TECHNIQUES
F-69.Techniques of fire include assault fire; overhead fire; and fire from a defilade position. Only automatic rifles use assault fire.
ASSAULT FIRE
F-70.Automatic riflemen use assault fire when in close combat. Assault fire involves firing without the aid of sights using the hip, shoulder, and underarm positions. The underarm position is best when rapid movement is required. In all three positions, automatic riflemen adjust their fire by observing the tracer and impact of the bullets on the target area. Additional considerations for automatic riflemen using assault fire include:
- Maintaining alignment with the rest of the assault element.
- Reloading rapidly.
- Aiming low and adjusting the aim upward toward the target.
- Distributing fires across the objective when not engaging enemy automatic weapons.
OVERHEAD FIRE
F-71.Gunners can use overhead fire when there is sufficient low ground between the machine gun and target area of the maneuver friendly forces. A machine gun on a tripod is capable of delivering this type of fire because of the small and uniform dispersion of the cone of fire. Gunners must estimate accurately range to the target and establish a safety limit imaginary line parallel to the target where fire would cause casualties to friendly Soldiers. Gun crews and leaders must be aware of this safety limit. Leaders must designate signals for lifting or shifting fires. Gunners should not attempt overhead fires if the terrain is level or slopes uniformly, if the barrel is badly worn, or if visibility is poor.
Gunner’s Rule
F-72.The gunner’s rule can be applied when the friendly troops are at least 350 meters in front of the gun position and range to the target is 850 meters or less. (See figure F-17.) The rule follows:
- Lay the gun on the target with the correct sight setting to hit the target.
- Without disturbing the lay of the gun, set the rear sight at a range of 1600 meters.
- Look through the sights and notice where the new line of aim strikes the ground. This is the limit of troop safety. When the feet of the friendly troops reach this point, fire must be lifted or shifted.
Figure F-17. Application of gunner’s rule
Leader’s Rule
F-73.When the range to the target is greater than 850 meters, overhead fire should be delivered only in an emergency. Even then, fire should extend only to a range at which the tracers or strike of the bullets can be seen by the gunner. In this situation the leader’s rule applies. (See figure F-18.) The platoon or section leader uses the leader’s rule only when the target is greater than 850 meters. The rule follows─
- Select a point on the ground where it is believed friendly troops can advance with safety.
- Determine the range to this point by the most accurate means available.
- Lay the gun on the target with the correct sight setting to hit the target.
- Without disturbing the lay of the gun, set the rear sight to 1600 meters or the range to the target plus 500 meters, whichever is the greater of the two ranges? Under no conditions should the sight setting be less than 1500 meters.
- Note the point where the new line of aim strikes the ground:
- If it strikes at the selected point, that point marks the limit of safety.
- If it strikes short of the selected point, it is safe for troops to advance to the point where the line of aim strikes the ground and to an unknown point beyond. If fire is called for after friendly troops advance farther than the point where the line of aim strikes the ground, this farther point is determined by testing new selected points until the line of aim and selected point coincide.
- If it clears the selected point, it is safe for troops to advance to the selected point and to an unknown point beyond. If it is advantageous to have troops advance beyond the selected point, this farther point must be determined by testing new selected points until the line of aim and selected point coincide. This point marks the line of safety.
Figure F-18. Application of leader’s rule
FIRE FROM A DEFILADE POSITION
F-74.Defilade positions protect gunners from frontal or enfilading fires. (See figure F-19.) Cover and concealment may not provide the gunner a view of some or all of the target area. In this instance, some other member of the platoon or squad must observe the impact of the rounds and communicate adjustments to the gunner. (See figure F-20.) Gunners and leaders must consider the complexity of laying on the target. They also must take into account the gunner’s inability to make rapid adjustments to engage moving targets, the ease with which targets are masked, and difficulty in achieving grazing fires for an FPL.
Figure F-19. Defilade positions
Figure F-20. Observer adjusting fire
