12 cm Granatwerfer 42

jopaerya · #16

Don't know what type , but a picture of the 12 cm Granatwerfer from Ebay .

Regards Jos

Draoich · #17

Hi All,
I think that this mortar is probably a German GrW. 42 because the mortar Sight seems to be a R.A. 42 Sight. The pivot spindle for the mirror can be seen sticking out on top. The arrangement is similar to that on an R.A. 35 Sight. The Russian 120mm mortar mounting will not take the German Sight so, unless an adapter was available, it follows that the mortar would have to be German.
Regards,
Draoich

Draoich · #18

Here is a photo from Ebay of a 120mm mortar. It is described as a German 120mm mortar and the photo is stated as taken during the Korean War. I cannot determine if the mortar is German or Russian but I think the trailer is German because this type is shown in the German manual for the 12cm GrW 43 Mortar.
Regards,
Draoich

jopaerya · #19

Hello Draoich

The white number on your picture looks to me a number of the U.S. Signal Corps , I have no clue for the date .
On this picture you can see a soldier putting extra charges on the granate to have a larger max. range ,
please note the the strange way the charges with connected .

Photo = Ebay

Regards Jos

Alanmccoubrey · #20

Jos, In the French "Panzer Voran" Magazine , 2/2012 there are several photographs of the bombs with those extra propellants charges added as well as pages from the instruction manual with sketches of how to add them.

jopaerya · #21

Thanks Alan

I will try to find this magazine , sounds very interesting .

Regards Jos

Draoich · #22

Hi Jopaerya,
Thanks for the information regarding the white number on the photo. Your photo showing a soldier putting incremental charges on the mortar bomb is interesting because the early-war soviet ring charges were different to the German charges for 120mm mortar ammunition. I know that post-war Soviet charges were quite similar to the German type because the 1957 Soviet manual for the 120mm mortar shows this.

I have posted a photo from the US Army Medical Corps website showing both Soviet and German incremental charges for 120mm mortar ammunition. The Soviet ammunition and charges are shown on the left hand side.

Regards,
Draoich

: SOVIET & GERMAN 120mm MORTAR AMMUNITION - PHOTO 1.jpg (33.92 KiB) Viewed 2595 times

Draoich · #23

Hi all,
I notice that there are not any photos of readily identifiable 12cm GrW 42 Mortars posted in this thread. It is very dificult to find wartime photos showing the identity features of this German mortar. I have attached a photo taken from an advertisment in Milweb quite some time ago showing a German 12cm mortar with a recognisible Winding wheel on the traverse mechanism. The trailer shown is Russian.

Regards,
Draoich

: GERMAN GrW 42 12cm MORTAR - PHOTO 6.jpg (94.42 KiB) Viewed 2539 times

Sturm78 · #24

Hi all,

Another wartime image of a 12cm Gr.Wfr.42 (I think):

Image from Ebay
Sturm78

Draoich · #25

Opps! Got it wrong!!

Draoich · #26

Hi All,
I have attached a photo showing Soviet soldiers preparing 120mm mortar ammunition for firing. The photo comes from http://www.wio.ru/galgrnd/mortar.htm
It shows the ammunition, with the charge rings already tied in place, being laid out in readiness for firing.
Regards,
Draoich