M30 107 mm Mortar
Encyclopedia
The M30 107 mm heavy mortar
is an American rifled, muzzle-loading, high-angle-of-fire weapon
used for long-range indirect fire support to infantry
units.
There was also a sub-caliber training device that utilized blank 20 gauge shotgun shells to propel an inert training round a few hundred meters.
in 1951, replacing the previous M2 107 mm mortar
. It was adopted due to the extended range and lethality in comparison to the previous M2 107 mm mortar, although the M30, at 305 kilograms, was significantly heavier than the 151 kilogram M2.
Due to this heavy weight the mortar was most often mounted in a tracked mortar carrier of the M113 family. This vehicle mounted mortar was crewed by 5 people: the track commander (mortar sergeant/gun commander), gunner, assistant gunner, loader and vehicle driver. Ground mounting of the mortar was time consuming and strenuous as a hole had to be dug for the base plate of the mortar to rest in, sandbags had to filled and placed around the base plate to stabilize it and to protect the exposed ammunition. Also this decreased the accuracy of the weapon as the recoil from firing caused the base plate to shift in the ground. This movement also made the crew have to "lay" the gun back on the aiming stakes more often, causing a temporary lack of fire while the weapon was repositioned and re-sighted back to its original reference point.
Mortar (weapon)
A mortar is an indirect fire weapon that fires explosive projectiles known as bombs at low velocities, short ranges, and high-arcing ballistic trajectories. It is typically muzzle-loading and has a barrel length less than 15 times its caliber....
is an American rifled, muzzle-loading, high-angle-of-fire weapon
Weapon
A weapon, arm, or armament is a tool or instrument used with the aim of causing damage or harm to living beings or artificial structures or systems...
used for long-range indirect fire support to infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
units.
Design
The M30 system weighs 305 kg including the complete mortar with a welded steel rotator, M24A1 base plate and M53 sight.Types of rounds
- HE M329A1--max range 5,650 m (6,180 yd), weight 12.3 kg (27 lb)
- HE M329A2--max range 6,800 m (7,400 yd), weight 10 kg (22 lb)
- HE M34A1--max range 4,620 m (5,050 yd), weight 12.2 kg (26.9 lb)
There was also a sub-caliber training device that utilized blank 20 gauge shotgun shells to propel an inert training round a few hundred meters.
History
The M30 entered service with the US ArmyUnited States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
in 1951, replacing the previous M2 107 mm mortar
M2 4.2 inch mortar
-External links:* early detailed article on 4.2 mortar...
. It was adopted due to the extended range and lethality in comparison to the previous M2 107 mm mortar, although the M30, at 305 kilograms, was significantly heavier than the 151 kilogram M2.
Due to this heavy weight the mortar was most often mounted in a tracked mortar carrier of the M113 family. This vehicle mounted mortar was crewed by 5 people: the track commander (mortar sergeant/gun commander), gunner, assistant gunner, loader and vehicle driver. Ground mounting of the mortar was time consuming and strenuous as a hole had to be dug for the base plate of the mortar to rest in, sandbags had to filled and placed around the base plate to stabilize it and to protect the exposed ammunition. Also this decreased the accuracy of the weapon as the recoil from firing caused the base plate to shift in the ground. This movement also made the crew have to "lay" the gun back on the aiming stakes more often, causing a temporary lack of fire while the weapon was repositioned and re-sighted back to its original reference point.
See also
- M224 60 mm Mortar
- ArtilleryArtilleryOriginally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
- List of modern weapons
- List of artillery
- List of crew served weapons of the US Armed Forces
- List of artillery#Mortars
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, the type of shell used in mortars before the modern age - Military technology and equipment
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