| Ordnance SBML two-inch mortar | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Australian infantrymen using a 2-inch (51 mm) mortar in New Guinea in 1945 (AWM 094355) | |
| Type | Light mortar |
| Place of origin | United Kingdom |
| Service history | |
| Used by | British Commonwealth armies other users |
| Wars | World War II Korean War[1] Sino-Indian War[2] Biafran War |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1937 |
| Variants | Mark 8 "airborne" |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 10+1⁄2 lb (4.8 kg) |
| Length | 21 in (53 cm) |
| Crew | Two |
| Shell | High explosive: 2 lb 2 oz (960 g). Smoke: 2 pounds (910 g) Illuminating: 1 lb 5 oz (600 g) |
| Calibre | 2 in (51 mm) |
| Action | Trip |
| Elevation | 45-90° |
| Rate of fire | 8 rounds per minute |
| Effective firing range | 500 yd (460 m) |
The Ordnance SBML two-inch mortar, or more commonly, just "two-inch mortar", was a British mortar issued to the British Army and the Commonwealth armies, that saw use during the Second World War and later.
It was more portable than larger mortars, and had greater range and firepower than rifle grenades. Its main purpose was to produce smoke for cover and through high trajectory and HE shell, engage targets "immune to small arms fire".[3]