commander Posted June 29, 2011 Posted June 29, 2011 (edited) Just picked up my new toy today I have been told it could be a WW 1 German mortar does anybody recognise this beast Commander Edited June 29, 2011 by commander Quote
ferrettkitt Posted June 29, 2011 Posted June 29, 2011 Just picked up my new toy today I have been told it could be a WW 1 German mortarCommander Pictures please I wouldn't mind knowing what you're mortar looks like Quote
commander Posted June 29, 2011 Author Posted June 29, 2011 I wouldn't mind being able to bl***dy down load the pictures try again Commander Quote
Runflat Posted June 29, 2011 Posted June 29, 2011 http://hmvf.co.uk/forumvb/showthread.php?24931-Horse-drawn-collection-including-WW1-Howitzer-and-Field-Kitchen Quote
commander Posted June 29, 2011 Author Posted June 29, 2011 Yep that's the one but number 399 Commander Quote
Pzkpfw-e Posted June 30, 2011 Posted June 30, 2011 (edited) http://www.landships.freeservers.com/adh_germart2_mandh-mortars.htm 17 or 25cm calibre? By the looks of it, now there's something to give it scale, I'd go for 25cm (ie 10") If it's not a question one shouldn't ask, how much did you pay for the beast? Edited June 30, 2011 by Pzkpfw-e Quote
Smithy Posted June 30, 2011 Posted June 30, 2011 http://www.landships.freeservers.com/adh_germart2_mandh-mortars.htm17 or 25cm calibre? By the looks of it, now there's something to give it scale, I'd go for 25cm (ie 10") If it's not a question one shouldn't ask, how much did you pay for the beast? Here you go mate, http://hmvf.co.uk/forumvb/showthread.php?24931-Horse-drawn-collection-including-WW1-Howitzer-and-Field-Kitchen as Runflat pointed out in this thread if you look at post number 7 on the link then the answer of how much is there. Quote
commander Posted June 30, 2011 Author Posted June 30, 2011 (edited) I measured the bore diameter today it is 10 inches or 255 mm if your into metric across the bore we found a year date of 1916 stamped on it as well got the beast elevating up and down by the afternoon today still a bit tight though going to have a go at getting it traversing tomorrow work permitting as a bit of interest I have had 3 offers to buy it already Commander Edited July 1, 2011 by commander Quote
jenkinov Posted June 30, 2011 Posted June 30, 2011 Gents below in the 1st photo is a German trench mortar on display at Verdun 1 ) model with long barrel; the Verdun Memorial, Fleury-devant-Douaumont, France 2 Photo 2 is a German trench mortar on its carriage comparison with your photo suggests you have a Genuine minenwerfer a real find ..it would be great to see more photos Jenkinov Quote
Pzkpfw-e Posted July 1, 2011 Posted July 1, 2011 Under £2.5K. Sounds like a real bargain to me. (Or have I been seeing too many Shermans advertised for over £100K?) Bit of tlc & finding a wheelwright to make a pair of replicas (Assuming your idea that the wheels with it aren't originals is correct) and it'll be a lovely item. Can't be too many still in existance. Quote
commander Posted July 1, 2011 Author Posted July 1, 2011 I will get some close up photos done this weekend. This has been in the same location for the last 30 years that I know about but it was always "not for sale sorry" so when I heard that it was going to to come up for auction I went around to try to buy it before the sale but was told it had to go to auction even though a figure more than twice the eventual auction selling price was discussed in fact I was very surprised myself when only one other person was bidding for it Commander Quote
jenkinov Posted July 1, 2011 Posted July 1, 2011 All below from canonsuperstore .com General Information: Also developed as a light artillery piece, the 7.6mm Light Minenwerfer was initially transported on a carriage, and this combination was pulled by either horse or vehicle. This weapon could also be dismounted from the carriage and placed on the ground to fire. This ground firing method providing for a much more stable firing platform and afforded a slight increase in maximum range. Later on as the war settled into static trench warfare, the weapon was more commonly set up as shown and used in the high arc firing mode. Eventually discarding the carriage as a means of transport, the weapon would then be transported by three of the crew simply by adding the carriage wheels to the axle on the base plate and securing shoulder straps between the weapon' base plate and the three crew members and then man-pulled from position to position. Each Minenwerfer Company was assigned two 7.6cm mortars. There was one Minenwerfer Company per each Infantry Regiment. In addition to the 25-cm version two others of 7.6-cm (2.99-inch) and 17-cm (6.7-inch) were later produced. Except for size all three were similar in construction. The 25-cm minenwerfer was a rifled muzzle-loading mortar firing a shell with a pre-engraved driving band. A short shell was at first employed but by 1917 had become obsolete. A longer HE shell was adopted as shown in Fig. 18A. The shell was described in a 1918 publication by the British Army as having 'great moral and destructive effect due to concussion even against troops in dugouts. Also, it could clear a space 33 feet (10 m) or more in diameter in a barbed wire entanglement. While others fired other types of shell, e.g. smoke and gas, the 25-cm seems to have been restricted to HE. Propellant charges were first dropped down the barrel, then the base of the shell inserted in the muzzle so the driving band fitted the rifling and slid down to the breech. Ignition of the propellant charge was by friction tube. All three minenwerfer were mobile with the wheels being removed on coming into action. Unlike the British and French the Germans were prepared to some extent for the trench warfare which began towards the end of 1914 during World War 1. Having studied the action around Port Arthur during the Russo-Japanese War (1904-05) - and no doubt with an eye to the future - they had developed the 'minenwerfer' (mine thrower), a rifled mortar, manufacture of which commenced in 1908-09. By 1914 160 of 25-cm (9.8-inch) caliber were available. Worth a look ...they list a mortar similar to yours sold on 2007 for 12,000 dollars .... Looking forward to seeing the photos Jenkinov Quote
Great War truck Posted October 4, 2011 Posted October 4, 2011 How are you getting on with this restoration. Found another photo that might be helpful to you. Tim Quote
Great War truck Posted October 15, 2011 Posted October 15, 2011 Oh i see that you have put it up for sale. A good profit for you if you can get the asking amount. Quote
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