odes , ▁the ▁resulting ▁sh rap nel ▁is ▁capable ▁of ▁pier cing ▁the ▁skin ▁and ▁bl inding ▁enemy ▁soldiers . ▁▁ ▁The ▁modern ▁fragment ation ▁gr en ade ▁was ▁developed ▁during ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century . ▁The ▁M ills ▁bomb , ▁first ▁adopted ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 5 ▁by ▁the ▁British ▁army , ▁is ▁an ▁early ▁fragment ation ▁gr en ade ▁used ▁in ▁World ▁War ▁I . ▁The ▁M k ▁ 2 ▁gr en ade ▁was ▁a ▁fragment ation ▁gr en ade ▁adopted ▁by ▁the ▁American ▁military ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁M ills ▁bomb , ▁and ▁was ▁in ▁use ▁during ▁World ▁War ▁II . ▁ ▁D ifference ▁between ▁fragment ation ▁and ▁sh rap nel ▁shell s ▁ ▁The ▁term ▁" sh rap nel " ▁is ▁commonly ▁used ▁to ▁refer ▁to ▁fragments ▁produced ▁by ▁any ▁explos ive ▁weapon . ▁However , ▁the ▁sh rap nel ▁shell , ▁named ▁for ▁Major ▁General ▁Henry ▁Sh rap nel ▁of ▁the ▁British ▁Royal ▁Art illery , ▁pred ates ▁the ▁modern ▁high - expl os ive ▁shell ▁and ▁oper ates ▁via ▁an ▁entirely ▁different ▁process . ▁ ▁A ▁sh rap nel ▁shell ▁consists ▁of ▁a ▁shell ▁cas ing ▁filled ▁with ▁steel ▁or ▁lead ▁balls ▁susp ended ▁in ▁a ▁res in ▁matrix , ▁with ▁a ▁small ▁explos ive ▁charge ▁at ▁the ▁base ▁of ▁the ▁shell . ▁When ▁the ▁project ile ▁is ▁fired , ▁it ▁travel s ▁a ▁pre - set ▁distance ▁along ▁a ▁ball istic ▁traject ory , ▁then ▁the ▁f use ▁ign ites ▁a ▁relatively ▁weak ▁secondary