USMC M327 120MM Mortar A'stan

03USMC

Active member
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ae8JCsY2As"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ae8JCsY2As[/ame]
 
Maximum elevation is for close combat, keep your heads down after dropping the round! :camo:
 
Bad A$$! Them tubes were almost straight up...makes one wonder.

Maximum elevation is for close combat, keep your heads down after dropping the round! :camo:

A mortar round has a very steep arc while the artillery round has a flatter trajectory. Also mortars fire rounds at slower speeds than artillery so they must be fired at a higher angle to achieve any range.
 
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A mortar round has a very steep arc while the artillery round has a flatter trajectory. Also mortars fire rounds at slower speeds than artillery so they must be fired at a higher angle to achieve any range.

Yes but depending on the charge and the elevation, suffice to say max elevation on a mortar generally means your dropping pretty close, dunno abot the 120mm could be different than 81's and 60's.
 
Yes but depending on the charge and the elevation, suffice to say max elevation on a mortar generally means your dropping pretty close, dunno abot the 120mm could be different than 81's and 60's.
I have absolutely no experience in this field, but physics would say that you are 100% correct.

Once you exceed 45 degrees the trajectory becomes higher and shorter, to the point at 90 degrees where theoretically it would land right back down the tube.

A nice piece of kit.
 
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45 degrees makes sense with a cannon, while mortars would have an elevation far higher than that, some 50-80 degrees if my memory is correct.

The 90 degree-theory is often debated, but usually on spin-stabilized projectiles, and it's generally considered a bad idea to try it out. ;-)
 
45 degrees makes sense with a cannon, while mortars would have an elevation far higher than that, some 50-80 degrees if my memory is correct.

The 90 degree-theory is often debated, but usually on spin-stabilized projectiles, and it's generally considered a bad idea to try it out. ;-)

Mortars work on the same basic theory as a howitzer. Elevation-Deflection-Charge. The main difference in theory being that the angle of fire for a mortar is always high angle.

The more radical the the elevation the higher the elevation the higher the charge the more "range", however with a tube at max elevation a greater charge is simply going to increase time of flight of the round in the upward portion of the arc and extend the range very little.

Meaning generally, the closer the target to be engaged, the higher the elevation on the tube, and generally the lower the charge/c-charges on the round. The further the distance to the intended target the lower the elevation and the higher the charge. However in the case of targets in defilade it can change up.

Take a look:
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FBhIbyeVUE"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FBhIbyeVUE[/ame]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6sU19303R8"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6sU19303R8[/ame]

Notice elevation differences?
 
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Ah yes, mortars isn't just about elevation, but also the number of "donuts" left on the grenade when it enters the stovepipe. :smil:

My fault, never been in the "infantry support" role, ours was merely for laying a defensive barrage from static positions.
 
Ah yes, mortars isn't just about elevation, but also the number of "donuts" left on the grenade when it enters the stovepipe. :smil:

My fault, never been in the "infantry support" role, ours was merely for laying a defensive barrage from static positions.

Even in a defensive position firing defensive fires or FPF it varies it's called direct lay as opposed to firing off FDC coordinates.

Direct Lay.


[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBkcQ9b7Ot0"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBkcQ9b7Ot0[/ame]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPy2l7ZSJjM&feature=related"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPy2l7ZSJjM&feature=related[/ame]

We have a weapon that nobody loves
They say that our gun's a disgrace
You crank up 200, and 200 more
And it lands in the very same place.
Oh, there's many a gunner who's blowing his top
Observers are all going mad.
But our affection has lasted
For this old pig-iron bastard
It's the best gun this world ever had.

The Mortarman's Lament

Anonymous
 
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