The M1943 Mortar or 120-PM-43 (Russian: 120-Полковой Миномёт-43) or the 120-mm mortar Model 1943 (Russian: 120-мм миномет обр. 1943 г.), also known as the SAMOVAR, is a Soviet 120 millimeter calibre smoothbore mortar first introduced in 1943 as a modified version of the M1938 mortar.[5] It virtually replaced the M1938 as the standard weapon for mortar batteries in all Soviet infantry battalions by the late 1980s, though the armies of the Warsaw Pact utilised both in their forces.[6]
| M1943 Mortar | |
|---|---|
 120mm PM-43 mortar | |
| Type | Mortar |
| Place of origin | Soviet Union |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1943-present |
| Used by | Soviet Union |
| Wars | Eastern Front (World War II) Korean War[1] Vietnam War[2] Lebanese Civil War Soviet–Afghan War[3] Gulf War South Sudanese Civil War[4] |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 275 kg (606 lb) |
| Crew | 6 |
| Caliber | 120 mm (4.7 in) |
| Breech | muzzle loaded |
| Elevation | +45° to +80° |
| Rate of fire | 9 rpm maximum, 70 rds/hr sustained |
| Muzzle velocity | 272 m/s (890 ft/s) Frag-HE & HE |
| Effective firing range | 5,700 m (6,200 yd) maximum, 500 m (550 yd) minimum |
Design
This muzzle-loading mortar can be easily broken down into three parts – barrel, bipod and baseplate – for movement over short distances or towed by a GAZ-66 truck on a two-wheel tubular carriage. The baseplate mounting permits all-azimuth firing, however as with most Soviet mortars it was difficult to turn rapidly over a wide traverse. It could accommodate small-angle shifts of up to 6 degrees without having to shift the baseplate though.[6]
Variants
It was copied in China as the Type 53 mortar.[7] A more robust but heavier version, the Type 55, was developed by Norinco.[8]Egypt also produced a locally modified variant, the Helwan Model UK 2.[9]An improved version called the 2B11 Sani was also produced by the Soviets and, in combination with the 2B9 Vasilek, was being used to phase out the M1943 from service.[6]
Users
Afghanistan[10]
Albania[11]
Algeria[12]
Bangladesh: Type 53 variant[13]
Botswana: 6[14]
Burkina Faso: 12[15]
Cambodia[16]
Cape Verde: 6[17]
Central African Republic: 12 in store[18]
China: Manufactured as Type 53 and Type 55[11]
Republic of the Congo: 28[19]
Cuba[20]
Czech Republic[11]
Egypt: PM-43[21] and Helwan Model UK 2[11]
Guinea[22]
Guinea-Bissau: 8[23]
Guyana: 18[24]
Hungary: 1 as of 2016[update][25]
Iraq[11][26]
Kazakhstan[27]
North Korea[28][29]
Laos[30]
Libya[31]
Madagascar: 8[32]
Mozambique: 12[33]
Myanmar: Type 53 variant[34]
Nepal[35]
Nicaragua: 24[36]
Pakistan: Type 53 variant[7]
Romania[11]
Russia[11]
Slovakia[11]
South Sudan: Type 55[37]
Sudan[38]
Sri Lanka[39]
Syria[11][40]
Tanzania: Type 53 variant[7]
Vietnam: PM-43, Type 53 and Type 55[7][11][41]
Zimbabwe: 6[42]
Former users
References
- International Institute for Strategic Studies (February 2016). The Military Balance 2016. Vol. 116. Routlegde. ISBN 9781857438352.
External links
- M-43 120 mm mortar (Russian Federation), Mortars – Jane's Infantry Weapons