The Polish Wz 31 mortar was based on the system designed by Frenchman Edgar Brandt. His mortar was a refinement of the British Stokes mortar of The Great War.
Intended to be used by a crew of three, it was thought to be ideal for use in the various terrains of the vast nation of Poland. The French worked closely with the Poles in military matters, though unlike the Czech Republic, the influence was very much a two-way street with the Poles bringing as much to the French as did the French to the Poles. From these initial design co-operations grew the treaty that would see the French and British ultimately declaring war on Germany following its invasion of Poland in 1939.
Intended to be used by a crew of three, it was thought to be ideal for use in the various terrains of the vast nation of Poland. The French worked closely with the Poles in military matters, though unlike the Czech Republic, the influence was very much a two-way street with the Poles bringing as much to the French as did the French to the Poles. From these initial design co-operations grew the treaty that would see the French and British ultimately declaring war on Germany following its invasion of Poland in 1939.
The French had employed a system of 'France first' when it came to military commissioning for new weapons which had led to them rejecting even commercially-produced items in favour of those with government control, even if the item concerned was by a French company and offering an advantage over and above the government's own designs. This practice was shown to be unwise during World War One, resulting in the French Army adopting the Brandt mortar. Ironically, due to it being produced by a commercial company, virtually every nation entered the conflict from 1939 using a version of the French mortar. Brandt's company was nationalised in 1936, although by this time the mortar was already being used widely around the globe.
The round for the Wz 31 mortar adheres closely to that of the French original design in external appearance, although an indigenously-produced fuse was fitted. Due to Poland being rapidly over-run, and the Germans and Soviets reusing or financially gaining from the spoils of war, Polish-produced small arms and their respective accessories and munitions are extremely rare. The museum was delighted to obtain a complete example of the round for the mortar.
The round for the Wz 31 mortar adheres closely to that of the French original design in external appearance, although an indigenously-produced fuse was fitted. Due to Poland being rapidly over-run, and the Germans and Soviets reusing or financially gaining from the spoils of war, Polish-produced small arms and their respective accessories and munitions are extremely rare. The museum was delighted to obtain a complete example of the round for the mortar.
The Finnish army was also equipped with a limited number of Polish 81 mm Wz 31 mortars.