Mortar (weapon)

A mortar is a metal tube.

It shoots bombs high into the air. The bombs fly in a big arc. This helps people in battles.

Long ago, some mortars were very heavy. They were like big iron bowls. Today, one person can carry a mortar. They use a flat plate to help it stay still. The bomb drops into the tube to fire. It is a very useful tool.

A mortar is a tool used to shoot bombs.

It is a metal tube. Most mortars are smooth inside. Some have grooves to help the bomb fly straight. Mortars shoot bombs in a high arc. This is called a ballistic trajectory.

This high path lets the bomb fly over things. It can land in spots that regular guns cannot reach.

Mortars have been used for hundreds of years. Long ago, they were very heavy. They looked like big iron bowls.

In 1701, a man named Baron Menno van Coehoorn made a portable version. Later, Sir Wilfred Stokes made a new design in 1915.

This design was light enough for one person to carry.

To use a modern mortar, a soldier drops a bomb into the tube. The bomb hits a firing pin at the bottom. This makes the bomb launch. Most mortars use a base plate. This plate sits on the ground to soak up the kick. Some mortars are even put on trucks or tanks. These are called mortar carriers.

A mortar is a special kind of cannon used to launch explosive shells. These shells are often called bombs.

Most mortars are simple and lightweight tools. They are easy for one person to carry to different places. A mortar usually has a metal tube that is smooth inside. Some models have a rifled barrel, which has grooves to help the bomb fly straight.

To keep the weapon steady, it sits on a base plate. This plate helps spread out the recoil, which is the kick from the launch. Mortars are used for indirect fire. This means they shoot in a high, arching path called a ballistic trajectory.

How does a mortar work? The way it works depends on the design. In a modern Stokes mortar, a soldier drops a bomb into the tube.

At the bottom of the tube, there is a firing pin. The bomb has a part called an impact sensitive primer. When the bomb hits the pin, the primer makes it explode. This force pushes the bomb out of the tube toward the target. Some other versions, called spigot mortars, work differently. Instead of a tube, they use a solid rod called a spigot. The bomb fits over this rod to launch.

Mortars have a very long history. The earliest use was in Korea during a naval battle in 1413.

Korean gunsmiths made a gourd-shaped mortar called a wan'gu. A man named Ch'oe Hae-san is credited with inventing it. Much later, in 1701, Baron Menno van Coehoorn made a version that was easier to move. In 1915, Sir Wilfred Stokes created a design that one person could carry.

This was very helpful during the muddy trench warfare of the First World War. The Stokes mortar could fire as many as 25 bombs every minute.

There are many different types of mortars used in history. During the American Civil War from 1861 to 1865, General Ulysses S. Grant used mortars made from tough wood.

He had soldiers bore out logs and bind them with iron bands. In World War I, Germany used short-range weapons called Minenwerfers.

These were used right from the frontlines in trenches. Some mortars are also very huge. For example, the German Karl-Gerät was a heavy siege mortar.

Other modern versions are mounted on vehicles. These are called mortar carriers.

Today, you might see mortars used in many ways. Some are small enough for a soldier to carry on their back. Other mortars are part of a big vehicle.

These are called gun-mortars because they act like a mix between a mortar and a cannon. They can shoot at high arches or shoot directly at a target. Some mortars are even part of a tank. The Israeli Merkava tank uses a mortar as a secondary tool.

Whether they are small and portable or huge and mounted on a truck, mortars help reach targets that regular guns cannot hit easily.

A mortar is a specialized type of artillery weapon designed to launch explosive shells. These projectiles are often technically referred to as bombs.

Unlike standard field guns that fire in relatively straight lines, mortars are primarily used for indirect fire. This means they launch ammunition along high, arching ballistic trajectories. This high angle allows the weapon to reach targets that are hidden behind obstacles like hills or buildings. Because of this unique flight path, mortars are essential for providing close fire support to troops on the ground.

Modern mortars are typically lightweight and man-portable. A standard setup consists of a metal tube, which is usually smooth-bore but can sometimes be rifled. This tube is fixed to a base plate designed to spread out the recoil, or the backward kick, from the launch. The weapon also uses a lightweight bipod mount and a sight for aiming. To understand the mechanism of a modern Stokes mortar, imagine dropping a weight into a tube. When a soldier drops a mortar bomb into the tube, an impact-sensitive primer at the base of the bomb hits a firing pin.

This contact causes a detonation that drives the bomb out of the tube. The original Stokes design could fire 25 bombs per minute with a maximum range of 800 meters.

Mortars have a long and varied history spanning hundreds of years. The earliest recorded use occurred during a Korean naval battle in 1413.

Korean gunsmiths developed a gourd-shaped mortar known as the wan'gu. Ch'oe Hae-san is generally credited with its invention. In 1453, mortars were used during the siege of Constantinople by Mehmed the Conqueror. Later, in 1456, Ottoman Turks used seven mortars at the siege of Belgrade. These mortars fired stone shots so high they reached one Italian mile in height.

As technology progressed, mortars became more mobile and specialized. In 1701, Baron Menno van Coehoorn invented a transportable mortar. This version fired exploding shells with fuses lit by hot gases. This innovation led to the creation of new naval ships called bomb vessels. During the American Civil War from 1861 to 1865, mortars were used in many ways. General Ulysses S. Grant even reported making improvised mortars by boring out logs of tough wood and binding them with iron bands.

Different types of mortars serve very different tactical roles. During World War I, the German Army used short-range trench mortars called Minenwerfers.

These were used directly from frontline trenches. In contrast, the German Karl-Gerät was a massive heavy siege mortar.

Another unique design is the spigot mortar. Instead of a tube, it uses a solid rod called a spigot. The projectile fits over this rod to be launched.

Spigot mortars are often lighter and simpler to manufacture than traditional tube mortars.

Modern warfare also utilizes mortar carriers and gun-mortars. Mortar carriers are vehicles that carry the weapon as a primary tool.

These can range from improvised civilian trucks to advanced armored personnel carriers like the M113. Gun-mortars are more complex hybrid weapons. They are usually breech-loaded and mounted on armored vehicles.

These weapons can perform both direct fire against specific targets and indirect fire against areas. They combine the features of a modern cannon with the high-angle capabilities of an infantry mortar.

Today, the evolution of the mortar continues through advanced systems. The Israeli Merkava tank even uses a mortar as a secondary armament.

Some systems, like the AMOS, use a 120 mm automatic twin-barrelled turret. This shows how the mortar has moved from simple iron bowls to highly integrated combat technology. Whether they are small enough for one person to carry or mounted on a massive self-propelled chassis, mortars remain a vital part of military systems.