BEF Trench Catapults?

[Bowman]

Trench Catapults were ostensibly used before the advent of mortars in 1915.

Does anyone have a photo of one of these? I need to model one for my 1914 BEF for The Great War. Also, what sort of ordinance/grenades/mines would be catapulted by such a contraption?

[pyrrhicvictory]

I don't know if this is what you are looking for but I hope it helps.  I think I read somewhere that troops at Gallipoli used to launch jam-tin bombs with them; perhaps troops on the Western Front did a similar thing, I can only guess.    

[Plynkes]

I need to model one for my 1914 BEF for The Great War.

I'm afraid the Leach catapult wasn't introduced until March 1915 (supplied by the department store Gamages of London), so it isn't any good for a 1914 force. Before that all you have is a myriad of different improvised designs constructed at the front, such as 'pipe guns' made from iron water pipes, one end of which was buried in the ground and which fired improvised jam tin bombs. Don't have any details or pictures, I'm afraid.

But if you want one anyway, what scale figures do you use? There are actually two different Leach catapult kits available in 28mm. Great War Miniatures do one with a Western Front crew (available from North Star) and Woodbine Designs make one with a crew dressed for the Dardanelles.

Another pic of C.P. Leach's catapult:




Another option for a scratch-build is Captain West's 'Spring Gun', which fired Mills bombs and other projectiles:



Both of these came into use in 1915 and production of them ceased by the spring of 1916, as better options such as the Toffee Apple mortar and the Stokes had rendered them obsolete.

[Bowman]

Thanks guys. I think I'll whip up something similar in shape to the Leach catapult using plastic tubing to mimic the pipes. I find dental tape (a kind of floss) will look good as the elastic slings. I'll have to see. Luckily there are no photos of the original pipe slingshots, so no one will see how silly and inaccurate my contraption looks.

[6milPhil]

Someone makes one of these in 28mm with crew... can't recall who though. Helpful I know... 

[aircav]

Someone makes one of these in 28mm with crew... can't recall who though. Helpful I know... 

Great War Miniatures in their early war range

[Bowman]

Yes, as Plynkes said, both Woodbine and Great War build a Leach catapult. I built a pipe-tube catapult instead. Poor range and accuracy, as one can imagine. Thanks, guys.

[aircav]

Yes, as Plynkes said, both Woodbine and Great War build a Leach catapult. I built a pipe-tube catapult instead. Poor range and accuracy, as one can imagine. Thanks, guys.

Come on, we need Photographic evidence