50 mm Type 98 (1938) Spigot Mortar Baseplate

The Type 98 (1938) 50 mm Mortar was designed to fire a spigot bomb or a bangalore torpedo with fins to detonate barbed wire. The mortar consists of three parts: a rectangular, sectioned base plate, barrel and fixed position bipod. The barrel has a fixed elevation of 40 degrees and at its base has an offset primer seat. Two links, one on each side, extend from the barrel collar. Provision is made for limited traverse. The mortar is loaded by dropping one or more silk charge bags containing black powder increments down the tube. The charge bags are ignited by friction pull igniters which are fitted into the offset primer seat. The mortar is painted matt black.

The Type 98 (1938) mortar was used by the Imperial Japanese Army during the Second World War to detonate barbbed wire by firing a stick bomb or a finned bangalore torpedo.