Speaking of the French Brandt Mle1935 60mm mortar, it can be said to be a classic work of mortar design by the master Brandt. Even the armies of later generations still use his design ideas, which are nothing more than the use of high-tech materials to make them lighter and have a longer range.
But it is such a masterpiece that has been handed down from generation to generation. At that time, the French army still took the trench warfare of World War I as its strategic thinking and pursued large-caliber and powerful artillery. It did not receive the attention of the military. Although the French army has also placed a lot of purchase orders, the production period is always behind the more powerful artillery such as 81 mm and 150 mm.
Before the outbreak of the European War, the French army was only equipped with more than a thousand guns. In addition, it was defeated by Germany in just a few months. Naturally, there were not many opportunities to excel on the battlefield.
However, the 60mm mortar, which is flourishing inside the wall but not receiving due attention in France, was made famous by American and Chinese soldiers during the Pacific War.
In the late 1920s, in order to test new infantry light support weapons, the United States began to inspect mortar specifications. After a long period of testing, it felt that its own products were inferior to foreign ones, so it decided to purchase a French light mortar production license. On this basis, we will develop new mortars.
As a result, the M2 60mm mortar, which was famous in World War II, was born. When the Pacific War broke out in 1941, the M2 mortar accompanied the army as an infantry platoon-level support weapon, filling the firepower gap between the 82mm mortar and grenades, and played an irreplaceable role in the war. It began to be equipped in 1938. By the end of World War II in 1945, the total production of M2 reached about 60,000.
The M2 mortar consists of a gun body, a gun mount, a base, and a sight. The gun mount is a foldable bipod with a square bottom plate. It adopts the design of smooth bore, muzzle loading, and impact launch, which is almost copied from France. All design concepts of the Brandt Mle1935 60mm mortar.
The Republic of China government also took a fancy to this light mortar, which was very suitable for Chinese infantry. However, due to factory relocation and industrial-level capacity issues after the outbreak of the war, it was not until 1941 that the replica was successfully copied and mass production began. But as soon as this mortar, known as the Trinity Type of the Republic of China, went on the battlefield, it completely suppressed the Japanese grenades that had caused the Chinese army to suffer so much.
In the later stages of the Anti-Japanese War, the Sanyi mortar has become the ace killer of the Chinese army and a nightmare for the Japanese army. According to historical records, the Japanese soldiers killed by National Army mortars accounted for about half of their total casualties. This caused Japanese soldiers to be deeply afraid of the sound of mortars that were different from other artillery. During combat, as soon as they heard the sound of mortars - shells With a whistling sound, the rat immediately ran away with its head in hand.
So, why does the 60mm mortar play such a big role on the battlefield and is widely favored by the American and Chinese armies?
It is because the 60mm mortar has three major advantages. One is its lightness. Whether it is made in France or imitated by the United States and the Republic of China, a mortar weighs no more than 20 kilograms. If it is broken down and carried by two soldiers, the load per person is about 9 kilograms, which is fully capable of accompanying the mortar. Infantry squad and platoon-level detachments operate and provide timely support, and can be operated by one person when necessary.
The second is that although the structure of the artillery is simple and lightweight, it is equipped with advanced aiming equipment, and the accuracy of shelling is very high. Unlike the Japanese grenades, experienced veterans must be able to operate them accurately, and in most cases, three test rounds are required to determine the location.
The third is the rate of fire. Take the American M2 mortar as an example. As long as there is enough ammunition, the M2 can fire at a high rate of 35 rounds per minute. It is a firepower platform that can be moved at any time.
This kind of artillery must be the support firepower that Zhou Wen will configure for the tactical team in the future. Judging from the other five members of the current artillery team of the first detachment, although they are still far behind the monster like Xu Dacheng, with the artillery sight device, the average hit rate of the first team can reach more than 80%. All of them are proven artillerymen.
Zhou Wen considered not only equipping the first detachment with 60mm mortars, but also popularizing artillery that could completely suppress Japanese grenades in the first and second regiments, at least to platoon-level units.
Moreover, Zhou Wen also had an idea. With the current steel quality of Lishi Iron and Steel Factory and the future scale and capabilities of the ammunition factory, it should not be difficult to imitate this mortar. If mass production can be achieved at the Lishi Ammunition Factory, not only will the mercenary group benefit, but Zhao Changshu's model division will also be able to equip it.
He even wanted to send the drawings of his successful imitation to the principal, so that this kind of artillery, which was relatively cheap and had low material requirements, could be equipped with the national army in the early days of the Anti-Japanese War. At least it would not let the grenade launchers of Little Japan be used in the anti-Japanese battlefield. He has been doing evil for so many years.
You must know that although the Lishi Ammunition Factory is currently small, there are only a few professional and technical personnel such as Huang Yisheng. But this year or next year, Hobert, an engineer from Mauser Company in Germany, will bring his family and a group of Jewish engineers to join Zhou Wen. With the level of Huang Yisheng and Hobert, it would not be too difficult to imitate a small-caliber mortar with a not too complicated structure.
Of course, these are all things for later. It is not appropriate for Zhou Wen to say this to Miaohua and the others now, otherwise his nickname of "The Magic Stick" will be given to him once again.
"When you go back to get married this time, will your brothers also go with you? How will the arrangements be made here in Shanghai?" Miaohua asked.
He knew that Zhou Wen's marriage was a big event, but not everyone in Shanghai could go.
Zhou Wen rubbed his eyebrows with a headache, and said after careful consideration: "There is nothing urgent in Shanghai for the time being. Let's go wherever we can. It's just that Sister Ying and the three of them can't leave. The Yangtze River Company has gone on the right track, and Jiang Fang has There is no need to keep a team of people to take care of them. But the defense company needs to keep a team of people except for little Henry, who cannot go."
Miaohua knew that Zhou Wen was in trouble. From Zhou Wen's point of view, of course he hopes that all his brothers can attend his wedding together, but the actual situation does not allow it.
You know, Zhou Wen is not only the founder and leader of the mercenary group, but also the soul figure loved and respected by all the brothers, officers and soldiers of the mercenary group. His big day is naturally also a happy day for the mercenary group. In this case, every brother looks forward to attending his wedding and experiencing this celebratory moment together.
At this time, arranging who will go and who will not is really a bit brain-consuming.
