Unknown Rheinmetall 75mm mortar/RCLR weapon system

[monochromelody]

Happen to see this weird shoulder fired recoilless launcher several months ago, named Speer, 75mm caliber smoothbore.

When looking for infos in Rheinmetall weapon handbook 1977, found this, Hellebarde, a vehicle mounted weapon, Düsenkanone=recoilless gun. Same caliber, similar effective range.

Some Chinese info shows more astonishing details.

“…Rheinmetall introduced a combine of anti-tank weapon and mortar: anti-tank mortar, shows the possibility of smoothbore barrel firing fin-stablized projectile. The same barrel can throw mortar shells on indirect fire, while firing HEAT projectile on direct fire. ”

(text upper right, fig.12 Anti-tank mortar)

Further information required, thank you.

 

[monochromelody]

 

[Voltzz]

From IDR 3/1974:

In the anti-tank field, Rheinmetall has
developed an unguided, wind-compensated
rocket designated Hellebarde as a main or
secondary weapon for light armoured vehicles
such as the Spähpanzer 2 wheeled armoured
reconnaissance vehicle. A first round hit pro-
bability of over 95 per cent against the large
NATO target at 1,000 m range is claimed for
this weapon. Selling at a unit price of under
DM 1,500 per round, Rheinmetall hopes that
there is a good chance of the weapon being
accepted by the Bundeswehr.

 

[Scott Kenny]

Some Chinese info shows more astonishing details.

“…Rheinmetall introduced a combine of anti-tank weapon and mortar: anti-tank mortar, shows the possibility of smoothbore barrel firing fin-stablized projectile. The same barrel can throw mortar shells on indirect fire, while firing HEAT projectile on direct fire. ”
View attachment 624658
(text upper right, fig.12 Anti-tank mortar)

That is sounding like a partial continuation of the old 8cm PAW600/8H63 gun from the end of WW2, though that was not recoilless. Instead the PAW600 used the Hi-low propulsion system like a giant 40mm grenade launcher. Smoothbore barrel, firing a HEAT round to 750-1000m, but with an indirect fire range of a good 6km. Used recycled PaK38 carriages, 105mm breech, and an oddly short and straight 8cm barrel with a PaK40 muzzle brake on the end.

 

[BB1984]

This reminds me a little of the late-WWII US project to build a recoilless 4.2" mortar, which they did by attaching a recoilless rifle style nozzle on the back of a standard 4.2" mortar tube. This produced a direct fire weapon that was lightweight, with a powerful shell, but which was also unusable in the mortar role. The US ordered a thousand of these, built a hundred of them, and shipped them to the Pacific in time for Okinawa but I'm not sure if any were actually used in action.

Rheinmetall seems to have thought through the engineering for being able to toggle between a recoilless nozzle for direct fire and a conventional breech for normal mortar usage to produce a "probably sounds a lot cooler than it actually is" dual purpose weapon.

I would guess that the bulbous feature in the recoilless role was a way to build a recoilless chamber into the ammunition instead of into the gun itself, thus facilitating being able to do both roles with one gun tube.

 

[Voltzz]

From IDR 1987/2:

For some time now the German Army's mechanized infantry has been devoting a good deal of thought to the biggest disadvantage of the Marder IFV — its lack of an armour-piercing weapon. While the vehicle has an excellent chassis which needs no updating, improvement of Marder’s armament is necessary to adapt the vehicle's firepower to the present and likely future combat environment.
Some considerable time ago the Army considered arming some of its Marders with the Speer unguided anti-tank rocket, and three years ago with Rheinmetall’s Hellebarde 1,000 m rocket (also unguided). Neither weapon came up to expectations, however, and both programs were discontinued.