Discussion
For mobile platoon and company
level action, an easily portable weapon for use
between the effective ranges of hand grenades and
the 81mm mortar was
needed. Hence, the 60mm M2. The bipod was often
left attached to the tube for speed in bringing
the mortar into action, and the combination was
readily carried by two men, with ammunition in
complete rounds being carried by supporting
troops.
In the Marine Corps, our 60mm
guns were usually in three gun-squads in a 20-man
mortar section commanded by a lieutenant,
reinforcing each Rifle Company. Each gun-squad
consisted of a squad leader, gunner, assistant
gunner and 3 ammo bearers. In deployment for
action, the ammo carriers humped 6 loads, in
addition to their weapons and equipment. On the
move, the gunner carried the complete mortar w/o
sight, and all other men carried ammo bags or
packboards strapping 12 loads. In addition all
men carried their equipment and a carbine, and
the squad leader carried the M4 sight. These guns
were invaluable in close support. Sometimes in
battery, but usually assigned one gun per
platoon, they moved fluidly close behind our
assault troops, and registered on assault lanes
in front of the platoons before night, so as to
be ready to quickly provide murderous close
support.
They often had to.
Infantry mortars are normally
employed in defiladed positions, such as the
reverse slope of a hill or ridge, so as not to be
vulnerable to enemy direct fire positions. Hence
direction and altitude settings are normally
controlled indirectly by a forward observer, or
an aiming stake about 10-25 yards forward of the
gunner, and the rounds are normally dropped down
the barrel. The 60mm
M19 could be used as a direct fire weapon by
attaching the small M1 base plate to the barrel.
This reduced the mortar weight substantially, and
greatly lowered the weapon profile in the open
during fluid engagements where targets were close
and in direct view.In such situations, however,
the recoilless rifle or bazooka were
usually more effective.
Comparing weight of material to
destruction delivered at the target, mortars are
very efficient. "The infantry's
artillery", they provide small infantry
units artillery-like fire support when artillery
either was not available, or could not be moved
forward fast enough. The initial Chinese
Communist assaults of November and December 1950,
did not bring artillery, but they did bring
mortars, and used them with great
effectiveness.
Typical CCF assault tactics were
to drift strong infantry units near our lines at
night, and use small probing attacks to locate
our automatic weapons and machine guns and, if
possible, junctions between our platoons or other
weak points. Then, they would attack in strength
with platoons armed only with grenades, followed
by submachine gun platoons. Their light mortar
units would follow quickly, and place their fire
on our strong points from fairly close distances,
enabling them to fire with reasonable accuracy
even though at night and without prior
registration.