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.
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