then gave the bomb a shake and two halves fell away leaving you with a sticky toffee apple type bomb full of nitro glycerin. You pushed a button in the handle and then whacked it onto the side of a passing enemy tank, which in our case was an old iron boiler towed along behind a lorry. It was while practicing that a HG. bomber got his stick [sic] bomb stuck to his trouser leg and couldn’t shift it. A quick thinking mate whipped the trousers off and got rid of them and the bomb. After the following explosion the trousers were in a bit of a mess though I think they were a bit of a mess prior to the explosion. [Bill Miles, WW2 People's War.[1]]
Even when not used, the glass was a fragile element and easily cracked in transit. The filling, pure nitroglycerin, was sensitive to shock too. Consequently, although possibly effective, the sticky bomb was never popular.
[edit] In popular culture
- In the 1998 movie, Saving Private Ryan, Tom Hanks' character resorts to using sticky bombs as a last defense against the German Panzer VI Ausf.E Tiger I heavy tanks. However these sticky bombs are not British designed 'No.74 ST Grenades, but ones improvised out of the GI's socks filled with composition B, then coated with axle grease to provide the stickyness, it also showed the dangerousness of the bomb when one of the handlers was blown up by it.[2]
- They were used in Call of Duty: Finest Hour for the first 2 missions in the North African Campaign.
- In Company of Heroes, the same idea in Saving Private Ryan is implemented as a standard Rifleman squad special ability.
- The game Shadow Warrior has a Sticky Bomb at weapon slot 7. However, this variation of the bomb is a spherical grenade with protruding spikes and no fuse or adhesive coating.
[edit] References
- ^ Bill Miles, [1] WW2 People's War is an online archive of wartime memories contributed by members of the public and gathered by the BBC. The archive can be found at http://bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar
- ^ http://www.sproe.com/s/sticky-bomb.html
- Hogg, Ian V. (1977): The Encyclopedia of Infantry Weapons of World War II. Arms & Armour Press. ISBN 0-85368-281-X
[edit] External links
- Home Guard site
- The Home Guard Pocket Manual, by Capt. A. Southworth, M.B.E., p47-48: description of the sticky bomb, use and diagram.
- Imperial War Museum Online Collection. Search for sticky bomb for extensive collection of photographs of sticky bombs being made in a factory.
- Manufacturing at Kay Brothers
| British Grenades of World War I & World War II |
|---|
| Anti-personnel |
| Grenade, No 1 Hales | No.s 5, 23, 36 Mills | No. 69 | No.s 8, 9 Double Cylinder Jam Tin |
| Anti-tank |
| No. 68 AT (Rifle) | No. 73 Thermos | No. 74 Sticky bomb | No. 75 AT Hawkins | |
| Special Types |
| No. 82 Gammon | No. 76 (WP) | No. 77 (WP) |
