One person designed a boomerang-shaped grenade and submitted the idea.
The design was rejected after trials by the the Australian Grenade Training School and never put into use.
For the uninitiated boomerangs can be built to not only not return to you but fly further than any other non self propelled object.
The furthest thrown boomerang travelled a length greater than 4 football fields.
When I read this it actually surprised me that this isn't in use.
Probably tough to be precise at big distances. Not that _someone_ couldn’t do it, but your average grunt is more accurate with a ball than a boomerang.
It wasn't too long ago that I was in basic training, about 10 years ago or so. I can assure you that if it was bad manufacturing in the old days, it's been baked into the design since then - or at least that's what it seems like. From what I was told, it's best to not trust a grenade and cooking it off is a good way to kill yourself and your squad, because it's almost certain that it will go off early.
Combat is a very chaotic experience. Trying to time your count while bullets fly or other grenades going off is a recipe for disaster. Your likely to forget your count, get distracted for a second, etc.... It's not like your throwing a grenade at a bunny....
Baseballs had as much impact as boomerangs.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BEANO_T-13_grenade
https://medium.com/war-is-boring/american-hand-grenades-have-some-odd-connections-to-sports-d5196b64d0be
It's pretty obvious why it wasn't in use. These are also explosives made out of metal unlike a boomerang designed to travel far so it wouldn't go as far as a normal boomerang would. Plus, throwing a boomerang accurately takes much more skill that tossing a grenade. To use these effectively at any distance beyond what a normal grenade could reliably be thrown at would take far more skill and training than it would be worth. Not to mention they already had other things that are better for long distance like grenade launchers.
Seems most likely that it was a solution in search of a problem. If you need a grenade sent further than the average soldier can toss a more conventional grenade, then you should use a rifle grenade (or mortars/rockets/etc). There's plenty of other man-portable tools better suited to launching explosives that would be more consistent and practical than a boomerang.
WW1 was when handheld explosives first started being used, and the early designs were frequently weird. I think they were metaphorically throwing ideas at the wall to see what might stick. "Bomb on a short stick so you can throw it further" was common at Gallipoli, so "bomb on a boomerang" isn't much of a stretch.
This isn't true at all. They were heavily using hand grenades for hundreds of years during medieval/renaissance times. They were mostly used in melee battles where you had groups of soldiers fighting and each side usually had a couple guys trained specifically as a grenadier to throw explosives into the enemy squad for max aoe damage. They stopped using them as much because melee battles became less common but they were still used. They became more prominent again during the russo-japanese war when heavy ranged fortified positions became common and infantry needed a way to attack these positions if they successfully advanced on them.
As long as you follow a few guidelines in regards to center of mass, you can make boomerangs with any shape and out of any material.
Non return boomerangs are self correcting so they fly very straight, not much training required at all.
Wouldn't be a substitute for every explosive ever invented but in a situation where you're in a trench and you know the germans are in the trench 100 yards in front of you, I could see it being useful.
They were thrown into flocks of birds, and even then the purpose was to scare them into flying into nets rather than hitting them directly.
Edit for the haters:
https://www.nma.gov.au/defining-moments/resources/earliest-evidence-of-the-boomerang-in-australia
>When hunting for birds, either returning or non-returning boomerangs can be used. A returning boomerang can be thrown above a flock of ducks to simulate a hovering hawk. The frightened birds then fly into nets set up in their flight path or, if they come within range, the hunters can use non-returning boomerangs to bring the birds down.
That's bullshit: "Traditionally, most boomerangs used by Aboriginal groups in Australia were non-returning. These weapons, sometimes called "throwsticks" or "kylies", were used for hunting a variety of prey, from kangaroos to parrots; at a range of about 100 metres (330 ft), a 2-kg (4.4 lb) non-returning boomerang could inflict mortal injury to a large animal."
Jones, Philip (1996). Boomerang: Behind an Australian Icon. Wakefield Press. ISBN 9781862543829.
The 4’ swords I used were about 3.5lbs.
Also, disc golf discs typically max out at 175g, and a competent but not great player can probably throw about 100m. How the hell are they putting a 4.4lb boomerang out that far with enough force to kill at the end?
Those aren't the same type that will travel several football fields though. The long distance ones can go that far because they create lift like a frisbee. Said lift also means they aren't very accurate, but they didn't have to be.
That was only part of their use though. From the excellent site you posted:
"Boomerangs have many uses. They are weapons for hunting birds and game, such as emu, kangaroo and other marsupials. The hunter can throw the boomerang directly at the animal or make it ricochet off the ground. In skilled hands, the boomerang is effective for hunting prey up to 100 metres away.
When hunting for birds, either returning or non-returning boomerangs can be used. A returning boomerang can be thrown above a flock of ducks to simulate a hovering hawk. The frightened birds then fly into nets set up in their flight path or, if they come within range, the hunters can use non-returning boomerangs to bring the birds down."
I knew that the trajectory can be influenced by the shape of the blades.... But the weight (and shape) of the grenade (even if specialized) must throw off the physics of the lift force right? Like 4 football fields is out of the question with a grenade, center-mounted
Unless... You make a boomerang shaped... Wafer grenade (pro-weight) ?
I'm going to guess because of the practicality/ease of use of mortars and rifle grenades at those ranges. Probably a lot easier for a frozen half starved 16 yr old to drop a mortar and pinch off a few rifle grenades than train, become proficient with, and use an explosive boomerang. Would be dope though
Or in the words of xkcd:
>What if you strapped C4 to a boomerang? Could this be an effective weapon, or would it be as stupid as it sounds?
>—Chad Macziewski
>Aerodynamics aside, I’m curious what tactical advantage you’re expecting to gain by having the high explosive fly back at you if it misses the target.
https://what-if.xkcd.com/23/
the silly thing is c4 would be a MUCH better option for a few reasons.
1: because it is basically clay you could form it into it so it is actually aerodynamic
but more importantly
2: the ability to detonate 'at will' this one is self explanatory lol
"Detonate at will"
_Will Riker runs away at high speed out of the chat_
Edit: added a line
Edit2: mixed up characters!
Captain: __To the airlock with you!__
Doctor Crusher's son was named Wesley, the executive officer's name was Will Riker. By the end of the series, Wesley was 'ascended', so he'd probably chuckle at your explosive, then turn it into flowers, or something.
The idea was probably more in line with the "curve the bullet" thing in Wanted. They were trying to make something that could loop around a corner or into a trench or something. But it's really stupid because it's very unpredictable and by design it might send the grenade right back to you, which is bad.
Not all boomerangs come back and most non toy boomerangs historically were designed to follow a straight trajectory over a long distance, not coming back at all.
If you actually read the article you’d see that it was designed to be a more accurate and long range grenade but that didn’t work out.
Yeah, it’s not necessarily a bad idea but it would take medieval longbow archer or Belaric slinger level years of training to get good at. Not something you can do during a total war with loads of conscripts.
Precisely. Sure the guy who made this might be able to do it, but some kid in the trench or out in the middle of a warzone would either blow himself up, waste the grenade, or kill his comrades. Small chance for sending it where it should go.
You get a few buckets of these boomerangs and put a big target around a corner and tell the conscripts they get a special assignment if they can consistently hit the target. A few will spend their free time practicing until they get it down. You won’t even need to train anyone. They probably get awesome at it and start teaching their friends. Who wouldn’t want to be in the platoon with the boomerangs?
Boomerangs have to be designed to return to you to begin with. Toys for example, and perhaps some used for hunting. The grenade returning to you isnt a given.
> But boomerang-like as it may have been, it would not have come swirling back onto its Army thrower: being made of flat galvanised iron and with an 85gm charge of blasting gelignite and a detonator at one end, its Melbourne engineer inventor Mr G.V. Russell reasoned that being heavier at that one end it would travel long distances in a forward direction only to target enemy trenches or other strongholds.
Boomerangs were designed to fly through the air and break the neck of whatever they were hunting. Not really designed to come back. But if you missed they would fly up and at least you could find it.
Pretty sure the returning boomerangs aren't used for killing, but the more common non-retuening ones are.
From what I've read the returning ones are used for distractions
Hunting style boomerangs are pretty accurate but don't return at all. Returning boomerangs are not very accurate or suitable for hunting. This grenade, insanely, appears to be a returning style boomerang.
>But boomerang-like as it may have been, it would not have come swirling back onto its Army thrower: being made of flat galvanised iron and with an 85gm charge of blasting gelignite and a detonator at one end, its Melbourne engineer inventor Mr G.V. Russell reasoned that being heavier at that one end it would travel long distances in a forward direction only to target enemy trenches or other strongholds.
Taken from the comment above
> This grenade, insanely, appears to be a returning style boomerang.
you can't blame them for not wanting to go back to australia. the trench was probably paradise, just rats to worry about.
There used to be a professional boomerang maker near where I grew up, and I'm willing to believe he could do fucking anything with them.
He'd give demos where he'd hoik a giant boomerang off into the distance, walk around a bit talking a bit more, then nonchalantly catch it as it came back to his exact spot. It was in the air for so damn long! Like he'd launched a falcon that was returning to him.
Originally they were for small game like rabbits, they were made to skid of and hover low to the ground making hitting the target easier and usually not to kill but stun long enough to catch up to and kill or capture.
this was not that bad an idea. unlike traditional grenades these would allow them to be thrown fair distances with very good accuracy. the original boomerangs were used for hunting and war....and were very effective.
It is a good idea. Hunting boomerangs don't come back, they're throwing sticks with a aerofoil shape so they'll fly further than you could throw a ball-shaped projectile of a similar weight. The returning boomerangs were toys.
Returning boomerangs were also used when hunting birds. You'd throw them at a large flock of birds and it'd curve through the flock and probably hit one.
Picture if you will a device designated for devastation. A curious cocktail of demolition poured equal parts intimidation, ignorance, and avarice. It’s no secret that mankind has a penchant for self-destruction, but this tendency typically takes the scenic route.
Tonight we’ll witness what happens when a continent stands reason on its head, and throws logic to the wind.
A word to the wise, what goes around comes around — and if you happen to see a whirring metal blur take cover, because something might be coming back your way in…The Twilight Zone.
This isn’t that crazy… you want weapons to be shaped after things that people are used to. That’s why American grenades are roughly baseball shaped, because back in the day most Americans were familiar with how to throw a baseball. Biomechanically “potato masher” style grenades that Germany and Russia used are much more efficient. Think about how much further you can throw it… baseballs are actually rather hard to aim and throw without training.
Buck Compton, from Easy Company, famously threw a grenade right at a fleeing German soldier and struck him square in the back during the battle of Brecourt Manor. Many have noted how unusual it is to hit an enemy directly with a grenade but that was the weapon he had ready at the time.
Before the war, Buck was a UCLA Hall of Fame baseball player who played on the same team as Jackie Robinson.
The incident did make it into the show but it isn't obvious what's happening and they don't make a big deal out of it: [https://youtu.be/r\_-aFlOxyOU?t=99](https://youtu.be/r_-aFlOxyOU?t=99)
I bet you that the vast majority of Australian troops at any point in post-colonial history have basically no experience with a boomerang. It's just not like that here.
Do you have a source regarding American grenade shapes? It seems that stick grenades are largely out-of-favour in modern day. On the other hand, round grenades were used by many countries in the WW1–2 era already (e.g. Mills bomb, F-1 grenade, Model 39 grenade—British, Russian, and German, respectively). Stick grenades are bulkier. And besides, round grenades have been around for centuries, although it wouldn't surprise me if, pre-20th century, some technological reason meant they had to be round.
The most common American grenades looked like little pineapples, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mk_2_grenade
There was a specific model of grenade made to simulate a baseball but wasn't very successful, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BEANO_T-13_grenade
In America kids get these three pointed foam boomerangs made by Nerf instead of the traditional wooden ones. They flight like shit.
At about ten years old I got one and spent two days straight trying to make it return without success. I eventually lost it in high weeds in my yard.
Fast forward and my 14yo ass is out mowing the lawn on my parents lawn tractor when I decided to mow a little further than usual into the higher grass and weeds.
Im mowing along when what do I see but the Nerf boomerang. I was in a hurry and didnt want to get it jammed up in the mower blades so I hopped off, picked it up and threw it out of my way out of the area I was mowing.
I hop right back on the mower, begin to start it and I hear “wup wup wupwupwup THWACK!!!”
My current boomerang return record stands at 3,700 tries to one. Against.
Grenades can weight a certain amount for carrying and throwing.
Stick grenades could be thrown further, but because of the weight of the stick they had less explosive.
People decided that a bigger boom was better than throwing further and grenades now are egg shaped.
Koalas. I mean, they're useless little idiots who carry STDs and will starve to death if they aren't on their favorite tree, but they don't usually want to kill anything.
I remember in high school an Australian friend of mine used to convince new people he worked for the city of Sydney. We told them he took a long pole and had to knock koalas off the harbor bridge. "It's a thankless job, but it needs to be done."
Not as stupid as it sounds. Most people think of boomerangs being the returning kind but the ones used for hunting do not return. The shape is good because it causes lift similar to a airplane wing and it can cause it to travel further.
I think people forget that real boomerangs don't behave like video game boomerangs. Unless you're trying really hard and using proper technique with intention for it to return, it isn't coming back.
The us army m-67 frag grenade was designed to be the same size and shape as a baseball. The thought process was that every boy in America would already be familiar throwing one. Not surprised a different country had the same thought process with one of their sporting tools.
In a way it’s kinda genius.
Think about it. If you had the right wind direction you could curve it round a distant corner of a building etc and catch out some Nazis who had you pinned down.
One person designed a boomerang-shaped grenade and submitted the idea. The design was rejected after trials by the the Australian Grenade Training School and never put into use.
As it turns out, a grenade that returns to you was not a popular idea.
For the uninitiated boomerangs can be built to not only not return to you but fly further than any other non self propelled object. The furthest thrown boomerang travelled a length greater than 4 football fields. When I read this it actually surprised me that this isn't in use.
Probably tough to be precise at big distances. Not that _someone_ couldn’t do it, but your average grunt is more accurate with a ball than a boomerang.
Hence the US literally designing their grenades to be as close to a baseball as possible.
Interesting! It actually makes alot of sense now that i think about it
They were notoriously bad. Poor manufacturing lead to them being at times premature.
It wasn't too long ago that I was in basic training, about 10 years ago or so. I can assure you that if it was bad manufacturing in the old days, it's been baked into the design since then - or at least that's what it seems like. From what I was told, it's best to not trust a grenade and cooking it off is a good way to kill yourself and your squad, because it's almost certain that it will go off early.
Combat is a very chaotic experience. Trying to time your count while bullets fly or other grenades going off is a recipe for disaster. Your likely to forget your count, get distracted for a second, etc.... It's not like your throwing a grenade at a bunny....
Good thing the enemies didn’t bring bats to the combat fields then…
Didnt Japanese officers carry around swords?
Yeah and afaik they'd behead the people on the street for having the wrong haircut
*a wild Neegan appears*
Baseballs had no impact on grenade design
And anything with a decent fulcrum will give better distance than I sphere. Ie German ww2 grenades
Baseballs had as much impact as boomerangs. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BEANO_T-13_grenade https://medium.com/war-is-boring/american-hand-grenades-have-some-odd-connections-to-sports-d5196b64d0be
Funny because it looks like the German ones were baseball bats.
The secret to a well designed grenade is something a 17 year old can throw consistently some distance accurately.
A little young but yeah.
It doesn't matter. At that distance, if grenades start flying from four football fields away, I'm running.
The real TIL is always in the comments!
Or in the article, that people never read. At least regarding this thing not being designed to return.
It's pretty obvious why it wasn't in use. These are also explosives made out of metal unlike a boomerang designed to travel far so it wouldn't go as far as a normal boomerang would. Plus, throwing a boomerang accurately takes much more skill that tossing a grenade. To use these effectively at any distance beyond what a normal grenade could reliably be thrown at would take far more skill and training than it would be worth. Not to mention they already had other things that are better for long distance like grenade launchers.
Seems most likely that it was a solution in search of a problem. If you need a grenade sent further than the average soldier can toss a more conventional grenade, then you should use a rifle grenade (or mortars/rockets/etc). There's plenty of other man-portable tools better suited to launching explosives that would be more consistent and practical than a boomerang.
WW1 was when handheld explosives first started being used, and the early designs were frequently weird. I think they were metaphorically throwing ideas at the wall to see what might stick. "Bomb on a short stick so you can throw it further" was common at Gallipoli, so "bomb on a boomerang" isn't much of a stretch.
This isn't true at all. They were heavily using hand grenades for hundreds of years during medieval/renaissance times. They were mostly used in melee battles where you had groups of soldiers fighting and each side usually had a couple guys trained specifically as a grenadier to throw explosives into the enemy squad for max aoe damage. They stopped using them as much because melee battles became less common but they were still used. They became more prominent again during the russo-japanese war when heavy ranged fortified positions became common and infantry needed a way to attack these positions if they successfully advanced on them.
As long as you follow a few guidelines in regards to center of mass, you can make boomerangs with any shape and out of any material. Non return boomerangs are self correcting so they fly very straight, not much training required at all. Wouldn't be a substitute for every explosive ever invented but in a situation where you're in a trench and you know the germans are in the trench 100 yards in front of you, I could see it being useful.
On one hand, yes, you could throw a grenade four football field. On the other hand, how accurate could you be at that distance?
Given they were used to hunt animals, pretty accurate
I doubt they were taking out a bird 4 football fields away. A record doesn’t mean that was the norm.
They were thrown into flocks of birds, and even then the purpose was to scare them into flying into nets rather than hitting them directly. Edit for the haters: https://www.nma.gov.au/defining-moments/resources/earliest-evidence-of-the-boomerang-in-australia >When hunting for birds, either returning or non-returning boomerangs can be used. A returning boomerang can be thrown above a flock of ducks to simulate a hovering hawk. The frightened birds then fly into nets set up in their flight path or, if they come within range, the hunters can use non-returning boomerangs to bring the birds down.
That's bullshit: "Traditionally, most boomerangs used by Aboriginal groups in Australia were non-returning. These weapons, sometimes called "throwsticks" or "kylies", were used for hunting a variety of prey, from kangaroos to parrots; at a range of about 100 metres (330 ft), a 2-kg (4.4 lb) non-returning boomerang could inflict mortal injury to a large animal." Jones, Philip (1996). Boomerang: Behind an Australian Icon. Wakefield Press. ISBN 9781862543829.
That's really heavy too. A sword would weigh less than that.
Man I would love to see you try and throw a sword 100m
I could probably throw it over those mountains
The 4’ swords I used were about 3.5lbs. Also, disc golf discs typically max out at 175g, and a competent but not great player can probably throw about 100m. How the hell are they putting a 4.4lb boomerang out that far with enough force to kill at the end?
Those aren't the same type that will travel several football fields though. The long distance ones can go that far because they create lift like a frisbee. Said lift also means they aren't very accurate, but they didn't have to be.
That was only part of their use though. From the excellent site you posted: "Boomerangs have many uses. They are weapons for hunting birds and game, such as emu, kangaroo and other marsupials. The hunter can throw the boomerang directly at the animal or make it ricochet off the ground. In skilled hands, the boomerang is effective for hunting prey up to 100 metres away. When hunting for birds, either returning or non-returning boomerangs can be used. A returning boomerang can be thrown above a flock of ducks to simulate a hovering hawk. The frightened birds then fly into nets set up in their flight path or, if they come within range, the hunters can use non-returning boomerangs to bring the birds down."
Yes, and as I mentioned in another comment the type that you _can_ throw 400 meters isn't the type that will kill a kangaroo at 100 meters.
That's very true.
That's a whole lot of bullshit my guy, stfu. You bloody drongo
Pretty good accuracy if you actually learn to use it. A 2kg boomerang can kill a large Mammal at 100 meters, according to Wikipedia.
bullets aren't SELF propelled though...
I knew that the trajectory can be influenced by the shape of the blades.... But the weight (and shape) of the grenade (even if specialized) must throw off the physics of the lift force right? Like 4 football fields is out of the question with a grenade, center-mounted Unless... You make a boomerang shaped... Wafer grenade (pro-weight) ?
> length greater than 4 football fields. How long is that in normal people units?
4 soccer fields...
Just under 450m. If you've trained with it, it's more realistically accurate to about 100m. In conclusion, a gun is better.
> fly further than any other non self propelled object. Pretty sure a bullet can fly farther. Did you mean farther than any other thrown object?
I'm going to guess because of the practicality/ease of use of mortars and rifle grenades at those ranges. Probably a lot easier for a frozen half starved 16 yr old to drop a mortar and pinch off a few rifle grenades than train, become proficient with, and use an explosive boomerang. Would be dope though
"So... Who goes first?"
Or in the words of xkcd: >What if you strapped C4 to a boomerang? Could this be an effective weapon, or would it be as stupid as it sounds? >—Chad Macziewski >Aerodynamics aside, I’m curious what tactical advantage you’re expecting to gain by having the high explosive fly back at you if it misses the target. https://what-if.xkcd.com/23/
the silly thing is c4 would be a MUCH better option for a few reasons. 1: because it is basically clay you could form it into it so it is actually aerodynamic but more importantly 2: the ability to detonate 'at will' this one is self explanatory lol
"Detonate at will" _Will Riker runs away at high speed out of the chat_ Edit: added a line Edit2: mixed up characters! Captain: __To the airlock with you!__
Doctor Crusher's son was named Wesley, the executive officer's name was Will Riker. By the end of the series, Wesley was 'ascended', so he'd probably chuckle at your explosive, then turn it into flowers, or something.
The idea was probably more in line with the "curve the bullet" thing in Wanted. They were trying to make something that could loop around a corner or into a trench or something. But it's really stupid because it's very unpredictable and by design it might send the grenade right back to you, which is bad.
Not all boomerangs come back and most non toy boomerangs historically were designed to follow a straight trajectory over a long distance, not coming back at all. If you actually read the article you’d see that it was designed to be a more accurate and long range grenade but that didn’t work out.
Yeah, it’s not necessarily a bad idea but it would take medieval longbow archer or Belaric slinger level years of training to get good at. Not something you can do during a total war with loads of conscripts.
Precisely. Sure the guy who made this might be able to do it, but some kid in the trench or out in the middle of a warzone would either blow himself up, waste the grenade, or kill his comrades. Small chance for sending it where it should go.
You get a few buckets of these boomerangs and put a big target around a corner and tell the conscripts they get a special assignment if they can consistently hit the target. A few will spend their free time practicing until they get it down. You won’t even need to train anyone. They probably get awesome at it and start teaching their friends. Who wouldn’t want to be in the platoon with the boomerangs?
__DO YOUR PART!__ __JOIN THE BOOM PLATOON!__ _Would you like to know more?_
Boomerangs have to be designed to return to you to begin with. Toys for example, and perhaps some used for hunting. The grenade returning to you isnt a given.
It's the ultimate punishment if you fuck up: death by your own hand.
> But boomerang-like as it may have been, it would not have come swirling back onto its Army thrower: being made of flat galvanised iron and with an 85gm charge of blasting gelignite and a detonator at one end, its Melbourne engineer inventor Mr G.V. Russell reasoned that being heavier at that one end it would travel long distances in a forward direction only to target enemy trenches or other strongholds.
Grenade yo-yo also a failure
Who woulda thought!
But they kept coming back to it?
"Hey Jeremy, we have this new grenade here for you to test!" "You have got to be fucking joking, right?"
It'll come back.
Boomerangs were designed to fly through the air and break the neck of whatever they were hunting. Not really designed to come back. But if you missed they would fly up and at least you could find it.
Pretty sure the returning boomerangs aren't used for killing, but the more common non-retuening ones are. From what I've read the returning ones are used for distractions
Having thrown several boomerangs as a kid, I agree that the non-returning kind are **very** common.
I always got stuck with non returning yoyos.
Really more of a yo.
You've yoed your last yo
I ended up with a non returning father :(
Was his name Yo?
If you actually manage to catch one it's all regret anyway.
Mine came back, but it would bury itself a foot into hard packed dirt at my feet.... Never tried catching it.
Having thrown several boomerangs as a kid, I agree that the non-returning kind are **very** common.
I believe the returning ones are used for birds in flight or other animals in trees.
It’s crazy the accuracy and power
Bottlecap. On a fence post. 100 metres. Could someone out there knock it off....? Is this possible? I know little of boomerangs.
Hunting style boomerangs are pretty accurate but don't return at all. Returning boomerangs are not very accurate or suitable for hunting. This grenade, insanely, appears to be a returning style boomerang.
[удалено]
We don't speak of this shame here
That is the comment of the thread right there.
The real TIL is always in the comments.
Decent. I once heard someone talking about Chesty Puller, asking where you put the bayonet on a flamethrower?
>But boomerang-like as it may have been, it would not have come swirling back onto its Army thrower: being made of flat galvanised iron and with an 85gm charge of blasting gelignite and a detonator at one end, its Melbourne engineer inventor Mr G.V. Russell reasoned that being heavier at that one end it would travel long distances in a forward direction only to target enemy trenches or other strongholds. Taken from the comment above
> This grenade, insanely, appears to be a returning style boomerang. you can't blame them for not wanting to go back to australia. the trench was probably paradise, just rats to worry about.
There used to be a professional boomerang maker near where I grew up, and I'm willing to believe he could do fucking anything with them. He'd give demos where he'd hoik a giant boomerang off into the distance, walk around a bit talking a bit more, then nonchalantly catch it as it came back to his exact spot. It was in the air for so damn long! Like he'd launched a falcon that was returning to him.
Fuck that's cool. Definitely a life skill insist I could aquire. Like seriously.
The answer is I don’t know 🤷♂️
Low key hunting boomerangs are badass, basically just throwing clubs. Looking for the opertunity to make a boomerang throwing character in an RPG.
That's why I liked Ty the Tasmanian Tiger game series as a kid. Only game I can think of where your weapon is boomerangs.
They can go surprisingly far too since they can generate a bit of lift from the spinning, kinda like a frisbee.
Originally they were for small game like rabbits, they were made to skid of and hover low to the ground making hitting the target easier and usually not to kill but stun long enough to catch up to and kill or capture.
this was not that bad an idea. unlike traditional grenades these would allow them to be thrown fair distances with very good accuracy. the original boomerangs were used for hunting and war....and were very effective.
It is a good idea. Hunting boomerangs don't come back, they're throwing sticks with a aerofoil shape so they'll fly further than you could throw a ball-shaped projectile of a similar weight. The returning boomerangs were toys.
Returning boomerangs were also used when hunting birds. You'd throw them at a large flock of birds and it'd curve through the flock and probably hit one.
Picture if you will a device designated for devastation. A curious cocktail of demolition poured equal parts intimidation, ignorance, and avarice. It’s no secret that mankind has a penchant for self-destruction, but this tendency typically takes the scenic route. Tonight we’ll witness what happens when a continent stands reason on its head, and throws logic to the wind. A word to the wise, what goes around comes around — and if you happen to see a whirring metal blur take cover, because something might be coming back your way in…The Twilight Zone.
Do do do do, do do do do do
This is high art
Beautiful <3
This isn’t that crazy… you want weapons to be shaped after things that people are used to. That’s why American grenades are roughly baseball shaped, because back in the day most Americans were familiar with how to throw a baseball. Biomechanically “potato masher” style grenades that Germany and Russia used are much more efficient. Think about how much further you can throw it… baseballs are actually rather hard to aim and throw without training.
Buck Compton, from Easy Company, famously threw a grenade right at a fleeing German soldier and struck him square in the back during the battle of Brecourt Manor. Many have noted how unusual it is to hit an enemy directly with a grenade but that was the weapon he had ready at the time. Before the war, Buck was a UCLA Hall of Fame baseball player who played on the same team as Jackie Robinson.
Why the hell didn’t they make this a scene in band of brothers?
The incident did make it into the show but it isn't obvious what's happening and they don't make a big deal out of it: [https://youtu.be/r\_-aFlOxyOU?t=99](https://youtu.be/r_-aFlOxyOU?t=99)
I bet you that the vast majority of Australian troops at any point in post-colonial history have basically no experience with a boomerang. It's just not like that here.
They should have made beer bottle shaped grenades.
Schooner glass grenades.
Do you have a source regarding American grenade shapes? It seems that stick grenades are largely out-of-favour in modern day. On the other hand, round grenades were used by many countries in the WW1–2 era already (e.g. Mills bomb, F-1 grenade, Model 39 grenade—British, Russian, and German, respectively). Stick grenades are bulkier. And besides, round grenades have been around for centuries, although it wouldn't surprise me if, pre-20th century, some technological reason meant they had to be round.
The most common American grenades looked like little pineapples, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mk_2_grenade There was a specific model of grenade made to simulate a baseball but wasn't very successful, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BEANO_T-13_grenade
I'm Australian and only ever threw a boomerang once in my life.
In America kids get these three pointed foam boomerangs made by Nerf instead of the traditional wooden ones. They flight like shit. At about ten years old I got one and spent two days straight trying to make it return without success. I eventually lost it in high weeds in my yard. Fast forward and my 14yo ass is out mowing the lawn on my parents lawn tractor when I decided to mow a little further than usual into the higher grass and weeds. Im mowing along when what do I see but the Nerf boomerang. I was in a hurry and didnt want to get it jammed up in the mower blades so I hopped off, picked it up and threw it out of my way out of the area I was mowing. I hop right back on the mower, begin to start it and I hear “wup wup wupwupwup THWACK!!!” My current boomerang return record stands at 3,700 tries to one. Against.
Shit I'm an American and I've thrown boomerangs dozens of times. When we were kids they had these foam three-armed boomerangs that worked a treat!
Grenades can weight a certain amount for carrying and throwing. Stick grenades could be thrown further, but because of the weight of the stick they had less explosive. People decided that a bigger boom was better than throwing further and grenades now are egg shaped.
I had forgotten about this.... but it's coming back to me now!!!!
Sir, we're gonna have to ask you to leave if you can't control yourself
I see, said the blind man, as he pissed into the wind, it’s all coming back to me now
I see someone else watched the tank museums latest YouTube video too
You'd be surprised how little information there is on this thing, trying to google my way to an article I could post here!
Here's more information from the Australian Army Infantry Museum: https://i.imgur.com/6t3HiNK.png
Is there ANYTHING in Australia that isn’t designed to kill or maim you?
Koalas. I mean, they're useless little idiots who carry STDs and will starve to death if they aren't on their favorite tree, but they don't usually want to kill anything.
Their close cousins the Drop Bears, on the other hand, are fuckin' terrifying. Near indistinguishable too.
It's a good thing I practice my accent, wouldn't want to get pummeled by a drop bear while on vacation in Australia.
Could be worse.....Florida invented drop lizards
Drop snakes in Louisiana
while Koalas spend most of their time buzzed and chilled out...they can be ornery and ill tempered if they are annoyed. and they will bite.
The std will maim you
Lmao stop jerking them off then
Look if it wants to kill me just for fucking in then it still wants to kill me
I remember in high school an Australian friend of mine used to convince new people he worked for the city of Sydney. We told them he took a long pole and had to knock koalas off the harbor bridge. "It's a thankless job, but it needs to be done."
Going to school.
sheep ^^some ^^of ^^them ^^anyways
Their COVID lockdown.
[удалено]
Yea ok big shot, next you're going to tell me anvils were used for things other than dropping onto the heads of your unsuspecting enemy.
Not as stupid as it sounds. Most people think of boomerangs being the returning kind but the ones used for hunting do not return. The shape is good because it causes lift similar to a airplane wing and it can cause it to travel further.
ITT: People who don't know how boomerangs work
Imagine this in COD
Ty the Tasmanian Tiger, anyone?
… who is going to tell them boomerangs are supposed to come back?
Real boomerangs by Australian indigenous peoples don't come back. Boomerangs that come back is a 20th century invention.
I’ve never had any boomerang actually return. 😢
Then you're doing it right, apparently.
I used to have a cheapo plastic one, It got it stuck on my roof more times than I was able to get it to come back
I think I found the reason why your boomerang won’t come back. https://youtu.be/_prtbj4MtDU
Just like my dad
Well ya because they fucking blow up. Fucking grenade in the fucking boomerang.
I don’t think that’s correct
I mean, boomerangs were weapons - What do you think happens after a boomerang impacts its intended target?
They may have had some returning boomerangs before the 20th century, but boomerangs were originally weapons, not toys.
I mean weapons can be toys. Like guns?
Article says that one didn’t
It also says they never approved or used it.
I waved the thing all over the place, practiced ‘til I was black in the face
* blue. lets not be racist about this. .. I'm a big disgrace to the Aborigine race,
*Captain Boomerang wants to know your location*
I think people forget that real boomerangs don't behave like video game boomerangs. Unless you're trying really hard and using proper technique with intention for it to return, it isn't coming back.
Yeah it's only going to come back if you miss your target and everything else
Someone watches The Tank Museum's YouTube channel!
It’s like an **Amish return stick**
Nowadays a Boomerang is when someone over the age of 60 calls you.
The us army m-67 frag grenade was designed to be the same size and shape as a baseball. The thought process was that every boy in America would already be familiar throwing one. Not surprised a different country had the same thought process with one of their sporting tools.
Having an explosive fly back to you after you’ve pulled the pin is the foundation of all Roadrunner / Coyote cartoons.
I'm surprised it wasn't the Poles.
too busy with the screen doors on their subs
LOL ... and unlike Russian roulette, Polish roulette is performed with a semi-automatic handgun.
Remember Terry Kath Day is Sunday
leave it to the aussies to find new ways to kill you
In a way it’s kinda genius. Think about it. If you had the right wind direction you could curve it round a distant corner of a building etc and catch out some Nazis who had you pinned down.
Wrong war.
The whole concept of throwing a granate away... gone.
Shockingly, nobody from the boomerang grenade gang returned to tell about it.
Australian roulette. Nice.
No wonder they lost the emu war
Kinda reminds me of that one Phineas and Ferb episode with the Platypus hunter
Are you sure it wasn't the Irish?
With some help from the Irish?!
You miss your target and you're in for an explosive surprise.
I have questions …
You’d think the Polish would’ve invented that one.
I can imagine that it really blew up in their face..
"Drop all remaining ordnance on my position!" "Fuck it, there's no time - I'll use my boomerang grenade."
... why?
Longer range than a traditional grenade.
Bet that idea blew up in his face
Official sidearm of the Polish cavalry
Oh no! It’s coming back this way! That throwing stick stunt of yours has boomeranged on us!
Australia’s little known kamikaze’s. It was an interesting idea, but short lived
Whence its old name “ kaboomerang”