A mortar is a type of smoothbore cannon that exclusively uses high-angle plunging fire. It is designed for indirect fire, with projectiles, technically known as bombs, that drop onto targets from above. Mortars are typically smaller, lighter weapon systems with a shorter range compared to other cannons.
Compared to howitzers, mortars have a shorter range, lack the ability to fire at a shallow angle, are generally lighter, and have smoothbore rather than rifled barrels. In contrast to cannons, mortars are solely indirect fire weapons, cannot shoot at a shallow angle, have less range, and take much longer to reach their targets, making them less effective against mobile targets.
Unlike rockets, mortars do not have an internal propulsion system. Instead, they use a propellant charge that deflagrates, creating high-pressure gases that push the bomb out of the mortar. However, there is one notable exception to this rule—rocket mortars. Particularly common during World War II, these mortars used rockets as ammunition, could be fired at shallower angles, and, in some cases, had rifled barrels, breaking with all the typical conventions of mortars.
General Info
Naval mortars were introduced into the game with the initial release of naval forces in patch Update 1.83 "Masters of the Sea". This update included various types of mortars, such as the Y-gun Mk.VII depth charge and mortar-launched WBG depth charges.
Mortars mounted on ground vehicles made their first appearance with the introduction of the Matilda Hedgehog in Update "New Power".
Usage of mortars in-game
Mortars offer a significant advantage in their ability to deliver large explosives on targets that are out of the line of sight. However, the high arc of fire comes with several drawbacks, making mortars highly situational. They require the target to be in an optimal position, demand significant lead time against moving targets, and rely on some luck, as mortars have spread and can be easily avoided by manoeuvring.
Mortars typically have only one type of ammunition available, which is usually either an impact high-explosive or a depth charge.
In naval battles, mortars are not affected by the "Highlight projectile fall point," "Highlight targeting point," or "Play buzzer sound when projectile hits the water" settings. There are no interface elements to assist in aiming.
In ground battles, the behaviour of mortars depends on the platform. The Matilda Hedgehog provides a text indicator showing the range at which rockets will land, such as "Hedgehog Rockets - 220m," but no other aiming assists are available. In contrast, the Churchill AVRE Petard allows players to control impact points using the "Sight distance control" hotkeys.
Decorations
In addition to the weapons, a number of mortar decorations were awarded. These have no active use in game, they are purely cosmetic items which can be placed on the vehicles.
Army
Bluewater fleet
Coastal fleet
