| M1943 Mortar | |
|---|---|
 120mm PM-43 mortar | |
| Type | Mortar |
| Place of origin | Soviet Union |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1943-present |
| Used by | Soviet Union |
| Wars | Eastern Front (World War II) Korean War[1] Vietnam War[2] Lebanese Civil War Soviet–Afghan War[3] Gulf War South Sudanese Civil War[4] |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 275 kg (606 lb) |
| Crew | 6 |
| Caliber | 120 mm (4.7 in) |
| Breech | muzzle loaded |
| Elevation | +45° to +80° |
| Rate of fire | 9 rpm maximum, 70 rds/hr sustained |
| Muzzle velocity | 272 m/s (890 ft/s) Frag-HE & HE |
| Effective firing range | 5,700 m (6,200 yd) maximum, 500 m (550 yd) minimum |
The M1943 Mortar or 120-PM-43 (Russian: 120-Полковой Миномёт-43) or the 120-mm mortar Model 1943 (Russian: 120-мм миномет обр. 1943 г.), also known as the SAMOVAR, is a Soviet 120 millimeter calibre smoothbore mortar first introduced in 1943 as a modified version of the M1938 mortar.[5] It virtually replaced the M1938 as the standard weapon for mortar batteries in all Soviet infantry battalions by the late 1980s, though the armies of the Warsaw Pact utilised both in their forces.[6]
- ^ Rottman, Gordon L. (December 2002). Korean War Order of Battle: United States, United Nations, and Communist Ground, Naval, and Air Forces, 1950-1953. Praeger. p. 198. ISBN 978-0-275-97835-8. Archived from the original on 2018-12-09. Retrieved 2019-06-01.
- ^ Rottman, Gordon L. (10 Feb 2009). North Vietnamese Army Soldier 1958–75. Warrior 135. Osprey Publishing. p. 32. ISBN 9781846033711.
- ^ Campbell, David (30 Nov 2017). Soviet Paratrooper vs Mujahideen Fighter: Afghanistan 1979–89. Combat 29. Osprey Publishing. pp. 19, 77. ISBN 9781472817648.
- ^ The Military Balance 2016, p. 492.
- ^ "120-HM 38". Encyclopédie des armes : Les forces armées du monde (in French). Vol. IX. Atlas. 1986. pp. 2042–2043.
- ^ US Army, FM 100-2-3 The Soviet Army: Troops, Organization and Equipment, 5–60