HAND GRENADES

Otago Witness, Issue 3212, 6 October 1915, Page 3

HAND GRENADES

SUCCESSFUL DEMONSTRATION. WELLINGTON, September 23. A most successful demonstration of the use of hand grenades made in New Zealand took place at Fort Dorset. The demonstration ,waa under war conditions, and the grenade used was the “sabulite,” manufactured by the Sabulite (N.Z.) Company, of Auckland. Among those who witnessed the demonstration were the Hon. J. Allen (Minister of Defence), Brigadier-general Robin (Commndant of the New Zealand Forces), Colonel G. F. C. Campbell, Captains Thrung, Skelly, and Hudson, Lieut. Petersen, Professors Easterfield and Marsden. In order tshat the grenades might be given an effective test, two trenches had been constructed about 30ft apart, and in one of these trenches were 10 dummy figures made of timber, and placed about 2ft apart. The first grenade that was thrown exploded in the trench, and reduced the figures to matchwood, fragments of the grenade being buried deeply in the splintered wood. _ Several other grenades were thrown, with equally satisfactory results. The military authorities present expressed the opinion that so severe was the concussion, owing to the strength of the explosive used, that it alone would be sufficient to incapacitate any men that might be in the trenches when the grenade exploded.

THE MINISTER’S OBSERVATIONS (From Oub Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON. September 23.

To-night the Minister of Defence made a statement about the trial he witnessed in the afternoon. He said that the test took place at Fort Ballance, and the explosion of the grenades was very violent and very destructive. The grenade was simply a round ball of cast iron filled with sabbolito, the constituents parts of which were imported. The explosive, the Minister mentioned, was made in a private Auckland factory. The grenade was exploded by means of a fuse and detonator, and there was no doubt that the explosive was a very powerful one. The grenade was made on the pattern of the British make. The test showed that grenades of this kind could bo successfully manufactured in New Zealand. He did not think it likely that they would be made to send away with the dominion forces, one reason being, he understood, that the explosive would be affected by the journey to the other side of the world, although its separate constituents could be carried without d r fficulty.