▁mechanism ▁and ▁the ▁bar rel ▁sat ▁on ▁a ▁heavy ▁steel ▁base ▁that ▁absor bed ▁re co il . ▁ ▁Due ▁to ▁its ▁low ▁velocity ▁and ▁soft ▁re co il ▁the ▁m le ▁ 1 9 1 5 ▁could ▁use ▁large ▁stock s ▁of ▁defect ive ▁shell s ▁with ▁un stable ▁explos ives ▁that ▁were ▁produced ▁during ▁the ▁war . ▁ ▁The ▁bar rel ▁p iv oted ▁at ▁the ▁front ▁of ▁the ▁base ▁and ▁could ▁be ▁travers ed ▁by ▁a ▁wooden ▁handle ▁at ▁the ▁rear ▁while ▁le vers ▁near ▁the ▁tr unn ion ▁controlled ▁elev ation . ▁ ▁For ▁transport , ▁the ▁mort ar ▁could ▁be ▁placed ▁on ▁a ▁two - w he e led ▁wooden ▁cart ▁with ▁two ▁wooden ▁handles ▁and ▁pulled ▁by ▁a ▁team ▁of ▁ 5 ▁men ▁or ▁it ▁would ▁be ▁broken ▁down ▁into ▁ 1 4 ▁pieces ▁and ▁carried ▁by ▁soldiers ▁to ▁the ▁front ▁line ▁tren ches . ▁▁▁▁▁ ▁Begin ning ▁in ▁September ▁of ▁ 1 9 1 5 ▁reg iments ▁of ▁the ▁French ▁and ▁Belg ian ▁army ▁was ▁equ ipped ▁with ▁the ▁m le ▁ 1 9 1 5 ▁and ▁it ▁can ▁be ▁considered ▁a ▁rough ▁equivalent ▁of ▁the ▁ 7 . 5 8 ▁cm ▁Min en wer fer ▁of ▁the ▁German ▁Army . ▁ ▁However , ▁it ▁was ▁found ▁that ▁despite ▁being ▁able ▁to ▁provide ▁high - angle ▁fire ▁its ▁light ▁shell ▁was ▁little ▁more ▁effective ▁than ▁if ▁it ▁was ▁fired ▁by ▁the ▁Can on ▁de ▁ 7 5 ▁mod èle ▁ 1 8 9 7 . ▁