This compact hand grenade represents a very different approach to infantry combat from the heavy cast-iron Mills bomb. Made from bakelite, an early hard plastic, the No. 69 was designed to deliver a powerful blast while reducing the danger of flying metal fragments to the thrower. It reflects wartime efforts to adapt weapons for close-quarters fighting where cover was limited.
Displayed here is a British No. 69 hand grenade, introduced during the Second World War as an “offensive” grenade rather than a traditional fragmentation weapon.
Unlike the Mills bomb, which relied on a cast-iron body to produce lethal fragments, the No. 69’s bakelite casing shattered into relatively small pieces when it detonated. Its destructive effect came primarily from blast rather than shrapnel. This made it particularly suitable for use in confined spaces such as buildings, trenches, or during assaults where soldiers could not easily withdraw to a safe distance after throwing.
The smaller lethal radius allowed troops to use the grenade more aggressively and with less risk of injury from their own weapon, especially when throwing from behind minimal cover.
How It Worked
The No. 69 grenade used an “all-ways” impact fuze, meaning it was designed to explode when it struck a surface, regardless of how it landed.
To prepare the grenade, the thrower removed the screw-off safety cap at the top. Beneath the cap was a linen tape with a weighted end, wound around the outside of the grenade. When the grenade was thrown, the weighted end caused the tape to unwind in flight. This action withdrew the internal safety restraint, arming the impact fuze before the grenade struck its target.
Once armed, impact caused an internal steel ball and striker mechanism to function immediately, detonating the explosive charge on contact. Unlike a time-delay grenade, there was no pause after impact — detonation was instantaneous.
How It Was Used
The No. 69 was intended to be thrown by hand and used in offensive situations where rapid effect was required.
Because it detonated on impact rather than after a timed delay, it demanded careful handling and proper training. There was no opportunity for the thrower to seek cover after release if something went wrong. For this reason, impact-fuzed grenades were generally regarded as more hazardous to use than time-delay designs.
When greater lethality was required, the grenade could be fitted with a fragmentation sleeve, converting it from a primarily blast weapon into one capable of producing dangerous fragments similar to a conventional grenade.
Design Evolution and Timeline
The No. 69 was developed during the Second World War as part of a broader effort to provide infantry with grenades suited to different tactical situations.
Its impact-fuze concept was related to other British designs of the period that emphasized immediate detonation on contact rather than delayed explosion. Despite its innovative design, the No. 69 did not remain in long-term service. After the war, impact-detonating grenades were phased out in favour of safer and more flexible time-delay types.
Technical Description
- Length: approximately 4.5 inches (about 11.5 cm)
- Diameter: approximately 2.4 inches (about 6.0 cm)
- Weight: approximately 13.5 ounces (about 380 g)
- Material: Bakelite (early plastic)
- Type: Offensive hand grenade
- Fuze: All-ways impact fuze
- This grenade is inert.
The smooth bakelite casing lacks the deep external grooves seen on cast-iron grenades like the Mills bomb. Any increase in fragmentation effect came not from the body itself but from optional external sleeves fitted when required.
