BACKGROUND: Observations on the Russian front of the effectiveness of the Russian RGD33 grenade with fragmentation sleeve led the Germans to copy the idea and develop their own grenade fragmentation sleeve. The first German fragmentation sleeve was a smooth version introduced by the Waffen-SS, Waffen-und Geräteamtes, (Weapons and Equipment Office), under command of SS-Oberführer Heinrich Gärtner in mid-1942. Shortly afterwards the German army followed suit by developing a serrated version of the fragmentation grenade although both patterns were used by both organizations. The fragmentation sleeves were designed to alter the M24 M39 and M43 stick hand grenades from purely concussion weapons to a more damaging fragmentation weapon.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Second pattern, tooled steel construction, grenade fragmentation sleeve with a serrated outer surface. Example shows rusting/pitting and is a dug example. Scarce original.