Soviet medium mortars in T2K

[dragoon500ly]

[QUOTE=Abbott Shaull;31572]I know in WWII Infantry Company, there may or may not be a mortar attached at Platoon level as well as other assets.[\QUOTE]

The WWII weapons platoon had two M1919A4 LMGs and 3 60mm mortars.
The WWII weapons company had 8 M1917A2 HMGs and 6 81mm mortars.
The Chemical Mortar Battalions were the only ones with the 4.2-inch. It was popular as a hard hitting and accurate mortar, going into the Korean War, this is where the infantry regiment heavy mortar battery showed up, replacing the older cannon company with 8 4.2-inch.

Honestly I tend to agree that 120mm Mortar would be standard indirect fire piece used at Brigade and Regimental Level with few remaining artillery pieces they may have. While at Battalion Level, you would see some either 120mm or medium Mortars in support organized as Platoon or maybe as Battery that controlled all Mortar assets that are farmed out to Companies on the need basis, much like the Mechanized Battalion Anti-Tank Company.

The Mortar unit may have two type of Mortars. One they use in encampment and when they are one campaigns, and smaller on they use when they are on patrols supporting assets of the command they support.

Just some thoughts.

Have to agree here, the larger mortars would be held at the brigade or higher level or even issued to DivArty to replace the destroyed/worn out tubes. The battalion level would most likely see 81mm/60mm/Wojo/PVC/junkshop rejects. If the company had the transport then I can see 60mm be issued, but it would be more likely that the heavy weapons would be grouped with "next higher".

[Abbott Shaull]

The Soviet were known to have larger size Mortars in higher level HQs too. I don't remember the size of these mortars, but I think one was like 240mm and I seem to recall they had one more also. But I don't have the Soviet Equipment where I can see it.

[dragoon500ly]

Originally Posted by Abbott Shaull

The Soviet were known to have larger size Mortars in higher level HQs too. I don't remember the size of these mortars, but I think one was like 240mm and I seem to recall they had one more also. But I don't have the Soviet Equipment where I can see it.

For a time, the Soviets used 160mm mortars (as do the Israelis currently), By the late 1980s, they were only fielding the 240mm mortar, it's a Front-level assest (one battalion worth)

The M-240 first entered service in 1952. Has a crew of 8-9 men. Weight of the mortar towed is 4,240kg; in firing position its 3,610kg. It can fire HE, Chemical and Nuclear rounds. Maximum range is 9,700m; minimum range is 800m. Max rate of fire is 1 rd/min with a maximum sustained rate of fire for the 1st hour of 38 rounds. Unit of fire is 40 rounds. The M-240 is no longer in production and has been replaced with: the M-1975 SP 240mm mortar. Its stats are roughly the same, although the maximum range has been increased to 12,000m.

The M-160 mortar entered service in 1953 and was mostly issued to those motor rifle divisions with a mountain warfare role. It has a crew of 6-7 men. In the towing position it weighs 1,314kg. In the firing position, it weighs 1,291kg. It's only round is a Frag-HE bomb. Maximum range is 8,040m with a minimum range of 750m. Max rate of fire is 3 rd/min with a sustained rate of fire for the 1st hour of 48 rounds. Unit of fire is 60 rounds.

[Abbott Shaull]

Yeah they were fairly large mortars which I always found odd since most Artillery except for the Heavy Artillery by the 1980s was either 155mm or 152mm. The Heavy Artillery would be 175mm or 8 inch in size.

160mm and the 240mm Mortar would of been not fun to be under their fire for any length of time. Gives you some idea how deep Divisional and Frontal assets would be able to operate from their front line trace.

Then again we all know with modern Mechanized Warfare, there is no such thing as front line, but more or less front area....

[Panther Al]

Originally Posted by Abbott Shaull

Yeah they were fairly large mortars which I always found odd since most Artillery except for the Heavy Artillery by the 1980s was either 155mm or 152mm. The Heavy Artillery would be 175mm or 8 inch in size.

160mm and the 240mm Mortar would of been not fun to be under their fire for any length of time. Gives you some idea how deep Divisional and Frontal assets would be able to operate from their front line trace.

Then again we all know with modern Mechanized Warfare, there is no such thing as front line, but more or less front area....

That big ole 240 always boggled my mind: Why on earth would one that large be needed? The answer, to lob nukes. OK, now that's just a little bit of overkill there wouldn't you say? Nuclear mortar rounds is just plain wrong.

[dragoon500ly]

Originally Posted by Panther Al

That big ole 240 always boggled my mind: Why on earth would one that large be needed? The answer, to lob nukes. OK, now that's just a little bit of overkill there wouldn't you say? Nuclear mortar rounds is just plain wrong.

The 240mm makes an odd sort of sense..in a werid Soviet way sort of thing.

According to their professional material, the 240mm mortar is intended to blow the captalist flunkies out of thier reinforced concrete bunkers so that the right thinking, good communist boys can then use their AK-47s to gun the survivors down. Okay, dropping one of those 100kg HE bombs on my pointed little head would make me rethink staying in the old bunker, especially after a battalion TOT!

But with a maximum range of 9,700m...using something like that to drop a nuke would bring a whole new meaning to "danger close"...