Artillery

120-PM-38

Also known as
  • PM-38
  • M1938 mortar
  • M-1938 heavy mortar
  • 120 mm mortar model 1938
  • 120 mm battalion mortar model 1938

The 120-PM-38, also known as the M1938, is a Soviet 120 mm smoothbore heavy mortar designed under B. I. Shavyrin and built for infantry fire support. Its large bomb, two-wheel transport arrangement, and roughly 5.7 km range made it a durable regimental mortar design; OSCE monitoring documented PM-38 mortars in Donbas heavy-weapons holding and storage records during the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War, while Oryx listed M-1938 heavy mortars in Yemen's pre-war army inventory.

120-PM-38, 120 mm towed heavy mortar, Artillery
Image source: File:120 mm PM38 02.JPG

Role in Conflicts

2014 Russia-Ukraine War
Fire Support

OSCE monitoring during the Donbas phase documented PM-38 120 mm mortars at a DPR-controlled heavy-weapons holding area in 2015 and later listed PM-38 or PM-120/PM-38 mortars missing from government-controlled holding or storage sites; Army Recognition, citing The Military Balance 2021, separately listed 30 M-1938 (PM-38) mortars in Ukrainian army holdings before the 2022 full-scale invasion.

Role details
Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
Soviet Union
Type
120 mm towed heavy mortar
Service note
Introduced in 1938; retained in limited inventories during recent conflicts
Designer
Design bureau led by B. I. Shavyrin
Designed
1937-1938
Unit cost
Not publicly available
Produced
From 1939
Number built
About 3,800 in Red Army service by 22 June 1941
Developed into
120-PM-43

Specifications

Caliber
120 mm
Crew
6
Maximum range
5,700 m
Weight
557 kg listed by National Defence University of Ukraine
Rate of fire
6 to 15 rounds per minute
Ammunition load
80 rounds listed for the system
Variants

Open references treat the PM-38 as the 1938 base design for a wartime Soviet 120 mm mortar family, with the PM-43 as the linked successor and several foreign or local designations attached to later copies.

VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
120 mm battalion mortar model 1941Wartime Soviet revision

National Defence University of Ukraine lists a 1941 120 mm battalion mortar model among the immediate successor designs after the PM-38 entered Soviet service.

Sources: 120-mm PM-38 mortar

PM-43, 120 mm towed heavy mortar, ArtilleryPM-431943 successor mortar

WeaponSystems.net describes the PM-43 as an improved 1943 development of the PM-38, and the linked catalog record carries the separate PM-43 service context.

Sources: 120mm PM-43

12 cm Granatwerfer 42German wartime copy

WeaponSystems.net notes that Germany copied captured PM-38 mortars as the 12 cm Granatwerfer 42 during the Second World War.

Sources: 120mm PM-43

Type 53 / Type 55 / UK2Postwar local-copy designations

MilitaryFactory's PM-43 profile lists Type 53, Type 55, and UK2 among local-copy designations in the PM-38-derived 120 mm mortar family.

Sources: M1943 120mm (120-PM 43) Heavy Field Mortar

Ammunition Fired

VMZ lists 120 mm mortar rounds for PM-38 compatibility, including HE-fragmentation and thermobaric types.

AmmunitionAmmunition typeFiring evidence
Mortar bombs, 120mm, Heavy mortar ammunition, MunitionsMortar bombs, 120mm120 mm mortar ammunition

VMZ states its 120 mm HE-FRAG mortar bomb is intended to function when fired from PM-38 mortars, and ODIN describes the PM-38 as firing 120 mm ammunition including HE-fragmentation and smoke natures.

Sources: 120 mm ROUND WITH HE-FRAG MORTAR BOMB, PM-38 (M1938) Russian 120mm Towed Mortar

120 mm round with thermobaric bomb, 120 mm thermobaric mortar round, Munitions120 mm round with thermobaric bomb120 mm thermobaric mortar round

VMZ's product sheet lists PM-38 among the mortars that can fire this 120 mm thermobaric round.

Sources: VMZ 120 mm Thermobaric Mortar Round

Design And Family Notes

Open references describe the PM-38 as the 1938 base weapon in a compact Soviet regimental-mortar family, with later wartime and foreign-copy designations branching from the same 120 mm smoothbore pattern.

TopicSource-backed detailReader note
Design originDesigned in 1937-1938 under a bureau led by B. I. Shavyrin.National Defence University of Ukraine is the main source for design and manufacturer attribution.
Production scaleSeries delivery began in 1939, with about 500 made that year and about 3,800 in Red Army service by 22 June 1941.These figures are useful for scale but are not modern conflict-use evidence.
Family relationshipThe PM-43 is treated by open references as a 1943 development of the PM-38 family.The PM-43 has separate service history, conflict evidence, and image sourcing.
Ammunition relationshipVMZ and ODIN sources connect PM-38 mortars with 120 mm mortar ammunition, including HE-fragmentation and smoke natures; VMZ separately lists a compatible thermobaric round.Conflict rows should still be read as launcher evidence, not proof that every listed round was used in those conflicts.

Source labels used here: 120-mm PM-38 mortar; 120mm PM-43; PM-38 (M1938) Russian 120mm Towed Mortar; 120 mm ROUND WITH HE-FRAG MORTAR BOMB; VMZ 120 mm Thermobaric Mortar Round.

Timeline

120-PM-38 Key Events

  1. PM-38 design work begins

    National Defence University of Ukraine attributes the mortar to a design bureau led by B. I. Shavyrin and dates the design period to 1937-1938.

    Sources: 120-mm PM-38 mortar

  2. Entered Soviet service

    National Defence University of Ukraine says the 120 mm PM-38 entered service in 1938.

    Sources: 120-mm PM-38 mortar

  3. Series deliveries begin

    National Defence University of Ukraine gives 1939 as the start of series delivery and says about 500 were made that year.

    Sources: 120-mm PM-38 mortar

  4. Large wartime inventory on hand

    National Defence University of Ukraine lists about 3,800 PM-38 mortars in Red Army service at the start of the German-Soviet war.

    Sources: 120-mm PM-38 mortar

  5. OSCE lists PM-38 mortars in Donetsk region

    The OSCE Special Monitoring Mission reported PM-120/PM-38 120 mm mortars missing from a Ukrainian government-controlled heavy-weapons holding area in Donetsk region.

    Sources: Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine, 19 March 2019

Media

120-PM-38 Images

120-PM-38, 120 mm towed heavy mortar, Artillery - view 1
Source: File:120 mm PM38 02.JPG
120-PM-38, 120 mm towed heavy mortar, Artillery - view 2
Source: File:120 mm PM38 02.JPG
Related Weapon Systems
120 mm M1982 mortar, 120 mm towed heavy mortar, ArtilleryArtillery120 mm M1982 mortar120 mm towed heavy mortarThe 120 mm M1982 mortar is a Romanian smoothbore heavy mortar built as a late Cold War replacement for older Reșița and Soviet PM-43-pattern 120 mm mortars. It combines a conventional tube, bipod, triangular baseplate, and two-wheel transport carriage with Romanian service adaptations for truck towing, short-distance crew movement, and mountain-troop pack transport. Direct conflict evidence is narrow but usable: Romanian troops are documented firing the M1982 in Afghanistan in 2008.
160mm PM-43, 160 mm towed heavy mortar, ArtilleryArtillery160mm PM-43160 mm towed heavy mortarThe 160mm PM-43, also known as the 160-PM-43 or MT-13, is a Soviet breech-loading heavy mortar developed from the idea of scaling up the 120 mm mortar family. Its hinged barrel let crews load a roughly 40 kg bomb from the rear, giving Soviet forces a short-range but very heavy indirect-fire weapon in the final stages of the Second World War before the longer-ranged M-160 replaced it in postwar Soviet service; open references also place Egyptian 160-PM-43 use in the 1967 and 1973 wars with Israel.
82 mm M69 mortar, 82 mm smoothbore infantry mortar, ArtilleryArtillery82 mm M69 mortar82 mm smoothbore infantry mortarThe 82 mm M69 is a Yugoslav-designed smoothbore infantry mortar family that remains in Serbian and former Yugoslav production and service channels, with the M69A variant using a four-person crew, NSB-3 sight, and high-angle fire out to roughly 4.9-6.25 km depending on ammunition. Direct open-source documentation links the family to Afghan government losses in 2021, Syrian opposition use near Aleppo, Armenian and Artsakh losses in Nagorno-Karabakh, and Ukrainian wartime receipt of BNT-marked M69A mortars.
120 mm M75 mortar, 120 mm towed smoothbore mortar, ArtilleryArtillery120 mm M75 mortar120 mm towed smoothbore mortarThe 120 mm M75 mortar is a Yugoslav-designed towed smoothbore mortar associated with the M74/M75 light-mortar family and post-Yugoslav export literature. Yugoimport describes it as infantry close-support artillery for high-angle fire, smoke, illumination, and difficult terrain, while Serbian sources and later defense reporting show the legacy weapon being paired with modern fire-control equipment. Direct records place M75 mortars in JNA fire support around Dubrovnik in 1991 and in Armenian/Artsakh losses during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war.

Sources

120 mm ROUND WITH HE-FRAG MORTAR BOMBPublisher: VMZ | Note: Supports the published compatibility line stating that the 120 mm HE-FRAG mortar bomb functions when fired from PM-38 mortars. | Accessed: 2026-06-30PM-38 (M1938) Russian 120mm Towed MortarPublisher: ODIN | Note: Supports the PM-38 designation and its 120 mm ammunition relationship for the pairing note. | Accessed: 2026-06-30120-mm PM-38 mortarPublisher: National Defence University of Ukraine | Note: Supports PM-38 background, designer/manufacturer attribution, service date, production context, and listed specifications. | Accessed: 2026-06-30VMZ 120 mm Thermobaric Mortar RoundPublisher: VMZ | Note: Supports the thermobaric 120 mm round designation, technical data, and the published compatibility line that includes PM-38. | Accessed: 2026-06-30Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine, 19 March 2019Publisher: Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe | Note: Directly documents PM-120/PM-38 120 mm mortars missing from a government-controlled heavy-weapons holding area in Donetsk region during the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War. | Accessed: 2026-06-30OSCE SMM Daily Report 6 December 2015Publisher: Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe | Note: Directly documents PM-38 120 mm mortars at a DPR-controlled heavy-weapons holding area during the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Analysis: Discover list new artillery weapons of Ukrainian army after delivery of foreign equipmentPublisher: Army Recognition | Note: Directly supports 2014 Russia-Ukraine War operator context by reporting that the Ukrainian army fielded or retained 30 M-1938 (PM-38) 120 mm mortars before the 2022 full-scale invasion. | Accessed: 2026-06-30120mm PM-43Publisher: WeaponSystems.net | Note: Supports PM-38 family context by describing the PM-43 as an improved wartime development of the PM-38 and noting the German 12 cm Granatwerfer 42 copy. | Accessed: 2026-06-30M1943 120mm (120-PM 43) Heavy Field MortarPublisher: Military Factory | Note: Supports PM-38-derived family context by listing Type 53, Type 55, UK2, and other local-copy designations for the PM-43 family. | Accessed: 2026-06-30Handbook Of Pre-War Yemeni Fighting VehiclesPublisher: Oryx | Note: Supports 2014 Yemen Civil War context: fielded by the pre-war Yemeni Army as 120mm M-1938 heavy mortars and described as equipment available to Yemeni parties on the battlefield after the Houthi takeover. | Accessed: 2026-06-30UN Panel of Experts Yemen 2016Publisher: United Nations Panel of Experts on Yemen via Iran Watch | Note: Supports 2014 Yemen Civil War access context by reporting diversion of weapons and military support from regular Yemeni Army units to Houthi-Saleh forces. | Accessed: 2026-07-04HRW Houthi Artillery in AdenPublisher: Human Rights Watch | Note: Supports 2014 Yemen Civil War use context by documenting pro-Houthi mortar attacks in Aden and impact-site/remnant evidence consistent with 120 mm mortar fire from Houthi-held positions. | Accessed: 2026-07-04HRW Artillery Attacks in TaizzPublisher: Human Rights Watch | Note: Supports 2014 Yemen Civil War use context by documenting Houthi-Saleh artillery and mortar fire in Taizz and identifying a May 2017 attack as involving a 120 mm mortar projectile. | Accessed: 2026-07-04File:120 mm PM38 02.JPGPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance for a PM38 mortar photographed at the Army History Museum and Park in Kecel, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0 by Cooper6. | Accessed: 2026-06-30Category:120 mm mortar M1938Publisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for additional M1938/120-PM-38 gallery views from Commons file pages and identifies the system as a Soviet-origin towed 120 mm mortar family. | Accessed: 2026-06-30