9 cm Minenwerfer M 17 | |
---|---|
Type | Light trench mortar |
Place of origin | Austria-Hungary |
Service history | |
In service | 1917–1918 |
Used by | Austria-Hungary Czechoslovakia |
Wars | World War I |
Production history | |
Designer | Hungarian Gun Factory |
Manufacturer | Hungarian Gun Factory |
Produced | 1917–1918 |
Specifications | |
Weight | 114 kilograms (251 lb) |
Barrel length | 81 cm (2 ft 8 in) L/9 [1] |
Shell weight | 6.2 kg (13 lb 11 oz) |
Caliber | 91.5 mm (3.60 in) |
Elevation | +45° to +70° |
Traverse | 120° [1] |
Effective firing range | 300 m (330 yd) |
Maximum firing range | 1.9 km (1.2 mi) [1] |
The 9 cm Minenwerfer M 17 (Trench mortar) was a medium mortar used by Austria-Hungary in World War I. It was developed by the Hungarian Gun Factory to meet a competition held on 3 October 1917 to replace both of the earlier light mortars, the M 14/16 and the Lanz. Production was slow to ramp up and only ten weapons could be delivered in January 1918. The first large deliveries were made in March 1918, but the raw materials crisis and strained production facilities hindered the TMK's plan to produce 2730 mortars by October 1918.
A mortar is usually a simple, lightweight, man portable, muzzle-loaded weapon, consisting of a smooth-bore metal tube fixed to a base plate with a lightweight bipod mount and a sight. They launch explosive shells in high-arcing ballistic trajectories. Mortars are typically used as indirect fire weapons for close fire support with a variety of ammunition.
Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire or the Dual Monarchy, was a constitutional monarchy in Central and Eastern Europe from 1867 to 1918. It was formed by giving a new constitution to the Austrian Empire, which devolved powers on Austria (Cisleithania) and Hungary (Transleithania) and placed them on an equal footing. It broke apart into several states at the end of World War I.
It was a breech-loading smooth-bore weapon that used a shotgun-like break-action to open the breech. This was arranged so that the barrel returned to the proper elevation to speed up the rate of fire. The carriage was mounted on a small metal rectangular firing platform with four carrying handles that permitted some amount of traverse.
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