Posted on 02/28/2012 10:53:42 PM PST by U-238
So the Syrian government, has been unable to break the back of a populist uprising using snipers, RPGs, tanks and aircraft has turned to lobbing massive 240 mm mortars into the city of Homs, killing dozens. This sounds like an old fashioned leave no one alive siege. In case there were any doubts, this shows that the Syrian dictatorship of Bashar al Assad is at war with his own people.
Syrian troops are firing Soviet-made M240 breech loading mortars into the city. These fire the largest mortar rounds in the world, according to the Christian Science Monitor. To put things in perspective, the 240 mm mortar rounds are roughly five-feet long. The Soviets used them in Afghanistan and the Russian army used the weapons to bombard the city of Grozny during its wars in Chechnya. So while they were designed to hit enemy bunkers from long ranges, they’ve also been used to bludgeon civilian population centers.
The mortars can either be towed or carried aboard the purpose made tracked vehicle called the Tulip. Nice huh?
(Excerpt) Read more at defensetech.org ...
Well, it looks like he is on the road to repeating the process. The question is whether we will get sucked into this mess.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Couple of those could solve the problems in DC quite nicely.
Who needs nukes, these things will fit in a tractor trailer and are mobile.>>>>>>>>>>>
LOL. If only Secret Service could tolerate one pointing a laser designator into Obama’s window:)
______________
Dunno. I think this falls into the ‘horseshoes and handgrenades’ category. Close enough for government work, so to speak. All theoretical, of course.
I recall the japanese had one on Iwo Jima that threw a projectile “the size of a trashcan” according to the Marines there. Wikipedia says it was 320mm.
Apparently, though, it was wildly inaccurate, but it terrified the Marines all the more because of the randomness.
IIRC, they said it would tumble through the air...
These things looks like howitzers.
From Wikipedia:
The launchers consisted of a steel tube closed at one end by a steel baseplate, resting on a wooden platform. The 675-pound (306 kg), 5-foot-long (1.5 m), 13-inch-wide (330 mm) shells fit around and on top of the tube, instead of being dropped inside, comprising a type of spigot mortar. The range of each shot was adjusted by adding different size powder charges at the base of the round. The barrels could only handle five or six shots apiece before becoming damaged and unusable. When used in large groups, as was often done, it produced a fearsome effect known as “the screaming Jesus” to U.S. Marines.
To absorb the massive recoil caused by firing their projectiles, the mortar tubes were almost always placed up against a mound of dirt.
Japanese officers believed the 320 mm spigot mortar’s most effective method of employment was as a psychological weapon, intended to scare American soldiers more than inflict casualties. The 675-pound (306 kg) shells left craters 8 feet (2.4 m) deep and 15 feet (4.6 m) wide, but caused relatively few casualties due to minimal fragmentation.[5] The mortars were mainly operated by the 20th Independent Mortar Battalion.
During the Iwo Jima campaign, many of the 12 to 24 launchers were placed inside the mouths of caves to protect them from American artillery bombardment, requiring the gun crews to live in the caves that housed their guns, like the infantry.
Due to the relative difficulty[2] involved in moving such a massive weapon system, their locations usually remained fixed during battles. During the campaign, the object of the gun crews seemed to be mainly to inflict psychological damage on the American troops instead of killing them.
Yip, yip, hooray, ragheads killing ragheads keep up the good work jerks.
Thanks U-238.
I sure like it when moslems behave like moslems, for the whole wide world to see. I’ve got your religion of peace for you mohammed, may pig sloop be on his head
Welcome to Free Republic! You bring much to our forum. Do you have any questions? Thank you for your insights into both the recent Russian wars in Afghanistan and Chechnya
You are talking about the famous picture of Thor
The mortars were moved from their semi permanent emplacements for fire on Israel to new emplacements to fire on Syrians
Not even close to world’s biggest. That would be, “Little David”, a 940mm mortar developed during Vietnam conflict, and stil residing in pieces somewhere on Aberdeen Proving Ground (as of a few weeks ago it was not at the traditional location near the museum, but I did see it elsewhere, can’t remember where).
Sorry, Little David was developed during WWII, swear I remembered it being developed during VN; my bad...
Holy Mother of God.
Link to Info about “Little David”:
http://www.militaryfactory.com/armor/detail.asp?armor_id=296
3,650 lb. projectile. FAR bigger than a 16” naval ordinance.
Unbelievable. Boy, LambSlave, you won the military harware expert post of the thread with that one!
Little David was ridiculously cumbersome to set up and employ and vulnerable to air power, but has that undeniable ‘blowed up real good’ kind of appeal, nonetheless:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtlmljJDWxk
Boy, that's the understatement of the day!
You are correct.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.