Kiska

The Type 99 Hand Grenade, or "Kiska" was the standard issue grenade used by the Japanese forces during World War II and is featured in Call of Duty: World at War. It earned the nickname "Kiska" among American troops due to the fact that the grenade was first captured from Japanese troops during the Battle of Kiska.

History and Development
Soon after introduction of the Type 97 hand grenade to front line troops, a number of issues arose. Instability and inaccuracy of the fuse mechanism made the Type 97 almost as much of a menace to the thrower as to the recipient. Furthermore, the Type 97 was a dedicated hand grenade, and could not be used with a grenade launcher. In 1939, the Army Technical Bureau developed an improved version intended to address these issues. Note: The grenade launcher with the Type 99 does not appear in any Call of Duty titles.

Design

The Type 99 hand grenade could either be thrown by hand or fired from a Type 100 Grenade Discharger. Unlike the earlier Type 91 or Type 97 grenades, the body was not segmented, but was smooth and flanged on both ends. It was also slightly smaller in diameter than the Type 91.

Operation required first removing the safety pin by pulling the cord to which it was attached and then striking the head of the fuse on a hard object, such as a rock or combat helmet, and throwing immediately. Since the firing pin was integral no screwing or unscrewing of the firing pin holder was necessary, as with earlier model Japanese grenades. [2] The Type 99 could also be used as a booby trap by removing the safety pin and setting under a floor board or chair. [3]

Call of Duty: World at War
In single-player campaign mode, it is possible to pick these up from dead Japanese soldiers in the Marine Raiders campaign. These grenades are not available in multiplayer, splitscreen (unless on co-op) or online, but they can be used in online custom matches if the player selects to play as the Japanese, as online custom matches only allow usage of weapons by country.

Trivia

 * Throughout the Pacific Campaign, the player will sometimes come across soldiers who will commit suicide using this grenade. An example of this is the soldier in the level "Little Resistance".
 * Kiska grenades can be picked up from fallen Japanese soldiers or just found lying around, usually on crates or boxes.
 * "Kiska" (Киска) means pussy or kitty in Russian.
 * On Breaking Point, at the part where Polonsky and Roebuck attempt to restrain the Japanese soldiers, one of them dies by a suicide Japanese grenade (you decide which one to save). This is most like likely a Kiska set to explode.
 * Booby traps can be set with the grenade.

Additional Reading

 * US Department of War (1994 reprint). Handbook on Japanese Military Forces, TM-E 30-480 (1945). Louisiana State University Press. ISBN 0807120138.
 * Rottman, Gordon L. (2005). Japanese Infantryman 1937-1945. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1841768189.
 * Departments of the Army and the Air Force (1953). Japanese Explosive Ordnance, TM 9-1985-4. ASIN B000H7NCDS.