The Type 98 hand grenade (九八式柄付手榴弾, Kyūhachi-shiki etsuki teryūdan) was a fragmentation hand grenade deployed by the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II. The explosive charge contained 3 oz (85 g) of picric acid (a cheaper and more powerful but less safe explosive than TNT).
History
In 2015, Type 98s were documented to have been found in the Democratic Republic of Congo.[1]
Design
The weapon operated identically to the Chinese versions of the German Model 24 stick grenade, which had been encountered in the Second Sino-Japanese War. It was based on these grenades, except that a pull ring was attached to the igniting cord, and the actual fuse delay itself was reduced to four to five seconds (varying from grenade to grenade).[2]
