Raketen-Werfer 41 Nebelwerfer 15 cm

In Detail

Many visits over the years to a well-known collector in Normandy involved numerous glances at one of his prized possessions the Nebelwerfer. This Nebelwerfer 41 was a rocket-firing artillery piece which had six barrels or launch tubes. It fired the rocket propelled Wurfgranate 41 round (German for rocket grenade) weighing some 34 kg out to a range of up to 6800 metres (about four miles). The launcher was designed as a towed piece mounted on the modified carriage of a light, pre-war Pak 36 anti-tank gun. It was deployed in batteries and used extensively on both the Eastern and Western fronts.

This rocket launcher is rare and highly desired by the collector community. This example was special not only because of its rarity but also due to its provenance in the Battle of Normandy. It appeared to be in good structural condition and largely complete save for the various detachable components such as the optics, the bin between the trailing arms, the cleaning rods, the ranging poles etc. These would have to be collected over time.

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