Nebelwurfgerät

The Nebelwurfgerät was a turret mounted launcher used to disperse the Schnellnebelkerze 39 smoke grenade.

The uppermost launcher tubes were oriented forward and angled slightly outwards while the middle and lower tubes were set on a progressively lower elevation but increasing angle.

[1] They were ejected out of each tube by Zündschraube C 23[3] primer which was electrically fired from six push-buttons labeled Nebelkerzen,[4] these buttons being grouped in two sets of three, located in the turret to the left and right of the commander's position and forward of his cupola.

[5] During a reported action in February 1943, enemy small arms fire had inadvertently set off the smoke grenades inside their launcher tubes resulting in the temporary blinding and incapacitation of the tank crew.

Because of this hazard, the Nebelwurfgerät was no longer mounted after June 1943[3] and this device was eventually supplanted by the Nahverteidigungswaffe.