Detached mortars and infantry guns - still fire support?

[Major SNAFU_M]

So I can't tell if I have this right or not.

I separate off the mortars and IGs from a few Battalions prior to attack so I can put them in some good spots. Since I ordered them individually, they are now detached. In this state will they still conduct fire missions in support of the original battalion? If I reattach them, the AI has a tendency to move them.

[Lieste]

If they are given 'defend' orders they will enter the support queue as 'on-call' support - this will not be dedicated support to the parent battalion, but it will still offer support to that battalion if it remains in firing range - where a bombarding unit is short-ranged, and troops not very densely packed each mortar Bty will not have a great many choices as to which elements it supports, so most of the time if you position the mortar 'near' the range limit for it's own immediate objectives (not too far forwards) then it will only be able to support it's own troops.

If you want them to be continue firing under AI control then leave them alone, except to sometimes move their location to track the changes in FLOT. If you want to order a particular fire-strike in support of troops and then revert to AI control then either uncheck 'rest after bombard' or re-confirm the defend order on completion.

The same 'support anyone in range' applies with the unit still in the Bn also - unless you explicitly select 'direct support only', where the only spotter can be from the parent HQ it's companies.