M1943 160mm (MT-13)

History

The M1943 (also known as "MT-13") was a heavy field mortar used by the Soviet Army during the second half of World War II. Unique to this particular mortar system is its large caliber 160mm projectile, which somewhat precludes its use as a "quick-set" infantry weapon (compared to the existing smaller man-portable 60mm and 81 mm units are opposite).

After Germany invaded the Soviet Union through Operation Barbarossa in June 1941, every weapon available to the Soviet Union was of great importance, and the M1943 and its large-caliber shells proved to be a devastating and lethal weapon in the Red Army's arsenal. Deployed sometime in 1943, the weapon became the heaviest battlefield mortar used by the Soviet Union in the conflict - what the Communists called the "Great Patriotic War".

The M1943 was developed due to the need for resource-poor military operations. For years, the Soviet Army had waged an all-out war and needed a cost-effective solution to help deliver quantitative high-explosive ordnance to a determined and ready enemy.

The Red Army needed a powerful weapon that could focus on fighting the enemy within a certain range, or attack the excavated point targets with the same zeal on the plains and mountains.

The M1943 is based in both form and function on the earlier M1938 120mm mortar system, itself a direct replica of the excellent Brandt mortar system designed in France in 1935. However, the M1938 is a front-loading weapon in much the same way as any conventional mortar system.

The difficulty faced by Soviet engineers was fitting the 160mm projectile into the nearly 10-foot-long launch tube, especially when the tube was raised from the ground to create the desired launch arc. So engineers devised a breech-loading mechanism for the new weapon and installed an impressive suppression system to counter the effects of the violent recoil inherent in firing a projectile of this size. A circular convex base plate is attached to the rear of the launch tube to help delay the recoil effect.

The tube is also mounted on a two-wheeled transport system to facilitate transportation in mobile vehicles or armored personnel carriers. Wheels also serve rifle packs well when moving short distances or aiming the weapon at a target area when needed.

As a breech-loading weapon, the M1943 had a rotatable launch tube that opened forward about halfway through to allow full access to the firing chamber. After the 160mm shell is loaded, the barrel returns to its original position, effectively closing the breech and ready to fire. The M1943's operating weight remained at 2,580 pounds, and the projectile itself weighed 90 pounds, both features requiring multiple crews. Altitude is limited to +45 to +80 degrees, and 25 degrees laterally. A well-trained rifleman can fire 10 rounds per minute at a range of up to 5,600 yards at a muzzle velocity of 804 feet per second.

Given its high payload, this is a truly effective battlefield weapon - and Bundeswehr soldiers will pay the ultimate price.

After World War II, the M1943 continued to serve the Red Army and its interests in Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Romania and Syria. The M1943 was subsequently replaced in Soviet service by the M-160, a 160mm mortar system that retained the proven M1943's breech-loading principle, but with a longer barrel and therefore greater inherent range.

Although the 160mm-class mortar is not highly regarded in today's technology-oriented world, it is still in service in some remote locations around the world.

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