Contact!

by Max Velocity

  F&M Technique: when fire and maneuvering, the whole idea is to make it as hard as possible for the enemy to hit you. When working with a buddy or larger team, you should keep the shouted commands to a minimum. The movement should be a flow that you get in to. Once you are in a fire position and engaging the enemy, shout “MOVE” and your buddy will move. He will also know that you are firing so he will know to move. He will then get down, shout “MOVE” and it’s your turn. The procedure for moving is as follows:

   Identify your next piece of cover.

   Crawl out of your cover, to the side or rear.

   Get up and rapidly dash forward, randomly zigzagging about.

   No more than 5-10 yards, 3 to 5 seconds: “I’m up, he sees me, I’m down.”

   Crawl into cover.

   Engage the enemy.

  If you are static in a fire position for any period of time, beyond the time taken for a normal bound, then you should move your position every time you have fired a few rounds, just slightly, by crawling back and popping up again at a slightly new place. The main effort of all these procedures is to make it hard for the enemy to ‘get a bead’ on you. You are trying to foil his attempts. Don’t get up, or keep popping up, where he expects your head to be. The main interruptions to F&M are the following:

   “STOPPAGE!” – go firm in cover and clear the stoppage, buddy keeps firing.

   “MAGAZINE!” – (“RELOADING!” Is sometimes used) change magazines in cover. Buddy keeps firing. To simplify this even more, just use “STOPPAGE” to cover any weapon stoppage, including magazine changes

   “MAN DOWN!” – Casualty. Maintain fire superiority.

   “BACK IN!” – To notify your buddies once you resume firing.

  Depending on the volume of the effective enemy fire that you may be experiencing, which is directly related to the success of your attempts to gain fire superiority, will determine how you move. On open ground, there may be little utility to crawling, if you are in open view, and you may be better rapidly fire and maneuvering over it, perhaps even just taking a kneeling fire position. Speed and volume of fire may be your friend under those circumstances.

  However, when there is heavy enemy fire you will likely end up crawling, unless you can get in some cover that will allow you to move, such as dead ground or a ditch. If you find yourself ‘pinned down’ then it is important that you locate the enemy and return fire. You need to return fire to allow movement, even if it is just crawling out of there. ‘Winning the Fire Fight’, which is gaining fire superiority, will take courage under effective enemy fire. On a first contact with green troops, heavy effective enemy fire may create a freeze response in the team and they may take cover and not return fire. Leadership will come into play, and the personal courage to get your head up and return fire. Try and train to drill a response that will break the freeze; more on that later.

  Returning briefly to the studies showing that many people do not return fire in battle, because of the innate resistance to killing another person, this can reflect in many ways, some of which will help you. Volume of fire does not equate to effective fire. The enemy to be afraid of is the one who carefully lines you up in his rifle sights and takes your team down one round at a time. There may be none of these, or one of these, in the enemy force. Often, seen for example in Afghan tribal type engagements, the fire is mainly not accurate. In these sorts of fights it is often amazing how no-one, or at least not more people, get hit despite a huge noise and volume of fire. Many of them will be firing high, on automatic, and without correct aiming. These types of engagements are decided more on a psychological basis, a sort of moral supremacy, of which side felt it came of worse and makes the decision to withdraw. This does not mean that anyone caught will not be savagely mutilated and killed, it’s just that these engagements can be decided more by posturing than actual effective fire and numbers killed. Some people are firing because the group is firing and they are not really making a great effort to kill anyone.

  Think about a hunter shooting a deer. An accurate powerful round is used that will kill the deer, likely a similar caliber round that will be used when that same hunter becomes a post-event survivor, possibly if his shooting is actually good enough he will become a sharpshooter (sniper if his patience and field craft are good enough). Think about being against that guy with his rifle and scope? Terrifying. But a lot depends on him. A firefight is not target shooting. People are moving, taking cover, firing back.

  The point is that often the expected potential effectiveness of the available weapon systems does not work out that way, with an enemy force wiped out by ‘one round one kill’. It is a minority of people that are the cold blooded killers. Many will find other things to do in the battle, or fire in the general direction of the enemy, or not fire at all. None of it is cut and dried, which is why not as many are killed in combat as you would think.

  How to put this concept into words? In a place like Afghanistan or Iraq, sometimes fire can be coming in around an element, and there can be a great deal of it, but it is mostly not effective and may even be at extreme range. It’s almost like the weather. Sometimes someone will be hit, other times you get those stories about rounds passing through clothing and equipment; but the reason that coalition forces are able to operate in such environments without more casualties is due to the great ineffectiveness of much of the fire. This is also not just about the use of armored vehicles, although it helps survivability: many coalition forces have been cutting about in open vehicles, with minimal armor and surviving such ‘lead rain’ quite well. The other side of this is that when the enemy really knows what it is doing, and is composed of seasoned fighters, then expect effective fire that will kill.

  Bounding Over-watch: This tactic is essentially the same as F&M, except that it applies when enemy contact is likely or imminent, but has not yet begun. Supporting elements are placed in an over-watch position to cover movement with potential fire support. This is sometimes termed ‘dry fire and movement’. An element will ‘go firm’ in a location while another moves, then vice versa. This may be done at a running speed, or at patrolling pace, depending on the situation and the likelihood of enemy contact. It is normally conducted at a patrol pace, which is a steady walk, and unlike fire and movement can be conducted over longer distances, with much greater distances between bounds: you are simply making sure you have a covering group deployed while you move forwards.

  Hard Targeting: this is a technique that a team can apply if they think that the threat is high enough (i.e. sniper etc.) when entering or exiting certain locations – which could be one of the gates of your defended location. Individuals burst out at a running pace, zigzagging about, for a certain distance and then resume a patrolling pace. If contact occurs, then they will go straight into fire and movement and seek cover. Hard

  Figure 2 - Bounding Over-Watch

  targeting can also be done when breaking cover on a patrol or advance to contact, perhaps when you have to leave the protection of a wood line to continue the movement. You can hard target out and then resume your patrol pace if no contact occurs.

  Figure 3 - Travelling Over-watch

  Mobile (or Travelling) Over-watch: This is where covering elements do not go firm, but rather the whole formation is mobile. This can be with dismounted teams or while mounted in vehicles. A tactical bound is maintained between elements; with the idea being that one element will not be caught in the same effective fire as the other, but will be able to support the other element by fire.

  Security: Due to the 360 degree nature of the threat, security sectors must protect all round the unit. It is easy for individuals to become focused (tunnel vision) on the direction of enemy fire. Complex attacks may involve firing points from multiple directions and attacks from the flank and rear. Difficult though it is, team leaders should counter this by assigning personnel to cover the flank and rear as part of their sectors of fire.

  Accordingly, 360 de
gree security is an integral part of operations, while mobile and while halted. Sectors need to be assigned so that ‘all round defense’ is achieved, utilizing mutual support to tie in the arcs of fire of weapons systems. This applies to mounted and dismounted movement and halts. Mounted and dismounted formations are utilized in accordance with these principles and the particular configuration employed will depend on the ground and situation.

  Maneuver Techniques

  The following are some techniques that can be employed to conduct F&M and bounding over-watch. These techniques need to be practiced and adapted to the particular unit or team; the key point is the application of the principle of F&M – there are many ways to conduct the specifics. F&M is primarily thought of as a method to move forward and close with the enemy. However, F&M is used for any maneuver of elements on the battlefield while in contact; this means that it will also be used to maneuver to the flanks and rear. In the context of this instruction, F&M will most likely be used to move away from the enemy, either to the flanks, rear, or along an escape route

  Successive Bounds: This is where elements are maneuvering; the first element makes a bound while the second element provides supporting fire to cover the movement. The first element ‘goes firm’ and provides supporting fire for the second element to move. With successive bounds, the second moving element moves up level with the first element. The second element never goes past the first, just moving up level.

  Figure 4 - Successive Bounds

  Alternate Bounds: This technique varies from successive bounds because the second element moves up past the first element. The elements do not move in front of each other, this would mask fire and lead to fratricide; they remain side by side but ‘leapfrog’ past each other.

  Figure 5 - Alternate Bounds

  Note: Alternate Bounds contain the potential for bounds to get too long, but the technique covers the ground faster. Successive bounds are safer in close contact: “I’m up, he sees me, I’m down.” Note also that these bounds may be completed at the crawl, not always up and running, depending on weight of enemy fire

  Peeling: This simple but highly effective technique is mainly used to move to the flank; elements or individuals are in line facing the enemy threat and will ‘peel out’ to either the left or right. This is a good technique for moving along a linear feature, such as a road or ditch, while producing maximum suppressive fire. It can also be used as a method of moving to the rear (i.e. if the unit was contacted from the front while in a file formation), but in that case because the team will be in line (single or double file) the firepower generated to the front is limited. However, if there are enemy on both sides of the road, the technique can be used from the file with individuals peeling from one end of the formation, down the center (‘down the tunnel’), to the other end, thus moving the formation out along the linear feature while generating maximum suppressive fire towards the enemy on both sides: this is known as a ‘center peel’.

  Figure 6 - Peeling to the Right

  With the peel, when the formation needs to move right, individuals or elements will move from the left side, behind the formation, and peel back in on the right. The opposite for moving left. As each individual passes the next man, who will be providing suppressive fire, he shouts something along the lines of “Move!” or “Last man!” or kicks his foot etc., in order to ensure that the next man knows to move.

  The technique is a flow of constant fire and movement. It can also be used, for example, as a way of moving to a flank out of an area of open ground to cover, when contacted by an enemy to the front.

  Angles of Fire & Flanking

  Never underestimate the power of moving to the enemies flank. When conducting F&M, you will be moving in an imaginary ‘lane’. As you get closer to the enemy, you will start to obscure each other’s fields of fire as one buddy moves forward of the other. If you are spaced correctly apart, this effect will be reduced. The best way to assault an enemy is with the fire support element at a 90 degree angle to the assaulting element. This will mean that the assaulting element does not get in the arcs of fire of the supporting element until they actually get onto the position, at which point the supporting fire element will simply switch their fire away to either the left or right depending on the side which the assault element is coming in from.

  By maneuvering to the flank you can also gain tactical surprise, regain the initiative and gain psychological advantage over the enemy; doing this can gain you a psychological victory where you break the enemy’s cohesion and will to fight, causing them to flee or withdraw. There will be more on the specific tactics of maneuvering to the flank later. Consider that if you are engaged and you leave a fire support element in place, then you take a concealed route to the enemies flank with an element of your group, you will allow your fire support element to continue to engage the enemy as you maneuver onto the position.

  You will also tactically surprise the enemy and this is where the psychological element also comes in. The enemy will be unbalanced by your flanking move and will fear being cut off, ‘rolled up’ and overrun. If you continue to keep the pressure on and assault towards the enemy, you will either cause them to flee, surrender, or continue to fight on so that you have to fight through and clear the position, in which case you will at least have the benefit of the 90 degree assault/fire support angle to give you maximum protection as you close with the position.

  Tactical Terrain Terms

  It is important to develop an infantryman’s eye for the ground. When you are driving about, you won’t be thinking about how pretty it all looks, rather, you will be noticing the way the ground is shaped and how there are certain folds, dips and higher areas. You should think, for example, what if there were an enemy position on that spur, how would I approach it? How does the ground shape and what does it give me in terms of routes to the enemy position. Look at the ground in terms of how is a shaped and see the nuances of rises and hollows that will perhaps give cover from enemy fire.

  Forward slope: this is the part of the hill that slopes down towards the direction of the enemy. It is very good for defender’s fields of fire and observation and makes the enemy attack uphill, but it allows the defenders on the slope to be exposed to enemy direct fire and observed indirect fire.

  Direct fire is fire, such as rifle fire, that goes directly from A to B in a flat trajectory.

  Indirect fire is fire, such as mortar fire, that goes up and down: this means that it can be fired over terrain features. If fired over a terrain feature, such as from one valley to another, it requires an observer to be able to see the target and communicate adjustments to the firing line.

  Reverse slope: this is the part of the hill that slopes down away the direction of the enemy. It would mean that the enemy has to come over the crest and then attack you. It limits defenders fields of fire and observation and allows the enemy to attack down towards you, but it puts the high ground in the way and thus shields you from direct fire, and indirect fire would need to be observed. Reverse slopes are often considered better than forward slopes for defensive positions in conventional warfare where the enemy is equipped with artillery and mortars.

  Counter-Slope: This is a combination forward and reverse slope: you are on the reverse side of the hill, but the ground slopes back up again, giving you a mini-forward slope. Ideal.

  Enfilade Fire: this is fire that strikes the enemy from the flank. Imagine the trenches in the First World War: a line of advancing enemy infantry. Imagine firing a machine gun along that line from the side (flank): the stream of rounds would be best positioned to hit multiple enemies along the line, with minor traverses of the weapon. Imagine that same line of enemies advancing straight on to you: coming right at you your rounds would pass through the line and beyond; you would have to traverse the weapon considerably to encompass the enemy within the stream of rounds. You will engage the enemy with enfilade fire from a defilade position.

  Defilade: a position from which the enemy can
only engage you with direct fire, and observed indirect fire, when they are in your killing area. This means that as you are set up to hit the enemy from the flank, you will be tucked in behind a fold of ground, maybe in the side of a draw, so the enemy can’t see you before they appear in your killing area, when you hit them from the flank with enfilade fire. The idea is that they are advancing in a direction and you set up to hit them from the flank of their line of march, from defilade. This is the survival tactic for anti-armor troops in a general war scenario: the anti-tank weapons will be set up in defilade positions so that they engage the enemy from the flank (due to the weaker armor on the flank and rear of battle tanks and armored vehicles) and the enemy can’t see them or return fire until they are in the killing area. Imagine you were set to take out the school bully. You know that in the playground he can take you down easy. So you get your baseball bat and wait round the corner of the alley. He can’t see you until he is in view from the alley i.e. in your killing area, whereupon you whack him on the head with your baseball bat from the side (flank) i.e. with an enfilade bat strike.

  Dead ground: This is positional related. From the position of the observer, whether you or the enemy, some ground will be unable to be seen. The ground on the other side of a ridge is an example. However, going back to the idea of having a soldiers eye for the ground, this can be very nuanced and slight slopes in the ground or shapes in fields, draws and small valleys can provide dead ground in which you or the enemy could move or hide. An example could be the way some road medians are shaped. They may be wide grassy expanses, devoid of any cover, but when viewed from the enemy who may be to the side of the road, the shape of the way the median slopes, often down to a central lower drainage, would put you in dead ground to an enemy ambush to the side of the road, perhaps in such a way that you would be able to crawl out if stuck there.