
The M15 (sometimes nicknamed "Willy Pete" for White Phosphorous) was a white phosphorous smoke grenade that was used by the United States during WW2.
Each M15 contained 425 grams of white phosphorous with the burn time of about 60 seconds at the very high temperature of over 2,600 degrees Celsius. The typical soldier could throw the grenade at the range of about 30 meters, and the grenade's damage radius was about 9 meters. The delay time for the typical M6 or M206 fuses was about 4.5 seconds.
M15 were intended to be screening weapons, hiding infantry movements with the dense smoke generated by the white phosphorous content, but they were also often used as an extremely effective weapon against enemy infantrymen. In this anti-infantry role, they were notably used in great numbers against Japanese bunkers and caves in the Pacific theater of war, either to burn or to drive out the defenders.
About 5,800,000 M15 grenades were produced by Dec 1945.
BODY & FUSE :
The body and fuse of our M15 repros are made of solid resin. Body is full.
Body and fuse are reeinforced with a metal rod casted vertically from the top of the fuse head to the bottom of the body for better solidity.
On original M15 grenades, body and fuse are 2 separate parts screwed together. Our repros body + fuse are casted in 1 solid piece, for durability and production convenience. Also, we consider it is not necessary to unscrew fuse from body for reenactment purposes. Solidity first!
The body is then painted grey, with white top.
We then give the grenade a little bit of "patina" with a dirty rag for better visual realism.
MARKINGS :
On SMOKE WP grenades, yellow markings indicate the type of grenade, model, lot #, & date of manufacturing.
During WW2, markings on US ammunitions were stamped (and not stenciled). Paint was applied to a rubber stamp. The ordnance was then rolled over the stamp :
This makes irregular markings as you can see on original SMOKE WP grenades
We use the same stamping process. Therefore our markings are not 100% "perfect", which is a plus regarding authenticity!
SPOON :
RING & PIN :
Surprisingly, reproduction rings with correct WW2 specs are very hard to find. So here again, we make our own rings. And they look just perfect!
OVERALL WEIGHT :
Our repro M15 weights around 400g, vs. 880g for an original one.
ATTENTION :
⚠️ This product is made on demand. Allow 5-10 business days before shipment. For large orders (over 5 items), please allow additional time. There may be additional production delays during sales period, due to high volume of orders. Do not hesitate to contact us to know when your order will be shipped.
⚠️ To ensure durability of the product, do not pull the pin and remove the spoon. This reproduction is made to be used as a simple display element on your gear or in your collection, not as a functional or training device that you can "arm" and/or throw.
⚠️ Please be aware that the spoon, safety pin and ring are not made to be used on real grenades, and do not meet any real weapon safety criteria. These are reproductions for dummy props.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF SALE :
François G.
ww2gear founder
I am François, founder and manager of ww2gear.
As far as I can remember, I have always been a WW2 history buff.
The ww2gear adventure started back in 2017 with the creation of the @ww2gear Instagram page. Since then, I have developed increasing interest for WW2 reenactment.
One thing led to another, and I quickly joined a U.S. Army reenactment group in Belgium : The BRO.
Simultaneously, I started creating repro gear for myself and a few friends, in line with the concrete needs of WW2 collectors and reenactors. It quickly became a serious business, which led to a full time job in 2021.
Most products available on this webshop are handcrafted by myself or artisans, which explains our limited assortment strategy.
I am a passionate person, working to enhance your passion.
Do not hesitate to contact me! 🤘