Development started in 1934 and was adopted for service in 1936. By 1943, the LeGrW 36 was determined to be too complex for the intended role and fired a too light of a bomb to inflict enough damage on target, so production was terminated. Gradually withdrawn from front-line service, the leGrW 36 continued in use with second-line and garrison units until the end of hostilities in 1945.

Designed for high angle fire only (not less than 42º), it is muzzle loaded and trigger fired. The weapon's major drawbacks in service were its inadequate range and limited effectiveness of it's ammunition. Interesting note is that a total of 555,959 GrW 36 rounds were expanded during the French Campaign of 1940, and at that time, a German Infantry Division had eighty-four 5 cm mortars assigned. It's intended role was to engage pockets of resistance that were beyond hand grenade throwing range.

As supplies of the Granatwerfer 36 dwindled during 1944-1945, the Germans often relied on captured French and Russian 50 mm mortars, and in most cases, preferring the captured Russian mortars over the standard German issue. The Russian Model 38.40 and 38.41, 50mm Mortars and ammunition were far superior to the GrW 36 in having a range of up to 800 meters. The 50mm continued to be popular for the remainder of the war, simply by the fact that it was easily transported by two men, and it provided the Infantry with a hitting power and range capability greater than any other weapon readily available at the squad or section level.