SMOKEGRENADES IN FALKLANDWAR

[Jeff Conner]

There is a difference between smoke grenades and smoke rounds. Smoke grenades do not count against the smoke allowance and do not need an allowance to be used. Smoke rounds, however, do have count against the allowance and once it goes to zero, can no longer be used. There is a limit on smoke rounds to simulate the lack of this type of ammo as well as for play balance purposes.

British platoons primarily used the 2" mortar to place smoke rounds and not to try and suppress the enemy with HE rounds. Some parachute and marine units had swapped the 2" mortar for M-79 grenade launchers, but with the same function. The Argentinian army did not have a dedicated smoke round launcher, but had 81mm mortars at the company level that could provide a smoke screen if necessary and if they had the ammo at hand. Since logistics was not an Argentinian strongpoint, they usually have a much lower allowance.