Com-Central.net

(From : mailer.fsu.edu/~akirk/...ralian.htm )

Thats pretty cool. Three inch mortar is about an 81mm or slightly smaller isn't it? That doesn't look very safe or stabil. Possibly a posed picture since they appear to be in the barracks area. WWII time frame?

- SFC_Jeff_Button

Thats pretty cool. Three inch mortar is about an 81mm or slightly smaller isn't it? That doesn't look very safe or stabil. Possibly a posed picture since they appear to be in the barracks area. WWII time frame?

3" = 76.2mm. The vehicle is an Australian Universal Carrier of WW2 vintage. Unladen weight of 11,200 pounds. Not a lot of protection for the crew, you're right. And yes, it would seem to be a staged publicity photo.

what brought you to this site to find this picture? You aren't a "closet" mortarman are you?

- SFC_Jeff_Button

what brought you to this site to find this picture? You aren't a "closet" mortarman are you?

Actually, it's your fault! After seeing all the great - and often strange - photos you've been posting, i thought i'd take a look and see what i could find. When i came across the UC mortar photo i figured you might like to see it.

(And yes, i am quite intrigued by mortars. I was never in the military, so i'm not really sure where that comes from.)

(Unless it was that episode of Gomer Pyle, the one where they thought they were missing a live mortar round.....)

I really enjoy the technical portion, research questions, and specific information provided, but I like to add some "light-heartedness" to the mix. Sometimes the pictures dont get much response, other times they might go 2 pages long in the thread. I just "Google" some term, phrase, or topic thats military related and see what pops up, if I think others would like it, I post it. Strangely I haven't really looked for odd Mortar pics, maybe I'll start now.

- SFC_Jeff_Button

Strangely I haven't really looked for odd Mortar pics, maybe I'll start now.

I hope you do. At least you'll have some idea what you're looking at!

Hey Jeff

you ought to go visit this toy at Aberdeen. Must be "hog Heaven" for a mortarman






Jeff Lewis

Little David - a one of a kind 36" Mortar.

It was actually developed to lob bombs for testing purposes but when the plans for the Invasion of Japan were developed someone got the idea of deploying it as a bunker buster.

The box is actually the mounting. a bulldozer/ shovel (Or a couple troops who are in real hot water with the 1st Sergeant) would dig a pit that the box would be driven into and backfilled around. The barrell is then placed on a the mount in the box. It is muzzel loaded, and that is a round sitting next to it.

Jeff - we have to figure a way to get you up to Aberdeen while you are at Ft Useless

I would like that, how far did you say it was driving wise? I will be there over 5 weekends. April 1-2 through April 29-30. I believe my parents will be visiting Easter weekend, 15&16th. The dates I'll be at Eustis are 24 March through 5 May. This is an AIT course where I will be surrounded by privates fresh out of basic phase of training. I'm not exactly sure what to expect as far as a schedule. I should out rank the instructors but I don't know how tight the training schedule is, ie; do they have weekend field time etc... I will have my laptop and will stay in touch on this DG. I plan to take lots of pictures and log alot of serial/USA numbers as time allows.

Maybe this is a little more up your alley.....?

- Jinx

Maybe this is a little more up your alley.....?

That'd be good....Jeff can shoot and I'll drive.

But who's coming along to take the pictures?????

Looks that about 56 rounds could be carried in the ammo storage bins. They would have been stored with the fins up. Today all rounds are stored on their sides unless they are WP (white phos). WP needs to be stored on end so that the round does not become unbalanced from the WP shifting weight in the projectile. I dug up the following on the M1, 81mm Mortar system.

The 81 mm mortar provides air assault, airborne, ranger, and light infantry rifle companies with an effective, efficient, and flexible weapon, typically found in the mortar platoon of an infantry battalion. The 81mm mortar is a smooth-bore, muzzle-loaded, high-angle, indirect fire weapon consisting of a barrel, sight, bipod, and base plate.

The 81mm M1 Mortar was developed for use in World War II from a French design. The 136 pound M1 was designed to be man-portable when broken down into three components, the tube, the bipod mount, and the round baseplate, each about 45 pounds. The rectangular base plate allowed for firing in any direction. In its mechanized version, the M1 rode in the M4, M4A1 and M21 half-track Mortar Carriers. The photo to the right is an 81mm M1 Mortar preserved at the Highland Lakes Museum, Burnett, TX. Photo: Courtesy of Bob Pettit. Click for larger size.

The 81mm M1 Mortar could cover a range of from 200 to 3290 yards (meters) with the M43A1 HE ammunition. Its tube was 3ft, 9.5 inches in length. The field manual was FM 23-90 "81mm Mortar M1", with 1942 and later dates. The M1 mortar was used during WW II and Korea. Photo, left, shows 81mm rounds in canisters, Camp Carson, CO, 24 April 1943.

[img][/img]

[img][/img]
Mortar company of the 92nd Division firing on German positions near Massa, Italy, November 1944.
(81mm M1 Mortar).
Here is the M1 system in action. I love these photo's!