The WW2 German mortars comprised a wider range of calibers and models than the Allied nation armies had, with the 8-cm sGrW 34 being the most massively produced. Not only were they issued to every German Army's infantry regiments but also to the Fallschirmjäger divisions, which belonged to the Luftwaffe. From 1936, the production of infantry support weapons accelerated, and by the time the Wehrmacht invaded Poland in 1939, every German regiment was equipped with 55 mortars of different calibers as every platoon had at least one light mortar (5cm). This type of weapon was complemented with the 7.5 cm infantry gun to provide fire support to the advancing units, and they were used on every front of the war.
List of German Mortars of World War II
- 5 cm Granatwerfer 36 (leGrW36). It was a 50mm platoon support weapon. It was carried about by walking soldiers and was served by a crew of three. It weighed 14 kg (31 lb) and had a maximum range of 520 m (569 yards). It was issued with 45 rounds. Picture down below.
- 8 cm schwere Granatwerfer 34 (sGrW 34). It was an 81mm mortar and it was the most widely produced as there were 20 of them per regiment, with each company having one or two sGrW 34 at their disposal. It weighed 56.7 kg (125 lb). The German paratroopers employed a shorter version: the kurzer Granatwerfer 42. Elevation: +40° to +90°.
- 10 cm Nebelwerfer 40 (NbW 40). Originally designed to fire smoke and chemical rounds, this 100mm mortar was also used to shoot HE shells when the infantry needed massive fire support. With a weight of 800 kg, it was mounted on a carriage and towed by trucks.
- 12 cm schwere Granatwerfer 42 (sGrW 42). As a matter of fact, it was a 120mm Soviet mortar (120-HM38) that the Wehrmacht seized in great number in Russia during the first phase of Operation Barbarossa. As a result, it was adopted by the German infantry and it was used under the official name of sGrW 42, with the German engineers increasing its maximum elevation from +80° to +85°.
- 20 cm leichte Ladungwerfer (leLdgW). It was a distinct type, an spigot mortar, which did not employ a barrel to fire the rounds as the rest of mortars do. The propellant was put at the top of the spigot, and it was ignited when the shell slipped down along the spigot and hit it. Since it lacked a barrel, it only weighed 93 kg. In the picture on the left, you can see the munition mounted on top of the spigot.
Below, an schematic drawing of the 5cm Granatwerfer 36, with all its different parts marked with arrows.
