No. 15 Ball grenade
Encyclopedia
Overview
The No 15 is a time-fused grenade. It is internally fragmented and uses a cast-iron body.To light the grenade, the user has to remove a covering that was on the fuse, then strike an external Brock matchhead igniter against the fuse.
There are two types of fuses; the 5-second and the 9-second. The former was intended for throwing, while the latter was intended for catapult
Catapult
A catapult is a device used to throw or hurl a projectile a great distance without the aid of explosive devices—particularly various types of ancient and medieval siege engines. Although the catapult has been used since ancient times, it has proven to be one of the most effective mechanisms during...
s.
History
The No 15 was one of the interim grenades created because of the problems associated with the No 1 GrenadeNo 1 Grenade
The Grenade, Hand No 1 was the first British hand grenade used in World War I.-Overview:The Grenade No 1 was designed in the Royal Laboratory and is based on reports of Japanese hand grenades during the Russo-Japanese War by General Sir Aylmer Haldane, who was a British observer of the...
. Unlike the others, the No 15 had been created specifically for the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I
Middle Eastern theatre of World War I
The Middle Eastern theatre of World War I was the scene of action between 29 October 1914, and 30 October 1918. The combatants were the Ottoman Empire, with some assistance from the other Central Powers, and primarily the British and the Russians among the Allies of World War I...
, mostly for the fighting in the Dardanelles
Dardanelles
The Dardanelles , formerly known as the Hellespont, is a narrow strait in northwestern Turkey connecting the Aegean Sea to the Sea of Marmara. It is one of the Turkish Straits, along with its counterpart the Bosphorus. It is located at approximately...
.
While crude, the No 15 did well in the Dardanelles. In addition, it could easily be mass produced; in September 1915, more than 200,000 No 15s were created per week.
However, there were a few problems; the explosive charge was too large, which created smaller-than-expected fragmentation when the grenade exploded. In addition, it was considered too large because of its 3 in circumference. These problems were fixed with the No 16 Oval grenade.
Battle of Loos
The No 15 was to be a key part in the Battle of LoosBattle of Loos
The Battle of Loos was one of the major British offensives mounted on the Western Front in 1915 during World War I. It marked the first time the British used poison gas during the war, and is also famous for the fact that it witnessed the first large-scale use of 'new' or Kitchener's Army...
. Tacticians envisioned that the No 15 would be a great help in breaching German defenses. The No 15 was used because the No 5 "Mills bomb"
Mills bomb
Mills bomb is the popular name for a series of prominent British hand grenades. They were the first modern fragmentation grenades in the world.-Overview:...
was not being delivered properly to forces in the Western Front, and not enough of them could be supplied before the start of the Loos campaign.
When the Battle for Loos started, the No 15 failed to work. The fuse had become so wet that it was impossible to start it. In fact, it was estimated that approximately 18 out of 20 No 15s failed to light up in the first place. Its failure nearly lead to the British being defeated at Loos.
On November 20, 1915, the No 15 and its cousin, the No 16, were withdrawn from France and were replaced with the No 5 "Mills bomb".