A quick question - I'm looking for a photo[s] of a modern canadian mortar crew in action and more specifically, how the area around the mortar would look. I have found a lot of photos of world war 2 and modern-ish crews in action, but I'm looking more for right now today.

Second question - do the mortar bombs still get transported in tube type containers, one to a container?

Thanks for any help.

Simon.

The 81mm mortars are used by the artillery, in conjunction with the 155mm guns. From what I remember, given that the guns are in FOBs there isn't really a "pit" per se.
I have some pics of a 60mm mortar used by the infantry in Afghanistan and these typically are dug in- if outside a FOB.

The 60mm mortar rounds come in packs of 4 tubes. I can't remember how the 81mm rounds are packed.

There's a youtube vid showing Australian 81's fring in the Ghan:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l86kbzEssgg&feature=related

Given that we use the same Mortar as the Canadians it might give you what you're after.

Another video showing Canadian 81s. The round containers are clearly visible (3 rounds per container):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7oMPB1uhAA

HTH

Frenchy

Simon, I'm no expert on morters, but I did train with them when I was in the Bees.The rounds come individually cased in tubes and are packed two to a box.The boxes are real thin pine wood reinforced with wire. Kinda cheaply constructed but the round containers are well made water resistant tubes. There is a picture in my gallery of me and some friends handling morter ammo.........Al

Frenchy,

That's a great video.

I haven't seen any pictures of the L16A(?) mortar in any pit deeper than a few inches but I wonder if they are in more a defensive position in Afghanistan. We dug a 4 or 5 ft deep mortar pit in basic training but I think it was for the fun of it.

You can go to www.combatcamera.ca and search on 81mm and you find pictures like this:
http://www.combatcamera.forces.gc.ca/netpub/server.np?find&catalog=photos&template=detail_eng.np&field=itemid&op=matches&value=9984&site=combatcamera

Or Mortars in Miniature:
http://www.mortarsinminiature.com/photoShop.htm#Canada

Paul

Thanks for the info guys, very generous of you, really appreciate your time. Cheers.