Page 25 - History of War - Issue 10-14

FRONTLINE: HEROES AND INNOVATORS

WILLIAMKETCHUM HAVILDARLACHHIMANGURUNG
PATENTED THE USE OF THE KETCHUM GRENADE DEFENDED HIS POSITION AFTER HIS ARM WAS BLOWN
OFFBYANENEMYGRENADE
Years 1798-1876 grenade would have to land for the
Country USA explosives within to detonate. Years 1917-2010 grenades at the enemy. However,
TheAmericanCivilWarwasa Although they were used at Country United Kingdom upon gathering a third, it detonated
hugely destructive time, with both the battles of Petersburg and During the Burma Campaign in his hand, shattering his arm and
sidesconstantlyonthelookoutfor Vicksburg, the fact that they conducted by British and blowingoffhisfingers.Despitehis
anyweaponthatmightgivethem hadtolandonthenoseinorder Commonwealth forces in 1945, horrific wounds, the brave Gurkha
the slightest advantage Enter to explode made them Rifleman Lachhiman Gurung’s continuedtoresisttheenemy,
William Ketchum. reliable. Indeed, battalion was tasked with operating his rifle at point-blank
Having previously se an account from an attacking Japanese forces rangewithhisremainingarm.For
as the mayor of Buffal attack at Port Hudson acrosstheIrrawaddyRiver,in successfully defending his position
New York, from 1844- records Confederate the north of the country. On in this way and killing 30 enemy
he would later become soldiers catching them the night of 12 May, he was combatants, Gurung was awarded
amemberoftheUnion in blankets before manning the forward-most the Victoria Cross.
forces during the War, throwing them back position of his platoon when it
wherehepatentedthe at the enemy. Despite came under repeated attack
useofaweaponthat eir deficiencies, they from a much superior force.
he hoped would tip th resented a milestone Japanese troops hurled several
balance. Named the he use of hand grenades into Gurung’s position
KetchumGrenade,the ades in combat. in an attempt to knock it out, as
cameintheformofa it commanded a strategic view
ough potentially destructive,
cast-ironballwitha of a nearby jungle path. Gurung
ltimately William Ketchum’s
fin.Ontheendwas nprovedtobetooinefficient successfully picked up and
acap,onwhichthe o warrant wider manufacture simply threw back two of these
NILSWALTERSENAASEN WILLIAMMILLS
CREATOR OF THE FIRST MODERN INVENTOR OF THE MILLS BOMB FRAGMENTATION HAND GRENADE
HAND GRENADE Years 1856-1932 grenade could be used that was
Years 1878-1925 Country UK both relatively safe to use and fit
Country Norway Before World War I, grenades for purpose. The end result was a
Whileservingasasergeantin were for the most part volatile device that utilised a spring-loaded
the Norwegian army in 1903, Nils and unreliable, just as likely to firingpinandlevel,coupledwith
Watersen Aasen started drawing explodeinthehandsoftheir a four-second fuse that allowed
up designs for what would become wielders as they were upon contact the thrower sufficient time to
thefirsthandgrenadetobewidely with the enemy. Sunderland-born deploy the weapon and take
used in modern times. Although William Mills changed that with cover. The Mills bomb grenade
the Norwegian army initially the invention of his Mills bomb. wasultimatelyasuccess,withthe
displayed little interest in his new Having opened the Mills Munition Britishforcesadoptingitastheir
weapon, he continued to market Factory in Birmingham in 1915, he primary fragmentation grenade
it across Europe, in the process took to work making sure a hand weapon and over 75,000,000
garnering interest from various were supplied for this purpose. In
Mills’ invention was the first reliable
nations (including the French, who fragmentation grenade to be adopted recognition of his services, Mills
in1915anointedhimaKnightof forusebytheBritisharmedforces was knighted in 1922.
theFrenchLegioninrecognitionof
his service).
Ultimately, the Norwegian
military relented and recognised JIAOYU&LIUJI COMPILED THE FIRST GUIDE TO EXPLOSIVE WEAPONS
the brilliance of his invention, Years c. 14th-15th Century weapons used during the
adopting it for wider use and Country China campaign were primitive types
subsequently promoting Aasen to Having risen through the ranks of the Chinese of grenades, cannonballs, guns
the rank of premier-lieutenant. He military,JiaoYuwouldnotonlygoontogain mines and rocket launchers,
wouldgoontoopennumerous aristocratic status – he would, alongside his among other devices. Thanks
factories across Europe, as well contemporary Liu Ji, create one of the definitive to Yu’s advice, Yuanzhang’s
as invent various other types of manualsonexplosivewarfareintheformofthe forces ran rampant, driving
explosive weapons, including the Huolongjing,atextthatwentontoinfluenceand the Mongols out of Beijing in
Aasenmortar(anartilleryweapon cement many of the principles behind gunpowder 1367, with the military leader
that was adopted for use by the weapons and their tactics. being declared Emperor in the
Russians) and one of the first-ever After studying the teachings of renowned following year.
modern landmines. philosopherConfuciusandthewordsofthesemi- Afterwards, Yu remained in
mythical warlord and tactician Sun Tzu, in addition apositionofpower,beingput
to the finer points of Daoism, Yu joined the ranks in charge of the Shen Zhi Ying
of future Emperor and Ming Dynasty founder Zhu Armory, which contained many different kinds of guns,
Yuanzhang, who was leading what would later artillery and explosives. With further repositories
become known as the ‘Red Turban Rebellion’ against being established around the country, the importance
the occupying Mongol forces. Yu would quickly gain of ‘fire weapons’ was clearly recognised – indeed,
Aasen’s hand favour with Yuanzhang thanks to his skills, leading to the subject was documented in great detail in the
grenade hisbecominganadviserandlatergeneral. Huolongjing (Fire Drake Manual), which he co-wrote
was widely A large factor in Yu’s growing influence was his with poet and tactician Liu Ji (1311 - 1375). Ji, like
used across
Europe during innovative plan for the use of explosive devices, or Yu, had battlefield experience and owed significant
World War I ‘fireweapons’,astheywerethenknown.Amongthe victoriestotheemerginguseoffirearms.

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