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The enemy infantry paused briefly in the defilade below the small rise before continuing the attack against the American infantry company set in a night defensive position along the next hilltop. The enemy's pause in their final tactical assembly area allowed the Americans to target the company mortars against them. Sixty millimeter spotting rounds slammed into the area, followed by a full fire for effect. Screams and flashes confirmed that the light mortars were hurting the enemy -- badly. Yet even as hopes rose that the mortars might break the attack before it started, the fire suddenly dwindled then stopped as the mortar teams ran out of ammunition.

Why 60mm mortars?

"The value of the 60mm mortar in the offense does not lie in its volume of fire or its continuous fire support. The mortar section's best contribution to combat success is its immediate responsiveness to the company commander's orders and the speed at which it can be brought into action."(FM 7-90, Tactical Employment of Mortars, p. 8-10) Assuming that the crews have sufficient rounds on hand to accomplish the desired effects, the deciding factor then becomes their speed of employment, usually a question of technique and training.

Conventional fire control

At the JRTC, company mortars rely almost solely on fire under a fire direction center (FDC). While this allows massing of the two guns' fires and increased force protection levels for the crews, the time required to bring accurate fires to bear often results in canceled missions. Speeding up this conventional mode with an FDC depends on in-depth fire planning, especially when the unit is moving. One effective technique is to plan targets at 400-500 meter intervals along the route, preferably on recognizable terrain features. The mortar teams lay their tubes on new targets as the platoons travel along the route. Upon contact, the first round leaves the tubes within 10 seconds of the initial request. The element in contact then calls in a standard adjustment, direction to the target, deflection correction, and range correction (left/right, add/drop). Accurate rounds are on the way within another two minutes. Units must train for this two-minute window. Otherwise, the element in contact might maneuver forward in the interim and become intermingled with the enemy. Units may actually pull back while suppressing the target until the mortars weigh in. Every member of the platoon should be trained in adjusting fires from planned targets, and they must know what target is active. This technique allows every infantryman to fight a combined arms fight.

Hand-held fires

Another technique is the 60mm's hand-held mode without an FDC. In this method the mortar or mortars travel at the rear of the platoon, or lead platoon if the entire company is moving. The large base plate and bipod can be left with the company rear, allowing the section to carry more ammunition. At first contact the mortars assume an overwatch position and engage the enemy as part of the support element. The mortar teams or the support element leader can control the fire, directing the tubes to lift and shift as required. This dramatically enhances the mortars' speed and responsiveness to small unit leaders. It also, however, increases risk to the crew. They must be trained to think as infantry and take advantage of available cover and concealment. The 60mm mortar can be hand-held fired from the prone, but the crew must train using that position. The benefits to small maneuver units are immediate. A well-trained mortar crew can accurately fire 12-15 rounds a minute at ranges from 70-1,342 meters, which boosts the platoon's ability to gain fire superiority upon contact. The mortars can then, on command, shift fire to cut off the enemy's route of escape.

Rates of fire must dictate rates of supply

All of those theoretical advantages fly out the window, however, if the unit does not carry enough ammo. Companies routinely begin a JRTC rotation with 80-100 rounds of 60mm ammunition and seldom receive a resupply. As a result, most companies execute the defense with fewer than 50 rounds. Target destruction is a common mortar task. Yet FM 7-90 recommends firing 14 rounds of M720 ammunition just to suppress a platoon-sized target in the open with 10 percent casualties. Destroying that single platoon with 30 percent casualties requires ALL of the rounds most companies begin the defense with at JRTC. A dismounted infantry platoon is a common target in the defense, but most mortar sections have only enough rounds for one effective fire-for-effect mission. FM 7-90 also recommends the basic load for the mortar section as 350 rounds. When broken down, this equates to roughly two rounds per man in the company. The remainder stays with the company vehicles to be brought forward as needed.

CSS battle tracking

Keeping the company topped off with mortar rounds relies on effective CSS battle tracking. This does not mean ordering a complete basic load when the number of rounds falls below 50 or any other equally arbitrary number. That only overloads the logistics system. Instead the section sergeant and XO can forecast the approximate number of rounds that will be fired daily and make that a standard part of the daily logistics package (LOGPAC). If the number actually delivered is over the number fired, the ammunition can be left in the combat trains or carried in the company vehicle until needed. This allows the company to maintain its initial load of ammunition and even increase it during the low-intensity conflict (LIC) phase. Once defensive sectors are identified, another basic load can be brought forward with the Class IV. Two 60mm mortars can fire one basic load (350 rounds) in 9 minutes of sustained fire.

Conclusion

"Keep 'em trained, keep 'em supplied, and keep 'em shooting!"

FM 7-90, quoted earlier, truly centers on the benefits of having company mortars. Yet taking advantage of those mortars means that units have to train on using ALL their modes of employment, then identify which modes are best suited for the particular tactical situation. Even with the best training, however, those highly skilled mortar crews become moderately well-trained infantrymen when they run out of rounds. The 60mm mortar is a handy weapon, deadly in trained hands with a basic load of ammo. Empty, however, it makes a poor club.