M1938 mortar

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120-PM-38
Breech
muzzle loaded
Elevation+45° to +80°
Traverse6°[2]
Rate of fire10 rpm
Muzzle velocity272 m/s (890 ft/s)
Effective firing range6 km (3.7 mi)[2]

The 120-PM-38 or M1938 was a 120 mm Soviet mortar that was used in large numbers by the Red Army during World War II. Although a conventional design its combination of light weight, mobility, heavy firepower and range saw its features widely copied by successive generations of mortars.[3]

Design

M1938 on its limber attached to a caisson

The origins of the M1938 lay in the French Mortier Brandt de 120mm Modele 1935 and the

82-PM-37 and this mortar served as the pattern for the 120-PM-38. The main difference between the 82-PM-37 and the earlier 82-PM-36 was the adoption of a round base-plate, revised traverse/elevation controls, simplified sights and spring-loaded shock absorbers on the bi-pod to reduce the amount of relaying needed between shots. The 120-PM-38 is essentially a scaled up 82-PM-37 which uses the same two-wheeled limber as the 107 mm PBHM-38. The limber works in much the same way as a hand truck. The limber is wheeled vertically into place, hooks on the base-plate hook onto the limber, the barrel is clamped down and then everything is lowered into towing position. The limber can either be towed directly or attached to a 20-round caisson for towing by a vehicle or horse team.[2]

Employment

Romanian Reșița Model 1942

The 120-PM-38 was typically deployed to support infantry units and is the heaviest weapon that can still be broken down and transported by soldiers on foot. At first the 120-PM-38 was employed at the regimental level for indirect fire support in place of artillery, but as World War II continued it was issued down to the battalion level to supplement lighter mortars.

Getting the 120-PM-38 into and out of action was relatively rapid, so batteries were often moved to avoid counter-battery fire. Due to its rate of fire and large shell, a battery of four mortars could lay down a heavy amount of fire in a short period of time, which was useful for hit and run tactics. Another useful feature was the circular base-plate which allowed for changes in traverse without the need to dig out the base-plate and realign the barrel. Later 120-PM-43 mortars had a larger single shock absorber on the bi-pod to counteract the tendency of the base-plate to dig in on soft ground. 120-PM-43 mortars were kept in production long after World War II and sold to many Soviet client states. Both have seen widespread use in conflicts from World War II until today.[3]

During the early phases of

Reșița Works with a rate of 80 pieces per month as of October 1942.[4]

In 2016 it was in service in Moldova,[5] Russian Federation,[6] Turkmenistan,[7] and Ukraine.[8]

References

  1. ISBN 978-0-275-97835-8
    .
  2. ^
    OCLC 2067459
    .
  3. ^
    OCLC 40924461
    .
  4. ^ Mark Axworthy, London: Arms and Armour, 1995, Third Axis, Fourth Ally: Romanian Armed Forces in the European War, 1941–1945, p. 75
  5. ^ The Military Balance 2016, p. 188.
  6. ^ The Military Balance 2016, p. 201.
  7. ^ The Military Balance 2016, p. 203.
  8. ^ The Military Balance 2016, p. 205.
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