Weapons

Small Arms

Bayonets | Pistols  | Rifles
Submachine Guns

Thompson Submachine Gun
Sten Gun
C1 Submachine Gun

Light Weapons

Light Machine Guns

Lewis Gun
Bren Gun
C2 LMG
C9 LMG

Machine Guns

Colt Machine Gun
Vickers Gun
C5 General Purpose MG
C6 General Purpose MG
M2 .50 calibre

Light Anti-Tank Weapons

Boys Anti-Tank Rifle
Projector, Infantry, Anti-Tank
Bazooka
M72 SRAAW (L)
Carl Gustav
Eryx

Mortars

2-inch Mortar
3-inch Mortar
3-inch Stokes Gun
6-inch Newton Mortar
9.45-inch Newton Mortar
C3 81mm Mortar
M19 60mm Mortar

Ordnance

Anti-Tank Guns

106mm Recoilless Rifle
2-pounder Anti-Tank Gun
6-pounder Anti-Tank Gun
17-pounder Anti-Tank Gun
TOW Missile

Guns

18-pounder Gun
25-pounder Gun
60-pounder Howitzer
C1 105mm Howitzer
C3 105mm Howitzer
LG1 C1 105mm Howitzer

Anti-Aircraft Guns

3.7-inch Gun

Grenades

Hand Grenades
No. 69 Grenade
M61 & M67 Grenade
Rifle Grenades
Grenade Launchers
Anti-Tank Grenades
No. 68 Grenade

Ammunition
Small Arms & Light Weapons

.303 Mk VII
5.56mm
7.62mm NATO
Pistol Ammunition
PIAT Ammunition

Ordnance

106mm Ammunition
Armour Piercing
Armour Piercing Composite Rigid
AP Discarding Sabot
High Explosive Anti-Tank
High Explosive, Squash Head

Terminology

Fixed ammunition
Proximity Fuze

2-inch Mortar

The 2-inch Mortar was a mortar used by the Canadian Army during the Second World War.

The weapon was small and was used at the Infantry Platoon level, issued one per platoon and forming part of the platoon headquarters section, with a crew of two (Number One (gunner) and Number Two (loader)). The weapon was extremely small and light, and had no bipod; the weapon was fired while the Number One held the weapon in position.

Aiming was done by a simple line of sight from the firer's eye, aided by a set of simple iron sights as well as a white line painted vertically on the barrel of the mortar. Since the barrel was so short, the firing mechanism normally associated with modern mortars (a fixed firing pin striking the base of the bomb as it was dropped down the tube) was modified by the addition of a trigger which was manually fired.

Ammunition

The mortar fired cylindrical bombs which had a perforated four finned tail. The mortar fired both High Explosive and smoke rounds, the former with an impact fuze was fitted in the nose of the bomb. An illumination round was also used.

  • Length: 21 inches (53cm)

  • Weight: 10½ lbs (4.8kg)

  • Firing mechanism: Trip

  • Elevation: 45-90°

  • Ammunition (with round weight)

  • High Explosive: 2 lb 2 oz. (1kg)

  • Smoke: 2 lb (909g)

  • Illuminating: 1 lb 5 oz. (596g)

  • Range: 500 yards (457m)

  • Rate of fire: 8 rounds per minute

A smaller version, the Mark VIII, was issued to airborne units.

Photos of 2-inch mortar crews from the Australian War Memorial (left) and Imperial War Museum (right).

 

A 2-inch Mortar has the finishing touches applied by factory worker Viola Davies at the Elevator Company in the summer of 1941. LAC Photos.

 

Components of the 2-inch Mortar and accessories, courtesy of Petr Falta, Czechoslovak Armed Forces 1918 - 1945 Museum
 
1 Web Transit Case 5 Web Barrel Cover 9 Mortar sight
2 Cleaning Kit 6 Mortar tube and base assembly 10 Oil bottle
3 3-tube mortar bomb carrier 7 Tool box 11 Bore brush
4 Web muzzle cover and sling 8 Mortar bomb    
 

2-inch Mortar with ammunition and accessories, courtesy Ron May via Facebook Society of Military Artifact Preservation.
Mortar bombs include HE (red and green stripes, far let), Smoke (green, centre) and illumination (far right, parachute from parachute flare shown).
Bore brush handle is shown collapsed for storage in the cleaning kit at top right.
 

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