German Mortar

[Terry Carter]

help needed please,

Can anyone out there identify what type of German mortar that was captured during the taking of Guillemont on 3/4 September, 1916. I have underlined the text which is taken from the 20th Division narrative of events.

(Not wanting to cause confusion a Brigade from the 16th Irish Division was took part along side the 20th Div. That why Irish battalions are mentioned below.)

Thanks

Terry

[Guest Chip Minx]

Terry,

They are most likely refering to the "Leichte Minenwerfer neuer/Art" or new model light trench mortar, sometimes refered to as the "Ehrhardte" Minenwerfer. These were of 76mm calibre and being the smaller of the German trench mortars, the more manueverable and likely to be near the forward lines. Later in 1917 a special light weight carriage (Flachbahn-Lafette) was introduced so that this weapon could be used as a more flat trajectory piece.

I'm not sure what the reference to throwing darts means, but another possibility would be the 1916 Granatenwerfer, which though not a true mortar, was new at the time. It was more of a grenade launcher.

Chip

[Paul Reed]

I also suspect it is a Granatenwerfer; there have been several threads on the forum about "aerial darts", a common term British troops used for them.

[Steve Bramley]

Terry,

Not a brilliant example (from Hill 60 Mus.), but i think the mortar arrowed is a Granatenwerfer. I think there was a thread a while back about these mortars.

Hope i'm not hijacking here, but can anyone tell me what those 'spikes' are on the wall behind please.

Cheers,

Steve.

[Paul Reed]

Hi Steve - they are Caltrops. They were designed by the Romans(?) to stop cavalry. In WW1 they were mounted on boards to be dropped in the bottom of trenches during an attack, so they attacker would land on them - ouch!

[Steve Bramley]

Thanks Paul,

I've been wondering about that since April and now i know

Cheers,

Steve.

[Guest Chip Minx]

Steve,

Thanks for the picture from the musuem. I have seen and owned several Granatenwerfer over the years, but have never seen an original base plate. Just about all of the captured ones that were sent back to the States were closed up in their wooden carrying boxes, bound with metal bands for shipping. The plates were not sent with them.

Chip

[Steve Bramley]

Terry, Chip,

Below is the link to the Granatenwefer thread, this really is a fantastic thread, with some great imput from the pals. Chip sorry i didn't get a close up, but i think i was fascinated by the Caltrops!

Earlier Granatenwefer thread

Cheers,

Steve.

[Terry Carter]

Thanks to everyone who replied. Now I know what one is I recall there is a the same type of mortar in the German trench side at the back of the Tommy Bar in Pozieres.

Thanks

Terry