Siege Mortar.

This is coolbert.

"Je rends le fort et la garnison pour empêcher davantage de douleur inutile."

Here is another anachronistic weapons system the like of which will probably never be seen again.

The siege mortar.

Large-bore mortars with stubby little barrels.

The purpose of a siege mortar was to reduce by bombardment, the thickest walls of a fort that impeded the advance of an invader.

The role of the siege mortar has been passe' for some time now.

The usage of this weapon has been superseded by the precision guided munitions [PGM], such as the bunker busting bomb.

And of course, for some time now, soldiers DO NOT fight from forts.

The siege mortar was used extensively during the American Civil War. Forts located along the eastern seaboard of the United States were besieged [almost exclusively forts occupied by Confederate troops] on many occasions. Long-term bombardments of such forts usually preceded a ground assault.




[these are eight inch siege mortars. Note the palm tree in the background!]

During World War One, the Belgian forts of Liege and Namur [1914] were subject to bombardment by the Skoda 305 mm [12"] siege mortar. A terrifying weapon that lobbed an enormous armor-piercing/concrete-penetrating round in a high arc. Penetrating the thick roof of a fort before detonating inside.



The Skoda siege mortars at Namur and Liege were able to accomplish what repeated German ground assaults failed to do. Belgian surrender was more or less guaranteed with the appearance of these "monster" weapons.

At Verdun [1916], the Germans employed "Big Bertha". Described as a 420 mm [16"] howitzer with a mortar-like trajectory and employment. Used to bombard the various French besieged forts during the battle.



The ultimate in siege mortars was developed by the Germans in the years prior to the outbreak of World War Two [WW2]. This was the "Karl". A 600 mm [23"] self-propelled weapon.



"Karl" was designed to be used against the Maginot Line. Was not used in this capacity. WAS used against the Soviet forts of Brest-Litovsk and Sebastopol with effectiveness. Also used as a terror weapon against the uprising of the Polish Home Army, Warsaw, 1944. A single round, fired from "Karl" could and did level an ENTIRE neighborhood.

The American military too for decades employed such big bore mortars [M1890-M1/305 mm]. But in a different role. NOT as a siege weapon. As a coastal artillery piece. An anti-ship weapon used to defend American coast lines, lobbing an armor piercing round in a high arc that would penetrate the innards an enemy warship before detonating.

[this of course was before the days of bomber aircraft and missiles. Coastal artillery was a significant branch of the military. The commanding General of the 88th Infantry division in WW2, John Sloan, was commissioned an officer in coastal artillery.]

These mortars [intended to be used in an anti-ship role] were employed in the Philippines during WW2. An entire battery of these 12" mortars was to be found on the island of Corrigedor. A famous pre-WW2 photo taken by Carl Mydans shows American artillerymen drilling with these "beasts".



Dig the low-quarter shoes, the athletic T-shirts, and the "Smokey the Bear hats". That was a different time, different military.

Those 12" mortars were NEVER used in the intended anti-ship role. Did fire on Japanese ground forces but were ineffective as they fired ONLY an armor piercing round. Needed to fire a high-explosive round which they did not have!!

[the designation of M1890-M1 suggests to me that they were first designed in 1890!! Damn things were antiques and museum pieces in 1941!]

coolbert.