Hand Grenade Cutaway Drawing, 1951

Hand Grenade Cutaway Drawing 1951

Despite its fearsome reputation in TV and movies, a hand grenade is a fairly simple and imprecise killing device: a metal container that contains “filler” (as the cutaway says) segmented so that it will split open in predictable chucks. This cutaway shows what a generic 1950s hand grenade looks like, cut in half. The only difference… Continue reading Hand Grenade Cutaway Drawing, 1951

Lark Ground-to-Air Guided Missile Cutaway, 1950

Lark Ground to Air Guided Missile 1950

Even though development of the Lark began during World War II, it was not finished in time to assist U.S. troops.  Development picked up again during 1946-1950, and it was used mainly for testing at sea. The real soul of the Lark was in its “brain”:  a set of guidance controls (shown on the cutaway),… Continue reading Lark Ground-to-Air Guided Missile Cutaway, 1950

Ship-Based Anti Submarine Defense Cutaway, 1950

Ship-Based Anti Submarine Defense Cutaway, 1950

Illustration by Ray Quigley shows an anti-sub device from 1950 termed “the hedgehog.” It lobbed multiple depth charges all at once at the presumed submarine location.  Charges were slightly angled so that they would land in a spreadout, scattershot pattern, covering a wider range.  Click to Enlarge to 695 x 768 px: Source:  Popular Science… Continue reading Ship-Based Anti Submarine Defense Cutaway, 1950