Korean War Glossary #4

Weapons during the Korean War
60s - about a 2,500-yard range. The mortars at company level. They were in the Weapons Platoon and were employed as the company commander required. These were the only indirect-fire weapons at company level.

81s - Range of 5,000 yards. The mortars in the Weapons Battalion at battalion level, 81mm. These mortars were sometimes assigned to support separate companies as a "section" of two tubes and sometimes employed as a battery of six tubes supporting the entire battalion front.

4.2s - The heavy mortar of the infantry, with a range of 6,000 yards. They were in the regimental heavy weapons company. There were six tubes.

105s - These guns provided indirect fire (over hills) and had a range of 12,000 yards. They were the basic Army howitzer assigned to support every infantry regiment, with six guns to a battery. There were three firing batteries to an artillery battalion and each battery supported an infantry regiment. There were three infantry battalions to a regiment.

Light .30s - These were the maching guns at company level. They were in the weapons platoon and assigned to rifle platoons as the situation dictated. They were normally employed in pairs at either end of a perimeter. A light .30s squad always carried two barrels so that the barrels could be exchanged as they got hot from firing.

Heavy .30 - The water-cooled 30-caliber machine gun in the Weaponns Company. They could fire for extended periods with the water being circulated through the "jacket" surrounding the barrel. The heavy .30s were farmed out to the rifle companies as the situation dictated. Their range was up to 1,000 yards.

BAR - Browning automatic rifle. A rapid-firing rifle supported on a bipod. Each infantry squad had a BAR team of two men, the rifleman and the ammo bearer. This weapon was used as a base of fire on offense and as the most long-range weapon on defense, 1,000 yards.

Burp gun - the Russian Tommy gun that was used by most NKPA outfits on offense. It had a round, spring-loaded magazine (like a clock) below the barrel. It was not very accurate, but with several hundred hostiles firing at one time as they spread over a hill, they poured out a lot of rounds.

Elephant gun - A Russian towed fieldpiece. Its tube was rifled and long, providing high velocity and flat trajectory. It had large steel shields on each side, forward of the wheels. It's effective range was about 6,000 yards.

Bibliography
The Battle for Pusan by Addison Terry