Rui’s Renditions
A German soldier holding a lanyard connected to the trigger mechanism of a grenade-thrower, unknown location, 1916-18.
Originally designed by a Hungarian priest, the grenade thrower was first employed by the Austro-Hungarians who named it a “Priesterwerfer” (priest thrower). Manufactured under license by the Germans, this spigot-type mortar was officially designated “Granatenwerfer 16” and its four fin grenade “Wurfgranate 16”. It is said that the French soldiers nicknamed them “pigeons” because of the unique warbling sound made by the grenade as it descended.
First produced at the end of 1915, it was deployed with German infantry companies. It weighed about 38 kilograms and could send its standard 1.9 kilo grenade up a distance of 450 meters. A trained crew was capable of launching 250 – 300 grenades per hour.
Original: Braunschweigisches Landesmuseum / C. Cordes