8 cm sGrW 34

Infobox Weapon
name=8cm Granatwerfer 34


caption=A GrW 34 at the Festung Hohensalzburg
origin=Germany
type= Mortar
is_ranged=yes
is_bladed=
is_explosive=
is_artillery=yes
is_vehicle=
service=
used_by=flagcountry|Nazi Germany
flag|Bulgaria
wars= Second World War
designer=
design_date=1922-1933
manufacturer=
production_date=1934-1945
number=
variants=8 cm GrW 34/1
weight=62 kg (136.6 lbs)
steel barrel
57 kg (125.6 lbs)
alloy barrel
length=
part_length=1,143 mm (45 in)
crew=
cartridge=3.5 kg (7.71 lbs)
caliber=81.4 mm (3.20 in)
action=
rate=15-25 rpm
velocity=174 m/sec (571 fps)
range=
max_range=2,400 m (2,624 yds)
feed=
sights=
breech=
recoil=
carriage=
elevation=45° to 90°
traverse=10° to 23°
blade_type=
hilt_type=
head_type=
haft_type=
diameter=
filling=
filling_weight=
detonation=
yield=The 8 cm Granatwerfer 34 (8 cm GrW 34) was the standard German medium mortar throughout World War II. It gained a reputation for extreme accuracy and rapid rate of fire although much of the credit should go to the training of the crews.

The design of the weapon was conventional and it broke down into three loads (barrel, bipod, baseplate) for transport. The 8 cm GrW 34/1 was an adaptation for use in self-propelled mountings. A lightened version with a shorter barrel was put into production as the kurzer 8 cm Granatwerfer 42.

External links

* [http://www.geocities.com/area51/comet/6498/t2000ww2germansupportweapons.html German: Mortars & Infantry Guns]
* [http://www.efour4ever.com/mortars_german.htm German Infantry Mortars]
* [http://www.geocities.com/Augusta/8172/panzerfaust10.htm WW II German Infantry Anti-Tank Weapons]

References

* Gander, Terry and Chamberlain, Peter. "Weapons of the Third Reich: An Encyclopedic Survey of All Small Arms, Artillery and Special Weapons of the German Land Forces 1939-1945". New York: Doubleday, 1979 ISBN 0-385-15090-3