The Mortar Platoon

Canada. Dept. of National Defense collection Library and Archives Canada

Michael M. Dean, Photographer
Black Watch ‘B’ Company Mortar crew firing at target
L. to R. Privates Al Keep, Bill Dart and Len Rundvall.
Groesbeek Netherlands. Feb 3 1945

Each infantry battalion in the Canadian Army in World War Two had its own artillery to draw on; by 1944 six 3-inch mortars made up the Number Three Platoon of the battalion. The mortar had certain advantages over conventional artillery; it was small and easily transported (usually by Carrier but it could be man packed in an emergency), it did not give off a visible muzzle flash when it fired, and as it belonged directly to the battalion it was always on call.
Communications gear might include a Telephone Set D Mk. V and/or a No. 18 wireless set, as well as two No. 38 wireless sets (small, man-portable radios).

The weapon was fired indirectly, and as such, was only good against infantry or other "soft" targets. It was also an effective weapon for laying smoke or firing illumination rounds at night. Mortar bombs exploding in woods could also be a nightmare for enemy infantry, as the trees themselves would be converted into deadly fragments which would rain straight down into enemy entrenchments.
The mortar was a rather "stealthy" weapon in that it could be dug in underground, making it invisible to enemy troops. Also, the mortar bomb made no noise while in flight, giving no warning to enemy troops, as was sometimes the case with artillery shells.

The standard 3-inch mortar bomb (measuring 76mm by the metric scale) would not penetrate heavy enemy fortifications, nor was the mortar platoon a real substitute for having gun and howitzer support both on the attack and the defense. The Canadian infantry battalion also equipped each rifle platoon with a 2-in (51 mm) mortar which was effective against infantry and for laying smoke. Each infantry division also had 4.2 inch mortars included in the arsenal of the divisional machine gun battalion.

The following pictures of Leonard’s Company B were taken by Lieut. Michael M. Dean,late winter 1945 in Holland.

Personnel of "B" Company, The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada, in their dugout, Germany, 3 February 1945.

Infantrymen of the Black Watch digging trenches, Holten, Netherlands 7 April 1945.
















Personnel of The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada in slit trenches.

Privates Oscar Meadows and Lloyd Holmes of "B" Company, The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada, outside their dugout, Groesbeek, Netherlands, 3 February 1945.

Infantrymen of "B" Company, The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada, firing a three-inch mortar, Groesbeek, Netherlands, 3 February 1945