Newton 6 inch Mortar
Encyclopedia
The Newton 6 inch Mortar was the standard British medium mortar
in World War I
from early 1917 onwards.
beginning in February 1917.
It was a simple smooth bore muzzle-loading (SBML) mortar consisting of a 57 inches (1,447.8 mm) one-piece steel tube barrel, with a "striker stud" inside the centre of the closed base of the tube. The rounded external base of the tube sat in a socket in the flat cast steel base, which in turn sat on a wooden platform. An "elevating guy" (cable) connected to a loop in the upper side of the barrel and the rear end of the bed. "Traversing guys" (cables) connected to loops on each side of the barrel and eyebolts on the upper sides of the bed. Hence aiming of the barrel was done by adjusting the length of the guys via adjusting screws. A socket in the barrel base allowed for emergency firing via a "misfire plug" in the case of misfires (i.e. if the bomb remained in the barrel due to failure of the propellant to ignite).
British Empire
Divisions were initially equipped with 3 batteries of 4 mortars designated X, Y, Z. From February 1918 onwards these were consolidated into 2 batteries, X and Y, of 6 mortars each, and Z was dissolved. In British use they were operated by the Royal Field Artillery
and formed part of the Division
al Artillery with 1 battery attached to each of the Divisional artillery brigade
s.
The United States Army began production and equipping with this mortar late in the war but it is doubtful whether any were used in combat.
The mortar was operated from concealed pits close to the front line during trench warfare
, and was used in the open during the final "mobile warfare" phase of the First World War, as demonstrated in the photograph, depending on available transport. The disassembled weapon was usually transported on horsedrawn carts but the Canadian Automobile Machine Gun Brigade
(the Canadian Independent Force or "Brutinel
's Brigade") is known to have successfully used the mortar both mounted on motor trucks and dismounted in the closing months of the war.
The 52-pound cast-iron fin-stabilised high explosive bomb carried the percussion primer at the base in the intersection of the 4 vanes (fins), consisting of a specially loaded blank .303 rifle cartridge. The basic propellant charges were contained in 4 small white cambric bags each containing 1 oz of guncotton
yarn. These were held in place in the 4 angles between the bomb's fins. For ranges less than 1000 yards 1 or more bags could be removed, as per range tables.
For ranges above 1000 yards (914.4 m), additional charges were loaded before the bomb, held in 2 white cambric bags each containing 1 oz 4 drm cordite
.
In action the gunners would adjust the angle of the barrel via the elevating guy (for distance) and traversing guys (for direction). The manual warns: "See that the elevating and traversing screws of the guys are always tight. A slack guy leads to inaccurate shooting, and the stresses on firing are not equally distributed; this is usually the cause of the guys breaking".
The range tables specified the barrel angle and propellant charges required. The additional cordite propelling charge bags were dropped down the barrel if necessary, or necessary number of propellant charges removed from the bomb, and the bomb's fuze was set. The gunners stood back, the bomb was dropped down the barrel, the detonator in the base of the .303 cartridge in the base of the bomb struck a pin in the bottom of the barrel and fired, igniting the guncotton
charges in the base of the bomb, which in turn ignited the cordite
charges if present. The resulting rapid gas expansion propelled the bomb up the barrel and to its target.
Propellant : 1-4 one ounce guncotton
charges in the base of the bomb, plus optional 2.5 oz cordite
charge.
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Range
(yards)
1 oz charge
degrees
2 oz charge
degrees
3 oz charge
degrees
4 oz charge
degrees
4 oz + 2.5 oz cordite
degrees
seconds
100
77
120
74
140
71
160
67.5
180
63.5
200
59
220
47.5
77.25
226
45
240
76
260
74.75
280
73.25
300
72
320
70.5
77.5
340
69
76.75
360
67.5
76
380
66
75
400
64.25
74.25
420
62.25
73.25
440
60.25
72.25
77.25
460
57.75
71.5
76.5
480
55
70.5
76
500
50.5
69.5
75.25
510
45
520
68.5
74.5
540
67.5
74
560
66.25
73.25
580
65.25
72.5
600
64
72
620
62.75
71.25
640
61.25
70.5
660
59.75
69.75
680
58.25
69
700
56.5
68.25
75.25
23.9
720
54.5
67.5
74.75
23.9
740
51.75
66.75
74.25
23.8
760
45.5
65.75
73.75
23.8
761
45
780
65
73.25
23.7
800
64
72.75
23.6
820
63.25
72.25
23.6
840
62.25
71.75
23.5
860
61
71.25
23.4
880
60
70.75
23.4
900
58.75
70.25
23.3
920
57.5
69.75
23.2
940
56
69.25
23.1
960
54.5
68.75
23.1
980
52.5
68.25
23.0
1000
50
67.5
22.9
1016
45
1020
67
22.8
1040
66.5
22.7
1060
66
22.6
1080
65.25
22.5
1100
64.5
22.8
1120
64
22.2
1140
63.25
22.1
1160
62.75
22.0
1180
62
21.8
1200
61.25
21.7
1220
60.5
21.5
1240
59.5
21.3
1260
58.75
21.1
1280
57.75
20.9
1300
56.75
20.7
1320
55.75
20.4
1340
54.75
20.2
1360
53.5
19.9
1380
52
19.5
1400
50
19.0
1420
45
17.5
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....
in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
from early 1917 onwards.
Description
The Newton 6 inch replaced the 2 inch Medium Mortar2 inch Medium Mortar
The 2 inch Medium Trench Mortar, also known as the 2-inch Howitzer, and nicknamed the "Toffee Apple" or "Plum Pudding" mortar, was a British SBML medium trench mortar in use in World War I from mid 1915 to mid 1917...
beginning in February 1917.
It was a simple smooth bore muzzle-loading (SBML) mortar consisting of a 57 inches (1,447.8 mm) one-piece steel tube barrel, with a "striker stud" inside the centre of the closed base of the tube. The rounded external base of the tube sat in a socket in the flat cast steel base, which in turn sat on a wooden platform. An "elevating guy" (cable) connected to a loop in the upper side of the barrel and the rear end of the bed. "Traversing guys" (cables) connected to loops on each side of the barrel and eyebolts on the upper sides of the bed. Hence aiming of the barrel was done by adjusting the length of the guys via adjusting screws. A socket in the barrel base allowed for emergency firing via a "misfire plug" in the case of misfires (i.e. if the bomb remained in the barrel due to failure of the propellant to ignite).
Combat service
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
Divisions were initially equipped with 3 batteries of 4 mortars designated X, Y, Z. From February 1918 onwards these were consolidated into 2 batteries, X and Y, of 6 mortars each, and Z was dissolved. In British use they were operated by the Royal Field Artillery
Royal Field Artillery
The Royal Field Artillery of the British Army provided artillery support for the British Army. It came into being when the Royal Artillery was divided on 1 July 1899, it was reamalgamated back into the Royal Artillery in 1924....
and formed part of the Division
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
al Artillery with 1 battery attached to each of the Divisional artillery brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
s.
The United States Army began production and equipping with this mortar late in the war but it is doubtful whether any were used in combat.
Trench warfare
Trench warfare is a form of occupied fighting lines, consisting largely of trenches, in which troops are largely immune to the enemy's small arms fire and are substantially sheltered from artillery...
, and was used in the open during the final "mobile warfare" phase of the First World War, as demonstrated in the photograph, depending on available transport. The disassembled weapon was usually transported on horsedrawn carts but the Canadian Automobile Machine Gun Brigade
Canadian Automobile Machine Gun Brigade
The Canadian Automobile Machine Gun Brigade, also known as Brutinel's Brigade or the Brutinel Brigade, was the first fully mechanized unit of the British Army. It was established on September 9, 1914 by Canadian Brigadier-General Raymond Brutinel, who initiated the program and was the unit's ...
(the Canadian Independent Force or "Brutinel
Raymond Brutinel
Brigadier-General Raymond Brutinel CB CMG DSO was a geologist, journalist, soldier, entrepreneur and a pioneer in the field of mechanized warfare who commanded the Canadian Automobile Machine Gun Brigade during World War I....
's Brigade") is known to have successfully used the mortar both mounted on motor trucks and dismounted in the closing months of the war.
The 52-pound cast-iron fin-stabilised high explosive bomb carried the percussion primer at the base in the intersection of the 4 vanes (fins), consisting of a specially loaded blank .303 rifle cartridge. The basic propellant charges were contained in 4 small white cambric bags each containing 1 oz of guncotton
Nitrocellulose
Nitrocellulose is a highly flammable compound formed by nitrating cellulose through exposure to nitric acid or another powerful nitrating agent. When used as a propellant or low-order explosive, it is also known as guncotton...
yarn. These were held in place in the 4 angles between the bomb's fins. For ranges less than 1000 yards 1 or more bags could be removed, as per range tables.
For ranges above 1000 yards (914.4 m), additional charges were loaded before the bomb, held in 2 white cambric bags each containing 1 oz 4 drm cordite
Cordite
Cordite is a family of smokeless propellants developed and produced in the United Kingdom from 1889 to replace gunpowder as a military propellant. Like gunpowder, cordite is classified as a low explosive because of its slow burning rates and consequently low brisance...
.
In action the gunners would adjust the angle of the barrel via the elevating guy (for distance) and traversing guys (for direction). The manual warns: "See that the elevating and traversing screws of the guys are always tight. A slack guy leads to inaccurate shooting, and the stresses on firing are not equally distributed; this is usually the cause of the guys breaking".
The range tables specified the barrel angle and propellant charges required. The additional cordite propelling charge bags were dropped down the barrel if necessary, or necessary number of propellant charges removed from the bomb, and the bomb's fuze was set. The gunners stood back, the bomb was dropped down the barrel, the detonator in the base of the .303 cartridge in the base of the bomb struck a pin in the bottom of the barrel and fired, igniting the guncotton
Nitrocellulose
Nitrocellulose is a highly flammable compound formed by nitrating cellulose through exposure to nitric acid or another powerful nitrating agent. When used as a propellant or low-order explosive, it is also known as guncotton...
charges in the base of the bomb, which in turn ignited the cordite
Cordite
Cordite is a family of smokeless propellants developed and produced in the United Kingdom from 1889 to replace gunpowder as a military propellant. Like gunpowder, cordite is classified as a low explosive because of its slow burning rates and consequently low brisance...
charges if present. The resulting rapid gas expansion propelled the bomb up the barrel and to its target.
1917 Range tables
52 lb Bomb, ML 6 inch Trench Mortar.Propellant : 1-4 one ounce guncotton
Nitrocellulose
Nitrocellulose is a highly flammable compound formed by nitrating cellulose through exposure to nitric acid or another powerful nitrating agent. When used as a propellant or low-order explosive, it is also known as guncotton...
charges in the base of the bomb, plus optional 2.5 oz cordite
Cordite
Cordite is a family of smokeless propellants developed and produced in the United Kingdom from 1889 to replace gunpowder as a military propellant. Like gunpowder, cordite is classified as a low explosive because of its slow burning rates and consequently low brisance...
charge.
(yards)
degrees
degrees
degrees
degrees
Surviving examples
- Army Memorial Museum, Waiouru, New Zealand
- Royal Australian Artillery Museum, North Head, Sydney, Australia
- Australian Army Infantry Museum, Singleton NSW Australia
External links
- http://www.iwmcollections.org.uk/dbtw-wpd/exec/dbtwpcgi.exe?AC=GET_RECORD&XC=/dbtw-wpd/exec/dbtwpcgi.exe&BU=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iwmcollections.org.uk%2FqryDocuments.asp&TN=Uncat&SN=AUTO13408&SE=404&RN=22&MR=500&TR=0&TX=1000&ES=0&CS=1&XP=&RF=DocumentResults&EF=&DF=DocumentDetailed_1&RL=0&EL=0&DL=0&NP=1&ID=&MF=&MQ=&TI=0&DT=&ST=0&IR=11338&NR=0&NB=0&SV=0&BG=0&FG=0&QS=The Imperial War Museum holds a manuscript detailing Captain Newton's work on this and other weapons]
- "Provisional drill regulations for trench mortar batteries; 6" Newton and the 240 mm. : chapters II, VI, and VIII". United States. War Dept, 1918. Made available online by Combined Arms Research Library
- "Handbook on trench mortar fuzes, Mark VII and Mark VII-E.". United States. War Dept, 1918. Made available online by Combined Arms Research Library
- "Manual for trench artillery, United States Army (provisional). Part I, trench artillery.". United States. War Dept, July 1918. Made available online by Combined Arms Research Library
- "Manual for trench artillery, United States Army (provisional). Part II, formations and maneuvers". United States. War Dept, 1918. Made available online by Combined Arms Research Library
- WL Ruffell, The 6-inch Mortar from "The Mortar"
- An Unfortunate Region