26 cm Minenwerfer M 17

The 26 cm Minenwerfer M 17 was a heavy trench mortar used by Austria-Hungary in World War I. It was developed by Skoda as an alternative to copying captured Italian 240 mm Trench Mortars. Skoda presented two versions, one with a rigid barrel, and the other with a recoil system. The former was chosen as it was simpler to produce. It was a muzzle-loading, rifled mortar that had to be levered around to aim at new targets. It disassembled into four pieces for transport.

26 cm Minenwerfer M 17
Böhler model at the Heeresgeschichtliches Museum, Vienna
Type	Heavy trench mortar
Place of origin	Austria-Hungary
Service history
In service	1917-1924, 1938-1939
Used by	Austria-Hungary Austria Czechoslovakia Slovak Republic
Wars	World War I
Production history
Designer	Skoda
Designed	1917
Manufacturer	Skoda, Böhler, Hungarian Gun Factory
Produced	1917-18
No. built	300
Specifications
Mass	1,550 kg (3,420 lb)
Crew	6
Shell weight	83 kg (183 lb)
Caliber	260 mm (10 in)
Elevation	34° to 80°
Traverse	0°
Maximum firing range	1,450 m (1,590 yd)

First deliveries began in March 1918. Production averaged between thirty-six and forty a month for the rest of the war.

References

• 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

External links

• M 17 on Landships