The M.98 mortar was the first state-of-art Skoda-produced mortar to be introduced to the Austro-Hungarian army and also the first one to be towed by motor vehicles. It was a high quality weapon which service was restricted only by unsuitable ammunition causing rather small range of fire. At the beginning of the war, the Austro-Hungarian army operated 12 batteries each with 4 mortars, in 1917 30 mortars were still in service, however, only a year later, the army had not more than two batteries left.