General dynamics ordnance and tactical systems produces highquality mortar components and increments the for u. This smoothbore system can be gravityfired or fired by using a manual springloaded trigger. A small mortar section with two mortars was organic to army rifle companies light, airborne, air assault and ranger companies. It is marked inside with part no cm1007 and 2 mortar mkii the sling which is in excellent almost unused condition, has an indistinct makers mark and is dated 1945. The scope of this publication includes mortar crew training at the squad level.
The french aml armored car series carried a breechloaded 60mm mortar capable of direct fire. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Wwii m1 81mm display mortar with commando base plate. The eightyfirst chemical mortar battalion by united.
A modified version of the mortar, which fired a modern finstabilised streamlined projectile and had a booster charge for longer range, was developed after world war i. Sears, roebuck and company is a retail giant with 19thcentury roots as a mailorder business operating in rural america. As has been stated the 2inch51mm mortar is a kosher mortar and not a grenadelauncher like the japanese 50mm. Sears grew into one of the nations largest corporations, redefining the. Our innovation in guided mortar applications provides the warfighter with another level of precision in the field. Fm 2390 c1 change 1 headquarters department of the army washington, dc, 9 december 2002 mortars this change updates misfire procedures for ground and carriermounted 120mm. Return to the overburdened infantry soldier 51mm and 60mm mortar british army.
To detail the heroic deeds and meritorious service of the gallant officers and men of the eightyfirst would take. The history of masonry mortar in america 17201995 by john. Iirc the army were given the option to save the line. Mortars were designed as indirect fire weapons intended to lob projectiles against enemy positions that were protected by walls or natural coverage. A mortar is an artillery weapon which fires explosive shells. Over four thousand square feet of new books, treats, and.
The barrel was held at the correct angle by one soldier while the other loaded and fired the round. Chapter two is about mortar in xix century and some years later. The muzzle cover is in grubby but excellent condition. The idea was for each student to have his own a4 copy of the pamphlet rather than taking endless notes. There are other types of commando mortar that can be fired at very low angles as well. Highexplosive rounds are used to suppress or kill enemy dismounted infantry, mortars, and other supporting weapons, and to interdict the movement of men, vehicles and supplies in the enemys forward area. The 2 mortar sorry, 51mm was still in use in the british army in 2001, since i saw it used at a firepower demonstration on salisbury plain. Jul 30, 2017 world war 2 american army m2 60mm mortar demonstration at the historical reenactment in dixon, illinois at elks page park on 24 june 2017. The m1 81mm mortar was the largest weapon in the arsenal of the u.
Today, it has grown into a comprehensive national college senior honor society that selects firstrate students in their junior year who exemplify the ideals of scholarship, leadership and service. Specjoint 46 is simply mixed with water prior to use, and is applied in accordance with standard procedures for use of. Weapon barrel baseplate bipod sight total price ro 51mm na na na na 6. More recently, the 60 mm hirtenbirger mortar has seen uk service, but since it provides only marginally increased firepower over a 51mm mortar while weighing almost as much as an 81mm mortar, its utility is questionable. The mortar bombs can are fired fitted with pd fuzes mz95m and mz81m respectively. The united kingdoms l16 81mm mortar is the standard mortar used by the british armed forces. These could stop enemy attacks under the worst conditions. Nov 06, 20 my understanding was that the 51mm mortar was issued 1 per plt, used mainly for illumination and smoke, but also for limited fire support. To detail the heroic deeds and meritorious service of the gallant officers and men of the eightyfirst would take more thousands of. Lancegrenade individuel mle f1 lgi mle f1 wikipedia. Feb 04, 2019 the american m1 81mm mortar, like the upcoming m2 60mm mortar, was based on a french design by edgar william brandt 18801960. The stokes mortar was portable, weighing 49 kg 108 pounds. These propellants are flashsuppressed and clean burning resulting in minimum residue, flash and blast overpressure. They do use them, in more or less the same numbers they did in previous wars.
Here are some landmarks in the history of mortar board. All 60mm mortar rounds, except training rounds, have three major components a fuze, body, and tail fin with propulsion system assembly. The components of the mortar consist of a cannon, mount, and baseplate. Structures with allmasonry exteriors come to mind immediately, but most other buildings at least have masonry foundations or chimneys. History of masonry mortar in america 17201995 documents the last 275 years of the evolution of ingredients. The mortar fire then lifts onto enemy counter attack and supporting positions while the assault goes in.
Well the story goes something like thisin 1931 a group of nonmortar producers and representatives from the lime and cement industries got together and formed a committee to discuss the issue. The 51mm mortar line was bulldozed and removed after several warnings to the mod that if they didnt purchase any ammunition which they hadnt for 5 years or so or pay to keep the building going then it would be removed. A presentday mortar consists of a lightweight tube that rests on a base plate and is supported by a bipod. Jan 11, 2018 it was later replaced by a 51mm mortar with improved sights and ammunition. The progenitor of most presentday mortars is the stokes mortar, designed in january 1915 by british weapons designer f.
However, principles should not be violated by modification of techniques and methods. Therefore, the safety pin must always be removed and discarded. The stokes mortar was a british trench mortar designed by sir wilfred stokes kbe that was issued to the british and u. The lgi has been used by the foreign legion and other. Sometimes called infantry artillery, or hip pocket artillery, mortars were capable of quickly laying down heavy barrages. Basically the choice is rebuild the line for 51mm, or find a replacement. Regarding the 51mm mortar being replaced by the 60mm mortar because of no more ammunition being available i wonder why the mod didnt order 51mm ammunition from india as they still use the 51mm mortar a copy of the british ww2 2inch mortar unless the ammuntion is. Rosendale natural cement products natural cement was the binder of choice in north america for large scale masonry and concrete construction during the 19th and early 20th century. Masonrybrick, stone, terracotta, and concrete blockis found on nearly every historic building. The 81mm mortar can also assist with smoke and illuminating rounds. History of mortar types ever wonder how type n mortar came to be. It provided the battalion commander with a powerful and flexible indirect fire capability. British army the infantry 81mm l16 mortar armed forces. The l9a1 51 mm light mortar was a manportable platoonlevel mortar system used by the british army from the late 1980s to 2007 ammunition for the 51 mm mortar has a small, ringpull safety pin on the side of the nosefuze.
It has a short barrel which fires the mortar bomb at a low speed high into the air to reach its target. It is a commandotype mortar, which is used handheld and triggerfired. Although generally considered permanent, masonry is. Repointing mortar joints in historic masonry buildings. Wwii 81mm mortar parts set international military antiques. Even before their largescale use in world war 1 and world war 2, the mortar held a history dating as far back as the 18th century. The 51 mm light mortar is a weapon that can be carried and fired by one man, and is found in the hq of an infantry platoon.
Rounds for these mortars weigh about 15 pounds each. The allied victory was complete and decisive, and should be treated as such by historians. Thousands of years ago, it was discovered that burning certain clays and stones produced substances that worked very well for use as binders in mortar. In doug beatties account mentioned above, he was calling in rounds as a forward observer, onto targets invisible to the mortar party. The m30 is a rifled mortar, stabilizing its projectile by spinning it rapidly. British army the infantry 51mm mortar, 60mm mortar and. Mortar, portable, shortbarreled, muzzleloading artillery piece that fires explosive projectiles at low velocities, short ranges, and high, arcing trajectories. To give a thorough account of the accomplishments of the eightyfirst chemical mortar battalion would take thousands of pages. Blades 3 abstract mortar for historic structures must comply with good conservation principles and be compatible with the historic fabric as far as feasible. So, mortars have been with us for a surprising long time. It is typically fielded at the infantry company level. A military off the shelf mots procurement is envisaged. The response was bulldoze it as they would never want more 51mm ammunition. The fuze remains unarmed until the pin is withdrawn.
Due to its small size, and for simplicity, the mortar had no forward strut or bipod like larger designs needed. Mortar cartridges the three primary types of mortar fires are as follows. The second type are the japanese type 10 and type 89 50mm, the us 60mm m2 and, naturally, the uk 2 inch 51mm mortar. Brickand mortar bookstores are booksellers that have a physical retail presence, whether a freestanding building or a store in a shopping mall. Mortars are made in different sizes, from large and heavy. Thus ended the 2nd chemical mortar battalions part of the italian campaign. The 81mm mortar, m252, is a smoothbore, muzzleloaded, highangleoffire weapon. The mortar can be fired in the conventional mode or the handheld mode. The links below provide information on various mortar products within our line, and to mortar analysis and colormatching services. The 2inch mortar isnt always used in a lineofsight manner.
The l9a1 51 mm light mortar was a manportable platoonlevel mortar system used by the british army from the late 1980s to 2007. The 81 mm and 98mm mortar bombs are fired from towed mortars. The british 51mm mortar can be used in direct fire. Heavy mortars the 107mm mortar, m30, and the 120mm mortar, m120, are the current us heavy mortars.
So this time we have the user handbook for the good old 2 light mortar, whilst the weapon was supposed to have been replace in the late 70s early 80s by the 51mm mortar, a lot of corps units, training regiments and training areas hung on to them until the late 80s, mainly for firing illum and smoke on exercises. The new m252a1 81mm mortar is 12 pounds lighter than its predecessor. Brief history of mortar and mortars lancaster lime works. On 60mm rounds, bags of granular or horseshoeshaped propellant are attached to the fins or boom.
On the mortar thread there is a post from one of the ats on the site basically, royal ordnance bulldozed the manufacturing line for 51mm ammo as no one, including the british army were purchasing the stuff. Mortar cartridges federation of american scientists. Why doesnt the us army use more 60mm and 81mm mortars. The lgi has been used by the foreign legion and other french army forces since. The mortar is a standard issue for special operations rapid reaction forces and motorized infantry elements of the army. Here we have the user hand book for the l2a3 sterling sub machine gun and also the lesser know l34a1 silenced version which was on issue to the sas and sbs. These were simple hand aimed tube mortars very akin to rifle grenades but with more range and a heavier load.
The discovery of nine 51mm mortar shells along the railway tracks between dhola majra and shahabad stations triggered panic. Now, while some consumer dollars have shifted away from print books to ebooks. The lgi mle f1 is a french closesupport weapon infantry weapon designed to be used by one man, which provides soldiers with a lightweight indirectfire support weapon similar to a small mortar. The twoinch mortar, however, was issued only at the rate of one per platoon. The american m1 81mm mortar, like the upcoming m2 60mm mortar, was based on a french design by edgar william brandt 18801960. This procurement is for mortar barrels only and does not include ammunition. Questions about the last british 51mm mortar bombs if this is your first visit, be sure to check out the faq by clicking the link above. The twoinch mortar was one of a number of small mortars brought into service by european nations between the two world wars. It has long been called the forgotten campaign merely a side issue but to those battletested and battleweary soldiers it was the main battle, since they were in it. Mortar ammunition is considered semifixed because the propelling charge is adjustable. My understanding was that the 51mm mortar was issued 1 per plt, used mainly for illumination and smoke, but also for limited fire support. Since then, the 120 mm mortar has become a common standard across nato. An updated version, the l9a1 51mm mortar, is in use today. While other weapons systems, especially precision weapons, have given the grunt more reach than he used to have, the indirect fire capability of the mort.
The m120 is replacing the m30, but both will remain in the us inventory for several years. This booklet was to be sent home to the inductees family so they could see what the training their boy was going thru. Loading and firing present problems of course as most mortars are dropfired. Ammunition for the 51 mm mortar has a small, ringpull safety pin on the side of the nose fuze. The version produced and used by australia is named the f2 81mm mortar, whilst the version used by the u. This booklet is dedicated to the fortyone officers and men of the eightyfirst chemical mortar battalion who made the supreme sacrifice. Enclosed are photos of the small cm98 parts tin for the british 2inch mortar transit chest. Super heavy which refers to 240 mm or larger systems. The mortar is carried in an afv432 or a truck utility light or medium and if necessary can be carried in two, manportable loads of 11.
By world war ii, it could fire as many as 30 bombs per minute, and had a range of over 2500 yards with some shell types. It originated as a joint design by the uk and canada. The fuze type mz95m is nose point detonating fuze, designed fo highexplosive mortar ammunition. Today, the visage of the knee mortar lives on in the form of the commando mortar, models of which are currently being manufactured in austria, chile, spain, turkey, south africa, and elsewhere. The mortar is used to fire smoke, illuminating and he rounds out to a range of approximately 750 m. The story of the century is a small booklet covering the history of the 100th infantry division. The weapon is contrasted with larger artillery pieces, which fire at high velocities, long ranges, and low, direct trajectories. Rare original web muzzle cover for the british 2 mortar, complete with the correct short pattern sling.
Arrived today, this is the first mortar that i have in my collection. Mortar increments general dynamics ordnance and tactical systems is the leading manufacturer of propellants for 60mm, 81mm and 120mm mortar systems. In many ways, it is a modernized version of the type 89 grenade discharger used by the japanese army during world war ii. It is helpful for perspective to see an overview of the general history of mortar. The m1 was a derivative of the french mle 2731 system itself an improved form of the stokes trench mortar of world war 1 fame and slightly altered to suit american needs. Twoinch mortar wikimili, the best wikipedia reader.
The procurement is intended to replce the inservice 51mm mortar system and it is intended that the user shall be providfed with a capability that is man portable and can deliver the following effects. Lime mortar is formulated to match traditional historic mortars, and cementlime mortars are formulated in accordance with astm c270 specifications to provide consistent, reliable results in both performance and appearance. It could fire up to 22 rounds per minute at a range of 1,100 metres 3,600 feet. They are fired at targets which are close, as mortars do not have long range. The 107mm mortar, m30, and the 120mm mortar, m120, are the current us heavy mortars. Army weapons engineers have begun fielding a new lightweight 81mm mortar thats 14 percent lighter than current 81s.