The L16 is a British 81mm mortar. The L16 reinvented the mortar from an area weapon into a near-precision weapon by adding a plastic ring around the projectile which allowed air to pass as the projectile was loaded, but not allow the propelling gases to escape around the edges, thereby allowing much less windage when the projectile was fired. The L16 fires a 4.2 kgbomb between 166 metres and 5650 metres with a rate of fire of up to 15 rounds-per-minute. The
L16 has been adopted by the American army, and given the designation M252. Research L16
Merlin is an 81 mm guided anti-tank mortarbomb fired by the L16mortar. A millimetric wave seeker head detects armoured targets and steers the bomb to impact, giving the L16mortar an impressive long range anti-tank capability. Research Merlin
The ML 3 inch Mortar was a British 3 inch calibremortar introduced into service in 1936 and of use during the Second World War and until the 1960s when it was replaced in service by the 81 mm L16mortar. The ML 3 inch Mortar fired a 10 lb bomb to a range of 1463 metres and the improved mark 2 model to a range of 2560 meters, with a rate of fire of up to 15 rounds per minute. Research ML 3 inch Mortar
The Probert Encyclopaedia was designed, edited and programed by
Matt and Leela Probert
Abbreviations
Research L16
