L16
| L16 | |
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| General Information | |
| Military designation: | L16 |
| Manufacturer designation: | Royal Ordnance |
| Manufacturer country: |
 United Kingdom
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| Developer / Manufacturer: | Royal Armament Research and Development Establishment, Fort Halstead |
| Development year: | 1956 |
| Start of production: | 1965 |
| Team: | 5 |
| Technical specifications | |
| Pipe length: | 1.28 m |
| Caliber : |
81 mm |
| Cadence : | maximum 20, practically 15 rounds / min |
The medium mortar L16 in caliber 81 mm is a British muzzle-loading high-speed gun with smooth barrel for indirect fire support for light infantry, air raid and airborne units.
technology
The L16 system weighs completely 35.3 kg and consists of the tube, the mount, the base plate and the optical aiming device. For assembly, the bipod is mounted on the base plate, whereby the mortar can be aligned with a thread in the vertical as well as in the lateral direction. The optical aiming device is attached to the bipod. The grenades of the L16 are dropped into the smooth barrel to be fired .
history
The L16 mortar is a joint British and Canadian development from 1956. It was introduced to the British armed forces in 1965 and replaced the Ordnance ML 3 "mortar . The L16 is also used in the Netherlands , Australia , New Zealand , Nepal and India , for example and Japan used. In the United States Army and the States United Marine Corps (USMC) is the M252 an adjusted copy of the British standard mortar used. In Australia, which is L16 -Mörser as F2 81mm mortar referred.
service
team
The L16 mortar usually has a five-man crew: the squad leader, the gunner, the loader, the first and second ammunition shooter.
- The squad leader stands directly behind the mortar, from where he can lead his squad. Since he has an overview of all troop crews, he also monitors the position, storage and firing of the weapon.
- The gunner stands to the left of the mortar, from where he can aim the optical aiming device and use a handwheel to align the weapon vertically and sideways at the target. He makes larger deflections by moving the bipod and holding the mortar straight for shooting using a spirit level.
- The loader stands to the right of the mortar with focus on the barrel to load it. In addition to loading the weapon, he cleans the barrel after ten shots or after the mission has ended. He's practically the one who fires the gun.
- The first ammunition shooter is on the right behind the mortar. His job is to arm the ammunition and hand it over to the loader.
- The second ammo shooter stands behind the first ammo shooter. He prepares the grenades and is responsible for securing the mortar production.
The L16 mortar is often used in the British Army on armored personnel carriers such as the FV 432 to increase mobility .
Types of ammunition
The following grenades are fired by the L16:
- High Explosive (HE): Used against people and light ground targets.
- Smoke Grenades: White Phosphorus Grenade. Used as a smoke screen, as a signal or as an incendiary grenade. Red phosphorus can also be used.
- Light grenades (ILLUM): To illuminate the operating area at night.
- Practice ammunition (TP) with sabot : For practice in cordoned off areas.
- Infrared light grenades (IR): produces light in the infrared range, visible to night vision devices.
