Super-heavy howitzers were somewhat specialised weapons for Finnish Field Artillery. For Armed Forces with rather small Air Force, which lacked effective dive-bombers (unless one counts small number of JU-88 as such) they offered the next best thing for taking out fortified pinpoint targets. The method used in this was "tikkaus-ammunta" ("pinprick-shooting"), which was sometimes used also with

203 H/17

PICTURE: 203 H/17 super-heavy howitzer. Note wheel structure. (Photo taken in Tykistömuseo). CLICK THUMBNAIL TO SEE LARGER PIC (148 KB).

During the Boer War British military found itself handicapped by lack of effective artillery. To fix the problem they started installing naval guns to gun carriages locally manufactured in South Africa. These guns proved quite effective. So, when during WW1 British military again lacked enough heavy artillery the same basic concept of heavy artillery pieces in gun carriages with tractor tires was reintroduced. This 8-inch Mk 7 howitzer was one of the artillery weapons based to that concept and introduced to use in 1916. When compared to earlier versions it had better recoil system, but still needed under its wheels ramps for controlling rest of its considerable recoil. This version did not anymore see combat use with British Army during World War 2, but the later Mk 8 version did see some action in France 1939 - 1940. After this British Army used Mk 8 howitzer only for training use. In July of 1943 British Army declared the rest of these World War 1 era 8-inch howitzers obsolete. The British also modified quite a few of their old 8-inch howitzers to 7.2-inch (183-mm) calibre during the war. The 7.2-inch howitzer fired 91.7-kg projectile with muzzle velocity up to 518 m/sec all the way to 15.5-km range. British 8-inch howitzers Mk 6, Mk 7 and Mk 7* were also manufactured under license by Midvale Steel & Ordnance Co in United States for British Army and US Army.

PICTURE: Side profile of 203 H/17. This particular howitzer was made by Midvale. (Photo taken in Yard of Sotamuseo). CLICK THUMBNAIL TO SEE LARGER PIC (159 KB).

The howitzer had large box trail, no gun shield of any type and recoil system with hydraulic buffer and hydraulic/pneumatic recuperator located below barrel. Wheels were WW1 era tractor wheels made from steel. Breech system used Asbury interrupted screw breech. The howitzers were suitable for both motorised towing and towing with horses, but limber needed to be used for both towing methods. The tractor wheels were 30-cm wide and 170-cm in diameter. Super-heavy was a fitting term for the howitzer: Its barrel and breech weight together 2,978 kg and just screw part of the breech weight 174 kg. Rate of fire was only about 1 shot/minute, this was mostly due weight of the projectiles, which demanded leveling the barrel to zero-elevation for reloading process.

PICTURE: Breech and aiming systems of 203 H/17 howitzer. Note most most important piece of breech system made from bronze. (Photo taken in Yard of Sotamuseo). CLICK THUMBNAIL TO SEE LARGER PIC (143 KB).

During Winter War Finland found its Army needing also super heavy howitzers. Hence 32 of these howitzers were bought from USA, but they arrived too late for that war. Due to delays the howitzers did not arrive until summer of 1940. They were very cheap, but also in desperate need of repairs and maintenance before they could be fielded. The howitzers were first issued to three Super-Heavy Artillery Battalions (1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd), but later these units were reorganised to six Super-Heavy Artillery Batteries (11^th, 12^th, 13^th, 14^th, 15^th and 16^th). Finnish soldiers liked the howitzer, which they considered durable. Thirteen of these howitzers were lost in battles of summer 1944, eight of these belonged to Super-Heavy Artillery Battery 4 and were lost in Valkeasaari 10^th of June, while the other 5 lost howitzers belonged to Super-Heavy Artillery Battery 3 and were lost in north/north-east side of Lake Ladoga. After World War 2 the howitzers remained stored for possible wartime use until late 1960's.

PICTURE: 203 H/17 howitzer of Finnish Army with its gun crew. Photographer unknown. (SA-kuva.fi photo archive, photo number 133381). CLICK THUMBNAIL TO SEE LARGER PIC (161 KB).

The ammunition used with these howitzers was bagged type, in other words: Projectile, propellant bags and primer were loaded separately and there was no cartridge case of any type involved. Propellant charge had four sizes for achieving different trajectories. Finnish Army had two kinds of projectiles available for this howitzer: High explosive (HE) and armour piercing high explosive (APHE). The HE-projectile was naturally the usual ammunition used with the howitzer, while APHE-projectiles were for destroying bunkers and other concrete structures. This APHE-projectile was "203 pstkrv 50/59-ps ahps E 50/59", which weight 116.0-kg and contained about 4.9-kg of TNT. According manuals the same projectile was also used in 203/50 VC coastal guns of Finnish coastal artillery.

PICTURE: 210 H/17 super-heavy howitzer. (Photo taken in Tykistömuseo). CLICK THUMBNAIL TO SEE LARGER PIC (62 KB).

Year 1902 German companies Krupp and Rheinmetall started developing heavy mortar more mobile then the previous ones for field artillery of German Army. The project advanced to prototype-testing stage by November of 1909 and manufacturing of the heavy mortar started the following year. When World War one started Germany had 256 of 21 cm mörser 10 heavy mortars. German Army issued them to 28 horse-towed artillery batteries, whose heavy mortars proved extremely effective against bunkers and other fortifications during World War 1. During the war the Germans started developing new version of the mortar with longer gun barrel and capable firing heavier projectiles to longer range. This development work resulted introducing "Langer 21 cm mörser 16" in year 1916. While the old mörser 10 was transported dismantled and assembled in its new fire-position, new mörser 16 could be towed with tractor from one fire-position to another. When World War 1 ended German Army had some 70 artillery batteries with old 21 cm mörser 10 and equal number of artillery batteries equipped with new Langer 21 cm mörser 16. According terms of Versailles Treaty, which ended World War 1 Germany was allowed to keep only two of these heavy mortars, so they had several hundred heavy mortars than what they were supposed to. Sweden bought twelve Langer mörser 16 from Germany in year 1918 and they were delivered in 1918 - 1919. Swedish Army issued the heavy mortars for Field Artillery Regiment 10 and Boden Artillery Regiment until they were declared obsolete in year 1950. When World War 2 started last Langer mörser 16 that had remained in Germany served German military until being replaced with more modern "21 cm Mrs 18" in year 1942.

Langer 21 cm mörser 16 has box trail (with hole in middle of it for gaining more elevation), wheels made from oak and steel and very large gun shield (which was removable, and seemingly was not always used). Breech mechanism used horizontal sliding wedge breech and recoil system with two hydraulic buffers and one pneumatic recuperator is located above barrel. The mortar was originally designed to be horse-towed, but the ones used in Finland had been modified for motorized towing with suitable heavy motor vehicle. The gun barrel was removed from the gun for towing and transported as a separate load. Wheels of the mortar could be equipped with wheel belts, which made them much wider by distributing the guns weight to notably larger surface for duration of towing process. Minimum range for the gun was 2.6 km. Rate of fire varied around 1 - 2 shots / minute.

PICTURE: Closer look behind gun shield of 210 H/17 super-heavy howitzer. Note wheel belts, which were highly necessary for towing of this gun on poor roads. (Photo taken in Niinisalo garrison). CLICK THUMBNAIL TO SEE LARGER PIC (168 KB).

During Winter War Finland bought four of these super-heavy howitzers (as Finnish military categorised them) from Sweden with 800 shots. Some Swedish personnel arrived with them and crew training was started in city of Vaasa/Wasa during the war. The howitzer crews were mostly Swedish-speaking new recruits from coastal regions of Botnia / Pohjanmaa. However, the unit could be sent to front during Winter War because Finnish Army was lacking suitable heavy towing vehicles. In April of 1940 the Swedish training personnel returned to Sweden and the howitzers were placed in storage. But they stay warehoused for long - in June of 1941 10^th Separate Super-Heavy Artillery Battery was established and was issued three of these howitzers. The unit was part of artillery reserves placed directly under command of Finnish Army General Headquarters. The forth howitzer was stored for future use. The Artillery Battery started its part in Continuation War by supporting 19^th (Infantry) Division. In August of 1941 it was sent to Carelian Isthmus, where it supported 10^th (Infantry) Division. The unit had specialised in destroying bunkers with "tikkaus-ammunta" ("pinprick-shooting"), which was form of indirect fire fired with one howitzer at the time, in this shooting the forward observation team that saw the target adjusted fire after each shot until direct hit to target was achieved. The method was quite effective in taking out pinpoint targets without dangers associated using artillery pieces this heavy for direct fire would have caused. Forward observation teams were much more difficult for the enemy to spot in the immediate frontline than super-heavy howitzer. The artillery battery also got better and better with "tikkaus-ammunta" with experience - early on some 15 - 20 shots were usually needed to achieve direct hit, but after few months the unit normally did not need more then three shots for hitting its target. Once the attack in the Carelian Isthmus ended the unit was sent to Maaselkä Isthmus, where it remained a very long time. During Soviet offensive of summer 1944 the artillery battery succeeded evacuating all its howitzers and fired its last shots in combat in Battles of Ilomantsi at July - August 1944. Finnish soldiers considered the howitzer highly effective, but also very heavy. All four howitzers of Finnish Army survived the war. After the war the howitzers were reserved for possible wartime use until being declared obsolete in late 1960's.

PICTURE: Finnish soldiers pose with 210 H/17 super-heavy howitzer presumably sometime during World War 2. The gun does not have it gun shield on. Photographer unknown. (Original photograph part of Jaeger Platoon Website photo collection. Unlicensed use of photograph prohibited). CLICK THUMBNAIL TO SEE LARGER PIC (140 KB).

The ammunition for this super-heavy howitzer was separately loaded ammunition with nine propellant charge sizes. Finnish Army used two kinds of projectiles with these howitzers: High explosive (HE) and armour piercing high explosive (APHE). HE-projectile weighted 113 kg and was normally used against soft targets (non-concrete bunkers, gun placements etc…), while APHE-projectiles were likely reserved for hard targets such as concrete bunkers. The Swedes delivered "210 tkrv 51/65-ps R-/33" APHE-projectiles with the howitzers, these weight 120,75-kg, but their dispersion proved quite large for purpose of shooting pinpoint-targets. Later the Finns suceeded buying German "210 tkr 56/76-ps Zf" APHE-projectiles, which weight 121-kg, had much smaller dispersion and were more reliable then the Swedish projectiles. These German-made APHE-projectiles seem to have arrived to Finland with S/S Utlandeshörn 14^th of June 1941. The German-made APHE-projectile contained some 14-kg of TNT. The destructive power of 210 H/17 howitzer could be considered quite impressive for field piece originating from World War 1: Typically its shells created crater some 10 - 18 meters (depending soil) in diameter and about 4 meters deep.

Jyri Paulaharju: Itsenäisen Suomen kenttätykit 1918 – 1995.

Unto Partanen: Tykistömuseon 78 tykkiä.

Jyri Paulaharju, Martti Sinerma and Matti Koskimaa: Suomen kenttätykistön historia book series.

Talvisodan historia book series.

Jatkosodan historia book series.

Ian Hogg: Twentieth-Century Artillery.

Ian V. Hogg: British & American Artillery of World War 2.

Article: Sotiemme raskain haupitsi 210 H 17 by Jyri Paulaharju in Ase-lehti magazine vol 2/96.

Military manual: 203 mm:n raskas haupitsi v:lta 1917 lajimerkki VI by Puolustusvoiman Pääesikunta Taisteluväliosasto (printed 1941).

Military manual: Ampumatarvikenimikkeistö by Puolustusvoimien Pääesikunta Taisteluvälineosasto (printed 1941).

Military manual: Kenttätykistön ampumatarvikkeet by Puolustusvoimien Pääesikunta Taisteluvälineosasto (printed 1940, updates added until 1947).

Reply to readers question under headline "Järeät jenkit" in Suomen Sotilas magazine vol. 4/2003.

Documents of Finnish military Archives, archives unit T20207/F16 sal.

Finnish military archives, archive reference T19043/20

Finnish military archives, archive reference T18419

Finnish military archives, archive references T20206/F9, /F10 and /F11

Finnish military archives, archive references T20206/F17 and /F18

Special thanks to Tykistömuseo (Finnish Artillery Museum, Hämeenlinna).

Special thanks to Sotamuseo (Finnish Military Museum, Helsinki).