160mm Mortar obr 1943

Includes four mortars, Command rifle team, Observer rifle team, four large bases, two small bases and base plug sprue.

The 160mm Mortar obr 1943 was the heaviest mortar used by Soviets in World War II. It was able to deliver a hefty payload up to 5000 metres and to fire 10 rounds per minute.

It was originally conceived as simply a larger version of the 120-PM-38 mortar. However, with a 160mm bomb weighing 40kg, lifting it up to the muzzle of a 3-metre long mortar tube was hardly practical! It was redesigned as a breech-loading weapon. A recoil system was added, to prevent the shock of firing a 160mm bomb from driving the baseplate into the ground. Because of the weapon’s weight (more than a metric ton), wheels were added to allow it to be towed behind a vehicle. With all these modifications, it began to resemble a howitzer as much as a traditional mortar. However, it was less costly and resource-intensive to manufacture than similar calibre guns and howitzers.