Mortar Questions

[stab131]

1. When was the 50mm mortar taken out of the Infantry Companies?

2. What was the basic load (number of rounds) that the crew carried with the weapon?

3. What was the basic load for the 81mm mortar?

Jeff

[sniper1shot]

50mm? Do you mean 60mm as we still use them today.

Mortar crews were somewhat mechanised as they couldn't carry any rounds due to carrying the Mortar and gear.

Soviets had the rifle companies carry the bombs.......1 soldier=1 bomb.

Canadians got rid of the 81mm in '04. Not sure if the US or Brits got rid of theirs.....I believe they still use them. Canada made a HUGE mistake moving the Mortars to the Artillery arm and out of the Infantry.

[Christoph Awender]

Hello Jeff

1) Officially with the change to the KStN Schtz.Kp. neuer Art 01.10.43 but because of the low efficiency it was not used long before. I can´t give you an exact date if there was any at all before.

2) 5 ammo boxes á 10 rounds

\Christoph

[Reb]

Snipershot

the Americans seemed to put a lot of faith in the 60mm mortors. The Germans found their 50mm to be sort of limp and abandoned it. Ultimately they added 120mm mortors. (US had 4.2 "chemical" mortor but not organic to regiments or bns)

I would truly like to know if the Germans considered our 60mm as much of a threat or if it actually was superior in some way to their 50mm.

Perhaps, given the firepower disadvantage the US forces had at the platoon and co. level I presume that every little bit helped. (we were somewhat outclassed at that level by German utilization of MG and mortor assets - we got better with mortors but MG tactics remained a German specialty)

Note - I'm assuming no artillery intervention when I speak of firepower advantage at that level. Obviously allied artillery made the war winning difference at the tactical level.

cheers
Reb

[stab131]

50mm? Do you mean 60mm as we still use them today.

No, German forces entered the war the 50mm mortar in the infantry company.

Jeff

[stab131]

Hello Jeff

1) Officially with the change to the KStN Schtz.Kp. neuer Art 01.10.43 but because of the low efficiency it was not used long before. I can´t give you an exact date if there was any at all before.

2) 5 ammo boxes á 10 rounds

\Christoph

Thank you!


Follow up: Is that 5 boxes, 2 rounds a box for a total of 10 rounds total, or 5 boxes, 10 rounds a box for a total of 50 rounds?

We are trying to replicate basic loads for an upcoming tactial.


Jeff

[Christoph Awender]

Hello

It is 5 ammo boxes á 10 rounds. The squadleader carrries one box and two boxes each the 2 ammo soldiers.

\Christoph

[5RANGLIAN]

50mm? Do you mean 60mm as we still use them today.

Mortar crews were somewhat mechanised as they couldn't carry any rounds due to carrying the Mortar and gear.

Soviets had the rifle companies carry the bombs.......1 soldier=1 bomb.

Canadians got rid of the 81mm in '04. Not sure if the US or Brits got rid of theirs.....I believe they still use them. Canada made a HUGE mistake moving the Mortars to the Artillery arm and out of the Infantry.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-VKRWOkgzU Brit 81mm mortars in action in AFG

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bP1BoSHg ... ed&search=

around 0:50; 51mm in action in AFG. Still a useful weapon, but it also depends on what the oposition have got.

[David W]

So haow many 50mm Mortars in a Scheutzen Battalion 1941/2?