CMK MV044 21cm Kanone Matterhorn

The Mörser 18 (abbreviation: 21 cm Mrs. 18) is a German 210 mm towed heavy howitzer from the Second World War. The initial velocity of the demolition shell from this gun was up to 565 m / s, with a maximum range of approx. 16,700 meters. Serial production was carried out in 1939-1942 and resulted in the creation of over 710 pieces of these weapons.

Design work on the Mörser 18 began in the 1930s at the Krupp factory and was aimed at replacing the Mörser 16 howitzer with the 210 mm caliber in the WWI line. Compared to its predecessor, the new howitzer had a much greater maximum range, greater initial velocity of the missile, and was also much heavier. The Mörser 18 had an innovative double-recoil system in which - after a shot - the howitzer barrel retracted first, and then the upper bed against the lower bed. This arrangement significantly improved the firing accuracy. During the war, Mörser 18 was used in independent battalions and heavy artillery batteries, but it also happened that it was used as coastal artillery. Interestingly, in 1941 the production of the 170 mm Kanone 18 cannon was launched, which turned out to be so effective and had parameters similar to the Mörser 18 that the production of the latter howitzer was discontinued in 1942 - in favor of the Kanone 18.