120 mm mortar damage in real life??

[Adamo]

I know this is an odd question and this is probably not the forum for it but I was wondering if anybody would know how much damage a 120 mm mortar would do in real life. For instance, if one was to hit a single family home made of wood would it absolutely destroy it?

Don't worry, I'm not planning on finding a 120mm mortar and use it on somebody's home. I'm just trying to get a grasp on the size of the explosion it would make.

I told you it was an odd question!

[harlekwin]

ORIGINAL: Adamo

I know this is an odd question and this is probably not the forum for it but I was wondering if anybody would know how much damage a 120 mm mortar would do in real life. For instance, if one was to hit a single family home made of wood would it absolutely destroy it?

Don't worry, I'm not planning on finding a 120mm mortar and use it on somebody's home. I'm just trying to get a grasp on the size of the explosion it would make.

I told you it was an odd question!

It would depend on the shell type and nation.

A basic HE shell for the german 120mm weighed 16kg.

The modern US equivalent is the M933 HE round. Yes IT can and likely would flatten a house with a direct hit on center depending on material the structure was made of.


http://w4.pica.army.mil/PicatinnyPublic ... ucts07.asp

[harlekwin]

Here is an FM on the employment of the Mortar(and other assets for combat support) in real life and min/max range.

http://www.adtdl.army.mil/cgi-bin/atdl. ... 71/ch8.htm


of particular interest is the increase of the min distance between it and the 81mm mortar

http://www.adtdl.army.mil/cgi-bin/atdl. ... /fm620.htm


here is the FM on fire support.

http://www.adtdl.army.mil/cgi-bin/atdl. ... 90/toc.htm


above is a FM on mortars

http://www.adtdl.army.mil/cgi-bin/atdl. ... 90/toc.htm


and another

http://www.adtdl.army.mil/cgi-bin/atdl. ... 91/toc.htm


and finally mortar gunnery.

happy hunting,
sven

[RockinHarry]

my grandpa was seriously wounded on the easternfront by a 120mm shell hitting a tree trunk next to him!

[Igor]

In real life a 120mm mortar bomb would probably blow a hole in the roof, and do mostly fragmentation damage to the rest of the building. The fuze is too fast for it to get through the roof and detonate inside. If it were to somehow go off inside the building, then it depends on size and materials (as Harlekwin said); a shotgun shack would be pulverized, a ranch built to California code probably wouldn't suffer more than moderate damage (though the fragments may well rip apart important support beams).

[Belisarius]

ORIGINAL: Igor
..(though the fragments may well rip apart important support beams).

...and whatever else is inside. 120mm is a lot of explosives.