Yes, thats how I see it, too.
But thereīs a FAQ answer that declares you would need 3 guys with their combined actions to fire the mortar.
That meaning if the spotter moves or is killer you need one action more to fire and lose a shot.
I canīt imagine that this should be correct. The spotter simply has nothing to do with the firing.....
there are actually clarifications for the spotter to join the crewmen.....
This would oppose the 3 guys to fire declaration....
One could also argue that if you don't have the spotter doing his job, the gunner has to look around to spot a target, decide what adjustments have to be made to the mortar to drop a round on the target, and then do his job (adjusting the mortar to hit the target) to fire the mortar. Loss of 1 action.
I agree with above. Since it is a crew of three firing the motar, I would believe they would be cross trained to do each others job. That is how it is done IMHO. The loss of the action(s) due to crew loss reflects the extra time needed to do the same job short handed. The crew would move back and forth from position to position to accomplish the fire mission. On person can fire the mortar, spot the round etc. It would be less effeicent than with three crew members.
Page 138: Firing Mortars
Q: How do the actions of mortar teams work? If the spotter moves three times, can the crew then fire
three times using the LOS of the spotter?
A: The team must use their actions like a vehicle crew. All must use their first action before any of them
may use a second. It takes all three of crewman to fire the weapon with their first action.
If a crewman is missing, the remaining two crewmen may do nothing with their first action except
move the mortar, or prepare the weapon for firing short handed.
If there are two crewmen missing, the remaining crewman may do nothing with his first and second
action except prepare the gun for firing. He may not move the mortar alone.
Models that elect to spend actions doing something else are unable to assist in the firing process,
and thus the crew must continue short handed as above. LOS is determined from the gun and not the
spotter in any case. Only a forward observer may direct speculative fire attacks.