How many 30mm grenades carried?

[atiff]

Hi all,

Been looking at Youtube videos lately, and seeing lots of Iraq and Afghan firefights where guys seem to be popping off half-a-dozen or more 30mm's in a firefight. While I agree you'd use anything to smack the other guy when the heat is on, I wonder how much of their supply they are using up. So... what is a normal load-out for 30mm grenades?

Thanks, Andrew

[James Langham]

Assuming you mean 40mm, there are grenadier vests that hold 24? or thereabouts (plus extras in pockets).

Edit - it is 24 (4 of which are the longer illum or similar).

Originally Posted by atiff

Hi all,

Been looking at Youtube videos lately, and seeing lots of Iraq and Afghan firefights where guys seem to be popping off half-a-dozen or more 30mm's in a firefight. While I agree you'd use anything to smack the other guy when the heat is on, I wonder how much of their supply they are using up. So... what is a normal load-out for 30mm grenades?

Thanks, Andrew

[Webstral]

I carried far fewer because the grenadier vests weren't authorized in Iraq--or at least in Baghdad. HEDP rounds were strictly contraband, so I limited myself to 4. I also carried about 4 ILLUM rounds, a few smoke rounds, and another 4 or so of the crowd control rounds.

[95th Rifleman]

Take into account rounds carried by the non-grenadier soldiers. Not sure how widespread the practice is, but some units spread ammuniton throughout the section, including GPMG/LMG belts.

[atiff]

Thanks, and yes, I did mean 40mm (typo...)

[perardua]

The scale given in the manual for the British UGL is for 22 rounds of 40mm HEDP carried in two 11 round bandoleers, which is certainly what I was issued when I was in Afghanistan, though I tended to only carry 6 on my Osprey and the remainder in my daysack to leave more space for rifle magazines.

On one of the pre-deployment live fire ranges we did, on the other hand, I was the only UGL gunner in my multiple that was actually present, so I ended up carrying a total of 66 UGL rounds for a withdrawal from contact and defence shoot scenario. I don't think I fired a single round from my rifle, and ended up in a trench with my daysack laying on the edge filled to the brim with 40mm rounds and me doing a reasonable impression of a GMG.

As for spreading ammunition through the Section, UGLs, like LMGs, are normally regarded as individual weapons and the gunner will be expected to carry the entirety of his own load. Anything that has been acquired beyond that may (emphasis on may) be shared out. GPMG ammo, on the other hand, will probably be given out to everybody in vast quantities.