qsy-complains-a-lot:Brandt Mle1915 Type A and Mle1916 Type B pneumatic trench mortarsDesigned by Als
qsy-complains-a-lot:Brandt Mle1915 Type A and Mle1916 Type B pneumatic trench mortarsDesigned by Alsatian engineer Edgar William Brandt c.1915, around 3000 units manufactured during WW1.60mm smoothbore steel barrel - shorter on the Type B, brass breech, tripod mount on the Type A, solid cast aluminum base plate on the Type B. Fires 600~g fin-stabilized shells loaded probably with cheddite explosive, using compressed air from either a reservoir tank or four hand pumps, with an accuracy of 90+% aiming at a 1m wide trench between 25 and 150m away.The fanciest trench mortars of WW1, used mostly by France and Austria-Hungary, pneumatic mortars were usually lighter, less noisy and more discrete than their conventional counterpart. These factors balanced out their relatively small payload and made them ideal guns to have in frontline trenches.60mm Brandt Type A shellFrench troops with Brandt Mle1916 Type B guns c.1917, note the shorter barrels and cast base plates.The Brandt pneumatic guns could also be loaded with timed flares fitted with parachutes for prolonged illumination at night. -- source link