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Worrying 60mm mortar behavior


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Well this is what I call harassing fire and yes it makes sense here. But it still is a rare event. Thus the reason I have not seen a issue.

Of course light rifle area fire into this type of situation also works, So maybe still not a big issue.

I am just pointing out that I thought light fire with mortars meant it is not going to use the mortar.(So I see I am wrong)

Saving rounds, I have been using fire briefly. I can hardly remember using a full minute of mortar fire in game except on enemy in a trench line for a long time

Trouble with "fire briefly" is the thing has to range in. So if you use 15s, it fires the first round, then stops. I'll have to fiddle and see whether doing the ranging in over several Brief orders works... Though if you've got a good team and they're close, the ranging shot might land at an effective distance from the target anyway. Once it's ranged in, Briefly can, for sure, help with ammo conservation. But I use the little mortars for harassing fire all the time. The "choke point" example is just one (one which works much more lethally against the AI than against a human opponent, admittedly).

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Trouble with "fire briefly" is the thing has to range in. So if you use 15s, it fires the first round, then stops. I'll have to fiddle and see whether doing the ranging in over several Brief orders works... Though if you've got a good team and they're close, the ranging shot might land at an effective distance from the target anyway. Once it's ranged in, Briefly can, for sure, help with ammo conservation. But I use the little mortars for harassing fire all the time. The "choke point" example is just one (one which works much more lethally against the AI than against a human opponent, admittedly).

Well, you are correct, thus the reason I am in the habit of 30 seconds. It seems to take about 15 seconds to fire the first shot or two, but after that they are dropping as fast as possible. So for many situations. They tend to land just about the right amount to take and get one dead on target. Only in challenging locations will I up the time if I have the ammo to spare.

I mean, I will try this target light when the time comes, of course it has to be working it appears before it is worth the effort.

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  • 1 year later...
On 9. jul. 2015 at 2:24 PM, Sublime said:

well if you play other than BS it works..

I just found the same problem in CMBN. German 81mm mortar on target light, one crewman fires rifle repeatedly at at gun target and whole team is killed. By an HE shell that passes through a halftrack before hitting them. 

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12 hours ago, Erwin said:

I assume that when using a spotter, no mortars or any other artillery can target anything that moves.

No I don't think that is the case.  I believe that spotters can target moving "things".  If your spotter can see an AFV you can initiate a point fire mission and target to strike the vehicle and if the vehicle moves the spotter continues to track the target as long as they can see it.  Interestingly I am not sure if you can do that against an infantry unit.  I'll have to try that next time the opportunity presents its self.

 

12 hours ago, Erwin said:

Re mortars used as direct fire weapons... do they automatically retarget to follow a moving target? 

Yes, they can.  If you target a piece of ground they will continue to fire at that location but if you target a vehicle or other unit they will track it as it moves.

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Just now, IanL said:

"No I don't think that is the case.  I believe that spotters can target moving "things".  If your spotter can see an AFV you can initiate a point fire mission and target to strike the vehicle and if the vehicle moves the spotter continues to track the target as long as they can see it.  Interestingly I am not sure if you can do that against an infantry unit.  I'll have to try that next time the opportunity presents its self."

If this is so, that would be very interesting.  When I have targeted a vehicle with mortars/arty using a spotter, I was pretty sure that the shells would continue to land at the last known position rather than track a moving vehicle.  Any confirmation either way???

 

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Humm I have done this a few times and the spotter's green line followed the vehicle.  However in all cases my spotter lost track of the vehicle fairly quickly and thus cancelled the mission.  The rounds falling seemed to be trying to move as well but I admit it is hard to tell especially if the mission gets cancelled two minutes later.  I should fire up a test and make sure...

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Seems to me like mortars will, whether used in direct lay or indirectly, track moving targets to the extent possible until declaring FFE or ending mission.  But--  I'm curious to know though whether the moving target is tracked solely as a function of the mortar/FO's LOS to target or if sound or updated position reports from other units factor in as well in the event that the mortar or FO loses and never regains LOS to target.

I'll test it but I reckoned someone might have the answer already

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When i started this thread i was referring to direct lay.

Thats where 60mms really shine. Yes the 1 min call in is nice but still nothing to direct lay target light if they only use the mortar.

Before it got patched I had one scenario, albeit in BN, where as US paratroops I defended against a horde of German infantry.

My 2 60mm mortars caused 70 KiA between them and the enemy surrendered. No other units even fired they just basically were the eyes for the mortars in direct lay.

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@Sublime As far as the game goes that may be the case.  In reality I can't imagine a situation where I'd advise direct lay employment of mortars either offensively or defensively in a HIC besides in an emergency.  I say that but I recognize that the circumstances behind every situation is different, and I'm open to creative solutions regardless of whether they conflict with dogma.  

Some of our allies have retained platoon organic relationships with light mortars and emphasis on direct lay, as a throwback to a time when those nations' communications capabilities suffered from quality, quantity, and security at the maneuver level, and even our own use of direct lay (in all mortar sizes) has sky increased dramatically in the LIC environment of Afghanistan where a zero percent chance of threats like accurate counter-battery, awkward engagement ranges, and both exposure to our allies' SOPs and the need to teach these capabilities to a host nation that suffers those same communications drawbacks prevails.

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Yes before Id finished reading your post I was going to point out that 60s are used that way in Afghanistan. However theres no serious counterbattery action, foreign air power, etc.

Ive never seen combat or been in the military. I just know what works for me in game. In real life I wouldnt do it also simply because I wouldnt want to expose any more American kids to direct enemy fire than needed.

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