Original Item: Very Few Available. These are fantastic totally genuine High Explosive "Bouncing" fragmentation mortar rounds, officially known as the Wurf-granate-39 (Throwing Grenade 39 - Wgr. 39), which replaced the similar Wgr.38 developed the year before. These were both fired by the German 8cm Gr.W.34, and were streamlined high explosive anti-personnel fragmentation round. Both types had a finned tail unit which carries the out-shooting cartridge.

The Wgr.39 specifically had 400 g of explosives packed inside, and utilized a tiny rocket motor to "bounce" itself off of the ground of a target area by ejecting the nose cap, which is only friction fit. It would then explode in mid-air, spewing the dangerous fragmentation payload about the surrounding area. Unfortunately the "bouncing" or "jumping" types of these grenades proved too expensive to produce, and they were discontinued. This makes this an excellent opportunity to pick up a very rare German WWII mortar round!

8cm Gr.W.34 rounds were all fitted with a quick-acting and very sensitive nose fuse with booster made of alloy. Fuse arms itself by inertia forces once mortar shell left muzzle of the barrel. Until then it is safe. Mortar shell’s body was made of mild steel with bursting charge of T.N.T. inside, thick walls, screw-threaded fuse hole in the head. Mortar’s fin tail unit was designed to receive the out-shooting cartridge charge.

Each mortar round is offered in very good condition and totally inert. They all bear original paint and various German WW2 markings. All markings vary, see images for an idea of what you will get.

The 8 cm Granatwerfer 34 (8 cm GrW 34) was the standard German heavy mortar throughout World War II. It gained a reputation for extreme accuracy and rapid rate of fire, although it was not as 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.