The Soviet 107mm M1938 mortar was a scaled-down version of the 120mm
M1938 mortar
The 120-PM-38 or M1938 was a 120 mm Soviet mortar that was used in large numbers by the Red Army during World War II. Although a conventional design its combination of light weight, mobility, heavy firepower and range saw its features widely copi ...
intended for use by mountain troops and light enough to be towed by animals on a cart.
History
In
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, the 107mm mortar saw service with Soviet mountain infantry as a divisional artillery weapon. Weapons captured by the Germans were given the designation ''10.7 cm Gebirgsgranatwerfer 328(r)''.
Its last significant use in battle was in the
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
. The ability to break down the weapon made it particularly suited to the rugged terrain of
Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
.
The mortar fired a lighter
high explosive
An explosive (or explosive material) is a reactive substance that contains a great amount of potential energy that can produce an explosion if released suddenly, usually accompanied by the production of light, heat, sound, and pressure. An exp ...
round (OF-841) and a heavier HE round (OF-841A). The lighter HE round actually carried a larger bursting charge than the heavier round. Both rounds used GVMZ-series point detonation fuzes.
Recently, the weapon has been seen in use by rebel forces during the
2011 Libyan civil war
The First Libyan Civil War was an armed conflict in 2011 in the North African country of Libya that was fought between forces loyal to Colonel Muammar Gaddafi and rebel groups that were seeking to oust his government. It erupted with the Liby ...
.
Users
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and many others
See also
Weapons of comparable role, performance and era
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Ordnance ML 4.2 inch Mortar - British equivalent
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M2 4.2 inch mortar - US equivalent
Notes
External links
OF-841 roundOF-841A round
{{DEFAULTSORT:107mm M1938 Mortar
World War II infantry mortars of the Soviet Union
107 mm artillery
Soviet chemical weapons program
Chemical weapon delivery systems
Military equipment introduced in the 1930s