| 81mm Mortar (ingame) Mortaio da 81/14 Modello 35 (design) | |
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| General Historical Information | |
| Place of origin: | USA |
| Category: | Heavy Mortar |
| Used by: |
Italy |
| Passengers: | 1 |
| Calibre: | 81 mm |
| Elevation: | from +4° tot +90° |
| Traverse: | -8° tot +8° |
| Rate of Fire: | 18 rounds per min |
| Position 1: | Gunner |
| Historical Picture | |
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After some research, we would say that it is The Italian Model 35 mortar, being a licensed Italian copy of the famous French Brandt mortar weapon, itself inspired from the British Stokes mortar. It was given the formal designation of "Mortaio da 81/14 Modello 35" and became the largest-caliber mortar to see service with Italian forces in World War 2 as a standardized medium army mortar. The "81/14" in the designation marked the caliber (81mm) and the approximate length of the barrel (14 x 81mm).
The weapon was a tried-and-true system that provided exceptional indirect repeat-fire performance at range. A crew of two was standard in a design such as this - one to manage the mortar directly and the other to manage the ammunition supply.
The Model 35 was cleared to fire two standard projectiles, both of the high-explosive type with one intended for short-to-medium ranges and the other for long-range support. The long-range (light) version was a basic 7lb projectile which ranged out to 4,050 yards. The short-to-medium range version was a 15lb shell (heavy) ranged for target areas within 1,500 meters. A well-trained, disciplined and experienced crew could loose some 18 rounds per minute. Elevation spanned +4 to +90 degrees with traversal limited to 8 degrees. Muzzle velocity was rated at 515 feet per second.
Interestingly, the Model 35 could make use of both German and American 81mm ammunition which meant that it was something of a logistically-friendly weapon. In the latter case, the operators could benefit from captured stocks of enemy ammunition. While the British 3-inch mortar utilized the same caliber, it was not entirely compatible with the Italian Model 35.
Template:Italian Artillery
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