The AIMING POST LIGHT (M58, GREEN AND
M59, ORANGE) is used for night firing by clamping
the light to the aiming post. You can only see the glow
of the aiming post light from the direction of the mortar
position. The colored lights aid the gunners in
identifying their own aiming posts.
Figure 14-7.--A typical round of mortar ammunition.
60-MM MORTAR AMMUNITION
being transported. There is a carrying bag made of
canvas to hold each of the sections. The aiming posts are
form of "semifixed" complete cartridges (rounds). The
8 feet long and 11/8 inches in diameter. They are painted
with 5-inch red and white horizontal stripes to aid in
signifies that the propelling charge is adjustable, and the
sighting the mortar. The lower section of each aiming
round is loaded into the weapon as a unit. Except for the
post has a pointed end to help place it in the ground.
M69 training round, all 60-mm mortar rounds have three
Most of these aiming posts become unserviceable
main assemblies: the fuze assembly, the body assembly,
because of improper use. These posts are hollow and can
and the fin assembly (fig. 14-7). The M69 training round
be easily bent if dropped. When positioning the posts in
has no fuze assembly.
hard or frozen earth, you should loosen the ground with
The body is the main component of the round and
an entrenching tool before trying to seat them. Do NOT
contains the material (explosive charge, illuminating
attempt to hammer the aiming posts into the ground.
charge, or smoke) that produces the desired effect of the
This may bend the sections or burr the connections,
round. The fuze assembly controls the method of
making the posts unserviceable.
exploding the shell. The fin assembly stabilizes the
The AIMING POST (M14) is used with the mortar
round in flight and causes the round to strike with the
fuze end first. A propelling charge is attached to or near
as an aiming point. Two aiming posts are provided for
the fin assembly of the projectile.
each mortar. When positioning the posts in hard or
frozen earth, you should loosen the ground with an
When fired, the mortar round carries all of its
entrenching tool before trying to seat them. DO NOT
components. Thus the mortar is ready to fire the next
attempt to hammer the aiming posts into the ground.
round. These rounds are shown in figure 14-8. The
This may bend the sections or burr the connections,
principal types of ammunition used in a mortar round
making the posts unserviceable.
are discussed in the topics that follow.
Figure 14-8.--Types of 60-mm mortar ammunition.
14-4