2" Mortar end cap

[Gil Boyd]

What was interesting whilst talking about the 3" mortar, at the Battle of Plaman Mapu in Borneo on the 27th April 1965, the 400 Indonesian Special Forces broke through the perimeter wire and it was clear bombs had to drop within the location where 36 men of 2 PARA were defending.

To enable the bombs to cut short their flight the mortar team, headed by one brave man George Averre, instructed the removal of the charges and the fins, and is attributed with his skill throughout the 2 hour hand to hand battle holding the tube upright as he dropped them exactly where he wanted them each time...........other lads were honoured for their bravery that day, but he got nothing. He dropped 600 rounds this way, a hell of an achievement.

Every soldier, agreed that without his skill as a mortarman, and the in depth knowledge he had, together with his team that day, it would have been highly likely that the new Malaysian Federation would have been lost, as well as themselves being executed so President Sokarno could have made a point!

[browningautorifle]

"Remove before Firing "

Sounds like the cap that went on over the fuze on the pointy end. Had to come off so it would work.

He dropped 600 rounds

That would have been a hot tube, even on charge zero...ignition cartridge only...

[CINDERS]

From my collection a live ICANZ 3" actuator/ignition cartridge for the 3" this piece goes inside the base of the fins you then attach the bags to the space between the fins dependent on range required its roughly about the size of a 12Ga note firing flap which strikes the flat pin at the base of the tube the flap has a tiny firing pin on it.

[browningautorifle]

That flap looks like it needs to be removed before firing. The firing pin at the bottom of the 60 or 81 mm mortar is pointed and contacts the primer directly like any other firing mech... I'd say that whole rim thing has to come off the cartridge before it can be installed. They slide up inside the tailfins and they look just like a 12 ga shotgun shell for the 81...we got cases for replacement in the practise tailfins.

[Gil Boyd]

Jim,
Yes by all accounts from his mortar team, "fluids" were used at various stages, but as you can imagine, with the enemy inside the wire, there was little time for a sustained flow or stream

The cook on the location was the man chucking up 2" Para Illum throughout the battle. He had never fired it before in his life.............shows you what ANY soldier can do with fast basic training with something so simple but highly effective in the right hands. Just because he was a Chef, doesn't preclude him from being a soldier first!!

[Flying10uk]

The cook on the location was the man chucking up 2" Para Illum throughout the battle. He had never fired it before in his life.............shows you what ANY soldier can do with fast basic training with something so simple but highly effective in the right hands. Just because he was a Chef, doesn't preclude him from being a soldier first!!

It reminds me of the time, years ago, of seeing on a television news report one of our politicians visiting some soldiers doing some training involving live firing of mortars, probably on Salisbury Plain. As may be predicted the politician was asked if he would like to "have a go" with the mortar. I was amazed to see that the politician inserted the mortar round into the tube upside down with the fins pointing skywards. Fortunately one of the soldiers grabbed the round before the politician let go of it but I did wonder how anyone could be so stupid as to insert a mortar round into the tube the wrong way.

[CINDERS]

What do you expect F10 from an elected idiot!

Here are a couple of pics #1 showing the F/P on the flap pic #2 the case sat upside down highlighting the cartridge can be inserted with the base on we can see the rim acts as a support against the base of the opening so it is not pushed further into the tail fin when it strikes the F/post at the bottom of the tube causing a possible misfire.
I obviously did not insert it correctly as its a very tight fit and the last thing I want is that stuck in the tail piece with an out of the blue inspection by the Police to ensure compliance with my collectors license as for now it is just another live cartridge.

[browningautorifle]

Just because he was a Chef, doesn't preclude him from being a soldier first!!

They all have to train with the rifle and shoot anuals...

I was amazed to see that the politician inserted the mortar round into the tube upside down with the fins pointing skywards. Fortunately one of the soldiers grabbed the round before the politician let go of it but I did wonder how anyone could be so stupid as to insert a mortar round into the tube the wrong way.

I had an infantryman do the exact same thing. The pointy end seems to want to go in easier. I asked him the exact same thing and he still holds it against me as harsh treatment...30 years later. Fortunately I know when to say "I don't give a f*ck"...and he doesn't matter. Outside users of equipment need to be supervised closely by a soldier. Been there done that.

the cartridge can be inserted with the base on

I see...it's just that I've seen lots of them and this piece has never been in the picture...it's something that could end up staying down in the tube and be a stoppage...but I see it could maybe fire this way. I've unpackaged hundreds of 81's, not 3" so I can't be definitive...maybe Peter...

[Flying10uk]

Jim, if a mortar round was dropped down the tube the wrong way is it almost certain to explode in the tube or is it just a possibility, please? I would assume that there is a very high probability of it doing so, but not having been trained on mortars, I am not certain.

[Brit plumber]

I'm not a mortar expert but I have worked on bomb fuzes for a long time. They have SADs or safe arm devices so that they can't go off if dropped. They need a substantial force to rotate the SAD into alignment with the explosive chain, even 27mm Mauser ammunition has them. They require a large forward force and a large centripetal force to align the ex train. I would imagine mortars being the same or similar.