No. 76 Special Incendiary Grenade
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| No 76, Self Igniting Phosphorus | |
|---|---|
| Type | Incendiary grenade |
| Place of origin |  United Kingdom |
| Production history | |
| Number built | 6,000,000[1] |
| Specifications | |
| Filling | phosphorus, |
| Detonation mechanism |
Impact |
The No. 76 was an incendiary grenade based on white phosphorus used during World War II.
The design was the suggestion of the British phosphorus manufacturing firm of Albright and Wilson at a time when the UK faced possible invasion by the Germans. As such it would be used by the Home Guard and organised resistance units as part of a last ditch defence.
The grenade comprised a glass bottle with a total volume of approximately one pint. It was filled with white phosphorus, benzene, a piece of rubber and water. Over time the rubber dissolved to create a sticky fluid which would self ignite when the bottle broke. The grenade could either be thrown by hand, or fired from the Northover projector, a simple mortar; a stronger container was needed for the latter and the two types were colour-coded. As any breakage of the flask would be dangerous, storage under water was recommended. Like the Sticky bomb, it did not inspire much confidence in its users.
The Home Guard hid caches of these grenades during the war for use in the event of an invasion. Unfortunately, not all locations were officially recorded and some caches were lost[2]. Occasionally, the caches are discovered by builders digging foundations. In all cases, the grenades are still found to be dangerous and typically are destroyed via a controlled explosion.
Contents |
[edit] Notes
[edit] References
- MacKenzie, S P. The Home Guard: A Military and Political History. Oxford University Press, 1995 ISBN 0-19-820577-5.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
| 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" |
