The M1 Mortar is an American 81mm mortar that fires specialized aerodynamic grenades at a steep angle for long range infantry support in combat. It was first used in World War II and served in the US Army until the 1950s when it was phased out by the lighter M29 Mortar. It has a range of about 4,000 yards and usually is crewed by five soldiers that can give it a sustained rate of fire of almost 16 rounds per minute.
The Type 63 Mortar is a Chinese copy of the American M2 Mortar. Its name comes from the length of the barrel, 63cm. It fires aerodynamic grenades in a steep arc to bombard targets from above without direct line of sight to the target. Usually operated by a four- or five-man crew, the mortar can be operated by as little as one soldier, as it weighs just 12.1kg (26.7lbs).
Battlefield Vietnam[]
The Mortar is used as an option for the Engineer kits. There are two models for the Mortar: one used by the US-aligned factions, and the other by the NVA-aligned factions. However, their stats are identical.
The Mortar is very useful in harassing enemies and providing support at long ranges, as the shell's explosive radius is quite large and can be fired at practically any position on the map. It can even be used against vehicles to some extent, if placed at an angle. It is also possible to use the mortar against helicopters, although a lot of practice is required.
The Mortar can be used together with Binoculars to bring up the Artillery interface, increasing its effectiveness.
The Mortar behaves like any other vehicle; it takes damage from enemy fire and explodes when its health is depleted (if a player was manning the mortar at the time, he will be killed as well). It can also be entered by any player and can be repaired and resupplied by ammo boxes.
The path taken by the mortar shell is less like an actual mortar and more like the high lob of a hand grenade. Visually, the shell never ascends higher than 1/3 of the way down the player's screen. It can be treated much like a fast-falling tank shell.
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World War II mod[]
In the World War II Mod, the Mortars from the base game are reissued to the Heavy Assault of both factions, instead of the Engineer, as their secondary equipment choice. The U.S. Marines use the US mortar from the base game, while the Japanese Imperial Army use the NVA mortar.
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