Type 55 Chinese 120mm Mortar

The Type 55 120mm Mortar is a Chinese version of the Russian M1943 120mm Mortar. A more robust but heavier version, the Type 55, was developed by Norinco. The M1943 Mortar also known as the SAMOVAR is a Soviet 120-millimeter caliber smooth-bore mortar first introduced in 1943 as a modified version of the M1938 mortar. It virtually replaced the M1938 as the standard weapon for mortar batteries in all Soviet infantry battalions by the late 1980s, though the armies of the Warsaw Pact utilized both in their forces. This muzzle-loading mortar can be easily broken down into three parts – barrel, bipod, and base plate – for movement over short distances or towed by a GAZ-66 truck on a two-wheel tubular carriage. The base plate mounting permits all-azimuth firing, however, as with most Soviet mortars it was difficult to turn rapidly over a wide traverse. It could accommodate small-angle shifts of up to 6 degrees without having to shift the base plate though.