2" carrier mortar info

[WOODBEAVER6]

Does anyone have a few pics of the 2" mortar mounted in a carrier?

I have an unmodified T16 and will be looking at doing a repro mount at some point if I can get some decent pics
Kration

[alleramilitaria]

rod shaver has them at a good price.

[sapper740]

Originally posted by WOODBEAVER6
Does anyone have a few pics of the 2" mortar mounted in a carrier?

I have an unmodified T16 and will be looking at doing a repro mount at some point if I can get some decent pics
Kration

All I have in my archives is a pic of an Australian carrier with an Ordnance, ML Mortar, 3 inch that appears ready to be fired, however, according to Chris Bishop's Encyclopaedia of Weapons of World war II, the mortar was never fired from the carrier. On page 194 it states:

"The usual method of getting the weapon into action was pack carriage in three loads by men, but the mechanized battalions carried their weapons on specially equipped Universal Carriers. On these the mortar was carried on the back of the vehicle ready to be assembled for normal ground use; it was not fired from the Carrier. The Carrier also had stowage for the ammunition."

The mortar in the pic definitely looks like it is ready to be fired from the Carrier. Perhaps another member of MLU can shed some light on this.

CHIMO!

[horsa]

Her Derek,

That version was fitted for firing the 3" as shown in your photo with a base mounting on the deck. They also carriered a standard 3" SB Mortar Base Plate on the gunner side of the vehicle attached to the outer hull about mid-body for when the mortar was to be fired dismounted.

Think he is looking for the 2" type that mounted in the gunner compartment though. Normally used in place of the larger and earlier traditional smoke discharger.

[rob love]

In one of the post-war Army journals there is an article on how to fabricate a mount for firing the 2" mortar on the engine cover. It was installed in the area of the firing rest/extinguisher bracket and utilised the small base.

[oztankboy]

Hi there!

Well the photo of the carrier with the 3" motar is an Australian LP2. The reference you quoted I will bet was more of a general reference to what was the practice with the British UC. To say "the mortar was never fired from the carrier" I think is a rather bold statement. I do know from one report I read it said fireing the mortar when on the move it prooved impossabe to achieve any accuracy. So the carrier had to be stationary to fire.

The pictures 1 would most likely be a trails set up leeding to the development to a dedicated 3" Mortar Carrier (see photo) that did have a production run of a few hundred.

But once the run was finished the powers to be decided they did not want them anymore so they were never issued and were shipped overseas for defence aid. China was the alledged recipient.

Phil...

[sapper740]

Originally posted by horsa
Her Derek,

That version was fitted for firing the 3" as shown in your photo with a base mounting on the deck. They also carriered a standard 3" SB Mortar Base Plate on the gunner side of the vehicle attached to the outer hull about mid-body for when the mortar was to be fired dismounted.

Think he is looking for the 2" type that mounted in the gunner compartment though. Normally used in place of the larger and earlier traditional smoke discharger.

If anyone is interested, Ohio Ordnance is selling demilled 2" British mortars for $150.00. Just bought one and was pleased at it's condition. I understand the Brits have kept the infantry version around for firing flares etc., making them easily available (for now). The carrier version was struck off service long ago. The infantry model might be a good starting point for the carrier version.


CHIMO!

[Tony Smith]

Perhaps Stewart could wade in here with some pics of how his mounting is fitted.
In the meantime, here is a detail from the manual:

[Stewart Loy]

Tony,

Look how long things take to happen out in the woods when the autumn comes around. Finally my MkII* is home for the winter after languishing in storage at John Hotson's last winter. I see that John put this Carrier to work as he had made up new armour for his machine during the time of the last snow.

Anyway, I got out the 2" mortar and plopped it into the mount. Here are some pix:


2" Mortar with base.

[Stewart Loy]

MkII* mortar stowage.

The T-16 mount looks quite a bit like this MkII part.

The Carrier stowage also provides a firing position. I suppose that the little mortar could throw a smoke bomb a bit further than I could - or even Charlie Fitton!

The 4 bolts behind the mount are for the second generation 4" smoke discharger launcher. It is not possible to mount both at once, and the 2" mortar could also fire HE bombs and illumination rounds - not just smoke.

Mortar mount.

[Stewart Loy]

Finally,

The little mortar in the Carrier.

Let me know if you need any more pix WoodBeaver6, and I shall snap away ( until the freezeup, anyway).

Best regards,


Stewart

[Jordan Baker]

Here are some pictures from the Imperial War museum online site. This one shows the 2inch Mortar being fired from the engine deck. This was more common on the Mk1 carrier.

[Jordan Baker]

This one shows the same setup that Stewart has in his wonderful carrier. You can also see that mounting it one the engine deck was no longer an option since the rifles are now there along with other things.

[Jordan Baker]

This one shows the 4" smoke launcher that has been relocated to the indside of the carrier.

[mudeng]

I have this photo which has been annotated by me for another purpose, but it shows the wooden blocks fitted to the engine deck.
I guess the slots in the blocks lined up with the cast webs on the mortar mounting.

George

[mudeng]

Here are some shots of the 2" mounting on the carrier at the Tank museum.

George

[mudeng]

second view.

[mudeng]

OOPs, wrong one, this is what should have gone.

George.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Another pic of a 2" mortar on a Universal Carrier (pictured in Holland, source).