The M2 Mortar is a smoothbore, muzzle loading, high angle of fire weapon for light infantry support. Smoothbore refers to a firearm which does not have a rifled barrel. ... A muzzleloader is any firearm into which the bullet is loaded from the muzzle of the gun. ... The bayonet is used as both knife and spear. ... Infantry of the Royal Irish Rifles during the Battle of the Somme in World War I. Infantry are soldiers who fight primarily on foot with small arms in organized military units, though they may be transported to the battlefield by horses, ships, automobiles, skis, or other means. ...

Description

The M2 Mortar was to bridge the gap between the 81mm Mortar and the hand grenade for mobile platoon and company level action. It is of the usual mortar pattern, a smoothbore tube on a rectangular baseplate, supported by a simple bipod with the elevation and traverse mechanisms. The firing pin was fixed in the base cap of the tube, and the bomb was fired automatically when it dropped down the barrel. Bore diameter: 81 mm Length: 50 in (1. ... For the alcoholic beverage sold in New Orleans, see hand grenade (drink). ... Platoon is a term from military science. ... Look up company in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... US soldier loading a M224 60-mm mortar. ... A bipod is a support device that is similar to a tripod or monopod, but with only two legs. ... Basic Definition In geography, the elevation of a geographic location is its height above mean sea level (or some other fixed point). ... In fortification, a traverse is a mass of earth or other material employed to protect troops against enfilade. ... The Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB) bomb produced in the United States. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ...

History

During the late 1920s the US Army began examining mortars to act as a light infantry support weapon. They eventually bought the M2 design from Edgar Brandt, a French ordinance engineer, and built it on license in the United States. The 1920s is a decade sometimes referred to as the Jazz Age or the Roaring Twenties, usually applied to America. ... The Army is the branch of the United States armed forces which has primary responsibility for land-based military operations. ...

Ammunition

The M2 Mortar can fire the following principal classifications of training and service ammunition. Boxes of ammunition clog a warehouse in Baghdad Ammunition is a generic military term meaning (the assembly of) a projectile and its propellant. ...

1. M49A2 High explosive (HE): Used against infantry and other light targets
2. M302 White phosphorus (WP): Used as a signaling, screening, smoke-producing, and causality producing tool
3. M83 Illuminating round: Used in night missions requiring illumination for assistance in observation.

Preparing C-4 explosive This article is concerned solely with chemical explosives. ... This article is about the chemical element. ...

References

• Hogg, Ian (2000). Twentieth-Century Artillery. Friedman/Fairfax Publishers. ISBN 1-58663-299-X

60mm M2 Mortar. Kortegaard Engineering. Retrieved on 2006 September 1. For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... September 1 is the 244th day of the year (245th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...