Trench mortars were developed for the purpose of delivering explosives charges to locations that could not be reached by artillery. They could fire at very high angles to reach hidden targets, which were either behind obstacles such as fort walls, below ground level such as trenches or completely buried under ground, such as bunkers. The latter two became of vital importance early in the war, when the Western Front ground to a complete stalemate.
| Prior to the war, German mortar development began with the 250mm Schwere Minenwerfer (heavy), which was designed as an offensive device against fortified positions such as forts. Later, the 170mm Mittler Minenwerfer (middle) was developed as a defensive device against enemy mortar positions. This still left a need for a smaller antipersonnel mortar, which could be moved about the battlefield with minimum effort. During the war, development continued and produced the 76mm Leichte Minenwerfer. It was a 400lb. model with recoil and a rifled barrel, capable of delivering a 1-kg charge a distance of between 325 and 1425 meters. It was also very mobile by using either the built in carrying handles or by wheeling it around like a wheelbarrow, by installing the wheels and two long horizontal poles as handles. |
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| Unlike artillery rounds, Minenwerfer rounds did not use a separate attached shell to contain the propellant. Due to the shorter range, a much smaller propellant charge was required. This could be contained within the round. Upon ignition, the expanding gas was expelled through small holes in the bottom of the round. |
| The Leichte Minenwerfer was also used to shoot messages to the rear area by use of a special non- explosive message round. They were then retrieved by runners and delivered to the officer in charge. |
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The German Army actually considered trench mortars to be demolition equipment rather than weapons,
so they issued them to Pioneer Battalions (engineers). Our unit, was formed around the 77mm Leichte Minenwerfer, which is owned by one of our members. Years ago, it was salvaged from a cemetery, where it had been exposed to the weather since coming home as a war trophy in the 1920s. It has since been completely restored (see: Minenwerfer Restoration). For legal purposes our Minenwerfer has been demilitarized, making it impossible to ever fire a live round. As a reenacting piece, a small pyrotechnic device is placed inside the barrel to fire a lightweight simulated round. Thus, the Minenwerfer simply acts as a holder, however it gives a very realistic effect on the reenactment battlefield. |
