German riflegrenades/grenade launchers

[blitzkreig]

Does anyone know of any good internet sites for me to have a look at regarding this subject?

Cheers

[thatguy96]

Yes, in fact I do.

http://www.inert-ord.net/ger03a/index.html

[blitzkreig]

Cheers Fella

Quite useful! I'm still curious as to how they were where fired (presumberly a blank round?) and how widely they were distrubuted. Ie one launcher per squad/platoon or did any rifle have the capability to launch with the right attachement. Also anyone have any info on the grenade launchers picutered in the Vern Trp section of the OOB, some of these look alomost like more contempory grenade launchers such as the M79. Any one any ideas?

[thatguy96]

I should've been more specific.

If you scroll down on this link: http://www.inert-ord.net/ger03a/gerrg2/becher/index.html , you'll see the special wooden bullet grenade launching rounds, quite similar to the WWI era US rounds for launching VB rifle grenades.

Unfortunately I don't have any info on how many per squad or platoon, or that of the various other infantry launchers the Germans developed. Hopefully someone else can help you there.

[blitzkreig]

Yep, got there in the end! Should have spotted the link there before really! They appear to be quite a hefty piece of kit compared to more modern launchers found on the AK series say.

Thanks for the link!

[thatguy96]

Cup launchers and pole rifle grenades quickly gave way to the muzzle launchers found first on US rifles, and then later on weapons in the Soviet sphere, at the end of the Second World War. At least this is how I see it, since the US was sporting such launchers during the interwar period and the Second World War, while others using rifle grenades were using one of the other two types (or both) described.