Germany's WW2 Egg Grenades 

I heard a story from a guy who was a little boy in Poland during World War II. He told a story about how one time he saw an egg like device with a yellow cap on it on the side of the road in the grass. Originally he thought it was a toy and unscrewed the cap on it which was the most eye catching part of it. When he did this, his mother had called him over so they could continue walking. He then tossed the object back into the grass as he had lost interest in it. Several seconds later it exploded. He was uninjured but the story does show the unintended consequence of having a grenade with such a bright color on it would have.

Potato mashers, eggs. How many times can Germany raid the kitchen?

not only did the stick grenades look more interesting for the photgraphers but they were also more visible since egg grenades were in the pockets of the soldiers whilst the stick greande had to be carried on the belt or in the shoes

One other possible reason why egg grenades aren’t prevalent in those war movies: if you’re also portraying Allied forces using “pineapple” grenades, because they’re a similar size and use a similar throwing technique, there could be some storytelling confusion if a non-uniformed character is using them.

A lot don't realise that not all famous weapons in both World Wars are as prolific as they think. In WW1, the French used more Berthier rifles and carbines than the Lebel, and the US used more M1917 rifles than the M1903. Both rifles were even second standard. In WW2, the Germans used the Walther P38 just as much as (if not more) than the Luger P08, and the Model 39 Eihandgranate as much as the Model 24 Stielhandgranate.

Military History Visualized has a good video on the doctrinal differences around use of the stick grenade versus the egg grenade.

I think at some point we've all though that explosives was the only way to clear a blockage in the toilet. Trust the Germans to over engineer something as simple as a hand grenade. With all those different timings the last thing you want in the middle of combat is to be trying to work out which colour meant what.

egg grenade without fragmentation sleeve was an offensive or assault grenade. with the sleeve was a defensive grenade. Which was an interesting idea to carry sleeves and use the grenades without, to take a position, then add the sleeves to the left over grenades to hold the position.

The scene from Downfall where the German General comes home to have a loving family dinner and pops out two egg grenades for desert and to a solid the Red Army is by far the best “egg” scene

This thing is actually in Post Scriptum, for the 1940 French invasion maps

We all appreciate the regular uploads, keep up the excellent and informative work!

Another piece of trivia about the German Stielhandgranate that I didn't know - the late war top fuse. Thanks, Johnny! "Make sure to check your pull-cord toilets, and have a nice day!" 🤣🤣🤣🤣

I just want to say thanks for introducing me to a lot of great older films! A lot of classics that would have otherwise flown under my radar.

I liked how you included scenes from movies featuring the egg grenade. The first time I saw this weapon was the family dinner suicide scene with General Fromm from "Valkerie"

I learnt something today that wasn't taught in any other WW2 channel - thank you !!

My understanding is that a good thing about stick grenades is that the stick stops them rolling so easily from a targeted area, also the leverage of the stick could increase throwing distance.

They used egg grenades in WW I most spectacularly in 1917 when Stormtrooper battalions used pairs of men with one man having large numbers of egg grenades strapped to his back and the second would throw them as they ran forward in an enemy trench to clear it.

Hanz, get the danger kinderjoy!

There's a myth that the Egg Grenade smelled like eggs to attract enemy soldiers thinking they would get a meal but would get an explosion instead.

$50 says some German grenadier strapped 2 egg grenade to a stick grenade and ran around hitting his fellow soldaten on the ass with it..

Appreciate it that you've tackled not just the Rare (In media) Egg Grenades of Germany, but also the, over shadowed by the Stielhandgranate, Russian RGD-33 Grenades. Personally and Aesthetic Wise, I love the Potato Masher style of Grenades... I don't why but... I just love how it looks... I blame Metal Slug.... But perhaps my Favorite Stick Grenade Style Explosive is the Russian RKG-3 AT Grenade (Video about said grenades in the Future?), I love Big Booms and this Grenade Delivers it. Keep up the Damn Fine Work Johnny! Keep the Good Shit Coming, my Friend!

Great video. Never heard of the egg grenade. Thanks for posting. However the term potato masher just seems so correct.

The round, easily-pocketed shape is also the reason Mills 36 grenades are rarely shown in WWII photos. Only the biggest grenades, the ones that don't go in pockets or webbing pouches get seen much.

Yet another great vid Johnny. You mentioned at the end about pull cords. That reminded me, would you consider doing a vid on the pull chain "Combat Rosary"?

Johnny-Love the regular uploads. You work your ass off. Keep up the great work. Whats next on the docket? Did you ever do anything on the P-39? Maybe something on the F-4 even?

Hi Johnny, you forgot the M-39 scene from "Valkyrie" (2009) . General Von Treskow kills himself by holding 1 under his chin.

Instant subscription. I enjoyed the video and found it very informative. I've been a student of WWII since 1975.

when people ask me why I replaced a perfectly fine antique pull-cord toilet when I moved into my flat I show them this video.

Well done. Very informative

Great video. Thank you!

3:24 looks like it came out of a period comedy show lol.

Plate of shrimp, Johnny, my son and I were just talking about fragmentation sleeves on German grenades this past Monday, wondering if and how the egg grenade could be fitted with such. Now I know, two pieces!

Compliments to Hidden & Dangerous for being the ONLY game I remember having Eihandgranate grenades.

Awesome video and I must admit I was one of those you mentioned in the video, I had no clue Germany used Pineapple Style Hand Grenades during WWII. Of course the primary German WWII Grenade was the Potato Masher Grenade. Due to the iconic uniqueness of the German Potato Masher Grenade it's the primary reason it's used to represent any German during WWII movies throwing a Grenade. I've watched just about every movie on WWII, well those I felt worth watching that is, and this is the first I've seen that showed Germany had a Grenade Option. So, needless to say, I learned something today and for that I thank you for sharing...

Military History Visualized made a good video about this subject.

We’ll great, now I’m going to be paranoid about every pull cord toilet I use from now on.

The grenade with the 10 second delay, I can definitely see being used in some rather interesting ways. For instance, they could tie a piece of string around the ring at the bottom of the grenade, and it could be lowered into something with enough time to allow it to detonate when it reaches the target if that even makes any sense. Another one the grenade with like maybe a one or two second delay could also work. The grenade could be placed in like an old tin can or something, and again, a piece of string or wire could be put on the ring at the base of it, and then tied to something else. You then have it essentially as like an improvised trip mine. And fun fact this was some thing that was done with grenades during both the second world war, and even all the way into Vietnam. What are the main reasons why I think these grenades don’t get much love so to speak is like stated they’re not very cinematic looking. And not to mention, they are probably considered to be far too similar to the standard fragmentation grenades used by the Americans or those of the British. One thing that the video neglected to mention is that even the British had a stick grenade of sorts in the war. At least I believe it was in the testing stages. I don’t know if it ever actually saw use

Great information Johnny, I had no idea the Egg Grenade was more numerous than the stick grenade for the Wehrmacht.

The British also had a stick grenade. Known as the No. 2 grenade (also known as Hales pattern and Mexican pattern). It was in service before WW1 and declared obsolete in 1920

Love the hell let loose references

Do that first flash bang made in the 1950s Edit: that flash bang I said it’s called no.69 grenade

Egg, Pineapple , lemon... food seems to be on the minds of soldiers

Thank you for highlighting this. I never knew this type of grenade not only existed but was so common. I just recently watched Downfall for the first time and I thought the heartbreaking scene featured in this video involved captured allied grenades. I figured the general in question knew that the standard stielhandgranat (sp?) would be too conspicuous and too hard to explain and so went through time and effort to procure those. I now know he just used what was at hand. It does not make the scene any less heartbreaking but its now in proper context for me.

I qualified Expert with the M67 because it's a baseball and I'm an American.

oh i love the Hell Let Loose clip

oddly found out about this grenade through playing Metal Slug, since the enemy are based off ww2 Heer and my curiosity about why their grenades looks like that

They're also the model used in impact grenades in Battlefield V, if I'm not mistaken

I have several originals all bought from the East. The reason why they are hard to find is because unlike the US and UK types, the M39 was made of sheet steel less than 1mm thick. As mentioned, the Germans did actually have an egg grenade used in WW1. It was of much thicker cast steel. The M39’s were painted either black or ordinance tan, later they came with rings on the bottom for hanging on the uniform buttons or battle gear. The fuse was of the graze type as opposed to that used by the other belligerents (springs and strikers). Explosive filling for all types was an early form of plastic explosive called Nitinol. Fascinating little weapon.

How to basic in the background: *Heavy Breathing in Eggs*

Thank you for the info, I just found some Model 39 grenades in the halloween candy.

There barley shown in photos due to the fact that where mainly stuffed in pockets due to there small size. Also as mentioned they where intended for defense but offense. They where made to be more concussive to shock enemies so you could follow up with a attack to quickly eliminate the stunned enemies

Other interesting but virtually forgotten WW2 grenades would be the japanese kiska grenade and the British no69 and no73 grenades

I was wondering what's become of you. I've not seen one of your videos in a minute. Yours are always so well thought out.

I always remeber this granade from a bf2 ww2 mod

I love that you used a screenshot out of a video from PLW Review for the thumbnail

The only reason I knew this grenade existed was because of them being in Post Scriptum (on the 1940 maps against France). I didn't see them anywhere else.

Great video

"hand grenades are a dangerous hobby"

très instructif, merci 👍👍

A German manual also mentions egg grenades are preferred to stick grenades for use in dense forests. "Merkblatt 18a-26 Waldkampf- und Spähtruppausbildung in Finnland" from February 1944.

.... I used to play H&G ( Heroes and generals,online PC game). It was supposedly set in late WW2. Playing the axis/German side ,we only had early stick grenades(We did have the sleeves). I kept requesting for late m43 stick,and egg 🥚 grenades,but we never got 🥴!. (Granted alot of latter armour etc, where not introduced also,but that's another story).

Don't friendly fire, Johnny >:(

Thanks ! I'm discovering things

I prefer my deviled eggs packed with explosive flavor! Okay maybe not that explosive.

Nice one JJ. My grandfather (Royal Horse Artillery) was in Francs then North Africa and Italy for the war. His best friend was killed along with several other maimed when retreating Germans put these weapons into grape vines disguised as part of the tree. When his unit hungrily went for the fresh fruit they got their hands blown off. They used the ‘no fuse’ versions. I know this as I read the official report. One of the other thing they did was drug the wine by injecting through the cork. They were warned by an local Italian on one occasion just as they were about to have a swig.

Chinese PLA also used stick grenades, the Type 67 or "Chinese Type II"

Flushed away by that one....evil toilets ahoy..!!...thanks for that Johnny, have a great weekend..E...

My dad said he preferred the stick version as one could throw them a lot further.

Pull cord toilet. We had one of these. I grew up in a house that was built prior to WW2. Warsaw, Poland.

Cod 3 has this but only the Quick time events in which you got into a fight with a SS German and you pulled the pin of the M39 Eihandgranate and kill him instantly

I had never heard of a non-stick German grenade. And my father told me about seeing that movie with the booby trapped pull handle in the loo!

so i did give you RAH-66 Comanche to the list. now RGD-33 should join the list too, hehe. i used it in Call of Duty video game before.

And I was so concerned for the poor pigeon!

I’d prefer at least 4 blues for Trenches or in alleyways. Somehwere it needs to bounces. 2 sticks for Clearing rooms and vehicles.

"Egg,🥚 grenades?" "What about the mills bomb?"💣 "or pineapples?"🍍 "potato,🥔 masher?"

I can't find the source, but I read that in WWII the Germans tried out Acetone Peroxide (TATP?) as the explosive compound. In actual use, it was not effective as it evaporated over a period of weeks of manufacture so when the grenades reached the front line, especially in summer, they failed to operate.

If you hear an explosion like sound when I am in the toilet it is not an egg grenade.

0:01 That look is all you need to tell you he's screwed lol.

If I remember correctly, the Germans also had a tiny grenade that was fired from some sort of revolver. Saw it once in a photograph.

"Stauffenberg" 2004 German film production also includes a suicide scene by General Von Treskow (actor Ulrich Tukur) at the end. In it, he commits suicide by holding an M39 hand grenade to his stomach.

The only ever game that got me aware of this grenade's existence is the RTS Game called Men of War Even so, it's only the elites german troopers gets their hand on the egg grenades unlike a typical rifleman

When German soldiers threw the egg grenades they usually shouted: "Kinder Surprise"!

You should do a video on the war tomahawk of the colonial/Revolutionary War era.

Very good,you know seldom facts.

God the algorithm is getting freaky. I was just watching a video about the Citroen CX and it's hydraulic suspension which has green gas spheres which look like these grenades. There was even a comment from a guy who recalled a police press conference in Brazil where they proudly boasted of having seized some hand grenades and they were in fact Citroen parts. And then this video came up immediately after.

Well done

Great informative video !! Whats the last movie scene from ?

My pep pep used to raise pigeons and we gave them all away when he passed...little did I know I could have had a little Luftwaffe.

anyone else seeing a Johnny Dangerously reference with the exploding toilet?

I'm not the biggest connoisseur of WWII films or media, so the only time I've seen Soviet stick grenades was as part of a War Thunder commercial, where a soldier was trying to throw a bundle of stick grenades at a Tiger Tank.

I wonder if they were stored in egg cartons

I forgot the fuse color coding

What about the ww1 Mk1 (other varieties) tank the first tank to ever be use in combat

Not pushing, take your time but out of curiosity and excitement: Ju52 video when?

Only game I have seen one in was Call of duty 3 in a cinematic moment.

Feldwebel: "Also, Jungs, today you'll learn about the Eihandgranate. The most important thing to notice are these color codes..." Landser: "But, Herr Feldwebel, I am color blind!" Feldwebel: "...then stay the fuck away from me."

Imagine being killed by a deadly egg

I've read extensively on WWII for 3 decades, seen a million movies and documentaries. I never knew the Germans had an "egg handgrenade" until I came across this video back when it was first published a year ago.

Egg grenade are used in WWI : en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Model_17_grenade

What movie is the officer undoing the caps on two grenades from.