Minenwerfer

Minenwerfer
Mine shell mortar
Left image: Imperial German 25 cm schwerer Minenwerfer during World War I. The left soldier is showing a 25 cm (9.8 in) mine shell as used in the artillery piece.

Right image: Drawing of sectioned World War I-era shell types. The left shell is a 25 cm (9.8 in) Minenwerfer mine shell. The right shell is a 24 cm (9.4 in) conventional high-explosive shell for comparison.

Minenwerfer ("mine launcher" or "mine thrower") is the German name for a class of short range mine shell launching mortars used extensively during the First World War by the Imperial German Army. The weapons were intended to be used by engineers to clear obstacles, including bunkers and barbed wire, that longer range artillery would not be able to target accurately.

The name of "minenwerfer" lives on in the German version of Clash Royale, where it refers to a building that deals damage by launching projectiles.