Vivien-Bessière HE Grenade
From Battleground Europe Wiki
| |
| Vivien-Bessière HE Grenade | |
|---|---|
| Specifications | |
| Type | HE Rifle Launched Grenade |
| Fuse delay | 8 seconds |
| Length | |
| Weight | 0.490 Kg |
| Explosive | |
| Effective blast radius | |
The grenade Vivien-Bessière is a rifle-launched fragmentation grenade that was first fielded in 1916 by the French army. To use the VB, the Grenadier affixes the cup launcher, known as tromblon VB, to his Lebel rifle (other rifle models could be used, but the Lebel was preferred because of its robustness). He then chambers a conventional round, aims and fires. The bullet passes through a cavity in the grenade and ignites the fuse. The remaining muzzle blast then propels the grenade.
The French infantry platoon typically had three VB grenadiers, which were in 1940 due to be replaced by a crew serving one single Brand-designed lance-grenade de 50 mm mle 1937, a knee mortar not unlike the German 5 cm leGW 36. Delays in 50 mm ammunition manufacturing prevented the widespread use of the new mortar, and the VB remained prevalent.
References
- http://members.shaw.ca/dwlynn/french/ - Picture is copyright to this site.
| Infantry Weapons of Battleground Europe. | ||
| British Weapons | Boys Anti-Tank Rifle · Bren Mk I LMG · Lee-Enfield No.4 Mk I · M1928 Thompson · No.36 Mills Bomb · No.77 Smoke Grenade · Webley Pistol | |
| French Weapons | Boys Anti-Tank Rifle · FM 1924/29 LMG · MAS. 36 · Lebel · Grenade fumigène · Grenade à main offensive mle 1915 · MAS. 38 · Pistolet mle 1935S | |
| German Weapons | Karabiner 98k · Luger P08 · MG-34 · MP-40· Nebelhandgranate 39· PzB 39 ·Stielhandgranate 24 | |
| Universal Weapons | Ammo Resupply Pack · Combat Knife . Satchel Charge | |
