SABULITE HAND-GRENADES

New Zealand Times, Volume XL, Issue 9174, 14 October 1915, Page 7

SABULITE HAND-GRENADES

BOMB-TESTING AT FOET DOESET.

By permjsßicm. of 1 the Defence Department there took place - yesterday at Fort Dorset a very successful demonstration of New Zealand grenades loaded ■with the new safety explosive, sabulite. Among those who witnessed'; the senes of tests were Colonel Cooper, of Ohriatohurdh, Lieutenant-Colonel Courtney, Major Cowles, Captain Thring, Professors Eaaterfield and, Marsden, Messrs Marcus Marks and James Dykes, representatives of -the Savage. Club, which is contemplating making : ;■ a : substantial donation of sabulito grenades to the Now Zealand forces; -Mr Xoonard Hammond, manager of' Sabulite, New Zealand, limited; and Mr Frank, Dwyer, local agent for the company. The hand grenades used were small spherical shells weighing about-Zilb These had been charged with sabulite—a modem explosive and a Belgian patent, of which the rights for New Zealand are held- by Sabulite, Now Zealand, Ltd., Waikumcte, Auckland. One advantage claimed for; these grenades js that ■ they are proof against premature explosion— *a-fuse and ..detonator being required to bring them into Wlien -they explode, 'however, it ,is osti-, mated that they break into I*o to IJO fragments, almost uniform in size, and scatter themselves with a force sufficient to pierce a man’s body. ’ The' first tost cleanly proved the ter-rible-wounding power of those sabulite grenades. This was carried out by Mr Leonard Hammond; iwho suspended,, a grenade inside a largo wooden, box which had been sunk in the ground. An odgh-leen-inoh f use was lit and timed to explode in 50 seconds. Almost to the tick there w» a violent upheaval of timber and the earth, and the box was discovered shattered and riddled. The second test was equally impressive. In a trench occupied by twelve wooden dummies two grenades were exploded almost simultaneously- When the spectators approached to investigate they found that every figure had been badly holed—some being " wounded” on a dozen places. The final part of the demonstration again proved the efficacy of these modem 1 versions of an old-time weapon. Two grenades with short fuses were thrown >y Lieutenant-Colonel Courtney from one trench to that -which contained, the dummy figures. The distance covered was thirty yards, and each bomb found its billet with most telling results. Last. of all. Professor T. H. Hastorfield, of Victoria College, tossed a grenade with such success that the explosion sent large pieces of wood hurtling into the air. Although the handling of these grenades is a simple matter, still some practice is necessary in order .that, one may learn to time the fuse. A mistake in cutting or timing a fuse may lead to the grenade being thrown back by tho enemy with disastrous results.

It is satisfactory to know, therefore, that training in bomb-fighting is likely to be . started in New Zealand. If, this training is carried out with sabnlite grenades—large supplies of which can bo turned out weekly at the Weikunleto works of Sabulite, New Zealand, Ltd.— our men will go to the front with weanons they understand and in which they will hare complete confidence, •