Nahverteidigungswaffe/Close Defense weapon

[phil fitzpatrick]

Hi everyone
I want to have a go at the Close defense weapon on my Tiger.
Have some drawings and photographs from my books.
Can any one help with a description of the working of it and in particularly
there is a shaped plug at the top of its barrel,flush with the Turret Roof.
I cant figure out how this was removed before fireing the weapon.
Hope some one can help.
Cheers
Phil

[chris fry]

hello Phil,

try this link www.custermen.net/nahvert/nah.htm tells you all about this device and some good pictures,
hope this helps,
Chris.

[phil fitzpatrick]

Hi Chris
Thanks for that quick reply and that great Link,very helpfull.
Looking at the pictures and description,it looks to me then that the sealing
plug was slid out of the barrel from inside when the breach was opened and slid back after use.
Do you think I have interpreted it right
Thanks very much
Phil

[chris fry]

hello Phil,

I would say your correct that when the breech was opened the plug was removed from the inside then either a grenade or the smoke pistol could be used up the tube, its crying out for you to design something that shoots out of the chamber???.
cheers, Chris.

[phil fitzpatrick]

Hi Chris
Yes a working version would be interesting
I read through a few times and the Defense weapon itself was used for the smoke
canisters and the HE rounds were fired up through the Tube from a Pistol,the round being
fitted with a time fuse.
Very interesting article.
Cheers
Phil

[Dave Boller]

Hi. If I can throw my 2 cents in. The quality of the photo is poor, but if you squint real hard, it appears to be a full barrel sized plug, and what looks like a vertical, rod-like, pull handle right at the end of the breech where the hatch closes to. Shouldn't be hard to make.

[phil fitzpatrick]

Hi Dave
Yes that was the bit that was throwing me off at first,I was missreading the drawings
and thought that the inner Tube was the barrel and the seaking plug just resting on it.
It would be nice to have a go,otherwise it is just a hole to look inside the turret.
Thanks for that.
Cheers
Phil

[chris fry]

hello again,

A few pictures I found showing a bit better detail, I was trying to find a picture of the plug but cant seem to find any, interested to see what it would have been made of,
Chris.

[phil fitzpatrick]

Hi Chris
More great pctures,thanks fo those.
The sealing plug must be like Dave said and something tubular fitted to the ARmor Plug,then with a handle on it at the bottom,to pull it out when the breach is open.
Thanks for the pics
Cheers
Phil

[chris fry]

hello Phil,
no problem on the pictures, like I said I have been trying to find a picture of the plug but cant find any, maybe Kent can step in here and show us one??, if we had an image that would help understanding how you remove it and show us what its made of, I would have thought it would be quite substantial as its part of the tanks armour!!, I am sure someone out there can put us straight on this, Kent again I hope,
Chris.

[Kent Wiik]

Hi Chris and Phil,

The plug is mentioned in the Panther turret manual D655/2 page 46 and named "Verschlußstopfen ".

“Die Ausschussöffnung des Geräts ist durch einer Verschlußstopfen mit Dichtring gegen Eindringen von Regenwasser verschlossen.“

In English that will be:
The barrel opening is with a sealed plug protected from incoming rain water.

This is how it was done:



The manual also tell that the Verschlußstopfen was removed from the inside before the Nahverteidigungswaffe was to be used.

Kind regards
Kent

[phil fitzpatrick]

Hi Kent
Thansk for the info.
Its nice to know how every thing works and how it is used.
Cheers
Phil

[chris fry]

hello Kent,
thought you would come to are aid, many thanks for the info,
up to you now Phil to start making it,
Chris.

[phil fitzpatrick]

My Tiger1 Close Defense Weapon

[Tim Bowman]

OUTSTANDING Phil!

Looks awesome.

kind regards
Tim