| M1943 Mortar | |
|---|---|
 120mm PM-43 mortar | |
| Type | Mortar |
| Place of origin | Soviet Union |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1943-present |
| Used by | Soviet Union |
| Wars | Eastern Front (World War II) Korean War[1] Vietnam War[2] Cambodian Civil War Rhodesian Bush War Portuguese Colonial War Lebanese Civil War Soviet–Afghan War[3] Gulf War South Sudanese Civil War[4] |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | Uralmash |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 275 kg (606 lb) |
| Crew | 6 |
| Caliber | 120 mm (4.7 in) |
| Breech | muzzle loaded |
| Elevation | +45° to +80° |
| Rate of fire | 9 rpm maximum, 70 rds/hr sustained |
| Muzzle velocity | 272 m/s (890 ft/s) Frag-HE & HE |
| Effective firing range | 5,700 m (6,200 yd) maximum, 500 m (550 yd) minimum |
TheM1943 Mortar or120-PM-43 (Russian:120-ПолковойМиномёт-43) or the120-mm mortar Model 1943 (Russian:120-мм миномет обр. 1943 г.), also known as theSAMOVAR, is aSoviet 120 millimeter calibre smoothbore mortar first introduced in 1943 as a modified version of theM1938 mortar.[5] It virtually replaced the M1938 as the standard weapon for mortar batteries in all Soviet infantry battalions by the late 1980s, though the armies of theWarsaw Pact utilised both in their forces.[6]
| Shells specifications[7][8] | ||||||
| Shot index | Shell index | Shell weight, kg | Mass of explosive, kg | Area of manpower destruction, m² | Area of damage to equipment, m² | Maximum firing range, km |
| HE | ||||||
| 53-VF-843 | 53-F-843 | 16,2 | 3,93 | 4,1 | ||
| HE/FRAG | ||||||
| 53-VOF-843 | 53-OF-843 | 15,9 | 3,0 | 5,7 | ||
| 53-VOF-843А | 53-OF-843A | 15,9 | 1,58 | 5,52 | ||
| 53-VOF-843B | 53-OF-843B | 16 | 1,4 | 1200 | 200 | 5,7 |
| 3VOF3 | 3OF5 | 15,6 | 1,25 | 5,35 | ||
| 3VOF53 | 3OF34 | 16,1 | 3,43 | 2250 | 1200 | 5,7 |
| 3VOF57 | 3OF36 | 16,1 | 3,16 | 1700 | 700 | 5,7 |
| Incendiary | ||||||
| 53-VZ-843A | 53-Z-843A | 17 | 1,359 | — | — | 5,47 |
| 3VЗ4 | 3-Z-2 | 16,3 | 1,94 | — | — | 5,7 |
| Smoke | ||||||
| 53-VD-843A | 53-D-843A | 16,44 | 1,6 | — | — | 5,5 |
| 3VD5 | 3D5 | 16,6 | 1,65 | — | — | 5,8 |
| 3VD16 | 3D14 | 16,1 | — | — | 5,4 | |
| Illumination | ||||||
| 53-VS-843 | 53-S-843 | 16,28 | 0,875 | — | — | 5,4 |
| 3VS24 | 3S9 | 16,28 | 1,28 | — | — | 5,4 |
This muzzle-loading mortar can be easily broken down into three parts – barrel, bipod and baseplate – for movement over short distances or towed by aGAZ-66 truck on a two-wheel tubular carriage. The baseplate mounting permits all-azimuth firing; however, as with most Soviet mortars, it was difficult to turn rapidly over a wide traverse. It could accommodate small-angle shifts of up to 6 degrees without having to shift the baseplate though.[6]
It was copied inChina as theType 53 mortar.[9] A more robust but heavier version, theType 55, was developed byNorinco.[10]Egypt also produced a locally modified variant, theHelwan Model UK 2.[11]An improved version called the2B11 Sani was also produced by the Soviets and, in combination with the2B9 Vasilek, was being used to phase out the M1943 from service.[6]
Afghanistan[12]
Albania[13]
Algeria[14]
Bangladesh: Type 53 variant[15]
Botswana: 6[16]
Burkina Faso: 12[17]
Cambodia[18]
Cape Verde: 6[19]
Central African Republic: 12 in store[20]
China: Manufactured asType 53 andType 55[13]
Republic of the Congo: 28[21]
Cuba[22]
Czech Republic[13]
Egypt: PM-43[23] and Helwan Model UK 2[13]
Guinea[24]
Guinea-Bissau: 8[25]
Guyana: 18[26]
Hungary: 1 as of 2016[update][27]
Iraq[13][28]
Kazakhstan[29]
North Korea[30][31]
Laos[32]
Libya[33]
Madagascar: 8[34]
Mozambique: 12[35]
Myanmar: Type 53 variant[36]
Nepal[37]
Nicaragua: 24[38]
Pakistan: Type 53 variant[9]
Romania[13]
Russia[13]
Slovakia[13]
South Sudan: Type 55[39]
Sudan[40]
Sri Lanka[41]
Syria[13][42]
Tanzania: Type 53 variant[9]
Vietnam: PM-43, Type 53 and Type 55[9][13][43]
Zimbabwe: 6[44]
East Germany[13]
South Yemen[13]
Soviet Union[13]
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia[13]