Course Details:

Instructor(s)

Current qualified instructors:

• Any AI wearing the Badge 

Booking a Course: To book a course, please speak with one of the listed instructors and request a suitable date. Information will also be posted in the Squad Training Academy subforums

Number of candidates

Two candidates maximum per one instructor. 

Objectives of the course

The following course will cover the basics of properly using a mortar tube

Prerequisites

You can only participate in this course once you've passed both Basic Infantry and Advanced Infantry courses.

 

Mortarman Description:

A mortarman can be called upon to perform several iterations of 2 primary tasks: 

1. Bombard a targeted area with high explosive ordinance
2. Deploy a smoke screen over a large area

 Both of the above tasks will be called in either directly by squad leaders, by your teams commander or if instructed by your squad leader, by the leading mortarman. 

Kit:

Although there is no defined kit for the mortarman, it is generally a wise idea to use a rifleman kit so that the specialist roles are available to the rest of your squad (Or team, where limitations are placed on specialist roles). If you are assigned to a dedicated mortar squad, it is a wise idea to have LATs manning the tubes, as often a vehicle will be sent to locate and attack mortar fobs. 

Basics of the mortar tube:

The mortar tube is capable of firing between as close to 50m away and as far as 1250m. When placing a mortar, ensure you are on flat ground. Any angle or tilt to the mortar once constructed can impact the accuracy of your ordinance. Try placing mortars out of line of sight so that the players manning them do not get shot from a distance. Each tube holds 3 rounds at a time, all 3 rounds as a collective are a single volley. 

Basics of aiming the mortar tube:

When manning a mortar, your screen should look similar to the below:

 

On the left of the screen you will notice the milliradian (mils) readout. This readout is used to reach the desired distance from tube to target. On the bottom, where it always is, is your compass. Use the compass to zero your direction.

 

Remember that the greater the distance from tube to target, the smaller the adjustment needs to be to hit the desired target.

 

There are numerous methods to getting your mortars on-target. These are making use of markers which carry a distance indicator (such as squad leader attack marker), using the grid indicators on the map to do the distance calculation, on the ground spotters and finally, using an external mortar calculator. There are a few things to remember when using these methods effectively, and they are:

 

Attack markers : These are not accurate to the meter and work in increments depending on distance away. As an example, 0m to 30m, it works in increments of 1m, from 30m to 100m it works in increments of 5m and from 100m to 300m it works in increments of 10m and from 300+ in increments of 50m. Effective for large area-coverage.

 

Grid indicators : Using the grid indicators that overlay your maps and denote distance is a quick and effective way to calculate distance from tube to target. The largest single square when fully zoomed out on the map is 900m, the second largest is 300m, the next one is 100m and the smallest is 33m. This can further be broken down into sub sub keys to gain further accuracy. Note that a diagonal through a 100x100 square is 141.5m. Mostly effective for straight- and diagonal-line fire. 

 

Spotters : This method relies on making use of one of the above 2 methods to zero distance and direction prior to letting ordinance fly, but can be the difference between good and ineffectual mortars. You would usually zero as best you can and then fire a single “ranging” round. Once this round lands, a spotter with eyes on the target can give you distance and direction corrections.

 

All the above methods DO NOT take into account differences in elevation so if your target is elevated higher than your tube, your mortars will fall short unless you adjust range for this. If your target is below your tube, your mortars will land further unless adjusted.

 

Mortar Calculators : Currently, the easiest and most reliable way of getting your mortars on target every time is by utilising a mortar calculator. These come in different types, some, where you have a point A (Tube Location) and a point B (Target) and once grid locations are clicked or inserted for each, you are given a degree direction and a mil readout, others go much more in-depth and are perfect for situations where you can pre-range or pre-plan mortars such as https://squadmortar.xyz . Squad MC takes into account elevation, you can create mortar creep or fire in lines etc, all with maps preloaded.

 

Natural spread :

Keep in mind that the accuracy of mortars can vary, depending on the flight time of the round, often landing up to 10m away from the intended target.

 

Mortar types and their uses:

HE

Focused Fire:

Focused fire is when volleys are fired without any adjustment to direction or distance. The fired mortars will land close to one another, only moving due to their natural flight deviation that is built into the game. Focused fire is very useful when trying to disable HABs in the open, FOB radios or stationary enemy vehicles. When focus firing at a enemy HAB we want to shorten the safe zone window for enemies to run to safety. By utilising split fire with your partnered mortar man, i.e. you fire one at a time, you will significantly reduce the safe zone window and keep a constant pressure on the enemy HAB.

Barrage:

Barrage fire is achieved by making minor adjustments to direction and distance between shot or volley and can be used to deny movement in their target zones, keeping enemies in hard cover or from entering a specific area

Creep:

Creep can be viewed as a constantly progressing line and can be used to push enemies back if they’re in the open or clear the way for advancing friendlies.

Smoke

Masking an attack:

Before pushing a hostile cap, smoke mortars can be requested on the perimeter of the cap effectively blocking visuals between an attacking force and the enemy and often isolating enemies from their allies vision. 

Blinding an enemy:

Dropping smoke on top of an enemy position can allow friendly units to spread out around the perimeter of a cap without being spotted, or cover the retreat of friendly units and vehicles.

Decoy:

Using smoke as a decoy is a hit or miss tactic. Smoke can be dropped on one part of an objective, in the hopes that it lures the enemy there to defend what they think is an incoming attack.

Danger close:

If your mortar position is at risk of being overrun, jumping off your mortar is recommended, however, as an alternative, firing your mortar at minimum range in the attack directions can be an effective tool of disallowing enemy movement within minimum engagement ranges. 

Optimal adjustments for Horizontal spread:

Adjusting for horizontal spread is straightforward, but changes according to the distance between the tube and the target. The degree adjustments are:

 

Tube to Target Distance	Optimal degree change	3 mortars	5 mortars
300m	4°	-4° | target | +4°	-8° | -4° | target | +4° | +8
500m	3°	-3° | target | +3°	-6° | -3° | target | +3° | +6
800m	2°	-2° | target | +2°	-4° | -2° | target | +2° | +4
1000m	1°	-1° | target | +1°	-2° | -1° | target | +1° | +2

Adjusting as per the above, allows the mortars to spread wounding distance apart, making it very effective at denying movement

 

https://youtu.be/3ga3UQWWBo8

Optimal adjustments for Vertical spread or creep

Adjusting for vertical spread or mortar creep only requires that you add or subtract 5-10 mils to every mortar shot or volley no matter the distance. Adjusting 5-10 mils will slowly “walk” mortars closer or further away from the tube.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ilzEBbq7Gw

Common Instructions:

• Adjust [X] [Direction]: Take note of which way you’re facing, and adjust the requested amount. The further away you’re firing, the less you need to adjust for the same effect.
• Increase/Decrease [X] metres: For this, DECREASE or INCREASE (it’s inverse to the callout) the elevation to affect the distance fired.
• Fire One: Normally used as a ranging mortar
• Fire For Effect: Keep bombing the area.
• Smokescreen: Fire smoke rounds.
• [X] volleys: One volley is a full magazine of three rounds.
• Splash: A report is incoming on the effectiveness of the shells.
• Cease: Stop firing
• [X] in the air: Number of rounds that have been fired but have not yet landed

Practicals:

After participation in this course your mortar skills will be tested in the field, upon your request by an AI in-game, during a clan match or directly. 

 

You will be assessed on your ability to put the theory provided in this course into action in the field. You will be judged on your ability to gauge distance, adjust onto target, use barrage and creeping fire to decimate a target and follow fire mission requests.