US Naval hand grenades

[Biscoitos]

Peter C. Hains, Chief Engineer of the 13th Army Corps during the Seige of Vicksburg, made reference to "naval hand grenades"

In his post seige report, while describing close in fighting, he mentions the use of hand grenades. His exact words are: "Some naval hand grenades were also procured, but from their peculiar form could not be thrown any considerable distance. Even when the approaches were only 10 feet from the ditch, it required an extraordinarily powerful man to throw one into the works."

What, other than weight, was their "peculiar form", that limited their range?
Are any naval grenades known to exist? Perhaps some were found on the USS Cairo?
Does anyone know of images or specs on naval hand grenades?

 

[Championhilz]

Yes, there were Ketchum Hand Grenades on board the USS Cairo, and a number of them were recovered when the boat was raised. In this picture you can see three of them at #7 in the display. The wooden stick and fins from each grenade are missing. Ketchum Hand Grenades came in 1, 3, and 5 pound sizes.

 

[Trooper "D"]

Yes, there were Ketchum Hand Grenades on board the USS Cairo, and a number of them were recovered when the boat was raised. In this picture you can see three of them at #7 in the display. The wooden stick and fins from each grenade are missing. Ketchum Hand Grenades came in 1, 3, and 5 pound sizes.

View attachment 553276

Do we know what size grenades are displayed?

 

[Trooper "D"]

Peter C. Hains, Chief Engineer of the 13th Army Corps during the Seige of Vicksburg, made reference to "naval hand grenades"

In his post seige report, while describing close in fighting, he mentions the use of hand grenades. His exact words are: "Some naval hand grenades were also procured, but from their peculiar form could not be thrown any considerable distance. Even when the approaches were only 10 feet from the ditch, it required an extraordinarily powerful man to throw one into the works."

What, other than weight, was their "peculiar form", that limited their range?
Are any naval grenades known to exist? Perhaps some were found on the USS Cairo?
Does anyone know of images or specs on naval hand grenades?

Those NURF footballs with tail fins are a pretty close facsimile. I painted one grey for my presentations that I did/do and it worked pretty well as an example. HA!

 

[USS ALASKA]

Is this a Ketchum Grenade Really From Gettrysburg? | Small Arms & Ammunition

Our local museum has a collection of Danner Museum items, projectiles, canteens and what is described as a Ketchum grenade. Sorry for the photos, i had to photo though a glass case. The item has the typical Danner Museum inventory number in white and sits on a base simiar to those of typical...

civilwartalk.com

Cheers,
USS ALASKA

 

[Lampasas Bill]

I'm not sure what the naval grenades were like, but I suspect their heavy weight indicated that they were meant to be dropped from the fighting tops or yards of a fully rigged ship during a boarding action, rather than thrown? In the Revolution, grenades dropped from the overhanging yards of the Bonhomme Richard helped force the surrender of the Serapis.