German 76 mm trench mortar at IWM Duxford
Tuesday 12th
October 1915: The Germans call their trench mortars minenwerfers, or mine
launchers. They are known unaffectionately as Minnies by our men. The adjutant
of the 7th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, in the front line near Fricourt on
the Somme tells us that the day before yesterday a Minnie was used to shell the
11th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers in a neighbouring trench.
Yesterday
this Minnie was reported on as firing from a range of about 700 yards. The
shells could be distinctly seen in the air and exploded by a time fuse as two
burst in mid-air while others buried themselves for some time before exploding.
The position was logged and British artillery searched this spot with high
explosive and no more firing was experienced from it.
Source: X550/8/1
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