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The German 21 cm Mörser 18 heavy howitzer at Bodø, Norway, in fall 1943, was known for its dual-recoil system and two-part transport for easy deployment.

German 21cm Morser 18 Heavy Artillery Gun

Front view of German 21cm Mörser 18 at U.S. Army Field Artillery Museum, Ft. Sill, Oklahoma

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The 21 cm Mörser 18 (21 cm Mrs 18), or 21 cm Mörser M 18/L31, was a German heavy howitzer used in the Second World War by Independent artillery battalions and batteries. A number were also used by coastal artillery units.

Design

A Mrs 18 deployed in Norwegian Lappland

The Mörser 18 was designed to replace the obsolescent World War I-era 21 cm Mörser 16. The gun design itself was not significantly different from its predecessor but the carriage was improved considerably. It was one of the first artillery pieces that incorporated a dual-recoil system. The barrel retracted naturally in its cradle, and the entire top carriage—which held the barrel and its cradle—retracted across the body of the carriage as well. This system damped out the recoil forces and made for a very steady firing platform. This carriage was also used for the 17 cm Kanone 18 in Mörserlafette and the 15 cm Schnelladekanone C/28 in Mörserlafette.

Rear of Morser 18 at Fort Sill artillery museum.

The Mrs 18 was transported in two pieces, as was often the case for similarly-sized weapons. For travel the barrel was slid on to a separate trailer. The carriage carried an integral firing platform that was lowered to the ground when emplacing the howitzer. The wheels were then cranked up off the ground and it was now ready for firing. A rear castor-wheel jack was used to raise the rear spade off the ground if the gun needed to be traversed more than the 16° allowed by the mount proper.

The Mrs 18 entered production at a low rate in 1939 shortly before the war began. The Germans cancelled production in 1942 in lieu of its smaller brother, the 17 cm Kanone 18 in Mörserlafette, which could fire almost twice as far, but resumed production in 1943.

Beginning in 1942, the 21 cm M 18 was one of a pair of weapons to have been mounted on production Geschützwagen Tiger self-propelled guns. A prototype was under test at the end of the war and was captured by American forces.

Type Heavy howitzer
Place of origin Germany
Service history
In service 1939–45
Used by Nazi Germany
Wars World War II
Production history
Designer Krupp
Designed 1933
Manufacturer Krupp
Produced 1939–45
No. built 711+
Specifications
Mass 16,700 kg (36,817 lbs)
Barrel length 6.51 m (21 ft 4 in) L/30
Shell separate-loading cased ammunition (6 charges)
Shell weight 113 kg (249 lb) (HE)
Caliber 211 mm (8.3 in)
Breech horizontal sliding-block
Recoil dual-recoil hydro-pneumatic
Carriage box trail
Elevation -6° to +70°
Traverse 16° on wheels
360° on platform
Muzzle velocity 550–565 m/s (1,800–1,850 ft/s)
Effective firing range 16,725 m (18,291 yd)