The entire firing action consisted of inserting the 10-round charge magazine into the provided well at the top-rear of the launch tube. The operator then manually-armed the projectile, opened the breech via a knobbed lever moved forwards and inserting the projectile into the open trough. When the lever was brought down, the charge was activated which forced the projectile from the barrel. The operator need only to arm and insert a fresh projectile into the breech and managed the trigger handle for successive shots until the charge and ammunition supply were all spent.
As a complete system, the Model 35 offered Italian Army mortar teams a strong repeat-fire presence on the battlefield. A trained and experienced crew could fire between 8 and 10 rounds per minute with teams reportedly having reached up to 18 or 20 in the heat-of-battle. This sort of suppressive fire proved critical to the infantry advance and the Italian design did not disappoint in that respect. Elevation spanned from +10 to +90 meaning that the launch tube could be lowered and utilized as an ad hoc field gun when pressed. However, its low-velocity shell certainly limited its use against true armored vehicles of any type. Traversal was limited to +20 to either side. Due to the "single-charge" approach in the Model 35's design, ranging was handled through a "open-close" vent feature to which ports were managed - closed ports allowed the full 580 yards to be reached while open ports allowed for targeting of areas within 350 yards, the latter effectively serving to reduce the base charge propellant.
As a complete system, the Model 35 weighed in at 34lbs which made it man-portable on the battlefield between two personnel though assisted by a pack animal when possible. The standard operating crew was, in fact, two and this arrangement allowed one soldier to handle elevation and traverse controls as well as firing while the other handled the ammunition stores and reloading. Ammunition was only limited by the supply on hand though usually consisting of a box of ten.
Despite the limitations in the Model 35 design, the weapon persisted in Italian ranks for the duration of the war fighting wherever the Italian Army found itself against an enemy. Italian war industry was not arranged in such a way as to fully design, develop and manufacture a better solution in the time allowed so the Model 35 soldiered on - this is not to say that the weapon did not provide some battlefield value for it did. German shortages in North Africa also led to use of the Model 35 for the interim under the designation of "4.5cm Granatwerfer 176(i)" - the "i" signifying their Italian origin. There were even operating manuals printing in German due to the large-scale use of the weapon in German hands. It was also not uncommon for Italian partisan units to commandeer ex-Army Model 35s for use against Axis-aligned forces, particularly after the Italian defeat in September of 1943. Model 35 mortars served alongside the Model 35 81mm version, the Italian copy of the hugely successful British "Stokes" / French "Brandt" designs.
Model 35 mortars were fielded in Italian Army service up until 1950.
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