Granatwerfer 16 | |
---|---|
Type | Infantry mortar Grenade launcher |
Place of origin | German Empire |
Service history | |
In service | 1916-1920s |
Used by | German Empire Austro-Hungarian Empire Kingdom of Bulgaria Ottoman Empire Poland[1] |
Wars | World War I |
Production history | |
Designer | Father Vécer |
Manufacturer | Stock & Co, Berlin Bing Brothers, Nürnberg Maschinenfabrik Alfred Wolff, Berlin. |
Specifications | |
Mass | Launcher: 24 kg (53 lb) Baseplate: 16 kg (35 lb) |
Barrel length | 152 mm (6 in) |
Shell | 1.8 kg (3 lb 15 oz) |
Caliber | 60 mm (2.4 in) |
Recoil | None |
Elevation | +14° to +85° |
Traverse | 80° L/R |
Rate of fire | 4-5 rpm |
Effective firing range | 460 m (500 yd)[2] |
The kleine Granatenwerfer 16 or Gr.W.16 (Small Grenade Launcher Model 1916) in English, was an infantry mortar used by the Central Powers during the First World War. It was designed by a Hungarian priest named Father Vécer and was first used by the Austro-Hungarian Army in 1915. In Austro-Hungarian service, they received the nickname "Priesterwerfers". In 1916 Germany began producing a modified version under license for the Imperial German Army.[3]