17 cm Kanone 18

17 cm Kanone 18
Country	Germany
Type	Heavy gun
In service	1941–1945
Built	338

The 17 cm Kanone 18 in Mörserlafette (English: 17 cm Cannon 18 on Mortar Carriage), abbreviated as 17 cm K 18 in MrsLaf was a German heavy gun used during World War II.

Source: Wikipedia

17 cm Kanone 18
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General Characteristics (World War II Era)

The 17 cm Kanone 18 (K 18) was a German heavy, long-range field gun intended for corps-level counter-battery fire. It shared the same highly complex carriage, known as the *Mörserlafette* (Mortar Carriage), with the 21 cm Mörser 18. It was introduced after 1941 to provide significantly greater range than the 21 cm Mörser, quickly becoming the preferred heavy field artillery piece for the Wehrmacht.

Property	Value (K 18)
Role	Heavy Field Gun / Long-Range Counter-Battery
Designer	Krupp
Entered Service	1941
Calibre	172.5 mm (6.79 in)
Barrel Length	8.625 m (28 ft 3.6 in) (L/50)
Weight (Firing Position)	17,520 kg (38,625 lb)
Weight (Travel Position)	23,375 kg (51,533 lb)
Units Built	~338

Design and Mobility

Carriage: Shared the box-trail carriage with the 21 cm Mörser 18, utilizing a unique dual-recoil system. This system had a barrel recoil and a secondary carriage recoil to absorb forces, resulting in exceptional accuracy for a gun of its size.
Transport: Due to its extreme weight, the gun required a heavy half-track tractor (like the Sd.Kfz. 8). For long distances, the weapon had to be broken down into two loads (barrel and carriage) using a system of ramps and winches.
Traverse: Could achieve a full 360-degree traverse when mounted on its heavy firing platform, or 16 degrees when fired directly from its wheels (only for short-distance towing).
Crew: 10 gunners.
Cost: Considered an excellent weapon technically, but was highly complex, expensive to manufacture, and required careful maintenance.

Performance and Ammunition

Projectile Weight (Long-Range): 62.8 kg (138 lb) HE shell (17cm K Gr 38 Hb).
Muzzle Velocity: Up to 925 m/s (3,030 ft/s) with maximum charge.
Maximum Firing Range: 29,600 m (29.6 km or 18.4 miles). This long range was its decisive advantage over the 21 cm Mörser 18.
Rate of Fire: Slow, approximately 1 round per minute (some sources indicate 2 rpm).
Elevation: 0° to +50°.
Ammunition Types: Fired separate-loading, bagged-charge ammunition, including standard HE, long-range HE with ballistic cap, and Armour-Piercing (AP) shells.
Role: Primarily used for long-range counter-battery fire and heavy support, often against fortifications like those found on the Atlantic Wall.