Weapons · United Kingdom · 1936-1945
Ordnance ML 3-inch mortar
infantry mortar
The Ordnance ML 3-inch mortar was the standard muzzle-loaded, drop-fired support mortar of British and Commonwealth infantry battalions in the Second World War, a Stokes-pattern design adopted in the early 1930s and in service from 1936. Despite its '3-inch' designation, carried over from its Stokes mortar ancestry, its actual bore was closer to 3.2 inches. Early war models had a range of only about 1,600 yards, which limited their effectiveness against German mortars with greater reach; improved bombs and later marks (including the Mark V, produced in the thousands for airborne and Far East use) extended range to roughly 2,800 yards. It served with British and Commonwealth forces in North Africa, Italy, North-West Europe, and Burma.
| caliber | 3.2 inch (81 mm) |
|---|---|
| weight | 52.4 kg (115.5 lb) |
| range | 1,463-2,560 m (1,600-2,800 yd) depending on mark |
| produced | unknown overall total; approximately 5,000 Mark V variants |
Western Europe, Mediterranean and North Africa, Pacific, China, Burma and India
