Evening star., 1942-04-11
Trench Mortar Playing
Important Role in
Nazi-Soviet War
Russions Overcoming EARLY
German Advantage as
Result Of Production
BY A. T. STEELE,
ar Correspondent of The star.


KUIBYsHEv, April 11--Nine and
one-haf months of Russo German
conflict have shown that the dead
liest weapon in this war Is not any
new-fangled instrument OF destruc-, ,
tion but the old-fashioned trench
mortar, streamlined to modern kill
ing requirements.
One of the bright spots of the
Soviet war outlook, as spring comes
on, is that the Red Army has been
able largely to Offset the one-sided
advantage which the Germans en-
joyed at the beginning of their in
vasion in this highly important
branch Of armament. In conse-
quence Of their greatly expanded
mortar production, the Russians will
be able. it is believed, to trade almost
shell for shell with the German
minenwerfers (mortars) when the
spring campaign opens.
What this means can be realized
fully only by visiting military hos
pitals, where trench-mortar wounds
account for more than half of all
the casualties.
Used Effectively by Nazis.
The Germans made tremendously
effective use of mortars during their
offensive last summer and fall BY
massing these light and easily trans
ported weapons at points of attack,
they were able to blanket the Soviet
defenSes with fire. The Russians
quickly realized their own deficiency.
but didn't cry over it. They i'm
mediately created a special COM
missariat for mortar production,
converted a number OF peacetime
enterprises to the manufacture OF
mortars and mortarshells and very
soon had multiplied their mortar
armament.
Mortars serve one sll-important
purpose-the destruction of man
power. The Nazis employed them
in masses to soften resistance and
wipe out machine-gun nests Just
before attack. On the defensive in
recent months. they have been re-
lieved heavily by mortars. in combi-
nation with other weapons, in their
attempts to break up advancing or
charging detachments of Russian
troops. Being encaSed in cast iron.
mortar shells shatter into countless
fragments on explosion.
The mortar looks pretty much like
q piece of steel pipe, mounted on a
tripod. 1t is a muzzle loader, fires
at a hign angle and has a range
OF from several hundred to 1000
yards, depending on it's size. The
shells are equipped with fins like
the aerial bomb and signal their ap-
proach with nasty whirr. The Rus
slams now are so well equipped with
these weapons that It is estimated
that they have light mortar for
every dozen riflemen in the battle
lines. Mortars come in three sizes.
so, 70 and 80 INNS. The last. Of
which the Russians have plenty,
have great destructive power.
Important Role for Rifles.
Next to the mortar for deadliness
rank machine guns and automatic
rifles. The Red Army began the
war well supplied with machine
guns, but there has been heavy en-
phasis on the manufacture of auto
matte rifles. There is scarcely a
report from the front which does
not mention the activities of Ger
man or Soviet automatic ri1emen.
These are the shock troops, the
close-range fighters of modern war
fare. They often go into battle
cllnglng TO the turrets of tanks and
oSmount when they reach the
enemy lines to wipe out nests OF
resistance, so preparing the wav for
the infantry which follows.
Automatic rif1emen have. to a con-
siderable extent, taken the place OF
oayonet charges In modern war
Both sides. when launching an at
TACK. make 1t a practice to send
small detachments of automatic
rlfiemen into the enemy rear to
block the lines of retreat and create
Tn illusion of encirclement. This
is sometimes a suicidal Job. The
most popular type of automatic
weapon used by the Russians looks
ike a tommy gun. It holds II bull
lets. has a disc-shaped magazine
and fires at the rate of $50 per min
ute.
Claim 1t Is Superior.
Red Army men claim it is superior
70 the German model, the 1851,
which, 1t Is said, carries 27 car
trldgeS and fires l60 per minute.
These automatic guns are used only
at very close range with about the
same accuracy as the pistol but
their enormous fire rate makes them
valuable weapon.
mus, in the realm of small aud
medium arms, the Russians are
much nearer equality with the Ger
mans today than they were last
summer. AS for artillery. the Red
Army. from the beginning of the
war, had superiority over the enemy
and probably still holds it, although
the Germans lately have made
strenuous efforts to rectify their de-
ficiency.
Being overweighed in tank power,
the Russians have striven through
the autumn and winter to augment
their production of anti-tank wea-
pons of all kinds. We hear more
and more incidents of disabling Ger
man tanks with fire from anti-tank
rifles. These strange looking weap-
ons, as long as a man, fire panzer-
piercing bullets. They are coming
into use in increasing numbers.
(Copyright, 1912, by Chicaso Daily NewsD