Mortar, 60mm M2

History

The M2 60mm light mortar served with the US Army and Navy during World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War, and has been the standard light company mortar since 1940. The weapon is a licensed production copy of the 60mm mortar system, designed by the talented French weapons engineer Edgar William Brandt (1880-1960) and developed by the U.S. Army Ordnance Department for use in the United States.

The 60mm model was derived from the 81mm M1 mortar, which in turn was derived from another Brandt design. The decision behind the development of the 60mm M2 mortar was to provide U.S. infantry forces with man-portable fire support on the battlefield - just like the portability of a grenade and the firepower of an 81mm mortar.

Beginning in the 1920s, the U.S. Army sought to procure light mortar systems to meet this need. Several mortar designs were considered, but Edgar Brandt's 60mm design was chosen, with permission to produce the French system in the United States. U.S.

Army assessments quickly followed, spanning much of the 1930s, with the first final production order of about 1,500 prototypes beginning sometime in January 1940. The official name for the US version is "Morser, 60 mm M2".

The M2 consists of three main components: the launch tube, the baseplate and the bipod. The ignition tube is sleek and metal and weighs 12.8 lbs. The tube sits on an additional 12.8 lb M5 rectangular metal base. A 16.4-pound bipod mounts to the upper half of the tube, allowing the gun to be placed at an angle. The M2 system weighs 42 pounds and has a barrel length of 28.6 inches.

The mortar system can be fully positioned along its firing axis by means of a mechanism attached to the bipod hinge, allowing high accuracy in firing range. The fact that the M2 was able to outperform many of the light mortars of the time also explains the popularity of this weapon since then. Their height limits have been listed as +40 to +85 degrees and 7 degrees laterally. The operator uses the M4 collimator sight for trajectory adjustment (same sight as the M1 81m mortar system).

The bottom cap is located in the tube and contains the firing pin. As a muzzle-loading weapon, the operator simply drops the mortar round into the nozzle, protecting himself from subsequent detonation.

This method of operation allows the mortar battery to provide steady and precise fire in support of infantry operations ahead. A trained aircrew can effectively fire 18 rounds in a minute, with a range of 100 to 2,000 yards, and each projectile has a potential blast radius of 17 to 35 feet.

Well-trained crews can achieve a maximum rate of fire of 30 to 35 rounds per minute, with an extreme rate of fire of 100 rounds per minute!

The 60mm, 2.94lb mortar shell is inherently solid in shape, tapered at both ends, and stabilized in flight by multiple static ribs. The muzzle velocity is about 518 feet per second. Available ammunition types include the main M49A2 high-explosive (HE) round, the M302 white phosphorous smoke round and the 3.5 lb M83 tracer round (25 sec burn time). The M302 appeared in the latter part of World War II, both as a cover for friendly operations and as a deadly incendiary bomb against enemy personnel.

Practice wheels are provided for target training.

In practice, the M2 has proven to be extremely reliable and accurate as an indirect fire support weapon. The mortar system can be deployed at any time and aimed at high-angle fire both offensively and defensively. With this capability, the M2 proves invaluable when fighting enemies deep into ditches, ravines or hillsides.

About 60,000 M2 systems were produced during World War II alone. Production was taken over by Firestone Tire and Rubber Company, Read Machinery Company and Kennedy-Van Saun Corporation.

M2 has maintained its own limitations throughout the service. Perhaps the most detrimental is the overall weight of the system, and the weight of the ammunition. While portable, the combined weight of the M2's bipod, launch tube, and base plate ultimately adds up, and a mortar squad's battlefield lethality lasts as long as its ammunition supply. Additionally, any mortar system will suffer when attacking enemies hidden under cover of dense forest or jungle canopy, where projectiles may be impenetrable. Beyond that, however, mortar teams proved invaluable to base rifle companies during the war.

60mm mortars served U.S. military personnel in the European and Pacific theatersin the latter, they proved most effective against entrenched and sometimes suicidal Japanese forces.

A typical WWII naval mortar squad is part of a rifle company weapons platoon, whose squad leader is a sergeant. Three mortar squads were part of this section and were commanded by a corporal. The Mortar Detachment consisted of 16 Marines.

In May 1944, the platoons were cancelled and the mortar divisions were transferred to the control of the company headquarters while fighting under the orders of the rifle company commanders. Twenty Marines now form the new 60mm mortar unit.

The M2 was also used by French troops in Algeria and Indochina, and by South Vietnamese troops in Vietnam.

Edgar Brandt's 60mm, 81mm and 120mm mortar systems became the standard in the rest of the military world after World War II and his designs were copied to the extreme. His expertise has also contributed to the development of HEAT-based rifle grenades and HEAT warheads. He is credited with inventing artillery shells with released shells.

Although its original company started as "etablissements Brandt" in 1902, today it has grown into TDA Armements SAS, part of the Thales Group.

The 60mm mortar is known as the commander's "bum pack gun" because of its portability.

Mortar, 60mm M2 gauge

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