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SURVIVING GUN FILE (# 1211)
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Portugal

6-in Newton trench mortar

Trench artillery

Contributor :
Olivier Comault     
Bernard Plumier      http://www.passioncompassion1418.com
     
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Location :
Portugal
Lisbon
Museu Militar
Coordinates : Lat : 38.71289 / Long : -9.12351
General comments on this surviving gun :


Identical items in the same location : 1
Items covered by this file : 1


Historic and technical information
Denomination :     6-in Newton Origin :       ( Inconnu)          

Historic context :

The british '6 inches Newton trench mortar ' was introduced in February 1917 as a medium mortar meant to replace the older medium mortar 2-inches 'Toffee Apple'.

This remarkably simple weapon had been designed by one of the British trench artillery precursors, the Captain Newton who was producing since 1915 numerous improvised mortars built in a shop at the rear of the French front, and who was later incorporated into the Trench Warfare Department.

Newton designed this new weapon on the basis of the famous 3-in Stokes trench mortar from a steel smoothbore cylinder, closed at its base by a hemispheric bottom having a percussion pin in its middle, supported by a steel and wood base, and oriented in direction and elevation by 3 cables whose length was adjustable by acting on screw tensile devices.

The fin tailed projectile was introduced by the tube mouth with its propulsive charge placed between the fins, and a .303 blank cartridge in the tail. This cartidge was fired when it hited the percussion pin when the projectile was inserted into the tube, just like in the case of the Stokes mortars. An opening at the tube base allowed to fire the projectile with an external primer and charge when the embarked pyrotechnics was failing.

This mortar was used by the different British Empire troops, as well as by the US army

Technical data :

  • Complete description : 6 inches Newton trench mortar
  • Design year : 1916
  • Calibre : 152.40 mm
  • Weight in firing position : unknown
  • Weight for transportation :
  • Tube length in calibres : 9.00 calibres (1372 mm)
  • Grooves : 0 smooth bore
  • Projectile weight : 23.59 kg dont 10 kg d'explosifs
  • Initial speed :
  • Fire rate :
  • Range : 1300 m
  • Elevation range : 45 to 77 degrees
  • Direction range : unknown


Sources
  • Allied Artillery of World War One           Ian V. Hogg                   Crowood   1998  
  • Weapons of the Trench War 1914-1918       Anthony Saunders                   Sutton   1999