The following U.S. intelligence report on the ammunition for the German 380-mm (15-in) spigot mortar (Schwerer Ladungswerfer) was originally published in Tactical and Technical Trends, No. 35, October 7, 1943. [DISCLAIMER: The following text is taken from the U.S. War Department publication Tactical and Technical Trends. As with all wartime intelligence information, data may be incomplete or inaccurate. No attempt has been made to update or correct the text. Any views or opinions expressed do not necessarily represent those of the website.]

380-MM SPIGOT MORTAR BOMB Some details of the ammunition for the 380-mm (15-in) Spigot Mortar (Schwerer Ladungswerfer) are now available. Both smoke and HE bombs are fired by this weapon, but the following data refers to the HE bomb. German name      38-cm Wurfgranate 40 Total weight 331 lb Bursting charge 110 lb Maximum diameter 15 in Length overall 4 ft 11 in Length of bomb 2 ft 3/4 in Fuze Wgr. Z 36, a standard percussion nose fuze as used in German mortar bombs. Gaine* Zdlg. C/98 Np., a standard gain containing Penthrite. Propellant There are two charges contained in cloth bags in an adaptor fitted with an electric primer. The propellant is known as Gudol, (see Tactical and Technical Trends, No. 31, p. 37) and is a flashless double-base propellant containing nitroguanidine. Weights are as follows: Charge I, 385 grams (13.56 oz); Charge II, 175 grams (6.19 oz). *The metal casing of a shell holding the explosive.

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