The following safety precautions should be observed when handling or using hand grenades:

1. Do not take any grenade apart unless ordered to do so by competent authority.

2. Do not tamper with grenades and do not recover or tamper with live grenades that fail to explode (duds). These duds are recovered and destroyed only by qualified personnel.

3. Do not pull the safety pin until you are ready to throw the grenade. If the safety pin will not pull out easily with a pulling-twisting motion, straighten its ends. In the majority of cases, this will not be necessary. Maintain a firm grip on the safety lever when removing the safety pin.

4. After you pull the safety pin, throw the grenade. Do not attempt to replace the pinto return it to a safe condition.

5. When throwing a fragmentation grenade without protective cover, drop immediately to a prone position, face down, with your helmet toward the grenade. Keep your arms and legs flat against the ground. Other personnel in the area who are exposed must be warned to drop to a similar position. Steel helmets and body armor should be worn at all times when using grenades.

6. Although little danger is involved in using practice hand grenades, they require some degree of care in handling and throwing. You can throw the practice grenade a safe distance but, for the purpose of training and to prevent injury from an improperly loaded grenade, take cover. Wear the steel helmet, and keep all other personnel at a safe distance. Practice grenades

that fail to function (duds) are not recovered for at least 10 minutes and then only by trained personnel.

7. Grenades are issued in the "with fuze" and "without tie" condition. They are not necessarily shipped in separate containers. The detonator of a fuze is very sensitive to heat, shock, or fiction. Army FM 23-30 explains the safety precautions and steps taken when fuzing hand grenades.

LANDING-PARTY EQUIPMENT

LEARNING OBJECTIVE. Identify the various components of landing-party equipment and discuss its proper assembly.

Landing-party or load-carrying equipment consists of the items shown in figure 3-117. Each item has been designed to make the job of carrying the equipment you will need easier and more comfortable. If you are a member of a boarding party, you may substitute other

Figure 3-117.-Load-carrying equipment.

needed items that are essential to your mission. For example, you might want to replace the entrenching tool with another canteen when boarding foreign vessels.

The suspenders is one of the most overlooked necessities. The suspenders move the weight of the load from the waist to the shoulders where it should be. 'They also have hooks to hang additional equipment. Figure 3-118 shows an example of the equipment assembled. Remember, carry only the equipment needed to complete your mission and keep your load as light as possible. The assembled unit is usually worn over an armored vest.

SUMMARY

In this chapter we discussed the small arms currently in use by the Navy, their operation, functioning, and maintenance. We described some of the responsibilities of a Gunner's Mate relative to these small arms, including range operations, security procedures, and general small-arms safety. We described hand grenades, how they are used, and some safety precautions pertaining to them. Finally, we described some load-carrying equipment commonly

^{used by boarding parties.}

Figure 3-118.-Assemb1ed load-carrying equipment.