30,5cm Skoda M16(t)

[Sturm78]

Hi all,

I found this nice image of a 30,5cm Skoda M16t howitzer in german use near Warsaw during the Polish Campaign, 1939.

Germany got some of these howitzers from Czechoslovakia (17 pieces) 30.5cm H638(t) in 1939 and Yugoslavia (5 pieces) 30.5cm H638(j) in 1941. Probably also obtained in 1938 a piece held by Austria during the interwar period. Total = 23 howitzers

They saw service against Poland, France and the Soviet Union in World War II where they served with Heavy Artillery Battalions (schwere Artillerie-Abteilungen) 624, 641 and 815 as well as two Heavy Static Artillery Batteries (schwere Artillerie-Batterie (bodenstandig) 230 and 779.

I'm looking for pictures of this howitzer in travel position, especially of base and carriage trailers.

What is the correct name of these howitzers in the German Army? 30,5cm Mörser (t)

It seems that Romania did not use their howitzers against the Soviet Union. Does anyone know why?
I guess they would have been very useful in Odessa siege.

Regards Sturm78

[Luftflotte2]

Is this what your looking for. Or are you looking for a more modern trailer.
I would think your designation is correct, and the reason why the Romanians didn't bother using theirs was perhaps they felt that it was too impractical.

[Sturm78]

Thank you very much for your answer, Luftflotte2.

Very nice image of carriage trailer. Tha platform trailer does not distinguish very well. .
Do you have more photos of these trailers? Especially of World War II time.

Does anyone have any pictures of these weapons in service with the Romanian Army?

Regards Sturm78

[Luftflotte2]

I'm glad I can be of help.

The M.16 was a bit heavier than the M.11 and had a bit farther range than than the M.11
For the most part the design wasn't changed that much, so it would most likely still use trailers of the M.11.
Perhaps it still used the old trailer, the 305mm WW1 era guns didn't seem that important to make new trailer for it.

This is WW2 era (top photo) captured by Germans.

[raspagliosi]

URL=http://img831.imageshack.us/i/scansione0001watermark.jpg/][/URL]

This is a 30.5cm Skoda M16(t)?
How can be distinguished an M11 and an M16?

These are more images found on the web:













Ciao
Mario

[Sturm78]

Hi all,

Luftflotte2, about the trailers, the M16 did not use the same trailers than M11. The wheels are of a pattern totally different. The four wheels were of the same size and smaller than the M11.
Your first image is a 30.5cm M09 Beta-Gerat german howitzer (barrel trailer), not Skoda.

Mario, thanks for your images. Some of your pictures I had seen before.
Your fifth image is a 21cm Skoda M18-19t, not 30.5cm M16t.

I'm especially looking for photos of this howitzer in travel position. In particular of platform trailer.
I have a lot of pictures of the barrel trailer but none of platform trailer and very few of carriage trailer

Some images of barrel trailer from Ebay:

Regards Sturm78

[Luftflotte2]

Thanks for the clarification Sturm, whats your interest in all this??

[jopaerya]

Hi Sturm78

This must be W.W. 2 looking at the tank in the background . From Ebay.de

Regards Jos

[jopaerya]

.....

[Sturm78]

Thank you very much for your images, Jopaerya. Especially for the first image of carriage trailer with Austro-Daimler tractor.
Both images had to be taken in Yugoslavia in 1941, probably.

Do not have any photos of the platform trailer?

Regards Sturm78

[raspagliosi]

Hi to all,
can anyone confirm my attempt identification of the first image I posted (Ba101I-312-968-33aA) as a Skoda 30.5cm M16(t)?
Also, is it a morser or an haubitze?
BR
Mario

[jopaerya]

Hello Sturm78

Sorry no photo's of the platform trailer .

Regards Jos

[Sturm78]

Hi Mario,

Yes. 30.5cm Skoda M16t in Italy in 1944

Link: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File: ... 3%BCtz.jpg

Regards Sturm78

[raspagliosi]

I found some additional information about the Skoda 30,5cm M16 howitzer in Italian use (from F. Cappellano "Le Artiglierie del Regio Esercito):
Skoda built 51 complete guns during WWI and Italy got 16 after the end of the war; they were operational at least up to June 1943 (111° and 112° Group of 4° Army Artillery Regiment). They were designated: Mortaio da 305/10 Mod.16.
Italy also obtained 23 Skoda 30,5cm M11 and 16 Skoda 30,5cm M11-16 of the 49 built by Soda during WWI. Cappellano also goes quite in deepth to describe the differences of these three models. After WWI these three models were divided between: Austria, Yugoslavia, Hungary, Czechoslovakia and Poland.
M11 and M11-16 have a barrel lenght of 10 calibers, M16 has a barrle lenght of 10 calibers.
Ciao
Mario

[Clive Mortimore]

The M11 had its recoil cylinders above the barrel
http://www.landships.freeservers.com/305mm_morser_m11.htm

The M16 below the barrel

Source http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/showthread.php?138192-Czechoslovak-army-1918-1938