Guest Michael emrys Posted September 23, 2000 Share Posted September 23, 2000 <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Pham911: Hmmm, does this mean that if you deployed a mortar on a hard surface like a paved road that the energy that would normally be pounding the mortar into the earth would be forcing it to slide and shift the whole base? So, mortars are less accurate if used on surfaces that have no "give"?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Yes. But IIRC the base plates had something like cleats on the bottom that helped a little with this. I imagine on tarmac they might grip fairly well. Less so on concrete. What Los says about sandbags is true, as I have seen several photos of this. Apparently it was a common practice even on soil when there was time to set it up. Sandbags were also used sometimes to steady the tripods of medium and heavy MGs. Michael [This message has been edited by Michael emrys (edited 09-22-2000).] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobbaro Posted September 23, 2000 Share Posted September 23, 2000 While not ETO weaponry employment, in his book shots fired in anger by Lt. Col. John George, there is a lot of interesting info from his personal acquaintance with and testing of enemy weaponry in the PTO. He has a lot more respect for the Japanese weaponry especially as far as adapted to the actual conditions encountered in combat. He also says that the Japanese were a lot more responsive about making improvements as needs were found in the field. As far as morters is concerned, he sorely missed some of the features found in Japanese tubes. In general they were lighter and fired a larger charge for their diameter than American weapons. The knee morter doubled as a granade launcher, able to throw one farther and more accurately than the arm. American mortermen tended to laugh at the Japanese morters they saw, at least until on the reciving end of their trajectroy-- which in some cases could be nearly horizontal. In genaral, at least the lighter ones could be deployed much faster than the American counterparts. They also handled overhead cover much more effectively with either fixed 45 degree firing angles using a small hole in the canopy. Additionally they employed ordinance that would not explode on contact with the canopy on the way out. And trigger or lanyard firing helped a great deal in making such capabilities possible. In the context of our morter firing from a building, one of the 81s firing at 45 degrees varying the range by means of a chamber device in the tube, could do so from inside firing through a door or some other handy hole. They did not need as large an apiture as the Yanks did. On the down side they had shorter ranges. This was of little effect in jungle warfare. I bet the GIs in the Huertgen could have put such weaponry to much better use than what they had. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruno Weiss Posted September 23, 2000 Share Posted September 23, 2000 I love reading the threads in this forum. It mimics the experience I had while in the Army. Everyone's a comedian. Then after the laughter dies down, someone helps out. Something sociological to that... But I personally think it goes towards building a community. Same thing took place with the units I served with. "Firing out the chiminey"...LOL ------------------ "Wer zuerst schiesst hat mehr von Leben" Bruno "Stachel" Weiss Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Michael emrys Posted September 23, 2000 Share Posted September 23, 2000 My favorite was the stove pipe. For a second it had me thinking that it might almost be practicable. Michael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slapdragon Posted September 24, 2000 Share Posted September 24, 2000 Perhaps instead it could be disguised as a stove pipe? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Aitken Posted September 24, 2000 Share Posted September 24, 2000 Just make sure you don't try it on Christmas Eve. ------------------ They lost all of their equipment and had to swim in under machine gun fire. As they struggled in the water, Gardner heard somebody say, "Perhaps we're intruding, this seems to be a private beach." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slapdragon Posted September 24, 2000 Share Posted September 24, 2000 SANTA! I am not sure how we will get that thing out, but I am sure the battalion surgeon can do something... Good thing your a hefty man or that 81mm would have never fit.... No Santa, look on the bright side. From now on you can wistle while you walk AND play the harmonica. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Captitalistdoginchina Posted September 29, 2000 Share Posted September 29, 2000 Yep, i tried it in a game last night and even a 2 inch british mortar will refuse to fire out of a building with clear LoS to a target. So, how about Spotters - i guess they should be fine as the arty is off board right? CDIC ------------------ "Death solves all problems - no man no problem" J.V.Stalin, 1918 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Michael emrys Posted September 29, 2000 Share Posted September 29, 2000 <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Captitalistdoginchina: So, how about Spotters - i guess they should be fine as the arty is off board right?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Yep. No sweat. Michael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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