I hope you don't mind I jump in here Wyatt, not trying to hijack your tread
Your right that the spotter didn't have a whole lot of ammo, 60 rounds as always.
The thing is, I prefer using my artillery against targets I can see, firing at suspected enemy positions is IMHO most of the time a waste of ammo. Further more, as Adam_L already mentioned, if I can win the armored battle I have no need for artillery any longer. And if I don't win it, the artillery wont do me any good.
Guess Wyatt covered anything else.
Thomas