The very first 210mm heavy mortars of the German Army were used during the 1870 Franco-German war, at the Strasbourg siege. These guns design was re-engineered in 1899 by KRUPP, and gave birth to a more modern '21 cm M 1899'. This latter was anyway quickly found obsolete, because of the lack of a recoil recuperation system.

This problem did not prevent the Germans to take 48 such old mortars from the arsenals in 1914 and re-inforce the new and modern 21cm M 1910 mortars, sendin the same deadly 120 kg projectiles at a longer range (9400 m instead of 8200 m).

The heavy weight of this mortar required it to be disassembled in several loads for its transportation : the carriage with small firing wheels, the tube-bearer car, and the accessories car...

Main characteristics :

• Weight in firing position : 4820 kg
• Calibre : 211 mm
• Tube length : 10 calibres
• Projectile weight: 83 / 120 kg
• Initial velocity : 350 / 308 m/s
• Maximum range : 8200 / 7200 m
• Elevation range : +6 / +70 degrees
• Direction range : none