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Mortar platoon HQ artillery icon greyed out - but why??


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Hello all,

 

I'm an old CMx1 player who has returned to learn CMx2. I'm playing the notoriously hard 3rd scenario from the "Moment in Time" campaign. I've been furiously reading the forums here but can't find the answer to why I can't get my mortars to use indirect fire. 

 

- the mortar platoon HQ is rested and has a blue sight line to the target - a house. He is in CC all the way to the top.

- I have 2 50mm rested mortars behind him, both have 90 ammo. Both are deployed. One is 45m from the HQ, the other is 42m from the HQ. Both have sight and ear contact with the HQ. Yet the HQ has his artillery icon greyed out so I can't select it.

 

The only thing I can think of is there are trees around. (in the next action square - but to the side and rear of where they are firing - not directly in front of them)

 

If the problem is trees, how many action squares do I need the mortars to set up from them before they will fire? I have version 3.11 with all of the modules installed. Thanks in advance for the help!   

Edited by Der Künstler
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What is grey?  And 50mm raises alarm bells because you cannot call indirect fire with the British 50mm and I have a feeling but am not 100% sure if the German ones can or not.  So, after the what is greyed out question can you tell us what nationality we are talking about here and is 50mm correct?

 

Edited to be definite about British 50mm

Edited by IanL
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Ian has it: you can't call indirect support missions with any of the mortars below 60mm. None of: British 2" Trench Mortar; Italian 47mm Brixia mortar; German leGrW36 allow that functionality. They're still useful in "direct lay" though, especially at sub-200m ranges.

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They are German 50mm. Wow -that is some good info I missed somewhere. So below 60mm = no indirect. Is there some kind of indicator that tells you whether they are direct fire only or not? Not sure how useful these can be if they have to be exposed to crack US airborne troops to fire, but we'll see! Thanks for the answers!

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Anything that can be called by an FO is in the artillery asset list.  Select an HQ or and FO unit and click on the artillery call tab (shape of a artillery piece at the top in the centre).  That will bring up a scrolling list of assets that may be call able.  Some might not be setup yet, some might be out of contact and some might be unavailable to your HQ but anything that could be used for indirect fire will be there.  Anything else will not be listed.

 

As for using mortars in direct fire they an be really effective.  To keep them alive long enough to do some good keep them back a bit and only bring them forward when there is a target to hit.  When you do get them to fire from as far away as possible and form cover if possible.  Mortars can fire just beyond their LOS which give them flexibility to stay back a bit more then other troops.

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Range protects. Try to keep the mortars more than 300 metres from their target. Rifle infantry is not a big threat beyond 300 metres, and if you could get 5-600m distance your mortars would be pretty hard to spot too.

 

Haven't played that scenario though, so not sure if your distance options are restricted.

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