Mortars

[Kiwikkiwik]

Hello Mortars in game could be improved in a few ways.
Firstly there are quite a few mortars missing. Some of which you might like to add. From Mortars and Rockets by Chamberlain.
In game, Belgium OOB has the French 50mm m37 mortar but Belgium had their own indiginous 50mm DBT with 585 m range which is missing. The 50mm m37 French Mortar is missing in the French OOB.
Czechoslovakia used the french 81mm m27/31 with a game range of 50 but chamberlain gives this French Mortar a range of 2850, (57) The Czechs actually put together their own 8cm mortar with a maximum range of 3400m (68) this weapon isn't in the game. In German service it is the 8 cm GrW M.36 (t).
Germany is missing;
Kurzer 8 cm Granatwerfer 42 (Stummelwerfer). This replaced the 5cm mortars at platoon level and had a maximum range of 22 hex.
10 cm Nebelwerfer 40 Maximum range 127 hex. Introduced 1940.
21 cm GrW 69 'Elephant' about 200 built late 44, 85 kg bomb to 6300m from
20 cm leicht ladungswerfer range 14, a demolition mortar, bomb weighs 21 kg.
and the mysterious 38 cm sladungswerfer, bomb weighs 149 kg. see
https://www.armedconflicts.com/38-cm-sLdgW-t26908
both ladungswerfer were available from th 1940's see
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ladungswerfer
Yes I know the German OOB is full.
USA is missing;
60mm Mortar M19 Mount M1. Designed to be used like the 2" or knee mortar. Rare but was issued to some airbourne and special forces. Sources vary, Maximum (Practical) range 320m or Maximum range of 746m (14) both given on M1 mount.
t25 155 mortar, range 2500 yds
t13 105 mortar, range 2000 or 4000 yds
t25 and t13 were rare and introduced in Philipines campaign.
UK paratroopers are missing their short 2" mortar. Production began in 1942 maximum range is 320m.
The British weapon 217 paratrooper mortar seems to have the wrong HE kill and Range. As far as I can make out British Paras used the 3" Mortar Mk V which is just the standard 3" mortar lightened slightly. So weapon 217 could maybe have the same stats as the standard 3" mortar of 11, 55 not 9, 20. I guess weapon 217 could be the US "Universal" t27 cut down 81mm mortar which is probably US weapon 57 Abn 81mm Mortar, but the stats don't match And I'm not sure the British even used that US mortar. British and American Infantry weapons of World war 2 by Barker gives t27 a range of 35, game has 20.
USSR is missing its 37mm spade mortar range 300m. and its 50mm PM-41, see below.
Japan is missing;
50mm Mortar Type 98 from 1938, fires a stick grenade up to 416m or 366m with 7 lb of picric acid giving a "considerable blast effect" used against emplacements.
90mm type 97 same stats as games weapon 221 90mm type 94, but no recoil system, see below.

Three Mortars had extensive Recoil systems. German Nebelwerfer 40, Russian 160mm M1943 (wpn 72) and Japanese 90mm type 94 (Unit 37, Picture is something else)
I would give these mortars more hits in the central hex of the 7 hex dispersion pattern of Artillery. ie increase their accuracy.

Chamberlain supplies 50% zones for German mortars firing at max range;
12cm GrW 42 165x37 - 6,105 sq.m.
10cm NbW 40 137x49 - 6,713 sq.m.
10cm NbW 35 53x21 - 1,113 sq.m.
8cm GrW 34 65x14 - 910 sq.m.
5cm GrW 36 31x4 - 124 sq.m.
Japanese type 89 GL at 650m 50% zone is 74x11 - 814 sq.m.
A 50m hex is 2,500 sq.m.
So considering that shells landing are spread over 7 hexes (17,500 sq.m.) it is obvious that at any range all the type 89 GL, 5cm GrW 36, 8cm GrW 34 and 10cm NbW 35 bombs should land in one single hex, that is all the bombs should land in the same hex. For the other two mortars the bomb dispersion pattern needs to be tightened up considerably ie most should fall in the target hex and much fewer in the 6 outside hexes. Changing to 25m hexes alleviates this problem.
No doubt all the very light mortars should always hit in just the one hex. British 2" etc. And probably many of the medium mortars.
For long ranges the current dispersions would be about right with 25m hexes.

Infantry mortars of World war II by Calow mentions that the German 5cm and Italian 45mm Mortars were very accurate because of firing a small charge from a heavy weapon. The italian crewman actually sat or lied on the mortar. These weapons are also very complex and very stable in operation. In 1941 the British tested a 5cm German mortar and commented, "the degree of accuracy is unnecessarily high". The Russian 50mm M1941 (Missing in game) Is also probably very accurate as it is very similar in layout to the German 5cm. Introduction date would be 41, range is 800m. see
http://www.primeportal.net/armory/yu...rtar_mod_1941/

In the book US infantry weapons of WW2 by Canfield it explains that they wanted improved accuracy for the US 4.2 inch mortar, they achieved this by giving it rifling. I think it might be a good Idea to give rifled mortars a tighter bomb dispersion pattern (fire pattern) than smooth bore mortars, because with the rifling they become closer to a field gun in accuracy (FG accuracy 6, Mortar accuracy 3), the same can be said for mortars with an extensive recoil mechanism.
Mortars with rifling are.
Weapon 193 Japanese type 89 GL .
Weapon 35 Japanese 70mm Tp 11 Mtrs.
Weapon 72 US 4.2in M2 Mortar.
Weapon 55 Czech 14cm vz.18 Mtr
https://www.armedconflicts.com/CZK-v...minomet-t44709
Weapon 57 Czech 9cm vz.17 Mtr
https://www.armedconflicts.com/CZK-v...minomet-t59550

Some ranges might need looking at.
Game gives Japanese weapon 57 81mm T99 Mortar range of 13 chamberlain gives it 60. Rikugun gives it 2000m (40). 40 is very likely its effective range. It has a very short barrel but the bomb fitted very tight so maintained the range. It replaced the t97.
Game gives Japanese weapon 56 81mm T97 Mortar range of 57 chamberlain gives it 60.
Game gives Japanese weapon 249 150mm Type 97 Mor range of 78 Chamberlain gives range of 40.
Game gives French weapon 30 60mm mle 35 range of 28 chamberlain gives it 34.
Game gives French weapon 56 81mm mle 27/31 range of 50 chamberlain gives it 57.
Game gives Italian weapon 51 81mm M.35 Mrt range of 88 chamberlain gives it 81. However Italian weapon 56 81mm M.31 Mrt has the 'correct' 81/14 modello 35 (wpn 51) range of 82, but should probably have 57 as it is actually the French m27/31 The Italians may have produced and used a much lighter bomb to give it 82, but I doubt it.
Game gives Polish weapons 216 and 220 46mm wz.30 Mtr range of 14 Chamberlain gives 16.
Game gives British/AUST\NZ weapon 40 3in Mortar (LR) range of 51 Chamberlain gives 55.
Game gives British/AUST\NZ weapon 37 3in Mortar range of 29 Chamberlain gives 32.
Game gives USA weapon 37 60mm M2 Mortar range of 40 Chamberlain gives 1816m (36).
Game gives USA weapon 56 81mm M1 Mortar range of 53 Chamberlain gives 3010m (60).
Game gives USA weapon 72 4.2in M2 Mortar range of 48 should be 44.
Game gives USA weapon 73 4.2in M5 Mortar range of 64 should be 58.
Game gives USA weapon 74 4.2in M6 Mortar range of 88 Chamberlain gives 4026m (80).
Barkers British and American Infantry weapons of World war 2 Ranges agree with Chamberlains.
Some of the discrepancies above can be explained by someone dividing the yard range instead of the metre range by 50. Some discrepancies might be due to the murky area of Effective vs Max range, but I can't confirm any of the disputed game ranges as either in published material.

For the USA 4.2" mortars naming seems confusing, see
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M2_4.2-inch_mortar
4.2" M2 might be M1, M5 might be M1A1? M6 might be M2.
Soviet weapon 55 82mm BM obr.27 is meant to be I think the Russian copy/version of the French brandt mortar (weapon 56) in which case range should be 57 not 50 and correct Russian designation is 82mm BM obr.36.
Russian 82mm BM obr.37 could be called 82mm BM obr.37/41
Soviet weapon 70 107mm PM obr.38 was only ever issued to mountain troops, should be taken out of the infantry pick lists.
Stokes mortar has a bigger bomb than the 3inch (weapon 37/40), but its HE kill is 9, two less. Maybe should be 12. Stokes bomb is 10lb 11oz, 3inch is 10lb

I have used the light bomb ranges above. Some mortars have a Heavy shell

France mle 27/31 wpn 56 fires 2 bombs
7lb3oz with a range of 57
14lb5oz has a range of 24

Italy M.35 fires wpn 51 fires 2 bombs
7.2 lb with a range of 81
15.13lb with a range of 30

Japans Type 97 wpn 56 fires 2 bombs
6.93lbs with a range of 60
14 lbs with a range of 24

USA 81mm M1 fires 3 bombs
7lb with a range of 60
10.75lb with a range of 47
15lb with a range of 23

German 21 cm GrW 69 Elephant fires 2 bombs
85 kg with a range of 126
110 kg with a range of 104

One way to deal with this in game is, for USA for example, to create two extra 81 mm mortars, each with just one of the extra heavy bombs types and with the matching range.