Grenade

A grenade is a small hand held explosive used in combat. It is designed to be used as an offensive weapon against enemies behind or in cover or against groups of enemy infantry. Most modern hand-grenades are designed for use against infantry only.

A typical grenade is a device consisting of a time-delayed fuse connected to an explosive. When detonated, the explosive causes damage to nearby infantry.

Grenades were originally a very simple device of a fuse connected to a well of gunpowder encased in a small iron or steel casing. These devices were woefully ineffective, and the grenade did not see widespread, regular use until World War One with several British designs, the French and Germans following suit.

For most of the Western Allies of World War 2, the standard hand-grenade was a roughly lemon-sized device consisting of a steel casing filled with explosive (typically TNT) with a fuse in the center. When the pin was pulled and the safety handle is ejected. The fuse was typically 3-5 seconds. When the grenade exploded, the casing, ball bearings contained within the grenade or some other form of shrapnel would erupt from the grenade in a 15-30 foot radius. Anyone caught in the radius of the grenade would be injured, with the 3-5 foot range typically lethal.

The German design of the era was an almost polar opposite. It consisted of a hollow wooden stick with a thin sheet steel can at the other end. Unlike the Western designs, the Model 24 Stielhandgranate was not designed to expel shrapnel, but instead to injure and kill with the concussive force of the explosion. The grenade was operated by unscrewing a cap at the bottom of the 'stick' and pulling on a small cord. The cord, in turn would drag a roughened steel rod through the igniter, starting a five second fuse. This grenade was useful in indoor, enclosed environments but less effective in open or outdoor areas. The grenade could typically be thrown about 30-40 meters, as opposed to the 15 or so by standard British or American designs. The Germans would later produce a grenade similar to that of their Western rivals and would also offer a thick steel sheet to go around the head of the standard Model 24.

The Soviet Union also produced fragmentation grenades, but these were something of a fusion between the British and German designs. The RGD-33 Grenade was designed in a stick-grenade form, but also included a fragmentation head. Although originally limited, the RGD-33 later included an optional fragmentation sleeve. However, the design of this grenade was complicated, and a simpler grenade, the RG-42, was created after the German invasion of the Soviet Union. These were of a standard fragmentation design with a can-shape and a fuse like most typical grenades of the period.

A few grenades were also designed to be used against armour, but these were rendered obsolete with the introduction of portable anti-tank recoilless rifles such as the Bazooka and Panzerschreck.

Today, the primary grenades used by most armies are either the American M61, M67 or the Russian RGD-5 and their local derivatives.

In Game
The Mills Bomb, Mk 2, Model 24 Stielhandgranate, RGD-33 along with a few specialized devices (such as Call of Duty: Finest Hour's "Sticky Bombs") are all found within the Call of Duty series from the original until 3. In Call of Duty 4, the M67 is the primary grenade for all sides. The M67 has a 5 second fuse and can be "cooked" to shorten the fuse. However, cooking the grenade for more than 5 seconds will result in a suicide as the grenade explodes in your hand. The perk "martyrdom" in Call of Duty 4 is often used in multiplayer. The perk allows you to drop a live grenade when killed directly where you died.

Grenades Per game

 * Call of Duty: Mk 2 grenade, Stielhandgranate, Mills Bomb, RGD-33, Smoke grenade (UO only)
 * Call of Duty: Finest Hour: Mk 2 grenade, Stielhandgranate, RGD-33
 * Call of Duty 2: Mk 2 grenade, Stielhandgranate, Mills Bomb, RGD-33, Smoke grenade
 * Call of Duty 2: Big Red One: Mk 2 grenade, Stielhandgranate
 * Call of Duty 3: Mk 2 grenade, Stielhandgranate, Smoke grenade
 * Call of Duty 4: M67 frag grenade, Smoke grenade, Stun grenade, Flash grenade
 * Call of Duty: World at War: Mk 2 grenade, Stielhandgranate, Kiska, RGD-33, Smoke grenade, Signal flare, Sticky Grenade