No. 68 AT Grenade

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Grenade, Rifle No. 68 /AT
The Mark 1 No. 68 Rifle grenade, shown with the nose facing left
Type	Anti-tank rifle grenade
Place of origin	United Kingdom
Service history
In service	1940 - 1945
Production history
Designed	1940
Variants	Mk 1 to Mk VI
Specifications
Weight	894 grams
Filling	Lyddite, Pentolite or RDX/Beeswax
Filling weight	156 grams
Detonation mechanism	Impact

The Grenade, Rifle No. 68 /AT was a British anti-tank rifle grenade used during World War II.

[edit] Overview

The No. 68 was an early form of shaped charge grenade, and has some claim to be the first High Explosive, Anti Tank (HEAT) device in use. The design of the warhead was simple and failed to include several features which would have improved performance. That said, it was still capable of penetrating 2 inches (50 mm) of armour in 1940.

Detonation occurred on impact when a striker in the tail of the grenade was thrown forward into the fuse.

The grenade was armed by removing a pin in the tail that held the striker. The grenade was launched from a rifle cup. The simple fins gave it some stability in the air and provided the grenade impacted the target at the proper angle (90 degrees) the charge would be effective.

[edit] References

• Ian V. Hogg - The Encyclopedia of Infantry Weapons of World War II - Arms & Armour Press - 1977 - ISBN 0-85368-281-X

[edit] External links

• The Home Guard Pocket Manual, by Capt. A. Southworth, M.B.E., p49-50: description of the No. 68 AT Grenade, use and diagram.
• A member of the Home Guard demonstrates the EY rifle with No. 68 anti-tank grenade (image) Imperial War Museum on-line collection: photograph number H 22061.

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) | "Lewes bomb"