2-inch medium mortar
| 2-inch medium mortar | |
|---|---|
British troops loading a 2-inch trench mortar with attached periscope post, World War I. This appears to be a training exercise as no fuze is visible. | |
| Type | Medium mortar |
| Place of origin | United Kingdom |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1915–1917 |
| Used by | British Empire |
| Wars | World War I |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Royal Ordnance Factory |
| Manufacturer | various contractors |
| No. built | 1907 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 105 lb (48 kg) |
| Barrel length | bore: 3 ft (0.91 m) total: 3 ft 5 in (1.04 m) |
| Crew | 5 per mortar 25 per battery of 4 |
| Shell | HE 51 lb (23 kg) Smoke |
| Calibre | 2 inch (50.8 mm) mortar barrel, not bomb |
| Rate of fire | 2-3 per minute |
| Effective firing range | 100 yd (90 m) min 570 yd (520 m) max depending on charge |
| Filling | Amatol or Ammonal |
| Filling weight | 12.5 lb (5.6 kg) |
The 2 inch medium trench mortar, also known as the 2-inch howitzer, and nicknamed the "toffee apple" or "plum pudding" mortar, was a British smooth bore muzzle loading (SBML) medium trench mortar in use in World War I from mid-1915 to mid-1917. The designation "2-inch" refers to the mortar barrel, into which only the 22 in (560 mm) bomb shaft but not the bomb itself was inserted; the spherical bomb itself was actually 9 in (230 mm) in diameter and weighed 42 lb (19 kg), hence this weapon is more comparable to a standard mortar of approximately 5–6 in (130–150 mm) bore.