First KStN w/ 8 cm mortar

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Duncan_M
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First KStN w/ 8 cm mortar

#1

Post by Duncan_M » 19 Dec 2019, 15:06

I'm trying to find the first Interwar KStN that contained the 8 cm GrW 34 mortars in the German infantry battalion. The only thing I've found so far is the 1937 b type, which had a mortar platoon in the MG company, but I'm wondering if there was anything else before that.

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Octotrooper
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Re: First KStN w/ 8 cm mortar

#2

Post by Octotrooper » 06 Jan 2020, 20:49

This site might help http://www.bayonetstrength.uk/ best of luck


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Glynwed
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Re: First KStN w/ 8 cm mortar

#3

Post by Glynwed » 18 Feb 2020, 09:59

The l.Gr.W.36 (5 cm) and s.Gr.W. 34 (8 cm ) Mortars were deliwered to German army only at begining of 1938 (according to a German source, at 1st October 1937 there were no such weapon at disposal; at 1st April 1938 there were 798 pcs of 5cm and 368 pcs of 8 cm Mortars). So the 1st KStN which mentioned 8 cm Mortar is indeed only KStN 151b (October 1937) Maschinengewehrkompanie b.

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kfbr392
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Re: First KStN w/ 8 cm mortar

#4

Post by kfbr392 » 18 Dec 2021, 14:37

Glynwed wrote:
18 Feb 2020, 09:59
at 1st April 1938 there were 798 pcs of 5cm and 368 pcs of 8 cm Mortars
Correct. The source for this is “Grundliste Nr.1500/38”, listing all major weapons and vehicles in the Wehrmacht on April 1st, 1938 (but excluding Austrian equipment!).
This revealing document can be found in NARA T78 R146 F0014.

In the margins, it contains the following side note:
Der Grund für die geringen Auslieferungszahlen der l.u.s.Gr.W. liegt in d. zahlreichen Änderungen, denen d. Geräte bisher noch unterworfen waren. Bisher war nur größere Serie für erweiterten Truppenversuch geliefert worden (Herbst 1937).

The document also gives the following info:
- no GrW of any kind were scheduled to be produced in Q2.38
- in Q3.38 a quarterly production of 1100 5cm GrW, 900 8,1cm GrW, and 25 10,5cm GrW was planned/projected


So, accordingly:
- a first large troop trial batch of ca. 800 5cm GrW 36, ca. 370 8,1cm GrW 34 (and 72 10,5cm NbW 35) was issued in Q4.37, and produced then or shortly before
- likely (almost) no GrW were produced 01.38-06.38 due to numerous changes
- full production from ca. 07.38 onwards

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