Granatwerfer 16 and Minenwerfer

[Chris Boonzaier]

The model 16 Granatwerfer...

So far no base plate, but it is a damned good start!

[Chris Boonzaier]

Also rare is the ammo box. Actually for the 1915 grenades, but these were used with the 1916 mortar as well.

The label from the inside of the box as well....

[Brian Wolfe]

What a great item, Chris.

What would the range of such a weapon be? I am guessing that it would not have to be too great considering how close some trenches were to enemy.

I see there is a left over from the celebration.

Cheers

Brian

[Chip]

Chris,

Nice piece. I kind of wish I had not gotten rid of mine, but it was causing the house to settle! That is one heavy piece of equipment. I had the wooden box with all of the accessories. Great condition, no rust and sold it for $450.00 about ten years ago. I should have held it a bit longer! Only seen a handful of base plates. The few I have seen were battlefield relics, with the condition being about the same as most of the trench shields you see. Lots of pitting and missing the information plates. Good luck in your quest for the base. If you are going to find one it will probably be in Belgium or France.

Chip

[Tony]

Didn't we see one once? Maybe it was when I was up in Whitesheet, it was naturally a rusty bugger though but all there, and very heavy looking.

Tony

[Chris Boonzaier]

Chris,

Nice piece. I kind of wish I had not gotten rid of mine, but it was causing the house to settle! That is one heavy piece of equipment. I had the wooden box with all of the accessories. Great condition, no rust and sold it for $450.00 about ten years ago. I should have held it a bit longer! Only seen a handful of base plates. The few I have seen were battlefield relics, with the condition being about the same as most of the trench shields you see. Lots of pitting and missing the information plates. Good luck in your quest for the base. If you are going to find one it will probably be in Belgium or France.

Chip

Hi,

I wish I had known you then :-(

This one set me back USD3100 with its box and a grenade. Box is still in Toronto, I will pick it up sometime.

Do you by any chance have a phot of the accessories?

Thanks

Chris

[Chris Boonzaier]

Didn't we see one once? Maybe it was when I was up in Whitesheet, it was naturally a rusty bugger though but all there, and very heavy looking.

Tony

Nah... musta been on one of your Flanders trips.

Best

Chris

[Chip]

Chris,

I didn't take enough pictures of my Granatenwerfer, but here are a few. My example was made by Gebr.Bing of N?rnberg. First, is the somewhat blurry picture of the list of contents from the inside of the lid of the box. Let me know if you can't read it and I will send you the list. As you can see, it lists accessories and spare parts.

[Chip]

Next, is an inside view of some of the contents. Missing from the photo is the oilcan (which I had). Most everything else is there, including the Blechdose for the spare springs and firing pins. I never could figure out what the gray rectangular piece in the middle was.

[Laurence Strong]

So those fire the standard German "stick grenade"?

[Chip]

Lawrence,

No, a special segmented grenade.

Chip

[Laurence Strong]

Hi Chip

Thanks for that, I noticed that after I posted and I thought I edited it, however i must have pushed the wrong button. So what ignited the round does it have a precussion cap on the base of the grenade or is a "igniter blank" used (sorry it's been a while since I served on the Gun's and have forgoten the proper terminology) on the M109?

[Chris Boonzaier]

Hi,

the shaft of the grenade is hollow and slides over the pole on the top of the launcher. There is a cartridge in the top of the grenade. When the trigger is pulled the firing pin in the top of the pole hits the cartridge and off it goes...

Best

Chris

[Guest Rick Research]

Don't have any of your model, but here are some portrait photos of other such thingums:

http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=28867

[Guest Rick Research]

for those who like playing with such things in their back gardens:

http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=28786&hl=

This was taken by a Bavarian photographer, otherwise no data. Remarkably Freudian gadget, and here it would seem that every possible safety concern is being flouted. Lit off by long fuse, for when it ignited and did not fly away?

Mortar Company 30 of 30th Infantry Division, mailed to his wife in Berlin on 11 September 1916 in memory of Verdun (this was obviously on a range someplace) by Pioneer Fr. Sadranowski:

[Guest Rick Research]

What self respecting garden gnome wouldn't want one of THESE, fully accessorized?

Note the transport wagons at left (for ammunition?) and the custom fitted rain covers on the mortars behind this one.

[Chris Boonzaier]

Thingums?????

As a mortar man myself, I take offense to that casual insulting tone!

[Chris Boonzaier]

The first one is REALLY cool.... it is the one that came before mine. With the 1915 grenade.

[Laurence Strong]

Thanks for the info Chris "Thingums" indeed Nice piece of kit by the way.

Edited June 15, 2008 by Laurence Strong

[Les]

Chris,

I knew a machinist/"blacksmith" that made an exact copy from an original baseplate. Unfortunately, the fellow died two years ago. If memory serves me correctly, he borrowed the original item from Rick Keller of Great War Militaria located in Chambersburg, PA. Keller has sold off most of his private museum located on the upper floor of his store. The baseplate may already be gone. Even if it is, Rick knows enough people that he might be able to help you locate one in the US, Canada, or Europe.

At one time, he even had a complete, and working French WWI Brandt pneumatic mortar.....among many other things.

If you google his or the store name, that will give you his contact information including an email address.

Hope this can help you.

Les

[Chris Boonzaier]

Hi,

Thanks, I will see about contacting him.

best

Chris

[Chris Boonzaier]

Well,

I found a baseplate this weekend, rather rusty, but will clean up.

I assume they were painted green when they came from the factory?

[Chris Boonzaier]

Hi,

Minen posts some stuff from a useful booklet. I managed to find a copy of one a few weeks ago.

Here it is with the plate I picked up from a collector in Verdun.

The two small zink labels are missing, but otherwise the screws etc all work fine.

[Chris Boonzaier]

2

[Eric K.]

Thats a thing of beauty Chris!!!

Eric