The individual makers of the Stielhandgranate 24 and 43
The production of the Stielhandgranate 24 was initially handled by the company of Richard Rinker, but with the ever increasing needs of the Reichswehr in the prewar years their production capacities was not enough. The introduction of new makers started already in the mid 1930's. Some makers manufactured the Stielhandgranate until the end of the Reich, while others changed to other products during the war or were bombed to oblivion and discontinued their production.
Matching or not matching!? I have found no proof that would suggest that any of the manufacturers actually made only the handle or only the can. But it is a well-known fact that most Stielhandgranaten 24 in "circulation" today are mismatched, with different maker marks on the head and can. As the Stielhandgranate 24 was strictly manufactured according to blueprints approved by the Wehrmacht Waffen Amt so the components had the same dimensions and were made according to the DIN (Deutsches Institut für Normung) standards. So the threads on cans and handles would be identical between the manufacturers, and the parts could be interchanged with no problem. But why so many of them ended up mismatched is a mystery.
 

The different types of "ЯR", referred to as ЯR type 1-5.

As discussed on the page Richard Rinker and the "ЯR" mystery, all early (pre 1940) Stielhandgranate 24 were marked with the letters "ЯR" to fool the Allies. In the picture above the company logo of Richard Rinker is "Type 1", represented with an early and late version. "Type 2" is an attempt to copy the original logo used by other manufacturers. "Type 3" has a reversed standard "R" that is linked at the middle with a standard "R" and could be described as a half-hearted attempt to copy the logo. "Type 4" has simply mirrored the first "R", followed with a standard "R". "Type 5" consists of two simple "R". By studying the use of the different types of logos it appears that most makers start production with the simple type 4 or 5, but changed to the type 2 by 1940.
This compilation is in no way complete, and will continue to be updated as new specimens are observed and new information can be found. It is sorted alphabetically according to the three-letter code assigned to each manufacturer. If no three-letter code was ever issued the maker is listed at the bottom. I have added the years of manufacture that I have observed, but this list is in no way complete. Please note that even if a company delivered an item to the Wehrmacht in 1941, and then again in 1943, it isn't proven that they in fact made the same item in 1942. Army contracts were drawn up for certain number of items, and production could switch to other items in between. But if a 1938 dated can made by one maker exists, it stands to reason that a 1938 dated handle from the same manufacturer should also exist. I have chosen to include only the markings I have observed myself, on originals or through photos.
To complicate things further, some of the makers also manufactured smoke handgrenades. In 1939 and the first half of 1940 the handle for the Nebelhandgranate was identical to the Stielhandgranate 24. For this reason it is hard to tell if a single handle dated 39/40 was in fact made for a Nebelhandgranate or a Stielhandgranate.
Most of the pictures used here have been copied from all over the internet over several years. Due to this I am unable to credit the pictures to each individual.
In the following text each maker is described with both the three-letter code and early ЯR code if applicable. Some makers only marked their products with one of the two. Codes that have never been observed on a Stielhandgranate 24 & 43 have a light yellow background, a small star is used to denote "unknown". WaA's with no safe observation has been marked the same way.

A tabular of known makers

Let's get down to business and see what we have got!
aqj
aqj was the code assigned to S. Elster, Gassmesser- u. Gasapparatefabrik, Wien 101/XV, Felberstrasse 80.

The company was founded in 1891 in Vienna by Johannes Siegmar Elster and Conrad Elster. It manufactured and repaired gas meters, gas cookers, heating and lighting equipment. Later it expanded into electric motors and electrical equipment. The company is still in operation.


Early code ЯR 789. ЯR type 3.
Only observed on 1940 dated handles. Possibly only made for the smoke grenade.


Code observed on can: aqj 1943 and aqj 1944
Code observed on handle: ЯR aqj 1941 and  aqj 44


Code observed on Stielhandgranate 43 can: No observation
Code observed on Stielhandgranate 43 handle: aqj 44  

WaA appears to be WaA80 and WaA291, but no safe observation yet.

arl
arl was the code assigned to Bergmann Elektrizitätswerke AG, Berlin Wilhelmsruhe

Founded in 1891 in Berlin-Moabit as Sigmund Bergmann  & Co. OHG. They manufactured electric lighting and telephone systems. In 1893 the company changed its name to Bergmann Elektrizitätwerke Aktien-Gesellschaft. In 1906 they relocated to Wilhelmsruhe.
In 1932 the production was focused on metal works, a cable plant, machinery and an automobile factory. In 1933 Bergmann employed 900 people. By 1933/1934 parts of the work was gradually converted to military production. Foreign forced laborers were used from 1940. Due to the increasing bombing in 1943/1944 the company relocated part of its military production to Ratibor in Upper Silesia. On April 23, 1945, the Red Army occupied the Wilhelmsruhe Werk.

Early code observed on can: ЯR 90-1939 and ЯR 90-1940. ЯR type 4.
Early code observed on handle: ЯR 90-36, ЯR 90-37 and ЯR 90/1940. ЯR type 3.

Three-letter code never observed on can or handle, which would indicate that they didn't manufacture Stielhandgranaten 24 after 1940, but must have used their production capacity to manufacture other products. 

Heereswaffenamt code WaA244.

bdb
bdb was the code assigned to A. Grothe & Söhne GmbH Elektrotechnische Fabrik, Köln-Zollstock 


The factory was located at Höninger strasse 147-155 and was run by the founder's sons. They manufactured loudspeakers with wooden cabinets before the war. In 1943 the working force consisted of 50 Ukrainians in addition to the German supervisors. The factory was badly damaged due to a bombing attack on 17 June 1943, and went out of business when it was totally destroyed by another attack on 29 June 1943.


Early code observed on can: No observation
Early code observed on handle: ЯR 784-39 ЯR type 3 and ЯR 784-40
  

Code observed on can: 43 bdb
Code observed on handle: 42 bdb, 43 bdb and 44 bdb

Heereswaffenamt code appears to be WaA198.

bdp.
bdp. was the code assigned to Friedrich Maurer Söhne, Eisenwerk und Kesselschmiede, München-Freimann.
Founded in 1876 by Friedrich Maurer in Munich they initially manufactured steel constructions like bridges, hangars and steel doors. The company is still in operation, manufacturing, among other things, roller coasters.


Early code observed on can: ЯR 791 1940. ЯR type 3.
Early code observed on handle: ЯR 791 1940. ЯR type 3

 
Code observed on can: bdp. 43 and bdp 4
Code observed on handle: bdp. 42, bdp. 43 and bdp. 44

Of special note: The code was followed by a punctuation to avoid confusion if it was turned upside down. The code used on the handle was stamped the opposite way of most other makers, running bottom-up. This makes the first letter fall on the curved area, almost always weakly impressed. In addition the WaA was placed between the code and the year on the 43 and 44 dated handles, unlike all other makers.


Code observed on Stielhandgranate 43 can:  bdp. 44 and bdp. 4,
Code observed on Stielhandgranate 43 handle: bdp. 44 and bdp. 45

Heereswaffenamt code WaA136.


brb

brb was the code assigned to Richard Rinker GmbH, Menden, Kreis Iserlohn.
Richard Rinker GmbH was founded in 1910, and was situated in Menden in Iserlohn. It specialized in the production of castings, especially of building hardware made of brass. In the mid-1930s the production was switched to light metals. They were still in production in 1991, manufacturing heaters under the name BAUFA-Werke Richard Rinker GMBH.


More details about the company can be found on the Stielhandgranate 24 main page.


Early code observed on can: ЯR 1936, ЯR 1937, ЯR 1938, ЯR 1939, ЯR 1940 and ЯR 1941. ЯR type 1.
Early code observed on handle: ЯRB, ЯR 1936, ЯR 1937. ЯR 1939 and ЯR 1941. ЯR type 1.


As an intermediate measure they chose to code their products with their assigned code "336"in the second half of 1940. The three-letter code brb was fully introduced by the start of 1941. "ЯR 1941" marked Stielhandgranaten 24 were marked with the makers old logo for export reasons.


Code observed on can: 41 brb, 42 brb, 43 brb and 44 brb.
Code observed on handle: 41 brb, 43 brb and 44 brb.


From 1925 to 1935 all years of manufacture were to be coded, using a capital letter. This code can be observed on Richard Rinker made products predating 1936. The above handles for Übungshandgranaten (the ones most likely to survive!) were made by Richard Rinker and dated "M" for 1927 and "G" for 1935. This code system has not been observed in use by any other maker of the Stielhandgranate 24, most probably because Richard Rinker was the only manufacturer up to 1935.



Code observed on Stielhandgranate 43 can: 44 brb
Code observed on Stielhandgranate 43 handle: 44 brb

Heereswaffenamt code WaA65.

brc

brc was the code assigned to Fritz Weber & Co. Metallwaren- und Laternenfabrik, Berlin.
The building pictured above was part of the original factory complex, but was rebuilt and restored postwar and this is the current look.

The company was founded by Fritz Weber, who had a key position as an economic leader within the Wehrkreis (army district). He was also a member of the NSDAP. Between 1935 and 1940 he built a new factory complex at the corner of Kiefholz- and Lohmühlenstraße in Berlin. The factory made equipment for the Wehrmacht. Among the products were MG34 ammo cans, barrel carriers and other ammunition containers. The company employed 2300 persons in the prewar years. These were gradually replaced by "Ostarbeiter", workers imported from the occupied territories. The factory complex was damaged by US bombers on 21. June 1944 and again on 3. February 1945. The frontline reached the factory complex with street fights 26. April 1945, and all production stopped. Postwar the factory was rebuilt and incorporated in the East German VEB Berliner Werkzeugmaschinenfabrik.
The manufacture of Stielhandgranaten 24 must have been a small sidestep in 1938-1940, as surviving examples with this logo are very scarce.


(Picture courtesy of Tighe, USA)

     
                                                                        (Picture courtesy of ROS, Russland)

Code observed on can: No marking applied to the metal
Code observed on handle: Factory logo, F W Co 1938,  F W Co 1939 and F W Co 1940.

Of special note:  The Stielhandgranate 24 manufactured by Fritz Weber & Co stands out in several aspects. The can is unmarked (in regards to the makers mark punched into the metal on top), but has a text that has been applied with a stencil, instead of the normal roller stamp. The handle has a factory logo instead of the code applied by most other makers.

Heereswaffenamt code WaA847.

can

can was the code assigned to August Wallmeyer, Maschinenfabrik u. Eisengiesserei, Eisenach. 

This manufacturer was involved in the production of ammunition in the times leading up to WW2, and was issued the code P287. 

(Pictures courtesy of Ростислав, Russia) 

Up to now, there has only been one observation of this maker. Both can and handle is marked "can 40". With only one observation it is unclear if the marking is a misprint by a manufacturer or if it is in fact the only known survivor. This grenade surfaced in Russia, which might explain where all the rest of them disappeared....

cap
cap was the code assigned to Adolf Völker, Zangenfabrik. Schmalkalden. This company manufactured tools in the prewar era and delivered daggers to the SA and NSKK in the late 1930's / early 1940's.

(Picture courtesy of Ростислав, Russia) 

Early code observed on can: No observation
Early code observed on handle: AV logo 1940 SS-TV (Note the use of standard font "SS")

Code observed on can: No observation
Code observed on handle: cap 41 SS-TV, cap 42

Of special note: These Stielhandgranate 24 were manufactured especially for the Waffen-SS, and they are marked SS-TV, an abbreviation for SS-Totenkopfverbände. Due to the internal competition between the armed forces the newly formed Waffen SS formations had to equip themselves with whatever weapons they could get hold of. This included both the use of weapons from the occupied countries, as well as weapons procured from German and foreign factories that didn't have a contract with the Wehrmacht. Incidentally, some of these handles have turned up at the same locations that the first SS-TV units were deployed in the spring of 1941. The ones marked cap 42 are most probably from a standard Wehrmacht contract. The handle on the 1940 production has a factory logo instead of the code applied by most other makers.

Heereswaffenamt code has not been decrypted.

cud
cud was the code assigned to Wilhelm Pfeiffer & Co., Metallbesteck-Fabrik, Solingen. This company manufactured cutlery prewar, during the war and postwar. 

The cutlery was marked with their trademark of two persons sitting back to back (smoking pipes?) and the trademark name "Mangasil". During the war years they manufactured both Nebelhandgranate 39 B (can and handle) in 1941 and Stielhandgranate 24 in 1943. 

(Picture courtesy of Miguel at ersatzmilitaria.com)

Code observed on can: cud/43
Code observed on handle: cud 1943

Heereswaffenamt code WaA648.

dbk
dbk was the code assigned to Richard Rinker GmbH, Neubrandenburg in Mecklenburg.
Neubrandenburg was a quiet little town with about 15 000 inhabitants until the Nazis came to power. From 1933 the military industry played a vital role. The company of Richard Rinker was a wood processing company, manufacturing ammunition boxes and handgrenades with the use of forced laborers from the Ravensbrück concentration camps. The manufacturing plant had up to 6000 workers.


Early code observed on can: ЯR 1938 and ЯR1940. ЯR type 1.
Early code observed on handle: ЯR 1938, ЯR 1939 and ЯR 1940. ЯR type 1.


Code observed on can: dbk 41, 42 dbk and 43 dbk
Code observed on handle: dbk 41, 42 dbk, 43 dbk and 4 dbk

Of special note: In 1941 the code is followed by the year. In 1942 this has been reversed.
Heereswaffenamt code WaA560.

dol
dol was the code assigned to Domininghaus, Heinr. Fabrik f. Baubeschlage, Brügge/Westfalen.


The company was founded in 1862 by Heinrich Domininghaus. By the turn of the century it employed 100 workers. Their prewar production included hardware for windows, ironmongery, wire products and meat hooks. The company is still in operation.


Early code observed on can: no observation
Early code observed on handle: ЯR-802 1940. ЯR type 4.
Only observed on smoke grenade handles (with grooves)!


Code observed on can: no observation
Code observed on handle: 42 dol and 43 dol


Code observed on Stielhandgranate 43 can: No observation
Code observed on Stielhandgranate 43 handle: 44 dol

Heereswaffenamt code appears to be WaA200.

dwx
dwx was the code assigned to Schmöle & Comp. Werk Immelborn, bei Bad Salzungen.
The company was founded in 1853 by Carl Schmöle. It received its first orders for military material already in 1887 as a result of the reorganization of the German army. Schmöle & Co also manufactured the Drückzünder 35 and other igniters. The early code of ЯR217 was by far the hardest code to crack, as it is missing from the 1939 dated code-list that all later literature has been based upon. In the end it was the markings on boxes of DZ35 that enabled the positive verification of the early code. The company went out of business in 2002.

 
Early code observed on can: ЯR 217-1937, ЯR 217-1938, ЯR 217-1939 and ЯR 217-1940. ЯR type 3.
Early code observed on handle: ЯR 217-38, ЯR 217-39 and ЯR 217-1940. ЯR type 3.
  
 
Code observed on can: dwx - 44
Code observed on handle: dwx - 41 and 44 - dwx

Of special note: The code and year is reversed from the can to the handle on the later production.

Heereswaffenamt code WaA744 and WaA331.

evy
evy was the code assigned to Wilhelm von Hagen Metallwarenfabrik, Iserlohn Westfalen.

The following text is from a prewar company index. "Wwe. Wilh. von Hagen, Iserlohn. Metallwarenfabrik. Telephone number 1751 and 1752. With over 300 workers and employees, the factory manufactures its specialties in fittings for interior decoration, for ovens and stoves and for iron furniture. It distributes its products in direct exports to all markets of the world."


Early code observed on can: ЯR 564 1938, ЯR 564 1939 and ЯR 564 1940. ЯR type 5 and type 2.
Early code observed on handle: ЯR 564 1938, ЯR 564 1939 and ЯR 564 1940. ЯR type 5 and type 2.



Code observed on can: 42 evy and 43 evy
Code observed on handle: 42 evy and 43 evy


Code observed on Stielhandgranate 43 can: No observation so far
Code observed on Stielhandgranate 43 handle: 45 evy

Of special note: In 1938 and 1939 this maker marked its products with the simple RR style 5, but changed to the more correct ЯR style 2 in 1940.

Heereswaffenamt code WaA832 and WaA562.

eyu

eyu was the code assigned to Carl Winzerling K.G, Schloßfabrik. Volmarstein a.d. Ruhr. 


On this old postcard of the Gaststätte (Guesthouse) Schackmann, the lock factory of Carl Winzerling can be seen on the left in the picture. It was situated right in the middle of the small city of Volmarstein. The building was torn down in 1974.

  
Early code observed on can: ЯR 710 1939 and ЯR 710 1940. ЯR type 4.
Early code observed on handle: ЯR 710 1940. ЯR type 4.

  

Code observed on can: 43 eyu and 44 eyu
Code observed on handle:  44 eyu

Of special note: The font used for the year 1943 on the can is considerably larger than the font used for the code.


Code observed on Stielhandgranate 43 can: No observation
Code observed on Stielhandgranate 43 handle: 44eyu

Heereswaffenamt code WaA703.

eyw
eyw was the code assigned to Georg Brandstätter, Metallwaren- und Spezialfabrik. Zirndorf bei Nürnberg.
Georg Brandstätter took over the family company from his father in 1908 and renamed it Metallwarenfabrik Georg Brandstätter. They manufactured toys, telephones and piggy banks. Post WW2 they continued their civilian production lines with toys being their main product. This company is today the manufacturer of the Playmobil plastic figures series.
I have only found handles marked with their early code, ЯR 803, dated 1940. It is impossible to tell if these were made for the smoke handgrenade or the Stielhandgranate 24.


Early code observed on can: No observation
Early code observed on handle: ЯR 803 1940 and ЯR 803/1940. ЯR type 4.

Of special note: The 1940 dated handle comes in two varieties of marking, with and without the slash. This might indicate that ЯR 803 manufactured both a Stielhandgranate 24 and a Nebelhandgranate 39 in 1940.

Heereswaffenamt code WaA A5.

fcc

fcc was the code assigned to Metallwarenfabrik Hermann Nier, Beierfeld bei Schwarzenberg, Erzgebirge

The Metallwarenfabrik Hermann Nier, Beierfeld bei Schwarzenberg was founded by Ernst and Hermann Nier. They started to manufacture lanterns by hand in Beierfeld in the Erzgebirge in 1880. A few years later the production was changed to mechanical manufacture of storm lanterns.  During WW1 they manufactured Stielhandgranaten 15 and steel helmets.


The LKW above is loaded with crates that would contain Stielhandgranaten 15. Note the company name on the side of the truck.
 
In 1937 the number of lanterns sold amounted to around 12 million units. The production of lanterns was ended in 1943 and replaced by ammunition parts, especially Stielhandgranate 24 and 43, but they also manufactured parts for the V-1 and V-2. Metallwarenfabrik Hermann Nier was the only maker that manufactured the third version (stamped threads) of the Stielhandgranate 24 in numbers. The company was never assigned an early code. By December 1944 the workforce was up to 1622 persons, including 65 forced laborers from the occupied territories in the east. They worked 73 hours each week. After the end of World War II, the company was expropriated and dismantled by the Soviet occupation force.


Code observed on can (second version): 43 fcc
Code observed on handle (second version): 43 fcc and fcc 43


Code observed on can (third version): 43 fcc and 44 fcc
Code observed on handle (third version): 42 fcc, 43 fcc and 4 fcc


Code observed on Stielhandgranate 43 can: 44 fcc
Code observed on Stielhandgranate 43 handle: No observation so far

Heereswaffenamt code WaA702.

Of special note: fcc was the only manufacturer of the Stielhandgranate 24 (third version) that used the Dunkelgelb (tan) color. They were also the only manufacturer that actually manufactured the third version in numbers. The handles for the Stielhandgranate 24 manufactured by fcc has a coding system that hasn't been deciphered yet. All of them have a symbol stamped into the wood, in addition to the normal year and code. The symbols observed include a star, an arrow, a square, a triangle and a circle.

flf

flf was the code assigned to Vossloh-Werke GmbH, Werdohl/Westfalen

The company was founded in 1888 by Eduard Vossloh, a wounded war veteran and blacksmith. His children continued his work when he died in 1899. By the start of WW1 the company had 250 employees. In the 1920's they expanded production to pipes, wires, light bulbs and decoration goods in several production plants. But their most important product was railway rail springs (the part that holds the rails to the sleepers). In 1930 the whole structure was centralized to the Vossloh-Werke GmbH. During WW2 their war production included Stielhandgranaten and boxes for explosives. Most of the buildings in the Werk Werdohl were destroyed by the end of the war, and production came to a standstill. But the factories were restarted in 1946 and the company is still in business today, manufacturing railway equipment.


Early code observed on can: RR 513 1938, RR 513 1939 and RR 513 1940. RR type 5.
Early code observed on handle: RR 513 1938 and RR 513 1939. RR type 5.
 

Code observed on can: 42 flf, 43 flf and 44 flf
Code observed on handle:  42 flf, 43 flf and 44 flf



Code observed on Stielhandgranate 43 can: flf 44
Code observed on Stielhandgranate 43 handle: 44 flf

Heereswaffenamt code WaA594.


ftd

ftd was the code assigned to Metallwarenfabrik Peter Schlesinger, Offenbach a.M.

The company was founded by Peter Schlesinger (1859-1934) in 1885, and made accessories and spare parts for the bicycle and automotive industry. Their bicycle lights were sold under the brand "Radsonne" (bicycle sun). During WW2 they manufactured cleaning kits for small arms (Reinigungsgerät 34), Smoke handgrenades (Nebelhandgranaten), Stielhandgranate 24 and Stielhandgranate 43.


Early code observed on can: No observation
Early code observed on handle: ЯR 796 1940. ЯR type 2. (Possibly smoke grenade handle).
 

Code observed on can: ftd 43
Code observed on handle:  ftd 43 and ftd 44


(Unsure about the originality of this one, something strange with the stamping)

Code observed on Stielhandgranate 43 can: no observation
Code observed on Stielhandgranate 43 handle: ftd 44

Heereswaffenamt code: Appears to be WaA 555

fzl

fzl was the code assigned to Hermann Wuppermann AG, Stanz- u. Emaillierwerk, Pinneberg, Hamburg.
Picture above was taken in 1962, the year the factory shut down.

The company was bought by Herman Wupperman in 1878. He transformed it into one of the biggest enamel manufacturers in Europe, 2/3 of the production for export. During WW1 they manufactured mess kits, canteens, drinking cups, ammunition parts and handgrenades. The interwar depression reduced the staff from 725 employees to 280. But the re-birth of the German army in 1935 filled the order books again. They manufactured mess kits, canteens, mines, igniters, ammunition boxes and parts for the Panzerfaust during the war. Production of enamel products continued after the war, but with fewer and fewer workers. The factory was closed in 1962.
The manufacture of Stielhandgranate 24 appears to have been limited to the years 1938-39-40-41. Stielhandgranate 24 with the code fzl are very scarce.


Early code observed on can: RR 512 1938, ЯR 512 1939 and ЯR 512 1940. RR type 5 and 4.
Early code observed on handle: ЯR 512 1939 and ЯR 512 1940. RR type 5 and 4.


Of special note: Two different 1939 dated handles have been observed with two different ЯR styles. The same change has been observed with other makers. The procurement officers of the Wehrmacht must have been placing demands on the industry to improve their "ЯR camouflage", and the RR type changes from Type 5 (normal RR) to Type 4 (with reversed first letter). 

(Picture courtesy of ROS, Russland)
Late code observed on can: No observation yet.
Late code observed on handle: 41 fzl

Heereswaffenamt code: Appears to be WaA 587

gck

gck was the code assigned to Metallwarenfabrik Siegwerk Gebrüder Schuppener, Siegen Westfalen

The company manufactured enamel and metal products in the prewar era, specializing on kitchen utensils.


Early code observed on can: RR 517. 1938, RR 517. 1939 and RR 517. 1940. RR type 5.
Early code observed on handle: RR 517. 1938, RR 517. 1939 and RR 517. 1940. RR type 5.
 

Code observed on can: 41 gck, 42 gck, 43 gck and 44 gck
Code observed on handle: 41 gck, 42 gck, 43 gck and 44 gck



Code observed on Stielhandgranate 43 can: gck 44
Code observed on Stielhandgranate 43 handle: 4 gck

Heereswaffenamt code: WaA 480

Of special note: The code RR 517. was always followed by a punctuation.

ghs
ghs was the code assigned to Otto l. Schmidt, Ingenieur. Berlin Hohenschönhausen, Quitzowstr 14. The early code assigned to this manufacturer was ЯR790.
I am unable to find any more information. The only observations made are handles marked ghs 1942


Code observed on can: No observation
Code observed on handle: ghs 1942, ghs 1943.

Heereswaffenamt code appears to be WaA141.
 
gnx

gnx was the code assigned to Nirona-Werke, Nier & Ehmer, Auto- und Fahrradzubehör, Beierfeld/Erzgebirge

The company was founded in 1905. Their line of products in the prewar years included accessories for automobiles and bicycles, as well as portable gramophones. During WW2 their main product was Jerry cans.


Early code observed on can: ЯR 801 1940. ЯR type 4.
Early code observed on handle: ЯR 801 1940. ЯR type 4.


Code observed on can: gnx 43
Code observed on handle: gnx 43 and gnx-44

Heereswaffenamt code WaA73 and WaA37.

Of special note: The early code used a hyphen between the code number and year. The font used for the code "gnx" on the can is considerably smaller than the date "43". The profile of the handle marked gnx 43 is not identical to other versions of the Stielhandgranate 24 handle. The gnx 43 handle has a much longer wide part towards the raincap.
gzo

gzo was the code assigned to Autoflug, Gerhard Sedlmayr, Werk Bernau, bei Berlin

„Spezialhaus für AUTOmobil und FLUGwesen, AUTOFLUG“ was founded by Gerhard Sedlmayr in 1919 in Berlin-Johannisthal. Gerhard Sedlmayr was born in 1891. In the 1920's the company cooperated with Leslie Irvin and introduced the modern parachute in Germany. This became the main product, and they made large quantities for the Luftwaffe. Their WW2 production also included Nebelhandgranaten and Stielhandgranaten 24. The factories in Berlin were totally destroyed during the second half of the war. The company is still in business, manufacturing and conducting maintenance on survival equipment for airplanes. The company was never issued an early code.


Code observed on can: gzo 43
Code observed on handle: gzo. 1943, gzo. 1944

Of special note: Although I believe both specimens pictured above to be real, the observant reader will note the differences between the markings. On the handle the code is followed by a period, and the year is written with four digits. On the can the period is missing and the year is written with two digits.


Code observed on Stielhandgranate 43 can: No observation yet.
Code observed on Stielhandgranate 43 handle: gzo 1944

Heereswaffenamt code has not been identified yet.

gzq
gzq was the code assigned to Kortenbach & Rauh K.G. Solingen-Weyer.

Kortenbach & Rauh K.G. was founded in 1855 in Weyer, Solingen. By 1914 the company employed 1200 workers and was one of the largest in the Solingen area. Their main product was the self-opening umbrella manufactured under the name "Kobold". During WW2 they employed between 100 and 200 forced laborers (Ostarbeiter) Their WW2 product line is a mystery, as I have not managed to find any documents or items marked with their codes. The only item found is a 1940 dated handle with their early code. So it could be either a Stielhandgranate 24 or a Nebelhandgranate 39.
The company is still in business, manufacturing car parts.



Early code observed on can: No observation
Early code observed on handle: ЯR 805-1940. ЯR type 3. (Possibly smoke grenade handle).

Heereswaffenamt code has not been identified yet.

jvf
jvf was the code assigned to Wilhelm Brand, Treibriemenfabrik. Heidelberg, Eppelheimerstr. 40. The company was in production during most of the war, manufacturing all sorts of equipment for the Wehrmacht including flare gun ammunition holsters, leather slings for the K98k, map cases, Luger holsters, carriers for entrenching tools and leather equipment for horses.
I guess that they changed into manufacture of the Stielhandgranate 43 late in the war (1944-45) due to the loss of other companies that made handgrenades.



The code has only been observed on a Stielhandgranate 43 handle.

Heereswaffenamt code WaA41 and WaA204.

wc

wc was the code assigned to Hasag, Hugo Schneider AG, Metalwarenfabrik Leipzig, werk Meuselwitz, Thuringia.
Metallwarenfabrik Hugo Schneider AG was founded in 1899. In the first years their main products were metal lamps and cookers. With the Great war they changed their production to ammunition components and other war materials. Post WW1 they resumed production of their civilian products, until the 1930's again brought along the demand for military hardware. Their production increased until they in 1939 were the largest "war effort company" in Germany, which they remained until the end of the Reich. The HASAG company manufactured belt drums and belt drum holders for MG34 & 42, Panzerfausts, Panzerschrecks and ammunition components. The production line once again changed to civilian products after the end of the war. In 1947 all machinery and useful assets were removed to the Soviet Union and the buildings were blown up.


Early code observed on can: ЯR 797 1939 and ЯR 797 1940. ЯR type 4.
Early code observed on handle: ЯR 797 1939 and ЯR 797 1940. ЯR type 4.


Code observed on can: wc 43 and wc 1944
Code observed on handle: wc 1942, wc 1943 and wc 1944


Code observed on Stielhandgranate 43 can: wc 1944, wc 45
Code observed on Stielhandgranate 43 handle: No observation so far

Heereswaffenamt code appears to be WaA 698

ЯR 510
ЯR 510 was the early code assigned to Galler, Hamburg-Altona. I am not able to find any information about this company, and they were never issued a three-letter code, so I guess production ended in 1940.

 Early code observed on can: RR 510 1938, RR 510 1939 and ЯR 510 1940. ЯR type 5 and 4.
Early code observed on handle: RR 510 1938, ЯR 510 1940. ЯR type 5 and 4.

Heereswaffenamt code appears to be WaA 582 or WaA 592

MSM
This maker was wrongly identified as a Stielhandgranate 24 maker up to now. It has been moved to the Nebelhandgranate section, as it in fact is a Nebelhandgranate manufacturer. 

358-A-031
The maker hidden behind the code 358-A-031 has not been identified yet.


There are absolutely no clues to be found that can shed any light on this special marking. The grenades are standard production. 

Heereswaffenamt code is WaA83


The same kind of marking has been observed on Eierhandgranaten 39, but the numbers are different.
One theory that has been launched is that these might be "foreign markings". The Germans exported weapons to their allies, and these might have been marked according to the recipients' wishes. The ones that show up all appears to be from the eastern front, so they might have been made for Hungary or Romania.