The piece is aimed by grasping two handles fitted to the left rear of the cradle and aligning the open sights on the target. The rear sight is adjustable from 180 to 700 meters.
The launcher fires from a closed breech which is operated by a handle on top of the breech ring. Opening of the breech cocks the hammer which is held in firing position by a sear. When the projectile has been inserted and the breech closed, a squeeze of the right handle depresses the sear, releasing the hammer. A safety device fitted to the left of the firing pin in the center of the breechblock must be turned to “F” position before the launcher can be fired. An additional safety feature prevents the hammer from striking the firing pin unless the breech is fully closed. The small shock of recoil developed by the rocket gases against the closed breech is transmitted directly to the spade.
Ammunition used with the rocket launcher is a modified version of the 8.8 cm rocket projectile, having a percussion primer instead of the electric type. The rocket is fitted with a base plate with a protruding rim to seat the round in the tube. The base plate and primer are the only parts of the round which are extracted after firing.
SPECIFICATIONS
| Caliber | 88 mm (3.46 ins.) | |
| Weight (firing position) | 315 lbs. | |
| Length of weapon (overall) | 9 ft., 9 ins. | |
| Length of barrel | 63 ins. | |
| Height (traveling position) | 2 ft., 11 ins. | |
| Height (on segments) | 1 ft., 7 1/8 ins. | |
| Width (overall) | 3 ft., 4 ins. | |
| Length of bore | | | |
| No. of grooves | | | |
| Width of grooves | | Smooth bore | |
| Depth of grooves | | | |
| Width of lands | | | |
| Muzzle velocity | 460 f/s* | |
| Max. range (horizontal) (limited by sight) | 765 yds. | |
| Rate of fire | ||
| Traverse on wheels: Right (max.) | 28° | |
| Left (max.) | 28° | |
| Traverse on firing segments | 360° | |
| Elevation | 23° | |
| Depression | 14° | |
| Length of recoil | none | |
| Ammunition | 8.8 cm R. Pz. B. Gr. 4312 | |
| Wt. of projectile | 5 lbs., 13 ozs. |
*Not verified.
German: p. 352.1 (August 1, 1945)
This type grenade has the same general contours as the two others previously described. It has a black bakelite head and a screwed-on base plug which is perforated to hold a gunpowder pellet. Inside the grenade, directly above the plug is an illuminating star to which a parachute is attached. On firing, the flash from the propellant ignites the gunpowder pellet, which, after a brief delay, ignites the star. The bakelite head is blown off, and the star ejected. The grenade may be identified by the stencilling “F. Leucht. Z.” on the base of the cartridge case.
This grenade is similar in appearance and construction to the high explosive grenade except that it contains a smoke generator instead of an explosive filler. It is fitted with a percussion type nose fuze which has a charge of gunpowder located just below the flash cap instead of a detonator. The projectile functions on impact and the gunpowder, ignited by the flash cap, ejects the smoke generator from the body of the grenade and at the same time ignites it. The projectile may be recognized by the following stencilled marking on the base of the cartridge case: NEBEL. Z.
This grenade consists of a die cast aluminum container which encases a steel tube containing the explosive charge. Into the steel tube is screwed a direct action nose fuze with a protruding striker head. The striker is held away from the detonator by six steel balls kept in position by a steel collar supported on three aluminum pins. The creep spring separates the striker and primer beneath which is a booster separated from the main filling by an empty air space. The black powder propelling charge is contained in a cup with a lead Styphnate primer. The grenade has grooves on the aluminum body fitting the rifling of the Kampfpistole from which it is discharged.
The cartridge consists of a light alloy outer container complete with the propelling charge and an inner-container in which there are six star units. Running through the center of the star units is an assembly of two brass tubes with selector holes for the six choices of settings. The inner tube contains gunpowder and is closed by a plug which contains a delay pellet. In firing, the inner container is propelled and after the delay pellet has burned through, the flash passes immediately along the whole length of the inner tube, igniting and ejecting the stars in accordance with the setting.
This pistol grenade is formed by adding to the egg-type hand grenade (Eierhandgranate 39) a plastic stem to which it is attached by a retaining tube. The tube contains the delay igniter at the forward end inside the grenade. An alloy flash tube connects this to the fuze which is located in the base of the stem. The fuze is separated from the primer by a safety pin which is pulled out before the grenade is placed in the pistol barrel. Upon firing, the firing pin strikes the primer which sets off the delay igniter, detonating the explosive charge after a delay of 4.5 seconds.
This grenade, consisting of a rounded nose cap screwed to a cylindrical body, is equipped with four fins which are fixed to the base of the body. A brass or aluminum cartridge crimped to the grenade completes the assembly. A case containing the detonator and main filling is separated from a fixed firing pin in the nose of the grenade by a creep spring. The case is prevented from moving forward before firing by two metal balls in the base of the carrier. An arming rod inserted between the two balls prevents them from moving. This is forced out of the base by setback about ten or twelve yards after the grenade leaves the muzzle of the gun. The balls then slide out of their grooves and the case is free to move against the firing pin, exploding the grenade on impact.
These grenades are made in the form of glass flasks. Model 1H is a single container; Model 2H includes an inner glass tube filled with a solution of calcium chloride. The body of each grenade is filled with titanium tetrachloride which vaporizes, upon contact with the air. The calcium chloride permits the second model to operate at low relative humidity, whereas the first model produces a thin fog unless the air is quite moist. Both models discharge upon impact with any hard object.
The prototype of this grenade is comprised of the body of the smoke hand grenade 39 with a synthetic resin adapter to hold the B. Z. E. igniter. The Model 41 is of similar construction but the body has been modified so that the igniter fits into a small central neck without the use of an adapter. There are only two smoke holes instead of eight. The friction igniter operates with a 4-5 second delay, setting off a 2-minute smoke discharge.