What were the first gernades?

Question: What were the first gernades!?

I'm sure in China they had balls of gunpowder that would explode but when were the first uhh uhhh ya know like the type of grenades we have today kinda
(fragmental grenades specifically)Www@QuestionHome@Com

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

You mean fragmentation grenade or 'frag'!. From Wikipedia:

A hand grenade is a small hand-held anti-personnel weapon designed to be thrown and then explode after a short time!. The word "grenade" is derived from the French "grenade" (meaning pomegranate, the fruit originally called in French "Pomme-grenade" or "grenade-apple," in reference to the general size of early grenades and because its shrapnel pellets reminded soldiers of the seeds of this fruit)!. Grenadiers were originally soldiers who specialized in throwing grenades!.

Not all grenades are thrown by hand!. Several types are fired from rifles or purpose-designed grenade launchers!. For example, tear gas grenades used in riot control are fired from riot guns, and the M203 grenade launcher can be fitted to several types of assault rifles!.

[I saw the XM203 launcher in service in Vietnam in 1970!. The X designated it as experimental!. I myself used both smoke and frags, preferring the smaller baseball type to the egg shaped standard fragmentattion grenade because I could pack four of them in my grenade pouch instead of only three of the other!. White phosphorous grenades were for both smoke and incendiary, but it was very heavy!. Typically we lobbed those into tunnel entrances and bunkers, using them in an 'anti-personnel role', as they say!.]Www@QuestionHome@Com