German Spigot Mortars - Maybe 1940 usage?

Discussion in 'Weapons, Technology & Equipment' started by von Poop, Aug 12, 2010.

  1. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    A chap on WW2F raised the subject of German 20cm & 38cm Spigot mortars for Engineer use, so I splashed the details from Gander's encyclopedia
    Light and Heavy Spigot Mortars - World War II Forums
    :


    Transcribed verbatim from Gander's 'Small Arms, Artillery & Special Weapons of the Third Reich' - Dunno if it's any more than you already have.

    20cm leichter Ladungswerfer
    German Designation - 20 cm leLdg W
    Spigot diameter - 90mm
    Length of Spigot - 540mm
    Weight in action - 93kg
    Bomb weight - 21.27kg
    Maximum range - 700m
    Manufacturer - Rheinmetall Borsig AG

    Remarks - Specialised Spigot mortar evolved for Assault Engineers to demolish obstacles & strongpoints. Fired HE, Smoke, and special 'Harpunengeschosse', which carried ropes with hooks across minefields. Used operationally during 1940 Western campaign and in North Africa; gradually diverted to second-line engineer units after 1942.

    (Googled up image that is the same as the one in the book, only with the addition of a projectile. Whether it's the right projectile I don't know)
    [​IMG]
    (reference in book photo caption to bundles of explosives being drawn across minefields by the harpun projectile.)


    38cm Schwerer Ladungswerfer
    German designation - 38 cm sLdgW
    Spigot Diameter - 169mm
    Length of Spigot - 1680mm
    Weight in action (approx.) - 1600kg
    Traverse - 360 degrees
    Elevation - +37 to +85 degrees
    Muzzle velocity - 107m/sec (presumably they mean launch velocity, there being no muzzle...)
    Bomb weight - 149kg (?!!)
    Maximum range - 1000m
    Manufacturer - Rheinmetall Borsig AG

    Remarks - Specialised spigot mortar for assault engineers, evolved to 1938 OKH specifications. Only limited number built and issued as weapon proved too heavy for it's role and needed careful emplacing.

    No image popped up on very brief google, but happy to scan one in if nothing comes to light on line.
    (Reference in photo caption to both weapons being electrically fired)


    38cm pic:
    [​IMG]

    I must have read the details many times, but they'd obviously never really caught my attention.
    As there seem to be at least two of us now intrigued by them, does anyone have any more information? (We've trawled the Lone sentry lists and there's a few more raw details).

    Any account of usage would be rather interesting, or even a shot of one actually deployed?
    Any of you 1940 nuts seen a reference to German Spring-powered mortars?

    Cheers,
    Adam.
     
  2. Gsyfestung

    Gsyfestung Member

    Adam
    Spigot mortars were quite well distributed in the Channel Islands by the Germans and photos do exist of them installed, which I will have to try and dig a couple out. Certainly there are photos of them on Guernsey and Jersey but they tend to be the 20cm version. Quite by chance about 2 years ago a fired 20cm spigot bomb was found on Alderney, which had got buried in sand and never gone off. Again I think I got a photo of that one as well but none showing them installed in Alderney.
     
  3. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    It'd be great if you could dig some pictures out, thanks.
    Hadn't thought of the Channel Islands or other fortifications - a far more logical place for such weapons.
    (Just googling for them, and it's proving to be a bit obfuscated by the better known spigots, the Blacker Bombards so widely used in British fortification plans.)

    I'll shift my attention to the 'concrete-related' books.
     
  4. MyOldDad

    MyOldDad Senior Member

  5. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    Cheers Tom, not seen the packed one - very neatly stowed.
    Wonder if I can spot one being towed behind a bike somewhere.

    (I was half-expecting the 38 on a cart, but that would be some cart!)
     
  6. Gsyfestung

    Gsyfestung Member

    Van Poop, very sorry for the delay I forgot all about this I was looking for something else and found the photos that reminded me, there may be another one for Jersey to follow but these are the spigot mortar installed and being readied to fire in Guernsey.
    Regards
     

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  7. Gsyfestung

    Gsyfestung Member

    This is one from Jersey in an emplaced position.
    Regards
     

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  8. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    That's brilliant, cheers very much GsyF.
    Now I must potter off and share those with a certain German gent that originally raised the query.

    Really does seem to be a weapon widely ignored in the techy/equipment books (and to be honest, quite widely ignored at the time, from what I can tell).

    Cheers again,
    ~Adam.
     

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