Ordnance ML 3-inch mortar

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	Weapon: Ordnance ML 3-inch mortar Type: Mortar Country of Origin: United Kingdom Year Adopted: 1939 Caliber: 81mm Action: Trip Overall Length (mm): 1300.0 Overall Length (in): 51.18 Weight (kg): 52.00 Weight (pounds): 114.64 Effective Range (m): 1463 m Effective Range (yards): 1599.96

The Ordnance ML 3-inch mortar was a standard medium mortar used by the British Army during World War II and into the postwar period. Despite its name, the weapon had a caliber of 3.209 inches (81.5 mm), comparable to other contemporary medium mortars. The ML (muzzle-loading) design featured a smoothbore steel tube, a fixed firing pin, and a conventional baseplate and bipod setup. Originally developed in the interwar period, the mortar underwent several upgrades to improve range and performance, eventually reaching a maximum range of approximately 2,800 yards (2,560 meters) with improved ammunition and propellant charges.

The 3-inch mortar was widely issued to British and Commonwealth infantry battalions during World War II, serving in every theater from North Africa and Europe to the Pacific. It provided a powerful indirect fire capability for battalion-level operations, delivering high-explosive, smoke, and illumination rounds. Crewed by a team of three to five soldiers, the mortar was valued for its portability, accuracy, and ease of use. Postwar, it continued in service through the Korean War and into the 1960s, before being gradually replaced by the L16 81mm mortar.

Tens of thousands of ML 3-inch mortars were produced during the war, and the weapon became a mainstay of British and allied forces. Its reputation for reliability and effective fire support made it a core element of British infantry tactics. Although overshadowed in later years by more modern designs, the 3-inch mortar remains a symbol of World War II British firepower and infantry coordination, with surviving examples often seen in museums and military collections around the world.