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How to Identify WW2 Cast Iron Tube-Style Mortar Rounds

Mortar rounds, sometimes called hip-artillery because the bombs could be carried in a belt pouch, were commonly used during World War II by all sides. Weighing no more than 5 pounds, mortars varied in size and makeup, but they were always measured in millimeters, and they were fired from a mortar tube. If you're looking to identify an old, cast iron mortar round then you need to figure out the size and then compare it to the rounds the combatants used.

Things You'll Need

Mortar round
Measuring tape

Instructions

- 1
  Examine the paint scheme and coloring of the mortar round. American mortars were painted olive drab, and they had yellow markings on them. Other countries used other colors, and if you can identify the language and labeling style you'll know which country manufactured the mortar round. For instance, the label M49A2 was an American mortar round.
- 2
  Measure the mortar round. Mortar rounds are divided based on width, and the common widths were the 60 millimeter and the 81 millimeter mortar rounds, each of which had to be fired from a specific mortar tube.
- 3
  Look inside the mortar round and see the load it's carrying. Mortars were configured to carry a standard, explosive charge but they could also carry a phosphorous load for light, or colored powder to mark where training rounds landed. Once you have the markings, the measurement and what type of load the mortar carried you have all of the major identifying factors to get the specific round.

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