German Smoke Pots Crate - (Nebelkerzen 39 B)

[Rossi]

German Crate for 12 Smoke Pots (Nebelkerzen 39 B). It contained 12 Smoke Pots 39 B with detonators and igniters. Most of the racking for the detonators and igniters has been removed. You can still see the circles on the inside of the box left by the smoke pots.

Primary function of the Nahverteidigungswaffe was to place smoke candles. The size of the tube was determined by the size of the Nebelkerzen. The original Nebelwurfgeräte mounted on many vehicles were removed after incidents of small arms fire igniting the candles in the dischargers and the resulting smoke incapacitating crew members. The Nahverteidigungswaffe allowed the smoke candles to be discharged from under armor. The Nebelkerzen were the only munition that the nahverteidigungswaffe actually "fired." The rest were fired using the Leuchtpistole/Kampfpistole.