Fam. Wouters
Nachrichtenabteilung Infanterie-Regiment Nr.170 with rare Signalwerfer
March 1918 dated postcard bearing a stamp of Nachrichtenabteilung Infanterie-Regiment Nr.170, some sort of a unit in charge of communication, messaging, etc. Luckily, these men decided to show of their tools of the trade.
On the right is a small signalling lamp, or a "kleines Blinkgerät 1916, K-Blink 16" with a range of 800 m. There another tripod in the center, possibly for another K-Blink 16 or maybe for a monocular.
Also in the center are 3 men holding field telephones, with the accompanying electronics in the boxes.
Now on to the interesting stuff: the two men in the back have "Leuchtpistole" or flare pistols on them, the M1895 Hebel.
The attentive viewers might already have noticed the strange looking launchers on the flanks. They had me puzzled for a while now, but I mamanged to find some info about these rare devices. In 1916, the German high command issued orders to design some kind of a device that could be used to fire (coloured) signalling flares / written messages, etc.
The device was made starting somewhere in 1917 and baptised "Signalwerfer". Different types of projectiles were available, such as white flares ( Leuchtpatrone / L-Munition ) to iluminate the battlefield during the night, coloured projectiles ( Signalpatrone / S-Munition ), for example to request an artillery barrage. Finally, versions also existed whcih allowed notes to be fired. A small smoke charge would be set of when it hit the ground, so that the note could be retrieved.
humanbonb.free.fr/indexSignalwerfer2.html
[enhanced copy]
Nachrichtenabteilung Infanterie-Regiment Nr.170 with rare Signalwerfer
March 1918 dated postcard bearing a stamp of Nachrichtenabteilung Infanterie-Regiment Nr.170, some sort of a unit in charge of communication, messaging, etc. Luckily, these men decided to show of their tools of the trade.
On the right is a small signalling lamp, or a "kleines Blinkgerät 1916, K-Blink 16" with a range of 800 m. There another tripod in the center, possibly for another K-Blink 16 or maybe for a monocular.
Also in the center are 3 men holding field telephones, with the accompanying electronics in the boxes.
Now on to the interesting stuff: the two men in the back have "Leuchtpistole" or flare pistols on them, the M1895 Hebel.
The attentive viewers might already have noticed the strange looking launchers on the flanks. They had me puzzled for a while now, but I mamanged to find some info about these rare devices. In 1916, the German high command issued orders to design some kind of a device that could be used to fire (coloured) signalling flares / written messages, etc.
The device was made starting somewhere in 1917 and baptised "Signalwerfer". Different types of projectiles were available, such as white flares ( Leuchtpatrone / L-Munition ) to iluminate the battlefield during the night, coloured projectiles ( Signalpatrone / S-Munition ), for example to request an artillery barrage. Finally, versions also existed whcih allowed notes to be fired. A small smoke charge would be set of when it hit the ground, so that the note could be retrieved.
humanbonb.free.fr/indexSignalwerfer2.html
[enhanced copy]