| 17 cm Kanone 18 in Mörserlafette | |
|---|---|
.jpg) 17 cm Kanone 18 in action during theBattle of Anzio | |
| Type | Heavy gun |
| Place of origin | Germany |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1941–1945 |
| Used by | Germany |
| Wars | World War II |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Krupp |
| Manufacturer | Krupp (1941-1942),Hanomag (1943-1945) |
| Produced | 1941–1945 |
| No. built | 338 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | For transport 23.375 t (23.006 long tons) In action 17.520 t (17.243 long tons) |
| Barrel length | Bore 8.625 m (28 ft 3.6 in) L/50 |
| Crew | 10 |
| Shell | Separate-loading HE |
| Shell weight | 62.8 kg (138 lb) |
| Caliber | 172.5 mm (6.79 in)[1] |
| Breech | Horizontal-block |
| Recoil | Dual-recoilhydro-pneumatic |
| Carriage | Box trail |
| Elevation | 0 to +50° |
| Traverse | 16° on wheels 360° on platform |
| Muzzle velocity | 925 m/s (3,030 ft/s) |
| Maximum firing range | 29.6 km (18.4 mi) |
| References | Bishop,[2] Hogg,[3] Ludeke[4] & Zabecki.[5] |
The17 cm Kanone 18 in Mörserlafette (English: 17 cm Cannon 18 on Mortar Carriage), abbreviated as17 cm K 18 in MrsLaf, was aGerman heavy gun used duringWorld War II.
The 17 cm K 18 in MrsLaf was a 172.5 mm (6.79 in) towed gun with abarrel 50calibres long. The 17 cm K 18 in MrsLaf shared the samebox trail carriage with the21 cm Mörser 18. The carriage allowed transport of the weapon over short distances in one piece, whilst for longer distances the barrel was removed from the carriage and transported separately. A series of ramps and winches made removing the barrel a reasonably quick task for its time, but still required several hours. For all of the gun's bulk, a full 360-degree traverse could be achieved by two men.[2][3][4]
A notable innovation by Krupp on the 21 cm Mörser 18 and the 17 cm Kanone 18 was the "double recoil" or dual-recoil carriage. The normalrecoil forces were initially taken up by aconventional recoil mechanism close to the barrel, and then by a carriage sliding along rails set inside the travelling carriage. The dual-recoil mechanism absorbed all of the recoil energy with virtually no movement of the box trail upon firing, thus making for a very accurate weapon.[2][3][4]
The 17 cm K 18 in MrsLaf fired three types of separately loaded ammunition.[3]
| Projectile | Fuse | Weight | Max range | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17cm K Gr 39 | AZ 35K or Dopp Z S/90K | 68 kg (150 lb) | 28 km (17 mi) | The standard HE shell with an explosive charge of 7.33 kg. |
| 17cm K Gr 38 Hb | Hbgr Z 35K or Dopp Z S/90K | 62.8 kg (138 lb) | 29.6 km (18.4 mi) | Long-range shell fitted with a ballistic cap. |
| 17cm Pzgr 43 | Bd Z f 17cm Pzgr | 71 kg (157 lb) | UNK | Armour-piercing shell with a velocity of 830 m/s (2,700 ft/s) and could penetrate 255 mm (10.0 in) of armour at 30° at 1,000 m (1,100 yd). It had an explosive charge of 2.34 kg. |
The 17 cm K 18 in MrsLaf separately loaded ammunition used four charges. The gun's performance when firing the 62.8 kg (138 lb)17cm K Gr 38 Hb long-range shell is depicted in the following table:[3]
| Charge | Muzzle velocity | Range |
|---|---|---|
| Charge 1 | 620 m/s (2,000 ft/s) | 18.3 km (11.4 mi) |
| Charge 2 | 740 m/s (2,400 ft/s) | 22.7 km (14.1 mi) |
| Charge 3 | 860 m/s (2,800 ft/s) | 28 km (17 mi) |
| Charge 4 | 925 m/s (3,030 ft/s) | 29.6 km (18.4 mi) |
In 1939, the 21 cm Mörser 18 began appearing in theWehrmacht corps-level artillery regiments, replacing the obsolescentWorld War I-era21 cm Mörser 16. The gun was able to send a 113 kg (249 lb) HE shell out to a range of 14.5 km (9 mi); however, by 1941, the Wehrmacht was seeking a longer-ranged weapon and Krupp responded by producing a smaller 172.5 mm (6.79 in) calibre increased-velocity weapon utilising the samecarriage, with the designation Kanone 18.[2][3][4]
The 17 cm K 18 in MrsLaf quickly impressed German artillery officers with its range, but the real surprise was the explosive power of the 62.8 kg (138 lb)shell, which was little different from the 113 kg (249 lb) shell of the 21 cm Mörser 18. Production commenced in 1941. In 1942, production of the 21 cm Mörser 18 was halted for almost two years so as to allow maximum production of the Kanone 18.[2][3][4]
It has been suggested that the gun is the basis for the North KoreanM-1978 Koksan but there is no particular evidence for this beyond the calibre.[6]
The 17 cm K 18 in MrsLaf was employed at thecorps andarmy echelons in order to provide long-rangecounter-battery support, as well as filling the same basic heavy support role as the 21 cm Mörser 18, the pair becoming the most common weapons used by the Wehrmacht in this role. In 1944, someAllied batteries used captured 17 cm K 18 in MrsLafs when ammunition supplies for their usual guns were disrupted by the long logistical chain from Normandy to the German border.[2][3][4][5]
The 17 cm K 18 in MrsLaf was considered a technically excellent long range artillery piece for the German Army, with excellent range and a very effective shell. The gun's greatest weaknesses were that it was expensive to build and required careful maintenance. Additionally, it was quite slow to bring in and out of action, fairly difficult to maneuver and very slow to move off-road. Many were lost when their crews abandoned them when fleeing advancing Allied forces.[2][3][4][5]
