Newbtler Posted June 8, 2003 Share Posted June 8, 2003 I know it's too late now to bring this up, as the last patch has just been finished , but I've found reading some books that the Italian 81mm mortar used basically 2 types of shelles. The normal one is the one used by a standard 81mm mortar in that period. Then there is the "Grande Capacità" shell (Great capacity). In the book I'm reading right now "I cavalieri del Fango" (The Knights of Mud) written by Vittorio Luoni it is written: "... There are a few "Grande capacità" bombs, but for that objective (2 greek mortars) they are worth to be used. "Normal charge, 2 additional charges, delayed fuse" the officer say and when he receives the bomb (that looks like a torpedo for its big lenght) he looks if everything is in order. Then he introduces it in the tube and swiftly goes out of his position, rather small, since the blast is very powerful. The projectile lands a few meters from the enemy: it's a great blast since the "Grande capacità" bomb of the 81mm mortar has about the same power of a 149mm cannon granade (!). "No correction to be made, bring here other pills!" scream the leutenent while he's adjusting the tube again, since now the mortar is unbalanced after the big muzzle blast moved the base. Other bombs are fired, and after some minutes, the 2 Greek 81mm mortars and their crews are destroyed, while all our soldiers scream in joy..." Amedeo do you know something? Does anybody knows something more specific about this special shell? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stalin's Organ Posted June 8, 2003 Share Posted June 8, 2003 According to MacDonald & James WW2 Fact File series on mortars, the Italians had 2 bombs: Light: 7.2 lb (3.265kg), range 91-4052m, mv 255m/s Heavy: 15.14 lb (6.865kg), range 62-1500m, mv 135m/s Mortar rounds generally had a much higher % weight of explosive than artillery rounds, sue to lower propellant charges and pressures. I don't know the exact amounts for the Italian 149 or the 81mm heavy bomb, but I wouldn't be surprised if both carried about the same charge of HE despite the artillery round weighing anythign from 93-101 lbs depending upon just which gun we're talking about. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xerxes Posted June 8, 2003 Share Posted June 8, 2003 Darn, too late for CMBB. Maybe CMAK will have those. I can hear the cries of "gamey bastid spent all his support points on Italian 81mm mortars!" 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Emrys Posted June 8, 2003 Share Posted June 8, 2003 Originally posted by Stalin's Organ: Mortar rounds generally had a much higher % weight of explosive than artillery rounds, sue to lower propellant charges and pressures.That's the way I always heard it, which is why I found it strange that your standard 81mm mortar is given a smaller blast rating in CM than 75mm arty or tank shell. Michael 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amedeo Posted June 8, 2003 Share Posted June 8, 2003 I haven't now with me the data for the 81mm mortar. Anyway, as most 81mm mortars used during WW2, the italian one was a copy of the French Brandt mortar. Anyway for the 120mm Brandt mortar (used also by the Italian army after WW2) the standard shell had a mass of 13kg, while the 'grande capacità' one weighted 17kg. BTW the HE filler for the first was 2.500kg, the second had a 4.250kg filler! Regards, Amedeo 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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