The Brixia modello 35 grenade launcher was a 45 mm calibre
light mortar mounted on a legged base and designed for operation by two
crew. The rear legs are fitted with a pad for the gunner to lay forward
on behind the mortar, or sit upon when the situation allowed. A lever
allowed for operating the breech and firing the weapon, while ammunition
was fed in by the loader. Well trained teams could reach up to 18
rounds per minute. One interesting feature which set the
Brixia mortar apart from comparable WW2 weapons was that it was trigger
fired with the help of separate ignition cartridges to be fed into a
special magazine, making the weapon more similar to modern
cannon-mortars that conventional parabolic grenade launchers of the
time.The Brixia was a somewhat complicated weapon but, in the hand of skilled operators was superior to other WW2
mortars and could lay down very precise and intense curtains of fire. The weapon, however served on every front where Italian troops were
involved (North Africa, Balkans, East Africa, Southern Russia) and was
also employed during defence of the homeland against invading allied
troops and during clashes between RSI formations and Italian partisans,
on both sides, due to many Italian partisans having a former military
background it was one of the few support weapons which could be found in
the hands of the local Resistance.