Mortar Team
From COALITION Wiki
Purpose
Mortar teams are high skill, high value assets placed into battle situations to help remove dug in enemies or provide cover and support for friendly troops. You can also provide area denial or suppress large areas.
As a mortar team, you will be responsible for:
- Delivering High Explosive (HE) rounds to both close and distance target locations.
- Delivering Smoke rounds to allow friendlies to move either to or from a location.
- Delivering Illumination rounds during night time operations to give friendlies better visual advantage.
- Being ready to move and relocate should the need arise.
Equipment
- Mortar Range Tables (Shows distances adjustments and time of flight to target)
- Map tools (Gives accurate distance estimates on a map. Each number is 1000m on the edge of the tool)
- Watch (To track time of flight and fire duration)
Operation
It is common to have a JTAC or Forward Observer working alongside the mortar team to call in support. They will calling in your indirect fire-missions and providing info about splashdown and accuracy of your rounds. FO's should call in adjustments which means they need to understand how calculations work on a basic level themselves.
Mortars can also be operated using line of sight fires with the Team lead firing his own missions based on what he can actually see himself. This is the fastest way to get rounds on target when its possible.
Individual Roles
A mortar team can consist of a Team Lead, Gunner, and a Loader.
Team Lead
The Team Lead is responsible for:
- Relaying communications to and from PL and JTAC/FO
- Giving the firing solution to the Gunner
- Use map tools and range table to find elevation, azimuth, charge for each fire mission and quickly relay them to the gunner
- Giving the shell type and charge of the shell for the Loader
- You should be calling "round(s) out", "Inbound, ETA __ ", and any other useful information to keep your friendlies safe and informed
Gunner
The Gunner is responsible for:
- Aiming the weapon before and during fire.
- Ensuring the distancing and azimuth that the TL gives is accurate. When possible you should be double checking the lead's calculations and call-outs to ensure the round will impact where needed
- Stay on the gun. You will need to keep the gun on target after each shot. And staying on the gun means you can immediately react to a fire-mission.
Loader
The Loader is responsible for:
- Selecting the right shell, and setting the charge based on the TL's orders
- Keeping TL up to date on ammo inventory
- Help the Gunner remember firing solutions.
- For example. Gunner can focus on setting the azimuth that the TL calls out. Loader can then give him the elevation.
- Firing the mortar. When you drop a round in the tube it will fire once it hits the firing pin at the bottom. No lanyards or triggers here.
- Security during down time. If you aren't loading you should be keeping an eye out for possible flanks. This won't happen often but certain missions may have you in close danger
Battle SOP
- Command/JTAC/FO will mark a target or provide coordinates and instruct the Team Lead over radio which round (he, smoke, illumination) to use
- The Team Lead and Gunner use the map tools to range the target
- The Loader preps the proper round while the Gunner is setting his weapon. You should call the shell type and charge once prepped "smoke, charge 3 ready" and wait for gunner to set the gun
- The Gunner adjusts the mortar to the correct direction & ELEV (range keys: WASD or Arrow keys to adjust independently. Mouse for less precision)
- The Gunner will call "Gun Ready" or "Set" to alert TL of the status of the gun.
- TL will give the order to fire. Preferably a specific number of shells or a time duration to stop firing at.
- The loader will count each round out loud to keep track of the number of rounds delivered and calls "rounds complete" when the last round is fired. If firing duration based you should still call rounds complete and give a total round count.
- TL calls "Shot out" and relays the flight time over the radio to command and calls “splash” when the first round should impact. (a watch should be used to track time of flight)
- Command/JTAC/FO will call for adjustment to ELEV or direction. ("Adjust up 5, Left 10. Fire for effect")
- Gunner adjusts, and Loader preps more rounds.
- loader then fires again if instructed.
Usage Video Guides
Final Notes and Tips
- While you have down time you should begin pre sight as much as possible using the map tools. Be sure to do it in Group Chat so you don't clutter the map for others. (Image from @Jester2138 [29.Dec.2017])
- You will notice he places "AZ" for azimuth and "ELEV" for the elevation for the gun. Doing this will dramatically improve your time to target and fire
- You can do this during planning with your acting FO by planning Target Reference Points or TRPs.
- Know how to use map tools. If you don't know, see this Link title
