 |
|
Personnel
of the Saskatoon Light Infantry firing mortar in the
vicinity of Ortona, Italy, 5 January 1944. From left
to right, Privates Bill Park, Andy Jannock, Joe Armstrong,
and Corporal Alex Buchanan.
|
| Photo by Alexander
M. Stirton. Department of National Defence / National
Archives of Canada, PA-116845. |
|
During the Second World War, mortars were used
by infantry for immediate support. Smooth-bore weapons which projected
"bombs" over short distances at high trajectories (greater
than 45 degrees), mortars basically consisted of an inclined barrel
mounted on a baseplate which channelled the recoil shock into the
ground, supported by a bi-pod or tri-pod. Mortar bombs usually had
fins to stabilize their flight, and had the propellant charge fixed
to the tail end. To fire, the bomb was simply dropped into the barrel,
the propellant charge being ignited upon contact with a firing pin
at the base.
The British and Canadian armies used three types
of mortars:
| Mortars |
2-inch |
3-inch |
4.2 inch |
| Calibre |
51 mm |
76 mm |
107 mm |
| Projectile
weight |
1.1 kg |
4.5 kg |
9 kg |
| Range |
90-450 m |
450-1400 m (charge I);850-2500
m (charge II) |
960-2500 m (charge I);1400-3750
m (charge II) |
|
