Army & Navy – Stovepipe Artillery

Germans captured in Sicily and Italy wanted to see the U.S. weapon which had lobbed such powerful shells so fast. They called it the “automatic howitzer.” Last week the Army reported some new feats of the not-so-new piece which has proved so versatile in battle.

The “automatic howitzer” is a 4.2-in. mortar which can slam out an 8-lb. shell every three seconds. Developed before the war by the Chemical Warfare Service to throw gas shells, it can also handle high explosive shells for use against tanks, pillboxes and troop concentrations. Unlike other mortars, which are smoothbores, the 4.2 is rifled, has a range of two miles. Yet the shells slide straight in, without engaging the rifling. The sliding shell hits a pin in the mortar which sets it off. A disk at the base of the shell expands under pressure of the gases, engaging the rifling, thus imparting rotation to the shell.

In Italy a unit of 4.2s knocked out a battery of German 88s which weigh several tons. The 4.2 mortar weighs about 300 lb. Broken down into base plate, spade, barrel and standard, it can be manhandled into position by its own crew.

In Sicily two CWS mortar platoons maintained a smoke screen for 14 hours. Another unit switched to high explosive when attacked by Italian tanks, disabled three before the others retreated. Last month, the 4.2 showed its usefulness at the crossing of the Volturno. Firing smoke shells, one unit screened infantrymen as they slid down the bank, waded and swam to the German side of the river. Another outfit smoked up the area where Engineers were building a bridge under fire, kept them well screened until the job was done.