Was the NebelWerfer 41' a successful artillery piece? Or were the conventional projectile guns more useful?

Question

The NebelWerfer was one of the first modern MLRS for those who don't know.

Answer 1

The Nebelwerfer was a highly successful rocket battery in WWII. As you mentioned, it was indeed a forerunner of the modern MLRS. The Wehrmacht even mounted it on a 2-ton halftrack (called the Maultier, which appeared in mid-1944) for greater mobility and grouped it into separate rocket battalions to provide instant firepower for mobile units. The Nebelwerfer's shortcomings were its limited numbers, accuracy and range which meant it had to be deployed somewhat close to the front with a good field of fire (hence the need to mount it on a vehicle).

Incidentally, the Maultier was the German copy of the highly effective Russian M-13 Katyusha (or more colloquially known as Stalin's Organ) which was mounted on a truck.

One could argue that part of its success is its effect on modern warfare. Notice how rocket batteries played such a central part in the recent Israel-Hezbollah conflict.

Answer 2

If you consider how inaccurate they were then conventional artillery might be thought of as more useful, however, as another respondant has said they were feared by the allies both for the sound they made and for the devestation they could cause. The Americans mounted a battery of rockets on the Sherman as well (called the calliope) and had limited success with it.
Paul.

Answer 3

it was just as the other early rocket systems a weapon of saturation. The success of it was that it could create a great blast effect because it had a relative great amount of explosives in regard the total wight of the projectile.
It wasn't only mounted on the maultier but also on the half track sdkfz 251 ( stuka zu fuss ) or in units that where mobile on a trailer towed by a half track or static like the atlanticwall

Answer 4

Extremely useful battlefield weapon that could be transported on the back of a truck.
Probably more mobile than conventional artillery and more effective at shorter ranges.

Answer 5

I read that the NebelWerfer's were feared by the Allies, the same as the multiple launchers the Soviets had. The reason more weren't produced was the lack of resources and priorities for tank production.

Answer 6

Is was cheap and good for saturation bombardment but not precise enough for eliminating precise point of resistance.
But it produced a very high explosive blast when you know where the enemy was and not to far from your lines. (long distance it was not precise enough