Updating 1940 Mortars to CoC²

The 'Phoney' War, October 1939 - May 1940: 8 inch howitzer of 1st Heavy Regiment, Royal Artillery camouflaged in position near Laquielle.

Image: IWM (O 170)

Mortars in Chain of Command² were one of the elements that underwent the most significant changes from the previous version (and better IMHO too). 

However the new rules rub up against the 1940 Blitzkrieg Handbook and their introduction of Fixed Line Telephones for most of the Allied forces. CoC² bombardment rules are applicable to late war usage where radio communication was more efficient and wide spread - not an option open to many of the early war combatants.

In summary here are the differences between 1940 rules and CoC² concerning Bombardments and their use of Forward Observers (FOs):

Feature	1940 Fixed Line Telephones	Version 2 Rules (General Mortar/FO)
Physical Location & Line of Sight	A FO model is placed on the table. Mortar fire may only be called on a point which the FO can see from their location/LOS. FO can be targetted	The FO sight is unlimited on the table. The FO is not physically on the table and can't be targetted or impacted in any way
Comms Type	Relies on fixed line telephones	Assumes radio contact unless specified otherwise
Movement restriction	Once a static observer is placed on the table he may not move without breaking contact with the mortars.	A FO with a radio is able to operate as covered in the main rules and may change position without affecting their link to the mortar battery
Re-establishing Contact	If the FO moves, the mortars cease fire immediately, and the FO may not attempt to re-establish contact until the next game Turn (representing the time required to run a fresh cable)	Not explicitly covered for radio equipped FOs but see Continuing a Bombardment on page 61
Activation	Only the FO may control mortar fire on a Command Dice of 1 (this was a change from original CoC rules at the time of publishing)	Only the FO may control mortar fire on a Command Dice of 1

So how do we reflect the limitations of a 1940 fixed telephone line Forward Observer (FO), who must be physically placed on the table, and the CoC² rules where the FO is not explicitly placed on the table?

In summary the 1940 fixed-line FO has the following constraints:

1. Immobility: Once the observer is placed on the table, he may not move without breaking contact.
2. Communication Breakdown Penalty: If the FO moves, the mortars cease fire immediately, and the observer may not attempt to re-establish contact until the next game Turn (to represent the time required to run fresh cable).
3. Targeting Restriction: Mortar fire may only be called on a point which the Observer Team can see from their location (Line of Sight, or LOS).

If the FO figure were moved off-table, these limitations would need to be translated into restrictions on a fixed observation point (FOP) or the support capability itself:

Updating 1940 Fixed Line Forward Observers (FO) with a Fixed Observation Point (FOP) The inability to move (Immobility and Communication Breakdown Penalty) can be represented by mandating a permanent fixed location on the battlefield for the FO's observation, even if the action FO figure is absent from the table: Designated FOP The player would designate a Fixed Observation Point (FOP), within 9" of a Jump Off Point. This point represents the location of the end of the telephone line. The FOP must adhere to standard deployment rules (e.g., in cover). Targeting Line of Sight (LOS) The rule that mortar fire may only be called on a point visible to the Observer Team would be rigorously enforced by checking LOS only from the designated FOP. If the FOP is obscured, the mortars cannot fire. Simulating Communication Breakdown and Vulnerability Since the physical FO cannot be targeted, the consequences of the fixed line being exposed or compromised can be abstracted: FOP Compromise and Capture If an enemy unit (e.g., a Scout Team or an infantry unit) moves to within 4 inches of the stationary FOP, the FOP is considered compromised and this would prevent the initiation of any bombardment. This would trigger the "cease fire immediately" penalty if an active bombardment was underway.    Battery fire could not be re-established until the next Turn after control of the FOP re-established. No Bad Thing occurs for the loss of a FOP. Moving a Fixed Observation Point (FOP) Moving a fixed telephone line during a firefight is not an easy task to accomplish, the old line has to be dismantled, a new line run out and established. To allow for strategic repositioning of the observation point (FOP) while adhering to this severe logistical constraint, the following mechanism is suggested: 1. Initiation:  The Fixed Observation Point (FOP) may only be relocated during the Turn End phase.   2. Cost:  To execute the redeployment, the controlling player must expend a full Chain of Command Dice (6 points). This represents dedicating significant effort and resources (like Engineers or command attention) to run fresh telephone cable. 3. Movement   The FOP marker is immediately placed in a new location, up to 12" away from its previous position. The new location must adhere to standard deployment rules (e.g., in cover). 4. Communication Blackout Penalty Due to the time required to re-establish and register new fixed lines, the FO and its associated mortar battery are declared Unavailable for the entirety of the subsequent Game Turn.  During this Unavailable Turn, the player cannot attempt to activate the FO or call in any type of off-table fire (Bombardment, SOS Fire, or Smoke Barrage) from that battery. 5. Re-establishment The FO is automatically ready to observe and be activated again at the start of the Turn after next.

In summary, an off-table fixed-line FO in the 1940 context would function as a relatively immobile, vulnerable observation marker that requires explicit LOS from its fixed location, and would find it difficult to relocate its initial observation point during the game.

Anyway, just some suggestions on applying new rules to the 1940 rules and trying to "play the period".

Thoughts and comments appreciated as always