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c. & G.S.S. Military Review
'Foreign MilitaryoVigests
inaccurate sight require the
Agwnst Attacks
u~e
of a large number of these
"eapons. The automatic rifle lacks stability. It would be Here again Ims:-.in' mf:'aSUreB render groat SP1.i ylc€' :md advantageous to equip it with a stahle support (a pOt't) each should be usen to best acinmtag'l' Active defel1'~e must, timl?- it goe>:; into posltion. "Off-hand tire from the. shoulder" ho:wever. be proVlcit:'d fOi ull plt'ments not only agaill~t h(:'(hre~ is not very effective a5 it p::ive::-. too :nuch dispersion, hopping attacks hut also again:-.t 1hlJ8e at n·ry lo\v a1t1tllrles. The machine g'un, equippeo. with a ~table mount and Organic weapon~ of elpmenh engagE'u in their normal mis . having much greater accuracy, is !t much more effective sion should ah\ayt- he t!l\en an ~Intiaircraft missIOn. In weapon than the automatic rifte. Its f'lght has been im~ Ilarticuiar, automatic \\('apOll';: "houln be out In front at proved uy }'ecent modJf1cat1on~. It~ weaknesi is the longer specIally cho~en pOll1t~. . time required for going into action, The til'~t defen:-.p. hm\ e\ e1', mu~t he th~ ol'!mnization of In the ca::;.,e of th~~€' thr('-€' w€apon~. it would be an in a hlgbl~· alpr! \\arnmf." . . t"n']tp J-\dl\e Ol' pa":;":'l\\.' mea"tlre<:; tpl'e~ting experiment to w'l'!fy and correct their til'e by the against attack aVlat'oll :11 e inpfTp( UH' unlesB dif'position" use of tI acel' ammUnItion, And it would c1emonstrate the are made ::;wIftly ann ollly when thl' situation requires it to danger 10 ground troopf' from uulletc;; falling back tn the aY0id lOBS of tim~, ground, One might be aule to rlel'l\'e a safety formula fo!' Let U~ I->f't', now, \\ hat so!'t ot' chm actel'lstlcs weapons Imnt ing tire In occupied areas. Bnt could sl1('h ruleg be ap should haYe in order to provIde a :-pcure acth p dpfen~e. plIed \vithout renrlel'ing thIS fire llleffective? \Voulrl it be The..,p chala('tf'fl~tJ("" \\JII bE' eXdT1lillf'd IJ1 thPll' relatwn to l'o~::-Iule to {'amply \1,'lth the SpIrIt of such regulation~ in the the altitude ()f attack. LTlSI8 \\hkh 19 alway}, present on th{' appearal1L:e of an at· (1) Attacks IIIl to 1.5l)() fl'et III such '"-ltuatlOn~ infan~ try mu!'>t defend It . . elf 111 ('\err ca...;e Infantry alltIaIr taCk~'ip at a \'erY low altitude? e emplo,yment of the three mf:mtrr \\papong ~hould craft weapons, III ofl.h'r tn be df'ectl\ e a~ain:'-t these !O\\ at· ue go "ern eo uy the following rules' tacks, ~hou!d: lH' ablL' lu \)" plan'li In PO"'lt.on lllo;;tnntly; be ahle- to follow or l;\l'n nntH ipate thf> movement" of the hos ( ) In all ca:-.es open Ill'£' with the maXlllltlm numher of tile ~hi}J: be pl'o\'idt'd \Yllh it ,.i'lll)!e dnd flt.:'.\.lhl l, aimIng "'y:-. weapon},. tem~ employ no ",o-laJled n1L'a"'1I1'<?-menh, 01' ca\cUI:;ltlOn of tZ) DUlmg mo\ement.-:;erunty i-.;pn,..,~i\J\!2't~llough riflE' data, but be lontf'nt \\ltl! aPJlIOXlmatlOn~: be ablt' 10 place and automatk tire. Thank:--. to their availability, thui2 the maXimum numlJt'1" of pr()jl'llilL's in the \'Iclfuty of till' weapons can prevent sUl'pri:"e \vhich al\\Cly.. . th1 eaten~ tl',Jop., tar~et in the lime ~l\"ailabh': I)c ablp t·) place th(' ho..:.tde "lhIJl'" on tht' march, Automatic rifles should be out of theIl' l'a~e" under tire at a maximum range of t;OO yards WIth Sights ~et The f..oidier cal'rying the mount ::,holl~d ; (2) Attack~ bet\H'en 1.500 and -L500 f'f't't Inf:l.l1try march ueside the man carrymg the gun, Machtne gun~ can has nothing to tc.lr flom thl:- "'Oil uf dangel' flom the eliI'. Tie employed thl:' same as at a halt, sent out ahl'ad, g~attered J .unles~ It is In column, lOIl\ ny. Ol" halted ch)~l:'d Ull Dl'fen~ive alon~ the lint' of mal'lh {'8P('c1aHy at I.'riti.cal pomb m the \\l:'ftPUlb Hg-ain . . t :-'Ih'h <lttil 1\" leqllllt' llllre<l<>eu fie:\ilHlIty column, (3) At halt1" machine guns Will be the basl~ of the- de and preClf;lOl1, FIl'lIlg" clatR ",honld he calcllla1L~d WIth CM·t.' The m(TPa~t-'u "~J1ge I'PlpJII\:''' ... malil'l dl"'pel:-.ioll In onll~l' to tense and they WIll cover the mo~t dang-el uus aH'nUl'f> of ap proach, TheIl' tIre should he supplemented by the Uf'E' of keep the dl'n~lt\ of thl' Jll'll,ll'diles \\ lthm t'tfectl\"t..' llmlt:-. automatIc rifles to augment the TIre of the machine guns, to Rate of tIn.> ~hotlhl he \ t'J ~ l,qnd On [lll',HlIlt 01 the £langeI of fallmg pro,lectlit-'.:;, It I.. . Ilt'l{'>":"~:lr~' fol' lht.'m tn t''i:pludL' In impi ove the InterltJr uefen::-.e of' the area, or to covel' avenues of ap)roach not protected by the mach me guns. the air antomatically. (4) In tomLa!, advancE' elements, ao,;: \\e have fleen, need Such weaJ:olls <ire s}lC'naIized and con~titut('- d. part of the organIC weapons of nntIaIl'll'ai't nrtlllelY. It hping 1m· WOI1')-' little auout attacks t'lom the air, J;tpar clem('nh. re· practical to a..,~igll sudl \\e~l}lons tIl infdntIY unit . . , the qtle 5 flen'e element::;, shollid t'mpioy their nfiC'" ~nu automatlc tlOn arigef, a:-< to \\ hetlwr ul' not the PO\\'('1' of t h(' wfanll'Y rifle:::; and consider ..::u(h use the normal mbS!On of tht'se machme I{un could ve Illcl'l'a:-.ed anti :-.lIh...tllutcd fUI such guns, mal'hine gun" 5ohouId be u~p{l if thele IS tIme tl) mount hea\,Y \\eapon...,. It" not, infantry r.lll:-t 1'(':--OO1't to a pi1S~I\'e them Buliets falhng balk to tht' ground are a danger not to VI:' neglected. hut it IS difficult to .see how efi'ecth-e meas defen~C' agallbt .:ur attatk~ frODI alltl\'e 1.500 feet ure" can be takell to aVOid tillS uangel, I\,_~E;\lPLtn:'vILNl or llHGANIt \\'EApn~B
The nrle firl'~ olll,Y a :-.iUgll' bullet. Rut the snlluitant'ou::-, fire of a large nmnlJe'1 pf the'I' \\ t'npon.., build.:; up ,i uem;l' zone of proJectile'" about thl' <lllplant.', L':::;e of tlie nfie If; almost instantHneou~ Th . ., lack of a SUItable sight makes the rIfle dlihcult to L1~(' at the }1l'P::-.ent tIme, The method of ('OlTel tion, aiming a l'el ta 1 11 llumber of fusela!!c lengths ahead of the ship. I~ s\.:allely practlcable agall1st hedge-hop ping attacks and l an nnl~' 'Le plft:.'ctIve under H~l'Y faYol'able conditIOns again~t \('r~' I. \\' rt~'l11~ planes. The automatic I ille I~, \\ ithout a doubt, bcttt-'l' :-.uited to the condItIOn'{ of the III oblt-m thnn the nftl' It l:an go mto action very rapidly Its slow rah.' of fire. Its dl.spel'sion, its 0
54
As we haye :::;(>en, thl' attive defense again:;t 11lane~ dt tacking at altItudes aho\'c 1.500 feet devo!\'es upJn weap ons not assIgned to Infantl}, umtB, Employeu In relativl'ly few numbeI~. their the nIU~t he anllrate. they must h.\ve sights pel'mltUng prt'Clse adJuHtments, theIr proJectIles ~hould explode in the all'. Tlwir normal miSSl.Oll wlll be pl'O' tectian of tl"tlOP concentrations, whether infantry, a"tillery, or I)ther branches, ThIS miSSIOn mdude~ units on the march or at a halt. If protecting troops on the march they ,hould he located at sen,-;itive pnlDt~ where an air attack would be pal'tH:ularly remuneratIve, \\'hen protecting a bivouac area, the gun positions should iJe on the most likely avenuef; of ap proach of the attacking planes. They should be at a suffi