Company Officer's Handbook Of The German Army - Command and ...

50 COMPANY OFFICER'S HANDBOOK
b. Special and Miscellaneous Weapons
Some special units which require lighter and more mobile antitank
weapons that are capable of good penetration have been provided
by the Germans with several tapered-bore antitank guns.
These weapons obtain maximum penetration with light, very highvelocity
projectiles at short ranges. They are primarily intended for
airborne and mountain divisions, but the 28/20-mm is being used
as a rifle-company weapon in organizations like the light (Jager),
and panzer-grenadier units (see fig. 34, p. 49). The 28/20 is normally
carried on a trailer but it may be broken down into six loads; its parachute
version is very light and has two small rubber-tired wheels.
Besides the special antitank weapons, the Germans employ large
numbers of the antitank guns of occupied countries. Many of these
weapons are issued to German units. However, many of them are
retained and used by the units which happen to capture them. (For
the characteristics of miscellaneous German and captured antitank
weapons, see fig. 32b,-p. 48.)
23. HEAVY CHEMICAL MORTARS AND ROCKET WEAPONS
Various types and calibers of heavy chemical (smoke) mortars
and rocket projectors which were primarily designed for use as
chemical-warfare projectors are used as support weapons. The
standard chemical mortars (10 cm Nebelwerfer 35 and 40), 105
mm in caliber, are similar to an infantry mortar. They fire highexplosive,
smoke, or chemical projectiles weighing. up to 19 pounds
at ranges up to 6,780 yards. Rockets may be fired from barrels,
from simple, inclined steel racks, and from vehicles. Common
weapons include the 1,200-pound, easily-manhandled 150-mm sixbarreled
projector (15 cm Nebelwerfer 41) (fig. 35); the ten-barreled
15 cm Panzerwerfer 42, which is mounted on an armored halftrack
(fig. 36) and fires the same ammunition as the 15 cm Nebelwerfer
41; the 210-mm five-barreled projector (21 cm Nebelwerfer
42); and the 28/32 cm Nebelwerfer 41, which can fire either 280-mm
or 320-mm rockets from each of its six racks, by using appropriate,
removable liners. All sizes of projectiles produce large numbers of
small, high-velocity fragments. The 15 cm Nebelwerfer 41, the