B737-300 SUFFERS SHATTERED FO WINDSHIELD CLIMBING THROUGH 9500 FT MSL. DECLARE EMERGENCY AND LAND OVERWEIGHT AT DEP ARPT.

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WHILE ON THE DEP FROM ZZZ; AT APPROX 9500 FT; THE FO'S MAIN WINDSHIELD CRACKED (MANY CRACKS AND MADE A LOUD CRACKING POPPING TYPE NOISE). THERE WERE NO INDICATIONS THAT WE HIT A BIRD. WE (FO AS PNF) ADVISED ATC IMMEDIATELY OF OUR SITUATION AND ASKED TO STOP THE CLB AT APPROX 10000 FT. WE REVIEWED THE QRH FOR THE CRACKED WINDSHIELD AND THEN CONTACTED MAINT CTL AND OUR DISPATCHER. AFTER DISCUSSING WITH MAINT CTL REGARDING OUR FRACTURED WINDSHIELD (MAIN FORWARD WINDOW FO SIDE); MAINT CTL; WITH DISPATCH AGREEMENT; THAT ACFT SHOULD BE BROUGHT BACK TO THE DEP ARPT. I INFORMED MAINT CTL AND DISPATCH OF AN OVERWT LNDG SITUATION; I COULD BURN OFF FUEL OR LAND; THEY (DISPATCH AND MAINT CTL) SAID WE WERE OK FOR OVERWT LNDG. SINCE THIS WAS GOING TO BE AN OVERWT LNDG; I DECLARED AN EMER; AND INFORMED ATC OF THE DETAILS OF THE EMER. I ALSO INFORMED THE FLT ATTENDANTS WE WERE RETURNING BACK TO ZZZ AS OUR WINDOW CRACKED AND THIS WOULD BE A NORMAL PRECAUTIONARY LNDG. I ALSO MADE AN ANNOUNCEMENT PAX OF OUR SITUATION AND WHY WE WERE RETURNING.