My latest Stick grenade

[MG34NZ]

Greetings All, thought I would share my latest addition.
This is one of the late war last ditch grenades produced from concrete, pictured beside a M24 to compare sizes. The head and pull ball are original the handle and string are modern additions but both are very close to original design.
Many variations on the type of handle existed, getting more crude as the pressure went on!
I had to wait a while for this one to surface but it was well worth the wait.
You guys in europe probiably excivate these by the truck load but to me is a neat addition to my collection and keeps a concrete egg grenade and a concrete Volks grenade 45 company.
Hope you enjoy seeing them
regards
Andrew

[MG34NZ]

another pic M24 and concrete head

Heres the M24 and Concrete head pic

[MG34NZ]

Top end of concrete grenade where the charge is held

[MG34NZ]

Another view of the head, I would love to see any concrete grenade variants that may be out there and allwayd looking to buy good grenades.
Regards
Andrew

[Rylan]

I had no idea about these concrete stick grenades. What a crude makeshift explosive

[1corps]

I have never seen this before either. Very interesting indeed!! Mike.

[Glenn Barbaritz]

this is the first I have ever heard of these. doesnt seem even right. can you or anyone back this up with any pictures/literature? Im not implying your lying I just have never seen/heard of concrete grenades in any armed forces. Glenn

[MG34NZ]

That would be you and most people Glenn myself included untill I was lucky enough to see them in a collection a few years ago. At times we all have to open our minds a little and expect the unexpected. Remember these were last ditch weapons made in the last desperate days of the reich.
Heres a link to SIMILAR grenades, look at the period photograph for a pile of these.
http://www.lexpev.nl/grenades/europe...natebeton.html

Also you will find them in Dimitar Mitevs most excellent reference work "Bulgarian and German Hand Grenades" page 188...along with the wooden and cardboard variations.

Now do you beleive?

[MG34NZ]

More Concrete

Now Just for Glenn , Heres two more concrete grenades from my collection. One the Volks grenade 45. a nice little grenade introduced in 1945 as the name implys the second is a concrete egg grenade pictured with one of my M39 eggs to compare sizes. The fuze type is only a guess as I dont know 100% that they used the same fuze arangement as the M39 but I imagine it would have been practical. These are rare and to date have only been found in a couple of reigons in Poland. There were a few variants differing from reigon to reigon but all loosley based on similar designs. Find this on page 196 of Mitevs book and the Volks grenade on page 194.
So next time you build a concrete path in the garden you can think about a far more sinister use for your medium.
Enjoy
Andrew MG34NZ
PS heres a link to a sparce ammount of info on this little knowen item

http://www.lexpev.nl/grenades/europe...gggrenade.html

[MG34NZ]

And heres the Volkshandgranate 45 mentioned above

This link has info on this grenade

http://www.lexpev.nl/grenades/europe...granate45.html

[Ordnance]

Andrew,

Nice grenades. I am also very interested in these late war, "last ditch" types of grenades and have two in my collection. One is a Volkshandgranate 45 which is virtually identical to your example.

The other is a slightly different style of stick grenade seen in the attached photos. I have had this one for about 20 years and it came from a contact in Berlin. I think it is all original, including the handle. The spots on the handle are residue and staining from moisture and mold. Although you cannot see it in the photo of the back side, it is lightly coded "col 45" in about 1/4" (6mm) characters.

The stick is forked at the upper end and straddles the paper explosives container in the middle of the head. I took these photos a couple years ago and could stand some improvement. Let me know if you would like a better view of the entire handle or the markings and I'll see what I can do. I would also like to see more of these in other collections if anyone would like to share images. Thanks.

Rick

[MG34NZ]

Hi Rick, Thats a beauty, one of the many variants of the same theme. Im in awe to see one with the original stick, very very impressive.Thank you for posting the pics and adding to this thread, you are indeed very fortunate to own that grenade.
from what I have seen the refinements on the handles deminished as time progressed, what few photos I have seen show many variations, yours being quite the "upmarket" version with a nicely finished handle where mine ( repro) is a bit more "agricultural"
I to find the late war grenades an interesting field but they are so hard to find !
Best Regards
Andrew

[Grenademan2005]

Hi Andrew:
Nice example. And yes, you are right: the concret grenades are not very popular between collectors, many times because most of them don´t know these "end war" grenades. But they are totally real. Like the beton mines. The only problem with these concret M24s is most times the handle is a replica.
Anyway is a very nice grenade.
Miguel. A. J.

[Grossfuss]

Beton StGr

Hi,
I'm hoping the present owner will send me a picture of my concrete grenade I sadly sold him many years ago.
Compared to those in that superb photo of a huge pile (where did they go?) mine had quite a deluxe handle with a wood "pull cap" secured by a split-pin at the top of the handle.
It didn't concern the dealer who sold it to me that it still retained the explosive charge and I must admit it sat in the family home like that for a few years!
When I finally decided to sell up the collection I thought it unwise to dispose of it in that state so I carefully cut round the wax paper showing above the concrete head and removed the threaded steel collar that took the pull-fuse. Nonchalantly (!) I dug out the charge and fashioned a dummy from a piece of broom handle wrapped in card to achieve the correct size with a hole bored to take the fuse. Glued the steel collar and wax paper on the dummy, glued that into the head and you'd never know the difference
Just hoping my friend will oblige with a photo.
Regards,
Grossfuss

[Glenn Barbaritz]

wow, didnt expect this to be an informative thread, but of course it is as now I know they actually used this style. I must admit though, I wont be trying to add one to my collection. not that I think it fake or something. I just think they look god awful ugly! but if I were in the situation that these Guys were in who were throwing them I certainly would have a different view on them. good examples and thanks for the new lesson learned Guys. Glenn