Mortar Crew/ Mortars

[connie]

In discussions on the 424th thread, 106thdivision.proboards.com/post/3582/thread the fact that Floyd was part of a mortar crew came up. I can certainly facilitate discussions of weapons as a complete novice. You can't read about WWII without hearing of mortar fire. But that's as far as my knowledge goes. So I hit YouTube and came up with this video produced by someone interested in realistic reproductions. The title about the "thrill" I think glorifies a job that was difficult and dirty and in the midst of war... But it was interesting to see the reproduction of the crew working: a radio man relaying orders, a man adjusting the direction of fire, and-- as Floyd described-- another man dropping the rounds into the weapon:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=8y8deu3gceY

Is the gun pictured here the same caliber as the one you used, Floyd?

Did they reproduce the action well?

Other comments?

You, I think were dug in a bit....

[floydragsdale]

That’s it Connie. When G Company of the 424th Regiment replaced 2nd Division Soldiers who were in the Mortar Section we simply traded Mortars with them.

After all the prime targets were already zeroed in by them. As they departed our Mortar Crew & the 2nd Division Mortar Crew shook hands and bid one another goodbye.

On 16th of December 44 our Squad leader spotted a column of German Infantrymen entering GrossKampenburg via a road the went right through the town.

That road was one of our targets that had already been zeroed in by 2nd Division men. We put six 60mm shells in the air before the first one hit the ground right in the middle of the column of German troops. To say the least that hit was very effective

Our Mortar Squad was very busy on that day. Yes, our mortar position was dug in.

Floyd

[connie]

Thanks, Floyd,

This is interesting. I can now better visualize you and what you were doing at your foxhole in your position along the front.

I am assuming then that G company of the 424th had just one mortar and one mortar crew... Is that right?

Did every Company within an infantry division have one mortar crew?

Connie

[floydragsdale]

There were three 60mm mortars to an infantry company. I mentioned that we traded mortars with the 2nd division mortar crew. We kept our mortar, however we traded the mortar base plate with them, which also included the bi-pod. Therefore, we didn't have to zero in on the targets. We simply test fired the mortar to be certain of its' accuracy. Consequently, we were ready for the German War Machine when the Bulge started at o5:50 in the a.m. on 12/16/44. We gave em hell but there were 1/4 of a million of them against only 80,000 of us. To put it mildly, American forces were slightly outnumbered in the beginning..

Floyd

[connie]

Good Morning, Floyd,

Thanks again for great details. This is the fascinating stuff that at a level that most history books don't catch. I believe that some of the field artillery traded whole weapons (howitzers) with the units they were replacing-- easier for the departing units than wrestling these weapons from positions where they were mired. Knowing you traded the bases and kept the weapon itself is interesting.

Now I know that there were 3 mortar positions, I have a mental picture to complete. As I recall, your position at the forward edge of G company (not far from the road) was somewhere toward (or at) the forward left flank of the unit. Is this right?

I'm guessing that the other two mortar positions both fell along this forward edge of the unit -- one midway along that line and one at the right edge... ?

Looks like a sunny day awaits me here. Hope you have a good one, too.

Connie

[floydragsdale]

I don’t know where the other two mortor pieces were placed. That was between the Heavy Weapons Platoon Leader and the Company Commanders discretion. Of course, they were already in place when we relieved the 2nd Division.

Floyd