Quote Originally Posted by Fuchs View Post
I doubt the wisdom of company mortars.
I understand that platoon mortars ("commando" mortars) make a lot of sense (albeit 40mm MV is a good substitute) and battalion mortars (usually 120 mm) are very useful as well (especially if the larger calibre makes use of munition types which are not nearly as practical in 81.4 mm calibre).
Fuchs

Have studied the above and other comments in Post 121 and agree with their general thrust. Similar to you my preference is that the principal mortars in a light infantry battalion are controlled (whenever practicable) by a battalion-level Fire Direction Centre in a Mortar & Fire Support Company.

However believe there are good reasons for organising such mortars into two or more sub-units. Such organisation firstly enables a battalion to have a mortar sub-unit firing or emplaced/ready to fire while its other mortar sub-unit(s) are moving in leap-frog or other manner. Secondly battalion can more readily detach a mortar sub-unit for a distant or free-standing task such as supporting a friendly unit or one of its own rifle companies operating in a quasi-independent role. For such distant tasks, that mortar sub-unit would have to include a small Fire Direction element to co-ordinate its fire in that role and also some forms of artillery/air support.

The weapons company in a USMC infantry battalion has or had its principal mortars organised in that general way: 70-man platoon with HQ and FDC squads plus two 27-man mortar sections each with a 3-man HQ and four 6-man 81mm mortar squads. Those 81mm mortars were complemented by each companies weapon platoon having a 10-man section armed with three M-224 60mm long barrel mortars.

Having initially supposed that each light infantry platoon should have its own 60mm short-barrel ‘Commando’ mortar it seemed appropriate to adapt the USMC battalion level organisation to provide both 81mm and 60mm long-barrel mortar fire. My use of the term platoon for a 4-tube mortar sub-unit may be confusing but it was adopted to distinguish a 40-man (initially proposed as 32-man) tactical entity from a 27-man section that has little more manpower than needed to operate its 4 mortars.

Two 4-tube platoons with 81mm mortars might be enough firepower for most light infantry battalions. But a third 4-tube platoon has attractive symmetry for support within the now usual 3-rifle company battalion. Also a 60mm-long barrel mortar and its bombs are easier to move and especially to manpack into difficult-to-reach locations. Hence the third mortar platoon proposed with 60mm long-barrel mortars, again as a 40-man subunit.

Realise that some commentators prefer 6-tube mortar sub-units and the redundancy of 3-tube sections. Others might insist on the need to standardise on either 81mm or less likely 60mm long-barrel. Believe that very few would propose 120mm smooth-bore mortars for a light infantry battalion and that none would propose 120mm rifled mortars. My compromise small army view is that a reinforced battalion group might well include one or other type of 120mm mortar but that such should be operated by an attached artillery sub-unit.