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Landships II -> Landships WW1 Forum -> Individual weapons & tactics -> Minenwerfer variants.
Post Info TOPIC: Minenwerfer variants.
James H


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Minenwerfer variants.
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Very much to my surprise after all these years, I have recently discovered that the design of all 3 types of Minenwerfer changed significantly in 1916 or thereabouts, and that Germany had a couple of large, smooth-bore models and a type that fired finned projectiles.

I've had a root round the Net, but can anyone suggest a source that gives good details?

Thanks in advance.

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Ironsides


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Hi James no real sources but I did  find this pic of a wooden 240mm Albrecht trench mortar......

Mortar

I think I saw a picture of one of these in use a while but didnt save it for some reason...

Cheers

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28juni14


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Germany entered the war with the sMW ( 25cm ), and the mMW( 17cm ) in modest numbers( about 100 each ).  Other types of lMW were tried( the Lanz being the most numerous ) early in the war.   In early 1917 the Germans introduced new an improved artillerie pieces, and the improvements were also seen in the minenwerfer world.  Tube lengths were increased on both the sMW, and mMW.  These new systems were given the suffix "n/Art".   This is also when the marvelous 7,62cm lMW came into being. 

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Ironsides


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Hi James , a Pic of German Mortars captured at Vimy Ridge... thats what it  ses anyway.... note the big Smooth bore? model...

Also some early Minenwerfer 17cm and 25cmm models...

The Museum pic is from PDAs photo page note the big Wooden mortar in the back ground.....

Cheers

-- Edited by Ironsides at 11:18, 2009-02-08

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James H


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Thanks very much, gents. I had always taken the German superiority in mortars for granted, but one or two things I read seemed to indicate that all was not as it seemed, so I've been doing a bit of digging. Dear old L&F Funcken were quite useful for clues, and a lot more emerged as a result. As Juni says, the Leichte Minenwerfer was a comparatively late arrival, and all 3 types were updated in 1916. In the meantime there was a lot of improvisation and a great many, quite simple, smooth-bore types were manufactured.

The one top left in Ironsides's post is an Ehrhardt 245mm, and the wooden one is, indeed, the Albrecht - very similar to the Livens Projector, and much earlier. Many types fired finned projectiles. Herbert Jaeger gives a long list of makers of recoilless smooth-bores. There are lots of photographs of these models on display after the War, so it's reasonable to assume that they remained in service alongside the types with recoil right through to 1918.

There were some that fired a finned projectile that fitted completely in the tube, and others in which the fins were outside, like the French 58mm. Far more varied than I realised. By coincidence, the Fluegelminenwerfer, which fired finned projectiles, was 24cm, or 9.45 inches - same as the Flying Pig. What I can't find is any info on the Sehr Schwere Minenwerfer, which apparently was 380mm.

Thanks again, citizens.

BTW, that's quite a nice Canadian site, isn't it?



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Ironsides


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Hi James, there is a contempary publication available as a download here..

Trench Artillery


Chapter VIII includes details of a wide variety of German Minenwerfer and Auxiliary minenwerfer including the Albrecht 25,35,45cm and light and heavy Ehrhardt , Lanz , Mauser, two improvised light models designated F & D , Erdmorser and an unnamed 18cm minenwerfer......when I said no sources I'd forgotten completely about this one.....

My excuse is I have a bad case of Flu...

There are 5 manuals in the series under obsolete manuals but you can only download 4 one is missing......

Cheerssmile

-- Edited by Ironsides at 10:52, 2009-02-09

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James H


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Ooh, thanks, Ivor. That's excellent.

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Ironsides


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Hi James I do believe this is another  Ehrhardt  Mortar...

Cheerssmile

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Ironsides


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Some others used by the turks in palestine Kolben and Lanz types from AWM....

Cheers


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28juni14


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Thanks for the website, Ironsides.   I was pleased to discover a manual for the French 9.45 in. Mortar; in use with the AEF.  ( The basis for the near copy British 9.45 in.)

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Ironsides


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Your  welcome, theres also a manual for the 240mm trench mortar which I believe is the same weapon which has further illustrations of loaded transport carts and details of the battery kit.....
Also Stokes and 58 mm mortar manuals, Artillery gun pits and trench constuction.... altogether I think I've downloaded nearly 40 manuals from this site about half on artillery related subjects....


240mm trench mortar

58mm trench Mortar

Stokes

Cheerswink

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Anonymous

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turnout and cartier earrings and the more

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