21 cm mortar 16
| 21 cm mortar 16 | |
|---|---|
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| General Information | |
| Military designation: | 21 cm mortar 16 |
| Manufacturer country: |
.svg){kind=small} German Empire
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| Developer / Manufacturer: | Croup , food |
| Production time: | 1916 to 1918 |
| Technical specifications | |
| Pipe length: | 2,675 m |
| Caliber : |
21.1 cm |
| Caliber length : | L / 14.6 |
| Cadence : | 2 rounds / min |
| Elevation range: | + 6 ° to +70 degrees |
| Side straightening area: | 4 ° |
The 21 cm mortar 16 was a heavy mortar that was used by the German army in World War I , by the Reichswehr and the Wehrmacht in World War II . The designation Langer 21 cm mortar was also common .
history
Krupp developed this weapon from 1915 for the siege artillery as a modification of the 21-cm-mortar (also known as "21-cm mortar 10" known), whose firing range under the conditions of trench warfare was seen as inadequate. It was therefore important to ensure that concrete-breaking projectiles could also be used in addition to the usual ammunition. The main difference to the predecessor was an extended gun barrel, which had a range that was increased by one kilometer. The enormous size of the gun is striking: it resulted largely from the requirement to fire in high angle groups - which required a corresponding increase in the barrel height of the mount - and the design-related shape of the one-piece box mount. A sudden change of position was not possible. The weapon compensated for this with a long range for a mortar. The transport took place in three partial loads on a pipe wagon, a carriage wagon and a belt wagon, as the weapon would otherwise have been too heavy for the horse-drawn train. When suitable motorized tractors were finally available, the weapon was modified in such a way that only the protective shield had to be removed.
In 1942 some guns were still in service, but were then replaced by the 21 cm mortar 18 .
technology
As long as the horse transport was current, the carriage rested on steel spoked wheels. Rubber-tyred wheels were used for motorized transport.
Because of the enormous recoil, the barrel recoil mechanism was comparatively complicated. The pipe was located in the middle and the reverse brake was mounted unconventionally above the pipe. During the return of the pipe, the carriage spar also dug into the earth to brake.
Technical specifications
- Caliber: 210 mm
- Combat weight: 6,680 kg
- Pipe length: 2.30 m
- Elevation range: −6 ° to + 70 °
- Side straightening range: 4 °
- Ammunition type / weight: highly explosive / 113 kg
- Muzzle velocity: 393 m / sec
- Maximum shooting range: 11,100 m
the previous model M1910
21 cm mortar 16 in the First World War
literature
- Ian Hogg : Artillery of the 20th Century , Gondrom Verlag, Bindlach, 2001, ISBN 3-8112-1878-6 .
- Terry Gander, Peter Chamberlain: Encyclopedia of German Weapons 1939-1945 . 2nd Edition. Special edition. Motorbuch-Verlag, Stuttgart 2006, ISBN 3-613-02481-0 .
