AN 80-MILLIMETER MORTAR OF CZECH MANUFACTURE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP83-00418R000500130002-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 17, 2009
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: July 1, 1955
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2009/08/17: CIA-RDP83-00418R000500130002-6
COUNTRY Czechoslovakia
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
S-E-C-R-E-T
NOFO W
"0-Millimeter Mortar
of Czech Manufacture
This material contains information affecting the Na-
tional Defense of the United States within the mean-
ing of the Isplonage taws, Title 18, U.S.C. gees. 793
and 794, the tranamisslon or revelation of which in
any manner to an unauthorized person Is prohibited
by law.
REPORT
DATE DISTR.
NO. OF PAGES 2
REQUIREMENT NO. RD
REFERENCES
THE SOURCE EVALUATIONS IN THIS REPORT ARE DEFINITIVE.
THE APPRAISAL OF CONTENT IS TENTATIVE.
(FOR KEY SEE REVERSE)
1 July 1955
1. An 80-millimeter mortar was designed by Eng. Sroubek (fnu) who has been employed
in the gun production section of the V.1. Lenin Works at Pilsen since 1938; he
als(., teaclhes technical mechanics at the College of Mechanical Engineering in
Pilsen. The mortar went into production in 1949.
2. The base plate of the mortar is 800 x_1,200 mj.11_imeters large and 14 milimeters
thick. The base plate was constructed.,with: a~!viewi,to,.:borrr3dti;ng the shortcomings
of other base plates of a similar type, which after some firing used to bend and
split from the shock of recoil. That defect was-removed by subjecting the spot
on the base plate which suffered most from the shock of recoil to similar shock
in the testing rooms, namely by employing hammers driven with the same force as
that of the recoil. This process was carried out on base plates which had not
retkbeezz tempered, so that the plates were dented after a few blows. After a
certain number of blows, the dent did not change its shape any more, then, the
base plate with the dent in it was tempered and was successfully tested mounted
on a mortar. Then it was adapted to other types of mortars as well. The weight
of the base plate with supports is about 80 kilograms.
3. The mortar is equipped with telescoping supports for the barrel. The supports
consist of a cylinder, a piston, and a strong spiral spring; the cylinders are
firmly mounted on the base plate; the pistons are connected to the carrying sleeve
for the barrel. On both ends of the supports are pivots. Both cylinders are
joined with the elevation gear on the sights by heavily plated metal tube. The
tube and the cylinders are filled with oil whose pressure is regulated by the position
of the sights.
4. The barrel is of 80-millimeter caliber and is about 1,500 millimeters long. It is
fixed on in such a way that the pins in the pivot of the carrying sleeve can easily
be adjusted to the traversing bracket and its supporting bracket, which are firmly
mounted on the base plate. he support for the'traversing.bracket is riveted to the
dented spot in the base plate and is about 400 millimeters-high. The brackets are
so constructed that the shock of the recoil is t'ansferred to them at sn,,y elevation
of the barrel; this was achieved by constrlr ting the firing chamber longer than in
the standard type of mortars, which means that the grenade is placed rather higher
S-E-C-R-E-T
N0F0RJ
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NOFORN
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up the barrel than the center, where the bracket is fixed on. Since the
bracket rotates to a certain angle, the recoil force is always projected
on to the end of the bracket which is mounted on the dented part of the
base plate. The barrel weighs about 30 kilograms and is fixed to the
traversing bracket by square pegs. The pegs are set in a sleeve which is
fixed to the barrel under heat. Loading is done through the muzzle.
5. Sights are on the left-hand side. Cross-leveling is done by means of a
woim, wheel in a casing mounted on the superstructure for the barrel. The
rotating mechanism is on the right side of the traversing bracket and its
gearing is directly attached to it. Rotating and elevating is done by a
wheel, and the maximum traverse is 1800. There is a metal indicator on
the worm wheel showing the degree of inclination of the barrel.
6. The mortar may be easily separated into two parts.- the base plate and the
barrel. The mortar is especially suitable for use in mountainous terrain,
where it is difficult to transport other heavy weapons.
S-E-C-R E-T
NOFORN
25X1
Approved For Release 2009/08/17: CIA-RDP83-00418R000500130002-6 I