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American military's greatest fears was the seemingly endless hordes of Soviet tanks that could overwhelm Europe if the Cold War turned hot. Enormous efforts were made to find ways to stop them. One possible solution was found in playgrounds across the country. In 1969, the toy company Parker Brothers invented a soccer ball made of lightweight and soft foam that was easy for even small children to grasp. And since then, the Nerf soccer ball has become one of the most popular street toys in history. In 1973, someone in the US Army saw this and had a brilliant idea. Take one of the foam balls, fill it with explosives and
throw it at the Soviet tanks. And no, this is not an exaggeration about creating a lightweight grenade covered in foam. They took a real Nerf ball off the shelf at a toy store, hollowed it out, filled it with explosives, and tested it. While the logic is pretty sound, a regulation NFL ball weighs 14 ounces (about 400 grams). So the additional weight from explosives, fuses, stabilizers, and other components would bring the toy to the desired weight. At the same time, it was argued that most American men who went into service at least knew how to throw a football. In theory, the football grenade was supposed to be equipped with a shaped charge to combat the armor of Soviet tanks. It was an option for close combat in situations where more
modern anti-tank weapons were not suitable. When a tank passed, a soldier could jump out, throw a soccer grenade, and then hide in cover. There was no need to deploy bulky anti-tank weapons with teams of soldiers. But promising theory quickly gave way to cold, hard reality. Soccer balls work because the weight is distributed evenly, which is not the case with flew erratically during the throw, which is never a good sign. There were also problems with the detonator, which either failed to work or, worse, exploded in flight, which was more than problematic. The Nerf football grenade never made it out of the
testing stage. sports equipment was used as inspiration for grenades. During World War II, a new grenade was tested that was the size and shape of a baseball. And again, the logic was that most American men could throw such a ball. The T13 model was equipped with a special fuse that detonated on contact, rather than on a timer, so that the enemy could not throw it back. "Bino," as it was nicknamed, was never used because the contact fuse was too sensitive: two testers died and 44 were injured due to at least five premature detonations. Field tests were also conducted in Western Europe in 1945 failure rate, which was too much. The idea was abandoned, although spherical grenades resembling baseballs did enter service with the M67 model. At first glance,
the ideas were not bad, but apparently designing a deadly explosive device based on a children's toy is a bad idea. A grenade that returns to the person who threw it? Brilliant idea. What could go wrong? Well, the boomerang is synonymous with Australia, created by the Aborigines for hunting and warfare. If thrown correctly, it can return to the thrower, making it a fun toy for relaxation and, of course, for use as a grenade. This monster of military chaos is the Russell boomerang grenade, named after its creator, Melbourne engineer Garrett Victor Russell. It was made of sheets of galvanized iron, and 85 g, or about 3 ounces, of the
explosive gelignite was placed in the corner of the device. The fuse ran along one of the shoulders, and the shoulders themselves were hollow and filled with metal balls, making Russell's boomerang an anti-personnel grenade. For a special charm, the metal was stamped with an image of an emu on one shoulder and a kangaroo on the other. Fortunately, the grenade wasn't actually designed to return to the sender, at least not completely. If thrown over a wall, it would turn around and detonate on the other side of the wall, hitting those hiding there. At least it could go around corners, so line of sight wasn't necessary for effective use. When it was tested in 1915, the local newspaper reported that they saw it, quote: "dive like a hawk on its
target," end of quote. Well, unfortunately, the military was not impressed, and after some tests they concluded that it was too unpredictable in flight and, quote: " has no value for military purposes." Russell tried to get his invention re-evaluated , sincerely believing that it would be useful to soldiers in combat, but this never happened. The project was stopped at the prototype stage, and today only one copy survives, which is kept in the Auckland Museum in New Zealand. Saving Private Ryan is a masterpiece of cinema, and it is one of the most famous war films. During the final battle scene, the protagonist used improvised sticky bombs: " Composition B" explosives in a sock lubricated with axle grease
so that it would stick to the target. They were used to blow up the tracks of attacking German tanks, disabling them. This unusual weapon actually has a real basis. Back in 1938, the British military began experimenting with anti-tank grenades. One idea was the sticky grenade #74. The weapon contained about 1.25 pounds of nitroglycerin in a cloth case, which was then coated with a solution of high- adhesion bird glue. All of this was housed inside a spring-loaded metal case consisting of two halves. To use, the body was removed, a 5- second wick was lit, and the grenade was thrown. The sticky substance would cling to a target, such as a tank, and then an explosion would occur.
During the war, about 2.5 million sticky bombs were produced. Most were intended for the defense of the country, although some were transferred to Canadian and Australian forces, as well as French partisans. Overall, it was considered an effective weapon, although there was a certain drawback. After removing the protective layer, the glue stuck to everything it came into contact with. Of course, it could have been a " Panzer", but the glue could also stick to the clothes of the thrower if they were careless. Therefore, extreme caution had to be exercised. Although the grenade had limited success, the disadvantages outweighed the advantages, and the sticky bomb concept disappeared after the war. Grenades can be devastating, but only if they don't crack like an egg.
By the last years of World War II, Japan's industry was in decline. Their overseas empire was gradually losing territory, and fears of invasion of the islands themselves were growing. Due to the need for desperate measures, a new grenade was created to embody this situation. The most famous feature of the Type 4 grenade was the material. Since there was a shortage of metal, the grenade body was made of ceramic or porcelain. They were not made in factories, but in numerous artisanal kilns used for pottery. Each kiln was designed for its own material, so "Type 4" had a wide variety of materials and colors depending on the place of manufacture.
She was also crude and primitive, demonstrating the desperation that gave birth to her. About 4 inches tall, 3 inches in diameter, they were roughly spherical in shape and filled with explosives. They were sealed with a small rubber cap, inside was a simple 5- second fuse, which some compared to a firecracker. Although the ceramic fragments could cause damage, the Type 4 was not a full-fledged fragmentation grenade, relying on the high-explosive effect of the explosion. Most likely, it only stunned the enemy soldier, who was then finished off with a shot or bayonet. The Type 4 was issued to soldiers on the front lines of Iwo Jima and Okinawa, although most were intended for use in defending the islands
in the event of an invasion. The most obvious drawback of this grenade was the fragile materials. At any moment, if it was dropped or hit against something hard, it would shatter, rendering it useless. "Type 4" were produced in huge quantities , and now they have become a real find for collectors. One has only to remove the rubber seal, pour in the explosives, and the weapon turns into an interesting exhibit for discussion. Some of them still have the original appearance of unglazed pottery, but many have since been painted, transforming dangerous weapons into works of art.
