120-PM-43 mortar

M1943 Mortar
120mm PM-43 mortar
Type Mortar
Place of origin Soviet Union
Service history
Wars Eastern Front (World War II)
Vietnam War
Lebanese Civil War
Soviet war in Afghanistan
Gulf War
Specifications
Weight combat: 275 kg (606 lb)
Crew 6
Caliber 120 mm (4.7 in)
Breech muzzle loaded
Elevation +45° to +80°
Rate of fire 9 rpm maximum, 70 rds/hr sustained
Muzzle velocity 272 m/s (890 ft/s) Frag-HE & HE
Effective firing range 5,700 m (6,200 yd) maximum, 500 m (550 yd) minimum

The M1943 Mortar also known as the SAMOVAR is a Soviet 120 millimeter calibre smoothbore mortar first introduced in 1943 as a modified version of the M1938 mortar. It virtually replaced the M1938 as the standard weapon for mortar batteries in all Soviet infantry battalions by the late 1980s, though the armies of the Warsaw Pact utilised both in their forces.[1]

This muzzle-loading mortar can be easily broken down into three parts - barrel, bipod and baseplate - for movement over short distances or towed by a GAZ-66 truck on a two-wheel tubular carriage. The baseplate mounting permits all-azimuth firing, however as with most Soviet mortars it was difficult to turn rapidly over a wide traverse. It could accommodate small-angle shifts of up to 6 degrees without having to shift the baseplate though.[2]

An improved version called the 2B11 Sani was also produced by the Soviets and, in combination with the 2B9 Vasilek, was being used to phase out the M1943 from service.[3]

Users

and others

References

  1. ↑ US Army, FM 100-2-3 The Soviet Army: Troops, Organization and Equipment, 5-60
  2. ↑ US Army, FM 100-2-3 The Soviet Army: Troops, Organization and Equipment, 5-60
  3. ↑ US Army, FM 100-2-3 The Soviet Army: Troops, Organization and Equipment, 5-60
  4. ↑ Bhatia, Michael Vinai; Sedra, Mark (May 2008). Small Arms Survey, ed. Afghanistan, Arms and Conflict: Armed Groups, Disarmament and Security in a Post-War Society. Routledge. p. 66. ISBN 978-0-415-45308-0.
  5. 1 2 Rottman, Gordon L. (10 Feb 2009). North Vietnamese Army Soldier 1958–75. Warrior 135. Osprey Publishing. p. 32. ISBN 9781846033711.
  6. ↑ Rottman, Gordon L. (1993). Armies of the Gulf War. Elite 45. Osprey Publishing. p. 49. ISBN 9781855322776.
  7. ↑ Small Arms Survey (2012). "Blue Skies and Dark Clouds: Kazakhstan and Small Arms" (PDF). Small Arms Survey 2012: Moving Targets. Cambridge University Press. p. 131. ISBN 978-0-521-19714-4.
  8. ↑ US Department of Defense. "120mm M-1943 Mortar". North Korea Country Handbook 1997, Appendix A: Equipment Recognition (PDF). p. A-91.


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