7.58cm Minenwerfer

History

All the major military powers of World War I made extensive use of mortars in their various campaigns in which fortified buildings, barriers and trenches were torn between victories and defeats. Ultimately, for the German Imperial Army, whose stockpiles included some heavy weapons designed to defeat such targets - especially the French frontier fortresses - who witnessed the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905) - especially During the siege of Port Arthur.

At the time, Port Arthur was one of the best defended places on the planet and put the idea of ??a modern siege weapon into practice. Therefore, the Germans designed and produced several excellent "Minenwerfer" ("mine throwers") in different calibers before the First World War. While production of models prior to August 1914 was initially slow, the pace picked up to a point by the end of the war in November 1918, when thousands of each model were in circulation. The smallest German mine launcher became a 7.58cm mine launcher, a 76mm/2 mine launcher. The 99-inch gun is mounted on a removable two-wheeled frame assembly and can be towed by its crew.

In this way, the 7.58cm system became a portable siege weapon reminiscent of the medieval European era.

German concern Rheinmetall directed the production of many of the heavy weapons used by the German Imperial Army during World War I (and the upcoming World War II). Design of the 7.58cm-class mortar began in 1909 and continued until 1914, when production began that summer when the war broke out.

The weapon features a rifled barrel design for high accuracy up to 1,400 yards, but is more effective at 328 yards from the target. The wagon's wheels are usually removed before the 10-pound projectile can be fired at an altitude of +45 to +78 degrees. Landscape is limited to 7 degrees. A well-trained and experienced rifle crew can fire up to 20 rounds per minute because the loading is just through the muzzle end (like modern mortar weapon systems). Recoil is controlled by an integrated hydraulic spring system, with a typical crew of four to six people.

Overall, the 7.58cm gun weighed 200 pounds and required multiple crews.

Once in service, the 7.58cm system was first issued to the engineers of the German Imperial Army, who effectively harnessed the weapon's inherent firepower to quickly complete Belgian and French fortifications and field obstacles. Following the development of standoffs outside Paris, the weapon was further assigned to basic infantry units for use as a fire support weapon alongside traditional field mortars.

This allowed these heavier German mortar squads to advance alongside Allied infantry and machine gun squads, establishing themselves in new positions and heavily reinforced when needed.

Extensive field use culminated in an improved variant of the 7.58cm Mine Dropper n.A. ("new style" means its "updated" status), while the original production model was called the 7.58cm Mine Dropper a. A. ("change style" means your "old" design). Newer brands differ by their longer barrels (16" taller than the original 9.3" model) and the use of a circular platform, which now allows for a full 360-degree firing range without the crew having to reposition the entire gun . Longer barrels allow for greater range.

A new path was also devised to allow the use of weapon levels as makeshift anti-tank field guns - mainly for use against enemy tanks (then called "landing ships"), which began to appear in large numbers as the war progressed. Both France and Britain made heavy use of tanks, forcing the Germans to develop entirely new weapons and tactics to defeat new enemies.

The 7.58 cm Mine Dropper N.A. Mark was introduced in 1916.

Specification

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Changes