wd-bfm v3p5 - combat practice firing 1932.pdf

7/25/2019 WD-BFM v3p5 - Combat Practice Firing 1932.pdf

1/34

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IC

F

IE

LD

M

NU

L

Vol

ume

III

B

SIC

W

E P

ONS

PAR

T

FIVE

C

OMB

AT

PRAC

TICE

FIRI

NG

Pre

pared

un

der

direct

ion o

f

the

C

hief

of Infantr

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NITED

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INTING

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932

For

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by

theSuperintendent

o

Documents

Washington

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3/34

C:

WA

R DEPARTM

ENT,

WASHINGTO

N

May

26 1

932.

Part Five,

Combat

Pract

ice Firing,

Basic F

ield

Man

ual,

Volume

III Basic We

apons, is p

ublished for the

inform

ation

and

guidance of

a

ll concerned.

[A.

G 062.11

4-13-3

1).]

Y

OEDEE OF THE SECR

ETARY OF

W B

DOUG

LAS M

AcARTHUR

,

Genera

l

Chief

of Staff.

OF

FICIAL

0. H. BRIDG

ES,

Major

Ge

neral

The

Adjutant

General.

n


4/34

L

IST O

F FIELD

M

ANUAL

S

A

M

ANUAL

FOR

COMMAN

DERS

OF LAR

GE

U

NITS.

M

. C

L.

U.)

V

ol.

I. A

guide

fo

r command

ers a

nd

sta

ffs

for tacti

cal

o

perations

of

large

units.

II.

A

guide

for t

he adm

inistratio

n

o

f

large

un

its in a t

heater of oper

ations.

ST

A FF

OFFIC

ERS' FIEL D

M AN U A

L. S.

O. F. M

.)

Staff

p

rinciples

and fu

nctions a

pplicable t

o th

e

sta

ffs of

all uni

ts, to

gether

w

ith pertin

ent refere

nce

d

ata.

BASIC

FIELD

MAN

UALS.

B.

F. M.)

Train

ing,

administ

rative,

and

ref

erence data appl

icable

to

more

tha

none

arm,

w

ith

spec

ial

reference

to the small

er un

its.

Vol.

I.

F.

S.

P. The

individual.

II.

I.

D. R

. Drill

,

dismount

ed

cerem

onies and

inspectio

ns; the infan

try pack, dis

play

of equi

pment, an

d tent

drill.

III.

B

.

W

.) Marks

manship

and

m

echanical

traini

ng of th

e

rifle

,

automa

tic rifle, pistol,

ma

chine

gun,

37-mm.

gun, 3

-inch

trench

mortar

,

bayo

net, a

nd

grenadeins

truction,

techniq

ue of fire

37-mm

. g

un,

3-inch

trench

mortar,

a

nd

machin

e

gu

n) musketry

and com

bat pra

ctice of sm

all u

nits; I

nstrumen

ts.

IV.

S.

C. Signal

regulations and

tech

nical

informat

ion ne

eded

by

officers

and e

nlisted

men on s

ignal

commun

ications

dut

y

of

arms ot

her tha

n

the

Signal Corp

s.

V.

T.) Eq

uitation

,

tr

aining rem

ounts, us

e

and

care

of animals

,

and of animal-

drawn,

pack, motor

and

tracto

r transpo

rt.

VI.

A. K

.) Army

regulatio

ns

es

sential to

small un

its.

V

II.

M.

L. The

Man

ual

for Courts-M

artial,

Including

the Articles

of

War;

the

Kules

ofLand

War

fare, inclu

ding

recent co

nventions

rela

tive

t

o the sick

an

d wou

nded of

armies in

the

fie

ld,

and

to

prison

ers of

w

ar;

an epitom

e of

the

le

gal princ

iples

applicab

le to

milita

ry forces

w

hen aid

ing the c

ivil powe

r.

VIII.

O.

C

A.

The pri

nciples, doc

trines, an

d met

hods go

verning

the

ta

ctical em

ployment

of

combine

d

ar

ms

with refer

ence

to

the sma

ll units.

Ill


5/34

IV

LIST

OF

FIELD

MANUALS

FIELD MANUALS

FOR THE ARMS

The

manual

for each arm

contains primarily the

principles

doctrines

and

methods

governing

the

employment

of

that

arm

and

pertinent

refere

nce

data.

I

nfantry

Field

Manual.

I.

F.

M.)

Vol I.

II

Cavalry Field

Manual. C.

F M.)

Field

Artillery Field M

anual.

F. A.

F. M.)

V

ol I.

I

I

Coast

Artillery

Field

Manual. C. A. F. M.)

Vol

II

Air

Co

rps Field

Manual.

A.

C F. M

.)

Engineer

Field

Man

ual. E. F. M.)

Vol I.

II

Signal

Corps

Field M

anual.

S. C F.

M

.)

V

ol

I

I

I


6/34

F

O

R

W

O

R

B

as

ic

F

iel

d

M

an

ua

l

V

olu

m

e

I

II

Ba

si

c

W

ea

po

n

s

w

ill

be

p

ub

li

sh

ed

in

six

p

a

rts

a

s fo

llo

w

s:

P

A B

T O

N E

R

if

le

co

mp

an

y.

Ea

ch

ch

ap

te

r

of

P

a

rt

On

e

w

il

l

b

e p

u

bli

sh

ed

a

s

se

pa

ra

te

p

am

p

hl

et

.)

C

h

ap

te

r 1

R

ifl

e

m

ar

ks

m

an

sh

ip

.

2

Autom atic

rifle

marksmanship.

3

A

u

tom

a

tic

pi

sto

l

m

ark

sm

a

ns

hi

p.

4

I

ns

tr

uc

tio

n

w

ith

t

he

b

ay

on

et

.

5

In

str

uc

ti

on

w

i

th

ha

n

d

an

d

ri

fle

gr

en

ad

es

.

6

M

us

ke

tr

y.

P

A B

T

Tw

o.

F

ire

-c

on

tr

ol

in

str

um

e

nt

s.

C

h

ap

te

r

1 M

ac

hi

ne

-g

un

i

ns

tru

m

en

ts

.

2

37

-m

m

. g

u

n

an

d

3

-i

nc

h tr

en

ch

m

ort

ar

in

st

ru

ments.

3

Ca

re

r

ep

ai

r

an

d

ad

ju

stm

e

nt

o

f

in

str

um

e

nt

s.

PA

BT

TH

B

EE

M

a

ch

in

e-g

un

co

mp

an

y.

C

h

ap

te

r

1

M

ec

ha

n

ica

l

tra

in

in

g

w

it

h

the

m

a

ch

in

e

gu

n.

2

M

ac

hi

ne

-g

un

m

a

rk

sm

an

sh

ip

.

3 T

ec

hn

iq

ue

of

m

a

ch

in

e-g

u

n

fir

e.

4

B

ar

ra

ge

s

a

nd

co

nc

en

tr

ati

on

s.

PA

S

T FO

U R

H

ow

it

ze

r

co

m

pa

ny

.

C

ha

pt

er

1 M

e

ch

an

ic

al

tra

in

in

g

w

it

h th

e

37

-m

m

.

g

un

a

nd

th

e

3

-i

nc

h t

re

nc

h m

o

rta

r.

2 3

7-

mm

.

gu

n

a

na

th

e

3-

in

ch

t

ren

c

h

m

or

ta

r

m

a

rk

sm

an

sh

ip

.

3

T

ec

hn

iq

ue

of

t

he

37

-m

m.

g

un

a

n

d th

e

3

-i

nc

h

t

re

nc

h

m

o

rt

ar

fir

e.

PA

R

T

F

IV

E C

om

b

at

p

ra

ct

ic

e

fir

in

g.

Chapter

1

General.

2

R

ifl

e

c

om

pa

ny

.

3

M

ac

hi

ne

-gu

n

c

om

p

an

y.

4

H

o

w

itz

er

co

m

pa

ny

.

P

A B

T

Si

x.

A

nt

iai

rc

ra

ft

m

a

rk

sm

a

ns

hi

p

In

fa

nt

ry

we

ap

on

s.

Ch

a

pte

r

1

. G

e

ne

ra

l.

2.

R

ifle

a

nd

a

u

tom

a

tic

ri

fle

.

3 .

M

ac

hin

e

g

un

,

ca

lib

er

.

30

.

v


7/34


8/34

TA

BLE

OP

CONTENTS

Paragraphs

Pages

C H P T E R

1

General.

SECTI O

N

I.

General

_ _ _

1 7 1 3

II. Ranges

_____________

______ 8-12

3- 6

III.

onduct of training ____________

13-18

6-12

\XCHAPTBE 2 R

ifle

compan

y.

S E C T I O N

I

General__-_L-l_

___________ 19-22

12,13

II.

Sug

gested situations for

problems__ 2

3-26

13-16

V C H P T E R 3

Ma

chine-gun

company ^

S E C T I O N I. General__

___JL_ _____

27-30 17,18

II. Suggested situati

ons

fo

r

problem

s 31-34

18,19

C H P

T E R

4 Howitzer co

mpany.

S E C T I O N

I.

e n e r a l

35-37 20

II. Suggested

situations for p rob l ems

38-41 21-23

Y


9/34

B SIC

FIELD M NU L

VOLUME III

BASIC

WEAPONS

PART FIVE

COMBAT PRACTICE FIRING

(The matter contained herein supersedes TR 210-20, June 6, 1923

(including

01,

February

15,

1926,

and

02,

January 2,

1929).)

CHAPTER I

GENERAL

Paragraphs

SECTION I.

G e n e r a l _ _ _ _

1- 7

II. Ranges______________-_________ 8-12

III.

onduct

of t r a i n i n g . . - 13-18

S E C T I O N

I

GENERAL

1. Definition. is

that

form

of training

wherein

a tactical unit solves

a problem

involving a tactical

situation in which service

ammunition is fired

at an enemy

represented

by

suitable targets.

2 .

Place

in training.Combat practice firing is the last

phase

of firing

instruction,

and

requires the practical application of

the knowledge

acquired

in

all

steps

of

preliminary combat

training.

3 .

Purpose.The purpose of combat practice

firing is to

further instruct

leaders

in the

control of their

units in battle,

and the soldier in the performance of

his

duties in combat, as

a member of a fighting team, so as

to

secure the maximum fire

efficiency.

4.

S cope. A

course

in

combat

practice firing

should

include

situations involving the unit in attack, defense,

and

the service

of

security.

Special

emphasis should be given

to

exercises

in

the attack.

5 . Ammunition.Combat

practice

firing is conducted with

service ammunition. Problems conducted with

blank

ammuni

tion are not

properly

a part of combat

practice

firing

but

they

1 0 3 9 0 0 3 2 2

1


10/34

B SIC FIELD

MANUA

L

may

be

pre

sented

as a part of the preli

minary

training

for rifle

units.

The use of

service

ammunition

adds reality to

the

exer

cise makes fire control

more

difficult empha

sizes the necessity

for

thorough

training, and enables

th

e

effe

ct of fire

tobe

observ

ed.

The allowances

of

a

mmunition

are

given

in Army Eegulations.

6.

Company

com

manders.Responsibility

for

the prepara

tion and train

ing

of

units

of

his

c

ommand in

combat practice

firing r

ests upon

the

compa

ny commander. He

will normally

prepare and conduct

the

problems

for

the

elements of

his com

pany.

Problems of

a more

formal

nat

ure involving

tests, or

competitions between elements of

different

companies, will

be

conducted by an

officer

designated

by higher

authority.

7. Umpire s report.The ump

ire s report constitutes

the

record of

each

comb

at practice firing

problem and this will

be

transmitted for

file with the records of

the

co

mpany.

A

report

will be m

ade

on

each combat practic

e problem

i

nvolving the

use

of

live ammunition

and this should

be prepared immedi

ately

upon conclusion

of

the

problem in

order to

insure a

correc

t

narrative

of

the

performance.

The form

given

below

may

be

used

as a guide in the preparation

of such

repor

ts. The form

is

also

useful as a remind

er

of

the many

po

ints

to

be

co

vered

i

n

the

critique.

UMPIR

E S

REPORT FORM

(Place) (Date)

1 .

A

combat practice firing proble

m (or proficiency

test was con

ducted

for

on

________

at

(unit

firing the problem

(date)

_______

________.

A copy the problem

is

attached

hereto,

(place)

2. The

details

of

perform

ance are

as given

below

:

The problem

started

at

and

w

as

c

oncluded at

(time)

_____

makin

g

an elapsed

time

o

f ___

(tim

e)

(minutes)

B .

Method

scope

use of

ground and cover, ti

me

required.

Route, fo

rmations, security

me

asures, use of

ground

and co

ver,

us

e of transportation

,

con

duct of

scouts,

distance covered, time

,

rapidity

o

f deployment.

Su

bstance,

method

of

issue,

place

of issue,

cla

rity,

tr

ansmission to

subordinate

s.

Suitability

, method

of

occupation, use of

ground and cover, p

reparation of firing position,

position

o

f lead

ers,

dis

p

osition

of transpo

rtation.


11/34

B SI

C

FIEL

DM

NTF L

Range

determinatio

n,

target d

esignation, prep

aration

of

firing

data,

fire orders of

all

lead

ers, met

hod of opening

fl re,

firedistributio

n, rate

of flre, transmis

sion of orders

and

signals,

adjust

ment of

fi re,

flre discipline

and

control,

and application

of

lessons

of

marksmanshi

p.

Reco

nnaissance

of

leader, fire

and movem

ent,

use

of gro

und and cover, goin

g out

of action, use

of transportation

, occu

pation of

n

ew firing

positions

and time re

quired, replacem

ent

o

f cas

ual

ties, salv

age of ammuni

tion,

s

witching

fi re, engaging n

ew targets,

pursuit, with

drawal, organ

ization for def

ense.

Use of gro

und

a

nd cove

r;

orde

rs;

teamwork; agg

ressiveness; efficiency

in matte

rs of drill, te

chnique of

fire

,

and

mec

hanical trainin

g.

Arrangements

for ammunition,

water,

and spare

parts.

(1) Ti

me of

actual

firing.

(2

) Rounds f

ired at each targe

tgroup.

(3

)

H

its on eac

h target group.

(4) Pe

rcentage of hits.

(5) Perc

entage of

figu

res

hit.

Visibility

, wind,

observation

of fire.

3.

My conclu

sions

regarding the

combat

proficienc

y

exh

ibited b

y the

unit

In this

inst

ance are:

a. The

solution

offered

would

(would

not)

have

been

successful

had

the conditio

ns been real inst

ead of assumed

. (If n

ot,

give

reasons.)

6 .

The

co

mbat

proficiency of

the unit

at the presen

t time

is

satis

factory (unsatisfacto

ry). (State any

specific

needs for further

tra

ining.)

(Signed

) ____

_.

(G

radeand or

ganization)

S

E C T I O N

RAN

GES

8.

T

errain.Th

e avail

ability

of ground

largely

determines

the question

of the se

lection

of terrain for

comb

at

ran

ges.

Where pos

sible, varied

ground of large

extent

suitable for

the

employmen

t

of long-ra

nge ma

chine-gun an

d howi

tzer

flre

should

beselected.

t is a great

advantage

for instr

uctional pur

poses

t

o select gro

und with

which the

personnel of th

e unit

engaging

in combat practice

firing is

unfamiliar.

n

the

absence

of other

facilities

the known

-distance ran

ges can be

used by framin

g the

pro

blemso as to start

the exercis

e

off

the

range and require

th

e

delivery

o

f fire

on the range

and i

n

a

safe d

irection.

9. T

argets.

Targ

ets maybe extempo

rized fr

om availa

ble

ma

terial

or

may be

those

fu

rnished

by

t

he Ord

nance D

epart

ment,

Natural

features of the

terrain sometim

es

offer

s

uitable


12/34

B

SIC FIELD M NU L

targets. The allowances

of targe

ts

and

target

accesso

ries

pro

vided by

the

Ordnance

De

partment are given in

AR

760-400.

6

With the

field

targets

furnished

by

the

Ordnance

Depart

ment,

a stationary

targetmay be

represented by

lines

or

gro

ups

of E and

F

t

argets

on staves. W he

n th

ere are pits of suitable

depth, an E

target on a lo ng stick in the hands

of

pitmen

may

be used

to represe

nt

an

enemy who appe

ars and quickly dis-

F I Q D E

B 1.Field targets

ap

pears.

The same effect

may be obtained

with lines of targets,

e

ither E or

F , plac

ed

on

the

I-beam apparatu

s an

d

operated by

a

man

in a pit. Moving effec

ts with field targ

ets

may

be

ob

tained

by

constructing to w

ed

sled targets

of various

kinds

.

These targets are

shown in

Figure

1

In

placing field

targets they should be

located in positions

that would

likely beused by

an intelligent enemy and not


13/34

BASIC FIELD M

ANT7AI,

prominentl

y

expos

ed

o

r in

a

regular

lin

e. Various expedie

nts

may be

used to keep the

targets out

o

f sight at the

beginning

of

the exercise

and the

exposure

indicated

by

the

firing

of

blank ammunition

or the operation of

other noise or smoke-

producing equipment in the

vicinity of the

ta

rgets. Targets

m

ay

be pl

aced so

as

to be entirely

invisible to the naked

eye

bu

t visible

with field glasses

so

that

sk

ill

is necessitat

ed in

designatin

g

th

e target an

d

adj

usting

the

fire.

The appe

arance

of

the targets from the

firing line depends

a great deal

upon thedirection

of the sun the

background

of

the targets

and

the

angle

at

which

the

targets

are

placed.

These points shoul

d

be taken

into considera

tion in plac

ing

the

targets

for any

particular

exercise.

10. Shelte

r.Combat

practice

firin

g

ranges can

be

efficiently

operated

without an elaborate system

of shelters an

d

dugo

uts.

Simple pits

of

suitable size to accommod

ate the required

num

ber

of men

are suflicient

The

use

of pits

is usually the bes

t

solution

to

the problem of

shelter. If other

means are em

ployed

assurance

should bemade

that

the

cover is

sufficient

for

safe

protectio

n.

Care should

be exercised to avoid altering

the natural appea

rance

of

the te

rrain

in the

location and con

struction of

pits.

Their

location

with

refere

nce to the targets

s

hould

be

such as to

provide protec

tion

against

enfilading

or

oblique

fire.

If the targets are placed

in

rear of

or to on

e side

of

the

pits

the

likelihood

of

ricochets falling into the pit is

min

imized.

Pit details should

be

cautioned

to keep close to

the

forward

protecting

wall and

well down below

the

parapet

of th

e pit.

11.

Communications.On

permanent

ranges the range

officer

or

signal officer will

be in charge of t

he

installation

and

upkeep-

of the nece

ssary telepho

ne

communication.

On ex

temporized

rang

es

the comm

unication

betwe

en the

firing line and the

pit

may be by wire lines

temporarily

laid or

by

f

lag rocket or

bugle signa

ls. The officer i

n charge

of

a fir

ing

exercis

e will

take

the necessary

steps

to

insure proper

communication

and

the e

xpeditious

conduct of

the problem. Th

e use

of

improvised

peris

copes by personnel in th

e

pits

enables them

to

observe for

signals without

exposur

e and

consequent

danger of accident.

12. Safety.

The

r

ange officer is responsible

th

at livestoc

k

has been

removed from the danger

area thatroads

have been

blocked and th

at range guards

o

r danger flags

have been posted.


14/34

BASIC FIELD

M

ANUAL

6

The

o

fficer in charge o

f

the

firing is

responsible for the

safe condu

ct thereof He- will

see that

wea

pons are no

t loaded

or

firiag

commenced

before

the

range is

clear

that

the

direction

o

f

fire

conforms

to

local requirements

f

or

saf

ety

and

that fire

is immediately c

eased upon appea

rance of a

danger

flag from

the pits.

In

problem

s

for

rif

le

companies

involving fire

and m ove

ment those

participatin

g in the

movement

will lock

the rifles

and

with

draw

th

e

magazine

s from the auto

matic

rifles

during

such

movem e

nt.

A . speci

ally selected of

ficer

or noncommissi

oned

officer

will

act as safety

officer

to

enforce

the

observance

of

these precautions and o

bserve

the

firing

of

e

lements

c

overing

the

a

dvance. He

will stop

the

fire of any wea

pons which

in his

opinion

endanger the adv

anced

elements.

Additional

safety

precautions a

re necessary for the

cannon

company because of the power

of its weapons.

The

f

irst pre

caution is that

there will be

no

m e

n in the pits or oth

erwise

within 200 ya

rds of

th

e line of fire. The second

precaution is

that

in

firing

at

towed

targets

the

towing

vehicle will

not

be

closer t

han 200yards

to the line of

fire. f e

a further

insurance

against

accident an officer or

n

oncommissioned

officer will be

designated as saf

ety

officer and

will takeposition

in rear of the

gun to

obs

erve t

he

l

ine

o

f

fire and

prevent ac

cidents that might

be incur

red

as a

result

of wrong

laying or

other unforeseen

circumstances.

S E T I O N III

CONDU

CT OF TRAINING

13. General.

Practical

com

bat practice

firing instruction

like

marksmanship

req

uires

rang

es

equipmen

t

and

suppli

es

that must

be

p

repared or obtained in advance.

Instructors

must

know thoroughly

these de

tails

of

instruc

tion

as well as

the com

bat principle

s and

firin

g technique of the unit

s

being

instructed.

The time r

equired for this

preparation

wi

ll depend largely

on

the condi

tions and facilities

at the

post

or camp whe

re the in

structio

n

is

to be given. Unless sufficie

nt time is allowed

the

instruct

ion will suffer.

The value of the course will

depend largely upon

the inter

est of the

participants. Interes

t

is

aroused

by va

riety compet

i

tions tangible

evidence of

the result of

fire

a

nd the exercise

of

i

ngenuity

on the part of the instructor

.


15/34

B SIC

FIELD

MANUAL

7

The

schem

e of instruction shoul

d be

progre

ssive and sta

rt

with

the

lower

units.

14.

Methods.Instruction

in c

ombat

practice

filing is best

imparted by

means of demonstrations, f

ire problems, competi

tions, and

proficie

ncy

t

ests.

The use of demonstrations

by specially

trained

units

is an

excellen

t method

of showing quickly the

proper actions in

combat firing. It must

be understood, how

e

ver, that all problems can

not be solved a

like and that

there

is usually

more than

one

satis

factory solutio

n

to a

problem.

The application

of

combat

principles

and the

technique

of

fire

arethe points

to be

particularly

noted

in

de

monstrations.

Cer

tain

problem

s

may

be executed by one

unit while

other

units

observe. Where

terrain is limited and

the same

problem

is

to be give

n to all unit

s of

an

organizatio

n in

turn,

much value

can be d

erived from having units

completing the exe

rcise

o

b

serve

the

solut

ions of

others. In demonstrations th

e good and

bad

poin

ts of executio

n should be pointed out

to the observe

rs

at

the

time

of

commission.

6.

Com

bat practice firing

problems present

the

nearest approach

to actual battle conditions that

is en

co

untered

in

the

whole scheme of m

ilitary

training.

The exer

cises should be

so

desig

ned thatthe leader

is required to make

an estimate of the situation,

ar

rive at

a decision,

issue orders

to

put his decision into

effect, and actually supervise

the execu

tion of

his

orders

. The

degree

o

f skill and teamwork

of

the

unit

is

shown

by

the

manner

in

which

the orders

of

the

leader are

executed.

Competi

tions

may

be c

onducted near

t

he

end

of the cours

e

after the troops ha

ve

had

some ex

perience

in

combat practice firing.

This

s

timulates interest

and gives

th

e participan

ts

the incentive

to apply the instru

ction r

eceived

and avoid mistakes under

fear of p

enalty. It beco

mes

nece

ssary,

therefore,

to

devise means

of determining

the

r

elative proficiency

of units.

Obviously,

there is

no

way

in which

to

grade a unit

mathematically

on

all po

ints

of per

formance and

t

he relative

proficiency

of units is therefore

a matter of judgment.

The

judgment

may be rendered

by the

umpire,

or

by

a

board of

officers convened

for the purpose

,

after

a consi

deration of all

factors of the

problem and a

comparison of the solutions giv

en

by the units p

articipating,


16/34

B SIC FIELD M N

U L

1)

Pr

oficiency tests

constitute the ex

amina

tion phase of

combat practice firin

g

instruc

tion and are

held

at

the

conclusion

of

the

firing

season. Such

problems

are

usually

of a more adva

nced nature

th

an the elementary

prob

lems

given at the b

eginning of the course and are presented

in

a

more

formal

manner. A

unit required to

fire a

profi

ciency

test will

be

given at

lea

st one such test ann

ually

at

the end

of

the

regular

com

bat practice s

eason. They

for

m

a

basis

for

estimating the quality

of

the technical

and tactical tr

aining

of

the unit and

its battle

ef

ficiency.

The

test

is preferably

held

on

ground

unfamiliar

to

the

troops,

and steps

should-

be

taken

to insure

that they do

not get any

advance

information

con

cerning

the

d

etails of the problem.

2) Except as

noted in 1) above,

a proficiency test is no

different from

any other combat

practice firin

g

pro

blem. The

y

will be

held

when direc

ted by the post,

regimental, or other

appropriate

commande

r

and co

nducted b

y

an

officer or

bo

ard

of

officers

des

ignated

by

the same autho

rity. T

he

judging,

keeping of

records,

and

rendition

of

reports

will

be

as

pre

scribed

here

in for

other

combat

practice

firing problems.

A

copy of the

report will be forwarded through

channels

to the

company

commander for

file with the records of th

e

compan

y.

15. Preparation

of problem

s. Combat practic

e

firing

problems must be suitable t

o the actual terra

in

up

on

which

they

are

conducted.

Imaginary terrain

features will not be intro

duced.

The location and

mission

o

f

adjacent units and

sup

porting

troops,

or troops

being

supported, should

be

ca

refully

explained

and their posi

tions

outlined

by flags

or other means

if neces

sary. The proble

ms

should be des

igned to develop

initiativ

e

on the

part

of

leaders and

rapid teamwork on

the

pa

rt

of units.

Skill and ingenuity in

the preparation of prob

l

ems are

necessa

ry in

order

that

th ey may be

logical and

c

learly

i

mpress the lessons to be

learned.

6 In the

preparation of a combat practice

firing p

roblem

the

follow

ing

requirem

ents should be

observed:

1) A mission

should be readily determin

able from the

situa

tion.

2) There

shoul

d

b

e simplicity

in

f

raming the situa

tion.

W he

n

i

t is desired to

em

body

several lessons in th

e

same

situa

tion,

the exercis

e should

b

e divided

into distinct

ph

ases

in

order that the

greatest

benefi

t

may

be derived f

rom th

e

ex

penditure

of

ammunition.


17/34

BASIC FIELD MANUAL 5J

(3)

A

definite

tactical

principle should be

involved

and a

specific

lesson in fire

tactics

included in each

problem,

or each

phase or episode

of a continuing

situation.

In combat

practice

firing

exercises

the

action of the

leader

is limited

to

a considerable extent.

Safety

precautions

may confine the direction of

fire to a

narrow zone; where

varied terrain

is not available,

the

flat

ground

of known dis

tance ranges will have to

be

used; and economy in the expendi

ture

of

ammunition is almost

always

necessary.

In framing

a

problem it is divided

into

two

parts.

The

first part contains

all information

necessary for the

leader s,

complete understanding

of what is required

of

him,

but

it does

not contain information

that

would probably be lacking were

the

conditions

real instead of

assumed. The second

part

con

tains such additional information as may be

required by

the

umpire, his assistants, and the range

officer

to enable them

to

arrange the

targets,

conduct the critique, and write the report.

The following

form

is

suggested:

(1)

(a) A designation

of

the

unit

and its organization;

that is,

squad,

section, or

platoon,

peace strength

or war

strength. This

should be given out in advance.

(6) A

statement

of

the

personal

or organiza

tional

equipment to be

used, the amount of

ammunition, trans

portation, water, rations, etc. Field equipment

should be

pre

scribed in

all

exercises involving ammunition.

This should

be

given out

in

advance.

A

presentation of the tactical

situation.

This

must contain all the pertinent information which a unit would

have

under

conditions

of

actual

campaign.

This

is

usually the actions and orders of

the leader and the execution

of

the orders

by

the unit.

A

statement

of

such limitations in the

interest of safety,

protection of property,

and

economy

of time

and

ammunition as

may

be

necessary.

A

statement of

anything necessary to

be

known by the leader

not

included

under

the

above

headings.

(2)

The particular

tactical

and technical

lessons to

be imparted.

1 0 3 9 0 0 3 2 3


18/34

1

B

SIC FIE

LD M

NU L

(6

)

A

state

ment of t

he

spec

ial

points

t

o b

e brought

out

by the exercise

which

shou

ld form

the basis

for th

e critique

. The u

mpire s

re

port

fo

rm gi

ven i

n p

aragraph

18 m

ay be

used

as a remin

der in sele

cting

special p

oints

for

criticism

.

s

tatement

of all info

rmation,

relativ

e

t

o placing

the

targ

ets,

po

sting

ran

ge

gua

rds, assig

n

ment of pit

d

etails,

represen

tation of frie

ndly troops,

a

nd mean

s

of com

munica

tion.

< Z )

A

sta

tement of any

necessar

y informa

tion

not

included

under

the

above

headings.

S

uggested

situa

tions for

problem

s are

given in C

hapters

2

3

and

4

and

these may

be us

ed

as

a basis

for p

reparing

prob

lems

in

a

ccordanc

e w

ith th

e availab

le facili

ties

at the

pla

ce

of

firing.

16. Prese

ntation of

proble

ms.

All

c

ombat

p

ractice firing

problem

s will b

e supervis

ed by

an

officer

who is kn

own as

the

u

mpire.

The

du

ty

of

the umpi

re is

to con

duct the

ex

ercise,

observe

the

performance,

conduct

the

critique,

and

record the

m

ethod a

nd

results in

a report.

He will be pr

ovided

w

ith

th

e

necess

arynu

mber of

assistan

ts whose

duties

will be

prescr

ibed

by him.

.

After al

l prelim

inary

arrangem

ents

have

be

en m

ade an

d

ever

ything is

in readine

ss to proc

eed

with

th

e

p

roblem,

the

lead

er

is

oriente

d on th

e groun

d, the

situat

ion

expl

ained,

and

the

req

uiremen

t

m

ade know

n. The

l

eader then e

xplains

the

situation

to

his

unit

and

by

questioning

various

men

insures

that

the problem

is thoro

ughly un

derstood

by

all.

If

an

y

units

sire

to obser

ve the conduct

o

f the exer

cise the

um

pire sho

uld

see tha

t

the

y ar

e also

made fam

iliar

with th

e situatio

n.

T

he

le

ader

then

pr

oceeds

w

ith his solution

. I

n t

he

e

arlier stages

of

training

,

th

e valu

e of t

he ins

truction

may

b

e

i

ncreased

by

sus

pending

the exe

rcise and

commen

ting

upon err

ors

at the

time they

are ma

de. In

the l

ater stages

,

ho

wever,

and pa

rticu

larly

when

the

problem

is

given as

a

test

or

in a competition

the exe

rcise shou

ld

be

p

ermitted

to

continu

e

re

gardless

of erro

rs.

A

s

a

general

rule th

e umpire

will i

nterfere as li

ttle as

possibl

e

during t

he progress

of

the exerci

se, the

lea

der

being

allowed

to

olve t

he

pro

blem

in hi

s o

wn

way

and re

quired to

abide

by his

.own

m

istakes and th

ose of

hi

s subordi

nates.


19/34

BASIC

FIELD MANUAL

11

17. Judging

solutions.

The decision

of the um

pireas to

the

amount

of

credi

t

to at

tach to any given

soluti

on of a comba

t

practice

firi

ng probl

em

must follow

as

a

logical

result of th

e

answer

to

the

self-directed

question,

had these

assumed

con

dit

ions been real,

is

it

proba

ble

or

impr

obable that th

e solution

wou

ldhave a

ccomplished

the mission?

Ther

e are many shade

s

of proficienc

y betwe

enun

qualifiedsuccess an

d flat

failure

.

In

judging th

e

solut

ion of

a

tactical

p

roblem which

includes

the

firing

of

liv

e

ammuniti

on, the umpir

e must

differen

tiate be

tween

failures which. r

esult from

a

n

onobservanc

e

of

tactical

principles an

d tho

se which

resu

lt from a lack of

technical

knowle

dge or skill.

He mu

st be

careful notto base

his jud

g

ment ofan

exerciseonly on.the

number

ofhits obtaine

d. The

prop

er

u

se of grou

nd and cover

is of great

importanc

e.

A

n

assistan

t ump

ire

viewin

g

the

condu

ct o

f

thet

roops

fro

m

the

enemy

positio

n

by

means

of an

improvi

sed

p

eriscope

is well

situ

atedto p

ass judgmen

t on this poin

t. Such matters

as main

te

nance of direction

,

fir

eord

ers,

fir

ediscipline

and control,

and

othe

r points

covere

d

in the umpire

's r

eport form

(par. 7)

sho

uld

also

be given

consid

eration.

18.

Crit

ique. T

he basis of

all goo

d instru

ction is

in

telli

gent,

tac

tful, and

constructive

cr

iticism.

This pri

nciple should

be the

a

im of

the critiq

ue. tis given

by the

umpire

after

re

ceiving

the.reports

from his as

sistants and

constitutes a dis

cussio

n of the s

olution offe

red

and

a comp

arison

with o

ther

pos

si

ble solutions

.

t is best

gi

ven on

the

g

round im

mediately

afte

r

the

conclusion

of

the

exercise

and

covers

the

points

given

in

the

form for

reports. (P

ar.7

.)

. An

officercon

ductinga

critique should commend

what w

as

well-

d

one a

nd

call

attenti

on to

what was poorl

y or inc

orrectly

done. W

here error

s have been

committe

d, a corr

ect

solut

ion

shou

ld be

g

iven in

such a ma

nner

that

thewho

le

unit c

on

ce

rned will

be

ben

efited

by the

criticism.

In making corr

ec

tio

ns

th

e instructor should

avo

id ridicule,

sarcasm, o

r

an

y

remarks

which

might

be

harmful

to

interest

or

initiative

or

mig

ht lead to

a dread of

res

ponsibility in th

e minds

of

the

men.

c . Much d

epends

upon th

e personali

ty of the umpire

for it

will of

ten be his duty

to

call

attention to er

rors and

faults

t

hat may

be

due

to l

ack ofjudgme

nt,

lack

of k

nowledge

or

lack of skill.

His method

should

b

e

such

as

to

give no

offense


20/34

2

BASIC

FIEL

D

MAN

UAL

to his

hea

rers. Th

e

illustr

ation of pr

inciples an

d in

telligen

t

cri

ticism

depends

solely upo

n the

inge

nuityand

a

lertness

o

f th

e

um

pire. The

tactica

l

si

gnificanc

e

o

f the

exerci

se must

be

kept fo

remost i

n the d

iscussion

. Ef

fort shoul

d be mad

e to

pic

ture the

sit

uation as it

would

be were

it real

instead

of

assu

med.

As muc

h of

the battl

efield co

nfusion

and

turm

oil

a

s

po

ssible

should

be brought

to

mind.

Fa

ilures

to apply

tactic

al

principl

es p

roperly

are ofte

n

due

to

a la

ck

of

im

aginati

on On

the

pa

rt

of

the troop

s and to

a misco

nception

as to

the natur

e

o

f mo

dern co

mbat.

The

critique

should not

convey

the

impression

that

there

is only

one c

orrect metho

d of solvi

ng th

e problem

. Such

a

m

isconce

ption

is

apt to lead

to

the ad

option of fix

ed fo

rms,

a

playing up

to

the

ide

as

of the umpir

e, and

a r

esulting

de

structio

n

of

initiati

ve

a

nd inde

pendent

thoug

ht.

CHAP

TER

2

RI

FLE COMP

ANY

Paragraphs

SE

CTION

I

. Gene

ral__

__

___

_____

______

___ 19-

22

II.

Suggested

situations

for prob

lems __

____

____

23-2

6

S E C T I O N

I

GENER

AL

19. Prel

iminary

t

raining.

Co

mbat

prac

tice

f

iring wil

l be

given

on

ly a

fter the

un

its

hav

e h

ad a thoro

ugh course

in th

e

combat

principles

pertaining

t o >

the

unit,

have

completed

marks

ma

nship,

and

are profi

cient in mu

sketry.

6 . Instruc

tion in comba

t pr

inciples

can

be given very

eff

ec

tively

by mea

ns o

f tacti

cal walks a

nd

sand

tabl

e

pr

oblems.

The

traini

ng

immedia

tely preced

ing actu

al f

iring shoul

d be in

the nat

ure of

prelimi

nary exercise

s, for

all squad

s and sect

ions,

cove

ring

various combat

situat

ions. B

lank a

mmunit

ion can

be

us

ed

to adva

ntage

in

so

me of

these exercis

es.

20

.

Units

to fire.Al

l

squa

ds an

d secti

ons of each

com

pany

will be

requ

ired to engage

in com

bat

prac

tice fi

ring

whe

n

local fa

cilities

permit

. Sep

arate

p

roblems

will

be

giv

en for

each

of t

hese

u

nits whe

n a

mmunit

ion allowan

ces are

su

fficient

Platoo

n and

compa

ny prob

lems should

not

be

fir

ed

becaus

e the

indi

vidual s

oldier

does no

t receive

the

attenti

on and

ins

truc

tion given hi

m in

squad

a

nd

se

ction

pro

blems.


21/34

BASIC FIEL

D MAKUAL

3

21.

Time required.A thorough

course

of

training will

re

qui

re from

30 to

35

hours.

When

time and

range fa

cilities

are

very limited,

a course

may

be

restricted

to a

minimum

of

about

16 hours. u

ch

a

c

ourse would

not

permit of

all

squads of a

company

receiving

practical

experience

in firing

all the

exer

cises,

but

w

ould necessitate e

ach squad receiving pa

rt

o

f its

instruction

by

obse

rvation of

other

units

firing.

22.

Rifles.When

class

B rifles are availa

ble they should

be

used

for

firing

tracer ammunition because of its

injurious

ef

fect.

S E T I O N

II

SUGGEST

ED SITUATIONS

FOR PROBLEMS

23.

Purpose.The

v

arious situatio

ns

suggested

her

ein are

not co

mplete

probl

ems but

are offeredas a basis

for

the

prepara

tion of problems

in

acco

rdance with the

form given

in

paragraph

24.

Attack

(1)

To

teach

the

combat

principles

of a squad in

attack.

(2)

sectio

n

in

attack

has been checked by fire.

The

center and

left

squads

are

in a

firin

g

position and engaging

the target

w

hile th

e right squad

maneuvers by covered route

to

the flank. The right squ

ad has

advan

ced

under cover to

within abo

ut

300

yards

of

the enemy where

further

advance

with

out

fire is

impossible.

(3)

Actual performance

of

duties,

including

issuance of necessary

orders, by

all personnel

of

the squad

in

order

to

carry out

its

mission

.

(4)

The

squad

attacks

by

the maneuver

of

a

p

ortion

o

f the squad

under

the

protective fi

re

of the

remai

ning

members

.

6 (1) To tea

ch

the

combat principles of a

section

in the approac

h march and

attack.

(2) The section

is

advancing

in

section

column w

ith one

or two

pairs

of scou

ts

out in

front. Enem

y

artillery fire

begins to fall

across

the company

zone

of

action

in front of the

section.

(6)

Actual performa

nce of duties,

including

issuance

of

necessary o

rders, by all personnel of

the section

in order to

carry out i

ts

mission.


22/34

4

B

SIC

F

IELD

M NU

L

o)

Th

e s

ection lead

er advan

ces the

sect

ion as

fast

as p

ossible

in

a

l

ess vulner

able for

mation,

u

sing method

s

pr

escribed

in com

bat prin

ciples

for the secti

on.

3)

T

he s

ection

d

eployed

in

squad

col

um

ns a

dvances

a short

dista

nce when

it

receives

long-

range

m

achine-g

un

fir

e co

ming

from

the

left fron

t d

irected a

t the

center

and lef

t squads.

6)

Ac

tual perf

ormance

of dutie

s, inc

luding

issuan

ce

of

necessa

ry o

rders, by

all personne

l of

the se

ction in

orde

r to ca

rry

out its

m

ission.

c)

The

section

continues

its

advance;

the

leaders

of

the c

enter an

d left s

quads a

dvancin

g the

ir units

by such

mean

s

as a

re

approp

riate to the

situatio

n.

4)

The sco

uts

have

b

een s

to pped

by fire

fro

m

abo

ut

a section of the

ene

my.

(6)

Actual

perform

ance o

f du

ties, inclu

ding

issua

nce of neces

sary

orders,

by

all perso

nnel of

the s

ection i

n

orderto

carry ou

t

it

smission

.

(c)

The

section

leader

quickly

estimates

the

situ

ation,

gives

his fire

order

to

the

assemb

led squad

lead

ers,

.

instructs

them r

elative to ro

utes of

approac

h and

areas to

be

occ

upied,

then

cont

ro ls the f

ire

o

f his

sec

tion wh

en f

iring

is

be

gun.

The s

quad

leaders

establish

their

squads

in their

assign

ed areas

and

engag

e

th

e tar

gets in co

nformit

y with

the

sect

io n

leade

rs

fire

order

.

1)

To

t

each

the comb

at pri

nciples of

the secti

on

in

the

continuation

of

the

attack.

2

)

The

attack

is succe

ssful, and t

he enem

y

has been

driven

back from

his

first

position

.

T

he s

ection pur

sued th

e enemy by

fire

as lo

ng as he

was

within

effec

tive

ran

ge.

(6)

Actua

l pe

rforman

ce

o

f dut

ies, includ

ing

i

ssuance

of

neces

sary ord

ers, by all

personne

l of the

sect

ion in

order to c

arry

out

its

mis

sion.

The

section

leader

covers

the

front

with

scouts.

H

e regains

contro l

of

the se

ction, rep

laces t

he

squad lead

ers

.and the sec

tion gui

de

if they becom

e

casualti

es, and

issues

orders for

the

regro

uping of

the

squad

s.

T

he squad

leaders get

their sq

uads

in hand,

repla

ce casua

lties

among

-the au

tomatic

ri

flemen a

nd scouts,

app

oint seco

nds in com

mand,

an

d

h

ave

am

munitio

n

salvaged

from

the

casualti

es and

redi

stributed

to

their squ

ads.


23/34

BASIC FIELD MANUAL 5

(3) (a.)

The platoon leader issues orders

for

the

continuation

of

the

attack,

the

section advances,

and

the

scouts

gain

contact with the

enemy.

(&)

Actual

performance

of duties, including

issuance of

necessary

orders,

by all personnel

of

the

section

in order

to

carry

out

its

mission.

(c) The section leader quickly estimates the situa

tion,

gives

his

fire

order to the assembled

squad

leaders, in

structs them relative to routes of approach and areas to be

occupied, and

controls

the

fire of

his

section when firing is

begun.

The

squad

leaders establish

their

squads in

their

assigned areas

and

engage the targets in conformity

with

the

section leader s fire order.

25 .

Defense

(1)

To

teach the combat principles

of a squad in defense.

(2) The

squad

has been attacking and

is suddenly

ordered to

halt and

defend an area with a front of 75 yards.

After a hasty

organization of the ground, an enemy

attack is

launched.

(3)

Actual performance

of duties, including

issuance

of necessary

orders,

by

all

personnel of the squad in

order to

carry

out

its

mission.

(4) The

squad leader

quickly

estimates

the situa

tion, assigns positions to all men of the squad, directs them to

dig rough

holes

for protection, and

gives definite

instructions

to all

members

of the

squad

in their duties in

case

of an enemy

attack.

When

the

enemy

attack

is

launched the

squad

leader

controls

the

fire of his squad. Automatic

rifles must

be

kept

In action.

. (1) To teach the

combat

principles of a section

in

defense.

(2) The

section

has been attacking and is sud

denly ordered to halt

and

defend

an

area

with a front of 200

yards.

After

a hasty organization of the ground, an

enemy

attack

is

launched.

(3)

Actual

performance of duties, including

issuance of necessary

orders,

by all personnel

of

the section

in order to carry

out

its mission.

(4) The section leader quickly

estimates

the sit

uation. He

assigns each

group a position from which

it can

cover

its

own

front and

flanks and

the front

and


24/34

6

BASIC

FIELD

MANUAL

flanks of th

e groups

on the right

and

left.

He supervise

s the

prepar

ation for the

defense.

H

e in

structs the se

ction guid

e,

squad,

and

group

leaders

in

theirduties in

case

of

an

enemy

attack. W

henthe

enemy attack

is

la

unched

the section

lea

der

observes

and

contr

ols the

fire of the

various groups

in the

sec

tion

.

2

6. Serv

ice of se

curity

(1

)

To

tea

ch the combat pr

inciples of

a squad

acting

as the

point

of

an

a

dvanceguard.

(2)

The squad

is mar

ching

a

long

a road

or

cross

country

in

a formation suitable

for

the point

of

an

advance

gua

rd,

c

onditions o

f

terrain being considered.

An enemy

patrol

appears

at about 300

yards to th

e

fr

ont and

fl

ank. Th

e squad

leader is ins

tructed

that

the f

ire of

that patrol is

notdirec

ted

at h

is

squad

and tha

t theadvance

party

is

de

ploying.

(3)

A

ctual p

erformance

of d

uties,

includin

g

i

ssuance o f nec

essary o

rders, by all pers

onnel of

the poin

t

in

order

t

o

c

arry

out i

ts

mission.

(4)

The squad

leader

assigns

one

man

to

remain

in

o

bservation

to the

original

front a

nd the

n

co

nducts

his

squad

agains

t the ene

my resist

ance.

6. (1)

To te

ach the

co

mbat

princip

les of

a

section actin

g as a p

icket o f

an

outpost.

(2)

The section

leader

has been

d

irected to

march

his

sec

tion

to

a

road junc

tion

an

d form a

picket

o

f

an outpost

to

cov

er both

roads leading

to

ward the

en

emy.

Afte

r

ar

rival, a

n

enemy

platoon launches

an

attack.

(3)

Actu

al performance

of dutie

s,

inclu

ding

issuance of

necessary orders,

by

all person

nel

of

the picket

in

order

t

o carry ou

t its mission.

(4)

The section

lead

er

sen

ds out a

point of

three

or four men

and

u

ndercover of th

is prote

ction marches

the

picket to

it

s

post. W

hen th

e picket

rea

ches its

post the co

m

mander makes

a quick

estima

te

of

thesituatio

n, assemble

s the

picket

(less

the

point)

and issues

the

remainder

of

his

order.

In this

situation

the pi

cket com

mander ca

n establish a

sentry

squad to

cove

r

one

ro'ad

and

a

cos

sack

post to cover

the

other.

He

gives

ins

tructions

to

all personne

l of the

s

ection in

their

duties

as m

embers

of a picket.

Fire

is opened wh

en theenemy

attack

is launched.


25/34

BASIC FIELD MA

NUAL 7

CHAPTER

3

MACHI

NE-GUN

COM

PANY

Paragraphs.

SECTIO

N

I.

General_

__________________

___________ 27 30

II.

Suggested

situations for p

roblems__ ____

3134

S E T I O N I

GEN

ERAL

27.

Prelimin

ary

train

ing. Before engaging

in comb

at

practice

firing

units

must

have had

instruction

in

the

opera

tion and care of the

machine

g

un elem

entary

and

advanced gun

drill battery

drill care and

handling

of mach

ine-gun tr

ans

portation cart

drill extended-order training

m

arksmanship

and so much

of the technique

of

direct

and indi

rect

laying

as

will enab

le

each

man to

perform his

task

and that of t

he man

next

above h

im. Noncommissioned

officers

and

selected

pri

vates

m

ust in

addition have had instruction in

the ca

re

and

operation of

instruments

and in

the

combat principles of

the

machine-gu

n section

and

pl

atoon. The

officer must be profi

cient in all

subjects

in which

the

soldier should be instru

cted

and in

addition

must

know the

principles governing the tactical

employm

ent of

mac

hine-gun units

up

to

and

including

t

he com

pany. He

must be proficient in

making

simple tactical decisions

and embodying s

uch

decisions i

n orders.

. The time

immediately precedin

g the firing of combat

practice

exercises should

be

devoted

to

training

in direct

and

indirect laying and extende

d

order.

Preliminary

exe

rcises cov

e

ring various combat

situations should be conducted

for all

sections

and

plato

ons.

28.

Units

to fir

e.All sections

and platoon

s of each com

pany will

be required to enga

ge

in combat

practice

firing when

lo

cal

faci

lities

permit. Separate

probl

ems will

be given for

each

of the

se

units when

ammunition allo

wances are

sufficient.

Proficiency

tests

are

conducted

for

platoons.

Only

those

units

in which at

least 60 per

cent

of

the personnel have

c

ompleted

the

req

uired instruction

course in

machi

ne-gun

marksma

nship

will

fire.

29.

Time

required.

A

minimum of

50 hours

train

ing

time

should be devoted to preliminary ex

ercises and combat

practice

firing.


26/34

18 BASIC FIELD MANUAL

30.

Proficiency

tests. Proficiency tests are

only conducted

for platoons.

They will not be ordered

unless

the

unit

has

com

pleted the regular

marksmanship

course

in machine-gun

firing

and has had training in combat

practice firing.

S E C T I O N

II

S U G G E S T E D

S I T U A T I O N S FOR PROBLEMS

31. Purpose.The

various situations suggested

herein are

not complete problems but are

offered

as

a

basis for the prep

aration

of

problems

in

accordance

with

the

form given

in

paragraph

15

32.

Attack

(1) teach the support of an

attack by overhead fire.

(2)

The

assault platoons

of a

rifle company are

temporarily held

up in

low ground by

heavy enemy

rifle and

machine-gun

fire from their

right (left) front.

The

rifle com

pany

commander requests the leader of

the

supporting machine-

gun

platoon to

neutralize the

enemy

fire.

High

ground

exists

in

rear of the assault rifle

platoon

(300 to

1,000

yards).

(3) Decision of the platoon leader and execu

tion by the platoon.

(4) The platoo n leader selects, directs, and

super

vises the occupation

of positions

on

the high

ground in rear

of the assault rifle platoons.

He determines fire

data. Safety

is

checked,

safety

precautions

are

provided for,

and

the

targets

engaged.

6.

(1) To teach the close support of a rifle company

in

attack by

the

echelonment forward of

one

section of a

machine-gun

platoon.

(2)

(A

continuation of the situation

given in

above.) Under

cover of the

fire

of the machine-gun pla

toon, the assault platoons of the

rifle

company

have

advanced

up

the

next slope to

within

about 300

yards

of their objective.

The attack is

apparently

succeeding.

The riflemen have masked

the machine-gun fire.

(3) Decision, actions,

and

orders

of the ma

chine-gun

platoon leader,

and

execution

by the platoon.

(4) The machine-gun platoon leader directs that

one section

go out of

action, and move forward at

once,

by

liand,

in

an appropriate extended order

formation,

to

a definite


27/34

B ASI C

FIELD

MANUAL

9

place where he will meet

it. He

orders the other section

to

re

main in

position

to guard against counterattack. He

then

runs

rapidly forward to

reconnoiter

for routes of

advance, gun posi

tions, and targets.

33.

Defense To teach the preparation of data

to engage

sector

targets

and

fire final protective

line

fire

at

night, or in smoke or fog.

. A

machine-gun section has just arrived

to

occupy

positions

selected by

the platoon leader. The sector and

final protective

line

have been

pointed out

and

the

section

leader has

been ordered

to

make

preparations

to

fire

at

night.

It will

be

dark in about 3 0 minutes.

Actions of

section

and

squad leaders.

(1) The section leader designates to

the

squad

leaders

the final

protective

line

and

the

key points in the

sector.

(2) Each squad leader lays

his gun to fire upon

the final

pro

tective

line, zeroes

the

traversing

dial, and

clamps it tightly.

He

measures

the

QE

and makes

a note of

the reading.

He

switches

to

lay

on

each

key

point

in

turn,

measures the

QE

and

records

it,

together

with

the reading

of

the

traversing

dial. He

then makes a hasty

range card

upon

which these

data are

re

corded.

If time

permits he places

aiming stakes to the front

as

an auxiliary means of laying during darkness

upon prede

termined

targets.

N OTE. Other

preparation ot the

gun

positions proceeds simultane

ously

with

the preparation of range

cards.

34. Service

of

securityAdvance

guard

To

teach

the support

of

the advance

guard in

the

attack.

b.

machine-gun platoon, attached to an advance

guard

of one rifle company is marching at the tail of the sup

port. The advance party

being

unable to advance because

of

enemy fire,

the advance guard

commander decides to attack

without delay

and

asks the support of the machine guns.

Actions and orders of the machine-gun

platoon leader and

execution by

the

platoon.

The

platoon

leader makes a

very

rapid recon

naissance. Positions

are occupied as rapidly

as possible without

sacrificing concealment and

targets

engaged. It is

more

im

portant that

the guns

be

mounted quickly

in

a position from

which

they can

fire

than

that

the positions

selected be

the best

that could

be found after an extended reconnaissance.


28/34

2

BASIC FIELD MANUAL

CHAPTER 4

HOWITZER COMPANY

Paragraphs

SECTION

I. G e n e r a l . _ _

35-37

II. Suggested situations for p r o b l e m s 38-41

S E C T I O N

I

GENERAL

35. Preliminary

training. All

platoons will

be given

adequate

instruction

in

the

following

subjects,

pertaining

to

the

cannon company weapons, before undertaking combat

practice

firing:

Mechanical

training.

Drill.

Marksmanship.

Technique

of fire.

In addition they should have been instructed

in

the use of

ground

and

cover

and

communications.

The platoon leader,

noncommissioned

officers,

and prospective noncommissioned

officers must also

be thoroughly familiar with

combat

principles

for employment

of

the prescribed

weapons.

6 . Preliminary exercises

in reconnaissance;

selection,

occu

pation, and preparation of positions;

handling

of

transporta

tion

;

communication; and

ammunition supply should

be

held

for squads,

sections,

and

platoons. The

squad leaders

of

the

various

gun squads

should

be

taught

to

select

targets,

open

fire,

and

switch fire on their own

initiative. Situations

should

be

varied

so

that

at

times the transportation may

be

used

to

a point near

the

gun positions, and

at

other times

the

guns will

have

to

be manhandled into

position.

Practice in

moving

from

principal to alternate and supplementary positions and opening

fire quickly should

be

given

gun squads.

36.

Units

to

fire.All

squads,

sections,

and

platoons of

each

company will be required to engage in combat

practice

firing

when local

facilities permit Separate

problems

will

be given

for

each

of these

units when ammunition

allowances are suffi

cient.

37.

Time required.A minimum of 50

hours

training

time

should be devoted

to

preliminary exercises and

combat

prac

tice

firing.


29/34

B SIC FIELDM

NU L

S E

T IO N II

SUGGE

STED SITUA

TIONS

FOR PROBLE

MS

38.

Purpose.

The various

situations

sugges

ted h

erein

are

not complete

problem

s but are offered

as a basi

s fo

r

the

prep

a

ration

of

prob

lems in accord

ance

with the form

given

in

p

aragraph

15

39.

Attack

T

o teach the emp

loyment of

a can

nonp

latoon in

supportin

g the a

ttack

of

an

in

fantry ba

ttalion.

6.

(1)

The

platoon i

s

att

ached to

an infantry

battalion.

The

platoon

leader is

given

information

of

the

enemy

and

th

e

general pla

nof the

battalion comman

der.

(2

) The

re

commendati

on (after a

few

minutes

allowed

for

reconnaissa

nce)

of the

p

latoon leader

for employ

ment of

the platoon

w

eapons.

(3) T

he platoon

l

eader recommends

positions

for

guns and

mortars and targets to

be enga

ged.

(1

)

The

batta

lion

co

mmander's

attack

or

der is

dictated

to

the

platoon

leader.

(2)

The acti

ons

and

o

rders of the

platoo

n

leader.

(3

) T

he platoo

n

lea

der issues

orders to his

sub

or

dinates

coverin

g missio

ns; occupat

ion of positi

ons;

routes;

selection

of positions

for

platoo

n

a

mmunition

dump,

command

pos

t,

observatio

n post, and

cart parks; amm

unition

supply;

plans

for

communica

tions.

(

4)

T

he acti

ons and

orders

of

memb

ers

of

the

platoo

n in c

omplying

with

the

platoon

leader's o

rders.

(5)

The p

latoonoccup

ies positions and

establish

es

com

munications

; th

e

gun

c

ommanders giv

e fire

orders and

openfire on targ

ets; the

platoon

sergean

t

su

pervises the estab

lishm

ent

of

amm

unition sup

ply.

(1)

The

platoon

leade

r

is

ordered to

move

his

platoon forw

ardand

suppo

rt the attac

k from

new positio

ns.

(2)

The

orde

rs of

the

plato

on

leader a

nd

sub

ordinates

and actions

o

f

membe

rs of th

e

pl

atoon.

(3)

The p

latoon

leader issu

es a

n

orde

r for

for

ward

di

splacement

of

the platoon. The

platoon m

oves

for

ward, occupi

es new positions,

establishes

communic

ations,

estab

lishe

s ammunition

sup

ply, a

nd opens fire

on designa

ted targ

ets.


30/34

22

BASIC FIELD

MANUAL

40. Defense

To teach

the

employment of a can

non platoon in

a

defensiv