M2 Mortar - In The Movies

A brief overview of the M2 Mortar as seen in the movies.
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Movies/Video Games Featured:
The Siege of Jadotville 2016
Hacksaw Ridge 2016
The Front Line 2011
71: Into the Fire 2010
The Pacific 2010
Miracle at St. Anna 2008
Band of Brothers 2001
Saving Private Ryan 1998
Operation Dumbo Drop 1995
Hot Shots! Part Duex 1993
Too Late the Hero 1970
The Bridge at Remagen 1969
Hell is for Heroes 1962
Never so Few 1959
Go For Broke 1951
The Fighting Seabees 1944
#ww2 #weapons

[@jesusdeputy931]

Johnny u okay? i saw the "morter 19" video

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

lol sorry I was uploading and reuploading this trying to resolve a copyright issue but in the end, the studio just gave me permission to use a clip for the original upload.

[@jesusdeputy931]

@@JohnnyJohnsonEsq oh lol okay good thing you were okay haha

[@felixbui9818]

morter 19 i thought something was going on with me lmao

[@andobtw8046]

@@JohnnyJohnsonEsq wait were you on the 19th try lmao

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

@@andobtw8046 almost but my labeling was getting satirical

[@claytonwatson8]

Hello johnny, I am a 81mm mortar man in the United States marine corps and I must say that going into this video I expected a lot of inaccuracies (a lot of people do not properly understand mortars) but you did a excellent job explaining them. I was impressed by your knowledge of the fuzing and how propelent charges work. Thankyou for your accurate video.

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

Happy to hear from you man. Really appreciate hearing this from a mortar man. Much respect to you. It was a tricky subject to get right having never used one myself.

[@mikebrase5161]

@Duty Sucks Army 11C here 👍served attached to Marines twice in Iraq.

[@user-ot4ip1wl2j]

距砲して　照準も決めずに初弾発射して至近弾なので優秀ですね❗

[@mrnoname_2193]

Thank you genuinely thank you for your service.

[@EarlierTitan19]

@@JohnnyJohnsonEsq wait, you have used a bazooka before?

[@tedrussell902]

I have a friend of mine that was on a 60 mortar in ww2. He is the last living “Band of Brothers”Brad Freeman. He is 97 at the moment and still living. He cannot hear out of his right ear because of the mortar. Good man!

[@RileyZilla1001]

The creator of Gojira and director of many Godzilla films Ishiro Honda had a near death experience with one of these in the war. As he was running a mortar landed right in front of him but failed to explode; later under the cover of darkness he found it and took it back home as a souvenir that sat on his work desk until his death.

[@joshuajoaquin5099]

did he deactivated it?

[@jimbotron2]

When you said creator of Gojira, I thought you meant Joe Duplantier!

[@then00brathalos]

@@joshuajoaquin5099 lol imagine if he bumped it and it fell and went off

[@scumbaag]

@@then00brathalos It's extremely possible, a lot of times a light rainfall will set off unexploded ordinance.

[@bob_the_bomb4508]

@@scumbaag Really? How?

[@k9turrent]

Another good one Johnny! You could mix it up and do some pre-ww1 guns, maybe a flintlock or some civil war guns.

[@OrdinaryLatvian]

I'm waiting for the bow and arrow episode, lol. Ahoy made one, after all.

[@parallel-knight]

Dude yes I would also love that, the 1887 lever shotgun, 1860 Henry 1865 spencer, 1864 LeMat and so many other.

[@joeyphaahla]

No

[@k9turrent]

@@OrdinaryLatvian OOO yeah, english long bow, yumi, repeating crossbow and even the windlass crossbow should have enough appearances in film for content!

[@dennisyoung4631]

1873 Springfield?

[@rider4440]

One thing that is surprisingly uncommon in movies is the MK19, would love to see that!

[@Litvagopnik]

that thing jammed like all the time lol it hated everyone

[@househun]

Generation Kill, for one

[@BeefyRider]

Very happy to see Go For Broke! get namedropped. One of my favorite WWII movies.

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

It was my first time watching it for me. Much better than expected.

[@patriotenfield3276]

The Lost Battalion 👍

[@paratrooper7340]

Great vid, well thought out and researched. I was a Mortar crew member for my entire US Army enlistment - however I was always assigned to 81mm mortars in Weapons Platoons and we were never equipped with the much smaller M2. This was a long time ago and some of my memories are pretty slim but I do remember how much effort was required to hump - means carry - individual pieces of the weapon in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. Now, the 81 was quit a bit heavier than the M2 and one man could not have carried more than one part of the gun for any distance and rounds which came in several different flavors were another matter entirely. Im sure there were Mortar Platoons that really chewed up the VietCong but in my whole year of carrying one or another of those 81mm gun parts we never fired our weapon in actual combat although we carried one gun along with several rounds everywhere we moved. Now we did set up and fire our gun every time we set up for the night and if in or on an established Landing Zone we could be sure to fire several boxes of HE or Illumination but again on a Search and Destroy mission we would Zero our gun in and fire but in combat in the boonies the 81 became a heavy piece of equipment that we never fired!

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

Thanks for sharing your experience. It means a lot to me to get feedback and hear experience from veterans. Mortars are kind of a complicated thing to anyone who hasn't used them, myself included.

[@ddegn]

I second Johnny's thanks. I love finding stories like yours in the comments. Thanks for the interesting video Johnny.

[@NoMoreCrumbs]

The Shuri Castle mission in the Okinawa campaign of CoD: World at War directly cribs that mortar tossing scene from Saving Private Ryan, except I think you're tossing Japanese mortar shells in that one. Same principle, though. Would love to see one about the B-4, Stalin's Sledgehammer

[@eamonnclabby7067]

There was a paratrooper at Arnhem using a mortar as a hand held grenade launcher, he survived and had a long and successful life..

[@GannicusMisteriosdeHonduras]

I remember legs and arms flying around and the red mists

[@GannicusMisteriosdeHonduras]

I haven't seen a B4 howitzer in a movie yet

[@bigblue6917]

Interesting that many armies of WW2 used small calibre mortars at platoon and company level. Though one exception I can think of is the German army with their 81mm mortars.

[@hannibalkills1214]

The Germans did have a 5cm light mortar that saw service until the end of the war.

[@mbr5742]

@@hannibalkills1214 As expected the thing was not light. But very complex: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jp-0nH-qaLt9fJo

[@paladinsix9285]

The US M1 mortar is 81mm, the German WWII mortar was 80mm, and the Russian 82mm... the British used a 3" (or 76mm)

[@harryb8945]

Never used one for real but have used plenty while reenacting including 60mm and 82mm, and it always leaves me with two impressions. 1st no matter how much I try to learn I can never comprehend how they are aimed, and 2nd I'm bloody glad I never have had to use them for real as their heavy and cumbersome. Especially the base plate that often bounces into you're leg when running and can cause serious injuries due to the spikes on the underside. Excellent video once again.

[@gooraway1]

Very realistic when all the enemy soldiers scream together after the mortar round goes off in 'None so Few' about as realistic as hitting them without a sight or baseplate on the mortar

[@paladinsix9285]

I agree about the particular scene. However, in 2007 I had to reclassify as an 11C3, from 11B3. I learned to be quite accurate out to 800meters with a 60mm mortar, no bipod, nor sight, just the tube, and the smaller "assault" baseplate. Similar to "Kentucky Windage" with an M203 grenade launcher. God Bless the American Tax Payers, who paid for all the ammo so my Men and I could become proficient with our weapons before deploying!

[@djolley61]

This illustrates the ranges in which modern combat usually takes place, at least a mile or more. (There are many notable exceptions in the Pacific in WWII, in Vietnam, and in urban warfare in the war on terror). Longer range weapons like mortars and machine guns do a big share of the killing.

[@piney4562]

I'm not sure that is right. One of the main reasons that militarys around the world have been adopting weaker and weaker cartridges since WW2. Is because they realised that standard engagement range, is around 300 metres.

[@djolley61]

@@piney4562 That's right, that's about 1000 yards, which is over a half mile. At that range you can barely make out someone standing in the open. People think that combat takes place at ranges like in a police shootout. You would need a rifle scope or binoculars to see them clearly. A modern army would try to locate the enemy, keep them pinned down, and then call in an artillery or air strike to destroy them.

[@piney4562]

@@djolley61 Well sure, but artillery and airt strikes, are out of the scope of this discussion. Mortars are ok, arguably a form of artillery, but very much platoon level fire support. They aren't really the tool for a preliminary bombardment. They are there to either keep an enemy position pinned down, and so allow the infantry to assault it. Or to force the enemy out of certain positions. Especially seeing as mortars are very limited in range, a WW2 mortar could not be expected to fire over 1.5 miles.

[@kekistanimememan170]

@@djolley61 err recheck your maths dude. 1000 yrds is 914.4 meters.

[@williampan29]

@@djolley61 umm 300 meters is NOT about 1000 yards.It's 328 only.

[@thekhoifish0146]

Since seeing this mortar in Band of Brothers and the Pacific, every time I drop empty cans into those recycling boxes I think to myself “hang it- fire!”

[@OnTheRiver66]

Great video. I was training at Ft. Bragg and saw a demonstration on mortars. A team of 2 mortar men fired a succession of 81 mm rounds at a road in the distance, changing the elevation of each round. When they hit a series of explosions erupted along the road. Had there been enemy troops or vehicles along the road they would have been taken out. My hat is off to the men who had that skill.

[@imadrifter]

That Hot Shots Part Deux line is one of my all time favorites 👍🏻

[@hunglengocbao3469]

3:03 War is fantastic that's so weird

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

I have to work it into more videos lol

[@imadrifter]

@@hunglengocbao3469 that actors voice just sells it so great. Like, it really is Fantastic to him

[@bonnerapplegate4824]

I just finished rewatching the Pacific today so it was great this episode came out when it did!

[@calebpresley7054]

Would love to see some more naval related spotlights. Fletcher class destroyers maybe? Keep up the great work!

[@bigblue6917]

I have seen photographs showing the results of naval fire which judging by the range must have been a heavy cruiser or more likely a battleship. At least one photograph was of a Tiger tank on its turret flipped over like a discarded toy. At Normandy both British and American destroyers were noted for diving in and using their guns as close support. You cannot help but be impressed.

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

I was playing around with doing a Yamato video, subs, torpedoes, depth charges. I should be able to make something happen here.

[@quinnthespin5407]

"A Can of Peaches" i love that movie

[@pvt.potato1943]

2.6k views only? you are absolutely criminally underrated!

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

Thanks PVT Potato! On the way up I hope :)

[@Padlock85]

I was a Mortar Man for the 10th Mountain Div in Afghanistan and Iraq. I shot everything from a 120mm to a 60mm. In Afghanistan we would carry the 60’s on patrol. I was in Sadr City in 2008 during “March Madness”. One of the very rare times we used HE 120mm in the city.

[@Padlock85]

Also here’s a video of me shooting the 120mm in Afghanistan kzbin.info/www/bejne/e3-1dJdna76tqbc

[@eamonnclabby7067]

@@Padlock85 thank you for your service ,Jon , best wishes from the boys from the Mersey, the Thames and the Tyne aka Oliver's Army ,penned by fellow Birkonian Declan McManus aka Elvis Costello, actually paying tribute to his Grandad...best wishes from the wirral peninsula ,bounded by the mersey and the Dee and the Irish sea ,geography and rhyme...E

[@Rrgr5]

In the Korean war, some US grenadiers used mortar rounds as rifle grenades, I was surprised to find that the Garand could endure that recoil, you can find some pictures and history about it in the internet, as it seems it was indeed effective.

[@AHappyCub]

Amongs all the games i've played, CoH series have the best depiction of mortars, absolutely love using them on CoH2 since they're like a mini artillery

[@EnclaveChad]

I love company of warcriminals especially the mortar half-track with incendiary rounds

[@AHappyCub]

@@EnclaveChad Hell yeah, I love using sdkfz 250 (I think) with mortars as fire support while waiting to get my own tanks

[@EnclaveChad]

@@AHappyCub the panzer elite is basically the meme of CoH but i love the stuff you get to play with. Because incendiary rounds go brrr

[@AHappyCub]

@@EnclaveChad one strats that I love to do is go Inf commander as US and span M4A3 76 mid to late game considered how US can de-crew this reducing pop

[@EnclaveChad]

@@AHappyCub the on i love to use is spam mortar half-track's and marder's. And when I get Hummel's I'll just casually bomb the enemy base because map-wide range go brrr

[@minuteman4199]

I have had the opportunity to fire a few rds from a 60mm mortar and two things struck me at the time. The concussion is a real smack in the face. They are not really "loud" but your head is right near the muzzle when you drop the bomb and it feels like your whole body was punched at the same time. The other thing is the rounds seem to take an eternity to reach their target. Since they're pointed at a steep angle, they fly very high in the air before starting to drop to the ground and it seem to take forever. I'm just guessing because I never timed it but I'd say 10-15 seconds from launch to landing.

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

Thanks for some added insight Minute Man!

[@donaldkellar459]

Johnny: in GO FOR BROKE, about 30 minutes into the movie, two Germans ambush a group of GIs drinking wine. The German enlisted man is firing a G43 semiauto rifle; the German officer is firing a .45ACP Reising SMG made up to resemble a MP40. This same mock-up was later used in the COMBAT! TV series.

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

Beauty I'll make note of this for a future video

[@admiral_t]

Ahhh the morter 19, a formidable weapon of war! Anyway, good stuff as always Johnny!

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

Lol man this video gave me so many issues. Should all be resolved now.

[@eamonnclabby7067]

@@JohnnyJohnsonEsq all for a simple life personally, like the tongue in cheek issues comment ...

[@runertje550]

I absolutely love The Pacific for depicting the mortar team. I have always been interested in mortar men, and this series was everything I ever wanted

[@erwinisme157]

When ur tanks are so bad that light mortars can one shot it: This post was made by Iwo Jima marines gang.

[@fortis3686]

Is the M3 Halftrack on your list? Since you did the German kfz halftrack?

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

Absolutely! Maybe in a month or so

[@fortis3686]

@@JohnnyJohnsonEsq gotcha

[@mbryson2899]

We have an M3 on display in my city. It came in the early 90s, is now behind bars so you can look but not touch, and the stories about who acquired it and why it's here vary wildly. ps- Another great vid, Johnny, scenes and facts. I need to speed up watching movies or you're gonna drown me, though.

[@patriotenfield3276]

Also some interesting facts:- the soviets received a lot of M3 and M5 half tracks as land lease during WW2. They were so impressed with its performance compared to their local and captured German models that they took every details of it and used it in the development of their MT-LB armored tractor + APC . So in a way, an American half track with the same purpose inspired the Soviets in designing their own , but amphibious too. Soviets as usual.

[@patriotenfield3276]

Some Interesting M2 Mortar facts :- The Chinese have also copies of the M2 mortar as the Type 31 (made during the republic of China / Nationalists rule ) and Type 63 and 63-1 ( lighter and increased range by PLA) . North Korea still uses the Type 31 copy .And Vietnam has all three of them. The South Africans also improvised ( lightweight and longer range ) French service copy of the M2 mortar as the M-4 commando Paratrooper mortar. The Yugoslavs were also a primary user of the M2 mortar recieved during WW2 and informbiro period and they made a local copy called the 60mm M57 mortars. Both Mortars saw widespread service during the Yugoslav wars in all fronts (Slovenia , Croatia , Bosnia and Kosovo) . Another Interesting fact :- In comparison the British have their own "60mm M2 counterpart" as the 51mm Light Mortar /ordinance SBML Two inch mortar or simply "two inch mortar". This is still in use in the Armies of South Asia including India , Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal , Burma and Myanmar. Another :- Also the Japanese during WW2 have the type 89 and lighter Type 10 "knee mortar" as the standard grenade and flare discharger despite a mortar like appearance. Despite their name , they are not to be fired from the knee, which pretty much resulted in many injuries for the Marines and an easy excuse for them if a tired marine want to take some rest ,just injure the damn knee with the knee Mortar. So when are you doing the knee mortar and two inch mortar?

[@Catmandan42069]

Good old indirect fire 💥

[@pzkpfw6864]

Cheese charges are good eating paired with a fresh whiz wheel.

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

Cheesy come, cheesy go

[@eamonnclabby7067]

@@JohnnyJohnsonEsq that is a crime against cheese bores everywhere...

[@REXXltm14]

I met a mortarman once, the coolest thing he told me is that the mortar calls the use to this day, "Hanging, Fire" date dat to the first mortars and mortars date back to the 1400s

[@BigboiiTone]

Dropping a round down the tube only to have it sit at the bottom and smoke would be the scariest sh** ever. That scene in Pacific stresses me out every time

[@MM22966]

9:09 that look Snafu gave, LOL! "I blame my Ammo Bearer for this...."

[@Elephantine999]

Another great video. I have always wanted to know more about how you aimed a mortar--aiming stakes, that little sight thingy, increments...

[@spudeism]

Episode dedicated to underbarrel grenade launchers would be cool, of course M203 would take the spotlight but maybe you can find examples of other such launchers like russian GP-25.

[@patriotenfield3276]

You remember a RT channel video of Kadyrovsty and Russian police using GP 25 on a building b against a terror attack in Grozny back in 2015 maybe?

[@patriotenfield3276]

Also M203 has great advantage over GP 25 in terms of range and longevity in service with M203 being breech loaded and. GP-25. Being Muzzle loaded. Also the Indian PSU (public) ARDE (Military) made their own ARDE 40mm Grenade launcher for the INSAS and AR M1 rifles which like the M203 is breech loaded .

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

That's on my list! Will be a fun video when I get to it

[@kevinthorpe8561]

Nice one, trained on the old 2 inch mortar back in the day. Got quite good at it too

[@patriotenfield3276]

Still in service with a lot of commonwealth armies.

[@LazyLifeIFreak]

Getting shot by anything larger than a nerf dart can lead to a significant emotional event, thou you may not be around to witness it.

[@MrFeastablesChocolate]

Nice video Johnny I would love to see a video on the browning m1919

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

Nearing the top of my list :)

[@mihaisurdea]

The Romanian army in World War II was equipped at company level with the same 60 mm mortar model as the American one. Towards the end of the war, in the western campaign after August 23, 1944, in order to be able to respond more quickly to the request for fire support, some Romanian soldiers gave up the bipod and base plate and used only the barrel, similar to the Japanese-American soldier from min 9:21. To avoid burns on the hand caused by prolonged use of the mortar in this way, they used special gloves.

[@jamesturner9651]

1:23 the rest of that scene is one of the funniest I’ve ever seen.

[@BobSmith-dk8nw]

One thing about Mortars and Artillery - is that in addition to the barrel angle and elevation - there is that propellant charge. My MOS was 2131 Artillery Weapons Repair and they taught us this in Ordnance School. With Artillery - you had several different types used by different types of weapons. Tanks - used ammunition which was called "Fixed" as the projectile was fixed to the casing. You'd just slam the hole thing in there and fire it. Just like a really big rifle round. "Semi-Fixed" rounds had a detachable projectile - so - you could take the projectile off, reach down into the casing - and then take out the little powder bags. IIRC (it's been 50 years) there were 7. Thus - in addition to angle and elevation - you had propellant charge - just like with those mortars. There are artillery firing tables which will tell you exactly what powder charge and elevation to use - depending on where you want to put your rounds. With these rounds - you could get all your powder charges set, put the projectiles back on the casing - and then when it came time to fire - pump them all out as fast as you could slam the rounds in the breach and fire. It was common for them to know - how many rounds they were to fire on a Fire Mission - so they could get them all set in advance. Each round the Artillery Piece fired - was written down - including which charge was used. The Tube had different ratings on how many rounds they could be expected to fire - depending on the charge. Charge 7 was the strongest and significantly reduced barrel life. As the barrel became worn - it would lose accuracy - and could ultimately fail - though actual failure was uncommon. "Semi-Fixed Separate Loading" - these were the same as the Semi-Fixed rounds - but - were usually larger - so that you could load the projectile and then load the casing with the casing attaching itself to the base of the projectile in the gun. "Powder Bags" were also used on your larger caliber weapons. Here - there was no casing. Just Powder Bags. You'd load the Projectile into the weapon - then - you'd load the Powder Bags. While the rounds with a casing had a primer at the center of the rounds base (like a rifle bullet) this type of ammunition required a primer that was separate. After the weapon was loaded with the projectile and bags - these primers were screwed into a spot in the center of the breach and typically discharged with a lanyard. The rounds with cases used Sliding Wedge Breach Blocks - but the Powder Bag rounds used Screw(??) Breaches. .

[@patriotenfield3276]

The Chinese have also copies of the M2 mortar as the Type 31 (made during the republic of China / Nationalists rule ) and Type 63 and 63-1 ( lighter and increased range by PLA) . North Korea still uses the Type 31 copy .And Vietnam has all three of them.

[@jesusdeputy931]

Yay new video its fun seeing facts of these weapons and seeing movies that these weapons are featured in

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

I got you!

[@robertotamesis1783]

Eugene Sledge was a marine mortar crew from red beach to Okinawa he never received a purple heart , and yet like all soldiers they hounded with PTSD for rest of their lives.

[@jasondouglas6755]

"BECAUSE YOU JUST KILLED TWO OF YOUR BEST BUDDIES, MEANWHILE TOJO AND FU*K FACE OVER THERE CONTINUE TO HOSE OUR LINE"

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

Best line in the whole series really

[@patriotenfield3276]

" tojo and fvkface " lol those lines always cracks me up with laughter 😂.

[@kemarisite]

@@JohnnyJohnsonEsq I like the "Slap a Jap" monologue.

[@battlejitney2197]

Another great video, Johnny.

[@bssc23]

Glad you included Go for Broke. Deep research.

[@fortis3686]

To this day, me and my friends joke about the time when we played Call of Duty World at War co-op, and we would spam throw the mortar shells at Japanese troops. My friend kept complaining about how it nearly crashed his PC.

[@keatonsinclair1327]

these vids are great man keep it up

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

Thanks, will do!

[@iskatuska5404]

Another amazing video bro

[@13thBear]

You can tell from the comments many people still don't "get it" about mortars. Wikipedia, people, Wikipedia! This video was OK explaining mortars, but not great, but it wasn't an Army instruction video either, so "not bad." Mortars are a technical weapon that takes a fair amount of training to use well. The basics of mortar gunnery takes about 4-6 weeks. To learn how to actually direct the fire of a mortar platoon takes another 3 or 4 weeks and you have to have a fair aptitude for math. Learning how to spot targets and call in fire for mortars and artillery takes another 6 weeks or so because land navigation and map reading is absolutely critical for the job. And, of course all these phases take some real field practice to get good and your guess is as good as mine as to how long that will take. 13F MOS was just coming in to the Army system as I was getting out so I don't know how long TRADOC recommended for training forward observers/FO's/FIST teams.

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

Thanks for adding this! I'm at best qualified for a general introduction on the topics I discuss on this channel so I appreciate hearing from people such as yourself.

[@larryalvares1369]

4:53- lol, "a can of peaches". 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@lambn25]

Can you do the type 89 Japanese "knee mortar" next? Thanks you for making these high quality videos!

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

Thanks man! It's on my list. Not a ton of footage but will give it a go.

[@geordiedog1749]

I read somewhere that mortars killed more combatants than any other weapon which sounds about right. They were also often used in denying an enemy ground ie you’d fire at a hill top so the bad guys would see that should they venture up they’d get dead very quickly. Great vid. Tricky one done very well.

[@daveb.4268]

The Marines in WW2 developed as well the T20 which was a shoulder fired 60mm mortar for derect fire bunkers and hardened positions. However, the recoil was brutal and they instead just decided to go with bigger bazook's and the new Recoiless rifles.

[@patkinder6632]

When I was an 0341 I the Corps in the 70 s the 60 mm I used was made in ww2 rebuilt a thousand times we still put in target

[@pingwenhung8327]

One of the more underrated things in-game is the importance of a Support crew role either be a Machine gunner crew or a Mortar crew, Honestly aside from RTS Game like Company of Heroes or Men of War series(which the devs clearly didn't bother with modeling the different mortar models) You rarely get to experience them in any FPS game without a proper gameplay, I do however more often see the "Kz 8 cm GrW 42" Than the M2 Mortar if anything, too bad you cannot mount them, Imagine Call of duty 2 on the Mission where you as an US ranger squad mount an assault into the Town, at the end of it aside from choosing to Snipe, you get to use a M2 Mortar and dial in the range

[@PUBHEAD1]

Just found your channel. Great job, I'm subscribed

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

Welcome to the channel :)

[@machstem6390]

Hot shots... Haha thats awesome. You always be smacking me with nostalgia movies

[@Sacdug1963]

As a FO(13F) in a Light Infantry Battalion we used 2nd gen 60mm Mortars which had better range and flexibility. We called for fire from mortars a lot and the 11Cs very good using them. Loved the weapon. Got to drop rounds a couple of times.

[@mansourbellahel-hajj5378]

Johnny you are the best encyclopedia when it comes to weapons.

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

Thanks man! Just remember I'm an amateur. I do my best but I do make slip ups here and there in my info :)

[@ncktbs]

honestly the only thing i wish you had added is that due to the use of 40mm grenades the 60mm mortar is very rare to see in a modern army it and the rifle grenade were replace by the bloop tube

[@Xingmey]

2:47 best depiction in movies so far ;)

[@ronaldtartaglia4459]

I get so excited when you have a new video then I get so depressed when it's over

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

Thanks Ronald! Hope to have a new one out for ya in a couple days

[@andrewcombe8907]

Johnny you should read about the mortar men of the British army in the Falklands. They were firing so much the base plates broke. In some cases they stood on the base plates to stabilise them and suffered broken ankles.

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

Could make for an excellent video subject!

[@michaelo393]

Thank you for bringing light to mortars, I operated the M30 4.2" mortar during the cold war and gulf war. Pro Patria

[@Sabre22]

Having been an 81MM Mortar crewman my biggest complaint about Mortars in Movies is the sound of firing. In almost every movie it sound almost like a Fat man spitting watermelon seeds. I bought a set of headphones for hearing protection at a Rod and Gun Club and the asked me why I needed them when I told them about firing mortars the clerk had a look of disbelief on his face.

[@0lionheart]

It's an incredibly random example to go to but, I always liked the mortar in Gears of War (2+). It was the first time in a game I'd used one that wasn't lack lustre, that thing was terrifying when you heard it fired.

[@Lehr-km5be]

4:50 "Lieutenant Johnny thinks this is a can of peaches. That is incorrect lieutenant your weekend pass is cancelled." Great video as always!

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

Thanks brother. Glad you found my Easter egg :)

[@Lehr-km5be]

@@JohnnyJohnsonEsq I absolutely love those easter eggs you put up with Band of Brothers :) I do not look for them actively since I know when a clip from it is shown so I bet I missed some in the past...

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

@@Lehr-km5be lol though sometimes my Easter Eggs are a genuine mislabel too.

[@danielvredevoogd9533]

Mortar crews use aiming stakes in conjunction with the sight to establish azmuth (magnetic direction, also called deflection). Elevation is based on desired time-in-flight and range to target (angle of the barrel and charge setting for the rounds). The sights can also be used without aiming stakes for a direct line of fire (i.e. the crew has direct view of their target - not something you want as a gun crew).

[@danielvredevoogd9533]

0341 Mortarman with the USMC 2008-2012. Just my two cents. Keep the videos coming!

[@michaeldunagan8268]

I disagree with the US Army and US Marines removing the 60mm from the MTOE for the troops. One of the advantages of using a small round is that the fratricide if a 60mm round of friendly attacking troops is much more forgiving for a given range than a 100mm+ howitzer round can be. Hence, a 60mm round can be used for longer time to suppress a position before the barrage is lifted relatively speaking as troops assault a position

[@Lord.Kiltridge]

Way back when, as part of a platoon support weapons team, we were given instruction on the 60mm mortar. Although only about 90 minutes worth and no live firing. Far less than the several weeks for the two other weapons of the detail.

[@DEATH-THE-GOAT]

thank you for including the movie title. it's rarely done. and thanks for an excellent info video on the M2 mortar. greetings from Sweden 🇸🇪

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

Much love for Sweden 🇸🇪

[@DEATH-THE-GOAT]

@@JohnnyJohnsonEsq 🇸🇪🤜🤛🇨🇦

[@DEATH-THE-GOAT]

you have very intresting videos - subscribed 😀👍

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

Thanks man! Welcome to the channel

[@hpblack1953]

My dad, RIP, was a USMC mortar man. in WW II. As a corporal he was a squad leader. Guadacanal, Cape Glouster and Peleliu. Purple Heart from the 'canal and awarded Bronze Star with V device. for actions on Peleliu. Served as forward observer twice, advancing 300 yards each time, at night. (1) and on his own initiative to take out heavy machine gun that was raking his platoon and (2) a couple of weeks later, as ordered, to take out a mortar that was lobbing shells in the rear with the ammo dump. I have his Purple heart medal and ribbon as well as his Bronze Star and the V device medal and ribbon. Also his dog tags. Gung-ho until he passed.

[@scottkrater2131]

Previous comments make it clear the mortar is still used today. In the 80's we still trained with them, at least the mortar team. But I never saw one in Germany and our mech infantry company was not equipped with them. I don't think I would have enjoyed digging out a mortar pit, which had to be done if you were on a field training exercise. I'm glad I only had to carry my rifle and ammo. Blanks of course.

[@jackstecker5796]

I've never seen a mortar in a movie fired anything other than charge zero.

[@mbr5742]

IIRC in the "Green Berets" they have the reporter "pull charges" (maybe only in the book) during the firebase siege

[@Omega_A3]

Nearly every time I teach a class on mortars I get asked if tossing mortars by hand is still possible. Dumbest question I was asked is if we can take out air support with mortars. The only answer I could give is while yes its possible one of our rounds could hit a helicopter or something flying low we would not be aiming for it. I have experience firing the m252 81mm and m224 60mm mortar.

[@jasondouglas6755]

Ahhh yes the M2 Mortar or as I like to call them in Company of Heroes the gods of war

[@patriotenfield3276]

Behold my 2S4 Tyulpan... Soviet Engineering.

[@SteveBrownRocks2023]

Good job Johnny! ✨👏🏼😎✨

[@brothercaptainwarhammer]

I saw the Original Post like a Day or so Ago (Better Late than never, right?), then it was made Private and Unavailable... Now its Reuploaded, good to see it up and running. Was it Uploading Issues or Copyright Stuff? Either way its good to see it up and running again! I may be a Gun Nut, but deep inside... I. Love. Artillery! Heavy or Light, Man Portable, Mobile or Static, if its a Big Gun that Makes thing Go Boom! it has me Love! and Admiration! And it all started with the M2 Mortar System, something about Firing a Powerful Round/Shot, then Reloading, and then Firing again, Just seems Awesome and Badass to Me, and Seeing a Crew of Soldiers Operating a Crew Served Weapon is just something I Really Appreciate, simply shows that Team work makes the Dream work, though seeing a Single man Operate is also Nice, especially in movies that showcase One Man Army Type of Characters or Main Protagonists(s). Excellent Video as per Usual and Always Johnny! A lot of the Movies you've showcased here, are my Favorites and I Have re watched it Countless Times! The Pacific, Band of Brothers, Hacksaw Ridge, Siege of Jadotville, 71 into the Fire, The Bridge of Remagen, Miracle at St. Anna, Saving Private Ryan, and Hot Shots! Part Deux! Keep up the Amazingly Awesome Work Johnny! Your Hard Work is Always Greatly Appreciated! Keep the Informative and very Enjoyable Videos Coming!

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

Thanks man! Always appreciate it. Yah I had a copyright issue with using the Saving Private Ryan clip but I was happy the studio reviewed my video and game me permission. Seems to be a problem that pops up from time to time. Thanks for being patient with me!

[@brothercaptainwarhammer]

@@JohnnyJohnsonEsq When it Comes to Working on Projects, and Pumping out content of your Caliber, giving you my Patience is but a Given, and its Natural, you can't rush Quality Content after all. And Im Glad to Hear you got Permission to use the Clip, its annoying but its also necessary, regardless Happy to know you were Authorized to you the Clip! Keep up the Amazingly Work Johnny! Cheers my Friend! For more Videos and Other Similar Content in the Future!

[@HarryBalzak]

Another quality video. Keep them coming. I would "like" your videos, but youtube removed any sort of ranking. I refuse to place every video in the same category because I liked it, so I reserve "liked" to videos I really really like(d) and is quite rare.

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

Thanks Harry! Commenting is helpful too. I will try to earn your "Like" in a future video :)

[@HarryBalzak]

@@JohnnyJohnsonEsq You should make a subscribestar. I'd give you some cash every month to provide the same content I am now getting for free. I bet a significant number of people would, too.

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

Thanks Harry. I'll to figure that out one day.

[@julesbenedictcatalan4904]

I thought this video got deleted at first glance, but good thing it was reupload

[@patriotenfield3276]

Wait wait..what ? This one's a re-upload?

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

I had to make it private than get it reviewed by a studio. Luckily they released the footage for me to use so all is well.... for now...

[@eamonnclabby7067]

@@JohnnyJohnsonEsq ah the scourge of litigation...poor young Sina ,the celebrated German rock drummer has copyright lawyers hounding her over her KZbin videos..

[@Maj_Problem]

Hey Johnny I know you primarily focus on this and your War Stories channel but have you considered doing more on your old Movie Review channel? I really love your War Movies by country series as i love see different movies from different countries that aren't as famous/marketed internationally as those made in Hollywood :D

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

Okay I'll do a movie recommendation in the next few days!

[@alanmacpherson3225]

@@JohnnyJohnsonEsq Can I suggest The Lighthorsemen from the 80s a classic Aussie movie although Im biased being Australian.

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

@@alanmacpherson3225 love that film! Already reviewed it in the past 🙂 kzbin.info/www/bejne/gXaQi6uFqJJ-psk

[@patriotenfield3276]

The Yugoslavs were also a primary user of the M2 mortar recieved during WW2 and informbiro period and they made a local copy called the 60mm M57 mortars. Both Mortars saw widespread service during the Yugoslav wars in all fronts (Slovenia , Croatia , Bosnia and Kosovo) . Also Albanian recieved some during WW2 and during the Kosovo war.

[@YOUSEFTECALB]

A very informative video, Johnny. Would be interesting to see if a movie actually shows a guy getting hit by a mortar shell blowing prematurely while using it as a grenade. Be a nice variation.

[@Gorgen2k]

Fun fact, if your mortar is getting hot after lots of fireing and you run out of water to cool it. You can piss on it and cool it down, learned that from " We were soldiers 2002 "

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

Love that scene. Edit: That sounds weird.

[@daveb.4268]

Not so fun fact-American doughboys were given the "smelly duck" gas mast when they first arrived in WW1 where you had to urinate on the mask first to activate the charcoal than put it on your face.🤢

[@societalnormality2268]

Post it at much as you want! I'll watch them all!

[@societalnormality2268]

I just noticed I wasn't subbed even though I get post alerts. Damn youtube, could have sworn I was. Resub or sub if i wasnt

[@chrisr7316]

As a mortar man I think you did and absolutely awesome job on this video

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

Thanks man that's awesome to hear. It's a complicated role but important so I took a stab at it.

[@tanhelmet]

In addition to bipod mounted mortars. A knee mortar was developed by the French in WW1 but rarely used. 20 years later the Empire of Japan used them in WW2 and subsequently the NVA and Vietcong used them too. My unit in Somalia found 2 units in 1992.

[@SeanDahle]

How bout the lee Enfield rifle

[@aslamnurfikri7640]

Mortar is one of few weapons that never see changes past century since the design is already perfect

[@korbell1089]

"And most importantly, not hitting your own men." In the immortal words of SFC Hulka: "Oh shit!"

[@warpatato]

The roblox mortar gameplay at the end is a nice touch

[@mynamesmatthew1551]

I sometimes wonder if Mortars were originated from when Napoleon used to use artillery at close range, Mortars might be the simpler and modern version of that tactic

[@mbr5742]

They predate Napoleon. He used field guns firing grapeshot. Actually by the time of the Napoleonic war the mortar in general was mostly out of favor.

[@then00brathalos]

Mortars in RTS : deals little damage to vehicles including cars and light armors Mortars irl : YOU SEE THAT CONCRETE BUNKER ? NOW YOU DON'T

[@baseballboyAJ]

U make tge best content ur so underrated

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

Thanks for the kind words 🙏

[@monke41477]

9:51 yooo i love that game i love using mortar or sniper when im on allies team and we're attacking the beach

[@SatoshiAR]

9:24 the history behind the 442nd is perhaps one of the most interesting stories in all of US military history.