What does an incoming mortar sound like?

The sound put out by a mortar is deafening. The crappy foam ear plugs they used to give us barely helped at all. You could tell the old mortar guys by the fact they always talked loud.

How many mortars are in a section?

a. Light mortar sections consist of two squads, each consisting of one mortar and its crew. In the airborne, air assault, and light infantry rifle companies, the senior squad leader is the section leader.

What is the role of mortars?

Mortars allow the maneuver commander to quickly place killing indirect fires on the enemy, independent of whether he has been allocated supporting artillery. Heavy forces use carrier-mounted mortars to allow the mortar platoon to move cross-country at speeds compatible with the battalion task force.

What are mortar blasts?

Firework mortars are usually a multilayered cardboard tube that can hold and fire “shells” that contain explosive bursts of noise and colorful formations that explode in midair. An accident would likely mean catching a shell in chest or head area due to bad balance of the tube.

Can you hear incoming mortars?

The whistling sound that is made by incoming artillery shells is only heard when the round goes over your head. Immediately following the sound wave you would hear strange little noises overhead as the pieces of shrapnel tumbled and flew through the air. These are sounds that you never forget.

Are mortars loud?

Health and safety chiefs have ruled that firing the 81mm at a longer range than 5,000 metres exceeds the upper work place sound limit by 137 decibels, despite the use of ear defenders.

How far can a 120mm mortar shoot?

120 mm smoothbore mortars have maximum ranges of approximately 7,200 m to 9,500 m, when firing conventional HE mortar projectiles. Rocket-assisted mortar projectiles are also available, and these projectiles extend the range of the system.

What is the range of a 60mm mortar?

3,490 meters
The 60mm mortar has a maximum range of 3,490 meters, he said. That means the target could be out of sight, so a forward observer maintains visibility of the target.

How accurate are mortars?

Mortars are not especially accurate weapons. The first round may be 100 meters or more off-target, but by adjusting the aim point, the crew can get on target after a few shots. When aiming at a tree line from which enemy fire is coming, or an company dug in across an entire hilltop, precision is not so vital.

How far can mortars shoot?

Medium mortars (61-99 mm) can fire at ranges of 100 m to 5500 m, while heavy mortars (100-120 mm+) have a range of some 500 m to 9,000m. The range of any given mortar systems depends on the cartridge which possesses the maximum range. The range of any given mortar’s projectiles can be adjusted by the user.

Do mortars cause brain damage?

A single mortar blast will not cause as much damage as a high-impact explosion, but as the effects of these blasts add up over time, soldiers begin to report TBI symptoms.

How effective are mortars?

Can a 120 mm mortar be carried by a single man?

Heavy mortars (100-120 mm+). Light mortars can be carried by a single soldier, and are found at the company level of some infantry units. These mortars can be carried and operated by a single man, with other soldiers typically carrying additional ammunition. This report is concerned with medium and heavy mortars of 81, 82, and 120 mm in calibre.

How are mortars being used in the military?

Technology is changing this. Radar units can detect mortar rounds in flight, determine where they came from and radio the location to friendly artillery or mortars who will return fire. They also do this with artillery. Another threat is the enemy may be able to locate, jam or otherwise disrupt radio communications.

What does a mortar say when it is ready to fire?

Again the Mortar section would repeat the transmission and say ‘out’. “Fire when ready, over,” the FO says. The FO might also say ‘fire on my command.’ After acknowledging, the mortars would fire. When they fire they might tell the FO “Shot over” to let the FO know the rounds are in the air. The FO would reply “Shot out.”

Can a forward observer pass on the location of a mortar?

Regardless, the observer should be able to pass on where the enemy is to the mortar (or artillery) unit. It is usually best to tell the mortar section where the enemy is at rather than the FO (Forward Observer). Misunderstanding the transmission can mean the mortars will fire at the FO’s location thinking it is the enemy location.