Brixia Model 35

The Brixia Model 35 was an Italian small-sized, rapid-firing light mortar of World War II. The Brixia Modello 35 provided light supporting fire to the infantry companies. It was issued at battalion level, with each battalion containing nine mortars parceled out to each infantry company. It had a reasonable rate of fire but lacked power due to the small round. It was widely used and saw action on every major Italian front.^[2]

Brixia Model 35 Mortar
Type	Infantry mortar
Place of origin	Kingdom of Italy
Service history
In service	3 October 1935 – c. January 1950
Used by	Kingdom of Italy
Wars	Second Italo-Ethiopian War Spanish Civil War World War II
Production history
Designed	1935
Produced	1935-1943
Specifications
Mass	15.5 kg (34 lb)
Barrel length	26 cm (10 in) L/5.4
Crew	2[1]
Shell	465 g (1 lb)
Caliber	45 mm (1.8 in)
Elevation	+10° to +90°
Traverse	20°[1]
Rate of fire	8-10 rpm[1]
Muzzle velocity	83 m/s (270 ft/s)
Maximum firing range	530 m (580 yd)[1]

Description

Brixia light mortar in action.

The Brixia light mortar is a 45 mm calibre light mortar mounted on a legged base and designed for operation by two crew.^[3] The rear legs are fitted with a pad for the gunner to lay forward behind the mortar or sit upon when the situation allows. A lever allowed for operating the breech and firing the weapon while the loader fed ammunition. Well-trained teams could reach up to 18 rounds per minute, although the operational rate of fire was less intense to avoid damage to the firing tube. The Brixia mortar differed from comparable World War II weapons in that it was trigger-fired with the help of separate ignition cartridges to be fed into a special magazine, making the weapon more similar to modern cannon mortars than conventional parabolic grenade launchers of the time.^{[citation needed]}

At the tactical level, an infantry battalion had two platoons of 9 Brixia mortars assigned.^[4] Each Brixia mortar platoon was divided into three squads with three mortars each, distributed to the companies. ^{[citation needed]} The heavier 81mm mortar was assigned to the heavy weapons company of the regiment.

The Brixia was a complicated weapon but could lay down exact and intense fire curtains. This was offset by the shells, which fragmented poorly and, due to the limited calibre, had a very light and low-yield warhead.^[1] The weapon served on every front where Italian troops were involved (North Africa, Balkans, East Africa, Southern Russia, France) and was employed to defend the homeland against invading allied troops. During clashes between RSI formations and Italian partisans on both sides, due to many Italian partisans having a former military background, it was one of the few support weapons that could be found in the hands of the local Resistance. ^{[citation needed]} Mortars used by the German units fighting alongside the Italians were given the designation 4.5 cm GrW 176(i).^[5]

Users

•  Nazi Germany
•  Kingdom of Greece: captured from the Italians^[6]
•  Kingdom of Italy
•  Italian Social Republic
• Yugoslav Partisans^[7]

See also

• Tromboncino M28 grenade launcher, a combined carbine and rifle grenade launcher, used unsuccessfully prior to the Model 35
• List of infantry mortars

References

1. Chamberlain, Peter (1975). Mortars and rockets. Gander, Terry. New York: Arco Pub. Co. p. 11. ISBN 0668038179. OCLC 2067459.
2. "MORTAIO d'ASSALTO MODELLO 35 - Quartermaster Section".
3. Norris, John (11 December 2002). Infantry Mortars of World War II. New Vanguard 54. Osprey Publishing. pp. 34–35. ISBN 9781841764146.
4. Athanassiou 2017, p. 34.
5. Bishop, Chris, ed. (2002). "45/5 modello 35 'Brixia'". The Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II. Sterling Publishing Company. p. 196. ISBN 978-1-58663-762-0.
6. Athanassiou 2017, p. 19.
7. Vukšić, Velimir (July 2003). Tito's partisans 1941–45. Warrior 73. Osprey Publishing. p. 25. ISBN 978-1-84176-675-1.

• Athanassiou, Phoebus (2017). Armies of the Greek-Italian War 1940-41. Vol. Men-at-Arms 514. Bloomsbury. ISBN 978-1-4728-1917-8.

External links

• U.S. Intelligence Report on Italian 45 mm Mortar