Again, the Mak mortars were firing north toward the NLA forces. Krivenik was north of the mortars and behind the NLA positions. The NLA was south of Krivenik, i.e. in between the Maks and Krivenik, and firing south at the Mak forces. The most likely scenario is that the Maks either accidentally overshot the NLA & hit Krivenik or else deliberately fired into Kosovo at what they thought were NLA movement vicinity Krivenik.
Your premise that the NLA set up a 120mm mortar weighing 250 pounds with a minimum range of 500 (600?) meters inside the village and fired it without the KFOR troops in the village noticing and with the rounds landing inside its minimum range is not sustainable.
As to your conerns about high angle and low angle you simply have the definition wrong. Low angle fires are all those artillery, rocket, or mortar fires with a tube angle of less than 45 degrees. High angle is greater than 45. Since the M74 tube cannot be depressed lower than 45 degrees, all its rounds would be high angle fire and the crater analysis would be based on that.
A couple other things that you might want to consider. Check out what was stamped on the mortar tail fins: M74 & MK. What kind of mortars did the Maks have? What country in the very, very, very near area has the initials MK?
What is this, repetition of Roland Missiles "made in 2003", found in Iraq by the Poles?
According to the NATO report, KLA used ammo from VJ stocks in Macedonia, ammo pilfered from KFOR stocks and ammmo from different sources. The serial numbers had to be checked.Even if MK indeed means Macedonia (could be) it does not mean that it was fired by ARM. If KLA can pilfer KFOR stocks, they can pilfer Macedonian as well :-)
>>>>Your premise that the NLA set up a 120mm mortar weighing 250 pounds with a minimum range of 500 (600?) meters inside the village and fired it without the KFOR troops in the village noticing and with the rounds landing inside its minimum range is not sustainable.<<<<<
An M74 120-mm mortar is designed as a mountain weapon, capable of being towed on a two-wheeled cart ((STRATFOR)
The minimum range of M74 is 265m
NOT 500-600 as you claim.
You are again caught with your hands in the cookie jar. Did not your Mom teach you "Liar liar pants on fire"
KLA /NLA could set M74 mortar up and tow it afterwards. M74 was designed as partisan warfare weapon. Yugoslavia was NOT WARSZAW PACT country and all her weapons were designed for easy carrying/towing/hit and run dissasembly
>>> As to your conerns about high angle and low angle you simply have the definition wrong. Low angle fires are all those artillery, rocket, or mortar fires with a tube angle of less than 45 degrees. High angle is greater than 45. Since the M74 tube cannot be depressed lower than 45 degrees, all its rounds would be high angle fire and the crater analysis would be based on that.
Of course, majority of mortars do not have capability to elevate tube lower than 40-45 deg (American 120mm has 40 deg) But it does not mean that there is no difference in crater made from round falling at high angle from nearby location and other coming from 5200m away.
As of why nobody paid attention? People are lazy, that's why. Does not mean theat they will not after reading this post. It will be owing to you. Perhaps your superiors will give you a raise.