FACTOID # 101: The United States has the world's highest marriage rate - as well as the world's highest divorce rate.
 
 Home   Encyclopedia   Statistics   Countries A-Z   Flags   Maps   Education   Forum   FAQ   About 
 
WHAT'S NEW
RECENT ARTICLES
More Recent Articles »
 

FACTS & STATISTICS    Simple view

  1. Select countries to view: (hold down Control key and click to select several)

     

     

    Compare:

     

     
  1. Select fact or statistic: (* = graphable)

     

     

     

  2. (OPTIONAL) Compare to statistic: (both need to be graphable)

     

     

     

  3. View result as:

     

       
(OR) SEARCH ALL encyclopedia, stats & forums:   

Encyclopedia > Sticky bomb
The Sticky Bomb shown with the protective case open
No 74 ST Grenade
Type Hand grenade
Nationality United Kingdom
Era World War II
Platform Individual
Target Vehicle/Tank
History
Date of design 1940
Production period
Service duration
Operators United Kingdom
War service World War 2
Specifications
Type High Explosive
Filling nitroglycerine
Detonation Timed., 5 seconds
Weight 2 lb 4 oz / 1000 g
Filling weight 600 g
Length 241 mm
Diameter mm
Variants
Number built

Popularly known as the Sticky bomb, the No 74 ST Grenade was an unusual British hand grenade issued in World War II. Inherently dangerous for the user, it was eventually relegated to Home Guard use. Image File history File linksMetadata Grenade_Hand_No_74_The_Sticky_Bomb. ... A weapons platform is generally any structure or system on which a weapon can be mounted. ... Nitroglycerin (also nitroglycerine, trinitroglycerin, or glyceryl trinitrate) is a chemical compound, a heavy, colorless, poisonous, oily, explosive liquid obtained by nitrating glycerol. ... A WWII-era MkIIA1 pineapple fragmentation hand grenade A hand grenade is a small hand-held bomb designed to be thrown by hand. ... Combatants Allies: Poland, British Commonwealth, France/Free France, Soviet Union, United States, China, and others Axis Powers: Germany, Italy, Japan, and others Casualties Military dead: 17 million Civilian dead: 33 million Total dead: 50 million Military dead: 8 million Civilian dead: 4 million Total dead: 12 million World War II... The Local Defence Volunteers (LDV) or Home Guard, was instituted by the British government during World War II to defend the UK in the event of an invasion by Germany. ...

Contents


Overview

This was an early attempt at an anti-tank grenade. To get the explosive to detonate against the vehicle it relied upon an adhesive, hence "Sticky".


The grenade was formed of a glass sphere containg the liquid explosive and a plastic (Bakelite) handle containing the fuse. The sphere was wrapped by a mesh cover that was coated with a very sticky adhesive - enough to hold the grenade to a tank hull. As supplied, a light metal case shrouded the adhesive. Bakelite is a brand named material based on the thermosetting phenol formaldehyde resin polyoxybenzylmethylenglycolanhydride, developed in 1907-1909 by Dr. Leo Baekeland. ...


In use, pulling one pin released the protector, a second was the safety pin for the fuse. When thrown it had the same action as a Mills bomb; a handle was released, igniting the fuse. If all went well, the grenade would hit the target up to 60 feet away, stick, and then explode. Mills bomb Nationality United Kingdom Date of design 1915 Service duration May, 1915 - 1970s Type Fragmentation Filling Baratol Detonation 7 seconds, later reduced to 4 Weight 773 g Filling weight 71 g Length 95. ...


However, if the grenade stuck to something else, such as the thrower's clothing, then he was in mortal danger, with an armed or - worse - ignited grenade stuck to him.


Even when not used, the glass was a fragile element and easily cracked in transit. The filling, pure nitroglycerin, was sensitive to shock too. Consequently, although possibly effective, the sticky bomb was never popular. Nitroglycerin, also known as nitroglycerine, trinitroglycerin, and glyceryl trinitrate, is a chemical compound. ...


A young member of the Home Guard remembers witnessing a training incident with the sticky bomb:

The sticky bomb was more complicated. It was like a large toffee apple. There was a white tape that you stripped off, you then gave the bomb a shake and two halves fell away leaving you with a sticky toffee apple type bomb full of nitro glycerin. You pushed a button in the handle and then whacked it onto the side of a passing enemy tank, which in our case was an old iron boiler towed along behind a lorry. It was while practicing that a HG. bomber got his stick [sic] bomb stuck to his trouser leg and couldn’t shift it. A quick thinking mate whipped the trousers off and got rid of them and the bomb. After the following explosion the trousers were in a bit of a mess though I think they were a bit of a mess prior to the explosion.[Bill Miles, WW2 People's War]

References

  • Ian V. Hogg - The Encyclopedia of Infantry Weapons of World War II - Arms & Armour Press - 1977 - ISBN 0-85368-281-X
  • In the movie, "Saving Private Ryan", Tom Hanks' character reverts to using sticky bombs as a last defense against the Nazis. He makes the sticky bombs out of the GI's socks coated with axle grease to provide the stickyness and put composition B in the sock.
  • WW2 People's War is an online archive of wartime memories contributed by members of the public and gathered by the BBC. The archive can be found at [1].

Saving Private Ryan is a 1998 Academy Award winning film directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Robert Rodat. ... Composition B is an explosive consisting of castable mixtures of RDX and TNT as well as, in some instances, additional desensitizing agents. ...

External links

See also

British Grenades of World War I & World War II
Anti-personnel
Grenade, No 1 Hales | No.s 5, 23, 36 Mills | No. 69 | No.s 8, 9 Double Cylinder Jam Tin
Anti-tank
No. 68 AT (Rifle) | No. 73 Thermos | No. 74 Sticky bomb | No. 75 AT Hawkins |
Special Types
No. 82 Gammon | No. 76 (WP) | No. 77 (WP)

  Results from FactBites:
 
FarShores News story: Georgia Mud Nuke Bomb Becomes Sticky Issue (0 words)
Suddenly, the unfound bomb took on new significance because of the possibility it could be exploited as a weapon of mass destruction or, at the least, used to make a "dirty bomb" to spread radioactive material along the Southeast coast.
Still, Arseneault is concerned enough about the bomb's potential threat that he has agreed to lend his expertise to a group pushing the government to find and remove it.
The components of the bomb are in dispute.
Saving Private Ryan: sticky bomb (224 words)
Alternately referred to as a sticky charge, sticky grenade or sticky bomb, the makeshift explosive employed by paratroopers during the Battle of Ramelle consisted of grease-covered socks filled with composition B or TNT explosive material.
Although the first attempt to use one of the sticky bombs failed, and the paratrooper holding the device was blown apart instantly, two other paratroopers successfully planted two sticky bombs on a German Tiger tank.
Miller's explanation of the device was obviously designed largely for the sake of the movie audience, who might have been a bit amused at highly-trained soldiers suddenly taking off their socks and stuffing them with explosives.
  More results at FactBites »


 

COMMENTARY     


Share your thoughts, questions and commentary here
Your name
Your comments
Please enter the 5-letter protection code

Want to know more?
Search encyclopedia, statistics and forums:
 


Lesson Plans | Student Area | Student FAQ | Reviews | Press Releases |  Feeds | Contact
The Wikipedia article included on this page is licensed under the GFDL.
Images may be subject to relevant owners' copyright.
All other elements are (c) copyright NationMaster.com 2003-5. All Rights Reserved.
Usage implies agreement with terms.