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Mortars are also highly effective when used from concealed positions, such as the natural escarpments on hillsides or from woods, especially if forward observers are being employed in strategic positions to direct fire, an arrangement where the mortar is in relatively close proximity both to its forward observer and its target, allowing for ...
M-80s were originally made in the mid 20th century for the U.S. military to simulate explosives or artillery fire. The "M" is designated by a U.S. military convention for "standard" equipment and "80" is for the 80 grains (5.2 grams) of flash powder within it. [ 2 ]
M4 Collimator sight, used for both indirect fire and direct lay missions. The U.S. M2 60 mm mortar was licensed from French Brandt company to supplement the 81 mm M1 mortar and to provide a lighter-weight alternative to company-level fire support. [1] The M2 was intended to bridge the gap between the 81 mm mortar and the hand grenade.
An explosive charge would then ignite the incendiary material, often starting a raging fire. The fire would burn at extreme temperatures that could destroy most buildings made of wood or other combustible materials (buildings constructed of stone tend to resist incendiary destruction unless they are first blown open by high explosives).
A WP mortar bomb explosion during manoeuvres in France, 15 August 1918 The British Army introduced the first factory-built white phosphorus grenades in late 1916 during the First World War . During the war, white phosphorus mortar bombs, shells, rockets, and grenades were used extensively by American , Commonwealth , and, to a lesser extent ...
The mortar can be fired in the conventional mode or the handheld mode. This smoothbore system can be gravity-fired or fired by using a manual spring-loaded trigger. It is typically fielded at the infantry company level. A small mortar section with two mortars was organic to Army rifle companies (light, airborne, air assault) and Ranger ...
Heavy mortars are traditionally employed at battalion-level for immediate fire suppression and support, but they were the primary indirect fire weapon available to remote forward operating bases, so guided mortars gave a battalion commander accurate artillery fire without needing to request an M982 Excalibur from a brigade-level howitzer. The ...
Anti-submarine mortars are artillery pieces deployed on ships for the purpose of sinking submarines by a direct hit with a small explosive charge. They are often larger versions of the mortar used by infantry and fire a projectile in relatively the same manner.