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The Long Barrel 21cm Morser L/14.6 was an improved version of the 21cm Morser L/12, the standard German heavy mortar at the start of the First World War, and was produced in somewhat larger numbers.
The L/ 12 was accepted by the army in 1910, and 256 were in use by July 1914. As with most forms of artillery, the key demand was for longer range, and so in 1916 Krupp produced a version with a 500mm longer barrel. This was accepted for production, and deliveries began late in 1916. As with the earlier version, this was a massive weapon, with a large recoil mechanism mounted above and below the barrel. Range went up by 800m, but weight actually remained about the same. Pictures show it without the small splinter shield used on the standard L/12, but with similar box trail with large spoked wheels.
In the summer of 1918 trails began of a motor towable version, which had a sprung chassis and could be towed behind a Krupp-Daimler K.D.1 tractor.
By the end of the war a total of 489 long barrel mortars were in use with 163 battalions, compared to 219 of the shorter mortars, which still equipped 73 battalions.
Name |
Long Barrel 21-cm Morser L/14.6 |
Calibre |
211mm |
Barrel Length |
3,063mm (L/14.6) |
Weight for transport |
8,705kg |
Weight in action |
6,800-7,550kg |
Elevation |
-6 to 70 degrees |
Traverse |
4 degreees |
Shell Weight |
120kg |
Muzzle Velocity |
394m/sec |
Maximum Range |
10,200m |
Rate of Fire |
One round per minute |
German Artillery 1914-1918, Wolfgang Fleischer.
Covers over 100 guns used by the German Army and shore detachments of the Navy during the First World War, a conflict largely dominated by artillery. Each one gets a brief description, a set of technical stats and a good picture. Shows the wide range of gun types and sizes used by the Germans during the First World War, and the way in which they evolved to deal with the unexpected challenges of trench warfare. [read full review]
