Mortar Effectiveness

[wandrr]

Having never fired a mortar, I have a question about the effectiveness of the mortars in the game, specifically the M106A2 American self-propelled mortars. They are 107 mm (4.5 inch) mortars that should be able to drop considerable ordnance on a target. In several games, the mortars fire as regularly as ammo and order timing allows, but they NEVER claim any kills. Targets selected by the FSCC range from light recon units to tanks. This ineffectiveness seems almost counter productive. Surely SOMETHING in the target hex would be hit particularly if it is a stack of enemy units! I have tried setting the range to maximum or two-thirds with absolutely no difference. Generally, the mortars use neutralizing fire, though I have also tried suppression. Smoke seems undesirable in the defensive scenarios I have played.

Am I not setting something correctly in the SOP? Are the mortars really just good for smoke? Does the game include some invisible suppression calculation, resulting from making the target keep their heads down for a while?

How can I make the mortars more effective?

[Jagger2002]

In real life, mortars are very effective against dismounted infantry not dug in but I have my doubts about 107mm splinter effectiveness vs armored vehicles including APCs. Any mortar experts out there?

[wandrr]

Yeah, that is my read as well, from some research. Still, the targets selected were all mobile (that is, not dug-in, just stopped briefly). Some of the lighter armoured stuff like recon or headquarters units should have suffered more than they did.

I suppose one of the aspects of my question is the in-game modelling of effectiveness. Does that calculation involve the type of target?

[CapnDarwin]

The model accounts for number of targets, cover, type of target, size of shell and number of shells falling. Was the fire blind or via a spotter?

[wandrr]

Presumably via a spotter. The mortar certainly had no LOS, being as it was dug-in in deep defilade. I let the FSCC do all the work, only playing around with the SOP. I wouldn't expect the FSCC to assign a blind neutralizing fire mission.