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2 inch Medium Mortar
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The 2 inch Vickers Medium Trench Mortar, also known as the 2-inch Howitzer, and nicknamed the "Toffee Apple" or "Plum Pudding" mortar, was a British SBML medium trench mortar in use in World War I from late 1915 to early 1917. The designation "2 inch" refers to the mortar barrel, into which only the bomb shaft but not the bomb itself was inserted; the bomb itself was actually 9 inches (230 mm) in diameter and weighed 42 lb (19 kg), hence this weapon is more comparable to a standard mortar of approximately 4-inch bore.
oduced late 1915.
Replaced by the Newton 6 inch Mortar from February 1917 onwards.
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Encyclopedia
The 2 inch Vickers Medium Trench Mortar, also known as the 2-inch Howitzer, and nicknamed the "Toffee Apple" or "Plum Pudding" mortar, was a British SBML medium trench mortar in use in World War I from late 1915 to early 1917. The designation "2 inch" refers to the mortar barrel, into which only the bomb shaft but not the bomb itself was inserted; the bomb itself was actually 9 inches (230 mm) in diameter and weighed 42 lb (19 kg), hence this weapon is more comparable to a standard mortar of approximately 4-inch bore.
History
Introduced late 1915.
Replaced by the Newton 6 inch Mortar from February 1917 onwards. Some Australian units retained them for projecting smoke screens.
Combat use
The weapon was initially operated by joint infantry and artillery detachments, eventually it became the responsibility of the Royal Field Artillery. A typical infantry division was equipped with 3 batteries designated X, Y, Z, each with 4 mortars.
It fired a spherical cast-iron bomb "the size of a football" painted dirty white filled with Amatol (identified by a painted green band) or Ammonal (identified by a painted pink band) attached to the end of a pipe ("stick"), hence the nicknames "Toffee Apple" and "Plum Pudding". Weights of bombs as delivered without fuzes varied. Light bombs, from 39 lb 14 oz to below 40 lb 10 oz (18.09 to 18.43 kg), were marked with a stencilled "L". Heavy bombs, above 41 lb 10 oz to 42 lb 6 oz (18.43 to 19.22 kg) were marked with a stencilled "Hv". Hence the total fuzed weight with stick of 51 lb is only an average.
The 2-inch designation refers to the mortar barrel's bore and the projectile stick inserted into it, not the much-larger bomb itself which remained outside the barrel. It was comparable in explosive power if not range to other 4-inch mortars.
Its primary use was in cutting barbed wire defenses and attacking enemy front line trenches, such as in the July 1916 attack on the Somme. The spherical shape and relatively low velocity brought the benefit that the bomb did not penetrate the ground before exploding. The short range was a disadvantage as it could only be used if no man's land (between the British and enemy front line) was relatively narrow. It was used to fire some White Star (50%-50% chlorine and phosgene) gas bombs during the Battle of the Somme but only as a stopgap measure until other specialised longer range projectors became available.
Cordite charges appropriate to the required range were dropped into the barrel before the bomb was loaded. Charges and ranges:
- 1.5 ounces (40 g): 100220 yards (90200 m) (dangerous due to propensity for incomplete burn and hence to fall short)
- 2.5 ounces (70 g): 180340 yards (160310 m)
- 3.5 ounces (100 g): 300500 yards (270460 m)
A Lee-Enfield bolt mechanism and chamber was screwed into a socket in the top of the barrel near the base. A special blank rifle cartridge was loaded and fired via a long lanyard from a sheltered position if possible due to the risk of bombs falling short. This ignited the propellant charge and launched the bomb.
In early use it was situated in frontline trenches but this tended to attract enemy fire onto the troops manning them. Standard procedure became to locate the mortars separately from frontline trenches, in unoccupied trenches or in saps running off the frontline. This had the benefit of drawing enemy fire away from troops manning the front line.
Estimated rounds required for various targets, with instantaneous percussion fuze 107:
- Cutting barbed wire: 1 round per 10 square yards (8 mē)
- Cutting loose wire: 1 round per 6 square yards (5 mē)
- Destroy trenches frontally: 5 rounds per yard
- Destroy trenches in enfilade: 2.5 rounds per yard
- Destroy a machine-gun emplacement with top cover not more than 3 feet of earth: 80 rounds
Provision was made for attachment of the "Temple Silencer" at the muzzle, but it is unknown whether this was used in combat.
Use as anti-tank mines
In Spring 1918 many of the by-then obsolescent bombs were buried on the Western Front under metal plates as anti-tank mines in expectation of attack by German tanks. This led to some later confusion as to whether unearthed bombs were unexploded mortar projectiles ("Duds") or undetonated mines.
These minefields were inadequately documented. This caused the British problems in the closing months of the war when they had to advance again over territory they had previously abandoned, and also prevented full clearance of the minefields after the war. This led to some French farmers being blown up in the 1930s when they started using tractors e.g. around Gouzeaucourt.
See also
Surviving examples
Image Gallery
External links
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