MINUCCIANI GRENADE
| THIS GRENADE HAS A SIMPLE COVER WHICH APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN GLUED ON AS THERE ARE NO CATCHES OR LOCKING MECHANISMS ON THE BODY. IT WOULD HAVE HAD A SMALL PERCUSSION CAP IN THE CENTRE WHICH WOULD HAVE HAD TO BE STRUCK TO IGNITE THE FUZE. THESE GRENADES WERE FIRED FROM A SPECIAL GRENADE LAUNCHER CALLED THE "LANCIABOMBE MINUCCIANI ROTATIVO" THIS GRENADE WAS TRIALED IN THE UK BY THE MUNITIONS INVENTIONS DEPARTMENT IN 1915-16 BUT WAS NOT ADOPTED ON GROUNDS OF ACCURACY AND UNCERTAINTY OF FUZE IGNITION |
| THE LAUNCHER WAS A MOST STRANGE DEVICE. WHEN A HANDLE WAS TURNED THE LAUNCHING TUBE ROTATED ABOUT THE CENTRAL HOLE LIKE A WINDMILL. AS FAST AS GRENADES COULD BE FED INTO THE HOLE THE CAP WOULD BE STRUCK TO IGNITE THE FUZE AND THE GRENADE WOULD BE FLUNG OUT AT A PRESET ANGLE AND SAIL THROUGH THE AIR LIKE A DISCUS. |