81 mm

[Der Kuenstler]

Do 81mm mortars do anything to T-34s or should I just save my ammo?

[YankeeDog]

It'll button them, which is very good if you're trying to ambush them with something else. Especially earlier war T-34 w/ 2-man turrets & no cupolas are pretty blind once they're buttoned.

Also, even though it's not very dangerous, tanks don't like to sit under any kind of artillery fire, 81mm mortars included, and the TacAI will often move them out of the fire of it's own accord. This can also be useful if you're looking to ambush a tank -- sometimes, when they're bugging out to get out from under mortar fire, they'll move in such a way as to expose a flank. Note the likelihood of "bugging out" is directly related to the intensity of the fire -- a single on-map 81mm usually won't cause a tank to move, but a battery off-map mortars often will.

But only very rarely will 81mm fire actually damage a well-armored target like a T-34 by iteself. The first shell to fall might kill the unbuttoned TC. Every once in a while, a very close falling shell will immobilize or damage the main gun. Even more rarely you'll score a direct top hit and actually KO the tank, but this is not something to plan on.

Cheers,

YD

[Der Kuenstler]

Thanks!

[Loeffe]

As Yankeedog implies I'd say you're much better off buttoning that tank up by MG or small-arms fire. This can be done from pretty long ranges.

Save your small kaliber arty for infantry or use it to drop smoke.

[Bone_Vulture]

On the other hand, I'd like to point out that the Soviet 'ampulomet' is sometimes annoyingly effective at slaying tank commanders, so aim 'em at all unbuttoned tanks.

Using mortars is usually a waste of ammo, although they can spook halftracks and open topped light vehicles to redeploy, possibly prodding them out to the open for your bigger guns to aim at.

[General Bolt]

Using an 81mm spotter, firing blind, I missed my intended target (an infantry formation) by 200+ meters. A round dropped right in an open turret of a T34. Ruined my opponents day. But, I'd consider that a one in 1,000 chance.

[Bone_Vulture]

Reminds me of a game of Steel Panthers where one of my infantry guns fired so far off target that it hit a tank in the neighboring hex.

[Andreas]

Observed on-board mortar fire on T-26s rocks. Ask Elvis.