Mk 2 grenade

The Mk 2 grenade (sometimes written Mk II) is a fragmentation type anti-personnel hand grenade introduced by the U.S. armed forces in 1918. It was the standard issue anti-personnel grenade used during World War II and in later conflicts, including the Vietnam War. Replacing the failed Mk I of 1917, it was standardized in 1920 as the Mk II, and redesignated the Mk 2 in 1945.

The Mk 2 was replaced by the M26-series (M26/M61/M57) and later M33 series (M33/M67). It was phased out gradually in service beginning with the Korean War. Due to the tremendous quantity manufactured during World War 2, it was in limited standard issue with the US Army and US Marine Corps throughout the 1950s and 1960s. The U.S. Navy was one of the last users when it was discontinued in 1969.

Description

The Mk II was manufactured with grooves in the cast iron to enhance fragmentation and provide a better grip handling and throwing the grenade. These gave it the appearance of a pineapple and origin of that nickname. It was also commonly referred to as a "frag" grenade, in contrast to the Mk 3 concussion grenade.