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The 14 cm Minenwerfer M 15 was a medium mortar used by Austria-Hungary in World War I. It was developed by Škoda Works as an alternative to a German design from Rheinische Metallwarenfabrik/Ehrhardt for which ammunition could not be procured. It was a rigid-recoil, rifled, muzzle-loading weapon that had to be levered around to aim at new targets. It was lifted onto a two-wheel cart for transport.
| 14 cm Minenwerfer M 15 | |
|---|---|
 M 16 model at the Tiroler Kaiserjägermuseum, Innsbruck, Austria | |
| Type | Medium trench mortar |
| Place of origin | Austria-Hungary |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1915–1918 |
| Used by | Austria-Hungary |
| Wars | World War I |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Skoda |
| Designed | 1914–1915 |
| Manufacturer | Skoda |
| Produced | 1915–1918 |
| Variants | M 16 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 220 kilograms (490 lb) |
| Shell | 16 kilograms (35 lb) |
| Caliber | 140 mm (5.5 in) |
| Traverse | 0° |
| Maximum firing range | 860 metres (940 yd) |
The M 16 version added a central barrel ring and cutouts on the side of the carriage. Rotation within the barrel was improved, greatly increasing accuracy. It weighed an extra 20 kilograms (44 lb), but had a maximum range of 1,080 metres (1,180 yd). Its transport cart was also improved.
The first batch of 100 mortars was ordered in May 1915 and a second batch in spring 1916, but deliveries were slow; only 88 of the second batch could be sent to the front by May 1916. A third batch of 300 was ordered in November 1916, but production was such that only 30 had been delivered by the spring of 1917.
References edit
- Ortner, M. Christian. The Austro-Hungarian Artillery From 1867 to 1918: Technology, Organization, and Tactics. Vienna, Verlag Militaria, 2007 ISBN 978-3-902526-13-7
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