9.45-inch Heavy Mortar

ML 9.45 inch Heavy Trench Mortar
ML 9.45 inch Heavy Trench Mortar
	; Colourised postcard showing Australian Army personnel loading a mortar near Pozières – in August 1916, according to the caption. The absence of a fuse and lack of concealment indicates this is a training or publicity photograph away from the front line.;
Type	Heavy trench mortar
Place of origin	France
Service history
In service	1916–1918
Used by	United Kingdom; Australia
Wars	World War I
Production history
Designer	Dumezil-Batignolles;
Designed	1915
; No. built	712;
Specifications
Mass	Mortar & elevating gear 499 lb, + body & bed 987 lb (Mk I); 644 lb, + 1169lb (Mk II–IV);
; Barrel length	4 ft 3 in (1.30 m) (Mk I); 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) (Mk II–IV);
Crew	7
Shell	; HE 152 pounds (69 kg);
Calibre	9.45 inch (240 mm)
Elevation	75°–45°
Traverse	18° L & R
Rate of fire	1 round every 6 minutes
Muzzle velocity	475 ft/s (145 m/s) max charge
Effective firing range	660–2,400 yards (600–2,190 m)
Filling	; amatol or ammonal;

The ML 9.45 inch Heavy Trench Mortar,^[3] nicknamed the Flying Pig,^[4] was a large calibre mortar of World War I and the standard British heavy mortar from the autumn of 1916. It was a modification of an original French design, the Mortier de 240 mm developed by Batignolles Company of Paris and introduced in 1915. Britain manufactured the modified version under licence.

History[edit]

The British ML 9.45-inch (240 mm) mortar was a design based on the French 240 mm mortar in 1915 and introduced in 1916. The British version differed from the French LT weapon in that the propellant charge was loaded through the muzzle^[5] whereas the French 240 mm had the charge loaded through the breech in a brass cartridge case.

In June 1916, following unsatisfactory trials with the French model, Britain replaced them with 30 of its own model, firing a 150-pound bomb, followed by 200 more in December 1916.^[6]

The Mark I with 51-inch (1,300 mm) barrel was introduced from June 1916. In 1917, the Mark II and Mark III followed with 69-inch (1,800 mm) barrel, and small numbers of Mark IV.^[7]

Combat use[edit]

In a concealed cellar near Lens, 30 January 1918

Bomb at Imperial War Museum Duxford

Lee–Enfield firing mechanism

It was operated by crews of the Royal Garrison Artillery which was the part of the British Army that operated the heaviest artillery weapons, formed into batteries of 4 mortars attached to each division, designated "V/nn" where nn = division number. From February 1918 they were reorganised and moved from divisional to corps control.

The weapon was dismantled for transport, requiring 4 carts for the barrel, base, carriage and ammunition.

In action, a heavy timber platform was constructed embedded in the ground, on which the mortar base was immovably secured. The mortar carriage sat on the base and could traverse. The mortar barrel and breech were mounted on the carriage which provided elevation.

They were used in the "siege warfare" on the Western Front to destroy enemy strongpoints, bunkers and similar "hard" targets which were invulnerable to lighter mortars and field guns. The US Army handbook described it : "... the use for which it is primarily adapted is in the bombardment of strongly protected targets - dwellings, covered shelters, command posts, entrances to galleries, etc - or in the destruction of sectors of trenches, salients and the like.".^[8] Their effectiveness decreased late in the war as German policy changed to a lightly held front line, hence decreasing available targets, and they became redundant when the war of movement resumed late in 1918.

Both the propellant charge appropriate for the required range and the bomb were loaded via the muzzle. Usually a Lee–Enfield rifle's bolt action mechanism was screwed into the breech. A special blank rifle cartridge was loaded and was triggered by pulling a lanyard, and fired into an igniter at the base of the mortar chamber, igniting the propellant charge and launching the bomb.^[7]

Surviving Examples[edit]

British 9.45 Mortar at Imperial War Museum Duxford

Notes and references[edit]

^ 712 total : 203 Mk I, 336 Mk II, 162 Mk III, 11 Mk IV. Ministry of Munitions 1922, pp 130–131

^ ^a^b^c Handbook of the M.L. 9.45 inch Trench Mortars. February 1918. War Office, UK.

^ ML being "muzzle loading"

^ The origin of the nickname "flying pig" is unclear. Some sources describe the bomb as looking like a small pig in flight; it may also refer to the English language term meaning an unlikely event (as in "pigs might fly"), deriving from the clumsy bulky appearance; it may be a mixture of both.

^ "Manual for trench artillery, United States Army (provisional). Part I, Trench Artillery.". Prepared at Headquarters AEF, France, March 1918. page 8

^ Farndale 1986. Annex G, Trench Mortar Organization in France, page 367.

^ ^a^b Kevin Robert Keefe, British 9.45-inch (240 mm) Heavy Trench Mortar, Mark III

^ "Handbook of the 9.45-inch trench mortar matériel" United States Ordnance Department. December 1917. page 9

Bibliography[edit]

General Sir Martin Farndale, History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery. Western Front 1914-18. London: Royal Artillery Institution, 1986. .mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"""""""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg/12px-Wikisource-logo.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#33aa33;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}
ISBN 1-870114-00-0

Handbook of the M.L. 9.45-In. Trench Mortars. Mks I, II and III. February 1918. War Office, UK. (Covers models in British service)

"History of the Ministry of Munitions", 1922. Volume XI, Part I Trench Warfare Supplies. Facsimile reprint by Imperial War Museum and Naval & Military Press, 2008
ISBN 1-84734-885-8

External links[edit]

Video at CriticalPast

9.45 inch Mortar at Landships

Kevin Robert Keefe, British 9.45in Heavy Trench Mortar, Mark III. with specifications and photographs of model

The Long, Long Trail; The Trench Mortars, Chris Baker

[1] 712 total : 203 Mk I, 336 Mk II, 162 Mk III, 11 Mk IV. Ministry of Munitions 1922, pp 130–131

[BritishHandbookFeb1918-2] Handbook of the M.L. 9.45 inch Trench Mortars. February 1918. War Office, UK.

[3] ML being "muzzle loading"

[4] The origin of the nickname "flying pig" is unclear. Some sources describe the bomb as looking like a small pig in flight; it may also refer to the English language term meaning an unlikely event (as in "pigs might fly"), deriving from the clumsy bulky appearance; it may be a mixture of both.

[5] "Manual for trench artillery, United States Army (provisional). Part I, Trench Artillery.". Prepared at Headquarters AEF, France, March 1918. page 8

[6] Farndale 1986. Annex G, Trench Mortar Organization in France, page 367.

[Keefe-7] Kevin Robert Keefe, British 9.45-inch (240 mm) Heavy Trench Mortar, Mark III

[US9.45HandbookPage9-8] "Handbook of the 9.45-inch trench mortar matériel" United States Ordnance Department. December 1917. page 9

v t e British Empire artillery of the First World War
Tank guns	QF 6-pounder Hotchkiss QF 6-pounder 6 cwt
Infantry guns	1.59-inch Breech-Loading Vickers Q.F. Gun, Mk II
Field artillery	BL 12-pounder 6 cwt QF 12-pounder 8 cwt QF 12-pounder 18 cwt QF 13-pounder BL 15-pounder BLC 15-pounder QF 15-pounder QF 18-pounder QF 4-inch gun Mk III BL 4-inch gun Mk VII QF 4.5-inch howitzer
Medium & heavy artillery	QF 4.7-inch gun BL 5-inch howitzer BL 5.4-inch howitzer BL 60-pounder gun BLC 6-inch siege gun BL 6-inch gun Mk VII BL 6-inch gun Mk XIX BL 6-inch 26 cwt howitzer BL 6-inch 30 cwt howitzer BL 8-inch howitzer Mk I – V BL 8-inch howitzer Mk VI – VIII
Siege artillery	BL 7.5-inch Mk III naval gun BL 9.2-inch howitzer BL 9.2-inch Mk X naval gun BL 12-inch howitzer BL 12-inch Mk X naval gun BL 15-inch howitzer
Mountain artillery	RML 2.5-inch mountain gun BL 10-pounder mountain gun BL 2.75-inch mountain gun QF 2.95-inch mountain gun QF 3.7-inch mountain howitzer
Mortars	Garland trench mortar 3-inch Stokes mortar Vickers 1.57-inch mortar 2-inch medium mortar Newton 6-inch mortar 9.45-inch Heavy Mortar
Smoke and chemical weapons	4-inch Stokes Mortar Livens Projector Livens Large Gallery Flame Projector
Anti-aircraft guns	QF 1-pounder pom-pom QF 2-pounder "pom-pom" Mk II 75 mm AA gun QF 12-pounder 12 cwt QF 13-pounder 6 cwt QF 13-pounder Mk IV QF 13-pounder 9 cwt QF 3-inch 20 cwt QF 18-pounder QF 4-inch Mk V
Coastal artillery	QF 12-pounder 12 cwt QF 4-inch naval gun Mk I – III BL 6-inch Mk VII naval gun BL 9.2-inch Mk IX – X naval gun RML 9-inch
Railway guns	BL 9.2-inch railway gun BL 12-inch railway gun BL 12-inch railway howitzer BL 14-inch railway gun

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