It is a simple machine. You drop a shell into a tube. It bangs. It flies. It explodes.
This is the basic premise of the portable mortar, a weapon that has shaped warfare for centuries. It stands in stark contrast to the heavy, long-range cannons you see in museums. Those big guns shoot fast, far, and straight. Mortars do the opposite. They are short-barreled and muzzle-loading. They fire explosive projectiles at low velocities. The trajectory is high and arcing.
Today, the device is lightweight. It rests on a base plate and is supported by a bipod. An infantryman carries it. He sets it up. He drops the shell onto a firing pin inside the tube. The propellant detonates. The shell launches toward the target.
Why Infantry Carries Mortars
In modern combat, mortars up to 81 mm are the go-to solution for small units. They act as a short-range substitute for traditional artillery. The advantages are obvious.
Portability is key. The size is small. There is no need for heavy logistical support to move it. The crew can move freely. They can fire from a trench. They can fire from defilade. That is a fighting position that protects the operators from direct return fire.
The high trajectory is the real tactical value. You can hit enemy positions that are hidden. Trench lines. Gun pits. Locations with overhead cover. Direct fire cannot reach these spots. Mortar fire can.
From Siege Engines to Stokes
The invention of the mortar was not an accident. It was a response to a need. Armies needed to attack enemy strongholds from a distance. Advances in metalwork made this possible.
The Ottomans used early mortars during the siege of Constantinople in 1453. These were not portable. They were massive. Some weighed 4,500 kg. That is 5 tons. They fired projectiles exceeding 100 kg. The tube was only about 1 meter long. A round was dropped down the tube, which was angled into the ground. An explosive charge propelled it upward.
These weapons were popular in early modern European warfare. They were inaccurate. They were heavy. But they worked. Over time, materials became lighter. The weight declined.
Crude versions of the trench howitzer appeared in the armies of Napoleon. They were used in the American Civil War by North and South forces. They were unwieldy. But they were the ancestors of what came next.
The Stokes Mortar and World Wars
The progenitor of most present-day mortars is the Stokes mortar. It was designed in January 1915 by British weapons designer F.W.C. Stokes. Later, he became Sir Wilfred Stokes.
It was used in World War I. It was portable. It weighed 49 kg. That is 108 pounds. It could fire up to 22 rounds per minute. The range was 1,100 meters. That is 3,600 feet.
The mortar made its presence felt in World War II. The ground fighting was fierce. Mortars light enough to be carried by troops cleared the way for advancing Allied armies. This happened in the fields of France. It happened in the rugged hills of Pacific island outposts.
It served American and allied forces in Korea and Vietnam. Enemy forces used the hilly landscape for concealment. Direct artillery fire could not always dislodge them. Mortars could.
Guerrilla Warfare and Modern Use
Guerrilla forces have found the mortar effective. They use its firepower and mobility against larger armies. The tactic is simple. Fire on a position. Withdraw immediately. The operators are gone before return fire can be directed.
Insurgents have used mortars against concentrations of civilians and civic leaders. The goal is terror. The result is political instability.
The weapon has changed little in its core design. Drop the shell. Wait for the bang. The arc is the same. The lethality is the same. It remains a tool for those who cannot fight in the open. Or for those who want to hit what is hidden.
