Portable mortar

Various types of American and German mortars

M252, 81mm Mortar



The smoothbore, muzzle-loading M252 medium weight mortar system offers up accurate long-range indirect fire support to American ground forces. It is an 81mm high-angle-of-fire system that is crew-served, entering US Army service in 1987. The American M252 is based on the standard British L16 81mm mortar.

The M252, 81mm mortar replaced the aging M29 series of 81mm mortars in service with the US Army and USMC.

The M252 consists of several key components making up the whole. These include the M253 Cannon (firing tube), the M177 Mortar Mount, the M3A1 Baseplate and the M64A1 Sight Unit. The M253 Cannon is 50 inches long and accepts a variety of munitions type for fire including high-explosive (HE), red phosphorous and smoke, illumination and other NATO-accepted rounds. The barrel is capped with the Blast Attenuation Device (BAD) for crew protection. Elevation is accomplished through the use of a screw-type elevation and traverse system. A crew of three is recommended for maximum firing efficiency.

The M252 has capable ranges of 83 meters minimum and 5,935 meters maximum. The entire unit weighs 91lbs. A maximum rate-of-fire of 30 rounds-per-minute is attainable for up to 2 minutes. Sustained firing falls between eight and sixteen rounds-per-minute. The M252 replaced the aged M29 81mm mortar and is in service with the United States Army and United States Marine Corps. 


5-cm leichte Granatwerfer 36

The 5-cm Granatwerfer 36 (abbreviated as "leGrW 36") was the standard light mortar utilized by the German Army in the early years of World War 2. Engineers tried to complete a useful portable 50mm system that could benefit squad-level operations but instead created an overly complex and heavy system with limited range - proving to be a detriment to a resource-strapped Germany by the middle and end years of the war. In the end, the leGrW 36 led a limited existence and was ultimately passed down to second-line units as more favorable weapons replaced. The leGrW 36 was utilized by Nazi Germany, Bulgaria and Slovakia.

Though heavy for a light mortar, the leGrW 36 could be carried by a single soldier, his ammunition supply following behind.

Germany held something of an advantage during the inter-war years following World War 1. While other national armies were being downsized and the world, as a whole, was war-weary, thoughts of rearmament played through the heads of German authorities. The standing German Army had essentially been dismantled down to the rivet following the cessation of hostilities but the rise of a new Germany meant that the nation held little reservation in resurrecting a new modern army from scratch. Attempts by the Free World to curtail such growth eventually fell to naught, for Hitler and his underlings were quick to bypass any international restrictions at their leisure, assuring a Second World War was at hand. As such, general thinking in terms of weapons development during this time often combined necessity with novel concepts, often times producing sophisticated and complex systems beyond the scope of a wartime economy.

With rearmament there came the need for a light 50mm infantry mortar system to compliment squad actions. The German firm of Rheinmetall-Borsig AG went about designing their new leGrW 36 (leichte Granatwerfer 36) along a different set of ideas beginning in 1934.

The launch tube would be fixed to the baseplate while trajectory support would come from a simple monopod-type assembly. In contrast, most mortar systems utilized a separate baseplate attached to the firing tube with an accompanying bipod assembly for support. A collection of traverse controls were integrated into the baseplate itself and an telescopic sight was added to promote accuracy at range. The leGrW 36 was also made somewhat portable by a single infantryman thanks to an integrated handle though the overall weight of the little system left something to be desired (just over 30lbs). The firing action was accomplished through use of a trigger as opposed to an impact firing pin common in other light mortar designs. The leGrW 36 had the added benefit of being made ready to fire almost immediately thanks to its design - the operator need only set the system down, adjust traverse and elevation and introduce a 1.98lb projectile into the firing tube. Interestingly, the leGrW 36 was designed to fire only HE (High-Explosive) projectiles and nothing more. Conversely, most other mortar-type weapons made use of smoke, illumination and incendiary rounds to make the most of such a frontline weapon. The projectile itself was of a teardrop shape with a tapered base, adorned by eight smallish stabilization fins.

The weapon fired a TNT-filled 50mm projectile at a muzzle velocity of 246 feet-per-second within a minimum range of 55 yards and out to a maximum range of 558 yards. The operator could adjust the trajectory of the mortar from 42- to 90-degrees with traverse as well. A trained crew of two could fire off between 15 and 25 projectiles per minute.

The LeGrW 36 officially entered service with the German Army in 1936 and was fielded up until 1945 despite production being abandoned in favor of cheaper and more capable systems in 1941. In practice, the nifty little weapon proved too complicated for the utilitarian task at hand. The German soldier generally found operation of this weapon too complicated in the heat of battle and the overall weight worked against it when transporting the system under fire, both offsetting any potential benefits. The projectile itself was found to be too "light" to be effective in the intended role. Additionally, where the mortar carrier went, his ammunition carrier needed to follow and this weight of ammunition came at a price all its own. To help compound issues, the range of the leGrW 36 was quite restricted when compared to her contemporaries, meaning that the novel telescopic sight was all but useless for a simple line drawn about the barrel itself proved enough to assist the operator in aiming the weapon. A such, the telescopic sight was dropped from production by 1938. The leGrW 36 also relied upon complex construction utilizing valuable materials, making it a dispensable item when it came time for Germany to cut back on the overly complicated and expensive war equipment plaguing her efforts. The limitations often times sent German soldiers clamoring for captured Soviet and French 50mm systems, preferring those of the former to that of the latter in most cases.

As such, the leGrW 36 led a relatively short operational life. She was gradually removed from frontline service and those numbers already in circulation were passed down to second-line units, defensive units and some Italian forces in need of ranged firepower. Some leGrW 36s were known to be in defensive action along Hitler's "Atlantic Wall" to the West.



M224, 60mm Mortar

The M224 is the current portable mortar system in service with the United States Army and Marine Corps. The system provides a high-angle attack weapon that can be used in close proximity to friendly troops. Its indirect fire support and relative light weight handling characteristics has proven effective in support of ground forces, special operations units and mountain elements as well as airborne forces alike. The M224 was selected as a replacement for the M2 and M19 series of 60mm mortars which were in operational use since the days of World War 2. The M224 supersedes these aged designs in providing for an overall improved effective range.

The M224 replaced the World War 2-era M2 and M19 mortars in service with US ground forces.

The M224 can be broken down into its core components consisting of the base plate, sighting unit, bipod and firing tube (also cannon or barrel) altogether weighing in at 46.5lbs. The baseplate comes in two flavors designated as the M7 and the M8. The M7 is utilized for conventional firing and attaches to the base of the firing tube while the M8 offers up a hand-held firing option. The M7 baseplate features a screw-type elevation and traverse mechanism for changing the angle of fire. Sighting is accomplished through the M64A1 Sight Unit which is attached to the bipod mount via a conventional dovetail arrangement. The bipod is designated as the M170 and fits to the forward end of the firing tube. The 40-inch long barrel is officially designated as the M25 Cannon and is of a smooth bore, muzzle-loading design which also includes the firing mechanism, base cap and an additional short-range sight at the base. The weapon system also features a spring-type shock absorber to dampen recoil.

A crew of three is recommended for maximum operational efficiency. Effective maximum ranges vary depending on the chosen method of fire (conventional or hand-held). For conventional fire, the range of the M224 is listed at 3,490 meters (approximately 2.17 miles) while a range of 1,340 meters is approximated for hand-held firing. Weights vary dramatically as well, again, depending on selected method of fire. The unit weight for conventional firing is 48lbs while the hand-held firing weight is listed at just 18lbs. A maximum rate-of-fire of 30 rounds-per-minute can be attained for up to four minutes with a sustained rate-of-fire of 20 rounds-per-minute for up to twenty minutes.

The M224 is cleared to fire variety of ammunition types including standard practice and training rounds, infrared and standard illumination rounds, white phosphorous smoke projectiles and high-explosive (HE) munitions with multi-option/point detonation fuses. A single M224 unit cost is listed as $10,658.

8-cm schwere Granatwerfer 34

The 8-cm Granatwerfer 34 (GrW 34) - Heavy Grenade-Launcher Model 1934 - was a German Army favorite throughout the whole course of World War 2. Despite the official designation classification, she was often classified as a medium mortar and was produced from 1934 into 1945. The system performed highly-effectively (particularly in the hands of a trained mortar team) and was respected by Allied troops for her excellent rate-of-fire and high accuracy at distance. The weapon proved so critical to German Army operations that it was fielded wherever her troops were fighting. Her production in number and her general battlefield usefulness ensured her place in World War 2 lore.

The 8-cm Granatwerfer 34 became the standard German medium mortar beginning in 1934 and saw production and use into 1945.

Rheinmetall-Borsig AG was charged with the design and development of this mortar system. The protracted design period lasted from 1922 to 1933, a period which saw German rearmament in spite of the restrictive powers of the Treaty of Versailles following World War 1. The mortar system was nothing more than a revision of the influential French Brandt mle 27/31 81.4mm system of 1927, this time with a German branding. Crews were trained in her basic functions but soon - moreso through operational experience - developed speedy response times in her deployment, aiming and firing - making themselves one of the more feared adversaries of the war. German mortar crews represented some of the finest masters of their craft in the entire conflict. To keep up with demand, several manufacturing firms were enlisted to lend a hand in wartime production of the GrW 34 while still more were used for production of the all-important projectiles needed to make the GrW 34 a successful weapon system.

Despite her dedicated pages in World War history, the GrW 34 was anything but a unique and wholly special design, passing on much of the kudos to her excellently trained crews. Her design was highly conventional for its time - her arrangement consisted of nothing more than the standard base plate, a bipod (with aiming optics and handwheels) connected to the firing tube and the firing tube itself.

The system could break down into these three major components for ease of travel. The firing tube itself was of a smoothbore internal design. Two barrel types existed in a steel and alloy form, differentiated by the systems overall weight gains as 136.6lbs and 125.6lbs respectively. Barrel length measured in at 45 inches (1,143MM). The base projectiles were 7.71lbs in weight and activated via percussion fuses. Range could be slightly extended through use of additional powder charges. The base plate was rectangular in shape and fitted to the bottom of the firing tube. There was a rounded handle for carrying the individual component from location to location. The bipod fitted most of the critical aiming functions of the GrW 34. There was a traversing handwheel as well as a cross-leveling handwheel for general aiming while a panoramic sight afforded for finer adjustments against a target area. Elevation fell within a range of 45- to 90-degrees while traversing was limited from 10- to 23-degrees. Muzzle velocity was listed at 571 feet per second and the weapon was ranged out to 2,624 yards (2,400 meters).

The GrW 34 was cleared to fire the conventional High-Explosive (HE) and smoke projectiles but her true arsenal was more expansive. She could fire illuminating rounds for night-time work as well as any captured enemy ammunition fitting her caliber (at the loss of some performance however). There was an interesting bouncing projectile known by the designation of "8-cm Wurfgranate 39" that utilized a tiny rocket motor to "bounce" itself off of the ground of a target area, exploding in mid-air and spewing her dangerous fragmentation payload about the surrounding area. These, however, proved too costly to produce in any number and were therefore something of a rarity.

The basic pear-shaped projectiles (stabilized by multiple small fins at the rear of each shell) were dropped from the muzzle-end of the firing tube straight down the awaiting barrel. They then struck the awaiting firing pin at the base of the firing tube, subsequently igniting the propellant charge and sending the projectile on its flight trajectory based on the predetermined path through careful aiming. A trained crew of three could let off between 15- to 25-rounds per minute. One crewmember managed the ammunition supply while another fine-tuned the aiming adjustments. The third crewmember served as an assistant and could also stabilize the bipod by hand when the system was fired for even more steadiness. All three helped to transport the three components of the GrW 34 system.

The base Granatwerfer 34 was spawned into a few published variants. These included the Granatwerfer 34/1, a modified Granatwerfer 34 for use on self-propelled vehicles such as the SdKfz 250/7 series halftrack, and the kurzer 8-cm Granatwerfer 42 (or "Stummelwerfer"), essentially a lightened form of the base model (with half the range) sporting a shortened barrel system for use by airborne personnel. The Stummelwerfer saw service beginning in 1942 but was rarely in use with her intended airborne forces. Instead, the system went on to replace the complex and expensive 5-cm lwGrW 36 light mortar series keeping all of her GrW 34 benefits minus the excellent range.

Other than the German Army, the other key operator of the Granatwerfer 34 system was ally Bulgaria.


M29, 81mm Mortar

The American M1 81mm Mortar, like the upcoming M2 60mm Mortar, was based on a French design by Edgar William Brandt (1880-1960). The M1 was a derivative of the French mle 27/31 system (itself an improved form of the Stokes Trench Mortar of World War 1 fame) and slightly altered to suit American needs. The M1 became the standard American battalion mortar of World War 2 and saw action in the Korean War as well as the Vietnam War until it was eventually replaced by the M29 - a lighter 81mm system with a longer reach.

The Mortar, 81mm M1, was another French-inspired weapon that went on to see successful combat actions with American forces in World War 2, Korea and Vietnam.

  
As a weapons engineer, Frenchman Brandt was responsible for a slew of advancements in the field of mortars and projectiles that led to the development of varying 60mm, 81mm and 120mm systems while at the same time furthering HEAT rifle grenade and HEAT-warhead anti-tank weaponry technology. Brandt's designs were heavily copied throughout World War 2 and beyond, making them commonplace throughout the globe in the years following.

The US Army had already garnered experience in the use of the 3" Mk I Stokes Trench Mortar during World War 1. The type stayed in circulation in the post-war US Army though several attempts to find a replacement ultimately came to naught.

As a result, the US Army decided to work instead on bettering ammunition. In 1931, the US Army acquired four of the Brandt 81mm prototypes, and, after some slight modifications to suit American use and production methods, the mortar appeared formally as the "81mm Mortar, M1" in Army nomenclature. License production was handled by A.B. Farquhar Company, Pullman-Standard Car Manufacturing and Watervliet Arsenal.

Like the "lighter" M2 system, the M1 was made up of three main components - the firing tube, bipod and baseplate. When completely assembled, the M1 weighed in at 136lbs. Weight was distributed as follows: the tube made up 44.5lbs while the mount was 46.5lbs. The base plate itself was 45lbs. Overall length of the system measured in at 3 feet, 9.5 inches. Muzzle velocity was rated at 700 feet per second out of the smoothbore firing tube. A sustained rate-of-fire of 18 rounds per minute was possible, with the operator loading the M1 by dropping the prepared projectile into the muzzle. A firing pin at the base of the firing tube activated the projectile's primer and ignition cartridge (the projectile was dropped down the tube "fuze-end" first) and the corresponding action launched the round at the predetermined desired angle. The operator(s) need only to protect themselves after the projectile was dropped in the tube. This allowed for an excellent sustained rate-of-fire - a maximum rate-of-fire of 30- to -35 rounds per minute was achievable. The M1 maintained a minimum range of 200 yards and a maximum range of 3,300 yards. Elevation was +40 to +85 with a traverse of 14-degrees. The operator utilized an M4 collimator sight (same as on the M2 60mm derivative) fitted to the bipod for accuracy calculations and adjustments.

The M1 could utilize a variety of ammunition types beginning with the M43A1 Light HE (High-Explosive) round. The 6.87lb M43A1 maintained a fragmentation radius of 25 yards and featured a surface detonating fuze. The 10.6lb M45 and M45B1 Heavy HE rounds greater explosive punch at the expense of range (2,558 yards), this working from a delayed fuze. The 15lb M56 was another Heavy HE round of even greater explosive firepower with a more limited range of 1,300 yards. The fuze on these particular projectiles was adjustable as needed. Shells were stabilized along their flight path via fixed fins at their rear sections to compensate for the M1's use of a smoothbore firing tube (i.e. no rifling for inherent course trajectory).

Besides the conventional explosive rounds, the M1 could also make use of the 10.7lb M57 FS white smoke round out to 2,470 yards or the 10.74lb M57 WP (White Phosphorous), this also ranged out to 2,470 yards. The White phosphorous round was also equally adept at attacking infantry as an incendiary munition. The M301 was a useful illuminating round with an adjustable fuse and 60-second burn duration and deployable parachute, the latter helping to retard the projectile's fall.

Transport of the heavy M1 was solved through the use of a two-man hand cart designated simply as the "Hand Cart M6A1". This allowed the least possible amount of crew to move the mortar system about, allowing transport of the weapon into defensive or offensive positions as required with relatively little pain. Another option was to have the system towed via mule by way of a specially-devised harness. Despite its inherent weight drawback of the M1 kit, the firepower of the mortar offset any negatives especially when supporting artillery would not be made available in a given operation. A well-trained and experienced mortar team could engage targets in defilade, trenches, ravines or on slopes and, as such, proved lethal against enemies in both the European and Pacific theaters of war.

For another method of transportation, the M1 could most effectively be driven around on the back of an M3 Halftrack. These half-tank/half-truck "mutt" vehicles held the inglorious task of transporting just about anything under the wartime sky. From the rear of the M3, the M1 could be fired without the need for the crew and weapon to disembark from the vehicle, affording a certain level of "hit-and-run" tactical advantage. At any rate, this method of fielding the M1 proved most useful to any company commander.

A shortened version of the M1 was unveiled as the T27 "Universal" but this only appeared in limited numbers and was never ordered for mass production. A special tube extension system was also devised for the base M1, though this was hardly used in practice.

The M1 81mm Mortar was complimented in the field by the lighter M2 60mm Mortar beginning in 1940. The M2 was a more "portable" device that allowed for efficient close-support indirect fire and could operate closer to the actions of frontline infantry, its portability being a major plus.

Little David: An American 36 inch (914 mm) caliber mortar used for test firing aerial bombs

The Little David Heavy Siege Mortar was developed to combat the expected fortifications on the Japanese mainland.

In 1944, the United States War Department was planning for the invasion of the Japanese mainland and expecting to encounter very strong fortifications. As such, the Army would need a heavy weapon to combat such structures. Specifications were drawn up and the Army figured on a weapon larger weapon than the 16-inch (410mm) guns as found on the Iowa-class battleships shooting a 2,700 lb (1,200kg) shell as these massive weapons had proven ineffective against Japanese bunkers at Iwo Jima.

The new weapon was called "Little David", an American 36-inch (914 mm) caliber mortar, becoming the largest gun ever built (beating both the German "Dora" and "Karl" mega-guns). First used for test firing bombs during World War II, Little David was modified to serve as a siege mortar and it was planned to turn the instrument into an effective "bunker buster". When Japan surrendered, the mainland invasion became unnecessary and Little David was therefore never actually used in combat.

Its potential effectiveness was questionable, however, because of the gun's limited range and accuracy. This mobile mortar was capable of hurling a 3,650-pound projectile a distance of six miles via the giant 22-foot, muzzle-loading rifled mortar tube. Complete with its firing mechanism and other associated parts making up the tube assembly, Little David weighed in at 80,000 pounds. The mortar's metal base half-moon assembly underneath the tube (or barrel) was constructed in a squared huge box that weighed 93,000 pounds. The box would have to be buried underground by its own bulldozer for stability before firing.

Little David would have been transported by two artillery M26A1 tank tractors consisting of a Truck, 12-ton, 6 x 6, Tractor, M26 (Pacific) and a Semi-trailer, 40-ton, M15 (Fruehauf) - the latter also called the 'Dragon Wagon'. The tractors were designated TR-1 by their manufacturers and were powered by the Hall-Scott Type 440 series 240bhp, 6-cylinder gasoline engine. Hall-Scott designed the 440 engine exclusively for the M26A1 and built around 2,100 examples of them. While traveling, the mortar's tube and base assemblies each made up separate tractor loads, while a third tractor would haul the 3,600lb projectiles. A complete Little David unit also included a bulldozer with crane and bucket shovel to dig the emplacement. The huge mortar could be assembled and ready to fire in 12 hours. Comparatively, the largest (820MM) known German artillery weapons were hauled on no fewer than 25 railway cars and required three weeks to be erected into firing position using some 200 crewmen. In that respect, this made Little David more mobile than a railway gun.

One of the last survivors of the Little David gun is on display at the proving grounds in Aberdeen, Maryland, USA.

Here is a video of the mortar.

Karl-Gerät (040/041): self-propelled siege mortar

"Karl-Gerät" (040/041) (German literally "Karl-device"), also known as, Thor and Mörser Karl, was a World War II German self-propelled siege mortar (Mörser) designed and built by Rheinmetall. It was the largest self-propelled weapon to see service. Its heaviest munition was a 60 cm diameter, 2,170 Kg shell, and its range for its lightest shell (1,250 Kg) was just over 10 km. Each gun had to be accompanied by a crane, a heavy transport trailer, and several modified tanks to carry shells.

60 cm Karl-Gerät "Ziu" firing in Warsaw, August 1944.

Seven guns were built, but only six saw combat between 1941 and 1945. It was used in attacking the Soviet fortresses of Brest-Litovsk and Sevastopol, bombarded Polish resistance fighters in Warsaw and participated in the Battle of the Bulge and the attacks against the Remagen Bridgehead. Only two exist today, the others were scrapped after the war.

A dud shell fired during the Warsaw Uprising.

In March 1936 Rheinmetall made a proposal for a super-heavy howitzer to attack the Maginot Line. Their initial concept was for a weapon that would be transported by several tracked vehicles and assembled on site, but the lengthy preparation time drove them to change it to a self-propelled weapon in January 1937. Extensive driving trials took place in 1938 and 1939 using the first Neubaufahrzeug tank prototype and a scale model to investigate the extremely high ground pressure and steering of such an enormous vehicle. Firing trials took place in June 1939. The full-scale driving trials were held at Unterlüss in May 1940. General Karl Becker of the Artillery was involved in the development, from whom the huge weapon gained its nickname.

A section of three 54 cm Karl-Geräte in the field. The Munitionsschlepper is shown on the right.

In total, seven Karl-Geräte howitzers were manufactured. The first six had the nicknames "Adam", "Eva", "Thor", "Odin", "Loki", and "Ziu"; the seventh, the research and test weapon (Versuchs-Gerät), had no name. Delivery of the six production vehicles took place from November 1940 to August 1941.

Karl-Gerät at the Kubinka Tank Museum, Russia.

In February 1941, discussions commenced concerning increasing the range of the weapon, and in May 1942, 54 cm barrels (Gerät 041) were ordered for the six vehicles. At a conference with Hitler in March 1943 it was stated that the first 54 cm Gerät 041 would be delivered by June 1943, and the third, by mid-August. Only three of the 54 cm barrels were actually completed and they could be mounted on Nr. I, IV, and V, although any vehicle could be converted to use the smaller weapon.

Twenty-two Panzer IV Ausf. D, E and F chassis were modified with a superstructure capable of carrying four shells that replaced the turret and outfitted with a crane as Munitionsschlepper ammunition transporters/loaders. Two or three of these Munitionsschlepper were assigned to each weapon.

Variants

* Gerät 040: original model, armed with a short 60 centimetres (24 in) caliber barrel;
* Gerät 041: later model, armed with a long (L/11.55) 54 centimetres (21 in) caliber barrel.

The 124 ton vehicle was propelled by a Daimler-Benz MB 503 A 12-cylinder liquid-cooled gasoline engine or a MB 507 C 12 cylinder liquid-cooled diesel engine, but this was mainly used for aiming (the mount had only 4 degrees of traverse on each side) as the engines provided a top speed of only 6.2 miles per hour (10 km/h). For longer distances the Karl-Gerät was disassembled using a special 35 t (34 LT; 39 ST) mobile crane into seven loads. The chassis was loaded onto a six-axle Culemeyer-Strassenroller lowboy trailer. The other parts of the gun were lighter and used four-axle trailers. If the trailer with the chassis on board had to cross a bridge that couldn't carry their combined weight the chassis had to be off-loaded and driven across under its own power. The weapon was moved long distances via rail on a variant of a Schnabel car; the whole chassis was hung between two huge pedestal-mounted swiveling arms fixed to five-axle bogies. When it reached its destination, the weapon was detached from its supporting arms, driven to its intended firing location, then the chassis was lowered to the ground to distribute the recoil forces more evenly in preparation for firing. The Karl-Gerät proved to have no problems moving over normal soil, but under no circumstances was it allowed to make turns on soft soil lest it throw a track. The chassis had to be backed into position to fire, which expedited movement to a new position, but the firing position had to be precisely leveled and the approach route prepared ahead of time to fill in soft spots and any ditches, etc. It could only be loaded at zero elevation, so it had to be re-aimed between every shot.

A Karl-Gerät ready for road transport aboard its Culemeyer trailer.

On 3 January 1941 Heavy Battery (schwere Batterie) 833 was created at the Bergen training ground and ordered to be combat ready by 15 February 1941. On 2 April 1941 it was expanded into Heavy Artillery Battalion (schwere Artillerie Bataillon) 833. The original Batterie 833 was redesignated as the first battery of the new battalion and a new second battery was formed, each battery having two howitzers, with orders to be combat ready by 1 May 1941 in preparation for Operation Barbarossa. Initially a single battery was to be deployed against the Soviet fortress at Brest-Litovsk, but that was changed by 14 May 1941 when the other battery was to ordered to attack the Soviet border fortifications near Lviv. The first battery was assigned to IV Army Corps of 17th Army of Army Group South near Lviv while the second battery was ordered to support the attack by the 4th Army of Army Group Center against the Brest Fortress. The batteries were issued 60 and 36 rounds respectively.

Little is known of First Battery's operations except that IV Army Corps reported on 23 June that the battery was no longer needed and was no longer operational due to technical deficiencies. Second Battery's weapons had some assembly problems, issues with the electrical firing mechanism and non-standard ammunition, not surprising for the Karl-Gerät's combat debut, but managed to fire 31 of their 36 rounds by 24 June. It was ordered home that day by Army Group Center where the battalion was ordered to reform with eight 21 cm Mörser 18 howitzers on 6 August 1941.

In preparation for the attack on Sevastopol scheduled for the early summer Heavy Artillery Battalion 833 was ordered to form a Karl-Batterie with three weapons on 18 February 1942, two of which were "Thor" and "Odin". Camouflaged firing positions 15 metres (49 ft) long, 10 metres (33 ft) wide and 3 metres (9.8 ft) deep had to be dug for each howitzer to minimize Soviet counter-fire before they could move into position. On 20 May 1942 11th Army reported all three Karl-Geräte were at the front with a total of 72 heavy and 50 light concrete-piercing shells. LIV Army Corps reported that 19 heavy shells were fired between 2 and 6 June, 54 on 7 June and all 50 light shells between 8 and 13 June. More shells (29 heavy and 50 light) shipped to the battery before the end of the month. All 50 light shells were fired on 30 June and 25 heavy shells the following day. Many of these shells were fired at the two 305 millimetres (12.0 in) twin-gun armored turrets of the Maxim Gorkii coast defense battery, although shells fired at the turrets had little effect other than to jam one of the turrets and possibly knock out electrical power to the turrets, both of which were repaired without too much trouble. They did rather more damage to the concrete structure supporting the turrets as well as the command center located some 600 meters away (called the Bastion by the Germans). On 19 July 1942 the battery was ordered to ship their weapons to Hillersleben for refurbishment. One dud was recovered by the Soviets and flown to Moscow for evaluation.

28 August, building hit by 2-ton mortar shell from a Karl-Gerät.

On 7 July 1942 Heavy Artillery Battalion 833 was ordered to form another battery with one or two Karl-Geräte. This was done by 15 August as schwere Batterie 628 (Karl) with two weapons, although sufficient personnel to man three guns was to be furnished by Heavy Artillery Battalion 833. On 22 July the Army High Command (Oberkommando des Heeres (OKH)) issued an order to send the battery to Army Group North to support its planned offensive, Operation George (Unternehmen Georg), against Leningrad. The order for Georg, dated 22 August, specified Battery 628 with three guns, presumably with two operational guns and one in reserve was to participate. Army Group North reported the battery's arrival on 1 and 2 September 1942, but the Soviets preempted Georg with heavy attacks against the German forces besieging Leningrad so the Karl-Geräte didn't get into action.

On 18 October OKH ordered the 11th Army to transfer the battery as soon as possible to Leipzig, but the 11th Army asked to retain it to use in a new version of Georg to begin later that month. Georg was again postponed in late October, and later canceled. A new attack, code-named Feuerzauber (Fire Magic), was planned in which the battery was to participate, but it too was canceled after the Soviet encirclement of the German forces attacking Stalingrad. OKH finally recalled the battery on 4 December 1942 when it was clear that it had no mission.

OKH issued orders to create a Heavy Artillery Battalion (Karl) on 4 May 1943 using the vehicles and equipment of Heavy Artillery Battery 628. This became the first battery of the new battalion while the other battery was raised from scratch on 15 May as was the battalion headquarters. Each battery had two Karl-Geräte plus a fifth in reserve. 18th Army of Army Group North had plans to use one Karl-Gerät against the Oranienbaum Bridgehead west of Leningrad during the summer of 1943, but the battalion was ordered to return the Karl-Geräte to Leipzig on 8 August. Just like the 833rd the battalion was ordered to reform with eight 21 cm Mörser 18 howitzers on 29 August 1943 with effect by 10 September. A Unit for Karl-Geräte (Kommando für Karl-Geräte) was formed on that same date as caretakers for the weapons. This was redesignated Unit for Special-Equipment of Heavy Artillery Battalion (motorized) (Kommando für Sonder-Gerät des schwere Artillerie-Abteilung (mot.)) 628 on 2 June 1944.

On 13 August 1944 a battery was ordered to be created immediately with one 54 cm Karl-Gerät and sent to the 9th Army to help it suppress the Warsaw Uprising. The next day the Kommando für Sonder-Geräte formed the Army Artillery Battery (Static) 638 Heeres-Artillerie Batterie (bodenständige) with 60 cm Karl-Gerät Nr. VI "Ziu" since no 54 cm weapon was available and a firing table hadn't yet been computed. It arrived at the Warsaw West train station at 0700 on 17 August 1944, although the ammunition train didn't arrive until the following morning.

On 24 August OKH noted that it had been very successful in combat and ordered another Karl-Gerät sent to Warsaw. A second battery, numbered 428, was formed 2 days later by the Kommando für Sonder-Geräte, but it didn't arrive at the Warsaw West train station until 1257 on 7 September 1944. A third Karl-Gerät 040 was shipped to Warsaw on 10 September and incorporated into Battery 428. "Ziu" needed repairs and was shipped on 22 September back to Jüterbog. At some point a fourth Karl-Gerät was shipped to Warsaw as it was reported as operational on 25 September.

A meeting was held on 29 September by the OKH General der Artillerie to discuss the overall status of the Karl-Gerät, its supporting equipment and ammunition:

1. Karl-Geräte

Gerät Nr. I: Set up for both 040 and 041. Currently equipped with 040 with Battery 428.

Gerät Nr. II: Only set up as 040. Currently being overhauled in Jüterbog. Motor installation will be completed in about 14 days.

Gerät Nr. III: About 14 days ago the gun tube blew apart while test firing. Only about 50% is reusable. Hitler has decided that this Gerät is to be restored to full operating condition. However, the schedule for restoring it isn't known.

Gerät Nr. IV: Set up for both 040 and 041. Currently equipped as 040 with Battery 428.

Gerät Nr. V: Set up for both 040 and 041. Equipped as a 040, it will be sent to Battery 638 in Budapest.

Gerät Nr. VI: Only set up as 040. Came back from employment in Warsaw. Repairs will be completed in about 20 days.

Gerät Nr. VII: Versuchs-Gerät 041 Currently with the Waffenamt for test firing and obtaining firing table data. It is not currently operational because important components (engine) are being overhauled and won't be operational before April 1945.

2. Guns

Six 54 centimetres (21 in) 041 guns have been ordered. Three have been completed and are stored in Jüterbog. A decision on the other three is requested because delivery will take at least 14 months.

3. 35 ton Crane Karl-Geräte can only be employed when each battery has a 35 ton crane. Two are in service, one is in Jüterbog without its trailer, which was destroyed by fire.

4. Culemeyer-Strassenroller Each battery needs one complete set of these heavy transport trailers. The two sets in service are set up for 040. Three 16-wheel trailers set up for 040 are available. Another 24-wheel trailer must be acquired to employ any additional Mörser Karl.

5. Munitionsschlepper 13 total, of which 6 are with Batteries 428 and 638, 2 with the Weapon Department (Waffenamt) for 040, 2 converted to 041 and 2 available.

6. Ammunition a. Munition 040: 264 shells are immediately available, of which 150 are planned to be allotted to Battery 638. Another 96 will be completed in the next few days. 241 round are in Unterluss to change their high explosive filler. About 10 completed daily. Part of the cartridges must be reworked. Powder testing will occur on 5 October so that the rest of the ammunition can be refilled.

b. Munition 041: 50 concrete-piercing shells have been delivered to Hillersleben to be shot for firing table data in early October. 25 shells will still be delivered by the end of September, another 25 by the end of October, from then on 50 per month are planned. 50 high-explosive shells (Sprenggranaten) are to be completed for firing table data in November. In early 1945 a total of 60 HE and concrete-piercing shells are to be produced monthly.

Three days later Battery 638 was ordered to transfer to Budapest and was loaded without any Karl-Gerät. Nr. V was rerouted to Budapest to equip the battery. Battery 428 followed on 10–11 October 1944. Both batteries were ordered back to Warsaw on 19 October, although they didn't arrive until 28 October. On 6 November Battery 638 transferred one Karl-Gerät 040 to 428 and returned to Jüterbog on 10 November to rearm with a Geräte 041. Battery 428 didn't remain near Warsaw much longer and departed for Jüterbog itself on 15 November.

Battery 428 exchanged its guns for Nr. II and VI (both with Geräte 040) and departed for the West on 14 December 1944 to participate in Operation Watch on the Rhine (Unternehmen Wacht am Rhein), which would be known by Americans as the Battle of the Bulge, but didn't reach the front until 29 December. Battery 628 followed on 20 December after equipping with Nr. IV, the first 54 cm Gerät 041 to be committed to battle.

Little is known of their activities during the battle, but Gerät Nr. II was damaged enroute by a bomb and was back in Jüterbog on 6 January 1945. It was repaired using parts from Karl Nr. I by 3 February. Gerät Nr. IV was damaged by a number of penetrating hits and arrived in Jüterbog on 31 January. Gerät Nr. VI was still at the front on 19 January. In the meantime Nr. V was modified to use the 54 cm howitzer and had its engine rebuilt.

Battery 628 was initially ordered to the Vistula Front on 7 March, but this was countermanded on 11 March and the battery was sent west to the Remagen area. The German High Command (Oberkommando der Wehrmacht) war diary reported that 14 rounds were fired at the Remagen Bridgehead on 20 March 1945. Battery 428 was also ordered west on 11 March, but served in the 1st Army sector.

A status report dated 22 March showed Geräte Nr. I and IV were still at Jüterbog, with Nr. I configured as a 040 and Nr. IV to be completed as a 041. Geräte Nr. II and V had left for the front on 11 and 10 March respectively. Gerät Nr. VI was returning to Jüterbog with engine damage. Gerät Nr. III had been virtually destroyed and only the gun breech was salvageable. Gerät Nr. VII needed parts and wasn't going to be made operational anytime soon.

Battery 628 was ordered disbanded on 11 April and its personnel incorporated into Battery 428, although it's unlikely that either unit actually saw action except in local defense.

In 1945, Nr. II ("Eva") as well as Nr. V ("Loki") were captured by US forces in the period 21 March to 11 April 1945. Nr. VII, the test weapon, was captured by the US Army in Hillersleben and shipped to Aberdeen Proving Grounds but later scrapped. Nr. VI ("Ziu") was captured by the Red Army, probably when they overran Jüterbog on 20 April 1945. This is on display at Kubinka, although marked as Nr. I ("Adam"). Nr. IV ("Odin") was also captured by the Red Army. The fates of guns Nr. I ("Adam") and Nr. III ("Thor") are not known. It is probable both were captured by the Red Army as their last known location was in Jüterbog, less than a month earlier.

Mörser Karl - 600mm German Mortar

While searching my old postings, I found this gem that I would like to share again with all of you. The Morser Karl Mortar. Click on any one of the two links below and you will find the history as well as a video of the mortar from my other blog.

History
Video

This is one piece of engineering.





NANG THIS POST, NANG THIS POST, NANG THIS POST