Luftminenwerfer M 16
The 12 cm Luftminenwerfer M 16 (Pneumatic trench mortar) was a medium mortar used by Austria-Hungary in World War I. It was developed by Austria Metal Works in Brno from their earlier, rejected, 8 cm project. It was a rigid-recoil, smooth-bore, breech-loading design that had to be levered around to aim at new targets. It was very simple in that the shell closed the top of the chamber and was retained by a "gripper" until the air pressure was deemed sufficient and the gripper was manually released, which fired the weapon.
Also recorded as 12 cm Luftminenwerfer M 16 · M 16 Mortar · M16 · 120 mm mortar M 16
Luftminenwerfer M 16
User:Cooper6 · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Name
- 12 cm Luftminenwerfer M 16
- Field
- 120 mm mortar · pneumatic weapon
- Region
- Austria–Hungary
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wikidata · Q781783 · wikipedia · 12 cm Luftminenwerfer M 16
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Overview
Overview
An additional barrel could be fitted to extend the range. A cylinder of compressed air was good for eleven shots. After an evaluation on 23 November 1915 it was deemed superior to the German designs already in service (10.5 cm Luftminenwerfer M 15 and 15 cm Luftminenwerfer M 15 M. E.) in range and accuracy and a batch of 100 mortars and 50,000 bombs was ordered at the beginning of 1916. Some 280 were at the front by the end of 1916 and 930 by the end of 1917. In addition to Austria Metal Works it was produced by Brand & L'Huillier and the machine factory at Brno-Köningsfeld. Some improvements must have been made over the course of the production run because late-war documents refer to the original design as the M 16a (alte?), but what exactly was changed is unknown.
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — 12 cm Luftminenwerfer M 16 • Origin — Austria-Hungary • Type — Medium trench mortar • Is Artillery — yes • Service — 1915–1918 • Used By — Austria-Hungary • Wars — World War I • Designer — Austria Metal Works • Design Date — 1914–1915 • Production Date — 1915–1918 • Number — 930+ • Variants — M 16a • Weight — 240 kg • Crew — 3 • Cartridge — 5 kg • Caliber — 120 mm • Max Range — 800 m • Traverse — 0°
Identity
Identity
Luftminenwerfer M 16 is classified as a 120 mm mortar or pneumatic weapon. Associated with Austria–Hungary.
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Austria–Hungary
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Luftminenwerfer M 16 is associated with Austria–Hungary.
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The biographical narrative on this page is based on the Wikipedia article 12 cm Luftminenwerfer M 16, revision 1242549768 (EN edition), by its contributors. VALÉORINE has edited that text and built its own documentary record around it. The reused material is available under CC BY-SA 4.0, and this page's reuse of it is offered under the same licence. Everything else on this page — the chronology, the holdings, the evidence, the plates and the connections — is VALÉORINE's own record. Sources and licences.
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Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
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Bibliography printed in the source article · 1
- Ortner, M. Christian. The Austro-Hungarian Artillery From 1867 to 1918: Technology, Organization, and Tactics. Vienna, Verlag Militaria, 2007
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The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
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