160 mm mortar M1943 vs M2 mortar: Specs Compared

FORCETALLY

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AMortars

160 mm mortar M1943

Heavy mortar

Credit

Torin · Public domain · Resized · Public domain · Source ↗ · Modified

M2 mortar — licensed reference photograph

BMortars

M2 mortar

Infantry mortar

Credit

Curiosandrelics · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Resized · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source ↗ · Modified

First system

Second system

At a glance

Side by side

160 mm mortar M1943larger figure on 4 of 4

Mass+6058%
Barrel length+317%
Calibre+167%
Muzzle velocity+55%

M2 mortarlarger figure on 0 of 4

None

Counts only measures both sources give with the same scope. A larger figure is not a better system.

Measured figures

Head to head

15 of 53 rows sourced on both sides

1.2t

19kg

Mass+6058%

All recorded figures & sources

1,170 kg

Mass

Single source

1,170 kg (2,580 lb)^[source]

19 kg

Mass

Single source

Configuration

Details

160 mm mortar M1943 and M2 mortar configuration
Specification	160 mm mortar M1943	M2 mortar
Type	Heavy mortar^[source]	Infantry mortar^[source]
Place of origin	Soviet Union^[source]	United States^[source]
In service	1943–present^[source]	—
Wars	World War II Korean War Six-Day War Vietnam War Yom Kippur War Lebanese Civil War 1978 South Lebanon conflict South Lebanon conflict (1985–2000)^[source]	World War II Chinese Civil War First Indochina War Korean War Algerian War Portuguese Colonial War Rhodesian Bush War Vietnam War Soviet–Afghan War Iran–Iraq War Lebanese Civil War Nicaraguan Revolution Guatemalan Civil War

Shell	40.8 kg (90 lb) bomb^[source]	3 lb (1.4 kg)^[source]

Elevation	+45° to +80°^[source]	+40° to +85°^[source]

Traverse	25°^[source]	7°^[source]

Role	smoothbore breech loading heavy mortar^[source]	—

Source measurement	The Soviet 160 mm mortar M1943 is a smoothbore breech loading heavy mortar that fired a 160 mm (6.3 in) bomb. The M1943 (also called the MT-13 ) was one of the heaviest mortar used by Soviet troops in World War II . Around 535 of these weapons were fielded with Soviet forces during the war. It was replaced in Soviet service after World War II by the M-160 mortar of the same caliber.^[source]160 mm mortar M1943 · Lead; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage Originally a simple scaling-up of the 120 mm (4.7 in) M1938 mortar , it soon became apparent that drop-loading a 40.8 kg (90 lb) bomb into a 3.03 m (9.9 ft) long tube would be too difficult for any man to do. It was redesigned into a breech loading weapon , and contains a substantial recoil system to soak up the massive shock of firing a 160 mm (6.3 in) bomb and prevent the baseplate from burying itself too deeply.^[source]160 mm mortar M1943 · Description; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage	—

Source measurement

The Soviet 160 mm mortar M1943 is a smoothbore breech loading heavy mortar that fired a 160 mm (6.3 in) bomb. The M1943 (also called the MT-13 ) was one of the heaviest mortar used by Soviet troops in World War II . Around 535 of these weapons were fielded with Soviet forces during the war. It was replaced in Soviet service after World War II by the M-160 mortar of the same caliber.^[source]160 mm mortar M1943 · Lead; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage

Originally a simple scaling-up of the 120 mm (4.7 in) M1938 mortar , it soon became apparent that drop-loading a 40.8 kg (90 lb) bomb into a 3.03 m (9.9 ft) long tube would be too difficult for any man to do. It was redesigned into a breech loading weapon , and contains a substantial recoil system to soak up the massive shock of firing a 160 mm (6.3 in) bomb and prevent the baseplate from burying itself too deeply.^[source]160 mm mortar M1943 · Description; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage

—

Used by	—	United States France Israel South Korea Republic of China China Turkey North Vietnam South Vietnam Vietnam^[source]

Designer	—	Edgar Brandt^[source]

Variants	—	Type 31^[source]

Manufacturer	—	Read Machinery Company^[source]M2 mortar · original production contract, January 1940 Kennedy-Van Saun Engineering Company^[source]M2 mortar · wartime production contractor Firestone Tire and Rubber Company^[source]M2 mortar · wartime production contractor, 1945 Pakistan Machine Tool Factory Limited^[source]M2-derived Type 63-1 · licensed variant production in Pakistan Helwan Machine Tools Company^[source]M2-derived Type 63-1 · licensed variant production in Egypt

Manufacturer

—

Read Machinery Company^[source]M2 mortar · original production contract, January 1940

Kennedy-Van Saun Engineering Company^[source]M2 mortar · wartime production contractor

Firestone Tire and Rubber Company^[source]M2 mortar · wartime production contractor, 1945

Pakistan Machine Tool Factory Limited^[source]M2-derived Type 63-1 · licensed variant production in Pakistan

Helwan Machine Tools Company^[source]M2-derived Type 63-1 · licensed variant production in Egypt

Reported operators	Reported operator · Algeria Reported operator · Egypt Reported operator · Guinea Reported operator · Hezbollah Reported operator · North Korea Reported operator · Vietnam	Reported operator · Egypt Reported operator · North Korea Reported operator · Vietnam Reported operator · Albania Reported operator · Austria Reported operator · Australia Reported operator · Bangladesh Reported operator · Republic of China Reported operator · China Reported operator · Denmark Reported operator · Ethiopian Empire Reported operator · France Reported operator · Greece Reported operator · Guatemala Reported operator · Haiti Reported operator · Indonesia Reported operator · Iraq Reported operator · Japan Reported operator · South Korea Reported operator · Lebanon Reported operator · Mexico Reported operator · Morocco Reported operator · Pakistan Reported operator · Portugal Reported operator · Turkey Reported operator · Thailand Reported operator · United States Reported operator · South Vietnam Reported operator · North Vietnam Reported operator · Republic of South Vietnam