Dragon 75023 German Kz 8cm GrW 42 Mortar

The Kurzer 8 cm Granatwerfer 42 (short: Kz 8 cm GrW 42) was a German WWII mortar, 81 mm caliber. The first prototypes of the weapon were created in 1940, and serial production was carried out in 1941-1945. The weight of the weapon was 26.5 kilograms, and the maximum range was 1100 meters. The average rate of fire with a well-trained crew was up to 25 shots per minute. The Kz 8 cm GrW 42 was developed at Rheinmetall to replace the 50 mm leGrW 36 light mortar in the line. In essence, it was a "lean" and slightly reduced version of the GrW 34 mortar of the same caliber. It proved to be a successful weapon, and due to its small size and short barrel, it was often used by German parachute units. It was intended primarily for direct support of own infantry operations over short distances. The German armed forces used it on virtually all fronts of World War II.