How the Germans fought tanks with a tank of red liquid

Most compatriots know what a Molotov cocktail is, and how exactly it was used during the Second World War. At the same time, few people have even heard of such a German thing as "Blendkorper", which was used in the German army. This device has something in common with the Soviet Molotov cocktail, although it is used in a completely different way. What is it for?

Transferred in special bags. / Photo: m.fishki.net.

In terms of economics, before the outbreak of World War II, Germany was known as the country with the strongest chemical industry. The achievements of the Germans in this area were enormous: new types of rubber, numerous substitutes for fuel and explosives. Alas, in the 1920s and 1930s, all this scientific splendor was already working for the coming war. In 1942, a new piece of equipment for Wehrmacht soldiers appeared in the Reich - the Blendkorper chemical grenade.

In its principle of action, "Blendkorper" is similar to a Molotov cocktail. The glass container contains a chemically active substance. The bottle had to be thrown into an enemy tank so that it broke and its contents came into contact with air, after which a chemical reaction began, which caused severe smoke for 15-20 seconds. There was no need to set the Blendkorper on fire. Fragile glass containers were transported in a special grenade bag.

The first version of the Blendkorper smoke grenade was designated H1. However, it turned out to be not very convenient, as a result of which the Germans had to modify the chemical reagent, as well as the glass container itself. As a result, the H2 grenade appeared. They were filled with calcium chloride, titanium tetrachloride and silicon tetrachloride. When all three liquids were mixed and came into contact with air, a smoke screen appeared, the effectiveness of which was quite comparable to that of conventional smoke bombs.

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At the same time, chemical grenades did not cause any fire, however, the smoke was very caustic and sometimes even could force the tank crew to abandon their vehicle if the bottle breaks on the armor next to technical or inspection holes.

Continuing the topic, you can read about why Germany needed mountain rangers, and whether they were the elite of the Wehrmacht.
Source: https://novate.ru/blogs/020121/57307/

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