ML 3-inch mortar
| Ordnance ML 3-inch mortar | |
|---|---|
Canadian 3-inch mortar team | |
| Type | Mortar |
| Place of origin | United Kingdom |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1936 – 1980s |
| Used by | See § Users |
| Wars | See § Conflicts |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1932 |
| Manufacturer | Royal Ordnance |
| Produced | 1930s – 1950s |
| Specifications | |
| Mass |
|
| Length | 4 ft 3 in (1.3 m) |
| Barrel length | 3 ft 11 in (1.19 m) |
| Shell | Bomb 10 lb (4.5 kg) |
| Calibre | 3.19 in (81.0 mm) |
| Elevation | +45° to +80° |
| Traverse | 11° |
| Muzzle velocity | 650 ft/s (200 m/s) |
| Maximum firing range | Mk.II: 1,600 yd (1,500 m) Mk.II LR: 2,800 yd (2,600 m) |
The Ordnance ML 3-inch mortar was the United Kingdom's standard mortar used by the British Army from the early 1930s to the late 1960s, superseding the Stokes mortar. Initially handicapped by its short range compared to similar Second World War mortars, improvements of the propellant charges enabled it to be used with great satisfaction by various armies of the British Empire and of the Commonwealth.