Finnish grenades

[alpinoinMT]

I recently acquired two inert/empty Finnish Sirpalekranaatti M/41 & Sirpalekranaatti M/43 grenades.

In my research, I have found the Varsikäsikranaatti m/32 has 200 grams of TNT. But what of these first two?

I hope to have the correct info at shows this summer, what can you tell me?

Thanks/Kiitos

[JTV]

I recently acquired two inert/empty Finnish Sirpalekranaatti M/41 & Sirpalekranaatti M/43 grenades.

In my research, I have found the Varsikäsikranaatti m/32 has 200 grams of TNT. But what of these first two?

I hope to have the correct info at shows this summer, what can you tell me?

All Finnish fragmentation (egg) hand grenades (m/32, m/41 and m/43) had about 60 grams of TNT, while Finnish (concussion) stick hand grenades (m/32 and m/41) had about 200 grams. TNT was the only explosive that was used for Finnish hand grenades.

BTW: The terms you are using are bit "wonky". Finnish language uses kranaatti for both grenade and shell. Hence sirpalekranaatti without mentioning of käsi (hand) literally translates as fragmentation shell (type of artillery shell). Also Finnish military basically divided all the hand grenades it used into two categories depending their shape - stick hand grenades and egg hand grenades.

Official WW2-era vocabulary:
- Stick hand grenade m/XX with concussion effect = Varsikäsikäsikranaatti m/XX, miinavaikutus.
- Egg hand grenade m/XX with fragmentation effect = Munakäsikranaatti m/XX sirpalevaikutus.

Jarkko

[alpinoinMT]

Thank you Jarkko! my Finnish is very rough!
Now I know.
May I ask, what is the correct description in Finnish,
of the hand grenades made from Finnish 47mm mortar bombs M/32 "egg" grenades,
and were the Soviet 50mm mortar bombs used the same way, as egg grenades?
KIITOS

[JTV]

Thank you Jarkko! my Finnish is very rough!
Now I know.
May I ask, what is the correct description in Finnish,
of the hand grenades made from Finnish 47mm mortar bombs M/32 "egg" grenades,

In that case the process went the other way - egg hand grenade m/32 could be turned into mortar shell by removing bottom blug and replacing it with plug that had tail section attached into it. Egg hand grenade version was named in normal manner, but I am not sure if there were even an official name for the mortar shell version. When it comes to Tampella's 47-mm mortar, there were only couple of prototypes and only field test series of six mortars (47 Krh/39 aka 47-mm mortar model 1939). The field test series mortars were delivered to Finnish Army in year 1939 and probably saw limited combat use during Winter War, but do not seem have seen any further use. Hence for example Finnish infantry ammunition manuals introduced in late 1940 do not include their ammunition, nor do mortar manuals published in year 1941.

Finnish military had also another experimental 47-mm mortar known as 47 Krh/41. The mortar shells that it used resembled egg hand grenade m/41 with tube containing rifle round (used as propellant) attached to it. According manuals if needed particular mortar shell designed could be also used as hand grenade.

and were the Soviet 50mm mortar bombs used the same way, as egg grenades?

No as far as I know. Finnish hand grenade fuses would not have been compatible (diameter & depth) with the fuse well used in them.

If you want more info about the grenades that you have, photos would be useful. For example wartime Finnish egg hand grenades had four fuse designs used with them.

Jarkko

[Georg_S]

Terveisin Niko

Hello,

Welcome to AHF, the language of AHF is English. Because of that I delete your post

Best regards
Georg