German mortar team has only "Target Too Close" and "Out of Range"

[axxe]

Attempting to fire smoke with a German 81mm mortar team (deployed).  Have two rounds, but <55m is "Too Close" and all else is "Out of Range".

Is this a bug? Or what am I not understanding?

 

[Josey Wales]

Just a guess, but could it be down to your position? 

Have you tried from a location further back from the hedgerow? 

[rocketman]

I have seen this from time to time in various situations, games and formations, just today in FI with CW 2” mortars.

[John Kettler]

axxe,

The explanation is simple and straightforward. You're trying to shoot inside of of Rmin, which is 60 meters, not 55. The game doesn't model any of that manually holding the mortar tube higher than the designed elevation limit stuff you'll read about in some hairy battle accounts.

http://www.lonesentry.com/manuals/german-infantry-weapons/german-8-cm-heavy-mortar.html

Regards,

John Kettler

[Oliver_88]

6 hours ago, Josey Wales said:

Just a guess, but could it be down to your position? 

Have you tried from a location further back from the hedgerow? 

That's an good and interesting thought.

The hedges restricting them to elevations that are high enough to clear them, thereby restricting their max range possible at the time down to below 55 meters, but then the mortar cannot elevate high enough to shoot any closer than 55 meters anyway?

Can they fire the smoke further if you try target in the opposite direction to the hedge or etc.

2 hours ago, John Kettler said:

axxe,

The explanation is simple and straightforward. You're trying to shoot inside of of Rmin, which is 60 meters, not 55. The game doesn't model any of that manually holding the mortar tube higher than the designed elevation limit stuff you'll read about in some hairy battle accounts.

http://www.lonesentry.com/manuals/german-infantry-weapons/german-8-cm-heavy-mortar.html

Regards,

John Kettler

Not really simple and straight forward seeing as do not quite understand that.  If your saying the explanations because that mortar had an minimum range of 60, then you might want to look at the original post again. As he is being shown "out of range" when targeting beyond 55.  The game and his screenshot even shows the usable ranges for the thing in game as being 55-2400 also.

Edited April 10, 2018 by Oliver_88

[John Kettler]

Oliver_88,

The first case is unambiguous. The attempted shot is 5 meters shy of the 60 meter Rmin, so is impossible. In the second case, and only two total were provided, it also is inside Rmin, but this time short only 3 meters. Am of the opinion, based on what axxe has shown, is the only issues here are an incorrect label for the second shot (target not beyond Rmax) and incorrect data on the mortar icon. Clearly, since neither shot worked inside the real world Rmin, the game engine has the weapon range parameters correct, but there was a typo in the graphics for the weapon. Believe these two items should be fixed ASAP.

Regards,

John Kettler

[c3k]

Hmmm. Worthy of more investigation. I’ve never seen this.

[Vanir Ausf B]

Ignore the out of range text. All on-map mortars show that for smoke missions when they are out of HE rounds. Plot the smoke mission and it should fire.

[Warts 'n' all]

44 minutes ago, Vanir Ausf B said:

Ignore the out of range text. All on-map mortars show that for smoke missions when they are out of HE rounds. Plot the smoke mission and it should fire.

Works for me.

[axxe]

3 hours ago, Vanir Ausf B said:

Ignore the out of range text. All on-map mortars show that for smoke missions when they are out of HE rounds. Plot the smoke mission and it should fire.

Thanks Vanir, will do!

(should be an easy bug fix then, no?)

 

[axxe]

Just FYI for everyone else: I get the "Out of Range" message at all ranges over 55m, regardless of hedgerow, etc. I moved the unit to a position with an unobstructed view across 400m of open field and they still claim everything is out of range.

 

[MOS:96B2P]

8 hours ago, Vanir Ausf B said:

Ignore the out of range text. All on-map mortars show that for smoke missions when they are out of HE rounds. Plot the smoke mission and it should fire.

Thanks, @Vanir Ausf B.  More good information.   +1

4 hours ago, axxe said:

Just FYI for everyone else: I get the "Out of Range" message at all ranges over 55m, regardless of hedgerow, etc. I moved the unit to a position with an unobstructed view across 400m of open field and they still claim everything is out of range.

 

When you ignored the "out of range" text were you able to plot and fire the smoke rounds? 

[axxe]

19 minutes ago, MOS:96B2P said:

When you ignored the "out of range" text were you able to plot and fire the smoke rounds? 

Yes

[MOS:96B2P]

36 minutes ago, axxe said:

Yes

Very good.  +1   Glad it worked out.  I'll try to remember this if it happens to me someday.  

[DerKommissar]

I think I encountered the same issue in BN with some sort of allied mortar. It still did what I wanted it to do, though.

Edited April 10, 2018 by DerKommissar