miniature cs dissemination_xm 58 pocket cs grenade_nov68

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AD844203

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FROMDistribution authorized to U.S. Gov't.agencies and their contractors; CriticalTechnology; 18 NOV 1968. Other requestsshall be referred to Department of theArmy, Attn: Public Affairs Office,Washington, DC 20310.

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OACS D/A ltr, 13 Sep 1973

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DEPARTMENT OF THE 'ARMYARMY CONCEPT TEAM IN VIETNAM

APO San Francisco 9638),

__ ~~~~~~STA 'EV 4:Sýij,

'This documont is sub'oct t', : ozcport controls an eandetransmittal fn f lr £, reiGunnationnals may b8made only witht-;.i;.

FINAL REPORT OF MINIATURE CS DISSEMINATOR

AND

XM58 CS POCKET GREMADE

(ACTIV Project No. ACOG 83-86.5/6TI)

t41

DEPARIMMN OF THE ARMYARMY CONCEPT TEAM IN VIETNAM

APO San Francisco 1o038k

AVIB-CO 18 NOV 1968 !,U.UECT: Final Report of Miniature CS Disseminat-r and XT.M53 CS

Pocket Grenade

Co=Rnnding GeneralUnited States Army, Vietnam

ATTN: AVHGC-DSTAPO 96375

1. Reference: Letter, AVHGC-DH, Headquarters, US Army, Vietnam, 23 Feb-ruary 19r.T, subject; Letter of T-struction.

2. In accordance with thb provisions of the foregoing reference, theattached final report is forwarded for -eview And transmittal to Depart-ment of the Army.

3. Request one copy of the UESAR, and CT'rCISARPAC forwarding Indorsementbe furnished the Commanding Officer, Army Concept TPAm in Vietnam (ACTIV,.

FOR THF CO!.IANDER:

NORMAN M. I.FARYCPT, AGCCAdjutant

I

(U) ABSTRACT

The Miniature CS Disseminator (mini-grenade) and XM58 CS PocketGrenade (pocket grenade) are small lightweight point source disseminators.The objectives of the ACTIV evaluation were:

* To determine employment of the grenades during tactical operations.

To determine suitability of the grenades for use in the combatenvironment of Vietnam (RVN).

The grenades were employpi t", flush individuals from bunkers, to aidin clearing cf villages, to reu.ue the effectiveness of enemy defensivemeasures, and to aid friendly troops in breaking contact. Military policenoted that the grenades were ef- tive in conventional riot control appli-cations. The performance r'haracteristics of the grenades were satisfactoryin all evaluated employments, but the striker ring oL the mini-grenadewould become soft and unserviceable after extensive storage in humid andv wet conditions. The mini-grenade. not considered suitable for use inRVN because of the fuzing system and light weight. The pocket grenadeswere acceptable because they were easy to grip and throw with accuracy.Their heavier weight gave them mo. a penetrating ability than the mini-grenades. The pocket grenades, with modifications, are considered suit-able for use in RVN.

i)i

KlDEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY

ARMY CONCEPT TEAM IN VIETNAMAPO San Francisco 96384

AVIB-GCD 1 '

SUBJECT: Final Report - Mini'.ature CS Disseminator and •M58 CS PocketGrenade (ACTIV Project No. ACG 83-86.5/671)

Commanding GeneralUnited States Army, VietnamATTN: AVHGC-DSTAPO 96375

1. REFERENCESa. Message, USAPV, AVHGC-f-T 4"(i27, 09 July 1967, subject: Request

for Miniature CS Disseminator (ENSURE).

b. Le+ter, ACTIV, AVIB-GCD, lc :'%3vember 1967, sutject: Evaluation;Miniature CS Disseminator (ENSURE item 211); and XM58 CS Pocket Grenade (U).

2. PURPOSE

The purpose of this project was tc evaluate the Miniature CS* Dissem-inator (hereafter called mini-grenade) (ENSURE 211) and the XM58 CS PocketGrena,..- (hereafter called pocket grenade) in the Republic of Vietnam (RVN).

3. OBJECTIVES

a. Objective 1. To determine emplc,-ment of the grenades during

tactical operations.

b. Objective 2. To determine suitability of the grenades for use in

the combat environment of RVN.

4. BACKGROUnD

a. CS was first used by US forces in RVN in late 1965. Two types ofCS hand gl enades (ABC-M7A3 and ABC-M25A2) were used successfully to flush

* Riot control agent CS (o-chlorobenzalmalononitrile) was named afterCorson and Stoughton, who first synthesized the material.

AVIB-GCD 18 1%oV I"3SUBJECT: Final Report - Viniature CS Dissesinator and XM58 CS Pocket

Orenade (ACTIV Project No. ACG 83-86.5/671)

the ens from tunnels and bunkers. Both munitions were bulky and awkwardto carry through the dense vegetation encountered in RVN. Their weight andbulk often precluded use on long-razge tactical operations. Unit cmmand-ere requested that mall grenades be developed. In July 1967, HeadquartersUS Army, Vietnam (USARV) submitted an ENSURE request for a miniaturized CSgrenade (ref la). In response to this ENSURE request a lightweight minia-ture CS disseminator was developed by the United States Army Limited WarLaboratory (LWL). At the same time Edgewood A-senal developed the smalllightweight pocket grenade and offered it to LWL as another approach tosatisfy MSE 211. In Novmber 1967, LWL furnished both miniaturized CSgrenades to USARV for evaluation. These were added to an ACTIV CS munitionsevaluation project which originated with a March 1967 propC3al by the Assis-tant Chief of Staff for Force Development (ACSFOR), Department of the Army(DA), to conduct a combat evaluation of all CS munitions being developedfor RVN. This report is the fifth of a series covering the ACTIV evaluationof over 20 CS munitions.

5. DESCRIPTION AND OPEATION OF THE MINI-GRENADE AND THE POCKET GRENADE

The mini and pocket grenades (see Figure 1) are intended to dispenseCS into the asosphere to temporarily incapacitate the enemy without in-flicting permanent physical harm. CS is a riot control agent which has apepper-like odor and causes extreme burning of the eyes, copious flow oftears, coughing, and difficulty in breathing. Effects last from five toten minutes after the individual reaches fresh air. Both grenades can becarried in the pockets of the fati#..e uniform. They are designed to emitsuj.ficient CS to incapacitate enemy personnel in small bunkers, tunnels,and spider holes.

a. Mini-Grenade

The mini-grenade (see Figure 2) is a flat-top aluminum photoc&n(35m size) type container containing CS agent in eight gelatin capsules,a pyrotechnic energy source, a matchhead fuze igniter cord, and a card-board striker ring. The can has a screw cap which is sealed against mois-ture by a sealing disc. A piece of red pressure-sensitive plastic tapeseals the outside joint between the grenade body and screw cap. Technicaldata pertainiLg to the mini-grenade are:

Length of grenade 1-3/4 inchesDiameter of body 1-1/4 inchesWeight of grenade 35 gramsFilling 6 grans CS encapsulated in 8 capsules

2

AVIB-GCD 1 .SUBJECT: Final Report - Miniature CS Disseminator and XM58 CS Pocket

Grenade (ACTIV ProJv.Z' No. V. 83-86.5/67I)

Throwing distance Approximately 35 meters (116 ft)Ignition delay time 3 to 4 secondsBurning time 6 to 8 secondsFuze Striker ring and matchhead fuze.

0 1

iN

FIGURE 1. X0458 CS Pocket Grenade (Pdcket Grenade) andMiniature CS Disseminator (Mini-Grenade).

The mini-grenade can be activated after the rressure-sensitive tape isremoved from the screw cap, and the cap is removed from the grenade. Thestriker ring is vigorously rubbed against the matchheed fuze igniter cord.After ignition of the fuze and a delay of three to four seconds, the encap-sulated CS in vaporized by the pyrotechnic energy source. CS is emittedfor six to eight seconds.

3

AVIB-GCD, 18 NOV 1"33SUBJECT: Final Report -Miniature CS Dissmuinator and XM58 CS Pocket

Grenade (ACTIV Project No. ACG 83-86.5/6T1)

FIGU IRE 2.DISCtr SGu. ou-eto i

.I THHA

STIERRN

AVIB-GCD i s ;.:, .;

SUBJECT: Final Report - Miniature CS Disseminator and XM58 CS PocketGrenade (ACTIV Project No. ACG 83-86.5/671)

b. Pocket Grenade

The pocket grenade c•nsists of a two-piece aluminum body assembly(see Figure 3) which contains the CS-pyrotechnic mixture filling. Anemission hole is centrally located in the bottom of the body assembly andis covered with pressure-sensitive tape. A modified M208 fuze is posi-tioned in the top of the body assembly. Technical data pertaining to thepocket grenade are:

Length of grenade 3-5/8 inchesDiameter of body 1-5/16 inchesWeight of grenade 117.94 gramsFilling '2.0 greas CS-pyrotechnic mixtureThrowing distr.rze Approximately 45 meters (1i8 ft)Ig-ition delay time 1 to 3 secondsBurning time 12 to 20 secondsFuze M208 (modified).

The pocket grenade fuze is activated after removal of a safety pin andrelease of the safety lever. The afety lever is released during the pro-cess of throwing the grenade. TL. fuze striker hits the percussion primerand a one- to three-second burning fuze delay is ignited. This in turncauses the ignition mixture to burn and ignites the CS-pyrotechnic mixture.Pressure in the grenade body caused by the ignited CS-pyrotechnic mixtureblows the pressure-sensitiie tape off the emission hole, and a CS cloudis emitted for 12 to 20 seconds.

6. METHOD OF EVALUATION

The mini-grenade and the pocket grenade were made available to the 9thInfantry Division, 25th Infqntry Division, and 101st Airborne Division(Airmobile) a month prior to the beginning of the ACTIV evaluation. Therewas no requirement to train unit personnel in use of the grenades. Ques-tionnaires were furnished with the grenades. A team of evaluators wasprovided from CONUS by ACSFOR, DA, to assist ACTIV in the evaluation of aseries of CS munitions. During the period 22 January to 14 April 1968,this team visited all major USARV tactical units and collected data on CSmunitions.

7. EPLOYMENT

The mini and pocket grenades were used by infantry companies, militarypolice units, and long range patrol (LRP) companies. The grenades were

5

AVIB-GCD 18 NOV i8SU&JECT: Final Report - Miniature CS Disseminator and XM58 CS Pocket

Grenade (ACTIV Project No. ACG 83-86.5/671)

3. ela mitu 9 Igito mitr

66

___9

,1. Body asalbly T. Striker2. CS-pyrotechnic mixture 8. Fuze body

3. Dea mixture 9. Ig[nition mixture4. First-fire mixture 10. Safety lever

5. Priser 11. 11mission hole

6. Striker _ipring 12. Pressure-sensitive tape

FlItR 3. XN58 CS Pocket Grenade, C,'oss-Section View.

AVIB-GCD s 8,SUBJECT. Final Report - Miniature CS Diss _,.,ator and )C458 CS Pocket

Grenade (ACTIV Project No. ACG 83-86.5/671)

employed in rice paddies, light brush, high grass, and open country toflush individuals from bunkers, to aid in clearing of villages, to reducethe effectiveness of enemy defensive measures, and to aid friendly troopsin breaking contact. The number of grenades used on a target depended onthe ground cover and the type of target. Against bunkers and dwellings invillages, one grenade was usually sufficient. When used in the attack'orto break contact, several grenades were required to produce the desiredeffect. Military police noted 'hat the grenades were effective in conven-tional riot control applications such as policing places of entertainment,breaking up small crowds, and suppressing distuibances that arise instockades and prisoner-of-war collection points. One respondent statedthat vhen employed in small enclosures the grenade had an adequate concen-tration of CS to be effective, bnt was not lethal. One commander statedthat he required his platoon to carry only two protective masks while inthe field. The relatively small cloud of CS produced by the grenades didnot require the personnel to wear protective masks as they were able tomove around or away from the CS cloud. When detected by the enemy LRPteams used the CS grenades to provide a screen through which pursuing enemywould have to pass. This was done by building up an initial concentrationwith threoe or four grenades, and then dropping grenades at random duringwithdramtl.

8. SUITABILITY

a. Handling

All respondents agreed that the mini and pocket grenades wereeasily carried in the pockets of the combat fatigues or, in the case ofthe pocket grenade, attached to the belt or web gear. The grenades wereeasily thrown with accuracy, the pocket grenade exceeding the mini-grenadein distance. The respondents favored the pocket grenade fuze system overthat of the mini-grenade because they needed only to pull the pin to acti-vate the fuze.

b. Functioning

The mini-grenade functioned properly in all reported incidents.It was discovered that the striker ring on the mini-grenade would becomesoft and unservicea.,le after extensive storage in the humid and wet climateof RWN. One unit reported that at tsmem it required three to five attemptsat stciking the matchhead before the fuze would ignite. However, onceactiva.ed the mini-grenade functioned reliably in water and mud. Thepocket grenade did not function reliably in water or mud. When thrown inthis type terrain, the pocket grenades would be extinguished if coupletely

7

AVIB-GCDSUBJECT: Final Report - Miniature CS Disseminator and XM58 CS Pocket

Grenade (ACTIV Project No. WCG 83-86.5/67I)

submerged in water or mud. Users suggested that the safety pin of thepocket grenade be made longer to ensure that the pin would not be acci-dentally removed during rcugh handling.

c. Acceptabilit)

(1) Unit commandcrs stated that there was a definite need for asmall, lightweight CS grenede in RVN. The use of the small grenades didnot necessitate wearing the protective mask because of the small quantityof CS emitted. During operation3 some units substituted smoke or whitephosphorous grenades for the love CS grenades (ABC-M7A3 and ABC-M25A2)because of the need to carry the protective mask when employing standardCS grenades. The lightweight and suall size features of the mini andpocket grenades were ideal for carrying. Depending on the terrain andtype of operation the infantry platoon normally carried two to five CSgrenades but wao able to carry 8 to 12 mini and pocket grenades.

T (2) The mini-grenade was too light to penetrate dense foliage.This limitation is a direct result of the grenadc'. size and agent-produc-ing capability. Employment of less than five wini-grenades in even rela-tively open .reas had )imited value as the agent was quickly dissipated bythe slightest wind. It was suggested that the amount of tear agent andthe size of the mini-grenade be increased twofold (however it should benoteA that this negates 4he mini-grenade concept). The ignition systemnow emplc.ed on the mini-grenaeie was noc acceptable to combat units becauseof the difficulty encouitexed with lighting the fuze. On occasion it wasnecessary to strike the matchhead five or more times. The "flash" of thematchhead ignition violated light discipline, thus pinpointing the indi-'-idual's position. Tactical units stated that, while opening the canister,x mofing the strike:, anu igniting the grenade, the individual's attentionwas diverted from the tactical situ.,ation.

(3) The pocket grenade was acceptable to the units because it waseary to grip and throw with accuracy. The heavier weight gave it morepenetrating ability than the mini-grenade. When both the mini and pocketgrenades were evaluated by a unit, the pocket grenade was favored over themini-grenade because of the ease of operation. It was suggested that themini-grenade design be similar to that of the pocket grenade.

(4.) Commanders stated that the h0mm CS cartridge (see ACTIV ReportACG 83-86.6/67I, Nov 68) would meet most of the requirements of a light-weight grenade. The deciding factor was the range and accuracy of the 4Oamgrenade over the hand thrown mini and pocket grenades. However, the mallgrenades would be useful at short distances and within enclosures.

8

AVIB-GCD 1 8 NOV •:3SUBJECT: Final Report -Miniature CS Disseminator and XR58 CS Pocket

Grenade (ACTIV Project No. ACG 83-86.5/67I )

9. FINDINGS

a. There was a valid requirement for a miniaturized grenade in RVN foruse by reconnaissance elements and small unit patrols.

b. The mini and pocket grenades were effective against point targets,but not area targets.

c. The mini-grenade was not acceptable because of the fuzing systemand light weight.

d. The mini-grenade functioned reliably in water and mud.

e. When i-,ersed in water or ;.oft mud, the pocket grenade would notfunction.

f. The safety pin was too short on the pocket grenade.

10. CONCLUSIONS

a. The mini-grenade is not suitable for use in RVN.

b. The pocket grenade is suitable for use in RVN-

11. RECOMMENDATIONS

It is recommended that:

a. The safety pin on the pocket grenade be lengthened to preventaccidental ignition.

b. The reliability of the pocket grenade, when employed in wateror soft mud, be improved.

;•Distribution List Colonel, Artillery• Com~mading

9

DOCUMENT CONTROL DATA . R & D(Security classiication of title, body of absfre*. and i•dezing annotation must be entered when the overall report is clasailled)

I ORIGINATING ACTIVITY (Corporate author) 20. REPORT SECURI TV ý7 _SIIICATIOZ

Army Concept Team In Vietnam UNCLASSIFIEDAPO San Francisco 96384 2b. CROUP

3. REPORT TITLE

Final Report - Miniature CS Disseminator and XM58 CS Pocket Grenade

4. DESCRIPTIVE NOTES (TVpe of report and inclusive dales)

: Final ReportS. AUTHOR(S) (First neam, middle initial. last name)

James D. Saunders, MAJ, CmlCGerald A. Quinn, ILT, CmlC

6. REPORT OATE 7a. TOTAL NO. OF PAGES 7b. NO. Of REFI

November 1968 24 2".CONTRACT OR GRANT NO. S.. ORIGINATOR'S REPORT NUMrLRCSI

ACTIV Project No. ACG 83-86.5/671b. PROJE[CT NO.

NONEC. Ob. OTHER REPORT NOIS) (Any other number# that may be assignedthis report)

d. NONE10. OISTRINUTION STATEMENT

It. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES 12. SPONSORIK. MILITARY ACTIVITY

NONE US Army, VietnamAPO Sa,. Francisco 96375

13. AGSTRACT

"- The Miniature CS Disseminator (mini-grenade) and XM58 Cr Pocket Grenade (pocket

grenade) are small lightweight point source disseminators. The objectives of the ACTIVevaluation werev

,To-determine employment of the grenades during tactical operations.,

T•o determine suitability of the grenades for use in the comabat environmento f 0 N . I . . . .

The grenades were employed to flush individuals from bunkers, to aid in clearing

of villages, to reduce the effectiveness of enemy defensive measures, .-d to aid

friendly troops in breaking contact. Military police noted that the grenades were

effective in conventional riot control applications. The performance characteristics

of the grenades were satisfactory in all evaluated employments, but the striker ring on

th~e mini-grenade would become soft and unserviceable after extensive storage ir. humid

and wet conditions. The mini-grenades are not considered suitable for use in RVN

bi:suse of the fuzing system and light weight. The pocket grenades were acceptable

because they were easy to grip and throw with accuracy. Their heavier weight gave

them more penetrating ability than the mini-grenades. The pocket grenades, with modi-

fications, are considered suitable for use in RVN.

I PLACE@ 00 FORM 1470. I JAN WHICH IS

1 OSSOLE19 FOR AftUY US41ODe Now 6.1473 UNCLASSIFIEDsecurity Cliesincaion

II

4 LINK L#NK 8 LIN" C

KEY WOROSROLE WT ROLE WT ROLE WT

MINIATURE CS DISSEMII(TOR

XM58 CS POCKET GRENADE

RIOT CONTROL AGENT CS

CS MUNITIONS

UNCIASSIFIEDSecurity Classification