21 cm Mörser 99: Difference between revisions
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== History == |
== History == |
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The Mrs 99 was designed in 1893 and built by [[Krupp]] in 1899. The Mrs 99 was a successor to earlier 21 cm mortars that had been in service since the [[Franco-Prussian War]]. The Mrs 99 was fairly conventional for its time and most nations had similar mortars such as the [[Mortier de 220 mm modèle 1880]] or [[Mortaio da 210/8 D.S.]] However, its lack of recoil mechanism made it dated and by the time the First World War broke out it had been largely replaced by the [[21 cm Mörser 10]].<ref name=":2">{{Cite book|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/893163385|title=German artillery : 1914-1918|last=Fleischer|first=Wolfgang|publisher=|year=|isbn=9781473823983|location=Barnsley|pages= |
The Mrs 99 was designed in 1893 and built by [[Krupp]] in 1899. The Mrs 99 was a successor to earlier 21 cm mortars that had been in service since the [[Franco-Prussian War]]. The Mrs 99 was fairly conventional for its time and most nations had similar mortars such as the [[Mortier de 220 mm modèle 1880]] or [[Mortaio da 210/8 D.S.]] However, its lack of recoil mechanism made it dated and by the time the First World War broke out it had been largely replaced by the [[21 cm Mörser 10]].<ref name=":2">{{Cite book|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/893163385|title=German artillery : 1914-1918|last=Fleischer|first=Wolfgang|publisher=|year=|isbn=9781473823983|location=Barnsley|pages=33|oclc=893163385}}</ref> |
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The majority of military planners before the First World War were wedded to the concept of fighting an offensive war of rapid maneuver which in a time before mechanization meant a focus on [[cavalry]] and light [[horse artillery]] firing [[Shrapnel shell|shrapnel]] shells. Although the majority of combatants had heavy field artillery prior to the outbreak of the First World War, none had adequate numbers of heavy guns in service, nor had they foreseen the growing importance of heavy artillery once the [[Western Front (World War I)|Western Front]] stagnated and [[trench warfare]] set in.<ref name=":1" /> |
The majority of military planners before the First World War were wedded to the concept of fighting an offensive war of rapid maneuver which in a time before mechanization meant a focus on [[cavalry]] and light [[horse artillery]] firing [[Shrapnel shell|shrapnel]] shells. Although the majority of combatants had heavy field artillery prior to the outbreak of the First World War, none had adequate numbers of heavy guns in service, nor had they foreseen the growing importance of heavy artillery once the [[Western Front (World War I)|Western Front]] stagnated and [[trench warfare]] set in.<ref name=":1" /> |
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The theorists hadn't foreseen that trenches, barbed wire, and machine guns had robbed them of the mobility they had been counting on and like in the Franco-Prussian and [[Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878)|Russo-Turkish]] war the need for high-angle heavy artillery to deal with fortifications reasserted itself. Since aircraft of the period were not yet capable of carrying large diameter bombs the burden of delivering heavy firepower fell on the artillery. The combatants scrambled to find anything that could fire a heavy shell and that meant emptying the fortresses and scouring the depots for guns held in reserve. It also meant converting [[coastal artillery]] and [[Naval artillery|naval guns]] to siege guns by either giving them simple field carriages or mounting the larger pieces on rail carriages.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/56655115|title=Allied artillery of World War One|last=Hogg|first=Ian|date=2004|publisher=Crowood|year=|isbn=1861267126|location=Ramsbury|pages=129-134|oclc=56655115}}</ref> |
The theorists hadn't foreseen that trenches, barbed wire, and machine guns had robbed them of the mobility they had been counting on and like in the Franco-Prussian and [[Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878)|Russo-Turkish]] war the need for high-angle heavy artillery to deal with fortifications reasserted itself. Since aircraft of the period were not yet capable of carrying large diameter bombs the burden of delivering heavy firepower fell on the artillery. The combatants scrambled to find anything that could fire a heavy shell and that meant emptying the fortresses and scouring the depots for guns held in reserve. It also meant converting [[coastal artillery]] and [[Naval artillery|naval guns]] to siege guns by either giving them simple field carriages or mounting the larger pieces on rail carriages.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/56655115|title=Allied artillery of World War One|last=Hogg|first=Ian|date=2004|publisher=Crowood|year=|isbn=1861267126|location=Ramsbury|pages=129-134|oclc=56655115}}</ref> |
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==Design== |
==Design== |
||
The Mrs 99 was a short barreled breech-loading mortar on a rigid [[Gun carriage#Naval or garrison carriages|garrison mount]]. Like many of its contemporaries, its carriage did not have a recoil mechanism. The barrel was a typical [[built-up gun]] of the period with all steel construction. The gun had an early form of horizontal [[Sliding block breech|sliding-block breech]] and it fired separate-loading, [[Shell_(projectile)#Separate loading bagged charge|bagged charges]] and projectiles. The Mrs 99 could fire a variety of different [http://humanbonb.free.fr/index21Mrs.html projectiles] which the later Mörser 10 also used. The advantage the Mrs 99 had over its predecessors was that it was made from nickel-steel of much greater strength than previous guns of cast bronze or cast iron construction. This meant that the Mrs 99 could be smaller in diameter |
The Mrs 99 was a short barreled breech-loading mortar on a rigid [[Gun carriage#Naval or garrison carriages|garrison mount]]. Like many of its contemporaries, its carriage did not have a recoil mechanism. The barrel was a typical [[built-up gun]] of the period with all steel construction. The gun had an early form of horizontal [[Sliding block breech|sliding-block breech]] and it fired separate-loading, [[Shell_(projectile)#Separate loading bagged charge|bagged charges]] and projectiles. The Mrs 99 could fire a variety of different [http://humanbonb.free.fr/index21Mrs.html projectiles] which the later Mörser 10 also used. The advantage the Mrs 99 had over its predecessors was that it was made from nickel-steel of much greater strength than previous guns of cast bronze or cast iron construction. This meant that the Mrs 99 could be smaller in diameter, lighter in weight, fire heavier projectiles, and was longer ranged than its predecessors. However, field artillery also improved during that time and the threat of [[counter-battery fire]] led to the Mrs 99 being phased out soon after its introduction. In 1914 it was estimated that 48 were in service with reserve units. However, it was brought back into service due to a combination of higher than expected losses and insufficient numbers of heavy guns which led to them being issued as replacements to heavy field artillery regiments.<ref name=":2" /> |
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For transport, the Mrs 99 could be broken down into two separate wagon loads for the barrel and gun cradle. At the front of the gun cradle a two-wheeled wooden spoked axle was attached and the rear of the cradle was then hooked up to a [[Limbers and caissons|limber]] so the mortar could be towed by a horse team or [[artillery tractor]]. The barrel was towed on its own four wheeled wagon with an integral hoist to mount/demount the barrel. To facilitate towing on soft ground the wheels were often fitted with [[Grouser|''Bonagente'' ''grousers'']] patented by the Italian major Crispino Bonagente. These consisted of twelve rectangular plates connected with elastic links and are visible in many photographs of World War I artillery from all of the combatants. Once on site the axle was removed and a set of small wheels could be fit to the front of the cradle. A piece of ground was then leveled and a wooden firing platform assembled and the mortar was placed on the firing platform. Two wooden ramps were then placed behind the wheels and when the mortar fired the wheels rolled up the ramp and was returned to position by gravity. There was also no traversing mechanism and the gun had to be levered into position to aim. A drawback of this system was the gun had to be re-aimed each time which lowered the rate of fire.<ref name=": |
For transport, the Mrs 99 could be broken down into two separate wagon loads for the barrel and gun cradle. At the front of the gun cradle a two-wheeled wooden spoked axle was attached and the rear of the cradle was then hooked up to a [[Limbers and caissons|limber]] so the mortar could be towed by a horse team or [[artillery tractor]]. The barrel was towed on its own four wheeled wagon with an integral hoist to mount/demount the barrel.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.passioncompassion1418.com/Canons/Eng_AfficheCanonGET.php?IdCanonAffiche=158|title=21cm Mörser (99)|last=|first=|date=|website=www.passioncompassion1418.com|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=2 October 2018}}</ref> To facilitate towing on soft ground the wheels were often fitted with [[Grouser|''Bonagente'' ''grousers'']] patented by the Italian major Crispino Bonagente. These consisted of twelve rectangular plates connected with elastic links and are visible in many photographs of World War I artillery from all of the combatants. Once on site the axle was removed and a set of small wheels could be fit to the front of the cradle. A piece of ground was then leveled and a wooden firing platform assembled and the mortar was placed on the firing platform. Two wooden ramps were then placed behind the wheels and when the mortar fired the wheels rolled up the ramp and was returned to position by gravity. There was also no traversing mechanism and the gun had to be levered into position to aim. A drawback of this system was the gun had to be re-aimed each time which lowered the rate of fire.<ref name=":2" /> |
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==Photo Gallery== |
==Photo Gallery== |
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Revision as of 23:17, 2 October 2018
| 21 cm Mörser 99 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | Mortar |
| Place of origin |  German Empire |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1899-1918 |
| Used by | See users |
| Wars | See wars |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Krupp |
| Designed | 1893 |
| Manufacturer | Krupp |
| Produced | 1899 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | Travel: 6,380 kg (14,070 lb) Combat: 4,820 kg (10,630 lb) |
| Barrel length | 2.1 m (6 ft 11 in) L/10 |
| Shell | Separate-loading, bagged charges and projectiles |
| Shell weight | 83–144 kg (183–317 lb) |
| Caliber | 21 mm (0.83 in) |
| Breech | Horizontal sliding-block |
| Recoil | None |
| Carriage | Box trail |
| Elevation | +6° to +70° |
| Traverse | None[1] |
| Rate of fire | 1 round every 3 minutes |
| Muzzle velocity | 300–394 m/s (980–1,290 ft/s) |
| Maximum firing range | 6.8–8.3 km (4.2–5.2 mi) |
The 21 cm Mörser 99 or 21 cm Mrs 99 for short was a German siege mortar which served during World War I.
History
The Mrs 99 was designed in 1893 and built by Krupp in 1899. The Mrs 99 was a successor to earlier 21 cm mortars that had been in service since the Franco-Prussian War. The Mrs 99 was fairly conventional for its time and most nations had similar mortars such as the Mortier de 220 mm modèle 1880 or Mortaio da 210/8 D.S. However, its lack of recoil mechanism made it dated and by the time the First World War broke out it had been largely replaced by the 21 cm Mörser 10.[2]
The majority of military planners before the First World War were wedded to the concept of fighting an offensive war of rapid maneuver which in a time before mechanization meant a focus on cavalry and light horse artillery firing shrapnel shells. Although the majority of combatants had heavy field artillery prior to the outbreak of the First World War, none had adequate numbers of heavy guns in service, nor had they foreseen the growing importance of heavy artillery once the Western Front stagnated and trench warfare set in.[3]
The theorists hadn't foreseen that trenches, barbed wire, and machine guns had robbed them of the mobility they had been counting on and like in the Franco-Prussian and Russo-Turkish war the need for high-angle heavy artillery to deal with fortifications reasserted itself. Since aircraft of the period were not yet capable of carrying large diameter bombs the burden of delivering heavy firepower fell on the artillery. The combatants scrambled to find anything that could fire a heavy shell and that meant emptying the fortresses and scouring the depots for guns held in reserve. It also meant converting coastal artillery and naval guns to siege guns by either giving them simple field carriages or mounting the larger pieces on rail carriages.[3]
Design
The Mrs 99 was a short barreled breech-loading mortar on a rigid garrison mount. Like many of its contemporaries, its carriage did not have a recoil mechanism. The barrel was a typical built-up gun of the period with all steel construction. The gun had an early form of horizontal sliding-block breech and it fired separate-loading, bagged charges and projectiles. The Mrs 99 could fire a variety of different projectiles which the later Mörser 10 also used. The advantage the Mrs 99 had over its predecessors was that it was made from nickel-steel of much greater strength than previous guns of cast bronze or cast iron construction. This meant that the Mrs 99 could be smaller in diameter, lighter in weight, fire heavier projectiles, and was longer ranged than its predecessors. However, field artillery also improved during that time and the threat of counter-battery fire led to the Mrs 99 being phased out soon after its introduction. In 1914 it was estimated that 48 were in service with reserve units. However, it was brought back into service due to a combination of higher than expected losses and insufficient numbers of heavy guns which led to them being issued as replacements to heavy field artillery regiments.[2]
For transport, the Mrs 99 could be broken down into two separate wagon loads for the barrel and gun cradle. At the front of the gun cradle a two-wheeled wooden spoked axle was attached and the rear of the cradle was then hooked up to a limber so the mortar could be towed by a horse team or artillery tractor. The barrel was towed on its own four wheeled wagon with an integral hoist to mount/demount the barrel.[4] To facilitate towing on soft ground the wheels were often fitted with Bonagente grousers patented by the Italian major Crispino Bonagente. These consisted of twelve rectangular plates connected with elastic links and are visible in many photographs of World War I artillery from all of the combatants. Once on site the axle was removed and a set of small wheels could be fit to the front of the cradle. A piece of ground was then leveled and a wooden firing platform assembled and the mortar was placed on the firing platform. Two wooden ramps were then placed behind the wheels and when the mortar fired the wheels rolled up the ramp and was returned to position by gravity. There was also no traversing mechanism and the gun had to be levered into position to aim. A drawback of this system was the gun had to be re-aimed each time which lowered the rate of fire.[2]
Photo Gallery
-
Royal Military Museum, Brussels. -
Royal Military Museum, Brussels.
.jpg)
.jpg)
References
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
:0was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ a b c Fleischer, Wolfgang. German artillery : 1914-1918. Barnsley. p. 33. ISBN 9781473823983. OCLC 893163385.
- ^ a b Hogg, Ian (2004). Allied artillery of World War One. Ramsbury: Crowood. pp. 129–134. ISBN 1861267126. OCLC 56655115.
- ^ "21cm Mörser (99)". www.passioncompassion1418.com. Retrieved 2 October 2018.
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