| Accession Number | RELAWM05052 |
|---|---|
| Collection type | Technology |
| Object type | Artillery |
| Maker |
Unknown |
| Place made | France |
| Date made | 1915 |
| Conflict |
First World War, 1914-1918 |
Mortiér de 58 mm No 2 (Trench Mortar - France)
Description
French 58 millimeter mortar designed to fire a finned projectile. The mortar is made from cast steel, and is smooth-bored and has a simple elevating mechanism built onto the carriage. The elevation is controlled using an horizontal handwheel mounted under the barrel. The barrel is mounted on a carriage, which consists of two cast iron cheeks, each of which has a slotted guide for elevation locking bolts. The mortar is painted olive drab. There are no visible markings.
The mortar is missing the wooden bed to which the carriage would have been fastened. It is also missing the wooden platform which supported the bed. The wing nuts which locked the mortar into a particular elevation are also missing.
History / Summary
French spigot mortar used by the French Army during the First World War. The original designs were conceived in February 1915 and put into production in April 1915. It could fire a finned 16kg projectile 600m, or a similarly finned 45 kg projectle 350m.