Infantry Mortars

[verdenpark]

Does anyone know when the 2" mortar was introduced into the Carrier Platoon of Infantry Battalions? Was there any in the AA Platoon and H.Q. Company?

Andrew.

[gjkennedy]

It was the June 1941 WE that first allowed for a 2-inch mortar in each Sec of three carriers for the Inf Bn. The AA Pl had four atk rifles in addition to their four twin Brens, but the only 2-inch mortars in HQ Coy were those of the Carrier Pl itself. I believe that most Commonwealth nations adopted the same issue around this time, but can't vouch for them all.

Gary

[verdenpark]

Many thanks Gary. Clears up a nagging question.

Andrew.

[virtualbob]

I've got small question about mortars used by Australia. As far as know they have started local production of 3-inch model in 1939 and 4.2-inch model in 1942 (but I don't know a names of the companies involved). I can not locate anything about local production of 2-inch model - could you confirm that they imported such mortars from UK? It would be a strange that they have started production of everything except 2-inch mortars, even if they countinued usage of grenade dischargers mounted on rifles...

[verdenpark]

Wartime munitions production figures for the period 1st. of June, 1940, to the 31st. of August, 1945, show 2000 x 2" mortars made by Kelvinator Ltd. of South Australia. Other figures which may be of interest are;

3" mortars = 3,006, 4.2" mortars = 300, Gaston Brothers (Victoria).
2.5" Rifle Grenade Launchers = 2000, Metro Gas Co. (Victoria).
20mm Hispano = 214, Harland Engineering Co..
20mm Polsten = 1,651, G.M.H. Ltd. (S.A. and N.S.W.).
40mm Bofors = 290, Maribyrnong Ordnance Factory (Victoria).
No.1 Signal Pistols = 25,392, Colonial Sugar Refinery (Queensland).
0.38 No.2 Revolvers = 355, Howard Auto Cultivators.
Austen Machine Carbines = 19,914, Diecasters Ltd. and W.T. Carmichaels Ltd..
Owen Machine Carbine = 45,433, Lysaghts Pty. Ltd. (N.S.W.).
S.M.L.E. No.1 Mk.III* = 411,050, S.A.F.s Lithgow and Orange (N.S.W.).
Bren Machineguns = 17,435, S.A.F. Lithgow (N.S.W.).
Vickers Mk.I = 10,170, S.A.F. Lithgow.
Vickers Mk.V = 506, S.A.F. Lithgow.
Vickers Mk.XXI = 284, S.A.F. Lithgow.

Source: Page 314, 'The Lee Enfield Story' by Ian Skennerton, 1993, I.S.B.N. 949749 15 X.