Mortaio da 210/8 D.S.

Mortaio da 210/8 D.S.
Type Siege howitzer
Place of origin  Kingdom of Italy
Service history
In service 1900-1945
Used by  Italy
 Poland
Wars World War I, Polish-Soviet War, World War II
Specifications
Weight 5,500 kg (12,100 lb)
Barrel length 2.048 metres (6 ft 9 in) L/9.7

Shell 101.5 kg (224 lb)
Caliber 210 mm (8.26 in)
Recoil none
Carriage box trail
Elevation -15° to +70°
Traverse 360°
Rate of fire 1 round per 7-8 minutes
Muzzle velocity 340 m/s (1,115 ft/s)
Maximum firing range 8,450 metres (9,240 yd)

The Mortaio da 210/8 D.S. was a siege howitzer which served with Italy during World War I and World War II. It was an old-fashioned weapon when introduced around 1900. It was mounted on a timber firing platform and lacked a recoil system of any kind. It was mounted on a De Stefano carriage which attempted to handle the weapon's recoil by mounting the weapon on a series of inclined ramps. The barrel and cradle had their own inclined ramp as did the carriage. When the weapon fired the cradle would move up the inclined ramp while the carriage would also recoil up a set of inclined rails. Gravity and springs would return the howitzer to its firing position. Despite the name the weapon was not a mortar, but rather a short-barreled howitzer (a Mörser in German terms).

Some of these were still in service during World War II, but played little part in the war, never leaving Italy.

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