What is a ww1 mortar?
What is a ww1 mortar?
Mortars were among the very first gunpowder weapons, lobbing projectiles in arcs to fall down upon the enemy, as catapults and trebuchets did. This meant the gunners could hit targets who were out of sight and protected by terrain or defenses from the firepower of cannons and handguns.
Is the trench mortar still used today?
It became the standard issue for the British army for several decades and was the most widely used mortar among the Allied armies. Indeed, most mortars in use today are direct descendants of the Stokes mortar.
Who used trench mortars?
| 240 mm Trench Mortar | |
|---|---|
| In service | 1915 – 1918 |
| Used by | France United States Italy Austria-Hungary |
| Wars | World War I |
| Production history |
What is the meaning of the word mortars?
1 : a strong deep bowl in which substances are pounded or crushed with a pestle. 2 : a short light cannon used to shoot shells high into the air. mortar.
Why is a mortar called a mortar?
“short cannon, ordnance piece short in proportion to the size of its bore,” fired at a high angle and meant to secure a vertical fall of the projectile, 1620s, originally mortar-piece (1550s), from French mortier “short cannon,” in Old French, “bowl for mixing or pounding” (see mortar (n. 2)). So called for its shape.
What are types of mortar?
There are four main types of mortar mix: N, O, S, and M. Each type is mixed with a different ratio of cement, lime, and sand to produce specific performance characteristics such as flexibility, bonding properties, and compressive strength.
Who created mortars?
Wilfred Stokes
The prototype of the modern mortar was a three-inch weapon developed by the Englishman Wilfred Stokes in 1915. This consisted of a smooth-bored tube, resting upon a baseplate and supported by a bipod, that had a fixed firing pin at its breech end.
Who used mortars in ww1?
Stokes mortar
| 3 inch Stokes mortar | |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | United Kingdom |
| Service history | |
| Used by | British Empire Belgium French Third Republic Kingdom of Greece Kingdom of Italy Paraguay Netherlands Second Polish Republic Portugal Commonwealth of the Philippines United States |
| Wars | World War I World War II Banana Wars Chaco War |
What are synonyms for mortar?
synonyms for mortar
- howitzer.
- ordnance.
- Big Bertha.
- Long Tom.
- heavy artillery.
What is a trench mortar?
Trench mortars were the army’s most forward artillery, right up on the front line. These short range weapons were able to throw large, high explosive projectiles, short distances across No Man’s Land at the enemy trench system opposite.
What is a 2 inch mortar called?
Nicknamed ‘plum pudding’ or ‘toffee apple’ mortars after their projectile’s characteristic shape, the 2 inch Medium Mortar or 2 inch Trench Howitzer, was one of Britain’s first effective light trench mortars to be introduced. Trench mortars were the army’s most forward artillery, right up on the front line.
What was the difference between medium and light trench mortar batteries?
The Light Trench Mortar Battery would be manned by the infantry (whereas the Medium batteries would be manned by the Royal Field Artillery). At the time of writing this order, the light batteries were armed with a mix of 3-inch Stokes, 3.7-inch and 4-inch mortars but it was intended to standardise on the 3-inch Stokes.
Why did Germany use trench mortars in WW1?
Trench mortars were among the weapons that allowed them to do this, by providing supporting fire that could move forward with the infantry. Germany’s adoption of the trench mortar, coupled with Stokes’s innovative adaptation, created a new feature of modern armies.
