Description
TM 9-3064 Technical Manual - 81mm M29 Mortar, M23 and M23A1 Mounts and Baseplates - August 1957
Item Overview
TM 9-3064 is the U.S. Army's operation and organizational maintenance manual for the 81mm M29 mortar, M23 and M23A1 mortar mounts, and matching baseplates. Dated August 1957, this publication documents an important infantry support weapon of the early Cold War. Its coverage brings the mortar and its ground-support equipment together in one technical reference.
Identification and Features
The publication identifies the mortar, mounts, and baseplates separately, making it useful when researching a complete period equipment setup.
- Publication: TM 9-3064
- Publication date: August 1957
- Issuing organization: Headquarters, Department of the Army
- Manual category: Operation and organizational maintenance
- Mortar covered: 81mm M29
- Mortar mounts covered: M23 and M23A1
- Mortar baseplates covered: M23 and M23A1
Function and Manual Contents
Written for mortar crews and unit maintenance personnel, this manual addresses operation, lubrication, and maintenance assigned to the using organization. Its scope covers the weapon and the supporting equipment needed for its ground-mounted role. For collectors and researchers, it records how the Army organized the care of the mortar, mount, and baseplate as related parts of one system.
Publication History
The cover identifies TM 9-3064 as formerly TM 9-260, connecting this edition to an earlier Army publication number. The August 1957 date places it within the Army's post-Korean War technical library. The January 1958 field maintenance manual TM 9-3071-1 lists TM 9-3064 among its references for operating instructions, lubrication, and maintenance performed by using units.
Documented End-Item Application
The equipment covered is the ground-mounted 81mm M29 mortar system. The mortar tube worked with its supporting mount and baseplate to form the complete weapon assembly. Both the mounts and baseplates carried M23 or M23A1 designations, so identifying the component type is as important as reading its model number. This manual preserves those distinctions for period equipment research.
Equipment History
The M29 began replacing the wartime M1 mortar in U.S. service in 1952. It delivered greater range with a lighter overall system, continuing the Army's development of portable infantry fire support. The barrel's grooved exterior reduced weight and helped release heat. These features made the M29 a notable step in the development of American 81mm mortars during the 1950s.
Mortar Mount Background
The M23-series mounting equipment continued the adjustable Stokes-Brandt bipod layout familiar from earlier infantry mortars. The bipod supported the barrel and carried mechanisms for elevation and side-to-side adjustment. A spring-type shock absorber helped manage movement during firing. These mechanical parts made the mount an important service item with its own maintenance needs, rather than a simple stand beneath the tube.
Mortar Baseplate Background
The circular baseplate formed the mortar's lower anchor and spread firing forces into the ground. It worked with the bipod to support the barrel while allowing the equipment to remain portable in separate loads. The M23A1 baseplate used a two-piece steel design. Its construction and shape are useful identification details when studying surviving components, photographs, or museum displays.
Weapon-System Background
The M29 was a smoothbore, muzzle-loading mortar designed for high-angle fire. This type of weapon could support infantry against positions hidden behind terrain or other cover. Its 81mm caliber filled an established role in American infantry units, following the earlier M1's French Brandt design heritage. The separate tube, mount, and baseplate combined a relatively simple weapon layout with adjustable ground support.
History of Use
The M29 family served 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. The weapon family's long service continued through later improvements, before the M252 began replacing it in U.S. service in 1987. This 1957 manual records the earlier M29 equipment configuration.
Ideal For
This publication adds technical context to a mortar collection and helps explain how the weapon's supporting components fit into its service history.
- Collectors of U.S. Army mortar manuals
- Researchers studying the 81mm M29 mortar
- Collectors identifying M23 and M23A1 mounts or baseplates
- Museums and military history archives
- Historians of Cold War and Vietnam-era infantry equipment
Approx length 6", Approx width 9", Approx height .25", Approx weight .5lbs.
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