German 170mm Medium Mine Projector, M1916 (Old Pattern)

German 170mm Medium Mine Projector, M1916 (Old Pattern). 17cm Mittlerer Minenwerfer 16 Alter/Art. Commonly known as a Trench Mortar, this type of short-range, high-angle weapon was perfect for the trench warfare of World War I. At the beginning of the war, only Germany had trench mortars, but very quickly all of the other combatants adopted them. In the German Army Minenwerfer were crewed by Engineers (Pioneer) because the mortars were originally intended for clearing obstacles such as barbed wire. The construction of the 17cm Mittlerer Minenwerfer 16 A/A is very similar to the 25cm Schwerer Minenwerfer A/A, which shared a similar carriage. The design was conventional with an on-carriage, hydro-spring and recoil-recuperator system. When the war began there were 116 of the mortars in service, but by 1918 the number had risen to 2,361. The piece fired a useful variety of projectiles, including high-explosive, incendiary and gas. Armed with an impact fuse the shells could clear barbed wire. A delay fuse would allow the shell to penetrate several meters of earth before exploding to destroy trenches or bunkers. Mortars were mounted on two wheels for movement and were removed for firing. It could be towed for short distances in one piece by four men or carried to forward positions by seventeen men. , Caliber - 6.7 in. - 170 mm , Weight - 1,065 lbs. - 483 kg , Range - 325 to 1,116 yds. - 300 to 1,600 m , Shell Weight. - 37.5 lbs. - 17 kg , Muzzle Velocity. - 656 ft/sec. - 200 m/sec. , Elevation - 45 to 90 degrees - 800 to 1,600 mils , Traverse - 25 degrees - 440 mils , Rate of Fire - 20 rpm , CCN# 127025