160mm Mortar M1943

The Soviet 160 mm Mortar M1943 is a smoothbore breech loading heavy mortar which fired a 160 mm 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.

160 mm mortar M1943
TypeMortar
Place of originSoviet Union
Service history
Wars
Specifications
Masscombat: 1,170 kg (2,580 lb)
Barrel length3.03 m (9 ft 11 in)
Shell40.8 kg (90 lb) bomb
Caliber160 mm (6.29 in)
Elevation+45° to +80°
Traverse25°
Rate of fire3 rounds/minute
Muzzle velocity245 m/s (804 ft/s)
Effective firing range5,150 m (5,630 yd)

Description

Originally a simple scaling-up of the 120 mm M1938 mortar, it soon became apparent that drop-loading a 40 kg bomb into a 3 meter high 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 bomb and prevent the baseplate from burying itself too deeply.

The barrel sits in a cradle which is attached to a baseplate and tripod. To load the weapon, the barrel is hinged forward which exposes the rear end of the tube. The bomb is then loaded, retained in place by a catch, and the barrel is swung back into the cradle, which in effect closes the breech.

Because of the weight of the mortar, it is equipped with wheels and is designed to be towed by a motor-driven vehicle.

Tactical organization

The Soviet Army deployed the 160-mm mortar in brigades of 32 mortars each. The brigades were composed of four battalions of eight mortars each. Such brigades were part of the artillery divisions formed from 1944 onward (see Divisions of the Soviet Union 1917-1945).

Service

Users

 Hezbollah

Former users

References
  1. The Military Balance 2016, p. 320.
  2. The Military Balance 2016, p. 324.
  3. US Department of Defense. "160mm M-43 Mortar". North Korea Country Handbook 1997, Appendix A: Equipment Recognition (PDF). p. A-92. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2019-06-01.
  4. The Military Balance 2016, p. 265.
  5. The Military Balance 2016, p. 297.
  6. Gander, Terry J. (22 November 2000). "National inventories, Afghanistan". Jane's Infantry Weapons 2001-2002. p. 444.
  7. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2007-04-10. Retrieved 2007-06-14.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  8. Gander, Terry J. (4 June 2001). "160 mm M1943 and M-160 mortars". Jane's Infantry Weapons 2002-2003. pp. 3678–3679.
  9. Gander, Terry J. (22 November 2000). "National inventories, Cambodia". Jane's Infantry Weapons 2001-2002. p. 1134.
  10. Gander, Terry J. (22 November 2000). "National inventories, Cuba". Jane's Infantry Weapons 2001-2002. p. 1508.
  11. Gander, Terry J. (22 November 2000). "National inventories, Finland". Jane's Infantry Weapons 2001-2002. p. 1716.
  12. Gander, Terry J. (22 November 2000). "National inventories, India". Jane's Infantry Weapons 2001-2002. p. 2462.
  13. Gander, Terry J. (22 November 2000). "National inventories, Iraq". Jane's Infantry Weapons 2001-2002. p. 2569.
  14. Gander, Terry J. (22 November 2000). "National inventories, Libya". Jane's Infantry Weapons 2001-2002. p. 3090.
  15. Gander, Terry J. (22 November 2000). "National inventories, Syria". Jane's Infantry Weapons 2001-2002. p. 4546.
  16. Gander, Terry J. (22 November 2000). "National inventories, Yemen". Jane's Infantry Weapons 2001-2002. p. 5802.
  • Hogg, Ian (2000). Twentieth-Century Artillery. Friedman/Fairfax Publishers. ISBN 1-58663-299-X
  • Hogg, Ian (editor) (1984). Jane's Infantry Weapons. Janes Publishing Limited. ISBN 0-7106-0796-2.
  • Zaloga, Stephen and Ness, Leland. Red Army Handbook 1939-1945. Sutton Publishing. ISBN 0-7509-1740-7.
  • International Institute for Strategic Studies (February 2016). The Military Balance 2016. 116. Routlegde. ISBN 9781857438352.
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