No. 76 special incendiary grenade facts for kids

The No. 76 special incendiary grenade was a special type of bomb used during World War II. It was also known as the A.W. bomb or SIP grenade. This grenade was designed to start fires using a chemical called white phosphorus.

How the Grenade Was Made

The idea for this grenade came from a company called Albright and Wilson. In July 1940, they showed the Royal Air Force how white phosphorus could start fires. They threw glass bottles filled with a mix of petrol and phosphorus. When the bottles broke, the phosphorus caught fire on its own. The petrol also burned, creating a big fire.

The Royal Air Force was worried about how safe white phosphorus was. But they liked the idea of a bomb that could start fires by itself. This new bomb was first called the "A.W. bomb" after the company. Later, its official name became the "No. 76 grenade." Most people called it the "SIP grenade," which stood for "self-igniting phosphorus."

What Was Inside?

The final recipe for the grenade included white phosphorus, benzene, water, and a small piece of raw rubber. All these ingredients were put into a half-pint glass bottle. The bottle was sealed with a crown stopper.

Over time, the rubber would slowly dissolve. This made the liquid inside a bit sticky. The mixture would also separate into two layers. This was normal and meant the grenade was working correctly. You were not supposed to shake the grenade to mix the layers. Shaking it would actually make it harder for the grenade to catch fire quickly.

How the No. 76 Grenade Worked

When the grenade was thrown against a hard surface, the glass bottle would shatter. The chemicals inside would then instantly catch fire. This created a lot of heat. It also released choking fumes, like phosphorus pentoxide and sulphur dioxide.

Storing the Grenades

There were very strict rules for storing these grenades safely. It was best to keep them underwater. They were never to be stored inside a house. This was because they could be very dangerous if they broke or leaked.

Who Used the Grenade?

The No. 76 grenade was mainly given to the British Home Guard. The Home Guard was a group of volunteer soldiers in Britain during World War II. Their main job was to defend Britain if an enemy invasion happened. These grenades were meant to be used as an anti-tank weapon.

Many of these grenades were made. By August 1941, over 6 million of them had been produced.

How They Were Thrown

The grenade could be thrown by hand. It could also be fired from a simple weapon called the Northover projector. This was a type of mortar. Grenades fired from the projector needed a stronger container. The two types of grenades were given different colors so people could tell them apart.

Was the Grenade Effective?

Many people doubted if these grenades would work well against modern German tanks. Some thought that Molotov cocktails and SIP grenades might not be strong enough.

Weapon designer Stuart Macrae watched a test of the SIP grenade. This test happened at Farnborough. There was a concern that tank drivers might get hurt if they couldn't get out of their tanks fast enough. However, the tank drivers in the test said they were willing to take the risk.

Later tests on modern British tanks showed that the drivers were right. The Molotov and SIP grenades caused the people inside the tanks "no inconvenience whatsoever." This meant the grenades did not really hurt the tanks or the soldiers inside them.

Finding Old Grenades Today

During the war, the Home Guard hid many of these grenades. They stored them in secret places in case of an invasion. Not all of these locations were officially written down. Because of this, some of the hidden grenades were lost.

Sometimes, builders find these old grenades when they are digging foundations for new buildings. In every case, these grenades are still very dangerous. They are usually destroyed safely by a controlled explosion.

See also

• No 73 Grenade
• Blacker Bombard
• British anti-invasion preparations of World War II
• Operation Outward
• Smith Gun
• Sticky bomb