42 cm Haubitze M. 14/16

Infobox Weapon
name=42 cm L/15 Küstenhaubitze M. 14


caption=The 42 cm L/15 Küstenhaubitze M. 14 preparing to fire
origin=Austria-Hungary
type=superheavy siege howitzer
is_ranged=
is_bladed=
is_explosive=
is_artillery=yes
is_vehicle=
is_UK=
service=1914-1945
used_by=flag|Austria-Hungary
CZE
flag|Nazi Germany
wars=World War I, World War II
designer=Skoda
design_date=1909-14
manufacturer=Skoda
production_date=1914-18
number=8
variants=Autohaubitze M. 16, Autohaubitze M. 17
spec_label=42 cm Autohaubitze M. 17
weight=convert|105000|kg|lb
length=
part_length=convert|6.29|m|in L/15
width=
height=
crew=27
cartridge=convert|1020|kg|lb
caliber=convert|420|mm|in
action=
rate=1 round per 5 minutes
velocity=435 m/s
range=
max_range=convert|14600|m|yd
feed=
sights=
breech=horizontal sliding block
recoil=hydro-pneumatic
carriage=firing platform
elevation=+40° to 70°
traverse=360°
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 42 cm L/15 Küstenhaubitze M. 14 (42 cm, 15 caliber, Coastal Howitzer Model 14) was a superheavy siege howitzer used by Austria-Hungary during World War I and by Nazi Germany during World War II.It was designed to penetrate the weakly armored decks of modern dreadnoughts in accord with the prevailing coastal defense doctrine that held it was better to attack the weakest point with high-angle indirect fire than to attempt to challenge their strongly-armored sides with exceedingly expensive guns that had to be equally as well armored to withstand return fire from the battleship. Howitzers were significantly cheaper and could be hidden behind hills to avoid the expense of armoring them. The known problem of hitting a moving target with indirect fire was to be alleviated by massed fire from multiple weapons all firing with the same data.

At any rate two howitzers were bought to defend the main Austro-Hungarian naval base at Pola on the Adriatic. They were to be installed on a turntable carriage with an armored dome able to traverse a full 360° for all-around defense. The turntable rested on a ball-race ring, set in a concrete foundation. However, with Pola unthreatened after the outbreak of the war, it was decided that they might be better used in support of the Army. The first howitzer was already fixed in place, but the second wasn't yet installed and Skoda was able to adapt it for mobile use by January 1915. On the 14th of that month Howitzer No. 2, assigned to Küstenhaubitze Batterie (Coastal Howitzer Battery) no. 1 fired its first shot at the railway station in Tarnow, Austrian Poland.

A total of eight M. 14s were eventually ordered along with a spare barrel and cradle, although one was retained by Skoda. Barrel production was very slow, so that barrels originally ordered for coastal mounts were put into service as part of the 42 cm Autohaubitze (Motorized Howitzer) M. 16.

References

* Gander, Terry and Chamberlain, Peter. "Weapons of the Third Reich: An Encyclopedic Survey of All Small Arms, Artillery and Special Weapons of the German Land Forces 1939-1945". New York: Doubleday, 1979 ISBN 0-385-15090-3
* Ortner, M. Christian. "The Austro-Hungarian Artillery From 1867 to 1918: Technology, Organization, and Tactics". Vienna, Verlag Militaria, 2007 ISBN 978-3-902526-13-7
* Prášil, Michal. "Škoda Heavy Guns". Atglen, PA: Schiffer, 1997 ISBN 0-7643-0288-4

External Links

* [http://www.landships.freeservers.com/420mm_morser_m17.htm 42 cm Haubitze on Landships]