High-Low Pressure Principle discovered pre-WW1

  • Thread starter Deleted member 1487
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Deleted member 1487

What if the high-low pressure principle that was the basis for making the M79 grenade launcher system (as well as all modern under slung rifle grenade launcher systems) was discovered pre-WW1 and resulted in all powers having access to weapon systems similar to those we use today based on that?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High–low_system
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M79_grenade_launcher
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/40_mm_grenade

This was a late WW2 design based on it:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/8_cm_PAW_600

Would then the WW1 combatants have dedicated grenade launchers like the M79 or still use rifle grenades? Would that make any appreciable difference to how squad tactics worked or their ability to fight?
 
I think that stormtrooper tactics would become more effective; dedicated grenade launchers would allow the concentration of greater firepower into the hands of an individual soldier, especially because those launchers might be easier to use, more accurate, and possibly more destructive than simple hand grenades. I'm no engineer, and I've no idea what it takes to mount an underslung grenade launcher on a rifle, but I presume that someone with enough vision/ingenuity could slap a shortened/modified grenade launcher onto the underside of a contemporary service rifle's handguard. Such a rifle could then be mass-produced and issued to storm/assault troops.

Perhaps it leads to a more successful Spring Offensive, perhaps CP victory if combined with other, political PODs?
 

Deleted member 1487

I think that stormtrooper tactics would become more effective; dedicated grenade launchers would allow the concentration of greater firepower into the hands of an individual soldier, especially because those launchers might be easier to use, more accurate, and possibly more destructive than simple hand grenades. I'm no engineer, and I've no idea what it takes to mount an underslung grenade launcher on a rifle, but I presume that someone with enough vision/ingenuity could slap a shortened/modified grenade launcher onto the underside of a contemporary service rifle's handguard. Such a rifle could then be mass-produced and issued to storm/assault troops.

Perhaps it leads to a more successful Spring Offensive, perhaps CP victory if combined with other, political PODs?
What about the Entente offensives before that?
 
What about the Entente offensives before that?
No idea, to be honest. Didn't stormtrooper tactics (and the Spring and Hundred Days offensives) only work because manpower reserves had been depleted to the point where secondary/reserve trench lines could not be created/manned?
 

Deleted member 1487

No idea, to be honest. Didn't stormtrooper tactics (and the Spring and Hundred Days offensives) only work because manpower reserves had been depleted to the point where secondary/reserve trench lines could not be created/manned?
That's not the sole reason they worked, but that certainly helped. Same with the Allies when they attacked for the late 100 days.
 
It probably would have led to a series of mortars and infantry guns (like the PAW 600) based on that principle. Possibly a single design for the Central powers that could replace both the Minenwerfer and the infantry guns? Grenade launchers would probably come later, but they would have taken the role of the french 37 mm trench gun. As soon as the war started, it would probably lead to a much faster development of lighter and more mobile machine guns (which are therefore less vulnerable to grenade and infantry gun fire), because static machine gun nests are too vulnerable to these infantry guns and grenade launchers.

Overall, it might be enough to break the trench warfare altogether once the creeping barrage, squad/fireteam organization, and stormtrooper tactics are implemented. It might be enough to obviate the need for tanks, or make them less useful, as even without shaped charges these early tanks are still very vulnerable to grenades and infantry gun fire. However, lighter tanks might be developed faster as they promise to give heavy machine guns and other weapons the mobility to remain survivable on the battlefield. Perhaps it would spawn a sort of unarmored tractor carrying a weapon on an open mount with nothing more than a gunshield? (as armor won't help against the widespread infantry grenades and infantry guns)

The weapon might also prove useful in howitzer applications, making them lighter and thus more useful and widespread compared to their field gun counterparts. A 15 cm howitzer might end up being much cheaper and lighter (and thus even more common) than it was in real life if it used the High-Low system.
 
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