8 cm Granatwerfer 34

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8 cm Granatwerfer 34
Yugoslavian Partisans[1]
WarsWorld War II
Production history
DesignerRheinmetall
Designed1932–1934
Unit cost810 Reichsmark
Produced1934–1945
No. built75,255[2]
Variants8 cm GrW 34/1
Specifications
Mass62 kg (136.6 lbs)
steel barrel
57 kg (125.6 lbs)
alloy barrel
Barrel length1.14 m (3 ft 9 in)
Shell3.5 kg (7 lb 11 oz)
Caliber81.4 mm (3.20 in)
Elevation45° to 90°
Traverse10° to 23°
Rate of fire15-25 rpm
Muzzle velocity174 m/s (571 ft/s)
Effective firing range400–1,200 m (440–1,310 yd)
Maximum firing range2.4 km (1.5 mi)

The 8 cm Granatwerfer 34 (8 cm GrW 34) was the standard German infantry mortar throughout World War II.[3] It was noted for its accuracy and rapid rate of fire.[4]

History

A four-man crew of Waffen-SS soldiers firing on Yugoslavian partisans, December 1943.

The weapon was of conventional design and broke down into three loads (smooth bore barrel, bipod, baseplate) for transport.[3] Attached to the bipod were a traversing handwheel and a cross-leveling handwheel below the elevating mechanism.[5] A panoramic sight was mounted on the traversing mechanism yoke for fine adjustments. A line on the tube could be used for rough laying.[6]

The 8 cm GrW 34/1 was an adaptation for use in self-propelled mountings. A lightened version with a shorter barrel was put into production as the kurzer 8 cm Granatwerfer 42.

The mortar employed conventional 8 cm 3.5 kg shells (high explosive or smoke) with percussion fuzes. The range could be extended by fitting up to three additional powder charges between the shell tailfins.[6]

A total of 74,336,000 rounds of ammunition were produced for the Granatwerfer 34 from September 1939 to March 1945.[2]

Ammunition

List of available ammunition for the Granatwerfer 34.[7]

Name Caliber Mass of explosive material Target effect Other information
Wurfgranate 34
(Mortar grenade 34) 		80,7 mm 533 g Blast and shrapnel effect
Wurfgranate 34 Blauring
(Mortar grenade 34 bluering) 		530 g Blast, shrapnel and chemical effect Chemical agent: Adamsite
Wurfgranate 34 Ex
(Mortar grenade 34 dummy) 		0 g None (training ammunition) Ammunition used for learning general handling
Wurfgranate 34 Nb
(Mortar grenade 34 smoke) 		500 g Smoke effect Effect load: Sulfur trioxide in pumice stone
Wurfgranate 34 Üb
(Mortar grenade 34 training) 		57 g Minimal blast effect Training ammunition
Wurfgranate 34 Weißring
(Mortar grenade 34 whitering) 		550 g Blast, shrapnel and chemical effect Chemical agent: Phenacyl chloride
Wurfgranate 38
(Mortar grenade 38) 		400 g Blast and shrapnel effect
Wurfgranate 38 Deut
(Mortar grenade 38) 		200 g Ejection charge
Wurfgranate 38 umg
(Mortar grenade 38 rebuild) 		550 g Blast and shrapnel effect
Wurfgranate 39
(Mortar grenade 39) 		400 g Blast and shrapnel effect
Wurfgranate 40
(Mortar grenade 40) 		80,9 mm 2000 g Blast and shrapnel effect
Wurfgranate 40 Üb
(Mortar grenade 40 training) 		0 g None Training ammunition

See also

Weapons of comparable role, performance and era

  • Brandt Mle 27/31 original French mortar design of the 1920s, after which all 3″/8 cm/81.4 mm/82 mm mortars of the Second World War era were patterned
  • Ordnance ML 3 inch Mortar
    British equivalent
  • M1 mortar US equivalent

Citations

  1. ISBN 978-1-84176-675-1
    .
  2. ^ a b [1] (in German)
  3. ^ a b German Infantry Weapons. United States War Department. May 25, 1943. p. 102.
  4. ^ Chamberlain and Gander 1975, p. 7
  5. ^ German Infantry Weapons. United States War Department. May 25, 1943. pp. 103–104.
  6. ^ a b German Infantry Weapons. Special series no. 14. Washington: United States War Department. May 25, 1943. pp. 102–112.
  7. ^ Database of the Dresdner Sprengschule GmbH

General sources

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