10 cm Nebelwerfer 40

Infobox Weapon
name=10 cm Nebelwerfer 40

http://forum.axishistory.com/download/file.php?id=57726 side view of a NbW 40]
caption=
origin=Germany
type=mortar
is_ranged=
is_bladed=
is_explosive=
is_artillery=yes
is_vehicle=
is_UK=
service=1941-1945
used_by=flag|Nazi Germany
wars=World War II
designer=Rheinmetall
design_date=1939-1940
manufacturer=Rheinmetall
production_date=1941-1942
number=
variants=
weight=800 kg (1,763.6 lbs)
length=
part_length=1.72 m (5.64 ft) L/17.7
width=
height=
crew=
cartridge=
caliber=105 mm (4.13 in)
action=
rate=8-10 rpm
velocity=310 m/s (1,017 fps)
range=6,350 m (6,944 yds)
max_range=
feed=
sights=
breech=
recoil=
carriage=
elevation=45° to 84°
traverse=14°
blade_type=
hilt_type=
sheath_type=
head_type=
haft_type=
diameter=
filling=
filling_weight=
detonation=
yield=
armour=
primary_armament=
secondary_armament=
engine=
engine_power=
pw_ratio=
suspension=
vehicle_range=
speed=The 10 cm Nebelwerfer 40 (10 cm NbW 40) was a heavy mortar used by Germany during the Second World War. Much like the American M2 4.2 inch mortar it was intended to deliver chemical munitions, such as gas and smoke shells, as well as ordinary high-explosive shells. It was derived from Rheinmetall's Nebelwerfer 51 and 52 prototypes of the late Thirties which were attempts to develop a more accurate and longer-ranged mortar than the 10 cm Nebelwerfer 35. The NbW 40 is one of the better examples of German over-engineering since it fired a slightly heavier bomb over twice as far as the NbW 35, but weighed almost eight times more than the earlier model.

It was an innovative breech-loading design with the wheels permanently attached to the carriage, from which it was fired, and which wasn't disassembled for transport. It replaced the NbW 35 in (German: "Nebelwerfer" "smoke or fog-thrower") battalions belonging to the Chemical Corps of the Heer; exactly how the American fielded their own M2s in chemical mortar battalions. It was replaced by the 15 cm Nebelwerfer 41 multiple rocket launcher from 1941.

Operational Use

Initially they were deployed in Nebelwerfer battalions numbered 1 to 6, and 9, and Gebirgs-Werfer-Abteilung (Mountain Mortar Battalion) 10 plus I. Batallion of the Nebel-Lehr Regiment (Demonstration Regiment) and saw service in the North Africa, Finland and Russia. [ [http://sturmvogel.orbat.com/werfer.html Army Nebelwerfer Units ] ]

External Links

* [http://www.lonesentry.com/manuals/tme30/ch7sec3.html mortar page from TM-E 30-451 Handbook on German Military Forces on Lone Sentry]

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