MORTAR FAILURES

[CINDERS]

At Northam Army Camp in 1970 in the cadets we watched a firepower demo they had a 3" mortar crew set up and I gather using full charges as they got 10 in the air and had finished before the first bomb hit they were not resetting after each bomb just volume fire you could follow them till they went into the clouds as they were fairly low that day it was quite impressive a good solid boom as well.
At the camp when we first got there and de-trucked we were all in a hall sat quietly listening to the OC of the camp about the Rules & Regs whilst there when the b*rstards chucked in a hand grenade simulator and this chap in shredded JG's came screaming in with what I gather was fake blood or ketchup all over him and as a 13 y/o it scared the cr*p out of me, the regulars just cracked up laughing but our whole unit was all white faced and scared as hell.

[Gil Boyd]

Must admit Peter, when they finally put the white draw line down the 2" mortar tube, I was quite good at dropping them where they were needed. Loved it as an effective weapon, downside, you needed a pack mule to carry enough HE to make it worth it, especially as Airborne troops!!

[browningautorifle]

3" mortar crew set up and I gather using full charges as they got 10 in the air and had finished before the first bomb hit

Sounds about right. That way at max elevation on a rapid shoot...and a good #2 doing it 10 rds could be imagined.

Once the mortar teams are gelled together they're a superb example of co-ordination.

It was nice to be a skilled tech within the battalion of so many clods... Guys would say "Oh, the mortar, I've fired the mortar"... Not this one you haven't.

the little 2"

Loved it as an effective weapon

They made an excellent 100 or 200 yd grenade for supporting an assault group. Better than the M72 as they had more smack and frag. Yes, limited by ammunition weight.