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Syrian Army Using World’s Biggest Mortar Against Own People
Defense Tech ^ | 2/28/2012 | Defense Tech

Posted on 02/28/2012 10:53:42 PM PST by U-238

So the Syrian government, has been unable to break the back of a populist uprising using snipers, RPGs, tanks and aircraft has turned to lobbing massive 240 mm mortars into the city of Homs, killing dozens. This sounds like an old fashioned leave no one alive siege. In case there were any doubts, this shows that the Syrian dictatorship of Bashar al Assad is at war with his own people.

Syrian troops are firing Soviet-made M240 breech loading mortars into the city. These fire the largest mortar rounds in the world, according to the Christian Science Monitor. To put things in perspective, the 240 mm mortar rounds are roughly five-feet long. The Soviets used them in Afghanistan and the Russian army used the weapons to bombard the city of Grozny during its wars in Chechnya. So while they were designed to hit enemy bunkers from long ranges, they’ve also been used to bludgeon civilian population centers.

The mortars can either be towed or carried aboard the purpose made tracked vehicle called the Tulip. Nice huh?

(Excerpt) Read more at defensetech.org ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: artillery; assad; homs; mortars; motar; syria; syrianarmy
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To: U-238; no-to-illegals; All

Well, it looks like he is on the road to repeating the process. The question is whether we will get sucked into this mess.


21 posted on 02/29/2012 12:07:05 AM PST by gleeaikin
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To: cunning_fish; Rome2000

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Couple of those could solve the problems in DC quite nicely.
Who needs nukes, these things will fit in a tractor trailer and are mobile.>>>>>>>>>>>

LOL. If only Secret Service could tolerate one pointing a laser designator into Obama’s window:)

______________

Dunno. I think this falls into the ‘horseshoes and handgrenades’ category. Close enough for government work, so to speak. All theoretical, of course.


22 posted on 02/29/2012 12:08:13 AM PST by Psalm 144
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To: U-238
I think the Germans had the record on large mortars. 240MM seams small compared to the stuff used in Russia by the Nazis.


23 posted on 02/29/2012 2:41:31 AM PST by CapnJack
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To: CapnJack

I recall the japanese had one on Iwo Jima that threw a projectile “the size of a trashcan” according to the Marines there. Wikipedia says it was 320mm.

Apparently, though, it was wildly inaccurate, but it terrified the Marines all the more because of the randomness.

IIRC, they said it would tumble through the air...


24 posted on 02/29/2012 3:02:54 AM PST by rlmorel ("A fanatic is one who can't change his mind and won't change the subject." Winston Churchill)
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To: CapnJack

These things looks like howitzers.


25 posted on 02/29/2012 3:06:28 AM PST by cunning_fish
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To: CapnJack

From Wikipedia:

The launchers consisted of a steel tube closed at one end by a steel baseplate, resting on a wooden platform. The 675-pound (306 kg), 5-foot-long (1.5 m), 13-inch-wide (330 mm) shells fit around and on top of the tube, instead of being dropped inside, comprising a type of spigot mortar. The range of each shot was adjusted by adding different size powder charges at the base of the round. The barrels could only handle five or six shots apiece before becoming damaged and unusable. When used in large groups, as was often done, it produced a fearsome effect known as “the screaming Jesus” to U.S. Marines.

To absorb the massive recoil caused by firing their projectiles, the mortar tubes were almost always placed up against a mound of dirt.

Japanese officers believed the 320 mm spigot mortar’s most effective method of employment was as a psychological weapon, intended to scare American soldiers more than inflict casualties. The 675-pound (306 kg) shells left craters 8 feet (2.4 m) deep and 15 feet (4.6 m) wide, but caused relatively few casualties due to minimal fragmentation.[5] The mortars were mainly operated by the 20th Independent Mortar Battalion.

During the Iwo Jima campaign, many of the 12 to 24 launchers were placed inside the mouths of caves to protect them from American artillery bombardment, requiring the gun crews to live in the caves that housed their guns, like the infantry.

Due to the relative difficulty[2] involved in moving such a massive weapon system, their locations usually remained fixed during battles. During the campaign, the object of the gun crews seemed to be mainly to inflict psychological damage on the American troops instead of killing them.


26 posted on 02/29/2012 3:08:28 AM PST by rlmorel ("A fanatic is one who can't change his mind and won't change the subject." Winston Churchill)
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To: U-238

Yip, yip, hooray, ragheads killing ragheads keep up the good work jerks.


27 posted on 02/29/2012 3:15:46 AM PST by Waco (Nominate Palin or forget 2012 you lost)
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To: AdmSmith; AnonymousConservative; Berosus; bigheadfred; Bockscar; ColdOne; Convert from ECUSA; ...

Thanks U-238.


28 posted on 02/29/2012 4:38:04 AM PST by SunkenCiv (FReep this FReepathon!)
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To: chris37

I sure like it when moslems behave like moslems, for the whole wide world to see. I’ve got your religion of peace for you mohammed, may pig sloop be on his head


29 posted on 02/29/2012 5:08:09 AM PST by STD (It Doesn't Take a Real Political Panjandrum to Cut Taxes & Cut Spending Stupid!)
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To: U-238

Welcome to Free Republic! You bring much to our forum. Do you have any questions? Thank you for your insights into both the recent Russian wars in Afghanistan and Chechnya


30 posted on 02/29/2012 5:17:26 AM PST by STD (It Doesn't Take a Real Political Panjandrum to Cut Taxes & Cut Spending Stupid!)
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To: CapnJack

You are talking about the famous picture of Thor


31 posted on 02/29/2012 5:20:17 AM PST by STD (It Doesn't Take a Real Political Panjandrum to Cut Taxes & Cut Spending Stupid!)
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To: U-238

The mortars were moved from their semi permanent emplacements for fire on Israel to new emplacements to fire on Syrians


32 posted on 02/29/2012 5:21:19 AM PST by bert (K.E. N.P. +12 ..... Crucifixion is coming)
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To: U-238

Not even close to world’s biggest. That would be, “Little David”, a 940mm mortar developed during Vietnam conflict, and stil residing in pieces somewhere on Aberdeen Proving Ground (as of a few weeks ago it was not at the traditional location near the museum, but I did see it elsewhere, can’t remember where).


33 posted on 02/29/2012 5:43:06 AM PST by LambSlave
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To: LambSlave

Sorry, Little David was developed during WWII, swear I remembered it being developed during VN; my bad...


34 posted on 02/29/2012 5:47:06 AM PST by LambSlave
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To: chris37
Here it is....it's a big mortar.


35 posted on 02/29/2012 6:03:34 AM PST by ThomasMore (Islam is the Whore of Babylon!)
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To: ThomasMore

Good video at this site ,

http://www.military-today.com/artillery/2s4_tyulpan.htm


36 posted on 02/29/2012 6:40:12 AM PST by Robe (Rome did not create a great empire by talking, they did it by killing all those who opposed them)
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To: LambSlave

Holy Mother of God.

Link to Info about “Little David”:
http://www.militaryfactory.com/armor/detail.asp?armor_id=296

3,650 lb. projectile. FAR bigger than a 16” naval ordinance.

Unbelievable. Boy, LambSlave, you won the military harware expert post of the thread with that one!


37 posted on 02/29/2012 1:49:43 PM PST by rlmorel ("A fanatic is one who can't change his mind and won't change the subject." Winston Churchill)
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To: rlmorel

Little David was ridiculously cumbersome to set up and employ and vulnerable to air power, but has that undeniable ‘blowed up real good’ kind of appeal, nonetheless:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtlmljJDWxk


38 posted on 02/29/2012 3:16:51 PM PST by Riley (The Fourth Estate is the Fifth Column.)
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To: Riley
"...but has that undeniable ‘blowed up real good’ kind of appeal..."

Boy, that's the understatement of the day!

39 posted on 02/29/2012 5:36:20 PM PST by rlmorel ("A fanatic is one who can't change his mind and won't change the subject." Winston Churchill)
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To: bert

You are correct.


40 posted on 02/29/2012 5:47:30 PM PST by U-238
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