A grappling hook or grapnel is a device that typically has multiple

hook A hook is a tool consisting of a length of material, typically metal, that contains a portion that is curved/bent back or has a deeply grooved indentation, which serves to grab, latch or in any way attach itself onto another object. The hook's d ...

s (known as ''claws'' or ''flukes'') attached to a

rope A rope is a group of yarns, Plying, plies, fibres, or strands that are plying, twisted or braided together into a larger and stronger form. Ropes have high tensile strength and can be used for dragging and lifting. Rope is thicker and stronger ...

cable Cable may refer to: Mechanical * Nautical cable, an assembly of three or more ropes woven against the weave of the ropes, rendering it virtually waterproof * Wire rope, a type of rope that consists of several strands of metal wire laid into a hel ...

; it is thrown, dropped, sunk, projected, or fastened directly by hand to where at least one hook may catch and hold on to objects. Generally, grappling hooks are used to temporarily secure one end of a rope. They may also be used to dredge for submerged objects. The device was invented by the Romans in approximately 260 BC. The grappling hook was originally used in naval warfare to catch ship

rigging Rigging comprises the system of ropes, cables and chains, which support and control a sailing ship or sail boat's masts and sails. ''Standing rigging'' is the fixed rigging that supports masts including shrouds and stays. ''Running rigg ...

so that it could be boarded.

Design

A common design has a central shaft with a hole ("eye") at the shaft base to attach the rope, and three or four equally spaced hooks at the end, arranged so that at least one is likely to catch on some protuberance of the target. Some modern designs feature folding hooks to resist unwanted attachment. Most grappling hooks are thrown by hand, but some used in rescue work are propelled by

compressed air Compressed air is air kept under a pressure that is greater than atmospheric pressure. Compressed air in vehicle tires and shock absorbers are commonly used for improved traction and reduced vibration. Compressed air is an important medium for t ...

(e.g., the Plumett AL-52),

line thrower A line thrower is a device that casts a line to a remote position. It is used in rescues as well as marine operations. A line thrower may employ a variety of launching methods including guns, rockets, and pneumatics. History Roman Empire, Roman g ...

, mortar, or a rocket.

Applications

Military

15th MEU Marines train in combined arms training 141208-M-ST621-015

Grappling hooks are used by

combat engineer A combat engineer (also called pioneer or sapper) is a type of soldier who performs military engineering tasks in support of land forces combat operations. Combat engineers perform a variety of military engineering, Tunnel warfare, tunnel and l ...

s to breach tactical obstacles. When used as such, the grappling hook is launched in front of an obstacle and dragged backwards to detonate

tripwire A tripwire is a passive triggering mechanism. Typically, a wire or cord is attached to a device for detecting or reacting to physical movement. Military applications Such tripwires may be attached to one or more mines⁠especially fragme ...

-fused land mines, and can be hooked on wire obstacles and pulled to set off booby traps on the wire. The rifle-launched grapnel (LGH), a single-use grappling hook placed on the end of an M4/

M16 rifle The M16 (officially Rifle, Caliber 5.56 mm, M16) is a family of assault rifles adapted from the ArmaLite AR-15 rifle for the United States Armed Forces, United States military. The original M16 was a 5.56×45mm NATO, 5.56×45mm automatic ...

, is used for this purpose. A

crossbow A crossbow is a ranged weapon using an Elasticity (physics), elastic launching device consisting of a Bow and arrow, bow-like assembly called a ''prod'', mounted horizontally on a main frame called a ''tiller'', which is hand-held in a similar f ...

-launched version has been produced. A grapnel can clear up to 99% of the trip-wires in a single pass.Field Manual 3–34.2 ''Combined Arms Breaching Operations.'' 31 August 2000. Para. C-57 and Table C-2 In WW1, the Russian pilot

Alexander Kazakov Alexander Alexandrovich Kazakov (Kozakov, Kosakoff) () (2 January 1889 – 1 August 1919) (British Distinguished Service Order and Military Cross and the French Légion d'honneur) was the most successful Russian flying ace and fighter pilot durin ...

once unsuccessfully attempted to use a grappling hook to bring down a German spy plane. During

WW2 World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies and the Axis powers. Nearly all of the world's countries participated, with many nations mobilising ...

British and German ships towed grappling hooks in the hope of snagging or damaging enemy submarines, a tactic also employed by the Japanese. Grappling hooks were used by soldiers at the

D-Day The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on 6 June 1944 of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during the Second World War. Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as ...

landings to aid in climbing the cliffs at the Normandy beaches. Some were rocket-propelled and launched from mortars.

Maritime

As well as the grapnel anchor, grapnels are used in the removal and repair of subsea cables. Large

cable layer A cable layer or cable ship is a deep-sea ship, vessel designed and used to lay underwater cables Submarine communications cable, for telecommunications, Submarine power cable, for electric power transmission, military, or other purposes. Cable ...

ships drag huge grapnels across the seabed until they snag a cable.

In popular culture

Grappling hooks, grapple guns, and their many variants have been a staple in many video games.

Batman Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on M ...

is often depicted with a handheld grappling gun.

References

External links

Rangers Storm the Cliffs of Pointe du Hoc on D-Day 73 Years Ago
(6 June 2017) {{Ancient seafaring 3rd-century BC introductions Climbing equipment Mountaineering equipment