Show-ME GOLD REFERENCES Show-Me GOLD Show-Me GOLD • FM 3-22.68 THEORY OF CREW SERVED MACHINE GUNS MACHINE GUN 5.56mm and 7.62mm (July 2006) FIRE • FM 3-21.8 ANNEX A, THE INFANTRY RIFLE PLATOON AND SQUAD (March 2007) Forever Forward Forever Forward Enabling Learning Terminal Learning Objective Show-Me GOLD Objective 1 Show-Me GOLD • ACTION : Discuss the characteristics of Machine Gun fire. • Action : STATE MACHINE GUN CHARACTERISTICS. • CONDITIONS : GIVEN AN INSTRUCTOR, CLASSROOM AND ACCESS TO FM 3-21.8 The Infantry Rifle Platoon and Squad & FM 3-22.68 • Conditions : GIVEN INSTRUCTOR, CLASSROOM AND ACCESS TO Crew-Served Machine Guns REFERENCES. • STANDARD : Discuss the characteristics of Machine Gun fire IAW FM 3-21.8 The Infantry • Standards : STATE MACHINE GUN Rifle Platoon and Squad & FM 3-22.68 Crew- CHARACTERISTICS IAW FM 3-21.8 & FM 3- Served Machine Guns and achieve a minimum 22.68 passing score of 80% in overall testing. Forever Forward Forever Forward FALLACY Show-Me GOLD Show-Me GOLD • “““THE MACHINE GUN WILL NEVER REPLACE THE HORSE AS AN INSTRUMENT OF WAR ”””. •SIR DOUGLAS HAIG, RISK ASSESSMENT COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF BRITISH EXPEDITIONARY FORCES ENVIRONMENTAL DECEMBER, 1915. Forever Forward Forever Forward 1 INSTRUCTIONAL LEAD-IN Show-Me GOLD Show-Me GOLD You the Platoon Leader are responsible for the proper employment and training of the platoon ’s machinegun Operators! Forever Forward 7 Forever Forward 10 FACTS AGENDA Show-Me GOLD Show-Me GOLD • WW1 – KIA 9 million – WIA 12.5 million • MG CHARACTERISTICS – Total approx 22 million casualties – 25% = 5.5 million • TERMINOLOGY • BATTLE OF THE SOMME (01 JUL 1916) – Commonwealth KIA 19, 000 • CLASSES OF MG FIRE – Commonwealth WIA 38, 000 – British III Corps lost 80% Forever Forward Forever Forward GENERAL DATA: PRESENT DAY M249 Show-Me GOLD Show-Me GOLD • AAR from action in Somalia in 1993 verified that the 7.62mm machinegun is still the IN PLT ’s most lethal weapon system • The bulk of an IN PLT ’s organic firepower is provided by the 7.62mm machinegun, especially in the Operational Environment of today! Forever Forward 9 Forever Forward 2 GENERAL DATA – M249 GENERAL DATA: 50 Cal, M2 Show-Me GOLD Show-Me GOLD • CALIBER: 5.56mm • MAXIMUM RANGE: 3600m • MAXIMUM EFFECTIVE RANGE: – BIPOD / POINT TARGETS 600m – TRIPOD / POINT TARGETS 800m – BIPOD / AREA TARGETS 800m – TRIPOD / AREA TARGETS 1000m – GRAZING FIRE 600m – SUPPRESSION 1000m • RATES OF FIRE: SUSTAINED: 50 rpm in 3-5 round bursts / 10 min barrel chg RAPID: 100 rpm in 8-10 round bursts / 2 min barrel chg CYCLIC: 650 - 850 rpm continuous burst / 1 min bar. chg Forever Forward FM 3-22.68 Forever Forward GENERAL DATA: M240B GENERAL DATA - M2 Show-Me GOLD Show-Me GOLD • AMMUNITION: BALL/TRACER AP/INCEND (API)/APIT • MAXIMUM RANGE: 6764m • MAXIMUM EFFECTIVE RANGES: AREA TARGETS: 1830m POINT TARGET, SINGLE SHOT: 1500m GRAZING: 700m • RATES OF FIRE: – SUSTAINED AND RAPID: 40 rpm 6-9 round bursts/barrel change when damaged or end of day – CYCLIC: 450-550 rpm continuous burst Forever Forward Forever Forward FM 3-21.8 GENERAL DATA - M240B Enabling Learning Objective 2 Show-Me GOLD Show-Me GOLD • MAXIMUM RANGE: 3725m • MAXIMUM EFFECTIVE RANGE: 1100m • Action : STATE THEORY OF MG FIRE • MAXIMUM GRAZING FIRE: 600m TERMINOLOGY. • AREA TARGETS (bipod / tripod) 800m / 1800m • POINT TARGETS (bipod / tripod) 600m / 800m • Conditions : GIVEN INSTRUCTOR, • MAXIMUM TRACER BURNOUT: 900m CLASSROOM AND ACCESS TO REFERENCES. • RATES OF FIRE: – SUSTAINED: 100 rpm in 6-9 round bursts/10 min • Standards : STATE THE THEORY OF MG FIRE – RAPID: 200 rpm in 10-13 round bursts/2 min TERMINOLOGY IAW FM 3-21.8 & FM 3-22.68 – CYCLIC: 650-950 rpm continuous/ 1 min Forever Forward FM 3-22.68 Forever Forward 3 THEORY OF MG FIRE: TRAJECTORY -TERMINOLOGY- Show-Me GOLD Show-Me GOLD • LINE OF SIGHT TRAJECTORY IS THE CURVED PATH • TRAJECTORY A ROUND TAKES DURING ITS FLIGHT. • BURST OF FIRE • MAXIMUM ORDINATE THE TRAJECTORY OF A ROUND IS • CONE OF FIRE AFFECTED BY SEVERAL FACTORS. • BEATEN ZONE • DANGER SPACE • SURFACE DANGER ZONE • DEAD SPACE Forever Forward Forever Forward LINE OF SIGHT MAXIMUM ORDINATE Show-Me GOLD Show-Me GOLD AN IMAGINARY LINE, FROM THE MAXIMUM ORDINATE IS THE HIGHEST POINT FIRERS EYE,THROUGH THE ABOVE THE LINE OF SIGHT THE SIGHTS, TO THE POINT OF AIM TRAJECTORY REACHES BETWEEN THE MUZZLE OF THE WEAPON AND THE BASE ON THE TARGET. OF THE TARGET ABOUT 2/3 OF THE WAY ALONG THE TRAJECTORY AS THE RANGE INCREASES, SO DOES THE HEIGHT OF THE MAXIMUM ORDINATE. Forever Forward FM 3-21.8 Forever Forward MAXIMUM ORDINATE BURST OF FIRE CONE OF FIRE Show-Me GOLD Show-Me GOLD THE GROUP OF TRAJECTORIES RESULTING FROM A A BURST OF FIRE IS A NUMBER OF BURST OF FIRE IS TERMED THE CONE OF FIRE. SUCCESSIVE ROUNDS FIRED WITH THE SAME ELEVATION AND POINT WHEN A BURST OF FIRE STRIKES A VERTICAL OF AIM WHEN THE TRIGGER IS TARGET, THE ROUNDS WILL FORM A PATTERN, OVAL IN SHAPE, WITH THE DENSITY OF SHOTS HELD TO THE REAR. THE NUMBER DECREASING TOWARDS THE EDGES . OF ROUNDS IN A BURST CAN VARY, DEPENDING ON THE TYPE OF FIRE CONE OF FIRE EMPLOYED. Forever Forward FM 3-21.8 Forever Forward 4 BEATEN ZONE DANGER SPACE Show-Me GOLD Show-Me GOLD THE SPACE BETWEEN THE MUZZLE THE ELLIPTICAL PATTERN FORMED WHEN THE ROUNDS WITHIN THE CONE OF FIRE STRIKE THE OF THE WEAPON AND THE TARGET GROUND OR TARGET. INCLUDING THE BEATEN ZONE. - OVAL OR CIGAR SHAPED - DENSITY DECREASES TOWARDS THE EDGE WHERE THE TRAJECTORY RISES NO - EFFECTIVE BEATEN ZONE = 85% OF ROUNDS MORE THAN 1.8m. DANGER SPACE MAX 1.8m Forever Forward Forever Forward EFFECTS OF RANGE ON BEATEN ZONE SURFACE DANGER ZONE (SDZs ) Show-Me GOLD Show-Me GOLD AS RANGE INCREASES………………………………….. • DEVELOPED FOR EACH WEAPON M240B RANGE: 500m 1 X 110 m • FRONT, BACK OR SIDE OF THE RANGE: 1000m 2 X 75 m MUZZLE RANGE: 1500m 3 X 55 m RANGE: 2000m 4 X 50 m • INCLUDES IMPACT, DISPERSION AND RICOCHET AREAS Forever Forward FM 3-21.8 Forever Forward EFFECTS OF GROUND ON THE BEATEN ZONE Machine Gun SDZ Show-Me GOLD Show-Me GOLD RISING SLOPE STEEP HILLSIDE X Y Dispersion Area Distance Distance Ricochet Area LEVEL GROUND CONFORMING GROUND FM 3-21.8 pg A-10 Forever Forward Forever Forward 30 5 DEAD SPACE CLASSES OF MG FIRE Show-Me GOLD Show-Me GOLD ANY FOLD OR DEPRESSION IN THE • WITH RESPECT TO THE GROUND – GRAZING FIRES GROUND THAT PREVENTS A – PLUNGING FIRES • WITH RESPECT TO THE TARGET TARGET FROM BEING ENGAGED – FRONTAL – FLANKING FROM A FIXED POSITION IS – OBLIQUE – ENFILADE TERMED DEAD SPACE. • WITH RESPECT TO THE WEAPON – FIXED – TRAVERSE – SEARCH – TRAVERSE AND SEARCH DEAD – SWINGING TRAVERSE SPACE – FREE GUN Forever Forward Forever Forward FM 3-21.8 Show-Me GOLD Show-Me GOLD CLASSES OF FIRE WITH RESPECT TO THE GROUND Forever Forward Forever Forward Enabling Learning GRAZING FIRES Objective 3 Show-Me GOLD Show-Me GOLD • Action : STATE CLASSES OF MG FIRE. Level or conforming ground - Center of cone 1m high • Conditions : GIVEN INSTRUCTOR, - Effective to 600m CLASSROOM AND ACCESS TO - Danger space REFERENCES. DANGER SPACE • Standards : STATE CLASSES OF MG FIRE IAW FM 3-21.8 ANNEX A CONE OF FIRE Forever Forward Forever Forward 6 PLUNGING FIRES CLASSES OF FIRE WITH Show-Me GOLD RESPECT TO TARGET Show-Me GOLD PLUNGING FIRE IS ACHIEVED WHEN THE DANGEROUS ZONE IS PRACTICALLY CONFINED TO THE BEATEN ZONE. IT IS OBTAINED WHEN FIRING AT VERY LONG RANGES, FROM • FRONTAL FIRE: HIGH GROUND INTO LOW GROUND OR INTO ABRUPTLY –Occurs when the long axis oF RISING GROUND . DANGER the beaten zone is at a right SPACE angle to the Front oF the CONE OF FIRE target. Forever Forward Forever Forward FRONTAL FIRE Show-Me GOLD Show-Me GOLD LINE COLUMN Forever Forward Forever Forward CLASSES OF FIRE WITH Show-Me GOLD RESPECT TO TARGET Show-Me GOLD CLASSES OF FIRE • FLANKING FIRE: WITH RESPECT –Fire that is delivered directly against the Flank oF the target. TO THE TARGET Forever Forward Forever Forward FM 3-21.8 7 FLANKING FIRE CLASSES OF FIRE WITH RESPECT Show-Me GOLD TO TARGET Show-Me GOLD • ENFILADE FIRE: When the long axis oF the beaten zone coincides COLUMN LINE or nearly coincides with the long axis oF the target. It is the type oF Fire with respect to a target because it makes maximum use oF the beaten zone. Forever Forward FM 3-21.8 Forever Forward FM 3-21.8 CLASSES OF FIRE WITH RESPECT ENFILADE FIRE TO TARGET Show-Me GOLD Show-Me GOLD • OBLIQUE FIRE: –When the long axis oF the FLANKING ENFILADE beaten zone is at an angle FRONTAL other than a right angle to the ENFILADE Front oF the target. Forever Forward FM 3-21.8 Forever Forward FM 3-21.8 OBLIQUE FIRE Show-Me GOLD Show-Me GOLD CLASSES OF FIRE COLUMN LINE WITH RESPECT TO THE GUN Forever Forward FM 3-21.8 Forever Forward 8 CLASSES OF FIRE WITH RESPECT TO THE GUN SEARCHING FIRE Show-Me GOLD Show-Me GOLD SEARCHING DISTRIBUTES FIRES IN DEPTH BY SUCCESSIVE CHANGES IN ELEVATION. Forever Forward 49 Forever Forward FM 3-21.8 FIXED FIRE TRAVERSING AND SEARCHING FIRE Show-Me GOLD Show-Me GOLD DELIVERED AGAINST A STATIONARY POINT TARGET IS A COMBINATION IN WHEN THE DEPTH AND WIDTH WHICH SUCCESSIVE OF THE BEATEN ZONE WILL CHANGES IN DIRECTION COVER THE TARGET AND ELEVATION RESULT IN THE DISTRIBUTION OF FIRES BOTH IN WIDTH AND DEPTH Forever Forward FM 3-21.8 Forever Forward FM 3-21.8 TRAVERSE FIRE SWINGING TRAVERSE Show-Me GOLD Show-Me GOLD TRAVERSING DISPERSES IS EMPLOYED AGAINST FIRES IN WIDTH BY TARGETS THAT REQUIRE SUCCESSIVE CHANGES IN MAJOR CHANGES IN DIRECTION, BUT NOT DIRECTION BUT LITTLE OR ELEVATION.