WW1 Stokes Mortar Round

[Gildwiller1918]

Here is a WW1 era Stokes Mortar Round, type used by US forces. This is Mk 1 HE shell with the Mk 4 fuse. The Stokes Mortar was an well designed weapon that was easy to use and produce. The British used it in 1915, designated the 3-inch Stokes Trench Mortar, Mark I. It was transportable and could keep up with advancing troops, however the military mindset was to hold ground and captured ground, so the Stokes was not produced in great quantities in favor of larger caliber devices. When the US entered the war in 1917, they did not want to get bogged down in static warfare but wanted open ground warfare, so they adopted the British Stokes mortar and called it the 3-inch trench mortar, Mark I. The US purchased 914 of the British made mortars and made 843 in the US that were used in France before the war ended. 

This shell, the Mk 1 was roughly 12 pounds and was filled with high explosives such as Trojan notrostarch or TNT. The Mk 4 fuse was an impact fuse that was made to go off regardless of the angle it hit. Typically the shells were painted grey or tan with a 3 inch red or yellow band around the middle of the shell. The US forces loved the Stokes Mortars and formed Howitzer companies that supported infantry units, these companies had 3 stokes mortars and 3 M1916 37mm guns. The mortar could fire of 30 rounds per minute and had a sustained rate of fire of six to ten rounds per minute. 

 

[Gildwiller1918]

Here is an illustration showing the Mortar in position with a shell in the tube along with all the nomenclature. 

(photo source, internet)

[Gildwiller1918]

Image of the Kings Own Yorkshire light infantry assembling stokes rounds for future use. Nice view of the crates and packing, very rare to find today.