The 17 cm mittlerer ''Minenwerfer'' (17 cm mMW) was a mortar used by Germany in

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

Development and use

The weapon was developed for use by engineer troops after the

Siege of Port Arthur The siege of Port Arthur ( ja, 旅順攻囲戦, ''Ryojun Kōisen''; russian: link=no, Оборона Порт-Артура, ''Oborona Port-Artura'', August 1, 1904 – January 2, 1905) was the longest and most violent land battle of the Russ ...

during the

Russo-Japanese War The Russo-Japanese War ( ja, 日露戦争, Nichiro sensō, Japanese-Russian War; russian: Ру́сско-япóнская войнá, Rússko-yapónskaya voyná) was fought between the Empire of Japan and the Russian Empire during 1904 and 1 ...

of 1905. It illustrated the usefulness of this type of weapon in destroying bunkers and field fortifications otherwise immune to normal artillery. It was a

muzzle-loading A muzzleloader is any firearm into which the projectile and the propellant charge is loaded from the muzzle of the gun (i.e., from the forward, open end of the gun's barrel). This is distinct from the modern (higher tech and harder to make) desig ...

, rifled mortar that had a standard hydro-spring recoil system. It fired 50 kilogram (110 lb) HE shells, which contained far more explosive filler than ordinary artillery shells of the same caliber. The low muzzle velocity allowed for thinner shell walls, hence more space for filler. Furthermore, the low velocity allowed for the use of explosives like

ammonium nitrate Ammonium nitrate is a chemical compound with the chemical formula . It is a white crystalline salt consisting of ions of ammonium and nitrate. It is highly soluble in water and hygroscopic as a solid, although it does not form hydrates. It is ...

carbon Carbon () is a chemical element with the symbol C and atomic number 6. It is nonmetallic and tetravalent In chemistry, the valence (US spelling) or valency (British spelling) of an element is the measure of its combining capacity with o ...

that were less shock-resistant than

TNT Trinitrotoluene (), more commonly known as TNT, more specifically 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene, and by its preferred IUPAC name 2-methyl-1,3,5-trinitrobenzene, is a chemical compound with the formula C6H2(NO2)3CH3. TNT is occasionally used as a reagen ...

, which was in short supply. This caused a large number of premature detonations that made crewing the ''Minenwerfer'' riskier than normal artillery pieces. A new version of the weapon, with a longer barrel, was put into production at some point during the war. It was called the 17 cm mMW n/A (''neuer Art'') or 'new pattern', while the older model was termed the a/A (''alter Art'') or 'old pattern'. In action the mMW was emplaced in a pit, after its wheels were removed, not less than 1.5 meters deep to protect it and its crew. It could be towed short distances by four men or carried by 17. Despite its extremely short range, the mMW proved to be very effective at destroying bunkers and other field fortifications. Consequently, its numbers went from 116 in service when the war broke out to some 2,361 in 1918. Two pieces of 17 cm mMW was also used by

SS Heimwehr Danzig SS Heimwehr "Danzig" was an SS unit established in the Free City of Danzig (today Gdańsk and environs, Poland) before the Second World War. It fought with the German Army against the Polish Army during the invasion of Poland, and some of its mem ...

troops during the

invasion of Poland The invasion of Poland (1 September – 6 October 1939) was a joint attack on the Republic of Poland by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union which marked the beginning of World War II. The German invasion began on 1 September 1939, one week aft ...

Surviving examples

*The Central Museum of The Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery, Shilo, Manitoba *At the Australian War Memorial, Canberra *Also in Auburn, Massachusetts, an early short barrel model survives at the American Legion Hall *a/A (1917 Rh.MF. Nr.5763) at the Queensland Museum], Brisbane *n/A (1917 Sächsische Maschinenfabrik, Sächsische Maschinen Fabrik Nr 5184) at the Campbeltown Heritage Centre, Scotland *4980 outside the District Council Service Center, Roxburgh, Otago New Zealand. *Wilbur Avenue,

Cranston, Rhode Island Cranston, once known as Pawtuxet, is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island. The official population of the city in the 2020 United States Census was 82,934, making it the second largest in the state. The center of population of Rhode Island i ...

*Memorial Hall,

Monson, Massachusetts Monson is a town in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 8,150 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The census-designated place of Monson Center lies at the ...

*Falls Park, Pendleton, Indiana USA *Stavely Centennial Park in Stavely, Alberta has a short-barreled version (serial number 1972) of the mortar on display along with a

Spandau Spandau () is the westernmost of the 12 boroughs () of Berlin, situated at the confluence of the Havel and Spree rivers and extending along the western bank of the Havel. It is the smallest borough by population, but the fourth largest by land ...

machine gun. *The Vytautas the Great War Museum https://www.vdkaromuziejus.lt/en/

Photo Gallery

File:Captured17cmMinenwerferWWI.jpg, An early short barreled version on its carriage File:17 cm Minenwerfer Hämeenlinna 1.JPG, The a/A model in transport mode, with wheels attached File:17cmMinenwerferAWM-1.jpg, The n/A model (with long barrel), at the

Australian War Memorial The Australian War Memorial is Australia's national memorial to the members of its armed forces and supporting organisations who have died or participated in wars involving the Commonwealth of Australia and some conflicts involving pe ...

, Canberra File:H24848.jpg, 1917 a/A mMW Nr.5753 at the

Queensland Museum The Queensland Museum is the state museum of Queensland, dedicated to natural history, cultural heritage, science and human achievement. The museum currently operates from its headquarters and general museum in South Brisbane with specialist mu ...

, Brisbane File:17 cm mittlerer Minenwerfer (n-A model) on display at Campbeltown Heritage Centre, Scotland.JPG, The 1917 n/A model Minenwerfer in the grounds of Campbeltown Heritage Centre, Scotland File:17 cm mittlerer Minenwerfer Roxburgh, Otago New Zealand.jpg, Rheinmetall 17 cm - German Medium Trench Mortar -- This gun was captured by the 12th Company ( Nelson ) 2nd Canterbury Infantry Battalion on the 2 August 1918 - It was returned to NZ in 1920 and was located at the Roxburgh War Memorial when it was unveiled in 1923- Its final resting place is in the garden next to the Roxburgh Council Building

Notes

References

* Jäger, Herbert. (2001). ''German Artillery of World War One''. Ramsbury, Marlborough, Wiltshire: Crowood Press. .

External links