Any course in grenade training should have a three-fold purpose:

1st. To give the individual a practical knowledge of the working of the grenades in use.

2nd. To teach him how to throw them.

3rd. To make him acquainted with the general principles of organization and the execution of a grenade attack, either as a separate operation or as a part of a general attack. The time spent on any such course of training is a matter to be settled in the light of local considerations; but for purposes of preliminary training of a great number of men a period of two weeks is usually sufficient, with time allotted according to some such plan as this: (1) 10 separate half-hour sessions of practice in throwing from various positions and at the various targets; (2) 2 hours of study and a like amount of time spent in a conference for the purpose of clearing up matters that are hazy. In this brief time (only 9 hours) the foundation may be laid for a more thorough training of the specialists later on. In any such course the use of dummy grenades should always precede the use of any live ones; and men should be taught caution above all other things. This is a point easily lost sight of when men are using only dummies; but it is well worth remembering, for obvious reasons.

First: Giving The Individual A Practical Knowledge Of The Working Of The Grenades In Use.—The differences in the construction and the uses of hand and rifle grenades should be brought out clearly. The various sorts of grenades should be explained and men should not forget the importance of knowing the grenades of the enemy as well as our own. This knowledge may one day prove of no little importance. As has already been stated, the Mills No. 5 is the standard among hand grenades of the Allies. It conforms to the general description of hand grenades; i.e., it is an egg-shaped projectile, more or less hollow, and loaded with a charge of explosive. Besides this it has an apparatus for setting off the bursting charge. It weighs 1 pound 5 ounces approximately, and 4 ounces of this is high explosive. The shell being of serrated cast-iron, an explosion will scatter a sort of shrapnel over an area equal to three times the height. No more need be said of the effectiveness of such a weapon. Among rifle grenades the Mills is also the standard more or less, although the French make great use of a rifle grenade that fits over the muzzle of the rifle, fired by ball cartridge, in contrast to the Mills No. 23, which has a rod running down the barrel of the rifle and which is propelled by the explosion of a blank cartridge. The maximum range of this grenade with a 5-½-inch stem is 120 yards, the gun being fired at an angle of 45 degrees. The Newton Improved (a rifle grenade which explodes on contact) has a range of 250 yards; the Hale No. 3 also explodes on contact and has a range of 200-225 yards.

Second: Instruction In Throwing.—As previously stated the use of dummy grenades should precede the use of any live ones. Due precautions should be taken at all times, even when working with dummy grenades, for a habit of carelessness is not to be tolerated with this sort of weapon. Men should be instructed to throw from standing, kneeling and prone positions; although this last-named position is little used. Distance is important but Accuracy Is Essential. Men should always be taught to throw at a definite target, even when throwing in the open during preliminary work. The men may work in groups, one group throwing and the other returning. This method keeps all hands occupied and furnishes a medium for a little competition, which is a very helpful thing in training of this sort. A manual of the following sort may be of use in acquiring the proper sort of throw.

  1. Pick up the grenade with the left hand.
  2. Prepare to throw—face to the right and transfer the grenade to the right hand.
  3. Take aim—left hand and arm extended up and straight toward the target, right hand and arm behind the thrower in the same plane as the left.
  4. Withdraw pin with left hand.
  5. Throw—use a straight overhead motion and do not bend the arm at the elbow. It is not a baseball throw. The tendency for most of us Americans is to follow a perfectly natural habit—try to use the baseball throw. This is to be discouraged for several reasons, the chief one being that the grenade weighs about a pound and a half, whereas our baseball weighs only a third of this amount. Then, too, it often happens in the trenches that a grenade duel will last for hours. Under such circumstances the last grenade may decide the issue and endurance will be a mighty telling factor. Hence, the insistence upon the overhead throw.

The preliminary throwing should take place in the open but always with a definite target, an outline of a section of trench being the best sort of target. Another excellent idea is to have a target arranged according to the diagram shown herewith and to keep score. This procedure will also add incentive for competition and will produce results. After men have thrown in the open for a sufficient period, they should proceed to the next stage: This is the stage of throwing in a cage or from behind and over obstacles. There are three distinct phases of this feature of the training: (1.) The thrower sees the target but must throw over an obstacle. (2.) The target is invisible; the thrower is aided by an observer and a periscope; the observer notes the fall of the grenades and gives directions as follows—"So many yards right or left" or "Shorten or lengthen so many yards." (3.) Actual throwing in trenches. This stage immediately precedes that of "working up a trench."