bxr307@csc.anu.oz (07/09/90)
From: bxr307@csc.anu.oz In article <1990Jul8.053437.7936@cbnews.att.com>, nulspace@eng.umd.edu (Michael Chang) writes: > > > From: nulspace@eng.umd.edu (Michael Chang) >>I don't want to nit-pick, because your basic argument is right on the >>money: but I don't think the U.S. Army's WWII gliders would have been >>capable of carrying a 105mm how, either. Smaller tubes, yes, but the >>105 is a bit large... (anyone know for sure?). The 105mm M2 would have well been within the weight capacity of most of the large troop carrying gliders in WWII (You would though have to carry the Ammunition and towing vehicle in another gilder, unless of course your talking about the Airspeed Hamilcar, or the Me323 Gigant :-). There was also a pack 150mm which was designed to be dropped as several loads by parachute and then assembled on the ground. The Hamilcar was primarily designed to carry a tank into battle and was used operationally to deliver both the Tetrach and the Locust light tanks. The Tetrach (official designation if my memory serves me correctly was....Light Tank Mk.Viii, Tetrach) was used both during the Normandy landings and as well at the crossing of the Rhine. The M22 Locust was used only during the crossing of the Rhine airborne operation by British Troops. > I'm not too sure about the 105mm in particular [never actually seen one] > but the point is, heavy-duty arty can be brought in. Anyone know > anything about mortars specially designed for airborne use? I know the > British had some 2" mortars for airborne troops, not too sure whether > the U.S. had any. The 2" Mortar was a general issue weapon within the British Army, not just for airborne troops. It was held at the platoon level and was intended for use as light support weapon, under the control of the Platoon Commander. The 2" remained in service until quite recently in Britain (primarily as a means of delivering smoke and illumination rounds quickly, as required by the Platoon). It has just been recently replaced by a weapon of similar calibre for the same purpose. The 2" Mortar itself was simplicity itself in design. It consisted basically of a small 2" tube, about a foot in length. On one end it had a small `T' shaped piece of metal to act as base plate, and the sights consisted of a small white line pointing along the length of the barrel at the muzzle. The firer aimed purely by estimation! The new 2" mortar has continued this trend, updating it slightly though, with adding a small tritium light source to allow aiming in low light, and night time operations. Brian