machinegun theory

THE THEORY OFTHE THEORY OFMACHINE GUN FIREMACHINE GUN FIRE

TERMINAL LEARNING OBJECTIVE

ACTION Employ Company Organic Weapons Systems.

CONDITIONS Given a classroom, participation in learning and a practical periods of instructions.

STANDARD Correctly perform task standards IAW ARTEP 7-8MTP in order to perform an overwatch

and/or a support by fire during the TEWT.

NONE

NONE

LOW

INTRODUCTION

“IF ANY SINGLE EVENT CAN BE SAID TO HAVE

TRANSFORMED THE HISTORY OF WARFARE,

IT WAS THE PERFECTION OF THE TRUE AUTOMATIC

MACHINE-GUN BY HIRAM MAXIM IN 1885.

“OF ALL THE HIDEOUS WEAPONS OF WAR PRODUCED

IN THE 20th CENTURY, NONE HAS EXTRACTED

A MORE DREADFUL TOLL OF HUMAN LIFE THAN THE

MACHINE GUN”.

INTRODUCTION

In 1881 Maxim, visited the Paris Electrical Exhibition. There he met a man who told him:

"If you wanted to make a lot of money, invent something that will enable these Europeans to cut each other's

throats with greater facility."

Over the next few years Maxim worked on producing an effective machine-gun. In 1885 he demonstrated the world's first automatic portable machine-gun to the British Army. Maxim used the energy of each bullet's recoil force to eject the spent cartridge and insert the

next bullet. The Maxim Machine-Gun would therefore fire until the entire belt of bullets was used up. Trials showed

that the machine-gun could fire 500 rounds per minute and therefore had the firepower of about 100 rifles.

“THE MACHINE GUN WILL NEVER REPLACE THE HORSE AS AN INSTRUMENT OF WAR”.

SIR DOUGLAS HAIG,COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF BRITISH EXPEDITIONARY FORCES

DECEMBER 1915

INTRODUCTION

WORLD WAR 101 JULY 1916THE SOMME

ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE ALLIED SOMME OFFENSIVE 19,000 BRITISH AND COMMONWEALTH SOLDIERS WERE KILLED, AND A FURTHER 38,000 WOUNDED BY GERMAN

MACHINE GUN FIRE ALONE.

INTRODUCTION

THE SOMME

THE BRITISH III CORPS LOST 80% OF ITS EFFECTIVE STRENGTH AS IT ADVANCED ABREAST OF THE

BAPAUME ROAD, BETWEEN THE

TWIN VILLAGES OF LA BOISELLE AND OVILLERS,

VIRTUALLY ALL OF THEM CUT DOWN

BY SUSTAINED MACHINE-GUN FIRE.

INTRODUCTION

World War 1

THE 1914-1918 WAR KILLED AT THE VERY LEAST 9 MILLION PEOPLE, THE VAST MAJORITY OF THEM ON THE

BATTLEFIELD ITSELF, AND WOUNDED A FURTHER 12.5 MILLION: A TOTAL OF 22 MILLION CASUALTIES.

EVEN AT A CONSERVATIVE ESTIMATE, 25% OF THESE CASUALTIES WERE DUE TO MACHINE-GUN FIRE, GIVING A

TOTAL OF 5.5 MILLION CASUALTIES.

INTRODUCTION

Modern Day

AAR from action in Somalia in 1993 verified that the 7.62mm machinegun is still the Dismounted Infantry Platoon’s most lethal weapon system

The bulk of an Dismounted Infantry Platoon’s organic firepower is provided by the 7.62mm Machinegun, especially in the COE of today (MOUT, Close Combat, Mountain).

INTRODUCTION

ENABLING LEARNING OBJECTIVE

ACTION Describe the Considerations for Machinegun Fire.


STANDARD Correctly perform task standards IAW ARTEP 7-8MTP in order to perform an overwatch and/or a support by fire during the TEWT.

GENERAL DATA

M249 SAW 5.56mm

Squad Automatic WeaponLight Machinegun

GENERAL DATA – M249

• CALIBER: 5.56mm • MAXIMUM RANGE: 3600 m

• MAXIMUM EFFECTIVE RANGE:

POINT TARGETS 600 mAREA TARGETS 800 mSUPPRESSION 1000 m

• RATES OF FIRE:

SUSTAINED: 85 rpmRAPID: 200 rpmCYCLIC: 850 rpm

GENERAL DATA

M60 7.62mm

Medium Machinegun

GENERAL DATA – M60


• MAXIMUM EFFECTIVE RANGE: 1,000m • GRAZING FIRE: 600m • TRACER BURN OUT: 900m

• RATES OF FIRE:

SUSTAINED: 100 rpmRAPID: 200 rpmCYCLIC: 550 rpm

GENERAL DATA

M240B 7.62mm

Medium Machinegun

GENERAL DATA – M240B


• MAXIMUM EFFECTIVE RANGE: 1,000m • GRAZING FIRE: 600m • TRACER BURN OUT: 900m

• RATES OF FIRE:

SUSTAINED: 100 rpmRAPID: 200 rpmCYCLIC: 650-950 rpm

GENERAL DATA

M2HB .50 Cal

BrowningHeavy Machinegun

GENERAL DATA – M2HB

• CALIBER: .50 cal (12.7mm)• MAXIMUM RANGE: 6764 m (4.22 miles)

• MAXIMUM EFFECTIVE RANGE:

POINT TARGETS: 1500 m (Single Shot)AREA TARGETS: 1830 m

• RATES OF FIRE:

SINGLE SHOT or CYCLIC: 450-550 rpm

• TYPES OF AMMO:BALL INCENDIARYTRACER AP (ARMOR PIERCING)DUMMY API (ARMOR PIERCING INCENDIARY)BLANK APIT (ARMOR PIERCING INCENDIARY TRACER)

Browning .50 M2HB (Ma Deuce)


ACTION Describe & understand Machinegun Terminology.


STANDARD Correctly perform task standards IAW ARTEP 7-8MTP in order to perform an over-watch /support by fire during the TEWT or FTX week of training.

MACHINEGUNTERMINOLOGY

Machinegun Terminology

LINE OF SIGHT BURST OF FIRE TRAJECTORY MAXIMUM ORDINATE CONE OF FIRE BEATEN ZONE DANGEROUS SPACE DANGEROUS ZONE DEAD SPACE

LINE OF SIGHT


AN IMAGINARY LINE, FROM THE FIRERS EYE,

THROUGH THE SIGHTS, TO THE POINT OF AIM ON THE TARGET.

• A BURST OF FIRE IS A NUMBER OF SUCCESSIVE ROUNDS FIRED WITH THE SAME ELEVATION AND POINT OF AIM WHEN THE TRIGGER IS HELD TO THE REAR.

• THE NUMBER OF ROUNDS IN A BURST CAN VARY, DEPENDING ON THE TYPE OF FIRE EMPLOYED.


BURST OF FIRE

TRAJECTORY IS THE CURVED PATH A ROUND TAKES DURING ITS FLIGHT. THE TRAJECTORY OF A ROUND IS AFFECTED BY AIR RESISTANCE AND GRAVITY.


TRAJECTORY

MAXIMUM ORDINATE IS THE HIGHEST POINT ABOVE THE LINE OF SIGHT TO WHICH A PROJECTILE RISES DURING ITS FLIGHT. THE MAXIMUM ORDINATE OCCURS APPROXIMATELY 2/3 OF THE WAY

ALONG THE TRAJECTORY OF THE PROJECTILE.Example: AS THE RANGE INCREASES, SO DOES THE HEIGHT OF THE MAXIMUM ORDINATE.

MAXIMUM ORDINATE


MAXIMUM ORDINATE

THE GROUP OF TRAJECTORIES RESULTING FROM A BURST OF FIRE IS TERMED THE CONE OF FIRE. WHEN A BURST OF FIRE STRIKES A VERTICAL TARGET, THE ROUNDS WILL FORM A PATTERN, OVAL IN SHAPE, WITH THE DENSITY OF SHOTS DECREASING TOWARDS THE EDGES.

CONE OF FIRE


CONE OF FIRE

THE PATTERN FORMED WHEN THE CONE OF FIRE STRIKES THE GROUND IS TERMED THE BEATEN ZONE. IT IS OVAL OR CIGAR SHAPED AND THE DENSITY OF ROUNDS DECREASES TOWARDS THE EDGES. BECAUSE OF DISPERSION ONLY THAT PART OF THE BEATEN ZONE IN WHICH 85% OF THE ROUNDS FALL IS CONSIDERED THE EFFECTIVE BEATEN ZONE.

BEATEN ZONE


BEATEN ZONE

DANGEROUS SPACE OCCURS BETWEEN THE MUZZLE OF THE MACHINE GUN AND THE POINT WHERE THE LOWEST ROUND IN THE BEATEN ZONE STRIKES THE GROUND.


DANGEROUS SPACE

THE DANGEROUS ZONE IS THAT AREA COVERED BY THE DANGEROUS SPACE AND THE BEATEN ZONE. FOR THE FIRE TO BE EFFECTIVE, THE TARGET MUST BE INCLUDED IN THE DANGEROUS ZONE.

DANGEROUS ZONE


DANGEROUS ZONE


ACTION Describe the Effects of Range & Ground on the Beaten Zone.



The effects of Range on the Beaten Zone

THE RANGE ONTHE BEATEN ZONE

AS RANGE INCREASES…………………………………..

M240B

RANGE: 500m 1 X 110 mRANGE: 1000m 2 X 75 m

RANGE: 1500m 3 X 55 m

RANGE: 2000m 4 X 50 m

(IT Vol 4, Pam 7, M60, 1980, Australia & RAInf Corps Trg. Notes Vol 2 Pam 6, DFSW Pl. 1995, Australia)

The effects of the Ground on the Beaten Zone

LEVEL GROUND

THE GROUND ONTHE BEATEN ZONE

RISING SLOPESTEEP HILLSIDE

CONFORMING GROUND

DEAD SPACE

DEAD SPACE

ANY FOLD OR DEPRESSION IN THE GROUND

THAT PREVENTS A TARGET FROM BEING ENGAGED

FROM A FIXED POSITION IS TERMED DEAD SPACE.

DEAD SPACE

FACTORS EFFECTING THE BURST OF FIRE

The Gun & the AmmunitionThe FirerThe Clarity of the TargetAir Disturbances & Weather

CLASSES OF MG FIRE

Machineguns produce 2 Classes of Fire

with respect to the Ground:

Grazing Fire or Plunging Fire

The 2 factors that effect

the Class of Fire produced with respect to

the Ground are Range and Terrain.

TYPES OF FIRE

GRAZING FIRE

Grazing fire is obtained when firing over level or

uniformly sloping terrain, where the center of the cone of fire

does not rise more than 1 meter above the ground.

This is approximately out to 600m. The dangerous zone, employing this type of fire, extends from the muzzle of the gun

out to where the last round in the beaten zone strikes the ground.

BEATEN ZONE

PLUNGING FIREPLUNGING FIRE IS ACHIEVED WHEN THE DANGEROUS ZONE

IS PRACTICALLY CONFINED TO THE BEATEN ZONE. IT IS OBTAINED WHEN FIRING AT VERY LONG RANGES, FROM HIGH GROUND INTO

LOW GROUND OR INTO ABRUPTLY RISING GROUND.

BEATEN ZONE

CONE OF FIRE

DANGEROUS ZONE

Classes of Fire with Respect to

the Target

CLASSES OF FIRE RESPECT TO TARGET

FRONTAL FIRE

Occurs when the long axis of the beaten zone is perpendicular to the

front of the target.

FRONTAL FIRE

Classes of Fire with Respect to the Target

FLANKING FIRE:

Fire that is delivered directly against the flank of the target.

FLANKING FIRE

OBLIQUE FIRE:

When the long axis of the beaten zone is at an angle other than a right angle

to the front of the target.


OBLIQUE FIRE

ENFILADE FIRE:

When the long axis of the beaten zone coincides or nearly coincides with the long axis of the target. This type of fire

is either frontal or flanking. It is the most desirable type of fire with

respect to a target because it makes maximum use of the beaten zone.


ENFILADE FIRE

FRONTAL FLANKING

TRAINING NOTES

OBJECTIVES OF MG MARKSMANSHIP

• Obtain an accurate initial burst• Traverse and search the Machinegun effectively• Observe and adjust fire• Operate with speed

Reference page 9-2 FM 23-67

PLACEHOLDER:

USE EXAMPLES OF FIRE WITH RESPECT TO GUN: CAN BLOWUP PICTURE ON PAGE 7-4 of FM or

make slide

Classes of Fire With Respect to the Gun

TRAINING TTP FOR LEADERS

• Crew drills varied conditions• Cross train machinegun skills, to include crew drills

and range cards• Stabilize your crews, don’t make the “new guy” the

gunner.• You the leader and crew must know FM 23-67. • Train your MG crews and weapon squads to occupy

Support By Fire positions both in and out of contact. Don’t just train for best case (deliberate occupation out of contact).

• Remember that the M249 is also a machinegun, and team leaders/squad leaders should be trained on

their control and employment.

TRAINING TTP FOR LEADERS

CREW DRILLS

• Can be conducted in field, on ranges, or in garrison

• Conduct under progressively harder conditions (time, day/night, rotate positions, etc.)

• PRECISION IS NEVER SACRIFICED FOR SPEED, SPEED IS ACQUIRED AFTER PRECISION HAS BEEN OBTAINED

AIDS FOR OBSERVING THE FALL OF SHOT

GROUND: Rounds falling on dry, sandy, or rocky ground will give a good indication of strike.

TRACER: Tracer can be observed at ranges up to 1100m in normal circumstances.

CLIMATIC CONDITIONS: When the sun is low, it is easier to observe strike than when it is high.

BATTLEFIELD CONDITIONS: The actions of the “enemy will often indicate whether the fire is effective”.

NOTES ON ZEROING

• IF THE WEAPON IS NOT CORRECTLY ZEROED, IT IS INEFFECTIVE.

• BOTH THE GUNNER AND THE ASSISTANT GUNNER MUST ZERO THE WEAPON.

• THE SPARE BARREL MUST BE ZEROED, NOT JUST THE MAIN BARREL.

• THE WEAPON MUST BE ZEROED BEFORE ANY OPERATION, AFTER REPAIRS,WHEN GUNNERS CHANGE AND WHEN EVER THE ZERO IS IN DOUBT

TERMINAL LEARNING OBJECTIVE

ACTION Employ Company Organic Weapons Systems.



QUESTIONS?QUESTIONS?

machinegun theory

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