Austro-Hungarian soldiers prepare a 12cm Pneumatic Luftminenwerfer (trench mortar) M.16. A notable advantage with a pneumatic mortar was that it had no firing signature, unlike conventional mortars with smoke and muzzle flash. WW1
Posted by Sad-Commission2027@reddit | ForgottenWeapons | View on Reddit | 16 comments
SPECTREagent700@reddit
I wonder if this would be an effective way to get around counter battery radar today
AppropriateData6860@reddit
Don’t they simply assess the projectile’s trajectory while it’s airborne?
collinsl02@reddit
As long as you can mask the air compressor noise it may be viable.
dr_xenon@reddit
Post this on r/airguns
Nerdenator@reddit
“What does it do?”
“Ist very simple, it werfs luftminen.”
JMHSrowing@reddit
They had, surprisingly, a whole series of these air cannon mortars. Though from what I've read there was a reason no one used these in WW2. Not very powerful and relatively complicated
PsychoTexan@reddit
They had 8, 10.5, 12, 15 and 20cm models.
Also very slow firing and short range. A ww2 12cm mortar has double to eight times the rate of fire and nearly seven times the range with a much heavier projectile.
DizzyR06@reddit
U could argue that no muzzle flash or smoke makes up for the short range, almost like it’s only meant for shorter ranges where normal mortars might compromise positions
PsychoTexan@reddit
I mean the silent aspect was what they were going for, but given that it could take 3-4 times the number of shots to get the same explosive mass on target and you still have to dig a fairly serious mortar pit it seems to me that what you gain in low signature is spent in long exposure.
Should be noted that the low signature is still desirable though as the french have the LGI Mle F1 51mm mortar designed to be difficult to detect.
DizzyR06@reddit
Imma have to check out that French mortar, and yeah u right
Wurznschnitzer@reddit
these also have the advantages of not using brass casings and only having to supply projectiles has to be a logistics blessing. You can probably run an entire battery on one or two compressors. Also having something with reduced range reduces the requirement for the materials by quite a bit i would guess. So, not ideal, but you can probably crank these out in great numbers in very short time and use them effective in their role.
Kamikaze-X@reddit
Picture looks like it could almost be modern, reminds me of the construction of contemporary recoilless rifles etc
Very cool picture
Internet_Troll14@reddit
Is is a potato cannon but for grenade instead of potato??
slightly-upset-hippo@reddit
Essentially. 120mm potato cannon.
donkeydong1138@reddit
hot potato
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