I have the opportunity to buy this Howitzer...

[amberg1853]

Weight is obviously an issue and I am not sure of laws regarding ownership, does it have to be de-activated? He thought it was German, the only markings I was told of are "1918 H2 675". I must admit it would be a nice addition to the collection, it would make the Home Owners Assoc. happy!

Brian

[amberg1853]

Next...

[amberg1853]

Last picture provided by the owner. Thanks in advance for your help.

Brian

[robin morley]

I think this is a WW1 trench mortar

Robin

[Don D.]

A nice one too. I'll drop a link down in Imperial.

[Gran Sasso]

Weight is obviously an issue

I have onced moved a simular german mortar, they are not as heavy as it might look. Some man can at least pull it on a hanger.

[scotty1418]

With the pic looking down the barrel - it sort of looks like someone mixed a bag of concrete down there?

[Chip M]

It looks like a 17cm Minenwerfer to me. This was the medium size trench mortar. It appears to be in remarkably good condition for one being stored outside. That debris on the base will retain moisture and accelerate rusting.

You don't see them as often as you do cannon. The cannons looked nicer at the courthouse or in the city park.

I'd love to have it, but I value my life.

Chip

[jiipee76]

Very nice looking specimen.Easy to fix into showroom.

It has axle place for two wheels.You can install some wheels to it and much easier to move after that.

[ww1czechlegion]

Yes, Chip & jiipee76 are correct. A very nice piece, and fairly straight-forward to have it properly sandblasted & repainted to protect it from rusting, if you desire to do such.

What a cool find! Thanks for sharing images w/us!

Best Regards,

Alan Schaefer

[Norman Hamilton]

I've always wanted a mortar. Great find....

[GEB]

restoration

If you sandblast this to clean it up, I strongly encourage you to consider the use of crushed walnut shells rather than ANY type of sand. This product should be fairly accessable: it is frequently used in the restoration of metal artwork (like statues) exposed to the elements. It also leaves a nice patina on the metal.

And if you are interested in actually seeing this type of artifact preserved well, it would be totally worth the effort to visit the Liberty Memorial: National World War One Memorial and Museum in Kansas City, Missouri. They have numerous artillery pieces restored and on display in the museum.
( and everything else: a tank, airplanes,uniforms and uniforms and uniforms, rifles, machine guns, the most extensive collection of grenades known to exist, and on & on.

Gary

[blinky]

One thing to remember, if this originally came out of a park or from the yard of a courthouse, the Tank and Automotive Command may still consider this one of their pieces. It would be a great piece to own quietly

[amberg1853]

Thanks to all for your input, the fun thing about this hobby is how much you learn when you come across something new. I currently do not own it, it is down in the southwest part of the country. Climate good for preservation but the acidity of the pine tree is probably not so good. It does look to be in pretty good shape all things considered (although I would hate to think it WAS used as a concrete mixer!). I asked how they came across it and the line I got was that it has always been there.

It would be an incredible piece to own. Logistics and price are a concern, the million dollar question and the one everyone hates to answer is what would a reasonable price be? It is not like a simple search on dealer websites could yield a ballpark estimate. Also plenty of people own cannons etc (Civil War, WW1-2 etc). Aside from where it came from are there any possible legal issues of owning a mortar? I am pretty well versed in firearms but this is a little different (I feel like a novice all over again!) The ultimate goal would be see this nice piece of history back in the historical fold again rather than rotting in someones back yard unloved by anything other than pine needles and plastic tums bottles!

[Gene]

It may have had concrete poured in it as a way of rendering it inoperative; at the time that may have been the way to make it into a dewat (deactivated war trophy)