captured French mortars GrW.203(f), GrW.225(f), GrW.278(f)

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Kriegsberichter
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captured French mortars GrW.203(f), GrW.225(f), GrW.278(f)

#1

Post by Kriegsberichter » 04 May 2005, 11:09

I am looking for photographs, drawings and info about the French mortars in Grman service. I am especialy looking for the following models:-

Lance Grenades de 50 mm Modele 37, by the Germans known as 5cm Granatwerfer 203 (f)

Mortier de 60 mm Modele 1935, by the germans known as 6cm Granatwerfer 225 (f)

Mortier Brandt de 81 mm Modele 27/31, by the germans known as 8.14 cm Granatwerfer 278 (f)

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David Lehmann
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#2

Post by David Lehmann » 04 May 2005, 11:31

Mortier de 50mm Mle1937 (Brandt)
The 50mm Mle1937 mortar was issued in 1939 to replace the French rifle grenade (VB launcher) in use at the platoon level. Few saw action in the infantry in 1940. They were only really issued to the Vichy army. This mortar The Germans used this exceedingly light weapon as the 5cm Granatenwerfer 203(f).
Type : Light mortar
Caliber : 50 mm
Barrel length : 415 mm
Weight in action : 3.65 kg
Elevation : 45° (fixed)
Traverse : 8°
Rate of fire : 20-25 rpm
Ammunitions :
HE shell
Shell weight : 0.435 kg
Maximum range : 695 m
V° : 70 m/s


Mortier de 60mm Mle1935 (Brandt)
The 60mm Mle1935 was one of the many products of the Edgar Brandt design bureau and it entered in French service in 1937. It became in the USA the 60mm M1 mortar (and from that the M2 and M19). The French had 4940 60mm Mle1935 mortars in service in 1940. Usually there were 96 shells immediately at disposal in the mortar trailer (the crew could carry 42 shells), 54 more in the accompanying trailer/truck at the company level and 50 more shells at the regimental level for a total of 200 HE shells per mortar in a French 1940 infantry regiment. The Chinese copied it as the Type 31 with a slightly shorter barrel. The Germans used it under the name 6cm Granatenwerfer 225(f).
Type : Light mortar
Crew : 1 NCO + 4 men (+ 1 driver)
Caliber : 60 mm
Barrel length : 725 mm
Weight in action : 19.7 kg
Elevation : 45° - 83°
Traverse : depending from the elevation (11° at 45° elevation, 13.5° at 60° elevation and 20.5° at 75° elevation)
Rate of fire : 20-25 rpm
Ammunitions :
FA Mle1935 HE/fragmentation (with V8-I or 21/28B Mle1935 fuze)
Shell weight : 1.33 kg (160 g explosive)
Maximum range : 1000 m (the army manual mention the use up to 1000m but some sources indicate 1700 m. The minimum range is 100 m)
V° : 158 m/s


Mortier de 81mm Mle1927/1931 (Brandt)
The 81mm mortar produced by the French Brandt firm became a 'classic' design of its era and was copied or licence-built by almost every army in Europe and elsewhere (Austria, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Finland, Romania –built under license by Voina -, Germany - 8.14cm GrW 278(f) and 278/1(f) -, Italy - 81/14 modello 35 -, Japan - 81mm Type 3 -, Yugoslavia - 8.1cm MWM 31/38 Kragvjewac -, Netherlands (built by HIH-Siderius in Rotterdam), Poland - wz.31 -, USA - 81mm mortar M1 -, USSR - 82mm model 1936 -). It remains to this day the epitome of conventional mortar design. In 1940, the French had over 8000 in service in two main versions (L/15.6 and L/13.7). Usually there were 48 HE shells immediately at disposal in the mortar trailer, 68 HE + 12 smoke shells in the accompanying ammunition trailer and 12 HE + 10 smoke at the company level and each regiment had also 30 'GC' shell (GC = grande capacité = higher explosive content). Therefore each 81mm mortar in a French 1940 infantry regiment had a total of 134 HE, 3-4 'GC' HE, 36 smoke shells and a number of illuminating shells.
Type : Medium mortar
Crew : 1 NCO + 5 men (+ 1 driver)
Caliber : 81.4 mm
Barrel length : 1267.5mm
Weight in action : 58.5kg (18.5kg barrel, 18kg bipod, 1.5kg sight, 20.5kg base plate)
Elevation : 45° - 85°
Traverse : depending from the elevation (8° - 12°)
Rate of fire : 20 rpm (up to 30 rpm in intense fire with a trained crew)
Ammunitions :
FA Mle1924/27 HE shell
Shell weight : 3.310 kg (400g explosive)
Maximum range : 2850m
V° : 174 m/s

FA Mle1932 HE shell
Shell weight : 3.345 kg (530g explosive)
Maximum range : 2850m
V° : 174 m/s

FA Mle1935 'GC' (GC = grande capacité = high capacity) heavy HE shell
Shell weight : 6.845 kg (2.400kg explosive)
Maximum range : 1200 m
V° : 158 m/s

FA Mle1924/27 or Mle1932 smoke shell
Shell weight : 3.310-3.345 kg (225g smoke component)
Maximum range : 2850m
V° : 174 m/s

FA Mle1924/27 or Mle1932 illuminating shell
Shell weight : 0.850-1.000 kg (with or without parachute)
Accuracy of the 81mm Mle1927/31 mortar : (French wartime manual)
• 8m x 17m square at 460m range
• 9m x 32m square at 995m range
• 17m x 35m square at 1730m range
• 32m x 42m square at 2060m range
Best regards,

David
Attachments
81mm Brandt mortar.jpg
81mm Brandt mortar.jpg (30.29 KiB) Viewed 9518 times
60mm Brandt mortar.jpg
60mm Brandt mortar.jpg (149.32 KiB) Viewed 9528 times
50mm Brandt mortar.jpg
50mm Brandt mortar.jpg (112.27 KiB) Viewed 9846 times


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Kriegsberichter
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#3

Post by Kriegsberichter » 04 May 2005, 14:01

THANK YOU! for the information and photo's. Do someone have any photo's showing the weapons being used by Germans?

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Rommel8
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#4

Post by Rommel8 » 04 May 2005, 21:02

Monsieur Lehman,

Are those French paratroopers using the 50mm Brandt?

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David Lehmann
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Location: France

#5

Post by David Lehmann » 04 May 2005, 22:16

Hi,

I think they are from motorized / cavalry troops.

Regards,

David

jopaerya
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Re: captured French mortars GrW.203(f), GrW.225(f), GrW.278(f)

#6

Post by jopaerya » 23 Mar 2008, 18:12

Hello All

Here a few photo's of the 6 cm Granatwerfer 225 (f) .

Photo's = Ebay.de

Regards Jos
Attachments
6 cm mortier 225 (f).jpg
6 cm mortier 225 (f).jpg (130.12 KiB) Viewed 8654 times

jopaerya
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Location: middelburg

Re: captured French mortars GrW.203(f), GrW.225(f), GrW.278(f)

#7

Post by jopaerya » 09 Oct 2008, 18:34

Hello

On this picture a other photo of the 6 cm Granatwerfer 225 (f) from Ebay.de

Regards Jos
Attachments
6 cm Granatwerfer 225 (f).jpg
6 cm Granatwerfer 225 (f).jpg (163.27 KiB) Viewed 7933 times

kz11gr
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Location: FRANCE

Re: captured French mortars GrW.203(f), GrW.225(f), GrW.278(

#8

Post by kz11gr » 25 Dec 2011, 18:16

Hello

here a picture (ebay origin)

The shell is a Brandt great capacity shell

Image

http://img859.imageshack.us/img859/798/1080p.jpg

http://cgi.ebay.fr/Foto-Technik-WH-Sold ... _500wt_933

regards

WAKEN
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Joined: 14 Apr 2003, 23:06
Location: UK

Re: captured French mortars GrW.203(f), GrW.225(f), GrW.278(

#9

Post by WAKEN » 19 Mar 2012, 23:44

Does anybody know what the weight of explosive filler was in the 0.435kg HE mortar bomb fired by the GrW.203(f)?

Thanks,

Neil

Setsurinvich
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Joined: 11 Jun 2018, 04:28
Location: Canada

Re: captured French mortars GrW.203(f), GrW.225(f), GrW.278(f)

#10

Post by Setsurinvich » 16 Jun 2018, 19:04

Was the 50mm a personal weapon or a team weapon? What's the line between a grenade launcher and a mortar here?

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