OPENING ROUND
In the late 1920s, the U.S. Army began to explore the idea of using mortars in its light infantry units. It turned to Edgar Brandt, whose Paris-based ironwork and armaments company, Établissements Brandt, was already finding success with its Modèle 27/31 mortar, an 81mm weapon developed from the Stokes trench mortar that British and American forces used in World War I. While the U.S. Army’s Ordnance Department would later license the Brandt design for its M1 mortar, it also wanted a smaller, more portable weapon for its frontline infantry regiments and airborne troops. The Brandt company came up with a 47mm prototype, but after concluding that it wasn’t powerful enough, the army ordered eight 60mm models, subjected them to extensive testing, and ultimately purchased a license from the Brandt company…