Description
TM 9-3064 Change 2 - 81mm M29 and M29E1 Mortar Cannons, M23 and M23A1 Mounts with Baseplate - August 1963
Item Overview
This August 1963 Change 2 supplement updates TM 9-3064 for the 81mm M29 and M29E1 mortar cannons and M23 and M23A1 mortar mounts with baseplate. It is intended for use with the original manual issued on August 15, 1957. This publication adds a dated reference to a collection of U.S. Army mortar manuals, infantry equipment records, or Cold War technical literature.
Identification and Features
The publication number, change number, and original issue date help match this supplement to the correct base manual.
- Publication: TM 9-3064, Change 2
- Change date: August 1963
- Original manual date: August 15, 1957
- Cannons covered: 81mm M29 and M29E1
- Mounts covered: M23 and M23A1 with baseplate
- Manual category: Operation and organizational maintenance
- Publication type: Change supplement for the base manual
Function and Manual Contents
Change 2 revises material in the Army's operation and organizational maintenance reference for this mortar system. The parent manual covers operating guidance, lubrication, and maintenance assigned to the unit using the equipment. Read alongside the base publication, this supplement helps researchers follow the revised guidance available to mortar crews and unit maintenance personnel.
Publication History
The original TM 9-3064 identified its earlier publication number as TM 9-260. This second change appeared six years after the 1957 base edition, during the continued development and support of the M29 family. Change supplements kept existing technical books useful as instructions were revised. They also preserve a record of how the Army maintained its service literature over time.
Documented End-Item Application
Army equipment data documents the M29E1 cannon with either the M23 or M23A1 mount. The term cannon refers to the mortar's barrel assembly. The complete ground-mounted weapon combines that assembly with its supporting mount, baseplate, and sighting equipment, giving each component a distinct place within the system.
Equipment History
The M29 began replacing the wartime M1 mortar in U.S. service in 1952. Its lighter construction and greater range advanced the Army's portable infantry fire-support equipment. The cannon's grooved exterior reduced weight and helped release heat. The M29E1 remained part of this same weapon family and could use the established M23-series mounting equipment.
M23 and M23A1 Mount Background
The M23-series mounts used a bipod with mechanisms for elevation and side-to-side adjustment, together with a spring shock absorber. The two versions differed in cross-leveling, which keeps the mounting system level from side to side. The M23 used a turnbuckle and clamp arrangement, while the M23A1 used a sliding adjustment on its left leg. These features help distinguish surviving period mounts.
Baseplate Background
The circular baseplate supported the cannon and spread firing loads into the ground. Period Army equipment data describes inner and outer ring assemblies that supported and aligned the barrel. As the mortar's lower anchor, the baseplate was an essential part of the complete ground setup and had its own place in the equipment's maintenance record.
Weapon-System Background
The M29 family used smoothbore, muzzle-loading cannons designed for high-angle fire. Their curved firing path supported infantry against positions behind terrain or cover. Separate cannon, mount, and baseplate assemblies allowed the weapon to be carried in component loads. The system continued the infantry mortar role established by earlier weapons such as the Brandt-derived M1.
History of Use
The M29 family served U.S. and allied forces during the Cold War and Vietnam War. A 1967 field sketch preserved by the Australian War Memorial documents an M29 mortar in a South Vietnamese Army bunker at Trieu Phong in Quang Tri Province. Later improvements extended the family's service, before the M252 began replacing it in U.S. service in 1987. This 1963 supplement records an earlier period in that support history.
Ideal For
This supplement adds context to a mortar reference library and supports research into period equipment, maintenance publications, and infantry weapon development.
- Collectors of M29 and M29E1 mortar manuals
- Researchers identifying M23 and M23A1 mounting equipment
- Museums and military history archives
- Owners of the August 15, 1957 base manual seeking Change 2
- Historians of Cold War and Vietnam-era infantry equipment
Approx length 6", Approx width 9", Approx height .1", Approx weight .15lbs.
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