82mm M69A Yugoslavian Mortar

82mm MINOBACAČ 

Above:  This is a Yugoslavian 82mm M69A Mortar.  The NSB-3 sight is fitted to the mortar in this photograph and the ammunition box is to the left.  The Yugoslavian M1977 Packsaddle is in the background.  This packsaddle came to me without the steel mounts for the mortar or for any other equipment, so I have made replacements based on the drawings in the manual. 

Above:  This is the M1977 Packsaddle with the 82mm M69A Mortar broken down into its basic components, barrel, base plate, and bi-pod.  These mortar parts are set into the newly made steel mounts on the packsaddle. This view is looking from the front of the packsaddle

Above:  This is the M1977 Packsaddle with the 82mm M69A Mortar broken down into its basic components, barrel, base plate, and bi-pod.  These mortar parts are set into the newly made steel mounts on the packsaddle. This view is from the rear of the packsaddle

Above:  This is the M1977 Packsaddle with the 82mm M69A Mortar broken down into its basic components, barrel, base plate, and bi-pod.  These mortar parts are set into the newly made steel mounts on the packsaddle. This view is from the rear of the packsaddle

Above:  This is the M1977 Packsaddle with the 82mm M69A Mortar broken down into its basic components, barrel, base plate, and bi-pod.  These mortar parts are set into the newly made steel mounts on the packsaddle. This view is from the rear of the packsaddle

Above:  This is the M1977 Packsaddle with the 82mm M69A Mortar broken down into its basic components, barrel, base plate, and bi-pod.  These mortar parts are set into the newly made steel mounts on the packsaddle. This view is from the front of the packsaddle

Above:  This is the M1977 Packsaddle with the 82mm M69A Mortar broken down into its basic components, barrel, base plate, and bi-pod.  These mortar parts are set into the newly made steel mounts on the packsaddle. This view is from the front of the packsaddle

Above:  This is the M1977 Packsaddle with the 82mm M69A Mortar broken down into its basic components, barrel, base plate, and bi-pod.  These mortar parts are set into the newly made steel mounts on the packsaddle. This view is from the front of the packsaddle

Above:  This is the M1977 Packsaddle with the 82mm M69A Mortar broken down into its basic components, barrel, base plate, and bi-pod.  These mortar parts are set into the newly made steel mounts on the packsaddle. This view is from the right side of the packsaddle

Above:  This is the M1977 Packsaddle with the newly made steel mounts for the 82mm M69A Mortar. Right side of the packsaddle

Above:  This is the M1977 Packsaddle with the newly made steel mounts for the 82mm M69A Mortar

Above:  This is the M1977 Packsaddle with the newly made steel mounts for the 82mm M69A Mortar

Above:  This is the M1977 Packsaddle with the newly made steel mounts for the 82mm M69A Mortar. From the front of the packsaddle

Above: The M1977 Packsaddle and the M1948 Packsaddle from the Yugoslavian horse drawn equipment and saddles manual dated 1985

Above:  The M1977 Packsaddle and the M1948 Packsaddle steel mounts for the 82mm M69A Mortar from the Yugoslavian horse drawn equipment and saddles manual dated 1985.  With the correct mounts, this saddle can also accommodate the 8mm M53 (MG42), the 60mm M57 Mortar, the 50 cal. M2 Browning, the 82mm M79 Recoilless Rifle and many more weapons

Above:  The M1977 Packsaddle and the M1948 Packsaddle steel mounts for the 82mm M69A Mortar from the Yugoslavian horse drawn equipment and saddles manual dated 1985.  From the left and right   

 

Caliber:

82mm

Weight:

63 kg

Elevation:

+45 to +85 degrees

Rate of Fire:

20 to 25 rds/min

Muzzle velocity:

124-200 m/s

Max. Range:

6.7 KM

 

Most of what I know about the 82mm Mortar is from being one of its potential targets. Locally, in Iraq, the mortars are known as the "Al Jaleel" .  My 118 Field Artillery Q-36 Radar Team frequently received rounds from these pieces in"lovely" Mahmudiya, Iraq. All of my five man crew earned the Combat Action Badge due to danger close rounds from an “82”.  In turn, we also acquired rounds that lead to counter-fire which killed two enemy “82 Teams”. Incidentally, this counter-fire was from elements of “A” Battery, 118th FA.
The 82mms were certainly something to worry about and my second task force (1-502 IN) took casualties due to them. That said, the enemy 120mm Mortar was surly the one to dread.  In the area South-West of Baghdad, it seemed the 120mm crews were the better gunners and a 120mm round will penetrate “Texas Barriers” and concrete roof tops. Fortunately, we managed to counter-fire and destroy one of these teams too.

On returning to the US in November 2006, the first thing I did was start looking for an 82mm Mortar.  For some reason as a Counter-Battery Radar Team Leader, I just wanted this Albatross around my neck a little longer.   As always, my Father, Leon Lovett has been very helpful regarding this new interest and recently, we purchased two of them.  Like almost everything else, these were available on the US market, unfortunately however, in de-militarized form. Later, I got ATF approval for a live 82mm M69A

 

Below: Some of the field gear to support operations with the M69A

Aiming Circle, Pack for the barrel and packs for the 82mm Rounds

Almost everything imaginable to accompany the 82mm M69A Mortar:  The backpack rig for the tube, the sights, aiming circles, range stakes and even many complete uniforms for Yugoslavian/Serbian/Bosnian/Croatian and Iraqi Forces Mortar Crewmen

82mm Tube Pack, Ammo Packs, Aiming Circle, NSB-4 Sight, Quadrant and Aiming Stakes

(top) Aiming Circle with Tripod (upper center) 82mm Tube with Pack Frame (right) 82mm Ammo Pack (center) 82mm Canvas Ammo Pack with Padded Collar (Upper Left) Quadrant and NSB-4 Sight (Left) 82mm Ammo Pack with Clamps (bottom) Aiming Stakes

Below: Traing poster for the 82mm M69A

Below: Four men with the Yugoslavian 82mm Mortar fitted onto packs.

82mm in pack loads 82mm in pack loads

Yugoslavian pack for the the 82mm tube (left)

pack and frame for the 82mm tube pack for use with the 82mm

Below Photo and Drawing : The Yugoslavian M57 Plotting Board is very similar to the US 1950s Era M10 Plotting Board with the exception of the use of both the 0-6400 mil scale and the Soviet type 0-6000 scale on the Yugoslavian example.  For a detailed explanation of the US M10 Plotting Board see this link    

 

plotting board for the 82mm

Below:  The back of the M57 Plotting Board             

Below: Photos of the two types of aiming circle used with the 82mm M69A.  Both use the 0-6000 mil scale and both made by Zrak 

 Below: Details of the two aiming circle types used with the M69A

 

 

Above and below:  The more modern Zrak BL-M83   

 

 

 

 

 

 

Above:  The 0-6000 scale can be seen in this photo.  Notice the numbers increase by 20 each time, so from 580, 0 equals 600 or expresed as 6000   

Details of the NSB-3 Sight from both Yugoslavia and Iraq

Below:  The Iraqi version of the NSB-3 sight produced by Saddam Hussain Optics,  Below Right:  a Chinese export version of the Q1A Quadrant used with the Yugoslavian M69A and the M57 mortar types

Below:  The Iraqi version of the NSB-3 sight produced by Saddam Hussain Optics with the 0-6000 scale

Details of the Chinese export Q1A Quadrant for the 82mm M69A

Below: 0-90 degree setting for the Q1A Quadrant

Below:The live 82mm M69A in the collection

Click onto the photo above and the live fire text below to see the 82mm M69A put rounds down range

82mm M69A Live Fire 3

82mm M69A Fire Fire 4

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All images, research, and text are sole property of Ralph Lovett.