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These have no combat capability.

While there are very light mortars in RHS which have no apparent combat capability - US 60mm and UK 2 inch mortars come to mind - even so it is probably that ALL army weapons have effect in ground combat. They participate in several senses: they contribute to squad count and they contribute to firepower calculations, at a minimum.

The 15 cm Japanese mortar is not in that category: it, and the 81 mm Japanese mortars (there are two flavors, long and short, the latter organic to infantry formations), and some very heavy mortars, are formed into artillery battalions or regiments. In order that these be able to bombard, I had to insure certain values made code happy - and I did so. For example, the 15 cm mortar should have range = 2, but it has range = 3, so it will work with code. There are also minimum values for effect. Code conducts "tests" before allowing bombardment, and you must pass every test, or no go.
One of those tests is "is an enemy unit in the hex?" If not, you won't see a bombardment option highlighted. There are other tests I cannot control - they depend on your situation: for example probably there is a supply test. But under controlled test conditions, I can show these devices can work.

In the past there were releases of RHS where Japanese mortar units would never bombard - and it took some effort to change that. But even so, they probably always have "combat capability" insofar as they participate in ground combat in the hex. I don't think there is any way to prevent that. Even a labor squad with zero firepower participates in ground combat - and I wish it didn't!

I have a full-strength 150mm mortar battalion in Manila/Cavite (Allied-controlled and occupied), but the only combat option I have for it is defend.

It happens. You have failed some code test, and I don't know which? But unless this is an old release, the 150 regiments will bombard on occasion.

That smells like an editor value problem.

It can be. And it was at one time. Actually - there are three different tests related to values you set in the editor. So you can fail a test if the range is too small, if the effect is too small, and one other thing I don't remember off the top of my head. The minimum range = 3 (which is to say 3000 yards). The minimum effect = 5. If I remember correctly. No one could tell me these values - but once I was told there were such values - I was able to discover them by testing. Which is how I know I did discover them - because I got the devices to work.

As part of the final phase of testing of x.786 scenarios, I took a set of units with

150 mm mortars
90 mm mortars
81 mm mortars

and

32 cm mortars

and put them all at Hong Kong.

All were in supply via Canton, all had an enemy in the hex (the Hong Kong garrison), and all had a proper command and LOC to that command.

All had the ability to bombardment attack as an option.

I also put the first rapid fire gun battalion in the hex - and while it cannot bombardment attack, it has the option of deliberate attack or shock attack.