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Gew.Pz.Gr.46 & Gew.Pz.Gr.61, H.E.A.T. Rifle Grenades
 

The German Wehrmacht seemed content with not developing any larger HEAT grenades for their Schiessbecher, but the SS had other ideas. Having difficulties obtaining the weapons they wanted, the SS went outside normal procurement channels to obtain what they desired, something they continued to do throughout the war. 
(The British discovered the advantages of outside procurement as well, creating their famous department M.D.1, also known as "Churchill's Toyshop"...but that is another story.)

The reverse taper Grosse Gewehrpanzergranate was not a effective geometry and and there were simplifications that could be made as well. The result was the Gewehrpanzergranate 46 and later the still larger Gewehrpanzergranate 61. These were different grenades entirely, from a simplified single piece drawn sheet metal body and shaft construction to a new base fuze design.
The Gewehrpanzergranate 46's warhead diameter was 4.6cm with an overall length of 93mm and carried a shaped charge of 150g. It had an armor penetration of 90mm.
A further improvement was the Gewehrpanzergranate 61 which increased penetration performance to 125mm. Its warhead diameter was enlarged to 61mm and carried a shaped charge of 200g.
Both types, Gew.Pz.Gr.46 and Gew.Pz.Gr.61, were produced in very small numbers towards the end of the war.



Here is the new base fuze for the Mod.46 & 61 grenades. The same is found in both grenades.
It is completely contained in the tapered base plug.
It is an impact "Allways" design. 
At the bottom is a rendering of the arming sequence. It is an inertial safety type. The detonator is in the housing with the creep spring, the firing pin is in the other half. The housing haves are "wound" when assembled, so the spring is trying to rotate the pieces but is held in the "safe" position by the outer collar, secured by a shear wire.
Clever little bugger.





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