Stielhangranate

Learn about the Stielhandgranate 24, its historical context, and how to effectively use it as an anti-personnel and improvised anti-tank weapon in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.

Alright, let's talk about the Stielhandgranate 24, or as some folks call it, the 'stick grenade' or 'potato masher.' This iconic German grenade was a staple in WWII and it's making an appearance in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. It's a pretty versatile piece of kit, great for clearing out enemy positions and even has some improvised uses against tanks if you get creative.

Manual Information:

• Effectiveness: Excellent against infantry, not so much against armored vehicles.
• Damage Type: Primarily blast damage, but the casing fragments can also cause harm.
• Use Case: Best for flushing out enemies dug into cover.

Stats:

• Range: Medium
• Rate of Fire: Medium
• Damage: Very High
• Mobility: Very Fast

Historical Context:

While hand grenades weren't typically designed as anti-tank weapons, soldiers often used whatever they had available. A lucky hit from a standard grenade might not destroy a tank, but it could potentially immobilize it by damaging the tracks. However, there were also specialized anti-tank hand grenades developed.

The Stielhandgranate 24 is probably the most famous German hand grenade. To use it, you'd unscrew the bottom cap and pull the safety cord on the 'rip detonator.' This bad boy weighed about 480g and was 35.6cm long. The main explosive part, the warhead, was 7.5cm long and 6cm in diameter, packed with 165g of explosives. Different types of explosives were used throughout the war.

There was also a version of the warhead without the stick, called the Handgranate 43. These could be rigged with pressure triggers to act as mines. Pretty neat, huh?

Improvised Explosive Devices:

Here's where things get really interesting for battlefield tactics. You could combine several Handgranate 43 warheads with a single Stielhandgranate 24 to create a massive explosive bundle. This setup, colloquially known as the 'Geballte Ladung' or 'forceful/big charge,' looked like a flower with the stick grenade as the stem and the warheads as petals. It was often used as a makeshift anti-tank weapon.

Enhancing Fragmentation:

The original Stielhandgranate 24 had a pretty thin metal casing, meaning it relied more on blast than fragmentation. To boost the shrapnel effect, especially after seeing the Russians do it with their RGD 33 grenades, they started attaching 'shrapnel rings' (Splitterringe) to the warhead. This made them much more lethal against infantry caught in the open.

Production Numbers:

Between the Stielhandgranate 24 and the Handgranate 43, a massive total of 81 million units were produced throughout the war. That's a lot of explosive power!

Tactics in Black Ops 6:

When you're using the Stielhandgranate 24 in the game, remember its strengths. Toss it into rooms with multiple enemies to clear them out quickly. If you're facing entrenched positions, lobbing a few of these can break enemy lines. Keep an eye out for opportunities to use it as an improvised explosive against vehicles if the situation calls for it – just don't expect it to be a guaranteed tank killer!