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'Hand'y Little Bombs |
Like the mortar, the hand grenade was first put to use by the Spanish during the
Eighty Years War. It gained in use in the 17th century and, in the
final quarter of that century became a popular weapon in sieges. Being so
commonly used, a special class of soldier was designated for lobbing grenades: the
grenadier.
Like an exploding mortar round in miniature, the grenade was tossed over obstacles, around corners and doors and down openings, where a straight musket shot could not do its job. Well suited for close-quarter combat, both sides threw them in sieges.
The grenades of this period were hollow for the powder charge and were of cast iron or thick glass. The Spanish in particular favored glass. All had fuses held in place by cylinder-like extensions of the spherical grenade. Using a grenade required not only a strong throwing arm but a keen sense of timing and courage to put oneself into a position to toss it.