All stages of human development are associated with continuous hostility and the seizure of foreign territories. The ancient cities were fortresses whose garrison was reliably protected by high walls. Often the capture of such a fortification meant a complete victory in the war. However, a prolonged siege of cities was accompanied by very large losses on both sides.
It required the creation of technical devices designed to destroy the "serious" protection. Since the time of Alexander the Great, the first references to “ballists” appeared - tools capable of throwing stones along a hinged path. This feature allowed the devices, which are a kind of catapult, to inflict damage to the enemy, sheltered behind the fortress wall.
At the end of the seventeenth century, the ballista principle was applied in the design of the mortar - a cannon firing at an angle of 45 degrees. The mortar became the successor of such an instrument. Photos of the device, its types, combat qualities and technical characteristics are presented in the review. It also describes the history of the creation and stages of development of this type of weapons.
Definition
Mortar - an artillery gun, which is designed to fire at a high elevation angle, with the aim of hitting sheltered manpower and destroying fortified field communications. Being a kind of mortar, it is distinguished by the absence of a carriage and recoil device - these parts are replaced by a plate, which is installed on the ground or armored vehicles. Mortar fire is carried out with feathered ammunition, in the shank of which a propellant charge is attached.
History reference
For the first time, a weapon that fired a mortar shell while firing along a steep trajectory was used by the Russian army in the war with Japan in 1904–1905, during the defense of Port Arthur. The creator of the "apparatus for shooting at close range" was the officer and engineer Leonid Nikolayevich Gobyato.
The main weapon was a 75-mm howitzer with a truncated barrel, adapted for firing ship mines. Subsequently, the new "miracle cannon", in fact, proved its excellent combat qualities, was called "mortar." The firing range of the guns depended on the change in the angle of inclination of the barrel, as well as the magnitude of the charge, and ranged from 50 to 400 meters.
Russian experience with mortars has been thoroughly studied by foreign experts. Mass use of the device was received during the World War 1914–1918. In service of the army of Tsarist Russia in 1915, mortars of 47 and 58 mm caliber were put, having a firing range of 400 and 520 meters, respectively. The creator of these devices was the captain of artillery E. A. Likhonin.
Mortar device
To understand how the mortar shoots, it is necessary to consider its design. The gun has three main components:
- Trunk. An element in the form of a pipe sets the direction of flight of the projectile. The top of the part is equipped with a bell (a) designed for convenient loading. The bottom of the barrel is a breech with a hammer (c) pressed into it, which pierces the projectile capsule (mines).
- Base plate. The part is hinged to the barrel. It serves as an emphasis on the gun when firing, transmitting the recoil force to the surface (soil, chassis, etc.).
- Bipod. The element that supports the barrel when firing. In the stowed position, it is folded with the help of a spring lyre (s).
Principle of action and range of the mortar
The impact mechanism of the mortar provides for the presence of a striker mounted in the lower part of the barrel. The gun charge - mine - is fed from the muzzle. The ammunition slides over a smooth surface, and its capsule, located in the rear part, “bumps” onto the sting of the striker, which is why the shot occurs. This type of drummer is called hard, it is extremely simple in design and can provide high rate of fire.
Ammunition guns - mine - has a droplet-shaped body, equipped with a bursting warhead, with stabilizing tail unit tail. It contains a fuse, as well as the main (propelling) and additional charges, through the use of which the initial speed and range of the projectile are regulated.
In determining the distance at which the mortar is capable of firing, special tables are created, created individually for each type of guns. Consider a typical example of such calculations.
Shooting table. Mortar 120 mm SAO 2S9
| Charge type | Mass of charge (g) |
Initial flight speed mines (m / s) |
Firing range (m) elevation angle 45 0 |
Firing range (m) elevation angle 85 0 |
| No. 1 main | 100 | 120 | 1350 | 450 |
| No. 2 main + 1 additional | 170 | 160 | 2300 | 800 |
| No. 3 main + 2 additional | 240 | 190 | 3300 | 1150 |
| No. 4 main + 3 additional | 310 | 220 | 4200 | 1400 |
| No. 5 basic + 4 additional. | 380 | 250 | 4950 | 1650 |
| No. 6 main + 5 add. | 450 | 275 | 5750 | 1900 |
Thus, we can conclude: the range of the projectile depends not only on the magnitude of the propellant charge, but also on the elevation angle of the gun. Note that the initial velocity of the ammunition and the distance that it is able to cover are also interrelated with the length of the mortar barrel.
Mortars. Characteristics of guns, their goals and objectives
In battle, great importance is attached to the mobility of the means of firing, the possibility of their use in advanced positions, the striking effect of weapons and their ability to disguise. The mortar fully meets these requirements. Being a tool with a hinged trajectory of firing, it provides:
- Destruction of enemy manpower, which is located in open areas of the terrain, as well as in trenches, trenches, gorges and ravines, behind vertical walls and heights.
- Installation of smoke screens to facilitate the covert relocation of their units.
- Lighting the terrain in order to "blind" the enemy.
The performance characteristics of the mortar
- Firing range. It is determined by the minimum and maximum flight distance of the projectile fired by the gun. For example, the maximum firing range of the Russian 420 - mm self-propelled mortar 2B1 "Oka" is 45, 000 meters.
- Barrel pointing angles. This parameter is regulated by the rearrangement of the support bipod (bipod) of the gun. The angle of the vertical guidance of the mortar varies from 45 to 85 degrees, and the horizontal - 360.
- Reduction time. The characteristic that determines the speed of preparation of guns for firing. For example, a domestic mortar 2B14–1 “Tray” is brought to full combat readiness in 30 seconds.
- Maximum rate of fire. It is determined by the number of shots that the gun produces per minute. The maximum possible rate of fire of light mortars can be about 30 rds / min.
- The mass of ammunition. Determines the weight of the projectile that the mortar can fire. A 120-mm French-made RT61 (F1) gun, for example, is capable of firing 15 kilogram ammunition.
- The mass of guns in a fighting position. Includes the weight of all parts (receiver tube, gun carriage and base plate) in assembled form. For self-propelled guns, this parameter also includes the mass of the chassis. For example, the heavy full-time mortar of the American Army M-30, in combat position, weighs 305 kg, and the self-propelled mortar BM-21 Grad, manufactured in the Soviet Union, has a mass of 13, 700 kg.
Mortar fighting qualities
- High rate of fire. The devices are characterized by easy reloading, which makes it possible to fire from guns with high intensity. The rate of fire of some types of modern mortars is up to 170-190 rounds per minute.
- Multipurpose ammunition of high power. High-explosive, high-explosive, cluster, incendiary, smoke and light - these are just some of the types of shells that a mortar can shoot. The firing range of the guns is regulated by changing the power of the charge that pushes the mine out of the barrel.
- Simple device. The convenience of the design of most mortars, the possibility of disassembling them and the ease of transportation make it possible to move guns over rough terrain, continuously supporting their subunits with fire. Some models can be used for shooting from a car body.
- Constant combat readiness. Mortars are distinguished by a high speed of bringing to the “working” state, due to the ease of assembly.
- Steep projectile flight path. The gun is capable of hitting a closed target, protected from heavy artillery and machine-gun fire. Due to this feature, the mortar is capable of firing “on top” of its units.
Classification
We briefly consider the types of guns, taking Russian mortars as a basis. Since the days of the USSR, this type of weapons was classified as follows:
- Company guns (caliber 55–65 mm).
- Battalion (80–85 mm).
- Regimental (105–125 mm).
- Division (large-caliber and jet).
Mortar barrel devices differ as smooth-bore and rifled guns. There are two ways to charge them - from the muzzle and breech. The degree of automation of recharging also varies. There are automatic guns, for example, 2B9M "Cornflower" - mortar, photo of which is presented below.
There are self-propelled mortars - mounted on a wheeled or tracked chassis.
Gun development
The most important stage in the development of mortars was the Second World War of 1939–1945. The industry of the USSR alone produced over 345, 000 such guns! Naturally, it is necessary to recall the famous Katyusha BM-13 - the first guards jet mortar. The firing range of this gun ranged from 4350 to 5500 m.
The main characteristics of the mortars of that time, which were in service with the countries participating in the war, are combined in this table.
| Types of mortars | Gun caliber (mm) |
Weight in combat position (kg) |
Land mass (kg) | Gun firing range (m) |
| Company | 50-65 | 9-20 | 0.8-1.5 | 420-1800 |
| Battalion | 80-85 | 50-65 | 3.0-4.5 | 2400-3700 |
| Regimental | 105-120 | 170-280 | 9-17 | 3700-6200 |
| Division | 160 | 1170 | 40.5 | 5500 |
Modern guns
Today's mortars, thanks to the rapid development of military-industrial technologies, have turned into ultra-modern rifle complexes. We will not describe in detail all the advantages of artillery guns of the XXI century, but consider only one model. And by her example, we will see how far progress has stepped forward.
At the military-technical exhibition MILEX-2011, held in Minsk, Russian engineers presented a silent mortar 2B25, called "Gall". The peculiarity of this product is that it has the most secretive combat use. When a mortar is fired, powder gases “lock up” in the ammunition, and the gun does not emit smoke, sound or a shock wave.
The Gall strikes targets at a range of 1000–1300 m with a rate of fire of 15 rds / min. The weight of the mortar does not exceed 15 kg, and the mass of the projectile is only 1.9 kg. 2B25 is designed to support the work of special forces and has no analogues in the world.
