38 cm schwerer Ladungswerfer

38 cm schwerer Ladungswerfer
Type	Spigot Mortar
Place of origin	Nazi Germany
Service history
Used by	Nazi Germany
Wars	Second World War
Production history
Designer	Rheinmetall
Specifications
Weight	1,600 kg (3,500 lb)
Barrel length	168 cm (5 ft 6 in)
Diameter	38 cm (1 ft 3 in)
Shell	149 kilograms (328 lb)
Caliber	169 millimetres (6.7 in) (spigot diameter)
Elevation	37° to 85°
Traverse	360°
Maximum firing range	1,000 m (1,100 yd)
Filling weight	110 pounds (50 kg)

The 38 cm schwerer Ladungswerfer (38 cm sLdgW) was a spigot mortar used by Germany during World War II. It was used by engineers to demolish obstacles and strongpoints. It proved to be too heavy for its role and it was gradually withdrawn from front-line service.

Propellant was placed at the top of the spigot and ignited when the projectile slid far enough down the spigot to complete the electrical circuit. The spigot mortar was mounted on a traversing bracket on a drum-shaped platform that was staked to the ground. It fired HE and smoke rounds.

External links

• mortar page from TM-E 30-451 Handbook on German Military Forces on Lone Sentry
• Allied intelligence report on 38 cm ammunition on Lone Sentry

Sources

• 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