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Chapter 5 Weapons
99
60-mm Mortar (Mortar 60-mm,
M2 and Mount M2)
Caliber
60-mm (2.36 in.)
Muzzle velocity
163 mps (535 fps)
Weight
18.9 kg (42 lbs)
Overall length
72.6 cm (28.6 in.)
Rate of fire
18 rounds per minute (normal),
35 rounds per minute (maximum)
Range
1,806 m (1,975 yds)
Mortars were the lightest and most mobile form of
artillery used in World War II. The mortars used
during the war ranged in size from the 50-mm
mortar used extensively by the Japanese to a
mammoth 305-mm mortar used by the Russian
Army. The largest mortars that saw extensive use in
combat were 120-mm mortars (usually mounted on
wheels) used by both the Germans and Russians. The
smallest mortar used by American troops was the
60-mm mortar. Like most mortars, it consisted of a
smooth-bore barrel (or tube), base plate, and bipod.
Designated “Mortar 60mm, M2 and Mount M2,” the
60-mm mortar was almost identical in design,
construction, and operation to the 81-mm mortar.
However, the 60-mm mortar was considerably
lighter. The tube weighed 12.8 pounds, the base plate
12.8 pounds, and the bipod 16.4 pounds—a total
weight of 42 pounds compared to the 81-mm
mortar’s 136 pounds. The base plate was often left
attached to facilitate rapid setup.