MG42 (9)

The 6-cm mortar fired its first proper shot two months after the accident.

Instead of merely puffing smoke from the muzzle or tearing its fins inside the barrel, the shell now soared high into the sky and vanished beyond the firing range. A moment later, dust rose behind the ridge. It had landed much farther back than the target boards we'd set up.

“Wow, since when was that valley the target area?”

Of course, firing properly didn't mean hitting the target properly.

“Be quiet.”

I kicked the grinning Hardenberg in the shin, then asked Neumann about the results.

“How much farther did it go?”

Neumann checked the observers waving flags through a telescope, then looked at the record board.

“The target was at 1,000 meters, but it flew about 300 meters farther.”

“Yesterday it only flew 600 meters, didn't it? I guess the fins really are the problem.”...