8 cm sGrW 34

8 cm Granatwerfer 34
A GrW 34 at the Festung Hohensalzburg
Type	Mortar
Place of origin	Nazi Germany
Service history
Used by	Nazi Germany Bulgaria
Wars	World War II
Production history
Designed	1922–1933
Produced	1934–1945
Variants	8 cm GrW 34/1
Specifications
Weight	62 kg (136.6 lbs) steel barrel 57 kg (125.6 lbs) alloy barrel
Barrel length	1,143 mm (45 in)
Shell	3.5 kg (7 lb 11 oz)
Caliber	81.4 mm (3.20 in)
Elevation	45° to 90°
Traverse	10° to 23°
Rate of fire	15-25 rpm
Muzzle velocity	174 m/s (571 ft/s)
Maximum firing range	2,400 m (2,624 yds)

The 8 cm Granatwerfer 34 (8 cm GrW 34) was the standard German infantry mortar throughout World War II. It was noted for its accuracy and rapid rate of fire, although it was less effective when being operated by poorly trained crews.

The weapon was of conventional design and broke down into three loads (smooth bore barrel, bipod, baseplate) for transport. Attached to the bipod were a traversing handwheel and a cross-leveling handwheel below the elevating mechanism. A panoramic sight was mounted on the traversing mechanism yoke for fine adjustments. A line on the tube could be used for rough laying.

The 8 cm GrW 34/1 was an adaptation for use in self-propelled mountings. A lightened version with a shorter barrel was put into production as the kurzer 8 cm Granatwerfer 42.

The mortar employed conventional 8 cm 3.5 kg shells (high explosive or smoke) with percussion fuzes. The range could be extended by fitting up to three additional powder charges between the shell tailfins.