- M2 Mortar
The M2 Mortar is a
smoothbore ,muzzle loading , high angle of fireweapon used by U.S. forces inWorld War II , theKorean War , and theVietnam War for lightinfantry support.Description
The U.S. M2 60 mm mortar was developed from the heavier 81 mm M1 Mortar to provide a lighter-weight alternative to company-level fire support. [Norris, John and Calow, Robert, "Infantry Mortars of World War II", Osprey Publishing (2002), ISBN 1841764140, 9781841764146, p. 15] The M2 attempted to bridge the gap between the 80 mm mortar and the
hand grenade . Normally employed by the weaponsplatoon of a U.S. infantrycompany , the M2 is of the usual mortar pattern of the day. ["U.S. Army M2 60 mm Mortar" http://www.bloodybucket.com/Weapons%20Company/M260mmMortar] [Norris, John and Calow, Robert, "Infantry Mortars of World War II", Osprey Publishing (2002), ISBN 1841764140, 9781841764146, p. 15] It consists of a smoothbore metal tube on a rectangularbaseplate , supported by a simplebipod with theelevation andtraverse mechanisms. The firing pin was fixed in the base cap of the tube, and thebomb was fired automatically when it dropped down the barrel. Though classed as a light mortar, the M2 had considerable range compared to the 50 mm and 60 mm mortars of most other nations, and its fixed-firing pin design allowed a high rate of fire by trained crews. [Norris, John and Calow, Robert, "Infantry Mortars of World War II", Osprey Publishing (2002), ISBN 1841764140, 9781841764146, p. 15]History
During the late 1920s the
US Army began examining mortars to act as a light infantry support weapon. The War Department eventually settled on a 60 mm design fromEdgar Brandt , a French ordnance engineer, and purchased a license to build the weapon. The model was standardized as the Mortar, 60 mm M2. Testing took place in the late 1930s, and the first order for 1,500 M2 mortars was placed in January, 1940.The weapon was used throughout World War II by the U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps. It saw service again in the Korean War, and by French forces in counterinsurgency campaigns in
Indochina andAlgeria . During theVietnam War , the M2 was again used by the U.S. Army and Marines, as well as South Vietnamese forces.Ammunition
The M2 Mortar could fire several types of
ammunition .
#M49A2 High explosive (HE): Used against infantry and other light targets
#M302White phosphorus (WP): Used as a signaling, screening, smoke-producing, and casualty-producing tool
#M83 Illuminating round: Used in night missions requiring illumination for assistance in observation.References
* Hogg, Ian (2000). "Twentieth-Century Artillery". Friedman/Fairfax Publishers. ISBN 1-58663-299-X
* Norris, John and Calow, Robert, "Infantry Mortars of World War II", Osprey Publishing (2002), ISBN 1841764140, 9781841764146 cite web|work=Kortegaard Engineering|title=60 mm M2 Mortar |url=http://www.rt66.com/~korteng/SmallArms/60mm.htm |accessdate=September 1 |accessyear=2006
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