Minimum Range For Mortars and Artillery

[dadlamassu]

I have fired a British 2" mortar horizontally.  I loaded it, rested the base plate against a tree, pointed it at the target and fired it.  Remember that it has a trigger not a fixed firing pin.

Modern 81mm mortars have a minimum range down to about 100m, in WW2 it was about 200m and in WW1 about 300m.  The minimum safe range is about 300m so that own troops are not casualties.

 

[Arlequín]

To fire a mortar at extremely short range wouldn't you want maximum elevation, rather than minimum, Jim?

I recall seeing a photo once of I think it was Red Devils at Arnhem. They are firing a mortar during close-up street-fighting and the tube is pointing practically at the vertical. Isn't that going to come down near you, rather than a long way off? The caption to the photo said the angle of the tube indicated how close the enemy were they were firing on.

I'm asking, rather than telling, as I have no experience of mortars in real life.

You're quite right... I don't have clue where that came from. 

[Gluteus Maximus]

I seem to recall reading years ago that in one of the SAS's hard-fought campaigns - Oman I think - they were defending an outpost and the e enemy were so close they had to physically hold the 82mm mortar virtually at vertical to land the bombs on the enemy. Desperate circumstances call for desperate measures and obviously not recomended for the faint-hearted 

[Overlord]

I seem to recall reading years ago that in one of the SAS's hard-fought campaigns - Oman I think - they were defending an outpost and the e enemy were so close they had to physically hold the 82mm mortar virtually at vertical to land the bombs on the enemy. Desperate circumstances call for desperate measures and obviously not recomended for the faint-hearted 

It was the action at Mirbat, Dhofar Province, Oman on 19th July 1972.

http://www.britains-smallwars.com/Desert_song/Mirbat.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Mirbat
http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/showthread.php?t=61472
The book 'Soldier I SAS' includes a good account of the battle, proportedly by one of the SAS combatants.  It does mention one of the troopers holding the mortar to his chest in order to increase the elevation as the Adoo were so close.

[Plynkes]

There was quite a good documentary with re-enacted scenes about that on Channel 5 a few months ago. Worth catching if they show it again, I think.

[Gluteus Maximus]

Mirbat! That's the one and that's the book I read it in too

I missed the documentary    Hopefully it will appear soon on one of the Satellite documentary channels.

[Plynkes]

It was part of a series about special forces. There was one about Operation Barras (Paras, SBS and SAS in Sierra Leone) which was good too.


Edit: Found a website for it...
http://www.specialforcesheroes.com/tv-series.html

[Driscoles]

Just saw that epicode : " Last Stand at Oman" on you tube.
Unbelieveable

[Plynkes]

Nice one Björn, the whole thing is on there.

I like it when that one says...

"We... are... in... the... shit."

[twrchtrwyth]

So in special situations the minimum range can be shortened. Would the unit need to pass a score check?

[Driscoles]

That is a good idea. What about this. A ruler length minimum range for the mortar.  A succesful scorecheck in special situations to shorten the range if the unit is at least trained or veteran.

And for ari : All shots below ruler length will not deviate but simply miss and vanish out of the game.

Cheers
Björn

[twrchtrwyth]

That is a good idea. What about this. A ruler length minimum range for the mortar.  A succesful scorecheck in special situations to shorten the range if the unit is at least trained or veteran.

And for ari : All shots below ruler length will not deviate but simply miss and vanish out of the game.

Cheers
Björn

Do you mean any artillery shots that don't hit, that would have deviated normally, now have no effect?

[Driscoles]

I was thinking of ari shots below minimum range. But I dont know the minimum range yet ( the ruler length for ari is just an idea. We can discuss this gentlemen  ). A deviation for point blank shots dont make much sense to me.

[twrchtrwyth]

I don't think the shot should vanish, a limit to how far and what direction it deviates makes more sense. Maybe deviate only within 45 degrees of the front of the gun?

[Driscoles]

Deviation to the front is a good idea.