| Historical Specifics: |
The light Minenwerfer at Wee Waa is in private hands having been presented to the present owner by another person who had found it at the local tip. He had presented it saying ‘you cannot have a flag pole without a gun’. The mortar is in reasonable condition suffering mainly from surface rust. The wheels are missing but one hub remains.
Of all the members in the Minenwerfer family, the light 7.5cm version was the least spectacular but at the same time the most important. It was used everywhere, and was the weapon that supported the German Infantry in all situations, especially during trench fighting, when traditional flat trajectory weapons often were at an disadvantage.
When the war started, the light Minenwerfer (Mine thrower) existed only in prototype form. By 1916, trials and battle experience had resulted in the construction of a new type of Light Minenwerfer, the LMW n.A. (neuer Art, new type). This had a bedding that was circular at the front and square at the back, and had also a traverse plate, making it possible to move the piece 360 degrees around. Like the earlier type, it could be fitted with wheels, and be carried by special poles or simply dragged by men equipped with a special harness.
The new lMW n.A. had it's baptism of fire during the Battle of the Somme, and immediately proved it's worth as a versatile and useful close support weapon. This led to more and more Minenwerfers being issued to the troops. It was a successful weapon, and at the end of the hostilities, more than 10,000 lMW:s were in service. |
