Granatenwerfer 16

[Listy]

I've been playing around with my Granatenwerfer 16 shell today and have found some oddities.
The complete round:


And the same disassembled.


Now first the tail tube is 1in in calibre, so that means the Germans (or at least the Austrians) were using imperial measurements.

The other stuff that got my attention is that when the tail tube necks down, so does the diameter of the tail tube opening. The only reason for this that I can see is to have the spigot the same calibre as the necked down part, and the wider tail is for ease of loading. However, this seems to be a bad design choice due to the shortness of the tail tube. Unless there's some reason for it in the charge and the like. Does anyone know anything about the cartridge? Or how obturation was achieved?

Next the tail tube extends a long way inside the body, surprisingly so. Equally, the tip of the tail tube is machined into a point, and is rather a lot thicker than the walls of the tail. My speculation is that upon impact the the fuse (represented by the plug on this one) is pushed backwards inside the body of the round (there is a hole in the warhead casing), and the top of the tail tube acts as a firing pin. Meaning the fuse detonates in the centre of the warhead.

Any thoughts on these points?

Thanks.

 

[Bonnex]

You likely have the attached drawing but if not it shows the propellant cartridge (almost a full length 7.92mm Mauser cartridge). There were a number of HE projectile designs (spherical, 3 fin tail, rebounding) as well as compatible signal units. Excuse the 'Rocket' designation.

 

[Listy]

You likely have the attached drawing but if not it shows the propellant cartridge (almost a full length 7.92mm Mauser cartridge). There were a number of HE projectile designs (spherical, 3 fin tail, rebounding) as well as compatible signal units. Excuse the 'Rocket' designation.

View attachment 160524

I hadn't seen that no, and it shows how the blank cartridge works as well as the fuse.

My assumption on the Fuse was way out. But there appears to be no obturation on the propellent, which is a bit of a surprise.

 

[Petrock]

These were fired using an 8mm blank cartridge from a set up that looks like a sundial. That is why the tube is necked down. It is a spigot mortar and the spigot holds the blank, the bomb is placed over the spigot and you let er fly