Ordnance ML 3 inch Mortar
Encyclopedia
The Ordnance ML 3-inch mortar was the United Kingdom
's standard mortar
used by the British Army
from the late 1920s to the late 1960s, superseding the Stokes Mortar
.
, the British infantry sought some sort of artillery
for close support. The initial plan was for special batteries of artillery, but the cost was prohibitive and the mortar was accepted instead.
The ML mortar is a conventional Stokes
-type mortar which is muzzle-loaded and drop-fired. Experience in World War II
showed that it did not have sufficient range compared to the German 81 mm s.Gw.34 mortar and so a new barrel was designed. This became the Mark 2 mortar, which remained in service until replaced by the L16A1 81mm mortar
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
's standard mortar
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....
used by the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
from the late 1920s to the late 1960s, superseding the Stokes Mortar
Stokes Mortar
The Stokes mortar was a British trench mortar invented by Sir Wilfred Stokes KBE which was issued to the British Army and the Commonwealth armies during the latter half of the First World War.-History:...
.
History
Based on their experience in World War IWorld 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...
, the British infantry sought some sort of artillery
Artillery
Originally 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...
for close support. The initial plan was for special batteries of artillery, but the cost was prohibitive and the mortar was accepted instead.
The ML mortar is a conventional Stokes
Stokes Mortar
The Stokes mortar was a British trench mortar invented by Sir Wilfred Stokes KBE which was issued to the British Army and the Commonwealth armies during the latter half of the First World War.-History:...
-type mortar which is muzzle-loaded and drop-fired. Experience in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
showed that it did not have sufficient range compared to the German 81 mm s.Gw.34 mortar and so a new barrel was designed. This became the Mark 2 mortar, which remained in service until replaced by the L16A1 81mm mortar
L16 81mm Mortar
The United Kingdom's L16 81 mm mortar is the standard mortar used by the British armed forces. It originated as a joint design by UK and Canada. The version produced and used by Australia is named the F2 81mm Mortar, whilst the version used by the U.S...
.