No.82 Gammon Bomb/Grenade

Hi All,

I was wondering if anyone has war-time documentation about the development, use, and maybe even some assessment on the effectiveness of the Gammon Bomb/Grenade? I have had a quick search of the site and can't find anything so my apologies if there is something already up.

Regards,
Adam

 

There is a gammon bomb on display at the Airborne Museum in Oosterbeek and they were used by British 1st Airborne Div during Market Garden. That might be a good place to start.

 

There are a few grenade-related manuals downloadable from here:

WW2 Manuals – Downloadable

The main snags regarding theoretical performance are that the grenades were filled by the user (so the quantity and quality of explosive could vary) and whether or not the fuze was particularly reliable, as it relied on a weighted tape unwinding.

 

See britishexplosiveordnance1946 a pamphlet published by the US Navy The Gammon is described on pages 376 -377 and a Google on the title I enclosed should find a copy

 

hyg

 

Hello Adam, this page (link below) will give you some of the war-time related aspects that you seek, and "Pamphlet No 12. Grenades. London, HMSO" from 1944/1945 will give you the as was war-time technical information (these pamphlets can still be found for sale today)

The Grenade with Instant Fame - South African Military History Society - Journal

Kind regards, always,

Jim.

 

Gammon use in North Africa;

"In late November 1942 , twenty sappers of the 1st Parachute Squadron, Royal Engineers were picking their way across the Tunisian landscape. Overhead a bright moon bore down, and the peaceful night sky was frosted with stars. Their mission was to emplace mines and set up an anti-armour ambush on a road. This road led to an harbour area with a large number of Axis forces, including tanks. Once these forces were in place two companies of Para's, covered by a section of three inch mortars and supported by some ex Vichy Senegalese infantry whom had decided to join up with the Paras, would launch a frontal assault on the Axis position. The harbour was on the slopes of a place called Gue Hill.

It was similar to an ambush launched about a week earlier. They had convinced the German forces near Béja that the Paratroop force was actually three times its size, by the simple expedient of marching through the town three times, but switching headgear each time. The Para's had moved to Mateur where they got word of a large German convoy protected by armoured cars that had moved past. So they mined the road and when the convoy returned they attacked with Gammon bombs and small arms. This resulted in several captured German armoured cars and quite a haul of POW's."

Above courtesy of:

OVERLORD'S BLOG: Spank the Tank

I think the blog's initial content has likely been extracted from the book pictured below.

Kind regards, always,

Jim.

 

I suppose the question becomes 'what effect does 1lb of PE on armour plate of varying thicknesses?' - bearing in mind that we're unlikely to throw it hard enough or drop it far enough to get optimum 'squash head' contact.

As a point of reference, I will reuse one of my favourite factoids: an 8lb charge from a spigot mortar's A/Tk bomb would blow a hole through 2" armour plate.

 

Tracks, wheels, and tyres, for the targeting of primarily I would think idler. I'm with you on the (any?) effectiveness against armour plate.

Kind regards, always,

Jim.

 

Example of use by American troops in Operation Varsity (From "AIRBORNE AT WAR" by Lt. Gen. Sir Napier Crookenden KCB DSO OBE)

 

Contains some details of usage
The Grenade with Instant Fame - South African Military History Society - Journal