German 210mm Howitzer 18

German 210mm Howitzer 18. 21cm Mörser 18. During World War II, the Mörser 18 was a widely used heavy howitzer of the German Army. Designed by the armament firm of Krupp, Mörser 18 entered service in 1939. It featured a brilliantly-designed "double-recoil" carriage. Not only did the howitzer recoil as normal, but the carriage also recoiled on rails on the travelling carriage. The double-recoil carriage greatly reduced the movement of the weapon on the ground, which also enhanced the howitzer's accuracy. For purposes of transportation, the howitzer was broken down into two parts, the tube and the carriage, each part transported by a separate mover. When the howitzer was pulled into position, the circular base plate was lowered by jacks until the wheels were raised off the ground. The breech was a manually operated, horizontal sliding block. The howitzer fired a variety of ammunition including high explosive and a unique fin-stabilized, concrete-piercing round weighing 268 pounds. When the 170mm Kanone 18 with the same double-recoil carriage was introduced in 1941, it was realized that it had much greater range than the 21cm Mörser 18 with a shell only slightly less effective. Production ceased in 1942 to give priority to manufacture of the 17cm Kanone 18., Caliber - 8.27 in. - 210 mm , Weight - 36,740 lbs. - 16,700 kg , Range - 18,300 yds. - 16,700 m , Shell Weight - 249 lbs. - 113 kg , Muzzle Velocity - 1,854 ft/sec. - 565 m/sec. , Elevation - 50 degrees - 889 mils , Traverse - 360 degrees - 6,400 mils , Rate of Fire - 1 rpm , CCN# 127039