How to Fire a Mortar?

[@tyronecomblast1078]

This is the ONLY video on KZbin that’s shows you how to aim a mortar!👏🏾

[@Aitelly]

Thanks!

[@danielpickrell8311]

As GWOT 11C I can vouch for this

[@tyronecomblast1078]

@@Aitellyno thank you guys!

[@gamers-r_cool]

LOL

[@fgtrbhwerth3w]

no, it doesn't. It ain't that simple. An 82mm mortar (=the real thing) works differently.

[@justinwaller7081]

Having spent time as a mortarman in both the USMC and US Army, I found I preferred the 81mm mortar. It's more stable than the 60mm and I always found it easier to aim with its offset bipod. The 120mm is just too heavy to deal with, so I didn't like it as much. That being said, no one expects to to hike a 120mm mortar, so that counts for something. Also, the FO sends the call for fire to the FDC who then works up the data with the plotting boards or mortar ballistic computer. The FDC sends the firing data to the gunline. I look at it like this: the FO is the eyes, the FDC is the brains, the gunline is the muscle. Cool video. I can use this to show people what I used to do because they always ask and it's a bit difficult to describe without the visual.

[@haiderphone6892]

@@justinwaller7081 I need help

[@thakur-pp5ob]

@@justinwaller7081 81 mm mor firer from India

[@007romryan]

Did you ever get to use the really small mortar the Brits use? I forget its name, it's literally pocket arty.

[@thanasisrks4944]

I always struggled to understand how mortars are aimed and particularly in what angle they are set and how do they calculate the range to the target over a hill. To me that range scale made perfect sense, thanks for the information!

[@Aitelly]

Always Welcome

[@Nghilifa]

As a former mortarman myself, this warms my heart! ♥👍🏿

[@Aitelly]

Thank You

[@HouseDracul]

Why is it a subhuman hand? Disgusting!

[@Random_guy2468]

@@HouseDracul Don't be rude

[@AngelGonzalez-pd4cn]

0341 in the Marines.

[@sausage-x3p]

@@HouseDracul For all rednecks like you, I suggest practicing the 2nd amendment right on Yourself!

[@MrMulleteer]

I was part of the mortar team (81KRH) and responsible of aiming . Mortar is almost never used with line of sight. Usually team leader positions a rod to give aiming direction, wind correction and voices distance estimation that I dialed in. Then we adjusted based on impact observation. Mortar is surprisingly accurate weapon when used correctly. Most common dangers are accidental double loading and mortar falling over when the egg is still inside the tube. Latter happened us once and we hit nearby road outside our firing sector. Fortunately nobody was hit.

[@SteamWolf320]

Did you actually crouch over the mortar to aim it like in the animation? That looks like a very uncomfortable position to be in while aiming!

[@MrMulleteer]

@@SteamWolf320 Larger 81mm mortar so sights was higher and position on knee. Much worse part is carrying the tube, baseplate and tripod that weight about 20kg (40lbs) each. Always for several miles per day. I was like 19y and fit at the time so it wasn't that bad though.

[@derrickbailey9821]

What keeps the tail from blowing off if the charge is around the shaft part?

[@MrMulleteer]

@@derrickbailey9821 Charge is slower explosive so pressure in the tube raises gradually over the whole time grenade is still inside the tube. Also the shaft is hollow so pressure inside and outside it is the same, it's not really stressed that much.

[@Trust_but_Verify]

Wouldn't different loads of explosive rings have different flight path at the same tube elevation? Didn't see the video talk about how to adjust for that difference.

[@ArmyDog11C4]

As a for BN MTR PSG HHC 1/38th INF, 4TH STRYKER BDE, 2ND ID FORT LEWIS, WA. I’ve always on the lookout for videos of the job I loved with all your heart, so I could show family and friends what I actually did in my time in the U.S Army thank you guys

[@KgaogelokhumoMojalefa]

Every video is highly informative I'm also impressed by the quality of the videos keep it up

[@Aitelly]

Glad you like them!

[@Quadgaming-l7t]

Agreed

[@saiga12forme88]

Cool vid, thanks for taking the time to make it. Stuff like this is always interesting.

[@mikeroach3301]

I was 11C on a 60mm mortar crew from 1990 to 1994 in the US Army, this is the gun system we used. Great video! One correction, the baseplate digs itself into the ground. The gunner stands on the baseplate for the first round to help embed it. You actually dig it out, not in.

[@johnslagboom1836]

From 1982 to 1984 I was Company C, 1st Battalion, 4th Marines 60mm mortar section leader stationed in 29 Palms. We were still using the Korean vintage M-2 60mm mortars when the M225 first came out and replaced it. Talk about a night and day difference! Close to twice the range and 360-degree sighting system. Basically, the same system that was used with the 81 mm mortar. One correction to this video. There as a small, rectangular base plate that was used in the handheld mode.

[@davidhager3650]

As a former 13F40 Forward Observer I can say your depiction of the FO. are wrong. He does not use a plotting wheel. He simply sends in the grid coordinates and the direction to the target and elevation if relevant. To the Fire Direction center. The FDC uses the plotting wheel to convert grid coordinates to deflection, elevation and charge. But overall a well made and informative video.

[@Aitelly]

Thanks you for your service.

[@geoffhughes225]

I'm sure computers have replaced the plotter board now. But the theories remain the same

[@justinwaller7081]

@@geoffhughes225 We had the mortar ballistic computers in the USMC 1994-2003 and a newer computer when I was Army 2009-2013. I could still be quicker on the old plotting board than on the computer. In the time I was in, the computers didn't necessarily replace the plotting board, but was an additional tool. When I was an FDC chief, my plotter usually used the computer and I ran the plotting board as the check. I usually had the computation first and the plotter would then say check or hold, though almost always check. One thing about the plotting board is that if an issue does come up, it's usually quick and easy to see why. Not so with the computer. I would run two plotting boards or one of each, but never two computers. But that was my FDC and how I chose to run it. Don't know about how they do things now.

[@VALMOX]

Thank you for this tutorial!❤️ Now I gonna use this knowledge in Battlefield 4👍

[@Jewclaw]

This is an amazing video. I’ve been asking military members how mortars work since I can remember. No one really knew bc most military members don’t mess with mortars

[@YahooFiles]

I always wondered how this worked. Keep it up!!!

[@Aitelly]

Thanks

[@killstriker347]

Relatively correct video I love it coming from a mortarman myself some notes the delay fuse for a 60 is actually 0.05 not .5 and the elevation knob is located on the bottom of the vertical tube going up the bipods. your minor adjust knob is what is actually located there and you have another cross leveling knob across from the sight unit. Also sight data is given first before getting up on steaks and you match the distance between the near and far steak is on the side you far steak is from the near. 👍

[@nicolaizafra9705]

As a 3D artist myself, I am impressed by your demonstration and animation! well brief and concise too! Subscribed and keep it up! :)

[@bodyperfect1]

Excellent animation and simple explanation 👍

[@Aitelly]

We tried to make it as simple as Possible

[@nirodharupasinghe2288]

flying path is wrong

[@deraltekaiser6361]

Really love what you guys do, I've learned so much just binging on your videos.

[@Aitelly]

Thanks 🙏🏻👍🏻

[@mahiramvevo]

@@Aitelly hello awesome work and i have a question how the shell ? WORKS is there electronic things ? inside .? as we can set explotion as we want

[@fidelcatsro6948]

My cat loves u too🐱♥️♥️♥️

[@mr.fazler7611]

U have been did more hard works for done this episode dude...great job

[@Aitelly]

thanks!

[@mahi98goodguy]

This video will be very helpfull for those who dozed off in artillery class😊😊

[@Aitelly]

:)

[@jonpaarlberg]

Nice video! Don’t forget the 81mm mortar which is probably the most common one used by US Army infantry.

[@stevepowsinger733]

I was wondering how he omitted the 81.

[@CrystallineGreen]

Gracias! Por fin veo y entiendo como funciona la mira de un mortero. Excelente video 👌

[@wimverhaegen9065]

Very informative as always. Love this format.

[@michaeldang8189]

3:50 picture is very wrong. As narrator mentioned before that step, the bubble scale has only 0 charge or 1 charge for hand held fire. The picture shows that the round has 4 charges loaded. This is going to severely injure the gunner's hand. Once he pull the trigger, the 4 charged round is going to create a super strong recoil, so strong that the handle is going to cut into the bone of his hand.

[@kennycubensis8152]

So we always had three guys per gun and the FDC was a separate position and theu were the ones to use the ploting board in our unit and in hand held mode, if using the trigger fire, you wont want to go over charge one as anything higher could likley break you hand or wrist. Love this video, brings back memories. The select fire HE round was the M720, my favorite, but we later switched to point of impact of M888 HE rounds

[@DaytonaState-b8t]

The squad leader and the gunner are on the same side of the tube in the animation yet are described as being on different sides by the narrator. Also, the ignition tube isn't sandwiched between the explosive filler. That implies a 2D arrangement. The ignition tube is in the center of the charge that surrounds it on all sides axially. Another thing is what you're calling the burster charge, the ignition tube, is really the booster charge. The burster charge is the main charge that is used to damage, or kill. The booster charge is what takes the weak initiation charge contained in the fuze as an initiator and then sets off the burster charge. The propellant rings are not high explosive and do not create "high explosive gasses" they are propellant. As such they burn at a much slower rate so they can fill the chamber/barrel with expanding gasses and not destroy the tube as the detonation of high explosives would in a confined space. The propellant used is designed to best suit the parameters of the mortar system. High explosives would see such a spike in pressure immediately upon detonation it would destroy the tube, kill the crew, and likely detonate the burster charge in the warhead.

[@matticus11]

Can anyone help explain how the red and white aiming reference sticks correspond to that later view of the trees? I saw one video where the person looking through the sight was facing the opposite direction of the mortar.

[@jasip1000]

I still don’t get how you use the aiming sticks, together with the data you receive from the FO?

[@Aitelly]

Those are just to check how much the Mortar had moved.

[@PaganMin-1966]

i wonder if the rounds can be thrown after hitting the bottom without using the tube

[@RICKY-RIKON]

Nice vídeo! I remember one friend of mine serving at the army of nicaragua between the "contras" war told about that use of the mortar without the tripod, more easy and allways on the run ( improvised) they called using it with a tripod was a hesitate but more fun in " Tiro Vietnamita"( in Vietnamese mode) against the contras guys 😂🎉 he told me was a very funny moments, cheers.

[@sundragon7703]

So what happens in the case of a misfire & how is the problem solved?

[@Aitelly]

This requires another Video 😉

[@robroy6924]

Very very carefully. Mortar rounds are not armed out of the carrying canister. They are armed by a hard strike on the bottom which breaks a wire inside the round and arms it. Why a round misfires you don't know you just know you now have an armed round sitting in the bottom of the tube. The procedures (for the 81mm) are everyone withdrawing to the rear for 5 (maybe 2) minutes. Tubes get hot and the round's propellant could still cook off. Once time has passed, the gunner and assistant gunner approach the mortar. The assistant gunner (AG), while facing down range, puts his left leg in front of the bipod for stability and places cupped hands (top and bottom) over the boar such that the fleshy part of the hand creates a ring around the opening. The AG is going to catch the round as it slides out. The gunner carefully rotates the tube to release it from the base plate. Once the Gunner and AG are ready the gunner slowly and steadily lifts the bottom of the tube and the AG maintains his hands ready to catch the round as it slides out. I had to do this twice when our mortar's firing pin broke.

[@mrsimo7144]

This is brilliant. But, how does the mortar know when to air burst? Thanks.

[@merlinch4256]

Interesting, but some flaws: - 2:03 the squad leader is on the left of the gun (not on the right) - 3:46 the gunner squeezes the trigger only once the shell has come down the tube, and not as seen in the video 4:00 what comes out of the tube is a shell, not a mortar (= the tube) Merlin, former M113 based 120 mm mortar gunner

[@JohnnyLawBMC]

Excellent video. Fantastic information. Thank you

[@Kismis12350]

This is one of the weapons that confuse me about how soldiers aiming this thing without using satellite but still hit the target. Tq for the explanation

[@bradyjohnson8400]

math using a map and knowledge of how azmiuths and mils work

[@Secret-k8n]

Have you ever wonder how did the 2b9 vasilek rapid mortar work

[@remy9858]

Great content,I hope this channel hits 1m subs

[@Aitelly]

Thanks! hoping for the Best

[@shaik.m.abdullah027]

Most probably it is the simplest war machine but most used one. ❤

[@novusaldynn8121]

Loving it, Great and informative too.

[@Aitelly]

Much appreciated!

[@pavlematovic2116]

I would like to see how those settings on the grenade work, what happens that it detonates half a second earlier and later that is very interesting.

[@tranhai8895]

Can you make a video about "How an ejection seat works?" with full animation?

[@Aitelly]

I saw this request 7 times. Will people Watch it

[@tranhai8895]

@@Aitelly Yes, I think a lot of people are interested in aviation topics

[@ShawnGS300]

Hi, can you please make a video on how a ICBM works?

[@wallclock4648]

How does a wire guided TOW missile work?

[@anasqai]

What kind of wind start creating direction to a mortar's missle? Is measurements believed yet? If yes then speed of wind = 1m away from landing point such thing?

[@MichaelLabriola-f8s]

I was an M-109A2 howitzer crewman. We had forward observers, FDC, and our powder chargers launched our 155mm rounds miles away! It was fun watching deuces, APC's and old sergeant yorks fly 100 feet in the air! Kept first sergeant off our butts!😅😂

[@ravemaster4432]

Can you also explain how the Chabad Tunnel System works?

[@racialconsciousness6996]

Forward Observers are colloquially referred to as "fisters". But they're currently being phased out due to drones. Drones make way better spotters and fisters.

[@Aitelly]

Yoe are Right 100 %

[@robertklimczak5630]

W polsce rak pracuje z systemem topaz Topaz to system pracy wielu broni z dronami wlacznie.. Masz dane rzeczywiste w tym momencie o celu. W raku wpisujesz dane lub przysyłają ci je ustawia się automatem i strzelasz serie ..A po 15 sekundach odjeżdżasz. Bateria rak jest rozsypana po wielu miejscach i może pracować mimo wszystko razem. Jak ukraincy nie zapomną że to tylko moździerz mogą zrobić wiele złego rosjanom.

[@bradyjohnson8400]

yea no

[@mohamedaz6694]

how does the proximty fuse knows that its about 13 ft to hit the ground to explode earilyer ?

[@seventeenshaun6424]

Always very informative

[@Aitelly]

Thanks Shaun 🙏🏻

[@guyweisbeck3258]

High diddle diddle far pole in the middle. 11C 81mm and 4.2 .

[@OttoSchiffbauer]

Interesting video. I have a question about the Propellant Charges? .. How do the Soldiers attach the Charges to the Mortar before loading??? .. 🙄🤔👍

[@justinwaller7081]

Not necessary. The charges are already on the mortar round. It's a matter of taking charges off rather than attaching them. The charges as shown on the video, we called donut charges. They could be pulled off and then put back on, just sliding them back on. They are like donuts with a bite taken out. The older rounds had more charges, up to nine, in little bags we called tea-bags. Once taken off, they could not be put back on so easily.

[@tomdelvetto9906]

The things around the stem of the mortar aren’t charges, they’re just there to protect the stem during transport

[@sird135]

I will apply this to my lesson plan as a performance task for my students.

[@noname28282]

Thank you for your work 🙋

[@marshalllapenta7656]

Question? Is this 1 of HAMA'S favorite weapons to use?

[@ogreunderbridge5204]

Rather good field manual, in video format ! Nice :)

[@stevepowsinger733]

Former 81 mortarman Army 1968-69. I like the new design. Those adjustable impact shells are clever though of course debatable practical value. The video didn’t quite capture the technique of sighting it in with the aiming stakes, which also had little red or green lights on them for night firing. The accuracy is mostly up to the forward observer’s map reading but maybe today they use GPS. So much relies on GPS but the Chinese or Russians have plans to knock out GPS satellites. Anyway, the 81 is indeed a powerful weapon, the 60 doesn’t have much more bang than a hand grenade. The old steel baseplates were the devil to carry in the field. If you didn’t cover your ears when firing “charge nine” you could damage your hearing.

[@Aitelly]

Awesome 👍🏻 thanks you for your Service

[@bradyjohnson8400]

we have optics now that can laze targets without satellite but are much more effective when using the satellite

[@TerryCheever]

Yeah, remember firing M29 81mm mortars as well as M-60 MGs in Army ROTC during Vietnam at Ft Lewis, WA. Was pretty good at it too. Though I joined the Air Force instead the Army ROTC was a good eye opener.

[@emsapangaier3229]

Thanks for the knowledge. God bless you brother.

[@Aitelly]

God Bless you too

[@derrickbailey9821]

What keeps the tail of the mortar from blowing off because the charge is around the round?

[@bradyjohnson8400]

the explosion from the charges igniting push the round out the tube

[@oneshotme]

I very much enjoyed your video and I gave it a Thumbs Up

[@Aitelly]

Thanks

[@pzthree]

A little bit to much textbook info but still correct. Good job whoever did the animations.

[@Dr_Larken]

US Marine here “5811”. Using the Mark 19. I’ve always saw that as a mortar. I am proud of my fellow Marines that held down the March 19 and angled it just like a mortar! Now I understand why they call us a few the proud..

[@Aitelly]

Thank you for your Service!. as Keanu Reeves would say "You're AWESOME "

[@fyrchmyrddin1937]

I often worked with Uncle Sam's Misguided Children... 😉 During TOW trainer school, I didn't make any friends because for a "morale building" game I split the class between Army & Marines: all the Army were E6-7 and around 10 years older than the Marines. Needless to say, the younger Marines, most of whom were E4 or buck E5's, smoked the Army guys.

[@jorgeadolfobasualdo5072]

Creo que es una de las dos únicas armas de avancarga que puede usar la infantería de hoy. El mortero y el lanzagranadas que se carga por la boca.

[@zaryl2k]

having a drone would assist a lot in aiming the targets yes?

[@CapitaineNautilus]

What does it mean to "register" a mortar (in WWII)?

[@LouinVB]

I too wondered how mortars are aimed. Interesting concept

[@IanTanLK]

Why aren't the fins damaged by the charges?

[@Aitelly]

even After it hits the target the fins are alwys in tact

[@Ashmodai]

This was excellent.

[@surendratudu9531]

Awesome bro awesome. You complete my Fantasy

[@Dannysoutherner]

Less further? Interesting term. Good explanation.

[@Chriswilliamsyoutube]

how does the mortar know its height off the ground to airburst?

[@Nazir-t3x]

In 2008 I was stationed at a patrol base in kandahar Afghanistan. The Afghan national army had a mortar which they were using it against the Taliban, one day as they were using it a round got stuck inside, the commander needed someone to assist him taking it out. Everyone was hiding and not daring to get close to it and help him. Me being a rookie interpreter stepped in and assisted him taking it out. Later on I realized how dangerous it was to take out a stuck mortar round. This is a memory that I wanted to share.

[@BittleXanime]

Best home defense weapon!

[@robroy6924]

Not sure about the digging of a hole for the base plate. You had to for the 4.2 inch because of the bride assembly and the base plate assembly. First round out of the 81mm is fired with the ammo bearer standing on the base plate and that seats it into the ground. We only spent half a day on the 60mm while on the square at Ft. Benning. We did not dig any holes. Pretty sure someone just stood on the base plate for the first round.

[@geoffhughes225]

It pays to prepare the bed when using the 81mm, only during a quick action is this process omitted. The base plate can disappear quite fast

[@mikec4431]

Max range 9,500 Meters for the 120mm?

[@Aitelly]

Yes

[@fyrchmyrddin1937]

Interestingly enough, the Army started to remove their previous 60mm mortar, the M2, from service. As I recall, they weren't even back in the same numbers as was the case in Korea. The thinking was apparently that 40mm grenade launchers would provide the essential indirect capability at short range, with the 81mm being the smallest mortar needed. However, there's a gap between the maximum grenade launcher range and the regular minimum range of the M29 (which is also significantly heavier), and the VC rapidly learned to seek out that "sweet spot" prior to assaulting U.S. units.

[@zidanefethanour2440]

can you please explain how you're making this videos

[@mohamedkowab8354]

What kind of software is used to create such expanotry videos

[@Aitelly]

Blender Free Software

[@tahmeedpronoy3195]

How does vertical launch system vls wotk

[@jeffkidwell783]

Thanks for another awesome video

[@leftblank131]

Life skills worth knowing.

[@Aitelly]

😉🙏

[@oleksiirudyk83]

Comment for more than seven words for support you and your team. Thanks for the video.

[@НатальяМокробородова-п5д]

Vey nice video! But i get one question, if I get enough strong, can i shoot from it like from bazooka (like just take it in hands)?

[@geoffhughes225]

Only once!!

[@stevelee6283]

Very good design….I like the way 2 soldiers fire team…in Vietnam War sometime in “broken arrow”…soldiers can hit the mortar round to the base and throw over the VC attack charge…

[@Aitelly]

Only One Soldier can Operate it if it's fired Trigger

[@stevepowsinger733]

It seems like one-man firing would be a desperate act as with mortars you need a constant supply of ammunition and accuracy. Former mortarman. We didn’t have the 60mm in the Army in VN though.

[@TheM7016]

Great video as always

[@montykilman899]

The forward observer does not calculate firing data for the section, the fire direction computer does.

[@royrice8021]

Very handy when neighborhood disputes flare up. Get them through your local HOA at a discount.

[@Caketoco]

If there is a grip…. it should be able to be a handheld chainsaw grip mortar to directly fire at tanks.

[@bradyjohnson8400]

not how that works but okay

[@rminott962]

Light infantry as i was in the pass, usually use the 60mm mortar.dont forget it needs to be carried on a soldiers back, airborne unit move fast .81mm seldom used them it's alot heavier to run with

[@ardobintangramadhan4015]

Very nice video. I like it so much

[@Aitelly]

Thanks Bro

[@Preinstallable]

Thanks, will be needing this

[@edi9892]

I watched it because I wondered about the rings... I knew that they added propellant, but I didn't understood how they were added and I still don't get how they work (I expected the bottom tube to be sturdy to withstand the blast of the main propellant, but the rings would be outside and dangerously close to the payload, which should be in a fairly thin walled case... in German, there's a word for my fear: Rohrkrepierer, which translates more or less to barrel buster or complete failure)

[@robroy6924]

The rings are light and feel like foam. I worked with both 81mm and 4.2 inch (now the 120mm) in the 80s. The 60mm was what the line companies used. And while I was in, the 4.2 inch was considered man portable (it weighed more than 600 pounds total). The ammo rings are known as charges. The propellant inside the fin assembly is considered charge 0 and each ring is an additional charge. Kudos for getting the rings visually accurate. You want to keep balance when firing so you alternate open and closed sides like in the video.

[@bradyjohnson8400]

@@robroy6924 basically just gun powder in a paper wad lol

[@montanastrongremodelrenova1632]

I would have loved the explanation of how infantry squads obtain, then radio in the coordinates and how the mortar gunner uses that information to sight in the mortar...

[@soomaaliga_xalaasha_ah]

Can you please tell us the software you used to animate? We want to use it for education purpose.

[@jrbrasil_sc]

Nice explanation.

[@randellharris7541]

excellent video! more please!

[@ruzgaryildirim5655]

video idea: how an harrier jump jet works?

[@Aitelly]

But Harrier Jump Jet is Retired i guess

[@jeczsz]

Haven't u messed left and right?

[@Aitelly]

Yes the new Animator Messed things up

[@sakibaminsanim]

Wow nice explanation

[@Aitelly]

Thanks and welcome

[@penta123100]

Very informative.

[@Aitelly]

Glad you think so!