17cm mMW in Reichwehr/Wehrmacht service

[Sturm78]

Hi all,

Three images from historicalmedia website:

Does somebody knows which number of this mortars were in possesion of the Reichwehr in 1920-30s?
Could this mortar be fired directly from his cart?

Sturm78

[Sturm78]

Hi all,

Another image from EBay:

Sturm78

[Sturm78]

Hi all,

An image from Ebay:

Sturm78

[Sturm78]

Hi all,

An image from Ebay:

Sturm78

[Sturm78]

Hi all,

A small image from Ebay

Sturm78

[Hoplophile]

The Treaty of Versailles limited the Reichswehr to one company of Minenwerfer for each infantry division and forbade entirely the possession of the heavy versions of that weapon.

I don't have any German sources handy. However, reliable articles in the Revue d'Infanterie indicate that each Minenwerfer company of the Reichswehr rated eight light Minenwerfer and two medium (17cm) Minenwerfer.

As there were twenty-seven infantry regiments in the Reichswehr, there would have been twenty-seven Minenwerfer companies, and thus a total of fifty-four medium Minenwerfer. (I suspect that there were also a few spare weapons, for use in schools and as a maintenance float.)

By the way, readers can find the complete volume of the Revue d'Infanterie in question, that for 1925, on Gallica.

[Hoplophile]

The second and third pictures on the second of the original posts on this thread suggest that the 17cm Minenwerfer could, indeed, be fired from the traveling carriage. (Would there be any other reason for the gunner to aim the piece while it was still on the carriage?) Firing similar pieces from traveling carriages was also done with comparable weapons, such the contemporary light Minenwerfer or the British 6-inch siege howitzer introduced in the 1890s.

That said, I suspect that those who fired Minenwerfer from the traveling carriage incurred a considerable cost in accuracy.

[Sturm78]

Hi all,

An image from Ebay

Sturm78