The () or Stg. 24, also known as the potato masher (), or the doorknocker (), was an improvement over the stick grenades used by the Germans during World War I, which would be later be augumented during World War II with a fragmentation sleeve while in 1943, the Germans introduced a new variant designated as the .
The was an improvement over the stick grenades used during WWI introduced in 1924, with a smoke version () introduced in 1939. The Stg. 24 was one of the main hand grenades used by the alongside the more commonly used (). In 1943, a simplified variant, the was introduced, using the egg grenade fuse screwed upon the warhead and a solid wooden handle. The Germans also made use of 'emergency' () grenades with warheads made of concrete or wood during the final years of WWII; these improvised variants were sometimes unreliable, less durable and poorly protected from the elements, being marginally safe to use even when recently made.
The German-trained Chinese divisions of the National Revolutionary Army were supplied with Stg. 24s, while other divisions made use of locally made copies during the Second Sino-Japanese War. During the war hundreds of thousands of grenades were produced monthly by several arsenals and distributed to NRA units, who used it for close combat situations (due shortages of automatic weapons) or lobbed them down from the top of buildings on advancing Japanese troops.
The primarily relied on its concussion blast effect since the thin warhead casing produced little fragmentation upon detonation. Since its effective throwing range was greater than its burst radius, advancing soldiers could throw them in the open without risk of injury. In 1942, the Germans introduced clip-on fragmentation sleeves to increase their lethality, but these were seldomly used by their pioneer units, who relied on the explosive effect alone for demolishing enemy bunkers.
The functioned much like its WWI predecessors, with a pull cord to activate the fuse and a screw cap, but the belt clip on the warhead was omitted. The Chinese copies largely varied in shape according to arsenal, but used the same operating mechanism of the Stg. 24. The 11th Arsenal in particular produced direct copies of the original but with a cast iron warhead, while the explosive filler was a mixture of TNT and potassium nitride, resulting in a weaker blast effect.
Soldiers were usually issued with two or three grenades usually tucked on the front their belts or on the top of their jackboots. Chinese soldiers usually carried two stick grenades inside cloth pouches hung on their necks.
The Stg. 24 was a simple to operate design that a recruit could achieve basic proficiency in about three hours of training. The practice stick grenade () contained a small charge that produced a puff of white smoke that was vented through eight holes in the warhead, but it was usually thrown without the charge.
(Nb.Hgr. 39) smoke grenades were used to blind the enemy and provide cover during assaults against fortified enemy positions; each Nb. Hgr. 39 released white smoke for 100âÂÂ120 seconds each. Smoke grenades were also used by anti-tank teams, blinding the enemy tank drivers while other soldiers planted their magnetic charges.
A versatile weapon, the could be fitted with several warheads to create a bundle charge (). A concept initially developed during World War I, up to six warheads or captured foreign grenades were wired to a seventh grenade with its handle still attached.
A typical WWII-era bundle charge contained approximately of TNT. These charges were thrown at enemy tank treads, engine decks or firing ports, or used to demolish enemy pillboxes. German pioneers placed these improvised charges against the door or threw them into the anti-tank gun embrasures. The Chinese also made use of bundled grenades against Japanese tanks and fortifications; They also tied up one or more grenades to long bamboo poles to stick into the window of an occupied building, preventing the enemy from kicking or throwing the grenade back.
Alternatively, the grenade and extra warheads could be wired to a wooden board at about intervals and then pushed under barbed wire to act as an improvised Bangalore torpedo (), with a long cord tied to the detonator porcelain bead to detonate the charges. According to Rottman, the Germans used long boards with over a dozen warheads placed at intervals.
The stick grenade was also used to make an incendiary device in WWII by using a jerrycan; holes were bored and plugged with wooden plugs before half-filling it with gasoline, and a Stg. 24 or Nb.Hgr. 39 grenade was tied to the canister. After placing it on the rear engine compartment of an enemy tank, the grenade pullcord was pulled. The detonation either tore the canister apart or drove the wooden plugs out of the holes, igniting the gasoline.
The Germans in WWII made ample use of booby traps, often using the or captured British Mills bombs, Soviet F-1s, or American Mk 2 grenades. The grenades were rigged to tripwires or fitted with pressure plates and buried as improvised landmines. Six warheads with their handles removed could be wired on a warhead rigged to a pressure plate to create a makeshift anti-light vehicle mine.
The Germans also used the B.Z. 24 friction igniter, with the time delay fuze removed and rigged to an explosive charge to make booby traps. Since soldiers not always had the time to remove the time delay mechanism from the M24, they preferred using captured Allied grenades (which were easier to adapt due their smaller size and simpler design) instead.
In an attempt of replacing the rather ineffective Sprengpatrone grenade used by the Kampfpistole, the Germans developed the round, which combined the warhead of with a shaft that was inserted into the barrel. The result was a too heavy projectile with such a short range that firers were discouraged to use these special rounds.