Historic context :

At the same period the first pneumatic mortars of the Austro-Hungarian Army were sought and bought in Germany (10.5cm luftMW M15 and 15cm luft MW M15), improvised weapons were being developped on the front by fighting units convinced of the need of a trench mortar much more stealth than the 9cm M14 MW, whose position was too easily revealed by the noise and smoke.

This is how two pneumatic mortars of 8cm and 15cm were designed in 1915 by the 58th Infantry Division stationed in the Gorizia region on the Isonzo sector. The first weapons were manufactured in the unit workshops, but soon the production was transferred to a civil company in Budapest.

The two models were simple weapons, fed in compressed air by cylinders able to shoot 16 rounds. They both used the same triggering principle, based on a breakable screw that retained the projectile until the rear chamber air pressure (up to 270 atm) was strong enough to break it. The small mortar was named '8cm MW M15', and the big one 15cm MW M16' (although it had been designed in 1915, the millesime change having been made in order to avoid any confusion with the 15cm MW M15 Esslingen). These names were sometimes accompanied with the name 'Roka-Halasz' .

Technical data :

• Complete description : 8cm pneumatic trench mortar M 1915 Roka-Halasz
• Design year : 1915
• Calibre : 80.00 mm
• Weight in firing position : 30 kg
• Weight for transportation :
• Tube length in calibres : 0.00
• Grooves : 0 smooth bore
• Projectile weight : inconnu
• Initial speed :
• Fire rate :
• Range : 250 m
• Elevation range : +5 to +80 degrees
• Direction range :