8 cm Granatwerfer 34

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8cm Granatwerfer 34
A GrW 34 at the Festung Hohensalzburg
TypeMortar
Place of originGermany
Service history
Used by Germany
 Bulgaria
WarsSecond World War
Production history
Designed1922-1933
Produced1934-1945
Variants8 cm GrW 34/1
Specifications
Mass62 kg (136.6 lbs)
steel barrel
57 kg (125.6 lbs)
alloy barrel
Barrel length1,143 mm (45 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)
Maximum firing range2,400 m (2,624 yds)

The 8 cm Granatwerfer 34 (8 cm GrW 34) was the standard German medium mortar throughout World War II. It gained a reputation for extreme accuracy and rapid rate of fire, although much of the credit should go to the training of the crews.

The design of the weapon was conventional and it broke down into three loads (barrel, bipod, baseplate) for transport. The barrel was smooth bore. Attached to its bipod were a traversing handwheel, and a cross-leveling handwheel below the elevating mechanism. A panoramic sight was mounted on the traversing mechanism yoke for fine adjustments. A line on the tube could be used for rough laying.[1]

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 high explosive or smoke shells with percussion fuzes, having a range of just over a kilometer. The range was extended by fitting up to three additional powder charges between the shell tailfins.[1]

External links

References

  • Gander, Terry and Chamberlain, Peter. Weapons of the Third Reich: An Encyclopedic Survey of All Small Arms, Artillery and Special Weapons of the German Land Forces 1939-1945. New York: Doubleday, 1979 ISBN 0-385-15090-3
  1. ^ a b US War Department, Military Intelligence Service; Special series no. 14 (May 25, 1943). German Infantry Weapons. Washington: US Government Printing Office. pp. 102–112.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)