manual for commanders of infantry platoons. - US Army Combined ...

II[A]NUAL& FOR CO%~ZABNDERS OF INSFANTREY PLA~CTOOQNS. 177
3. GR·ENADES.
Ch7a';'act-iris~tics.--The offensive and defensive p~owers of hand
gr~enadlces have been describedl in Book III, Chlapter IV. A
tra~ined grenadier can throw a grenade 35 to 45 yards with aa.
err1or of 2 or 3 yards at the outside. His rapidity varies, depend'ing
upon wthether he is uLsing the mletal fuse, wThich needs
only a. blow before it is thrown, or the automatic fuse, which
hlas a protective co-vering to be remloved. Under the most favot-aible
conditions lie canl throw about 110 grenades· pe-r mn~ute.
T4he use of tbe 0. F. (off~Iensive fusaznte) grenadle is becoming
tbe rule in azttacks over open ground. The FI. 1 gr~enade is a
tr~ench grenade!and is dn~ngerous for men not protected by sh~elt~ers
of somne kind within a radius of 1615 yards. The 0. Fi.
grenade is fr~equen-tly p~referred to it, as it is qyuite effective and
twice asu ni3nny can be carried by the same numbller of nien.
Rifle grenades canl be f~ired to a2distance of froni oS to. 220
yards; but they can iiot be handled as rpnidly as thle hand
grenades, and their tactical emp~loyment is therefore different.
ORGANIZATION.
(ci) Hand~Z1 y~'rIcndcs and thce gr~l~cndicrss cqucipm/7cnt.-The first
sEiuad of each p~latoon includes 1 grenardier corporal and 7
grenadicrs.. It mzay fighlt as a unit (1 corp~oral, 2 throvers, 2
carrier~s, 2 azssistaiit grenadiersx, aiid 1 connlecting file) orin two
groaps: (1 lea.der, 1 thrower, `1 carrier, and 1 alssistarnt). All1
mnembers of the squad shlouldl be trained in throwcsing gr~enades.
In each ba~ttaion3 one off~icer, dletailedl froni one of the companies,
hasM charge of the instruction and training of the grenadle sqluads;
lie shourld be prepar~ed. if nzecessary, to takie commnind of all1 of
the grenade squads of the battalion and handle tlieiu in actioii
a:s at unit. Tble squads m~e assemibled for instruction or combat
at the or·der· of tihe conilpatny· or battalion comniander; otherwise
thick grienaiers r·emain xvrith their platoons.
~The equipnient of the grenadier include,' the rlifle a~nd bayonet,
thle trench kinife, anti the aultomatz-iic pistol. The throwers are
nlot always r~equiredl to carry their rifles when the attack is
hot to be followed up, for examp~le, in a trench raid. WC;it~h this