French VB Rifle Grenade

By Crusader1307

Seen in limited use by The French Army in 1916, The V-B Rifle Grenade or also called "The Flying Dart", was a steel fragmentation explosive, shaped in as an Arrow Tip. The Device featured twin flanges that (when slipped over the Rifle barrel), gave The V-B it's stability. Using a "Blank Round" fitted with a wooden Sabot Round, was fired into a small plate at ten rear of the V-B. A fixed Primer Cap would be struck, igniting a charge which launched the Device. A slow fuse activated the V-B charge inside the Grenade in roughly 20-seconds. A common issue with The V-B was that it was "under charged", limiting it's maximum effective range to only 75-yards. Although other types of Rifle Grenade Launchers were used, The V-B would continue to be used until the end of World War I.