25 cm schwere Minenwerfer

Infobox Weapon
name=25 cm schwere Minenwerfer


caption=A sMW a/A at the U.S. Army Field Artillery Museum, Ft. Sill, OK
origin=Germany
type=heavy trench mortar
is_ranged=
is_bladed=
is_explosive=
is_artillery=yes
is_vehicle=
is_UK=
service=1910-1918
used_by=flag|German Empire
wars=World War I
designer=Rheinmetall
design_date=1907-09
manufacturer=Rheinmetall
production_date=1910-18
number=approx. 1234
variants=25 cm sMW n/A
weight=convert|768|kg|lb
length=
part_length=convert|750|mm|in (L/3) of a/A
convert|1.25|m|in (L/5) for n/A
width=
height=
crew=
cartridge=separate-loading, 4 disk charges
caliber=convert|250|mm|in
action=
rate=20 rpm
velocity=200 m/s?
range=540 m (585 yards)
max_range=970 m (1,050 yards)
feed=
sights=panoramic
breech=
recoil=hydro-spring
carriage=box trail
elevation=+45° to 75°
traverse=12°
blade_type=
hilt_type=
sheath_type=
head_type=
haft_type=
diameter=
filling=
filling_weight=
detonation=
yield=
armour=
primary_armament=
secondary_armament=
engine=
engine_power=
pw_ratio=
suspension=
vehicle_range=
speed=The 25 cm schwere Minenwerfer (25 cm sMW) was a heavy trench mortar used by Germany in World War I. It was developed for use by engineer troops after the Siege of Port Arthur during the Russo-Japanese War of 1905 illustrated the usefulness of this class of weapon in destroying bunkers and fortifications otherwise immune to normal artillery. It was a muzzle-loading, rifled mortar that had a standard hydro-spring recoil system. It fired two sizes of shells, convert|97|kg|lb and convert|50|kg|lb, both of which contained far more explosive filler than ordinary artillery shells of the same caliber because the low muzzle velocity allowed for thinner shell walls and hence more space for filler. Furthermore the low velocity allowed for use of explosives like Ammonium Nitrate-Carbon that were less shock-resistant than TNT, which was in short supply. This caused a large number of premature detonations that make crewing the minenwerfer riskier than than normal artillery pieces.

In 1916 a new version, with a longer barrel was put into production. It was called the 25 cm sMW n/A (neu Art) or new pattern while the older model was termed the a/A (alte Art) or old pattern. It's unclear what benefit this change had over the older version.

In action the sMW was emplaced in a pit, after its wheels were removed, not less than 1.5 meters deep to protect it and its crew. Despite the extremely short range the sMW proved to be very effective as its massive shells were nearly as effective at penetrating fortifications as the largest siege guns in the German inventory, like the 42 cm Dicke Bertha or Big Bertha that weighed over 50 times as much. Consequently its numbers went from 44 in service when the war broke out to some 1,234 in 1918.

Note: The data for this weapon differs between sources and cannot be considered definitive. Data provided has generally been for an a/A mortar as given at the U.S. Army Field Artillery Museum, Ft. Sill, Oklahoma.

External Links

* [http://www.landships.freeservers.com/adh_germart2_mandh-mortars.htm sMW on Landships]
* [http://www.landships.freeservers.com/schw_minenwerf_25cm.htm another sMW article on Landships]