Developed in the late 1930s, the M2 60mm Mortar was the U.S. Army's go-to company level indirect fire weapon through World War II, Korea and Vietnam. In the latter two wars, the opposing forces are known to have been supplied with a direct copy of the M2 manufactured by the People's Republic of China, putting this weapon on both sides of the fight. The design is a traditional "Stokes" style, with a fixed firing pin at the base of the tube and a combination of tube angle and adjustment of round charges setting the range, allowing for great flexibility in angle of fire and a high rate of repeat fire on target with a trained crew. A pair of hand-cranked mechanisms in the bipod permit windage and elevation adjustment, with an M4 sight with angle indicators and dual spirit levels mounted to the left side and a 1945 dated data plate on the right. The mortar tube is green painted, with a leather and canvas carry strap/muzzle cover, and set into a green painted spiked baseplate. Included with the lot is a wooden ammunition crate marked for illumination rounds (crate is empty).