Ritterkreuzträger with Stielhandgranate

The Stielhandgranate, literally “stick hand grenade” and popularly nicknamed the Kartoffelstampfer or “potato masher” by Allied troops, was a distinctive family of German offensive hand grenades developed during World War I and refined for service through the end of World War II. First officially introduced in 1915 as the Stielhandgranate 15 to replace heavier spherical Kugelhandgranate models, it consisted of a thin steel or stamped sheet-metal cylindrical warhead filled with 170–250 grams of explosive—typically TNT, ammonal, black powder substitutes, or mixtures of ammonium nitrate and aluminium—mounted on a hollow wooden handle that contained the pull-cord friction igniter; yanking the porcelain-headed cord drew a steel rod through a primer to generate sparks that lit a pyrotechnic delay fuze, most commonly set for a 4–5 second burn time (shortened to 2–3 seconds for stormtrooper assaults), after which the detonator exploded the main charge. The handle’s lever-like design provided superior throwing range and accuracy—up to 40–50 metres—compared with contemporary round grenades, while the grenade’s emphasis on powerful blast effect and loud report rather than heavy fragmentation made it especially effective for clearing trenches, bunkers, and fortified positions, where it was frequently taped into bundle charges for greater destructive power or even improvised anti-tank use. Successive variants included the improved Stielhandgranate 16 with better waterproofing and screw-cap protection for the pull cord, the lighter Stielhandgranate 17, the iconic Stielhandgranate 24 (approximately 36 cm overall length, 230–480 g total weight, 70 mm head diameter, and roughly 15-metre effective blast radius), the Stielhandgranate 43 that adopted a screw-on igniter assembly and optional Splitterring fragmentation sleeve, smoke-producing Nebelhandgranate 39 models, practice dummies, and late-war improvised Behelfs-Handgranate versions made from wood or concrete due to material shortages. Soldiers typically carried pairs slung in empty sandbags for rapid access, and the weapon’s simplicity, reliability after paraffin or lacquer waterproofing, and psychological impact contributed to its widespread adoption by German forces on every front, as well as limited use or copying by Austro-Hungarian, Ottoman, Chinese, Japanese, Finnish, and Swedish troops across multiple 20th-century conflicts.

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HEER

Oberleutnant Viktor Lindemann (1916-1942) was born on 23 November 1916 in Koblenz in the Rhine Province of Germany and served as an officer in the Heer during the Second World War. As Leutnant and Adjutant of the III. Bataillon of Infanterie-Regiment 124 he was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 21 September 1941 for his conduct during operations on the Eastern Front in the opening phase of the German campaign against the Soviet Union. He later received promotion to Oberleutnant and was appointed Chef of the 4. Schwadron of Radfahr-Abteilung 72 in the 72. Infanterie-Division. In addition to the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes he was decorated with the Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse and the Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse. Lindemann was killed in action on 9 September 1942 near Dubakino on the southern sector of the Eastern Front while serving in his command role with the bicycle reconnaissance unit. The precise action or series of actions that led to the award of his Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes is not described in detail in the available biographical entries on the internet, which record only the date, his rank and his assignment at the time of the bestowal.

Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stielhandgranate