A grenade is a hollow ball, cylinder, or cube, made of metal or other material, which is filled with some explosive, and burst by means of a fuse, or on impact when it falls among an enemy. Until about the end of the seventeenth century trained soldiers called Grenadiers used grenades which were thrown by hand, but after that date they fell into disuse. In 1899—1900 at the siege of Mafeking they are said to have been used by the besieged, and also in the Russo-Japanese war. In the year 1914, however, the beginning of the great war produced new methods in the employment of infantry in the attack or defense of positions. It was proved that under many conditions infantry armed only with a rifle and bayonet found it impossible to press home an attack or hold a position against troops armed with grenades.

This weapon, handy to use and immensely destructive and demoralizing in its employment, has played a most important part in every successful operation carried out by British troops on the Western front. It has become one of the principal weapons not only in trench warfare, but in the attack and clearing of enemy positions, strong points, villages, and especially in house-to-house and cellar fighting.