British 2 inch mortar

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The Ordnance SBML 2-inch Mortar, or more commonly just 2-inch Mortar, was a British mortar issued to the British Army and the Commonwealth armies that saw use during the Second World War and later.

It had the advantages of being more portable than larger mortars which needed vehicles to be carried around, but gave greater range and firepower than rifle grenades.

History

The 2 inch mortar was one of a number of small mortars brought into service by European nations between the two World Wars.

Due to its small size, and for simplicity the mortar had no forward strut or bipod like larger designs needed. The barrel would be held at the correct angle by one soldier while the other loaded and fired the round. The original design had a large base plate and sights for aiming which used spirit levels. As the design matured, the baseplate became smaller and the sights were omitted. Aiming was by eye and relied on the firer's judgment and experience. With such a short barrel the normal firing method, where the bomb was dropped down the tube and a pin in the base of the barrel struck the detonator in the tail of the bomb, would not work so firing was by a small trigger mechanism at the breech.

The bombs were cylindrical with a (perforated) four finned tail. For the HE projectile an impact fuze was fitted in the nose of the bomb..

Post war, the 2-inch mortar was kept in service to fire smoke and illuminating rounds. It has been replaced by the Royal Ordnance 51 mm infantry mortar.

Specification

Length: 21 inches (53 cm)
Weight: 10½ lbs (4.8 kg)
Firing mechanism: Trip
Elevation: 45-90°
Ammunition (with round weight)
*HE: (high explosive) 2 lb 2 oz. (1 kg)
*SMK (smoke) : 2 lb (909 g)
*ILL (illuminating): 1 lb 5 oz. (596 g)
Range: 500 yards (457 m)
Rate of fire: 8 rounds per minute

A smaller Mark 8 version was made for Airborne unit use, the barrel was only 14 inches (36 cm) long.

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